Tonight, with the Dodgers tying the National League Championship Series at one game a piece, the Phillies seem to have taken a step backward. The team and fans hope it is only a small step, however. The legendary, albeit aging, Pedro Martinez pitched an incredible game, allowing only two hits while shutting out Los Angeles over seven innings. Unfortunately for him, a victory was not to be as the Phils’ poor offensive performance, a questionable managerial decision and a second baseman who appears to have completely forgotten how to throw a baseball made sure that Martinez’s effort was, in the end, completely meaningless.
It should not be a surprise to anyone that the Phillies' normally potent offense was shut down by Vicente Padilla in game two. At times during the season, the offense looked horrible at best during certain stretches. Tonight, unfortunately, looked like one of those nights. Aside from a solo homerun from Ryan Howard in the fourth inning, Philadelphia was only able to muster four hits, a tough spot for any pitcher, including Martinez.
From there, Phillies manager Charlie Manuel made a highly questionable decision by pinch hitting for Pedro Martinez in the top of the eighth inning. At that point, Martinez had thrown only eighty seven pitches and had completely dominated the Dodgers. Regardless of that Charlie felt that it was time to take his one run lead and put it into the hands of a bullpen that the Dodgers probably couldn’t wait to get their hands on. A booted groundball by normally fantastic third baseman Pedro Feliz and a perfectly placed bunt by Dodger second baseman Ronnie Belliard later, the Phillies came to realize their latest problem: Chase Utley and his arm from hell.
Instead of going into a play by play on what transpired next, as it’s already been seen, heard, reported and dissected by every “expert” in the country, let’s just say that the normally superb defensive second baseman, Chase Utley continued an interesting defensive post season. For the second game in a row he completely threw a double play away, one that nearly cost the team a game and one that did cost the team a game. A closer look, however, shows that Chase Utley has been having a problem throwing to first base this entire post season. Many of his, what are normally routine plays have resulted in some pretty interesting throws to first. Often, Ryan Howard has had to stretch as high as he can to catch Utley’s floaters to first. While it is possible that some have noticed this, surely no one thought it to be a problem until now. Either way, something as simple as Chase Utley throwing a baseball to first base has become a major concern.
All in all, the Phillies can’t be too upset about what transpired in Los Angeles. They still come away having won one of the games on the road, which was their main goal in the first place, they were able to hit, what most consider to be LA’s best starting pitcher, Clayton Kershaw, very hard in game one. Pedro Martinez has shown that he can still pitch and furthermore, aside from a strange fluke of an eighth inning the Dodgers did absolutely nothing to the Phillies offensively in game two. With the series tied at one and coming back to Philadelphia, the team and the fans should have their heads high knowing that this is exactly where they hoped to be at this point; having brought home field advantage back to Philly.
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Showing posts with label Chase Utley. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chase Utley. Show all posts
Friday, October 16, 2009
Monday, August 3, 2009
The Hottest July in Recent Record
By Chris Pollay
It’s a good time to be a Philadelphia Phillies fan.
After all, the defending MLB champions are currently leading the National League East comfortably with a five-game lead. True, they just dropped three of four to the San Francisco Giants, but that was the first series the team has lost since one with the Atlanta Braves that concluded on July 2nd.
The team is only going to get better after recently upgrading its roster, adding 2008 Cy Young Winner Cliff Lee, who only gave up four hits and one run in a complete game, his first outing with the Phils. Also of note, he is 4-0 in his last four starts including three complete games with an ERA of 1.32 in that time.
The future indeed looks secure, especially if the recent past is any indication. The team just finished one of its hottest months of July in recent history, carving out an impressive 20-7 (.741) record.
To put that in perspective, consider this: the last time the Phillies won 20 games in one month was back in May of 2001 when the team went 20-8 (.714).
Last month, the team strung together win streaks of four twice and ten once. They only lost back-to-back games twice during the entire month. In that time, the Phillies outscored opponents by a stunning margin of 153 to 97. Incidentally, that was the most runs scored and fewest runs allowed by the ballclub in any month this year.
In fact, the last time the Phils gave up fewer than 100 runs in an entire month (featuring at least 25 games) was June of 2003.
