Bunts and Balks (8/27)

Brett Myers was overpowering, in his two-inning rehab stint on Wednesday night. On one hand, Myers was facing AA hitters. On the other hand, Myers pitched two scoreless innings, threw seventeen of twenty-four pitches for strikes, utilized a 92 MPH fastball to whiff five (of seven) batters, and will be appearing in both the R-Phils' and P-Phils' Championship Parades.
Myers needs to pitch on consecutive days this weekend, and then he should be ready to join the P-Phils' bullpen on Tuesday, Roster Expansion Day!

GM Ruben Amaro indicated that the Phillies wouldn't be make any more acquisitions, prior to Sept. 1st. The cagey Amaro is, definitely, going to pick up a bench bat.

The Lehigh Valley IronPigs (AAA) pounded the Rochester Red Wings on Thursday, 11-2. With the game tied 2-2, heading into the eighth inning, the FeHogs exploded for a three-run eighth, and a six-run ninth. Starter Kyle Kendrick pitched seven and two-thirds innings, permitting only two runs (seven hits, zero walks/one whiff).

The Reading Phillies (AA) lost an epic game to the rival Erie Seawolves, 9-6, in thirteen innings. Four hours and twenty-nine minutes, in front of 6915 rabid fans, against the team chasing them for the final playoff spot. The R-Phils trailed 6-2, after three innings, but scored single runs in the fourth, fifth, eighth, and ninth innings. Neil Sellers had four hits, including a homer and a double. Kevin Nelson had (another!) home run, and four RBI.
Starter Mike Stutes surrendered six runs, in only five innings (seven hits, two walks/four whiffs). The R-Phils' bullpen (Alex Concepcion, Pat Overholt, Mike Zagurski, Sergio Escalona) combined for seven scoreless innings, until Escalona was touched for three runs (two earned) in his third inning of work.
The R-Phils lead Erie by a game and a half. Bowie is three games behind Reading, with a four-game series between the two scheduled this weekend. Vance Worley, Yohan Flande, Kyle Drabek, and Mike Cisco are lined up to make the starts, and Brett Myers may be available out of the bullpen.

The Clearwater Threshers (A) lost to the Brevard County Manatees on Thursday, 7-2. Those Sea Cows are too tough. Clearwater had five hits...and five errors. Starter Darren Byrd permitted five runs (four hits, six walks/two walks), in five innings. The Threshers, like the IronPigs, are pretty much playing out the string. All of our minor league focus should be on Reading right now.

Bunts and Balks (6/14)

The Phillies optioned reliever Sergio Escalona back to the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs(AAA). Tyler Walker was placed on the Phillies' 40-Man Roster, and recalled from the IronPigs.
Escalona was ineffective on Saturday, but might have been demoted on Sunday, even with a strong performance. The Phillies' bullpen needed reinforcements. Escalona's option, combined with the fact that he wouldn't be available on Sunday, made him a good choice for demotion.
He could return to the roster, if one of the Phillies' current bullpenners needs to go on the DL, even it is within the next ten days. (Without an "emergency" situation, Escalona can't be recalled for a minimum of ten days. I prefer the NHL method, where you can send players up and down, on a daily basis. I'm guessing the MLBPA would not be in favor of that payroll-reducing maneuver.)

Walker has been outstanding in AAA, pairing a 1.40 ERA with a 0.57 WHIP. However, he was pitching on a minor-league contract, and does not have any options remaining. The Phillies resisted promoting him sooner because they would have to try to pass him through waivers, if they wanted to send him back to AAA. (Putting him in one of the open slots in the Phils' 40-Man Roster was not an issue.) By recalling him now, it seems that the Phils figure they can carve out a roster spot for Walker, for an extended period. (Brad Lidge and Scott Eyre are on the DL, Jack Taschner is hanging by a thread, and third-string catcher Paul Bako could be easily replaced, increasing the bullpen to a "Plus Eight.")

The Phils could also open up a (short-term) roster spot, by sending Antonio Bastardo back to AAA. Bastardo seems overmatched at the MLB level, and needs to work on his repertoire. The Phillies would need a starter on Friday, but could add an extra relief arm, in the interim. (Lefty Mike Zagurski, pitching in AA, is on the 40-Man Roster, has options remaining, and might be a fit. Righty Gary Majewski, pitching in AAA, would not be a good fit for a short-term promotion, as he would need to pass through waivers to be sent back to Lehigh Valley.)
Andrew Carpenter and Carlos Carrasco could be considered for recall from AAA, to make the Friday start. (Also worthy of consideration would be the impact of good (or bad) starts on the two starters' respective trade values.) After Saturday night's debacle, it does seem that the Phils need to try a non-Bastardo rotation option. But the fact that they didn't demote him for an available arm today, may signal that they expect to give the rookie another start at the MLB level.

