Long ago, the sport of baseball was a very different game. Players left their gloves on the field, when they returned to the dugout. If players spent more than two weeks on a roster, without playing, it was probably either because they were very bad at the game of baseball, or because they were actually spies. There was a batting maneuver, used to advance runners, known as the "bunt." The Philadelphia Phillies had an innings-eater, by the name of Grover Cleveland Alexander, who pitched more than three-hundred innings, seven seasons in a row. A "loogy" was just a synonym for expectorant. Way back then, creating a "Cliff Lee", using DNA obtained from Steve Carlton, would have been as inconceivable as the Phillies being labeled a "perennial contender."
In the much more recent past, the Phillies have pondered several questions. "If Brad Lidge blows every save opportunity, has he achieved perfection?" "Will Matt Stairs ever get a hit again?" "Is Eric Bruntlett really only the fourth-worst-hitting non-pitcher on this team?" They also considered a more philosophical question. They asked themselves, "If Scott Eyre is in the bullpen, and he never pitches, does he make a sound?" Noted philosopher/ineffective reliever Chad Durbin, who was not created using DNA obtained from Ron Reed, would likely answer that question, "Does he (Eyre) ever NOT make a sound?" Manager Charlie Manuel, however, hasn't appeared to be aware of Eyre's continued bullpen existence. At least until the eighth inning of the Phillies' 3-2 victory over the Braves, on Sunday night.
Scott Eyre entered his first game in two weeks, with runners on first and second, and no outs. Though he had warmed up numerous times during those two weeks, and his usefulness as a LOOGY had been oft-demonstrated, he had been reduced to merely cheering on his teammates. Suddenly, he was called on to pitch, during the highest leverage at bat of the game. Four pitches later, he induced an unconventional 4-6-5 double play. He retired the next batter on another grounder, exiting the inning with a 3-2 lead. Now, we are left to ponder why we had to wait two weeks between Eyre appearances. A Grover Cleveland Alexander-esque ERA of 1.65 should surely qualify Eyre for more regular use.
The Phillies' offense generated a lot of sound on Sunday night, with Chase Utley hitting yet another home run (his 29th), and Carlos Ruiz knocking three hits, including a pair of doubles. The loudest noise, however, may have been made by the softest contact. In bottom of the seventh inning, with the score tied at one, Raul Ibanez lead off the inning with a walk. Pedro Feliz followed, and performed the archaic maneuver known as "squaring around to bunt." This antiquated technique doesn't seem to have a lot of value in today's chock-full-of-extra-base-hit-game, except as a possible (occasional) deterrent to deep-playing infielders, or as a practice utilized solely by exceedingly weak-hitting batters. In Sunday night's context, however, it led to a two-base error. Carlos Ruiz followed Feliz' bunt with a two-run double, and the Phillies had all the scoring that they would require.
When you have (the post-April 2009 version of) Joe Blanton on the mound, not a lot of offense is needed. Blanton once pursued the quality start, and the seventh inning, as Moe Berg had once pursued Axis secrets (with a lumbering tenacity). Now that Blanton has made ten consecutive quality starts, venturing into the seventh inning in nine of them, the lanky northpaw has earned the "innings-eater" label that had once been, prematurely, bestowed upon him. Blanton ate seven more innings, surrendering only a solo home run, among three hits and four walks (and seven strikeouts!).
Brad Lidge, often effective when not used more than two days in a row, retired all three batters he faced in the ninth, for his twenty-seventh save. The Phillies had combined methods, both ancient and modern, in winning the rubber game of the three-game series. Philadelphia increased their divisional lead to eight games, with only thirty-four games remaining to be played. Joe Blanton may get the opportunity to reprise Alexander's 1915 role, as an innings-eater on a team that went on to play the Red Sox, in the World Series. (That is, if 2009's Red Sox can get past Detroit, in the ALCS...)
Showing posts with label Joe Blanton. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Joe Blanton. Show all posts
Monday, August 31, 2009
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Loss Not (All) Lidge's Fault
It is the responsibility of Manager Charlie Manuel to put his team, and his individual players, in position to succeed. In Tuesday night's walk-off loss in Pittsburgh, Manuel failed to do either. Pitching for the fourth consecutive game, closer Brad Lidge failed to record an out, as the Pirates rallied for a 6-4 win. Given the impressive performance by the Phillies to even create a save opportunity, and the (last) place the Pirates reside in the standings, this loss was a particularly frustrating one.
The fatigued closer did not have his good stuff, and failed to adjust. But he never should have been put in that position, with other options (Ryan Madson, Scott Eyre) available, to pick up/combine to pick up the final three outs. Perhaps the real mistake was made Sunday, when Lidge pitched in a non-save situation? Either way, the Phillies lost a game they should have been able to win. Lidge, his confidence buoyed by three consecutive strong outings, saw his ERA rise back over seven (7.33), and he added a ninth blown save, and a sixth loss, to his season's record. Lidge's strong weekend is all-but-forgotten, as the cries for his removal from the closer's role continue.
Almost forgotten amidst the fury sparked by the walk-off loss were some impressive individual performances. Jimmy Rollins lead off the game with a home run, on the first pitch he faced. On the second pitch he faced, Rollins hit another homer. Starter Joe Blanton did not have his good stuff, but managed to scrap through six innings, allowing only three runs. All three runs came via the home run. Blanton was a bit wild, throwing only sixty-nine of his one-hundred thirteen (!) pitches for strikes. More accurate home plate umping could have saved Blanton a run, or two, or at least helped him keep his pitch count down. Tyler Walker followed Blanton with two scoreless innings (two walks/two whiffs), before Lidge's blown save.
The Phillies looked to be en route to another, come-from-behind victory, when they turned a 3-2 deficit, into a 4-3 lead, in the top of the ninth. The key hits were a pinch-hit double by Ben Francisco, and a Shane Victorino triple. Pirates' closer Matt Capps was charged with his third blown save. Capps wound up with his third win, when Manuel's questionable move helped lead to a Phils' loss. Hopefully, Cole Hamels will get better results in Wednesday night's rematch, and we won't see Lidge for a fifth consecutive day.
The fatigued closer did not have his good stuff, and failed to adjust. But he never should have been put in that position, with other options (Ryan Madson, Scott Eyre) available, to pick up/combine to pick up the final three outs. Perhaps the real mistake was made Sunday, when Lidge pitched in a non-save situation? Either way, the Phillies lost a game they should have been able to win. Lidge, his confidence buoyed by three consecutive strong outings, saw his ERA rise back over seven (7.33), and he added a ninth blown save, and a sixth loss, to his season's record. Lidge's strong weekend is all-but-forgotten, as the cries for his removal from the closer's role continue.
Almost forgotten amidst the fury sparked by the walk-off loss were some impressive individual performances. Jimmy Rollins lead off the game with a home run, on the first pitch he faced. On the second pitch he faced, Rollins hit another homer. Starter Joe Blanton did not have his good stuff, but managed to scrap through six innings, allowing only three runs. All three runs came via the home run. Blanton was a bit wild, throwing only sixty-nine of his one-hundred thirteen (!) pitches for strikes. More accurate home plate umping could have saved Blanton a run, or two, or at least helped him keep his pitch count down. Tyler Walker followed Blanton with two scoreless innings (two walks/two whiffs), before Lidge's blown save.
The Phillies looked to be en route to another, come-from-behind victory, when they turned a 3-2 deficit, into a 4-3 lead, in the top of the ninth. The key hits were a pinch-hit double by Ben Francisco, and a Shane Victorino triple. Pirates' closer Matt Capps was charged with his third blown save. Capps wound up with his third win, when Manuel's questionable move helped lead to a Phils' loss. Hopefully, Cole Hamels will get better results in Wednesday night's rematch, and we won't see Lidge for a fifth consecutive day.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Reverse Split
Brad Lidge got the job done Friday night. Called in to save a 3-2 Phillies win, Lidge retired the first Braves' batter, Yunel Escobar, on a hard line drive to right field. Adam LaRoche followed with a single, and pinch-runner Matt Diaz stole second base. After whiffing Ryan Church for the second out, Lidge walked Greg Norton. Nate McLouth came to the plate, with the game-tying run on second, and the game-winning run on first. McLouth drove the ball to deep left field, but the ballpark held it, and left fielder Raul Ibanez grabbed it on the warning track.
Lidge was going for his second save, in as many games, as he entered Saturday's game. Protecting a 3-2 lead, Lidge induced a Garret Anderson ground ball to second base. But Chase Utley misplayed the ball into a leadoff single. The Braves opted to sacrifice, and Matt Diaz was directed to lay down the bunt. Diaz' bunt was fielded by Lidge, who looked towards second, bobbled the ball, and threw it down the first base line. Anderson scored the tying run on the play, and Diaz ended up on third base. Instead of one out, and the tying run on second base, Lidge's miscues had the game tied, no one out, and the winning run only ninety feet away. An intentional walk, and a (likely) un-intentional intentional walk, loaded the bases. Omar Infante hit a ground ball, between second and third base. Under different circumstances, the ball would have visited shortstop Jimmy Rollins' glove, briefly, before landing in first baseman Ryan Howard's glove. Infante's ground ball bounded past the drawn-in infield, for a game-winning single.
Lidge's blown save on Saturday has reinvigorated the calls for Lidge to removed from the closer's role. If the defensively-adept Utley makes that play, the inning could have gone very differently. We could be talking about how Lidge is, finally, getting his game together, and that the only problem left to fix is Eric Bruntlett.
That wouldn't exactly be deserved, either, as Lidge should have had a blown save on Friday night. Either way, his performance this weekend has not instilled any confidence. What are the Phillies' options? Well, they can continue to go with Lidge, or they can give Ryan Madson another shot as closer. Madson did not do well, earlier this season, when he was the closer during a Lidge DL stint. But he has improved since then, and probably couldn't do worse than Lidge has done. I'd like to see Madson get another shot to close, and think he could succeed. But not necessarily now, and not at the possible expense of what remains of Lidge's increasingly-fragile confidence. The best Phillies' team, likely, includes an effective Madson, setting up for an effective Lidge. Expect the Phillies to continue to use Lidge to close games, at least for the immediate future, in hopes that he will start to get better results. I wouldn't go as far as saying that Saturday's blown save was a blessing in disguise, but the Phillies certainly need to figure out the closing situation. Blown saves can be a lot more costly, in the short series of the postseason.
Almost lost amidst Lidge's struggles was another, insidious, culprit. If the Phillies hadn't gone 1 for 12, with runners in scoring position, Saturday's game may not have even included a Lidge appearance. The Phillies had numerous chances to at least add to their one-run lead, if not turn the contest into one that even Tyler Walker could finish. Over time, more of those at bats are bound to be successful. Until then, a few less strikeouts, and a few more sacrifice flies, would be quite helpful.
Besides Lidge, and the RISP conversion issues, the Phillies have had a good weekend. Tremendous defensive play by outfielders Shane Victorino and Jayson Werth, and homers by Chase Utley and Ryan Howard, keyed Friday's victory. (Braves Manager Bobby Cox, inexplicably, removed southpaw Mike Gonzalez from the game, and allowed Ryan Howard to face northpaw Rafael Soriano. Howard's solo homer off Soriano provided the final margin.) Joe Blanton was outstanding (again) on Friday, permitting only one earned run (and one unearned run), in seven innings. His ERA is all the way down to 3.88, and Blanton is eating some serious innings (at least six and two-thirds in each of his last seven starts). Cole Hamels almost matched Blanton's results in his start on Saturday, permitting only a pair of runs (three hits, four walks/two whiffs), in six innings, despite not having his best stuff.
Another hot Phillies starting pitcher, J.A. Happ, is on the mound Sunday night. Javier Vazquez will start for the Braves, in what could be another tight game. With Lidge and Madson both having pitched in consecutive games, it's unclear who would close tonight for the Phillies. (I would bet on Madson, as he has thrown a combined fifteen pitches, in the weekend's first two games.) Hopefully, Happ and the Phillies' bats will do enough early in the game, that a save won't be necessary. But I'm confident that Madson can do the job, even if Joe Morgan has, probably, never even heard of him.
Lidge was going for his second save, in as many games, as he entered Saturday's game. Protecting a 3-2 lead, Lidge induced a Garret Anderson ground ball to second base. But Chase Utley misplayed the ball into a leadoff single. The Braves opted to sacrifice, and Matt Diaz was directed to lay down the bunt. Diaz' bunt was fielded by Lidge, who looked towards second, bobbled the ball, and threw it down the first base line. Anderson scored the tying run on the play, and Diaz ended up on third base. Instead of one out, and the tying run on second base, Lidge's miscues had the game tied, no one out, and the winning run only ninety feet away. An intentional walk, and a (likely) un-intentional intentional walk, loaded the bases. Omar Infante hit a ground ball, between second and third base. Under different circumstances, the ball would have visited shortstop Jimmy Rollins' glove, briefly, before landing in first baseman Ryan Howard's glove. Infante's ground ball bounded past the drawn-in infield, for a game-winning single.
Lidge's blown save on Saturday has reinvigorated the calls for Lidge to removed from the closer's role. If the defensively-adept Utley makes that play, the inning could have gone very differently. We could be talking about how Lidge is, finally, getting his game together, and that the only problem left to fix is Eric Bruntlett.