Philadelphia was so dominant that it outscored its opponents by 56 runs in 27 games for an average of more than two runs a game! It’s amazing what can happen when a baseball team clicks on both offense and defense at the same time.
Everybody Pitching In
As of today, the Phillies’ overall team ERA is at 4.37. However, for the month of July, the team tallied a cumulative 3.22 ERA over the course of 246 innings pitched. Only 88 of the 97 runs given up were earned.
Philadelphia pitched three shoutouts and gave up only two runs or less 14 times (and were 14-0 in those games, not too surprisingly). The best aspect about it all, however, was that it was a complete team effort.
Here are some of the starting pitching performances of the month:
Joe Blanton (3-0): 29.2 IP, 22Ks, 1.21 ERA
Cole Hamels (3-1): 37 IP, 29Ks, 4.38 ERA
J.A. Happ (2-2): 40 IP, 31Ks, 2.93 ERA
Cliff Lee (1-0 as a Philly): 9 IP, 6Ks, 1.0 ERA
Rodrigo Lopez (3-1): 27.1 IP, 17Ks, 3.62 ERA
Jamie Moyer (4-1): 30 IP, 15Ks, 3.3 ERA
The Phillies' hurlers were simply much more consistent than they have been the rest of the year, giving up only 65 walks for the month compared to striking out 190 batters. Although, the team did continue with one of its scary statistics: home runs allowed. The team gave up 27 altogether in July, or an average of one a game.
Hitting on All Cylinders
Of course, a team can give up one home run a game if it manages to outhit its opponents thoroughly.
The team smashed 35 homers in July and 247 hits altogether (91 of which were extra base hits). The team batted a cumulative .259 for the month and hit in double digits eleven different times!
Overall, 145 of the 153 runs the team scored were batted in. The team did continue to strikeout often, though, but did show reasonable patience by earning 116 walks (51 more than their opponents in that time).
Like the Phillies’ pitching last month, the team’s hitting was also a result of contributions from almost everybody. Here’s a breakdown of some of the big numbers:
Jayson Werth: 7 HR, 23 RBIs
Ryan Howard: 6 HR, 18 RBIs
Chase Utley: 6 HR, 18 RBIs
Jimmy Rollins: 4 HR, 19 RBIs
Raul Ibañez: 4 HR, 16 RBIs
Shane Victorino: 3 HR, 14 RBIs
Pedro Feliz: 1 HR, 13 RBIs
One hot month can make all the difference in a pennant race. The Phils were actually tied for first place on July 2nd, but by the end of the month they secured a comfortable six-game lead despite playing 13 straight games at the end of July.
Perhaps the brightest statistic, however, is that the team remembered how to win in its own ballpark, accruing a 14-3 home record for the month, giving them an overall record of 27-25. Their home record was an astonishing 13-22 before the start of July.
Read more!
It’s a good time to be a Philadelphia Phillies fan.
After all, the defending MLB champions are currently leading the National League East comfortably with a five-game lead. True, they just dropped three of four to the San Francisco Giants, but that was the first series the team has lost since one with the Atlanta Braves that concluded on July 2nd.
The team is only going to get better after recently upgrading its roster, adding 2008 Cy Young Winner Cliff Lee, who only gave up four hits and one run in a complete game, his first outing with the Phils. Also of note, he is 4-0 in his last four starts including three complete games with an ERA of 1.32 in that time.
The future indeed looks secure, especially if the recent past is any indication. The team just finished one of its hottest months of July in recent history, carving out an impressive 20-7 (.741) record.
To put that in perspective, consider this: the last time the Phillies won 20 games in one month was back in May of 2001 when the team went 20-8 (.714).
Last month, the team strung together win streaks of four twice and ten once. They only lost back-to-back games twice during the entire month. In that time, the Phillies outscored opponents by a stunning margin of 153 to 97. Incidentally, that was the most runs scored and fewest runs allowed by the ballclub in any month this year.
In fact, the last time the Phils gave up fewer than 100 runs in an entire month (featuring at least 25 games) was June of 2003.
Philadelphia was so dominant that it outscored its opponents by 56 runs in 27 games for an average of more than two runs a game! It’s amazing what can happen when a baseball team clicks on both offense and defense at the same time.