The IronPigs defeated the Charlotte Knights, 6-3. Mike Cervenak, a better Phillies' roster option than Gabor Paul Bako II, had a pair of hits (including a home run), and knocked in three runs. Starter Gustavo Chacin picked up the win, with six innings of two-run ball. He allowed five hits and zero walks, striking out six. In the absence of recently-promoted Tyler Walker, Cedric Bowers worked the ninth, for his first save. Gary Majewski may also see some future save opportunities for Lehigh Valley.

The Reading Phillies (AA) lost the completion of their suspended game from Saturday, 2-1. The game was suspended after nine innings on Saturday, with the R-Phils and the Harrisburg Senators tied at one. The R-Phils lost Sunday, prior to their regularly-scheduled game, on an 11th inning run.

The Reading Phillies won their regularly-scheduled game, 6-5. The R-Phils trailed 5-3 in the eighth, but came back to tie the game at 5. CF Quintin Berry, coming to the plate to the somber tones of "For the Love of Money", by the BulletBoys, had a crucial double in the inning. Jeremy Slayden went 4 for 4. Brad Harman, who had 1 hit in his last 35 ABs, had the walk-off hit in the ninth. Top prospect Kyle Drabek starter for the R-Phils, and lasted six innings. Drabek allowed four runs, on eight hits and four walks. Not a good outing by Drabek, but the offense bailed him out for an exciting victory. (I turned on the broadcast with the score 5-3, Harrisburg, and caught the best parts of the game. The Reading crowd sounded quite raucous. Am I the only one that imagines the between-innings music being played by the Mascot Band? Never mind.)

The Reading Phillies play their annual "Morning Game" on Monday. Game time is 9:35 AM. Listen live, via the internets!

The Clearwater Threshers (A) won a pitcher's duel against the Jupiter Hammerheads, 2-0. Yohan Flande pitched a complete-game shutout, improving to 6-1, with a 2.45 ERA. Flande allowed six hits and a walk, striking out six. Flande might be ready to join the R-Phils. The game was played in only 1:56, as each team had just six hits, and a walk.

"The Pen" debuts tonight! MLB Network, 8:00pm, an hour of behind-the-scenes Phils' bullpen action!

The P-Phils, and their top three affiliates, were all victorious on Sunday. What are the chances of that? (I calculate the probability to be about 7.21%, but feel free to do your own calculations.)

The Bourn Supremacy

(originally posted 7/27/07)
Thursday was not a good day in Philly Town. A crushing loss to the Nationals in a winnable game that would have assured the Phils a three-game series sweep. More disastrous relief pitching. Most demoralizing of all, an injury to All-Star 2B/MVP candidate/potential new doubles in a season record-holder Chase Utley. Thursday morning, things were looking up for the Phils- a Wild Card, or even a Division Title, seemed within reach. By Thursday night, the optimism was fading.

But on Friday, the optimism was back in full force. Ace closer Brett Myers was back in uniform, fresh off a seemingly-interminable stint on the DL. LHRP Mike Zagurski was dispatched to AAA Ottawa. Zags showed a lot of promise in his time in the bigs, but he was miscast when used as more than a LOOGY. He did well, especially considering his sudden promotion from AA, and could be a factor in the Phillies bullpen for years to come. Just not this year. (Hopefully, when he returns, he'll be depicted with the correct skin tone in video games.) Chase Utley's surgery was successful, and it looks like he will only miss about a month. The Phils' schedule isn't too bad during that period, so they should be able to stay in the race. A month of Abraham O. Nunez as the starting second-sacker wasn't exactly something to look forward to- but a surprising trade for former White Sox 2B Tadahito Iguchi brought the Nunez Era to an end after one day. (Still one day too long, but I'll take it.) With the AAAA Pittsburgh Pirates in town, and John Van Benschoten (0-3, 8.17 ERA), the Phils were primed to make us forget about Utley. At least for a day.

It didn't take long for the Phillies to start beating the hell out of the Pirates. The first three batters in the bottom of the first reached, loading the bases for sluggers Ryan Howard and Pat Burrell. Unfortunately they both struck out, giving Van Benschoten hope that he may escape the inning unscathed. Not so fast Van Ben. Third-baseman Greg Dobbs smacked a two-run single, giving the Phillies a 2-0 lead. The Pirates never got any closer. 87 yr. old Jamie Moyer pitched superbly, holding the Bucs to only one run in seven innings. The Phillies knocked Van Ben out of the game with a six-run third inning. The highlight was a 2-run blast by LF Pat Burrell, his 13th HR of the season. Burrell continued his absolutely torrid July with a 2 for 3, 3 RBI night. In June, Burrell hit .129, with a .550 OPS. In July, he is hitting .446, with a 1.357 OPS. (No, those are not typos, folk(s).) With Utley out, Patrick Brian Burrell needs to produce. He's done a pretty good job of that so far this month.