That wouldn't exactly be deserved, either, as Lidge should have had a blown save on Friday night. Either way, his performance this weekend has not instilled any confidence. What are the Phillies' options? Well, they can continue to go with Lidge, or they can give Ryan Madson another shot as closer. Madson did not do well, earlier this season, when he was the closer during a Lidge DL stint. But he has improved since then, and probably couldn't do worse than Lidge has done. I'd like to see Madson get another shot to close, and think he could succeed. But not necessarily now, and not at the possible expense of what remains of Lidge's increasingly-fragile confidence. The best Phillies' team, likely, includes an effective Madson, setting up for an effective Lidge. Expect the Phillies to continue to use Lidge to close games, at least for the immediate future, in hopes that he will start to get better results. I wouldn't go as far as saying that Saturday's blown save was a blessing in disguise, but the Phillies certainly need to figure out the closing situation. Blown saves can be a lot more costly, in the short series of the postseason.
Almost lost amidst Lidge's struggles was another, insidious, culprit. If the Phillies hadn't gone 1 for 12, with runners in scoring position, Saturday's game may not have even included a Lidge appearance. The Phillies had numerous chances to at least add to their one-run lead, if not turn the contest into one that even Tyler Walker could finish. Over time, more of those at bats are bound to be successful. Until then, a few less strikeouts, and a few more sacrifice flies, would be quite helpful.
Besides Lidge, and the RISP conversion issues, the Phillies have had a good weekend. Tremendous defensive play by outfielders Shane Victorino and Jayson Werth, and homers by Chase Utley and Ryan Howard, keyed Friday's victory. (Braves Manager Bobby Cox, inexplicably, removed southpaw Mike Gonzalez from the game, and allowed Ryan Howard to face northpaw Rafael Soriano. Howard's solo homer off Soriano provided the final margin.) Joe Blanton was outstanding (again) on Friday, permitting only one earned run (and one unearned run), in seven innings. His ERA is all the way down to 3.88, and Blanton is eating some serious innings (at least six and two-thirds in each of his last seven starts). Cole Hamels almost matched Blanton's results in his start on Saturday, permitting only a pair of runs (three hits, four walks/two whiffs), in six innings, despite not having his best stuff.
Another hot Phillies starting pitcher, J.A. Happ, is on the mound Sunday night. Javier Vazquez will start for the Braves, in what could be another tight game. With Lidge and Madson both having pitched in consecutive games, it's unclear who would close tonight for the Phillies. (I would bet on Madson, as he has thrown a combined fifteen pitches, in the weekend's first two games.) Hopefully, Happ and the Phillies' bats will do enough early in the game, that a save won't be necessary. But I'm confident that Madson can do the job, even if Joe Morgan has, probably, never even heard of him.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Stranded in San Fran
The Phillies left eight more runners on base, in Saturday's 2-0 loss in San Francisco. Phillies' starter Joe Blanton was excellent, permitting two runs, on seven hits, in seven strong innings. He continued trekking towards a sub-4.00 ERA, leaving the proceedings on Saturday, with a 4.02 ERA. (After four starts, Blanton's ERA was at 8.41. Some more favorable BABIP and HR/9'ing, allowed Blanton to post a 1.21 July ERA.) Typically, Blanton's effort on Saturday night would have been sufficient to secure a win. However, Giants' ace Tim Lincecum was in top form, silencing the Phillies' bats.
The Phillies have been rather hideous with runners in scoring position on this road trip. They have been fortunate that some strong pitching has enabled them to split the first six games of the road trip. Batting .103 with runners in scoring position, makes scoring a bit difficult. Should Phillies fans be concerned about that ugly stat? Probably, not. There are some small sample size BABIP issues at play here.
There may also be some fatigue issues impacting the bats. The Phillies played twenty-seven games in July (20-7!). They had one game postponed, so they had to report to ballpark twenty-eight times, in thirty-one days. The sizeable Phillies' All-Star contingent had to report to the ballpark thirty times in July. With all of the games, and all of the the traveling, combined with the daily drain of having to overcompensate for the rostering of "ballplayers" named Bako/Bruntlett/Mayberry/Walker/Register, it isn't surprising that the bats would be a bit on the tired side. The August schedule includes four days off, all Mondays, so the Phils should be able to replenish their strength for the stretch run. There's nothing to worry about, especially with Cliff Lee and Disco Ben Francisco now on the ballclub.
Well, maybe there is a little more than nothing to worry about. Starting catcher Carlos Ruiz hasn't played since Thursday, when he was behind the plate for Tyler Walker's attempt at (four strikeouts in one inning) making history. Ruiz followed up his .174 June average, with a .172 average in July. Is Ruiz troubled by a nagging injury? A DL stint would by Ruiz, would create a Phillies' catching combination of Paul Bako, backed up by Paul Hoover. THAT is the stuff of nightmares.
Also troubling is a potential playoff matchup against the pitching-rich San Francisco Giants. Lincecum, Matt Cain, and a rejuvenated Barry Zito are an imposing trio. But it could be even worse than that. What if Saturday night's pitching masterpiece was authored by the Tim Lincecum CLONE? There have been few reported sightings of Lincecum Clone, since the end of the World Baseball Classic. What if the Clone shut down the Phillies on Saturday night, while the original Lincecum went to see the new Harry Potter movie (Again. For the 18th time.)? Even though the Phillies' offense is far superior to that of the Giants, it would be tough to beat four Lincecums, in a five-game series (or six, in a seven-game series). As advanced as the Phillies' organization is in the area of cloning technology, their clones are all pitching at lower levels, and won't factor in to the 2009 postseason.
Hamels faces the Giants on Sunday, as the Phils try to escape the West Coast with a 4-3 road trip. The aforementioned rejuvenated Barry Zito will be on the slab for the Giants. Look for Hamels to try to out-ace new acquisition Cliff Lee.
The Phillies have been rather hideous with runners in scoring position on this road trip. They have been fortunate that some strong pitching has enabled them to split the first six games of the road trip. Batting .103 with runners in scoring position, makes scoring a bit difficult. Should Phillies fans be concerned about that ugly stat? Probably, not. There are some small sample size BABIP issues at play here.
There may also be some fatigue issues impacting the bats. The Phillies played twenty-seven games in July (20-7!). They had one game postponed, so they had to report to ballpark twenty-eight times, in thirty-one days. The sizeable Phillies' All-Star contingent had to report to the ballpark thirty times in July. With all of the games, and all of the the traveling, combined with the daily drain of having to overcompensate for the rostering of "ballplayers" named Bako/Bruntlett/Mayberry/Walker/Register, it isn't surprising that the bats would be a bit on the tired side. The August schedule includes four days off, all Mondays, so the Phils should be able to replenish their strength for the stretch run. There's nothing to worry about, especially with Cliff Lee and Disco Ben Francisco now on the ballclub.
Well, maybe there is a little more than nothing to worry about. Starting catcher Carlos Ruiz hasn't played since Thursday, when he was behind the plate for Tyler Walker's attempt at (four strikeouts in one inning) making history. Ruiz followed up his .174 June average, with a .172 average in July. Is Ruiz troubled by a nagging injury? A DL stint would by Ruiz, would create a Phillies' catching combination of Paul Bako, backed up by Paul Hoover. THAT is the stuff of nightmares.
Also troubling is a potential playoff matchup against the pitching-rich San Francisco Giants. Lincecum, Matt Cain, and a rejuvenated Barry Zito are an imposing trio. But it could be even worse than that. What if Saturday night's pitching masterpiece was authored by the Tim Lincecum CLONE? There have been few reported sightings of Lincecum Clone, since the end of the World Baseball Classic. What if the Clone shut down the Phillies on Saturday night, while the original Lincecum went to see the new Harry Potter movie (Again. For the 18th time.)? Even though the Phillies' offense is far superior to that of the Giants, it would be tough to beat four Lincecums, in a five-game series (or six, in a seven-game series). As advanced as the Phillies' organization is in the area of cloning technology, their clones are all pitching at lower levels, and won't factor in to the 2009 postseason.
Hamels faces the Giants on Sunday, as the Phils try to escape the West Coast with a 4-3 road trip. The aforementioned rejuvenated Barry Zito will be on the slab for the Giants. Look for Hamels to try to out-ace new acquisition Cliff Lee.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Nothing Happened
Saturday night's Phillies-Marlins game was postponed by rain. Joe Blanton and the Phillies hadn't gotten off to a good start, and were trailing Florida, 2-0, in the second inning. Marlins' ace Josh Johnson was in overpowering form. The Phillies may have been fortunate to have the game postponed, after a long rain delay. They might have a better chance when (if?) the game is made up, likely in the form of a late September doubleheader.
There's no way of knowing what would have happened, if the game had resumed after the rain delay. Well, unless you keep reading...
-Joe Blanton and Josh Johnson would have been done for the night
-Chan Ho Park, and a parade of Marlins' relievers, match scoreless innings, through the seventh inning
-A two-run Jayson Werth blast in the top of the eighth ties the score
-Ryan Madson retires the Marlins in order in the bottom of the eighth
-With two outs in the top of the ninth, and the bases loaded, Phillies' catcher Gabor Paul Bako II is allowed to bat. He grounds into a game-winning E-4. (This replacement-level blogger rails against this non-move, in the postgame blog post.)
-Brad Lidge picks up the save in the ninth, facing only five batters (fly out, walk, sacrifice bunt-turned-error by Lidge, walk, 5-2-3 DP)
-after the game, John Mayberry is optioned to Lehigh Valley (AAA). Southpaw Sergio Escalona is recalled to "bolster the (depleted) bullpen."
-Escalona faces five batters in ten days, before being optioned back to AAA
-Top right-handed pinch-hitter Eric Bruntlett plays in every game played in the next ten days
So, despite the fact that they would eventually have won the Saturday night game, it turns out that the Phillies are better off that the game was never actually resumed.
The Phils finish their series with Florida on Sunday. J.A. Happ gets the start for the Phils, hoping that BABIP doesn't begin to work against him. There could be more rain delays on Sunday, so we could see a lot of the bullpens again. For rain delay viewing, the Red Sox-Blue Jays game, featuring Jon Lester and future Phillies' #2 starter Roy Halladay, is recommended. The internet broadcast of the Reading Phillies' (Mike Stutes + Crazy Hot Dog Vendor!) game would be an excellent supplementary option.
There's no way of knowing what would have happened, if the game had resumed after the rain delay. Well, unless you keep reading...
-Joe Blanton and Josh Johnson would have been done for the night
-Chan Ho Park, and a parade of Marlins' relievers, match scoreless innings, through the seventh inning
-A two-run Jayson Werth blast in the top of the eighth ties the score
-Ryan Madson retires the Marlins in order in the bottom of the eighth
-With two outs in the top of the ninth, and the bases loaded, Phillies' catcher Gabor Paul Bako II is allowed to bat. He grounds into a game-winning E-4. (This replacement-level blogger rails against this non-move, in the postgame blog post.)
-Brad Lidge picks up the save in the ninth, facing only five batters (fly out, walk, sacrifice bunt-turned-error by Lidge, walk, 5-2-3 DP)
-after the game, John Mayberry is optioned to Lehigh Valley (AAA). Southpaw Sergio Escalona is recalled to "bolster the (depleted) bullpen."
-Escalona faces five batters in ten days, before being optioned back to AAA
-Top right-handed pinch-hitter Eric Bruntlett plays in every game played in the next ten days
So, despite the fact that they would eventually have won the Saturday night game, it turns out that the Phillies are better off that the game was never actually resumed.
The Phils finish their series with Florida on Sunday. J.A. Happ gets the start for the Phils, hoping that BABIP doesn't begin to work against him. There could be more rain delays on Sunday, so we could see a lot of the bullpens again. For rain delay viewing, the Red Sox-Blue Jays game, featuring Jon Lester and future Phillies' #2 starter Roy Halladay, is recommended. The internet broadcast of the Reading Phillies' (Mike Stutes + Crazy Hot Dog Vendor!) game would be an excellent supplementary option.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Blanton Beats Bucs Behind Best Bats (Beastly Backstop Bako Blunders)
When the Phillies traded pitching prospects Josh Outman and Gio Gonzalez for Joe Blanton, I wasn't too impressed. A mediocre, non-innings eater coming from a pitcher-friendly ballpark? No, thanks. When Blanton went 4-0 for the Phils down the stretch, I lamented that he averaged less than six innings a start, and sported a 1.37 WHIP. When he pitched well in the playoffs, and belted a memorable homer, the trade started to look a bit better.
Then Blanton started 2009, by posting an ERA of 8.41 in April. The trade looked horrible again, and only worse performances from Chan Ho Park and Jamie Moyer kept Blanton in the rotation. But J.A. Happ, Carlos Carrasco, and Andrew Carpenter were all waiting to snag rotation spots from the struggling veterans ahead of them.
On May 26th, Blanton turned his season around, with seven scoreless innings against Florida. Since May 26th, Blanton has made nine starts, only two of which were poor/fewer than six innings. He has pitched at least seven innings in six of those starts, including Friday night's 3-2 win over the Pirates. Blanton pitched seven and one-third innings, permitting only a single run, on four hits (one walk, six strikeouts). Blanton posted a 3.62 ERA in June, and has a stunning .61 ERA in July. That Joe Blanton trade was, truly, a masterful move. One of the best trades in franchise history, without a doubt. (Better than Rick Wise for Steve Carlton, you ask? Well, no. At least not yet...)