Everybody Pitching In
As of today, the Phillies’ overall team ERA is at 4.37. However, for the month of July, the team tallied a cumulative 3.22 ERA over the course of 246 innings pitched. Only 88 of the 97 runs given up were earned.
Philadelphia pitched three shoutouts and gave up only two runs or less 14 times (and were 14-0 in those games, not too surprisingly). The best aspect about it all, however, was that it was a complete team effort.
Here are some of the starting pitching performances of the month:
Joe Blanton (3-0): 29.2 IP, 22Ks, 1.21 ERA
Cole Hamels (3-1): 37 IP, 29Ks, 4.38 ERA
J.A. Happ (2-2): 40 IP, 31Ks, 2.93 ERA
Cliff Lee (1-0 as a Philly): 9 IP, 6Ks, 1.0 ERA
Rodrigo Lopez (3-1): 27.1 IP, 17Ks, 3.62 ERA
Jamie Moyer (4-1): 30 IP, 15Ks, 3.3 ERA
The Phillies' hurlers were simply much more consistent than they have been the rest of the year, giving up only 65 walks for the month compared to striking out 190 batters. Although, the team did continue with one of its scary statistics: home runs allowed. The team gave up 27 altogether in July, or an average of one a game.
Hitting on All Cylinders
Of course, a team can give up one home run a game if it manages to outhit its opponents thoroughly.
The team smashed 35 homers in July and 247 hits altogether (91 of which were extra base hits). The team batted a cumulative .259 for the month and hit in double digits eleven different times!
Overall, 145 of the 153 runs the team scored were batted in. The team did continue to strikeout often, though, but did show reasonable patience by earning 116 walks (51 more than their opponents in that time).
Like the Phillies’ pitching last month, the team’s hitting was also a result of contributions from almost everybody. Here’s a breakdown of some of the big numbers:
Jayson Werth: 7 HR, 23 RBIs
Ryan Howard: 6 HR, 18 RBIs
Chase Utley: 6 HR, 18 RBIs
Jimmy Rollins: 4 HR, 19 RBIs
Raul Ibañez: 4 HR, 16 RBIs
Shane Victorino: 3 HR, 14 RBIs
Pedro Feliz: 1 HR, 13 RBIs
One hot month can make all the difference in a pennant race. The Phils were actually tied for first place on July 2nd, but by the end of the month they secured a comfortable six-game lead despite playing 13 straight games at the end of July.
Perhaps the brightest statistic, however, is that the team remembered how to win in its own ballpark, accruing a 14-3 home record for the month, giving them an overall record of 27-25. Their home record was an astonishing 13-22 before the start of July.
Read more!
Monday, July 20, 2009
Lucky 13 for the Phillies
By Chris Pollay
The Philadelphia Phillies headed into the All-Star break riding a nice hot streak. Then, they swiftly picked up the trail right where they left off (once the American League proceeded with its annual beatdown of the National League anyway).
The Phils (51-38) are officially the hottest team in baseball having won eight straight and 12 of their last 13 games, including three-game sweeps of the New York Mets, the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Florida Marlins.
It’s not difficult to see why the team has been so effective lately: they have boasted a 2.40 ERA during the last 13 games (120 innings altogether) with three shutouts. They also have outhit opponents with a margin of 129 to 89 in that time.
The Phils have won a few squeakers, to be sure, but most games in July (when the Phils are 12-3 right now) have been blowouts. In fact, during the last 13 games, the Phillies have outscored the opposition 81 to 32.
The pitching has stepped up big time and rookie J.A. Happ, now 7-0, has helped lead the charge. Jamie Moyer seems to be finding his rhythm as he has gone 3-0 for July beating the Mets, Reds and Marlins. Joe Blanton has also heated up in July, winning his last two games in which he only gave up one earned run in over 14 innings. He beat two quality starters in the Mets’ Johan Santana and the Pirates’ Zach Duke.
The only loss in the past 13 games was attributed to Brad Lidge when the Reds got the best of him. Lights Out Lidge has been more like “Leave the LIghts On” Lidge lately as he has an earned run in three of his last four outings. Still, despite his occasional flare for the dramatic, he has recorded five saves in July and his last Blown Save occurred back on June 6.