The Phillies took an 8-1 lead into the 8th, when the rains came. The game was called, robbing us of a stirring denouement, with Myers returning to the mound to finish up the victory. Depriving CF Michael Bourn (4 for 4) of a chance at a five-hit game. But the victory moved the Phils to within 4 games of the division-leading Mets, and within two games of the Wild Card-leading Padres.

It has been a tough few days for the Phillies. From the high of Wednesday night's dramatic extra-inning victory, on Ryan Howard's walk-off HR, to the low of the painful loss on Thursday, and the painful injury to Chase Utley. But sixty games remain in the season, so there's plenty of time to catch the Braves and the Mets. Utley should be back for the stretch run in September. Until then, it's Iguchi Time!

Leaving no rock unturned...

(originally posted 6/12/07)
The Phillies have evoked a wide range of emotions from Phillies Nation. We've experienced the dizzying highs of series sweeps against the teams in the NL East with the top two records (Braves, Mets). We've witnessed a demoralizing sweep by the D-Backs, and the depressing loss of two of three to the doormat Royals. There have been brilliant individual performances (Cole Hamels, Pat Burrell), mediocre individual performances (Wes Helms, Pat Burrell), and horrid individual performances (Freddy Garcia, Pat Burrell). We have stared in puzzlement as the Phillies braintrust has "fortified" the bullpen with an old table they found abandoned by the side of the road (Jose Mesa) and something called a "Zagurski." And this is just in the past three turbulent weeks.

The Phillies seem almost tethered to the .500 mark, unable to escape their own mediocrity. They have gone 6-4 in June, so far, but they could have done much better. So much better. Those missed opportunities have kept them on the outskirts (currently 4.5 games out, behind 4 teams) of the Wild Card race. But with only 39% of their schedule in the books, there is still time for the Phils to get their acts together. It would be swell if they did so in the immediate future. But they've continued their erratic ways in June.

June 1st: Giants 13, Phillies 0 (Phillies record after game: 26-28)
Highlights: Darth Vader performed "Casey at the Bat" from the pitcher's mound.
Lowlights: Phillies got their first hit of the game with two outs. In the 6th inning. That hit was half of their total for the game. Giants SP Matt Morris had three hits in the game. The Phillies got robbed in the 2nd inning, when Morris bunted through a two-out, two-strike Adam Eaton offering. It should have been an inning-ending whiff. The pitch was called a ball, Morris singled, and the Giants scored five runs in the inning. It was never a contest after that blown call. Curses!
Phillies Performance in a Word: Absent

June 2nd: Phillies 5, Giants 2 (Phillies record: 27-28)
Highlights: Phillies SP Cole Hamels was magnificent, winning his eighth game (in ten decisions) with a complete game, five-hit, zero-walk effort.
Lowlights: Phillies only had six hits in the game.
In a Word: Cole-tastic!

June 3rd: Phillies 9, Giants 8 (28-28)
Highlights: Phillies trailed 7-3 going into the bottom of the seventh, before putting up a five-spot in the frame, giving them an 8-7 lead. The Giants tied it in the 9th, but Phillies RF Shane Victorino hit a walk-off HR in the bottom of the inning. The Phils rewarded the 39, 293 fans with four home runs and Shane Victorino Hula Bobbleheads.
Lowlights: Phillies SP Freddy Garcia pitched 5.1 innings, allowing nine hits, two walks, and seven runs (six earned). He was not as effective as his line would indicate.
In a Word: Inspirational.

June 4th: Giants 8, Phillies 1 (28-29)
Highlights: This nightmare of a game ended after 3 hours and 1 minute.
Lowlights: Phillies SP Jon Lieber lasted only five innings, permitting ten hits, three walks and five runs. The Phillies left twelve on base, and failed to gain any momentum from their come-from-behind walkoff win of the previous day.
In a Word: Craptacular.

June 5th: Phillies 4, Mets 2 (29-29)
Highlights: Chase Utley hit the eventual game-winning HR in the 11th inning. Phillies SP Jamie Moyer held the Mets to only two runs in his seven-inning outing. The Phillies bullpen was exceptional, delivering four scoreless frames.
Lowlights: Phillies 3B Coach Steve Smith made a questionable decision in the sixth inning, inexplicably holding Utley at 3rd on a Rowand single. Pat Burrell magnified the error by not paying attention to the runner in front of him. The result was a messy rundown, during which Burrell slid into 3B twice, while Utley was standing on the bag each time. Not exactly textbook baserunning.
In a Word: Solid.