The Phillies' offense only contributed five hits on Friday, all from All-Stars (Shane Victorino had three hits, Jayson Werth and Chase Utley each had one). But they scraped together three third-inning markers, which proved sufficient. J.C. Romero relieved Blanton in the eighth, and retired all three batters he faced. Typically, Phillies' Manager Charlie Manuel will bring closer Brad Lidge at the beginning of the ninth. However, on Friday, he kept the southpaw Romero in the game to retire the left-handed LaRoche (Adam). Lidge was called in to retire the right-handed LaRoche (Andy). Manuel's bullpen machinations worked out very well on Friday. Well, at least until Lidge surrendered a two-out solo home run. After permitting a single to the following batter, Lidge secured the save, with a game-ending strikeout. Manuel has displayed some very promising thought processes this week, with the exception of his continued use of Eric Bruntlett and Paul Bako to appear in baseball games.
The Phillies play the Pirates again Saturday, with ace Cole Hamels picking up his eighth win. Raul Ibanez will homer, in his return to the lineup, and Ryan Madson will pick up the save. (Brad Lidge, having pitched in consecutive days, will have the day off.) Paul Bako will also extend his hitless streak to three games. But you should still tune in, just to see what kind of shenanigans Sarge and Muffin get into.
Then Blanton started 2009, by posting an ERA of 8.41 in April. The trade looked horrible again, and only worse performances from Chan Ho Park and Jamie Moyer kept Blanton in the rotation. But J.A. Happ, Carlos Carrasco, and Andrew Carpenter were all waiting to snag rotation spots from the struggling veterans ahead of them.
On May 26th, Blanton turned his season around, with seven scoreless innings against Florida. Since May 26th, Blanton has made nine starts, only two of which were poor/fewer than six innings. He has pitched at least seven innings in six of those starts, including Friday night's 3-2 win over the Pirates. Blanton pitched seven and one-third innings, permitting only a single run, on four hits (one walk, six strikeouts). Blanton posted a 3.62 ERA in June, and has a stunning .61 ERA in July. That Joe Blanton trade was, truly, a masterful move. One of the best trades in franchise history, without a doubt. (Better than Rick Wise for Steve Carlton, you ask? Well, no. At least not yet...)
The Phillies' offense only contributed five hits on Friday, all from All-Stars (Shane Victorino had three hits, Jayson Werth and Chase Utley each had one). But they scraped together three third-inning markers, which proved sufficient. J.C. Romero relieved Blanton in the eighth, and retired all three batters he faced. Typically, Phillies' Manager Charlie Manuel will bring closer Brad Lidge at the beginning of the ninth. However, on Friday, he kept the southpaw Romero in the game to retire the left-handed LaRoche (Adam). Lidge was called in to retire the right-handed LaRoche (Andy). Manuel's bullpen machinations worked out very well on Friday. Well, at least until Lidge surrendered a two-out solo home run. After permitting a single to the following batter, Lidge secured the save, with a game-ending strikeout. Manuel has displayed some very promising thought processes this week, with the exception of his continued use of Eric Bruntlett and Paul Bako to appear in baseball games.
The Phillies play the Pirates again Saturday, with ace Cole Hamels picking up his eighth win. Raul Ibanez will homer, in his return to the lineup, and Ryan Madson will pick up the save. (Brad Lidge, having pitched in consecutive days, will have the day off.) Paul Bako will also extend his hitless streak to three games. But you should still tune in, just to see what kind of shenanigans Sarge and Muffin get into.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Phils Complete Sweep of Mets with Shutout
The Phillies finished off their three-game sweep of the Mets on Sunday, with a 2-0 victory. Perhaps it was poor play by the Mets, winners of two of their last ten, that keyed the Phils' sweep. Maybe the Phillies are back to their World Championship form. The truth is, probably, that the WFCs are going to play .800 ball the rest of the way, and win the NL East by thirty games. With continued starting pitching like they received this weekend, from their #3 through #5 starters, their NL East cohabitants will be competing for second place.
Joe Blanton put up a 3.62 ERA in six June starts, but was only able to secure a single win. He matched that win total on Sunday, pitching seven and one-third scoreless innings. Blanton permitted only four hits and three walks (five strikeouts). His season record is now 5-4, with a 4.69 ERA, quite the improvement over the 8.41 ERA he had in April. Chan Ho Park induced a crucial twin killing in the eighth, and Brad Lidge converted his second save in two days, striking out the side in the ninth.
The Phillies' bats did their part in the win, with an invigorated Jimmy Rollins leading off the first inning with a home run off Mets' ace Johan Santana. Rollins finished two-for-three, improving his average to .217. All-Star Chase Utley took Santana deep in the sixth, for his eighteenth homer, and...well, that was it. The Phillies didn't actually get any additional hits in the game. So, it would appear that the Phils' bats didn't really do their part. However, with their dominant pitching, combined with three timely double plays in the field, they didn't need much offense on Sunday.
As if the Phils' pitching wasn't enough, there was no way they could lose on July 5th, the shared birthday of broadcasting stalwarts Gary Matthews, Sr. and Tom McCarthy. Matthews was treated to some pregame ribs, which he almost managed to drop on Chris Wheeler, his fellow color analyst. Later, the Phillie Phanatic staged a sneak attack on the broadcasting booth, in which he buried Matthews and McCarthy with popcorn. When Wheeler complained about the state of the popcorn-ridden booth later, the Phanatic struck again, covering the inimitable Wheeler with silly string. These shenanigans were a lot funnier during a sweep-finalizing victory, than they would have been during a loss.
The Phillies finish the first half with four home games against the .500 Reds, followed by three more at CBP against the .451 Pirates (15-28 on the road). The Phils lead the division by only a single game (over Florida), but have a great opportunity to increase that lead, as well as to improve their woeful 16-22 home record. Cole Hamels will face the Reds' Johnny Cueto on Monday night, in a duel of aces. As long as Paul Bako and Eric Bruntlett remain on the Phillies bench, they should have a good shot at improving their winning streak to four games.
Joe Blanton put up a 3.62 ERA in six June starts, but was only able to secure a single win. He matched that win total on Sunday, pitching seven and one-third scoreless innings. Blanton permitted only four hits and three walks (five strikeouts). His season record is now 5-4, with a 4.69 ERA, quite the improvement over the 8.41 ERA he had in April. Chan Ho Park induced a crucial twin killing in the eighth, and Brad Lidge converted his second save in two days, striking out the side in the ninth.
The Phillies' bats did their part in the win, with an invigorated Jimmy Rollins leading off the first inning with a home run off Mets' ace Johan Santana. Rollins finished two-for-three, improving his average to .217. All-Star Chase Utley took Santana deep in the sixth, for his eighteenth homer, and...well, that was it. The Phillies didn't actually get any additional hits in the game. So, it would appear that the Phils' bats didn't really do their part. However, with their dominant pitching, combined with three timely double plays in the field, they didn't need much offense on Sunday.
As if the Phils' pitching wasn't enough, there was no way they could lose on July 5th, the shared birthday of broadcasting stalwarts Gary Matthews, Sr. and Tom McCarthy. Matthews was treated to some pregame ribs, which he almost managed to drop on Chris Wheeler, his fellow color analyst. Later, the Phillie Phanatic staged a sneak attack on the broadcasting booth, in which he buried Matthews and McCarthy with popcorn. When Wheeler complained about the state of the popcorn-ridden booth later, the Phanatic struck again, covering the inimitable Wheeler with silly string. These shenanigans were a lot funnier during a sweep-finalizing victory, than they would have been during a loss.
The Phillies finish the first half with four home games against the .500 Reds, followed by three more at CBP against the .451 Pirates (15-28 on the road). The Phils lead the division by only a single game (over Florida), but have a great opportunity to increase that lead, as well as to improve their woeful 16-22 home record. Cole Hamels will face the Reds' Johnny Cueto on Monday night, in a duel of aces. As long as Paul Bako and Eric Bruntlett remain on the Phillies bench, they should have a good shot at improving their winning streak to four games.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Blame Bako
The Phillies lost the first game of their three-game series in Atlanta, 5-4, in ten innings. Starter Joe Blanton was mediocre, allowing three runs (eight hits, three walks/three strikeouts, ninety-three pitches), as the Phils fell behind, 3-2. Pinch-hitter John Mayberry and 3B Pedro Feliz (three hits) hit back-to-back homers in the eighth, giving the Phillies a 4-3 lead. But setup man Ryan Madson combined shoddy fielding, and poor pitching (two walks, one hit), to allow a game-tying unearned run. Chan Ho Park gave up the game-winning run to the Braves, acquiring two outs in the tenth, but three hits, which proved to be one too many.
Blanton, Madson, and Park certainly did enough to be blamed for the loss. Jimmy Rollins (0 for 5), Jayson Werth (0 for 4, error), and Carlos Ruiz (0 for 4, 6 LOB) also contributed heavily to the losing effort. However, Gabor Paul Bako II, also deserves a large portion of the pie of accountability. Charlie Manuel inserted Bako into the game, after burning backup C Chris Coste as a sixth-inning pinch-hitter, as part of a double-switch. This move put the pitcher in the eighth spot in the lineup, Bako in the ninth spot, and starting catcher Carlos Ruiz on the bench. This move was actually designed so that Bako would be allowed to bat. Given the veteran catcher's dexterity with the bat, the Phils might have been better-served by keeping Ruiz in the game, and allowing a pitcher to bat. Bako was retired in his only AB, and his questionable pitch-calling in the tenth was a factor in the defeat. With two outs, two strikes, the winning run on base, and a base open, Bako calling for a Park fastball lead to the Phils' loss. IN. EXPLICABLE.
The Phillies try to start another nine-game Turner Field winning streak Wednesday night, with ace Cole Hamels on the mound. I'm predicting that JIMMY ROLLINS WILL GET A HIT IN THE GAME!
Blanton, Madson, and Park certainly did enough to be blamed for the loss. Jimmy Rollins (0 for 5), Jayson Werth (0 for 4, error), and Carlos Ruiz (0 for 4, 6 LOB) also contributed heavily to the losing effort. However, Gabor Paul Bako II, also deserves a large portion of the pie of accountability. Charlie Manuel inserted Bako into the game, after burning backup C Chris Coste as a sixth-inning pinch-hitter, as part of a double-switch. This move put the pitcher in the eighth spot in the lineup, Bako in the ninth spot, and starting catcher Carlos Ruiz on the bench. This move was actually designed so that Bako would be allowed to bat. Given the veteran catcher's dexterity with the bat, the Phils might have been better-served by keeping Ruiz in the game, and allowing a pitcher to bat. Bako was retired in his only AB, and his questionable pitch-calling in the tenth was a factor in the defeat. With two outs, two strikes, the winning run on base, and a base open, Bako calling for a Park fastball lead to the Phils' loss. IN. EXPLICABLE.
The Phillies try to start another nine-game Turner Field winning streak Wednesday night, with ace Cole Hamels on the mound. I'm predicting that JIMMY ROLLINS WILL GET A HIT IN THE GAME!
Friday, June 26, 2009
Phils Lose Two of Three to Tampa
Perhaps hoping the Phillies could take two of three from the Rays this week was optimistic. With Raul Ibanez and Brad Lidge out of the lineup, Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Madson slumping, and the #3/4/5 starters slated to start for the Phils, beating the AL Champs twice on the road was a daunting proposal. The Phillies took the first game, and had their chances in the middle game, but wound up being blown out of St. Petersburg. What could have been a positive, cold streak-breaking series, evolved into an embarrassing disaster. The long baseball season is more a marathon, than a sprint, but that oft-used cliche is of little solace to Phillies fans these days.
The Phils took the first game on Tuesday, 10-1, riding Chase Utley and John Mayberry homers, and the wizened veteran arm of Jamie Moyer, to victory. On Wednesday, they rode a Jayson Werth homer...to their only run, in a 7-1 loss. Joe Blanton pitched extremely well, but the bullpen imploded in a five-run Rays' eighth inning. Thursday night, the Phils' jumped to a 4-0 lead in their first at-bat...and never scored again. The Rays battered the Phillies "pitchers", scoring ten unanswered runs in a maddening, irritating affair. (Well, for the Phillies, and their fans, at least.) The Phillies' lead over the Mets now stands at a mere half-game, an advantage of only .008 percentage points.
The Good
-On Tuesday night, Chase Utley and John Mayberry each had three RBI. The Phillies lead 6-0, before the Rays batted. Jamie Moyer confounded the Tampa bats, permitting only one run (on five hits), in six sharp innings. The Phillies didn't have to use any of their "good" relievers, as Tyler Walker (two innings, three hits, no runs) and Sergio Escalona successfully protected a nine-run lead. (It was surprising that Charlie Manuel didn't use closer Ryan Madson to protect the WE% of 100.0.)
-On Wednesday night, Joe Blanton pitched seven innings, allowing only two runs, both on a second inning homer. He walked two, and struck out TEN! He deserved better than a loss, evening his record at 4-4.