In addition to the improved pitching, the Phils have lit up opposing pitchers like Roman candles all throughout the month. Perhaps the Most Improved Player of the month should go to leadoff man Jimmy Rollins who has batted .388 (21 for 54) in the last 13 games. He only has one homer since July 3rd, but he has filled up all the other offensive stats impressively: 13 runs, eight RBIs, ten walks, and five stolen bases. As Jimmy goes, so do the Phils.
Of course, it hasn’t hurt that second baseman Chase Utley has knocked in four home runs and 13 RBIs, scoring 11 runs during the 12-1 blitz. He is batting .372 (19 of 51) in that time. In the same frame, Shane Victorino has batted .370 (20 of 54) and contributing heavily with 11 runs, nine walks and six RBIs.
Jason Werth has continued to step up. In his last 13 games, he has batted only .250 (11 for 44), but he had made the most of his hits with five homers and 14 RBIs. He’s also scored seven runs and showed more patience, earning eleven walks. Slugger Ryan Howard has also showed more control of late, having earned 13 walks in the last 13 games. Of course, he’s also inflicted some damage with three home runs, nine runs, and eight RBIs by batting .307 (12 of 39).
Perhaps the best sign of things to come is the return of Raul Ibañez, who has helped carry the team recently. He’s only played in five games since returning from the DL, but he has hit a scorching .368 (7 for 19) with two home runs, six RBIs and five runs.
Read more!
The Philadelphia Phillies headed into the All-Star break riding a nice hot streak. Then, they swiftly picked up the trail right where they left off (once the American League proceeded with its annual beatdown of the National League anyway).
The Phils (51-38) are officially the hottest team in baseball having won eight straight and 12 of their last 13 games, including three-game sweeps of the New York Mets, the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Florida Marlins.
It’s not difficult to see why the team has been so effective lately: they have boasted a 2.40 ERA during the last 13 games (120 innings altogether) with three shutouts. They also have outhit opponents with a margin of 129 to 89 in that time.
The Phils have won a few squeakers, to be sure, but most games in July (when the Phils are 12-3 right now) have been blowouts. In fact, during the last 13 games, the Phillies have outscored the opposition 81 to 32.
The pitching has stepped up big time and rookie J.A. Happ, now 7-0, has helped lead the charge. Jamie Moyer seems to be finding his rhythm as he has gone 3-0 for July beating the Mets, Reds and Marlins. Joe Blanton has also heated up in July, winning his last two games in which he only gave up one earned run in over 14 innings. He beat two quality starters in the Mets’ Johan Santana and the Pirates’ Zach Duke.
The only loss in the past 13 games was attributed to Brad Lidge when the Reds got the best of him. Lights Out Lidge has been more like “Leave the LIghts On” Lidge lately as he has an earned run in three of his last four outings. Still, despite his occasional flare for the dramatic, he has recorded five saves in July and his last Blown Save occurred back on June 6.
In addition to the improved pitching, the Phils have lit up opposing pitchers like Roman candles all throughout the month. Perhaps the Most Improved Player of the month should go to leadoff man Jimmy Rollins who has batted .388 (21 for 54) in the last 13 games. He only has one homer since July 3rd, but he has filled up all the other offensive stats impressively: 13 runs, eight RBIs, ten walks, and five stolen bases. As Jimmy goes, so do the Phils.
Of course, it hasn’t hurt that second baseman Chase Utley has knocked in four home runs and 13 RBIs, scoring 11 runs during the 12-1 blitz. He is batting .372 (19 of 51) in that time. In the same frame, Shane Victorino has batted .370 (20 of 54) and contributing heavily with 11 runs, nine walks and six RBIs.
Jason Werth has continued to step up. In his last 13 games, he has batted only .250 (11 for 44), but he had made the most of his hits with five homers and 14 RBIs. He’s also scored seven runs and showed more patience, earning eleven walks. Slugger Ryan Howard has also showed more control of late, having earned 13 walks in the last 13 games. Of course, he’s also inflicted some damage with three home runs, nine runs, and eight RBIs by batting .307 (12 of 39).
Perhaps the best sign of things to come is the return of Raul Ibañez, who has helped carry the team recently. He’s only played in five games since returning from the DL, but he has hit a scorching .368 (7 for 19) with two home runs, six RBIs and five runs.