June 6th: Phillies 4, Mets 2 (30-29)
Highlights: With the Phillies trailing 2-0 in the seventh, Jimmy Rollins hit a three-run HR. Adam Eaton held the Mets to two runs in his six innings. The Phillies bullpen followed with three scoreless innings.
Lowlights: 8 LOB.
In a Word: Workmanlike.

June 7th: Phillies 6, Mets 3 (31-29)
Highlights: The Phillies completed their sweep of the Mets, propelled by the solid (on this night, at least) bat of Pat Burrell. Trailing 3-2 in the 9th, and facing ace closer/personal nemesis/"rat" Billy Wagner (who brought a 1.44 ERA into the game), Burrell slammed a solo HR to tie the game. Burrell followed that with a 10th inning double, sparking a game-winning three-run rally. Cole Hamels (3.57 ERA) was effective, allowing only three runs in seven innings, all on consecutive solo HRs in the sixth inning.
Lowlights: The aforementioned three consecutive, two-out HRs by the Mets in the sixth.
In a Word: Heroic.

June 8th: Royals 8, Phillies 4 (31-30)
Highlights: Phillies scored the first three runs of the game, keyed by HRs off the bats of Ryan Howard and Greg Dobbs. Clay Condrey pitched 3.1 shutout innings of relief.
Lowlights: The Phillies had a great opportunity to move to three games above .500, with a matchup against one of the worst teams in MLB. They blew it. Phillies SP Freddy Garcia was atrocious, as usual, allowing six runs on seven hits (two walks), while only recording five outs. His ERA is now 5.90. The Royals bullpen shut out the Phils over the last four innings, permitting four hits, and striking out six.
In a Word: Discouraging.

June 9th: Phillies 4, Royals 0 (32-30)
Highlights: Phillies SP Jon Lieber was sensational, striking out eleven Royals in a complete game three-hit shutout. He lowered his ERA to 3.72 and improved his record to 3-4. He retired the last fifteen Royals in a game that was played in two hours and ten minutes.
Lowlights: Jimmy Rollins, Ryan Howard, and Abe Nunez each went hitless in four ABs, combining for seven strikeouts.
In a Word: Brilliant.

June 10th: Royals 17, Phillies 5 (32-31)
Highlights: Luckily, this game was not chosen to be aired on ESPN. Hopefully, no one noticed...
Lowlights: Where to start? The offense left eight on base, and had twelve (!) strikeouts. But they did score five runs, which should be enough to win. Or to at least come within twelve runs of winning. Not this time. Phillies SP Jamie Moyer was bombed for six runs on seven hits, in three and two/thirds fun-filled innings. The bullpen combined to allow eleven (!) runs, while obtaining thirteen outs. (That, my reader(s), is not a good runs-to-outs ratio.) Phillies MGR Charlie Manuel, inexplicably, used setup man Geoff Geary in the eight inning, with the Phils trailing, 11-5. A senseless waste. (Charles Fuqua, Geary is supposed to pitch the 8th when the Phillies are winning.) Exciting new acquisition Jose Mesa gave up two runs, while obtaining four outs. His ERA for the season was a horrific 12.34, entering the game. Yet, he managed to increase it. Hard to do, that.
In a Word: Repugnant.

Pat Burrell has followed up a .179 May (.770 OPS, .360 OBP) with a .182 June (so far, .706 OPS, .282 OBP). He is batting .156, with a .602 OPS, on the road. Yet, he seems to come up with a disproportionate number of "big" hits, considering that he gets so few hits to begin with.
Phillies 3B have a combined zero (0.0000) HRs this season. Freddy Garcia was just DL'd with a sore shoulder, joining Opening Day starter/closer Brett Myers on the sidelines. (The fact Garcia's fastball packed less heat than Moyer's should have been a clue as to his physical state. It's a shame that there was no test that the Phillies could have performed on Garcia's arm, prior to acquiring him. But once polio gets cured, the medical community will be working on some sort of magnetic resonance thingy. Sounds rather intriguing.)

Phillies GM Pat Gillick pledged to leave "no rock unturned" in looking for bullpen help, and managed to find Jose Mesa under a rock somewhere. On the minus side, Mesa's AL ERA (with Detroit) was 12.34. (This translates to 11.43, in NL dollars.) On the plus side, Mesa is wicked cost-effective (pro-rated major-league minimum), has a cool blue mitt, and has rather intricate facial hair. Obviously, the pros outweigh the cons here.

But, alongside so much ugliness, there is so much beauty. Cole Hamels. Chase Utley. Ryan Howard. Carlos Ruiz. Mike Zagurski. (OK, perhaps not so much that last one.) If they can remain within striking distance, and Brett Myers makes a strong comeback, and the Phillies go on a tear, the Wild Card is viable. Perhaps even a division crown. There is much talent here, and plenty of time to dream of the playoffs...