-On Thursday night, the Phillies raced to a 4-0 lead in the first inning.
The Odious
-On Tuesday, Jimmy Rollins went 0 for 5, reducing his average to .214.
-On Wednesday, the top four in the lineup (Rollins, Shane Victorino, Chase Utley, Ryan Howard) combined to go 0 for 12. J.C. Romero and Chan Ho Park combined to turn a 2-1 game, into a 7-1 game, in a disastrous eighth inning. Park allowed three inherited runners to score, bastardizing Romero's ERA (3.72), as well as the Phils' WE (WPA of .119 for Park).
-On Thursday, the Phillies were held scoreless, after their four-run first.
The Hideously Odious
-Jimmy Rollins went 0 for 9 in the first two games of the series. Yet, he was more effective than Eric Bruntlett, who went 0 for 4, and played horrific defense (though his embarrassing lack of range at SS may have saved him some errors).
-Antonio Bastardo was charged with six runs, in three and two-thirds innings, on Thursday. He managed to permit seven hits (including two HR) and three walks, in the short stint. (It would have been worse if his replacement, Chad Durbin, hadn't stranded three of his runners.) Bastardo left the game with a shoulder injury, and his status is currently unclear.
-Tyler Walker entered the Thursday game, with the bases loaded, and two outs. He allowed all three inherited runners to score, terrorizing Durbin's ERA to the tune of 4.50. (Walker has a 0.00 ERA, but has been doing lots of damage to the ERA of his pen-mates.)
-The Phillies made a number of damaging mental errors. Jimmy Rollins threw to the wrong base on Wednesday, attempting an inning-ending force at second on speedy Carl Crawford, rather than taking an easy out at first base. On Thursday, Pedro Feliz forgot the number of outs, and was doubled off first base, ending an inning, before Matt Stairs could tag and score from third base.
-The umpiring was atrocious all series, with an inconsistent strike zone, and a bizarre utilization of the instant replay rule in Thursday's finale. Perhaps the umps could benefit from some coursework at the umpiring academy advertised on MLB.TV? (Note: With non-inept umpiring, the Phillies still lose two of three, but the games would have at least been a little less maddening.)
The Phillies travel to Toronto for a three-game weekend series, starting Friday. The Jays have three lefties scheduled to start, so expect a 2 for 14 weekend from northpaw-killer Ryan Howard. However, the Phils have Cole Hamels starting Friday night, and J.A. Happ starting Saturday afternoon, so there is hope. The Mets play a weekend series against the Yankees, so it appears that we will need to root for the Yankees this weekend. Supporting the Yankees is far from ideal, but we do what we must.
The Phils took the first game on Tuesday, 10-1, riding Chase Utley and John Mayberry homers, and the wizened veteran arm of Jamie Moyer, to victory. On Wednesday, they rode a Jayson Werth homer...to their only run, in a 7-1 loss. Joe Blanton pitched extremely well, but the bullpen imploded in a five-run Rays' eighth inning. Thursday night, the Phils' jumped to a 4-0 lead in their first at-bat...and never scored again. The Rays battered the Phillies "pitchers", scoring ten unanswered runs in a maddening, irritating affair. (Well, for the Phillies, and their fans, at least.) The Phillies' lead over the Mets now stands at a mere half-game, an advantage of only .008 percentage points.
The Good
-On Tuesday night, Chase Utley and John Mayberry each had three RBI. The Phillies lead 6-0, before the Rays batted. Jamie Moyer confounded the Tampa bats, permitting only one run (on five hits), in six sharp innings. The Phillies didn't have to use any of their "good" relievers, as Tyler Walker (two innings, three hits, no runs) and Sergio Escalona successfully protected a nine-run lead. (It was surprising that Charlie Manuel didn't use closer Ryan Madson to protect the WE% of 100.0.)
-On Wednesday night, Joe Blanton pitched seven innings, allowing only two runs, both on a second inning homer. He walked two, and struck out TEN! He deserved better than a loss, evening his record at 4-4.
-On Thursday night, the Phillies raced to a 4-0 lead in the first inning.
The Odious
-On Tuesday, Jimmy Rollins went 0 for 5, reducing his average to .214.
-On Wednesday, the top four in the lineup (Rollins, Shane Victorino, Chase Utley, Ryan Howard) combined to go 0 for 12. J.C. Romero and Chan Ho Park combined to turn a 2-1 game, into a 7-1 game, in a disastrous eighth inning. Park allowed three inherited runners to score, bastardizing Romero's ERA (3.72), as well as the Phils' WE (WPA of .119 for Park).
-On Thursday, the Phillies were held scoreless, after their four-run first.
The Hideously Odious
-Jimmy Rollins went 0 for 9 in the first two games of the series. Yet, he was more effective than Eric Bruntlett, who went 0 for 4, and played horrific defense (though his embarrassing lack of range at SS may have saved him some errors).
-Antonio Bastardo was charged with six runs, in three and two-thirds innings, on Thursday. He managed to permit seven hits (including two HR) and three walks, in the short stint. (It would have been worse if his replacement, Chad Durbin, hadn't stranded three of his runners.) Bastardo left the game with a shoulder injury, and his status is currently unclear.
-Tyler Walker entered the Thursday game, with the bases loaded, and two outs. He allowed all three inherited runners to score, terrorizing Durbin's ERA to the tune of 4.50. (Walker has a 0.00 ERA, but has been doing lots of damage to the ERA of his pen-mates.)
-The Phillies made a number of damaging mental errors. Jimmy Rollins threw to the wrong base on Wednesday, attempting an inning-ending force at second on speedy Carl Crawford, rather than taking an easy out at first base. On Thursday, Pedro Feliz forgot the number of outs, and was doubled off first base, ending an inning, before Matt Stairs could tag and score from third base.
-The umpiring was atrocious all series, with an inconsistent strike zone, and a bizarre utilization of the instant replay rule in Thursday's finale. Perhaps the umps could benefit from some coursework at the umpiring academy advertised on MLB.TV? (Note: With non-inept umpiring, the Phillies still lose two of three, but the games would have at least been a little less maddening.)
The Phillies travel to Toronto for a three-game weekend series, starting Friday. The Jays have three lefties scheduled to start, so expect a 2 for 14 weekend from northpaw-killer Ryan Howard. However, the Phils have Cole Hamels starting Friday night, and J.A. Happ starting Saturday afternoon, so there is hope. The Mets play a weekend series against the Yankees, so it appears that we will need to root for the Yankees this weekend. Supporting the Yankees is far from ideal, but we do what we must.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Phils Lose to Boston in 13
The Phillies had plenty of chances to win on Friday night, but their five-hit, twenty-strikeout "offense" did not do enough to earn the victory. The team wasn't helped by some questionable decisions by Manager Charlie Manuel, and the umpiring crew. Over thirteen innings, and four interminable hours, the Phillies transitioned from losers in a pitcher's duel, to walk-off winners, to inevitable, brutal defeat. The Phillies tied, won, and lost on Friday night, but only the 5-2 loss will count in the standings.
Phillies' starter Joe Blanton had a tremendous outing, limiting the powerful Red Sox' offense to a pair of solo homers, over seven innings. But the Red Sox' starter, Jon Lester, was even better. Lester allowed only one run (on two hits), in his seven innings, striking out eleven Phillies in the process. The Phillies have a good bullpen, but it pales in comparison to the Boston bullpen, which is likely MLB's best. Ace Closer Jonathan Papelbon was not available to close out the 2-1 Sox win, so Boston was "forced" to go to reliever Ramon Ramirez (1.89 ERA, .173 opponents' batting average) to end the Phils' hopes. However, with one out in the ninth, the Phillies came up with yet another late-inning miracle. Ryan Howard, who finished the game with one hit, and four strikeouts, in six plate appearances, made his one hit count. His solo homer tied the game at 2, sending the Phils into extra innings, once again.
The two bullpens matched zeroes, as play entered the bottom of the eleventh. With two outs, and two on, the Phillies called upon Greg Dobbs to pinch-hit. Dobbs responded by slamming a game-winning, walk-off homer directly over the foul pole...which was called a foul ball. With the other major sports having adopted the use of instant replay, it is certainly time that MLB followed suit. Available technology should be utilized to make sure that the correct calls are made, at least in boundary calls such as this one. Wait. MLB does have instant replay available, for this exact type of situation. Why didn't they use it, especially considering the importance of this particular call? Why didn't the umpires at least try to see if a helpful replay angle was available? A reversal of the call would have given the Phillies an immediate win. Dobbs proceeded to go down on strikes, and play entered the twelfth inning.
Earlier in the day, Kyle Kendrick was recalled from AAA, as a bullpen reinforcement. Kendrick can have some value as a reliever in two scenarios. If the starting pitcher is knocked out early, Kendrick can pitch multiple innings. In those multiple innings, Kendrick will strike out no one, and surrender a handful of hits and runs. But he could help save the other relievers from being used. The other scenario he can help is as the last man out of the pen. Again, he will pitch multiple innings, at the cost of multiple runs. But that multiple innings part could be valuable.
When Kendrick was called into a tie game, in the twelfth inning, it was neither of these scenarios. Jack Taschner was available, and could have been used for at least an inning, before Kendrick entered the game. It was just a question of how soon Kendrick's propensity for giving up hits would lead to runs, and how many runs he would cost them. Kendrick pitched a scoreless twelfth, but the three runs he allowed in the thirteenth were too much for the Phils to overcome.
Kendrick was the most obvious goat in Friday's loss, but he had some company. The top four batters (Rollins, Utley, Werth, and Howard) in the Phillies' lineup went a combined 1 for 21, with
ten strikeouts. Manuel's usage of Kendrick was situationally-questionable, but even more questionable was his use of the Phils' five-man bench. In the eighth inning, Manuel (correctly) double-switched, so he could use reliever J.C. Romero, for multiple innings. However, he chose to use offensively-inept Eric Bruntlett at 3B, instead of Greg Dobbs. (Given just how bad Bruntlett has been at the plate, Dobbs is a better choice at this point, no matter the handed-ness of the opposing pitcher.) Bruntlett wound up coming to the plate three times in the game, twice before Dobbs had his single plate appearance. With Paul Bako available as an emergency catcher, right-handed backup catcher Chris Coste was available to pinch-hit, but Manuel never used him. Given that Bako's presence hasn't really freed up Coste, maybe the Phils would be better-served by reverting to their "Plus Eight" bullpen format, and replacing Bako with reliever Sergio Escalona.
Friday night's tough loss is best forgotten. Saturday night brings an interesting pitching matchup, with rookie southpaw Antonio Bastardo making his third start for the Phillies. Against the patient Red Sox, Bastardo could be in for a tough, and short, day. The Red Sox send Daisuke Matsuzaka to the mound. Matsuzaka, typically, throws 100 pitches by about the fifth inning, while surrendering many hits, walks, and runs. Especially, the walks (4.33 BB/9). Matsuzaka has a remarkably unlucky .453 BABIP in 2009. Hopefully, luck will continue to work against him. It could very well be another battle of bullpens on Saturday night. Until then, I'll be monitoring the Twittersphere, hoping to read that Escalona is replacing Kendrick on the Phils. (And that IronPigs reliever Tyler Walker is replacing Gabor Paul Bako II.)
Phillies' starter Joe Blanton had a tremendous outing, limiting the powerful Red Sox' offense to a pair of solo homers, over seven innings. But the Red Sox' starter, Jon Lester, was even better. Lester allowed only one run (on two hits), in his seven innings, striking out eleven Phillies in the process. The Phillies have a good bullpen, but it pales in comparison to the Boston bullpen, which is likely MLB's best. Ace Closer Jonathan Papelbon was not available to close out the 2-1 Sox win, so Boston was "forced" to go to reliever Ramon Ramirez (1.89 ERA, .173 opponents' batting average) to end the Phils' hopes. However, with one out in the ninth, the Phillies came up with yet another late-inning miracle. Ryan Howard, who finished the game with one hit, and four strikeouts, in six plate appearances, made his one hit count. His solo homer tied the game at 2, sending the Phils into extra innings, once again.
The two bullpens matched zeroes, as play entered the bottom of the eleventh. With two outs, and two on, the Phillies called upon Greg Dobbs to pinch-hit. Dobbs responded by slamming a game-winning, walk-off homer directly over the foul pole...which was called a foul ball. With the other major sports having adopted the use of instant replay, it is certainly time that MLB followed suit. Available technology should be utilized to make sure that the correct calls are made, at least in boundary calls such as this one. Wait. MLB does have instant replay available, for this exact type of situation. Why didn't they use it, especially considering the importance of this particular call? Why didn't the umpires at least try to see if a helpful replay angle was available? A reversal of the call would have given the Phillies an immediate win. Dobbs proceeded to go down on strikes, and play entered the twelfth inning.
Earlier in the day, Kyle Kendrick was recalled from AAA, as a bullpen reinforcement. Kendrick can have some value as a reliever in two scenarios. If the starting pitcher is knocked out early, Kendrick can pitch multiple innings. In those multiple innings, Kendrick will strike out no one, and surrender a handful of hits and runs. But he could help save the other relievers from being used. The other scenario he can help is as the last man out of the pen. Again, he will pitch multiple innings, at the cost of multiple runs. But that multiple innings part could be valuable.
