Maybe Charlie Manuel should have a team meeting after every game? The tactic paid immediate dividends, as the Phillies destroyed the host Blue Jays, 10-0, on Saturday. Rookie southpaw J.A. Happ, making his eleventh career start, pitched a complete-game shutout. Jayson Werth went 4 for 4, with a pair of home runs, one of which landed in the United States. Ryan Howard, Pedro Feliz, Chris Coste, and Carlos Ruiz contributed two hits apiece. It might have been the Phils' most dominant effort of the season, and was the kind of victory the team can build upon. Hopefully, this game will be spotlighted as a turning point, in the 2009 World Series Champion Phillies DVD.
Happ was incredible, requiring only 100 pitches to procure the 27 outs. Happ permitted only five hits, and did not walk a single batter. His performance allowed the Phillies to rest their embattled bullpen, which is always a good thing. I could complain that, with the Phillies leading 10-0 after seven innings, the dreg (Jack Taschner) of the bullpen could have finished up, saving some bullets in Happ's young arm. (Happ pitched 167 innings, in AAA and MLB last season, and should be kept below 200 (including postseason) in 2009.) Also worthy of complaint was Eric Bruntlett's third consecutive start, in which he contributed another zero hits. But let's focus on the brilliance of Happ sand Werth, savor this victory, and hope that the Phils can gather some momentum. The bullpen is rested, Sunday's starter Jamie Moyer has pitched better as of late, and a series win is within the Phils' grasp.
Showing posts with label J.A Happ. Show all posts
Showing posts with label J.A Happ. Show all posts
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Excruciating
On Saturday night, the Phillies should have ended their losing streak at four games. The victory would have put the Phils in position to win their weekend series against Baltimore. The game would have had a prominent place in the Season In Review section of the 2009 World Series Champions DVD. Ryan Howard's heroism on this fateful night would have merited a mention in Chase Utley's Cooperstown speech, in which he welcomed Howard as the second (of three) member of the 2008 Phillies to enter the Hall. One Ryan Madson offering, wholly devoid of command, sent the Phils to a painful loss, and made Howard's heroics almost an afterthought.
J.A. Happ started for the Phillies, and managed to allow ten hits AND four walks, in only six innings. Somehow, those fourteen baserunners were converted into only two runs. The Phillies' lineup featured reserve Matt Stairs batting cleanup, reserve Greg Dobbs in the sixth spot, and (should-be-minor-league) reserve Paul Bako, inexplicably, in the lineup. Yet, as play entered the bottom of the seventh, the Phils only trailed 3-0.
Ryan Howard had been hospitalized with flu-like symptoms prior to the game, and it appeared that he would be unavailable. The Phillies had closed to within 3-2 in the seventh, with two runners on base for...Paul Bako. However, Ryan Howard was, surprisingly, amazingly, sent in to face Orioles right-hander Danys Baez. The Orioles did not have a southpaw ready to face the flu-stricken slugger, and Howard made them pay. The three-run homer gave the Phillies a 5-3 lead, and added another highlight to Howard's Cooperstown application.
The two-run lead remained into the ninth, with interim closer Ryan Madson summoned from the bullpen to close out the victory. Surely, the Phils would snap their losing streak, and Madson would snap his save-less streak? Well, no. Madson surrendered a three-run homer, decreasing the Phillies' Win Expectancy from 91.9% to only 19.6%. Chris Coste, Pedro Feliz, and Eric Bruntlett (yes, Bruntlett batted in the ninth inning of a one-run game) were retired in order, and the Phillies' fifth consecutive loss was, easily, their most excruciating one.
The Phillies will try to avoid another sweep, and a six-game losing streak, on Sunday afternoon. With ace Cole Hamels in the stopper role, and Paul Bako back on the bench, you have to like the Phils' chances. They are certainly due for a win.
J.A. Happ started for the Phillies, and managed to allow ten hits AND four walks, in only six innings. Somehow, those fourteen baserunners were converted into only two runs. The Phillies' lineup featured reserve Matt Stairs batting cleanup, reserve Greg Dobbs in the sixth spot, and (should-be-minor-league) reserve Paul Bako, inexplicably, in the lineup. Yet, as play entered the bottom of the seventh, the Phils only trailed 3-0.
Ryan Howard had been hospitalized with flu-like symptoms prior to the game, and it appeared that he would be unavailable. The Phillies had closed to within 3-2 in the seventh, with two runners on base for...Paul Bako. However, Ryan Howard was, surprisingly, amazingly, sent in to face Orioles right-hander Danys Baez. The Orioles did not have a southpaw ready to face the flu-stricken slugger, and Howard made them pay. The three-run homer gave the Phillies a 5-3 lead, and added another highlight to Howard's Cooperstown application.
The two-run lead remained into the ninth, with interim closer Ryan Madson summoned from the bullpen to close out the victory. Surely, the Phils would snap their losing streak, and Madson would snap his save-less streak? Well, no. Madson surrendered a three-run homer, decreasing the Phillies' Win Expectancy from 91.9% to only 19.6%. Chris Coste, Pedro Feliz, and Eric Bruntlett (yes, Bruntlett batted in the ninth inning of a one-run game) were retired in order, and the Phillies' fifth consecutive loss was, easily, their most excruciating one.