Read more!
Monday, July 13, 2009
The Phillies' Mid-Season Report Card
By Chris Pollay
At the midpoint of the 2009 MLB season, the Phillies remain safe at first in the National League East with a record of 48-38. Most of their four-game cushion over Florida is due to the team catching fire of late, winning nine of its last ten games.
While first place is exactly where the Phils would hope to be at this point, it’s hard to imagine that the team is completely satisfied with its overall performance. Sure, they have suffered quite a few injuries and they’ve overcome some occasional bouts of bad luck and streaky superstars, but most probably feel that they are better than their current record indicates.
Regardless, the team has been impressive at times in the first half of 2009 and I have a good feeling about the rest of the year. In fact, two comeback games, one early in the year and one more recently, have convinced me that this team will be THE FORCE to be reckoned with come October.
Remember back in April when the Phillies received their 2008 Championship Rings? The Braves had beaten them up during the first two games of the season and held a 10 to 3 lead heading into the bottom of the 7th when the Phillies erupted for eight runs to take the lead: 11 to 10. They held on to win, refusing to lose on the day that honored last year’s World Series win.
Then, just this past Saturday, the team was up against the ropes, down 7 to 3 in the bottom of the ninth. Before you could blink, Stairs connected for a solo shot and Howard tied the game up with a three-run bomb. The Phils won shortly after by an 8 to 7 margin with no need of extra innings.
This team is absolutely fearless and can step it up a notch or three when they have to mainly because they have the one of the most dangerous offenses in the National League. In fact, they are first in the NL in the following category totals: runs (460); home runs (122); slugging percentage (.452); OPS, a.k.a. on base plus slugging percentage (.793); and total bases (1,343).
Five players earned All-Star bids this year (Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Shane Victorino, Jayson Werth and Raul Ibañez), three of which comprise arguably the MLB’s best outfield. They are complemented by a very strong infield, as well.
Four players on the team have hit at least 20 home runs already: Howard (22), Ibañez (22), Werth (20) and Utley (20). Not surprisingly, those four players have also hit over 50 RBIs: Howard (67), Utley (61), Ibañez (60) and Werth (56).
Having such an arsenal at its disposal has helped the team achieve an outstanding road record (and MLB best) 26-15. It also helps that the team leads the NL with the best fielding percentage of .990.
Another good sign for the ballclub is that Manager Charlie Manuel has trusted in his players to show up when its needed the most. He did call for a recent “closed door meeting,” but Manuel does not ride the team too hard. He has no need of it. He knows what they are capable of achieving. After all, the team completely dominated the Mets in a crucial series a little over a week ago showing that the team will show up when first place is on the line.
There has been a lot to be happy about, to be sure, but there have been a few alarm bells, as well. The pitching has been quite uninspired, both starting and bullpen, though the starting pitchers especially need to improve much more in the next few months. The team ranked badly in the National League in many pitching categories: total losses (38), 15th; home runs allowed (123), 16th; earned runs (398), 14th; hits allowed (809), 13th; and runs scored (412), 11th.
Some of the pitching problems may be addressed before the upcoming trade deadline, but the team’s regular workhorses (Hamels 4.87 ERA, Blanton 4.44 ERA, Moyer 5.99 ERA, etc.) need to be far more consistent and give up a lot fewer runs. Understandably, some of it is due to pitchers staying on the mound despite injuries (Lidge 7.03 ERA, for example), but the numbers are simply too high for a championship ballclub.
It also should be noted that J.A. Happ has been outstanding this season with a 6-0 record and an ERA of only 2.90.
Another weakness to be addresses is that the team needs to win more at home. Their record is only 22-23. However, the team seems to be in the process of correcting this flaw as it had won five straight home games heading into the All-Star break and nine out of its last ten.
One bad symptom for the team that bothers me personally has been its interleague record. Everybody says such games mean nothing, and yet, the Phillies would be up by seven games in the division right now if they had only won half of them.
Instead, the AL East pounded the Phils this season, winning 12 of 18 games (.333 winning percentage for the Phillies). Of course, there won’t be anymore interleague games in the regular season but it would be nice to know they play the American League better in case they meet up again in the World Series.