When Kendrick was called into a tie game, in the twelfth inning, it was neither of these scenarios. Jack Taschner was available, and could have been used for at least an inning, before Kendrick entered the game. It was just a question of how soon Kendrick's propensity for giving up hits would lead to runs, and how many runs he would cost them. Kendrick pitched a scoreless twelfth, but the three runs he allowed in the thirteenth were too much for the Phils to overcome.
Kendrick was the most obvious goat in Friday's loss, but he had some company. The top four batters (Rollins, Utley, Werth, and Howard) in the Phillies' lineup went a combined 1 for 21, with
ten strikeouts. Manuel's usage of Kendrick was situationally-questionable, but even more questionable was his use of the Phils' five-man bench. In the eighth inning, Manuel (correctly) double-switched, so he could use reliever J.C. Romero, for multiple innings. However, he chose to use offensively-inept Eric Bruntlett at 3B, instead of Greg Dobbs. (Given just how bad Bruntlett has been at the plate, Dobbs is a better choice at this point, no matter the handed-ness of the opposing pitcher.) Bruntlett wound up coming to the plate three times in the game, twice before Dobbs had his single plate appearance. With Paul Bako available as an emergency catcher, right-handed backup catcher Chris Coste was available to pinch-hit, but Manuel never used him. Given that Bako's presence hasn't really freed up Coste, maybe the Phils would be better-served by reverting to their "Plus Eight" bullpen format, and replacing Bako with reliever Sergio Escalona.
Friday night's tough loss is best forgotten. Saturday night brings an interesting pitching matchup, with rookie southpaw Antonio Bastardo making his third start for the Phillies. Against the patient Red Sox, Bastardo could be in for a tough, and short, day. The Red Sox send Daisuke Matsuzaka to the mound. Matsuzaka, typically, throws 100 pitches by about the fifth inning, while surrendering many hits, walks, and runs. Especially, the walks (4.33 BB/9). Matsuzaka has a remarkably unlucky .453 BABIP in 2009. Hopefully, luck will continue to work against him. It could very well be another battle of bullpens on Saturday night. Until then, I'll be monitoring the Twittersphere, hoping to read that Escalona is replacing Kendrick on the Phils. (And that IronPigs reliever Tyler Walker is replacing Gabor Paul Bako II.)
Sunday, June 7, 2009
(Wins) Blown Away in LA
The Phillies should be going for a sweep of the four-game series against the Dodgers tonight, with The Glorious Bastardo going to the hill. The Phils' starting pitching has been incredible in Los Angeles, with Cole Hamels (complete game shutout), Jamie Moyer (seven innings, four hits/zero walks, two runs), and Joe Blanton (six innings, five hits/one walk, one run) each turning in fine performances. The Phils' bats, facing tough Dodger pitching, in the pitcher-friendly 90090 zip code, missed many scoring opportunities (11 LOB Friday, 7 LOB Saturday). But the offense did enough to win, particularly with the starting, and setup relief, pitching performing more than ably. Unfortunately, after closer Brad Lidge blew save opportunities on both Friday and Saturday, the Phillies will need a win on Sunday, in order to split the series.
Brad Lidge needs to be removed as the team's closer. The Phillies cannot continue to give away winnable games. Ryan Madson needs to be this team's closer, and Brad Lidge needs to be putting his game back together in middle relief, or on the Disabled List. That's what I believed two weeks ago. Four blown saves later, I'm not so sure.
In the results-driven game of baseball, the closer role is, arguably, the highest profile position. The closer gets undue credit, or undue blame, for the final results of the game. The closer has little control over the performances of his teammates, and even less control over luck. While earlier in the season Lidge's outings seemed plagued by poor pitches, his more recent blown saves seem to be affected by poor luck. Lidge's lack of good fortune this season is displayed by his .365 BABIP (.317 BABIP in 2008, .325 for career), and was best exemplified by his two blown saves at the new Yankee Stadium. On May 23rd, Lidge was victimized by a home run off the bat of Alex Rodriguez, that would have been a fly out in most ballparks. On May 24th, Lidge saw two poor-hit ground balls sneak through the infield for base hits.
Friday night in Los Angeles, Lidge was one out away from picking up his sixth consecutive save. But an error by 3B Pedro Feliz, who is typically a superb fielder, led to two unearned runs, and a loss. Lidge induced what should have been the game-ending out, and really can't be blamed that for Feliz' failure to make the play. On Saturday, Lidge was two outs away from the save, when Rafael Furcal golfed a low slider into the stands. It wasn't a bad pitch, but the results were rather bad. (Of course, if outfielder Jayson Werth had made an incredible homer-saving catch, which he nearly did, Lidge may have converted the save opportunity.) Lidge had plenty of good fortune in 2008, when he didn't have a single blown save, but things seem to be evening out in 2009. Phillies' Manager Charlie Manuel appears inclined to keep Lidge in the closer's role, and I am inclined to agree with his decision, at least for the time being. Hopefully, Lidge's fortune will be good when it counts the most, in the postseason. Though, if it doesn't improve soon, it might be difficult for the Phils to qualify for the playoffs.
The struggles of Brad Lidge have extended many games this season, and increased the workload of the other Phillies' relievers. The current starting rotation for the Phils includes two rookies (J.A. Happ and Antonio Bastardo) and two veterans who have had difficulties going deep into ballgames (Joe Blanton and Jamie Moyer). These factors have all placed additional pressure on the left arm of ace Cole Hamels. In the Phils' win on Thursday night, the only game they have won in this series, Hamels went the distance. In one of the best-pitched games in MLB this season, Hamels threw a complete-game four-hit shutout. Hamels kept his pitches down in the strike zone (70.1 strike percentage), his pitch count down (97 pitches), and the batted balls on the ground (13 of 27 outs via ground balls). The ace faced twenty-nine batters, only two above the minimum. Hamels struck out five, walked none, and one Dodger made it into scoring position. On Friday, Hamels set an example for young left-hander Antonio Bastardo to follow on Sunday night. If the rookie can mix up his effective pitches, as Hamels did, the Phils could salvage a series split. With the game televised on ESPN, the world awaits the second MLB start of The Glorious Bastardo.
Brad Lidge needs to be removed as the team's closer. The Phillies cannot continue to give away winnable games. Ryan Madson needs to be this team's closer, and Brad Lidge needs to be putting his game back together in middle relief, or on the Disabled List. That's what I believed two weeks ago. Four blown saves later, I'm not so sure.
In the results-driven game of baseball, the closer role is, arguably, the highest profile position. The closer gets undue credit, or undue blame, for the final results of the game. The closer has little control over the performances of his teammates, and even less control over luck. While earlier in the season Lidge's outings seemed plagued by poor pitches, his more recent blown saves seem to be affected by poor luck. Lidge's lack of good fortune this season is displayed by his .365 BABIP (.317 BABIP in 2008, .325 for career), and was best exemplified by his two blown saves at the new Yankee Stadium. On May 23rd, Lidge was victimized by a home run off the bat of Alex Rodriguez, that would have been a fly out in most ballparks. On May 24th, Lidge saw two poor-hit ground balls sneak through the infield for base hits.
Friday night in Los Angeles, Lidge was one out away from picking up his sixth consecutive save. But an error by 3B Pedro Feliz, who is typically a superb fielder, led to two unearned runs, and a loss. Lidge induced what should have been the game-ending out, and really can't be blamed that for Feliz' failure to make the play. On Saturday, Lidge was two outs away from the save, when Rafael Furcal golfed a low slider into the stands. It wasn't a bad pitch, but the results were rather bad. (Of course, if outfielder Jayson Werth had made an incredible homer-saving catch, which he nearly did, Lidge may have converted the save opportunity.) Lidge had plenty of good fortune in 2008, when he didn't have a single blown save, but things seem to be evening out in 2009. Phillies' Manager Charlie Manuel appears inclined to keep Lidge in the closer's role, and I am inclined to agree with his decision, at least for the time being. Hopefully, Lidge's fortune will be good when it counts the most, in the postseason. Though, if it doesn't improve soon, it might be difficult for the Phils to qualify for the playoffs.
The struggles of Brad Lidge have extended many games this season, and increased the workload of the other Phillies' relievers. The current starting rotation for the Phils includes two rookies (J.A. Happ and Antonio Bastardo) and two veterans who have had difficulties going deep into ballgames (Joe Blanton and Jamie Moyer). These factors have all placed additional pressure on the left arm of ace Cole Hamels. In the Phils' win on Thursday night, the only game they have won in this series, Hamels went the distance. In one of the best-pitched games in MLB this season, Hamels threw a complete-game four-hit shutout. Hamels kept his pitches down in the strike zone (70.1 strike percentage), his pitch count down (97 pitches), and the batted balls on the ground (13 of 27 outs via ground balls). The ace faced twenty-nine batters, only two above the minimum. Hamels struck out five, walked none, and one Dodger made it into scoring position. On Friday, Hamels set an example for young left-hander Antonio Bastardo to follow on Sunday night. If the rookie can mix up his effective pitches, as Hamels did, the Phils could salvage a series split. With the game televised on ESPN, the world awaits the second MLB start of The Glorious Bastardo.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Petco Friendly to Phils' Bats in Win
Petco Park, the home of the San Diego Padres, is well-known for its anti-hitting properties. The Phillies, with two home runs and twelve hits, proved somewhat immune on Monday night. In the fifth inning, Chase Utley curled a Kevin Correia pitch around the foul pole in right. Ryan Howard followed by drilling a bomb over the fence in center, giving the Phils a 4-1 lead. Phils' starter Joe Blanton chowed seven innings, and allowed only three runs, in a (non-quotation mark) quality start. Brad Lidge picked up the save in the ninth, securing a 5-3 victory. It was definitely worth staying up until 1am for this one.
Game Notes:
-Joe Blanton turned in his second consecutive strong start, giving him three good outings in his last six attempts. Given that two of those outings were against Florida, at the ninth-worst park to hit in (Citizens Bank Park!), and against San Diego, at the worst park to hit in, the Blantonian Excitement should be tempered a bit. He still projects to be sixth in the (likely, four-man) postseason rotation of Cole Hamels, Roy Halladay, Doug Davis, Carlos Carrasco, and J.A. Happ.
-Brad Lidge saved his fourth consecutive game. That success rate is promising, but Manager Charlie Manuel probably should be mixing Ryan Madson in for an occasional save, if it is necessary to prevent Lidge for being overworked. Hopefully, J.C. Romero's return will give the Phils a quality eight-inning option, and reduce the usage of Madson/Blanton.
-Ryan Howard had a home run and four strikeouts in the game. The homer isn't worth the four whiffs, right? Well, actually, I'll take a homer/game and zero GIDP/game, with little complaint.
-Usual LOOGY Scott Eyre did well setting up in the eighth, and covering for a Madson day off, but his chin is getting a bit mangy.
-The defensively-adept Phillies are ascending to even higher levels of proficiency. Chase Utley caught a ball, while running away from the infield, by utilizing his armpit. Jimmy Rollins acquired a big out in the ninth inning, by nudging a Padres baserunner off second base, in order to tag him out. New defensive metrics may need to be constructed, in order to measure the Phils' brilliance afield.
-It might have been a dream, but I vaguely remembering Phillies announcer Sarge Matthews offering fans free hats from his Collection, if they brought signs celebrating his broadcast partner Chris Wheeler (a.k.a. "Muffin"). It must have been a dream, right?
The Phillies face the Padres again Tuesday night, in another 10:05 Eastern start. Antonio Bastardo makes his long-awaited major league debut, opposed by Padres ace/trade bait Jake Peavy.
Game Notes:
-Joe Blanton turned in his second consecutive strong start, giving him three good outings in his last six attempts. Given that two of those outings were against Florida, at the ninth-worst park to hit in (Citizens Bank Park!), and against San Diego, at the worst park to hit in, the Blantonian Excitement should be tempered a bit. He still projects to be sixth in the (likely, four-man) postseason rotation of Cole Hamels, Roy Halladay, Doug Davis, Carlos Carrasco, and J.A. Happ.
-Brad Lidge saved his fourth consecutive game. That success rate is promising, but Manager Charlie Manuel probably should be mixing Ryan Madson in for an occasional save, if it is necessary to prevent Lidge for being overworked. Hopefully, J.C. Romero's return will give the Phils a quality eight-inning option, and reduce the usage of Madson/Blanton.
-Ryan Howard had a home run and four strikeouts in the game. The homer isn't worth the four whiffs, right? Well, actually, I'll take a homer/game and zero GIDP/game, with little complaint.
-Usual LOOGY Scott Eyre did well setting up in the eighth, and covering for a Madson day off, but his chin is getting a bit mangy.
-The defensively-adept Phillies are ascending to even higher levels of proficiency. Chase Utley caught a ball, while running away from the infield, by utilizing his armpit. Jimmy Rollins acquired a big out in the ninth inning, by nudging a Padres baserunner off second base, in order to tag him out. New defensive metrics may need to be constructed, in order to measure the Phils' brilliance afield.
-It might have been a dream, but I vaguely remembering Phillies announcer Sarge Matthews offering fans free hats from his Collection, if they brought signs celebrating his broadcast partner Chris Wheeler (a.k.a. "Muffin"). It must have been a dream, right?