The Phillies will try to avoid another sweep, and a six-game losing streak, on Sunday afternoon. With ace Cole Hamels in the stopper role, and Paul Bako back on the bench, you have to like the Phils' chances. They are certainly due for a win.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Park Swaps Roles with Happ; Gabor Paul Bako II Signed
The Phillies announced Tuesday afternoon that J.A. Happ would be taking Chan Ho Park's spot in the rotation. Happ will start on Saturday, in a nationally-televised battle against the Yankees. (A designated hitter will be used at Yankee Stadium, so the Phils won't suffer from losing Park's bat in the lineup. Unless Eric Bruntlett is the DH.) J.A. Happ has been very effective out of the bullpen, and would have started last Saturday, if he hadn't been needed in Friday night's extra-inning game in Washington.
Park had serious difficulties in his seven starts, pitching to a 5.64 FIP and a 1.69 WHIP. Despite Park's struggles, the Phillies were fortunate to lose only twice (both to the Mets) in his starts. (One of those losses was 1-0, to Mets' ace Johan Santana, in a game any Phillies' pitcher would have had difficulty winning.) Despite Park's ineffectiveness, there were some positives to the decision to start the season with Park in the rotation. The Phillies guaranteed Park the chance to compete for a rotation spot in Spring Training, and gave him the spot when he outperformed his competitors. This will lend credibility to the Phils, which could prove useful if they make a similar guarantee to another free agent in the offseason.
Using Park in the rotation for the first month and a half of the season, also helped keep Happ's early-season workload light. Happ is at twenty-one innings pitched at present, while he might be around fifty innings, if he had been in the rotation from the start of the season. Happ threw one-hundred and seventy innings in 2008, including the postseason. In order to avoid Verduccifying Happ, the Phillies should keep Happ below one-hundred and ninety innings in 2009. The thirty innings the Phillies have already "saved" on Happ should help protect the young southpaw's health, and postseason effectiveness. (Of course, if the other members of the rotation, specifically Jamie Moyer and Joe Blanton, don't figure things out soon, the Phils might not have to worry about Happ's postseason workload.)
In a minor move, the Phillies signed free agent catcher Paul Bako. Bako, who will be thirty-seven in June, played ninety-nine games for the Reds in 2008. He failed to make the Cubs roster in Spring Training, and was unconditionally released. Bako is a poor hitter (.274 wOBA lifetime), but is satisfactory on defense.
It's not really clear what the plan is for Bako. Perhaps the Phils believe that Bako will be a better mentor in AAA for top prospect Lou Marson, than current AAA backup Paul Hoover? Maybe they would like to add Bako or Hoover to the MLB roster, and free up Chris Coste to be used as a right-handed pinch-hitter/occasional corner infielder? Possibly, they are just adding some catching inventory, to put them in better position to deal one of their current backstops? (Another possibility is that they simply felt that the opportunity to roster the first player named "Gabor" in the illustrious history of the franchise was too much to pass up.) No matter their reasoning, this is probably a low-risk signing, unless they let Bako use a bat in MLB on a regular basis.
Park had serious difficulties in his seven starts, pitching to a 5.64 FIP and a 1.69 WHIP. Despite Park's struggles, the Phillies were fortunate to lose only twice (both to the Mets) in his starts. (One of those losses was 1-0, to Mets' ace Johan Santana, in a game any Phillies' pitcher would have had difficulty winning.) Despite Park's ineffectiveness, there were some positives to the decision to start the season with Park in the rotation. The Phillies guaranteed Park the chance to compete for a rotation spot in Spring Training, and gave him the spot when he outperformed his competitors. This will lend credibility to the Phils, which could prove useful if they make a similar guarantee to another free agent in the offseason.
Using Park in the rotation for the first month and a half of the season, also helped keep Happ's early-season workload light. Happ is at twenty-one innings pitched at present, while he might be around fifty innings, if he had been in the rotation from the start of the season. Happ threw one-hundred and seventy innings in 2008, including the postseason. In order to avoid Verduccifying Happ, the Phillies should keep Happ below one-hundred and ninety innings in 2009. The thirty innings the Phillies have already "saved" on Happ should help protect the young southpaw's health, and postseason effectiveness. (Of course, if the other members of the rotation, specifically Jamie Moyer and Joe Blanton, don't figure things out soon, the Phils might not have to worry about Happ's postseason workload.)
In a minor move, the Phillies signed free agent catcher Paul Bako. Bako, who will be thirty-seven in June, played ninety-nine games for the Reds in 2008. He failed to make the Cubs roster in Spring Training, and was unconditionally released. Bako is a poor hitter (.274 wOBA lifetime), but is satisfactory on defense.
It's not really clear what the plan is for Bako. Perhaps the Phils believe that Bako will be a better mentor in AAA for top prospect Lou Marson, than current AAA backup Paul Hoover? Maybe they would like to add Bako or Hoover to the MLB roster, and free up Chris Coste to be used as a right-handed pinch-hitter/occasional corner infielder? Possibly, they are just adding some catching inventory, to put them in better position to deal one of their current backstops? (Another possibility is that they simply felt that the opportunity to roster the first player named "Gabor" in the illustrious history of the franchise was too much to pass up.) No matter their reasoning, this is probably a low-risk signing, unless they let Bako use a bat in MLB on a regular basis.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