The Phillies face the Padres again Tuesday night, in another 10:05 Eastern start. Antonio Bastardo makes his long-awaited major league debut, opposed by Padres ace/trade bait Jake Peavy.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Kentucky Joe to the Rescue!
Prior to his start Tuesday night against Florida, Joe Blanton indicated that he had discovered a "mechanical flaw" in his delivery, and that fixing it would improve his results. We've all heard that line many times before. I didn't believe it when Joe Cowley said it in 1987, and I didn't believe it this time.
Blanton's outstanding performance in the Phillies' 5-3 win seemed to indicate that the brawny hurler may have figured something out. Was he luckier on Tuesday, than he had been in earlier starts? Perhaps. Did the craptacular Marlins' lineup help him out, with poor approaches at the plate? Maybe. Blanton was so successful on Tuesday night, that improved skill certainly had to be a factor. He threw SEVEN SHUTOUT INNINGS! Blanton has struggled to get through five innings, and when he has surpassed five innings, it has come at the cost of oodles of runs. Not on Tuesday night, however. Five hits allowed, two walks, and ELEVEN STRIKEOUTS! Blanton's one-hundred and fourteen pitches (seventy-two strikes) took him through seven frames, as he ATE QUALITY INNINGS! As it that wasn't enough, Blanton also broke up a double play, utilizing his elephantine grace to help the Phils extend their lead.
The Phillies jumped on Marlins' starter Andrew Miller for three runs in the first inning, and added on single runs in the sixth and seventh frames. One night after his ninth-inning brain failure, Shane Victorino went 3 for 4. Ryan Madson came into the game in the eighth with a 5-0 lead, as he had already been warming up earlier. It took him only nine pitches to get through a scoreless inning.
Chad Durbin came in to put the finishing touches on the Phillies' first shutout of the season. Unfortunately, Durbin made a huge mess of things, only retiring one of the four batters he faced. (I expect him to hold himself accountable for the poor performance on Twitter, in a timely manner.) Embattled closer Brad Lidge was called into the game, needing two outs, with the potential tying run on second base. Earlier in the day, Phillies Manager Charlie Manuel had given Lidge a vote of confidence, and the once-perfect reliever got the job done, collecting his ninth save. It was disappointing that the Phillies didn't get the shutout, but Lidge's successful performance might have more significant long-term ramifications. Blanton and Lidge made big strides Tuesday night. If they can continue to perform at this level, the Phillies could remain in first place for quite awhile.
The Phillies go for the series win Wednesday night, with Brett Myers getting the start. Myers has been very effective recently, including his outstanding performance last Friday at Yankee Stadium. The Marlins will send Burke Badenhop, and his 5.75 ERA/1.62 WHIP, to the hill. Badenhop has been pitching in relief, so he may be on a low pitch count. ("Burke Badenhop" sounds like it could be the name of a cartoon villain, perhaps a nemesis for Rocky and Bullwinkle, so the young northpaw does have that going for him.) Expect a double-digit win for the Phils.
While you are waiting for Wednesday's carnage to begin, you may wish to cast a few dozen All-Star votes for Raul Ibanez, and his deserving teammates. Ibanez, the best outfielder in the National League so far, is only sixth in the voting. Ibanez will likely be at the game, even if the fans don't vote him in, and he will likely shock the world by winning The Home Run Derby. But let's go ahead and vote him in, so we don't have to worry about "All-Star politics" keeping him off the roster.
Postgame texts
(56) So, can I hang with you and Brett now?
(35) Need a couple more starts like that, Chunk.
(8) I just realized what Stairs reminds me of in the outfield- a Sleestak!
(28) He's not tall enough. An Altrusian, maybe?
Blanton's outstanding performance in the Phillies' 5-3 win seemed to indicate that the brawny hurler may have figured something out. Was he luckier on Tuesday, than he had been in earlier starts? Perhaps. Did the craptacular Marlins' lineup help him out, with poor approaches at the plate? Maybe. Blanton was so successful on Tuesday night, that improved skill certainly had to be a factor. He threw SEVEN SHUTOUT INNINGS! Blanton has struggled to get through five innings, and when he has surpassed five innings, it has come at the cost of oodles of runs. Not on Tuesday night, however. Five hits allowed, two walks, and ELEVEN STRIKEOUTS! Blanton's one-hundred and fourteen pitches (seventy-two strikes) took him through seven frames, as he ATE QUALITY INNINGS! As it that wasn't enough, Blanton also broke up a double play, utilizing his elephantine grace to help the Phils extend their lead.
The Phillies jumped on Marlins' starter Andrew Miller for three runs in the first inning, and added on single runs in the sixth and seventh frames. One night after his ninth-inning brain failure, Shane Victorino went 3 for 4. Ryan Madson came into the game in the eighth with a 5-0 lead, as he had already been warming up earlier. It took him only nine pitches to get through a scoreless inning.
Chad Durbin came in to put the finishing touches on the Phillies' first shutout of the season. Unfortunately, Durbin made a huge mess of things, only retiring one of the four batters he faced. (I expect him to hold himself accountable for the poor performance on Twitter, in a timely manner.) Embattled closer Brad Lidge was called into the game, needing two outs, with the potential tying run on second base. Earlier in the day, Phillies Manager Charlie Manuel had given Lidge a vote of confidence, and the once-perfect reliever got the job done, collecting his ninth save. It was disappointing that the Phillies didn't get the shutout, but Lidge's successful performance might have more significant long-term ramifications. Blanton and Lidge made big strides Tuesday night. If they can continue to perform at this level, the Phillies could remain in first place for quite awhile.
The Phillies go for the series win Wednesday night, with Brett Myers getting the start. Myers has been very effective recently, including his outstanding performance last Friday at Yankee Stadium. The Marlins will send Burke Badenhop, and his 5.75 ERA/1.62 WHIP, to the hill. Badenhop has been pitching in relief, so he may be on a low pitch count. ("Burke Badenhop" sounds like it could be the name of a cartoon villain, perhaps a nemesis for Rocky and Bullwinkle, so the young northpaw does have that going for him.) Expect a double-digit win for the Phils.
While you are waiting for Wednesday's carnage to begin, you may wish to cast a few dozen All-Star votes for Raul Ibanez, and his deserving teammates. Ibanez, the best outfielder in the National League so far, is only sixth in the voting. Ibanez will likely be at the game, even if the fans don't vote him in, and he will likely shock the world by winning The Home Run Derby. But let's go ahead and vote him in, so we don't have to worry about "All-Star politics" keeping him off the roster.
Postgame texts
(56) So, can I hang with you and Brett now?
(35) Need a couple more starts like that, Chunk.
(8) I just realized what Stairs reminds me of in the outfield- a Sleestak!
(28) He's not tall enough. An Altrusian, maybe?
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Phillies Batter Reds, 12-5
Nine hits in twelve plate appearances. Five runs scored, eight runs batted in. Those were the numbers put up by the top three hitters (Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, and Raul Ibanez) in the Phillies' lefty-heavy lineup, sparking their 12-5 victory over the Reds on Thursday afternoon. (Remember last week, when Rollins was batting .199? Well, he's at .234 now, with eleven hits in his last twenty-six at bats. Nothing to worry about...) Those kind of numbers will win a lot of games, sometimes, even games started by Kentucky Joe Blanton.
The Phillies jumped to a 5-0 lead, after four innings. Greg Dobbs and Chase Utley hit solo homers, and Kentucky Joe contributed a key walk, took a throw off his left (non-throwing shoulder) for the team, and scored a run. Blanton was also dealing on the mound, holding the Reds to three hits (and zero walks!) in the first four innings. It looked like a quality start, without those pesky quotation marks, could be in the offing.
Then Blanton faced eight Reds batters in the fifth inning, with five of them scoring. The Reds increased their WE from 4.7% to 34.3% in the painful inning. With ninety-seven pitches thrown through five, that was it for Blanton. Was he unlucky? Did the Reds figure him out the third time through the lineup? Did the stocky right-hander just run out of steam? Probably, all of the above. But the Phils scored six runs in the next three innings, keyed by Ryan Howard and Raul Ibanez, while the Phillies' bullpen kept Cincinnati off the scoreboard. Chan Ho Park appeared out of the bullpen, throwing twenty-five pitches in his consistently wild, two-walk frame. Clay Condrey and Scott Eyre each allowed two baserunners also, but the Phillies managed to get the win, without requiring the services of Chad Durbin, Ryan Madson, or Brad Lidge. Blanton improved to 2-3 on the season, but his ERA rose to 7.11.
With the demotion of Chan Ho Park to the bullpen this week, there has been a lot of talk about how much of a mistake the Park signing had been. Opting for Park over the likes of Derek Lowe, Juan Cruz, Joe Nelson, you know, people good at baseball, was certainly a mistake. But another error by GM Ruben Amaro, Jr. this week, has gone almost unnoticed. In Thursday's lineup against Reds' starter Micah Owings, seven of the eight Phillies' position players had left-handed hitting powers. The sole exception: catcher Carlos Ruiz. If Amaro had been more aggressive in his negotiations with left-handed hitting catcher Gabor Paul Bako II, the Mighty Bako could have been ready for this game. Another lost opportunity...
The Phillies travel to New York this weekend, for a huge three-game series against the Yankees. With the Phils' bats hot, and the Yanks' new stadium permitting homers at a blistering pace, expect at least thirty runs for the Phils this weekend. Also, expect a roster move before Saturday afternoon's game which will, hopefully, bring up leftfielder John Mayberry, Jr., freeing Raul Ibanez to serve as the designated hitter in the final two games. Watching Eric Bruntlett DH is not something any Phillies fan wants to see. Mayberry, Jr. hitting bombs in the new Stadium, just as Mayberry, Sr. did in the old Stadium, now that's something worth watching.
Brett Myers starts for the Phils on Friday, opposed by A.J. Burnett. The Yankees' bullpen threw eight and two-thirds innings Thursday night, in their win over Baltimore. Hopefully, that excessive workload will work in the Phillies' favor.
The Phillies jumped to a 5-0 lead, after four innings. Greg Dobbs and Chase Utley hit solo homers, and Kentucky Joe contributed a key walk, took a throw off his left (non-throwing shoulder) for the team, and scored a run. Blanton was also dealing on the mound, holding the Reds to three hits (and zero walks!) in the first four innings. It looked like a quality start, without those pesky quotation marks, could be in the offing.
Then Blanton faced eight Reds batters in the fifth inning, with five of them scoring. The Reds increased their WE from 4.7% to 34.3% in the painful inning. With ninety-seven pitches thrown through five, that was it for Blanton. Was he unlucky? Did the Reds figure him out the third time through the lineup? Did the stocky right-hander just run out of steam? Probably, all of the above. But the Phils scored six runs in the next three innings, keyed by Ryan Howard and Raul Ibanez, while the Phillies' bullpen kept Cincinnati off the scoreboard. Chan Ho Park appeared out of the bullpen, throwing twenty-five pitches in his consistently wild, two-walk frame. Clay Condrey and Scott Eyre each allowed two baserunners also, but the Phillies managed to get the win, without requiring the services of Chad Durbin, Ryan Madson, or Brad Lidge. Blanton improved to 2-3 on the season, but his ERA rose to 7.11.
With the demotion of Chan Ho Park to the bullpen this week, there has been a lot of talk about how much of a mistake the Park signing had been. Opting for Park over the likes of Derek Lowe, Juan Cruz, Joe Nelson, you know, people good at baseball, was certainly a mistake. But another error by GM Ruben Amaro, Jr. this week, has gone almost unnoticed. In Thursday's lineup against Reds' starter Micah Owings, seven of the eight Phillies' position players had left-handed hitting powers. The sole exception: catcher Carlos Ruiz. If Amaro had been more aggressive in his negotiations with left-handed hitting catcher Gabor Paul Bako II, the Mighty Bako could have been ready for this game. Another lost opportunity...
The Phillies travel to New York this weekend, for a huge three-game series against the Yankees. With the Phils' bats hot, and the Yanks' new stadium permitting homers at a blistering pace, expect at least thirty runs for the Phils this weekend. Also, expect a roster move before Saturday afternoon's game which will, hopefully, bring up leftfielder John Mayberry, Jr., freeing Raul Ibanez to serve as the designated hitter in the final two games. Watching Eric Bruntlett DH is not something any Phillies fan wants to see. Mayberry, Jr. hitting bombs in the new Stadium, just as Mayberry, Sr. did in the old Stadium, now that's something worth watching.
Brett Myers starts for the Phils on Friday, opposed by A.J. Burnett. The Yankees' bullpen threw eight and two-thirds innings Thursday night, in their win over Baltimore. Hopefully, that excessive workload will work in the Phillies' favor.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Blanton Finally Eats Innings, But Not in a Good Way
On Saturday, Joe Blanton boldly ventured where no 2009 Phillies starting pitcher had gone before: the eighth inning! Unfortunately, his outing, while long, was not exactly prosperous, as he permitted all six runs in the 6-2 loss to Atlanta. Braves' starter Javier Vazquez held the Phils to a pair of solo home runs, by Chase Utley and Raul Ibanez, in picking up the win.
Blanton only allowed eight hits and a walk, which were much-improved numbers. He finally completed his quest to pitch in the eighth inning as a Phillie. But the completion of his quest was a Pyrrhic victory, as the two-run homer he surrendered in the eighth inning reduced the Phillies' WE to 2.1%. The Phillies might have been better off burning another reliever in the inning, as a 4-1 deficit would certainly have been preferable to a 6-1 deficit.
Blanton shouldn't get too excited about his eight-inning, six-run performance, though it was closer to a quality start then most of his rotation-mates have come. The Phillies have the fewest quality starts in the league, which is even more of a concern when you consider that a number of those "quality starts" have been of the six-inning, three-run, quotation marks-needed variety. Hopefully, J.A. Happ will make a start in next Saturday's doubleheader, and remain in the rotation. The five-man rotation currently has four strong candidates to be the one Happ replaces. It's a testament to the offense that this team is still near the top of the division.
Saturday afternoon's game was a FOX broadcast, so many unlucky, non-international, Phillies fans had the game blacked out in their region. All Saturday MLB games, with start times between 1:10pm and 7pm, are blacked out, with the exception of your region's chosen game. As a Boston-area resident, the Red Sox-Rays game was selected for my area by FOX, as it should have been. I subscribe to the "why watch one game at a time, when you can watch more than one" theory, so I would have watched the Sox game on TV, either way. But, instead of being able to watch the Phillies on my computer, via MLB.TV, I was relegated to listening to the game. It seems that there should be some kind of viable solution to this problem. Perhaps MLB.TV could air all of the FOX broadcasts, with commercials adjusted for each region? I am not sure, but it is rather frustrating to pay for an MLB.TV subscription, and then be prevented from watching my preferred team. (Especially considering that, as soon as the games end, I race out to patronize the sponsors who brought me the game.) The Phillies play next Saturday afternoon, in a 1:05pm start, in a makeup game against the Nationals. As it starts before 1:10pm, hopefully, it won't be blacked out.
Phils play the Braves Sunday, in an early TBS game. Brett Myers will attempt to extend the Phillies' streak to one quality start in a row. Kenshin Kawakami starts for the Braves. At least this game won't be blacked out.
Blanton only allowed eight hits and a walk, which were much-improved numbers. He finally completed his quest to pitch in the eighth inning as a Phillie. But the completion of his quest was a Pyrrhic victory, as the two-run homer he surrendered in the eighth inning reduced the Phillies' WE to 2.1%. The Phillies might have been better off burning another reliever in the inning, as a 4-1 deficit would certainly have been preferable to a 6-1 deficit.
Blanton shouldn't get too excited about his eight-inning, six-run performance, though it was closer to a quality start then most of his rotation-mates have come. The Phillies have the fewest quality starts in the league, which is even more of a concern when you consider that a number of those "quality starts" have been of the six-inning, three-run, quotation marks-needed variety. Hopefully, J.A. Happ will make a start in next Saturday's doubleheader, and remain in the rotation. The five-man rotation currently has four strong candidates to be the one Happ replaces. It's a testament to the offense that this team is still near the top of the division.
Saturday afternoon's game was a FOX broadcast, so many unlucky, non-international, Phillies fans had the game blacked out in their region. All Saturday MLB games, with start times between 1:10pm and 7pm, are blacked out, with the exception of your region's chosen game. As a Boston-area resident, the Red Sox-Rays game was selected for my area by FOX, as it should have been. I subscribe to the "why watch one game at a time, when you can watch more than one" theory, so I would have watched the Sox game on TV, either way. But, instead of being able to watch the Phillies on my computer, via MLB.TV, I was relegated to listening to the game. It seems that there should be some kind of viable solution to this problem. Perhaps MLB.TV could air all of the FOX broadcasts, with commercials adjusted for each region? I am not sure, but it is rather frustrating to pay for an MLB.TV subscription, and then be prevented from watching my preferred team. (Especially considering that, as soon as the games end, I race out to patronize the sponsors who brought me the game.) The Phillies play next Saturday afternoon, in a 1:05pm start, in a makeup game against the Nationals. As it starts before 1:10pm, hopefully, it won't be blacked out.
Phils play the Braves Sunday, in an early TBS game. Brett Myers will attempt to extend the Phillies' streak to one quality start in a row. Kenshin Kawakami starts for the Braves. At least this game won't be blacked out.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Good Starting Pitching Sighted in the Wilds of St. Louis!
Monday night's matchup didn't look promising for the Phillies. Their starting pitcher, Joe Blanton, had fallen well short of his usual levels of mediocrity, so far in 2009. The Cardinals' starter, Kyle Lohse, had been one of the best pitchers of the young season, sporting a 3-0 record, and a spiffy 1.97 ERA (3.14 FIP). St. Louis had the second-best record in MLB, with a 10-3 mark at home. None of this was a problem for the Phils. The Phillies won, WFC-style, combining strong starting pitching, timely hitting, good defense, and a shutdown bullpen, in their 6-1 win over the Cards.
In his Phillies career, Joe Blanton has only seen the elusive seventh inning in three of his seventeen regular season starts. The veteran hurler has maniacally chased his goal, a terrifying quest that would have driven others to the point of dementia. Monday night, Blanton continued to wager his very soul in pursuit of his obsession.
Against the Cardinals, Blanton's odds seemed rather bleak. However, he entered the sixth inning with a 6-1 lead, and a 95.4% WE. Blanton was tantalizingly close. He stood on the mound, on the verge of corralling his white whale. Though he held St. Louis off the scoreboard in the sixth, his quarry evaded him. In leaving the bases loaded, Blanton had reached one-hundred and one pitches. He would not return for the seventh inning. He had achieved a quality start of the non-quotation mark variety. Blanton's performance was, arguably, the finest by a starting pitcher in the history of the 2009 Phillies. But this was all of little solace to the bulky pitcher, as his goal, which had been within his grasp, had again disappeared into the abyss.
Former Phillie Kyle Lohse had been offered three years, and twenty-one million dollars, to re-sign with Philadelphia after the 2007 season. He declined, preferring to test free agency. Less than a month before the 2008 season began, he signed with St. Louis for one year, and four and a quarter million dollars. It was a tragic miscalculation. (At least until he signed a four year, forty-one million dollar extension, six months later.)
Lohse had pitched like a ten million dollar pitcher in 2009. Until Monday night, when he put up numbers that would be expected of, well, Joe Blanton. The Phillies scored six runs off Lohse, knocking him out of the game with one out in the fifth inning. On a night when Phillie pitching didn't allow a homer, an occurrence as unusual as a narwhal sighting in St. Louis, a Jayson Werth homer, and a Ryan Howard grand slam, knocked Lohse from the game. The Phillies scored all six of their runs on the two blasts, and their bullpen kept the Cardinals' bats silent. The come-from-behind victory (from a 1-0 deficit) put the Phils into the lead in the Wild Card race, which is crucial, as fewer than one hundred and forty games remain.
The Phillies go for the two-game series sweep Tuesday, as they send Brett Myers to face the Cardinals' Adam Wainwright. Yet another odious pitching matchup. But if Blanton can outduel Lohse, Myers can outduel Wainwright. And Chan Ho Park can outduel Johan Santana (Wed, on ESPN!). Well, maybe not that last part. (But, there is still hope that Phillies Manager Charlie Manuel will see reason, and start J.A. Happ over Park.)
In his Phillies career, Joe Blanton has only seen the elusive seventh inning in three of his seventeen regular season starts. The veteran hurler has maniacally chased his goal, a terrifying quest that would have driven others to the point of dementia. Monday night, Blanton continued to wager his very soul in pursuit of his obsession.
Against the Cardinals, Blanton's odds seemed rather bleak. However, he entered the sixth inning with a 6-1 lead, and a 95.4% WE. Blanton was tantalizingly close. He stood on the mound, on the verge of corralling his white whale. Though he held St. Louis off the scoreboard in the sixth, his quarry evaded him. In leaving the bases loaded, Blanton had reached one-hundred and one pitches. He would not return for the seventh inning. He had achieved a quality start of the non-quotation mark variety. Blanton's performance was, arguably, the finest by a starting pitcher in the history of the 2009 Phillies. But this was all of little solace to the bulky pitcher, as his goal, which had been within his grasp, had again disappeared into the abyss.
Former Phillie Kyle Lohse had been offered three years, and twenty-one million dollars, to re-sign with Philadelphia after the 2007 season. He declined, preferring to test free agency. Less than a month before the 2008 season began, he signed with St. Louis for one year, and four and a quarter million dollars. It was a tragic miscalculation. (At least until he signed a four year, forty-one million dollar extension, six months later.)
Lohse had pitched like a ten million dollar pitcher in 2009. Until Monday night, when he put up numbers that would be expected of, well, Joe Blanton. The Phillies scored six runs off Lohse, knocking him out of the game with one out in the fifth inning. On a night when Phillie pitching didn't allow a homer, an occurrence as unusual as a narwhal sighting in St. Louis, a Jayson Werth homer, and a Ryan Howard grand slam, knocked Lohse from the game. The Phillies scored all six of their runs on the two blasts, and their bullpen kept the Cardinals' bats silent. The come-from-behind victory (from a 1-0 deficit) put the Phils into the lead in the Wild Card race, which is crucial, as fewer than one hundred and forty games remain.
The Phillies go for the two-game series sweep Tuesday, as they send Brett Myers to face the Cardinals' Adam Wainwright. Yet another odious pitching matchup. But if Blanton can outduel Lohse, Myers can outduel Wainwright. And Chan Ho Park can outduel Johan Santana (Wed, on ESPN!). Well, maybe not that last part. (But, there is still hope that Phillies Manager Charlie Manuel will see reason, and start J.A. Happ over Park.)
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Phils Slam Nats Twice in (Another) Come-From-Behind Win
Five home runs allowed by their pitching. Six runs allowed by their starter, followed by five runs by the bullpen. Deficits of 6-2 and 11-7. A 3% WE in the eighth inning. The Phillies continued to scoff and sneer at The Laws of Probability, in their 13-11 win against the Nationals on Monday. The Phillies' improbable come-from-behind victory, their ninth of that nature this season, improved their record to a season-best 10-8.
Joe Blanton entered Monday's outing, riding the relative high of two "quality" starts in a row. Blanton hoped for a quotation-mark-free quality start, and to extend the Phillies' streak of games-without-a-home-run-allowed to a season-best two games. After Blanton struck out the side, in order, in the first inning, all things seemed possible. Until the second inning, that is. The Nats bunched three singles, a walk, and a sacrifice fly, in taking a 2-0 lead. Blanton got off to a strong start, but faded at about the time Smiley, the Dollar Dog Pig, visited the Phillies' broadcast booth. It is is unclear whether Blanton was disrupted by the sight of a giant pig throwing hot dogs into the crowd, or if he was merely undone by his own mediocrity.
The Phillies came right back in the bottom of the second, tying the game, and returning the WE to 50%. Blanton was able to hold the lead until the Nats started batting again, at which point he allowed titanic home runs to Ryan Zimmerman and Elijah Dukes. Phillies' announcer Tom McCarthy took advantage of the blasts to prepare clips for his audition to join the 2010 Washington Nationals broadcast team. (I think Nats' fans will enjoy his enthusiasm, as well as his ability to transition between even the most disparate topics in a single sentence.) Blanton reduced the Phillies' WE to 10.7% in the fifth, permitting another long homer to Zimmerman, and left the game three batters later, with a 6-2 deficit.
With a four-run deficit, the Phillies needed five batters to tie the game up. Consecutive singles loaded the bases for Ryan Howard, who tied the game with a grand slam off Nats' starter Shairon Martis. The slam improved the Phils' WE from 22.6% to 53.7%. The teams exchanged single runs in the seventh, and entered the eighth tied at seven.
Scott Eyre came on to start the eighth, in a rare non-LOOGY situation. With Brad Lidge unavailable, due to knee pain (as discovered after the game), the plan was for Eyre to set-up for Ryan Madson. Eyre had retired all ten batters he had faced in 2009. By the time he was done for the night, he had retired ten of fifteen batters in 2009. Eyre's performance went walk-homer-walk-homer-walk, at which point he was removed in favor of J.A. Happ. Eyre threw twenty-five pitches (nine for strikes), increased his ERA from 0.00 to 10.80, and reduced the Phillies WE to under 4%. After tonight, Eyre should expect to be re-LOOGified for the immediate future.
The Phils had the Nats right where they wanted them. Catcher Lou Marson started the bottom of the eighth with a strikeout, reducing the Phillies' WE to only 3.0%. Six batters later there were two outs, but the score was now 11-9, and the bases were loaded for Raul Ibanez. With the Nats RH closer Joel Hanrahan in the game, Ibanez hoped to extend the inning, as LH slugger Matt Stairs was on deck. Ibanez did successfully extend the inning, hitting a grand slam to right field. The slam gave the Phillies a 13-11 lead, and increased their WE to 92.6%. (Construction of the Ibanez statue, to be placed in Ashburn Alley, will begin Wednesday morning. ) Ibanez' homer inspired a "Rauuulll" chant, a "We're not worthy chant", and a curtain call by the "Spanish Jim Thome", as he was dubbed by future Nats' announcer Tom McCarthy. Ryan Madson finished up in the ninth, picking up the save with the aid of his 97 MPH heater.
Philadelphia closer Brad Lidge is listed as day-to-day with knee discomfort, so Ryan Madson should handle closing duties for the immediate future. Catcher Carlos Ruiz was scratched from a rehab start for the Iron (no relation to Smiley) Pigs, so he'll likely stay on the DL a bit longer. Lou Marson will get the opportunity to increase his MLB service time, and steal more ABs from Chris Coste. By the time Ruiz is ready, Marson may not be the catcher who is chosen to go back to AAA.
The Phillies send ace Cole Hamels to the mound against Washington Tuesday night. Hopefully, this will allow them to rest the bullpen a bit, and they won't require another statistically improbable comeback. A second wire-to-wire win would be preferable. They just can't keep coming back from miniscule Win Expectancies to win every night, can they?
Joe Blanton entered Monday's outing, riding the relative high of two "quality" starts in a row. Blanton hoped for a quotation-mark-free quality start, and to extend the Phillies' streak of games-without-a-home-run-allowed to a season-best two games. After Blanton struck out the side, in order, in the first inning, all things seemed possible. Until the second inning, that is. The Nats bunched three singles, a walk, and a sacrifice fly, in taking a 2-0 lead. Blanton got off to a strong start, but faded at about the time Smiley, the Dollar Dog Pig, visited the Phillies' broadcast booth. It is is unclear whether Blanton was disrupted by the sight of a giant pig throwing hot dogs into the crowd, or if he was merely undone by his own mediocrity.
The Phillies came right back in the bottom of the second, tying the game, and returning the WE to 50%. Blanton was able to hold the lead until the Nats started batting again, at which point he allowed titanic home runs to Ryan Zimmerman and Elijah Dukes. Phillies' announcer Tom McCarthy took advantage of the blasts to prepare clips for his audition to join the 2010 Washington Nationals broadcast team. (I think Nats' fans will enjoy his enthusiasm, as well as his ability to transition between even the most disparate topics in a single sentence.) Blanton reduced the Phillies' WE to 10.7% in the fifth, permitting another long homer to Zimmerman, and left the game three batters later, with a 6-2 deficit.
With a four-run deficit, the Phillies needed five batters to tie the game up. Consecutive singles loaded the bases for Ryan Howard, who tied the game with a grand slam off Nats' starter Shairon Martis. The slam improved the Phils' WE from 22.6% to 53.7%. The teams exchanged single runs in the seventh, and entered the eighth tied at seven.
Scott Eyre came on to start the eighth, in a rare non-LOOGY situation. With Brad Lidge unavailable, due to knee pain (as discovered after the game), the plan was for Eyre to set-up for Ryan Madson. Eyre had retired all ten batters he had faced in 2009. By the time he was done for the night, he had retired ten of fifteen batters in 2009. Eyre's performance went walk-homer-walk-homer-walk, at which point he was removed in favor of J.A. Happ. Eyre threw twenty-five pitches (nine for strikes), increased his ERA from 0.00 to 10.80, and reduced the Phillies WE to under 4%. After tonight, Eyre should expect to be re-LOOGified for the immediate future.
The Phils had the Nats right where they wanted them. Catcher Lou Marson started the bottom of the eighth with a strikeout, reducing the Phillies' WE to only 3.0%. Six batters later there were two outs, but the score was now 11-9, and the bases were loaded for Raul Ibanez. With the Nats RH closer Joel Hanrahan in the game, Ibanez hoped to extend the inning, as LH slugger Matt Stairs was on deck. Ibanez did successfully extend the inning, hitting a grand slam to right field. The slam gave the Phillies a 13-11 lead, and increased their WE to 92.6%. (Construction of the Ibanez statue, to be placed in Ashburn Alley, will begin Wednesday morning. ) Ibanez' homer inspired a "Rauuulll" chant, a "We're not worthy chant", and a curtain call by the "Spanish Jim Thome", as he was dubbed by future Nats' announcer Tom McCarthy. Ryan Madson finished up in the ninth, picking up the save with the aid of his 97 MPH heater.
Philadelphia closer Brad Lidge is listed as day-to-day with knee discomfort, so Ryan Madson should handle closing duties for the immediate future. Catcher Carlos Ruiz was scratched from a rehab start for the Iron (no relation to Smiley) Pigs, so he'll likely stay on the DL a bit longer. Lou Marson will get the opportunity to increase his MLB service time, and steal more ABs from Chris Coste. By the time Ruiz is ready, Marson may not be the catcher who is chosen to go back to AAA.
The Phillies send ace Cole Hamels to the mound against Washington Tuesday night. Hopefully, this will allow them to rest the bullpen a bit, and they won't require another statistically improbable comeback. A second wire-to-wire win would be preferable. They just can't keep coming back from miniscule Win Expectancies to win every night, can they?
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Phils Defeated by Brewers, BABIP
BABIP is a fickle deity. A day after plating eleven runs, the Phillies were held to a single marker, in Wednesday night's 3-1 loss to Milwaukee. Philadelphia had a lot of hard-hit balls, but they just didn't seem to find holes. Some credit is also due Milwaukee starting pitcher Braden Looper (six scoreless), and the Brewers' bullpen (one run in three innings). It's a long season, and the Phillies won't be the better, or luckier, team every night. They need to put this loss behind them, and win the three-game series Thursday.
The Phillies' offense didn't have too many positives tonight. Jayson Werth hit a solo homer in the ninth, accounting for the only run. The Phils managed to get the tying run on base in the ninth, before Brewers reliever Todd Coffey whiffed pinch-hitter Chris Coste to end the game. Werth had a pair of hits, and Chase Utley had a single, and has now reached base in thirty-three consecutive games. That was pretty much it, as the Phillies' bats combined for a woeful -.509 WPA. As a result of the difficulties on offense, the Phils' WE was never higher than 16.7%, after the Brewers' two-run sixth inning.
Joe Blanton turned in a "quality" start for the Phils, allowing three runs in six innings. But he allowed eight hits and a walk, and only met the minimum requirements for a quality start. He threw one hundred and seven pitches, with only sixty-four for strikes. Blanton needs to do a better job conserving pitches, so he can go deeper into ballgames. The Brewers' bats have been struggling, for the most part, and Blanton should have trusted his stuff a bit more, and gone after the "weak links" in the opposing lineup. The Phils surrendered some good prospects to acquire Blanton, and, postseason success aside, it's reasonable to expect more from the alleged "innings-eater."
The Phillies will try to take the rubber game Thursday, as Cole Hamels makes his third start in an afternoon match-up. Hamels has, typically, performed much better in night games, but Monday's rain out pushed Hamels back a day to the matinee game. It might have been prudent to have had Hamels pitch Wednesday night, which would have been his fifth day. However, Hamels has indicated that he's "ready" now, having overcome his myriad offseason distractions. Considering that BABIP prays to Cole Hamels, the Brewers shouldn't pose much of a problem.
The Phillies' offense didn't have too many positives tonight. Jayson Werth hit a solo homer in the ninth, accounting for the only run. The Phils managed to get the tying run on base in the ninth, before Brewers reliever Todd Coffey whiffed pinch-hitter Chris Coste to end the game. Werth had a pair of hits, and Chase Utley had a single, and has now reached base in thirty-three consecutive games. That was pretty much it, as the Phillies' bats combined for a woeful -.509 WPA. As a result of the difficulties on offense, the Phils' WE was never higher than 16.7%, after the Brewers' two-run sixth inning.
Joe Blanton turned in a "quality" start for the Phils, allowing three runs in six innings. But he allowed eight hits and a walk, and only met the minimum requirements for a quality start. He threw one hundred and seven pitches, with only sixty-four for strikes. Blanton needs to do a better job conserving pitches, so he can go deeper into ballgames. The Brewers' bats have been struggling, for the most part, and Blanton should have trusted his stuff a bit more, and gone after the "weak links" in the opposing lineup. The Phils surrendered some good prospects to acquire Blanton, and, postseason success aside, it's reasonable to expect more from the alleged "innings-eater."
The Phillies will try to take the rubber game Thursday, as Cole Hamels makes his third start in an afternoon match-up. Hamels has, typically, performed much better in night games, but Monday's rain out pushed Hamels back a day to the matinee game. It might have been prudent to have had Hamels pitch Wednesday night, which would have been his fifth day. However, Hamels has indicated that he's "ready" now, having overcome his myriad offseason distractions. Considering that BABIP prays to Cole Hamels, the Brewers shouldn't pose much of a problem.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Phils Waste First "Quality" Start in Loss to Nats
The Phillies were in good position to sweep the rain-shortened series with the Nationals. They had Joe Blanton on the mound, with his grand total of zero regular-season losses as a Phillie. The Nationals had Shairon Martis starting, with his lifetime FIP of 5.79, and an ERA of 9.00 in one 2009 start. The Phillies had won three straight, while the Nationals (0-7) hadn't won since before the Phillies became WFC. Philadelphia, after two consecutive days off, had a rested, capable bullpen. Washington had a rested bullpen full of household names, such as Hinckley, Shell, and Ledezma. Naturally, the Phillies lost 8-2, dropping their record back to .500 (4-4).
Blanton started brilliantly, retiring the first batter he faced on a groundout. But he couldn't maintain that high level of performance, allowing two singles and a homer (Adam Dunn) to the next three batters. Joe the Lumber continued the 2009 Phillies' tradition of early deficits and generosity with the long ball. Blanton did manage to get through six innings without allowing any additional runs, but he permitted eight hits and a walk, in an uneven outing against a weak lineup. On the plus side, Blanton became the first Phillie to record a "quality start" in 2009. On the minus side, "quality" is defined here as "a level of performance that Julio Santana would be capable of replicating", and Blanton's ERA for the season is now at 9.00.
As play entered the eighth, the Phillies only trailed 4-2, and still had a (14%) chance at the win. Joe Beimel, signed by the Nats in mid-March for $2 million (one year), retired the Phillies in order. Jack Taschner, the 850K reliever acquired by the Phillies for Ronny Paulino (on March 28th), put the game away for the Nats. Taschner allowed four runs on four hits (two HR) and two walks, turning a 4-2 deficit into an 8-2 deficit. Taschner had pitched three scoreless innings in 2009, but he reverted to his 2006 (5.68 FIP), 2007 (4.04), and 2008 form (4.49). Choosing to bring in Taschner over Ryan Madson (or Clay Condrey?) might have been the wrong move tonight. Acquiring Taschner over signing Beimel in March was almost definitely the wrong move.
The Phillies offense was lead by Raul Ibanez (two hits) and Lou Marson (two hits). Chase Utley went 1 for 3, and...that's it. Literally. No one else got a hit. Nineteen at bats, zero hits for the other dudes. The offense really needs to do better than that, especially against the likes of the Washington Nationals. But these types of games will happen over the long season. We'll ignore all those negative WPAs in tonight's box score, and go get 'em tomorrow.
Cole Hamels will face Chris Young (1.94 FIP) and the surprising (7-3) San Diego Padres Friday night. Numerous Harry Kalas tributes are planned, in what should be a memorable occasion. Hopefully, Hamels and the Phillies can come up with a victory on Harry's Night.
Blanton started brilliantly, retiring the first batter he faced on a groundout. But he couldn't maintain that high level of performance, allowing two singles and a homer (Adam Dunn) to the next three batters. Joe the Lumber continued the 2009 Phillies' tradition of early deficits and generosity with the long ball. Blanton did manage to get through six innings without allowing any additional runs, but he permitted eight hits and a walk, in an uneven outing against a weak lineup. On the plus side, Blanton became the first Phillie to record a "quality start" in 2009. On the minus side, "quality" is defined here as "a level of performance that Julio Santana would be capable of replicating", and Blanton's ERA for the season is now at 9.00.
As play entered the eighth, the Phillies only trailed 4-2, and still had a (14%) chance at the win. Joe Beimel, signed by the Nats in mid-March for $2 million (one year), retired the Phillies in order. Jack Taschner, the 850K reliever acquired by the Phillies for Ronny Paulino (on March 28th), put the game away for the Nats. Taschner allowed four runs on four hits (two HR) and two walks, turning a 4-2 deficit into an 8-2 deficit. Taschner had pitched three scoreless innings in 2009, but he reverted to his 2006 (5.68 FIP), 2007 (4.04), and 2008 form (4.49). Choosing to bring in Taschner over Ryan Madson (or Clay Condrey?) might have been the wrong move tonight. Acquiring Taschner over signing Beimel in March was almost definitely the wrong move.
The Phillies offense was lead by Raul Ibanez (two hits) and Lou Marson (two hits). Chase Utley went 1 for 3, and...that's it. Literally. No one else got a hit. Nineteen at bats, zero hits for the other dudes. The offense really needs to do better than that, especially against the likes of the Washington Nationals. But these types of games will happen over the long season. We'll ignore all those negative WPAs in tonight's box score, and go get 'em tomorrow.
Cole Hamels will face Chris Young (1.94 FIP) and the surprising (7-3) San Diego Padres Friday night. Numerous Harry Kalas tributes are planned, in what should be a memorable occasion. Hopefully, Hamels and the Phillies can come up with a victory on Harry's Night.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