Overall, though, the prognosis is positive. Despite some tough times, inconsistency and injuries, the team has stayed at first in its division since May 30. With a few more players healing up more, a few heating up more (Rollins in particular) and a few key acquisitions (Halladay and Martinez?), the Phils could stand to improve immensely and will undoubtedly be the heavy favorites come the playoffs.
It will be interesting to see if the Phils can turn things on again come September, like they have the past two seasons. In fact, last October, they were almost unbeatable (11-3). This year’s team could duplicate that feat if all the cylinders are firing at the right time.
For now, the team gets a solid B for its mid-season grade. The complaints are relatively minor. They have some weaknesses, but management seems to be addressing them and the team is definitely regaining its focus. I believe the pitching will improve quite a bit. No doubt, the Phils will be back up to their “A” game before too long. Read more!
At the midpoint of the 2009 MLB season, the Phillies remain safe at first in the National League East with a record of 48-38. Most of their four-game cushion over Florida is due to the team catching fire of late, winning nine of its last ten games.
While first place is exactly where the Phils would hope to be at this point, it’s hard to imagine that the team is completely satisfied with its overall performance. Sure, they have suffered quite a few injuries and they’ve overcome some occasional bouts of bad luck and streaky superstars, but most probably feel that they are better than their current record indicates.
Regardless, the team has been impressive at times in the first half of 2009 and I have a good feeling about the rest of the year. In fact, two comeback games, one early in the year and one more recently, have convinced me that this team will be THE FORCE to be reckoned with come October.
Remember back in April when the Phillies received their 2008 Championship Rings? The Braves had beaten them up during the first two games of the season and held a 10 to 3 lead heading into the bottom of the 7th when the Phillies erupted for eight runs to take the lead: 11 to 10. They held on to win, refusing to lose on the day that honored last year’s World Series win.
Then, just this past Saturday, the team was up against the ropes, down 7 to 3 in the bottom of the ninth. Before you could blink, Stairs connected for a solo shot and Howard tied the game up with a three-run bomb. The Phils won shortly after by an 8 to 7 margin with no need of extra innings.
This team is absolutely fearless and can step it up a notch or three when they have to mainly because they have the one of the most dangerous offenses in the National League. In fact, they are first in the NL in the following category totals: runs (460); home runs (122); slugging percentage (.452); OPS, a.k.a. on base plus slugging percentage (.793); and total bases (1,343).
Five players earned All-Star bids this year (Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Shane Victorino, Jayson Werth and Raul Ibañez), three of which comprise arguably the MLB’s best outfield. They are complemented by a very strong infield, as well.
Four players on the team have hit at least 20 home runs already: Howard (22), Ibañez (22), Werth (20) and Utley (20). Not surprisingly, those four players have also hit over 50 RBIs: Howard (67), Utley (61), Ibañez (60) and Werth (56).
Having such an arsenal at its disposal has helped the team achieve an outstanding road record (and MLB best) 26-15. It also helps that the team leads the NL with the best fielding percentage of .990.
Another good sign for the ballclub is that Manager Charlie Manuel has trusted in his players to show up when its needed the most. He did call for a recent “closed door meeting,” but Manuel does not ride the team too hard. He has no need of it. He knows what they are capable of achieving. After all, the team completely dominated the Mets in a crucial series a little over a week ago showing that the team will show up when first place is on the line.
There has been a lot to be happy about, to be sure, but there have been a few alarm bells, as well. The pitching has been quite uninspired, both starting and bullpen, though the starting pitchers especially need to improve much more in the next few months. The team ranked badly in the National League in many pitching categories: total losses (38), 15th; home runs allowed (123), 16th; earned runs (398), 14th; hits allowed (809), 13th; and runs scored (412), 11th.
Some of the pitching problems may be addressed before the upcoming trade deadline, but the team’s regular workhorses (Hamels 4.87 ERA, Blanton 4.44 ERA, Moyer 5.99 ERA, etc.) need to be far more consistent and give up a lot fewer runs. Understandably, some of it is due to pitchers staying on the mound despite injuries (Lidge 7.03 ERA, for example), but the numbers are simply too high for a championship ballclub.
It also should be noted that J.A. Happ has been outstanding this season with a 6-0 record and an ERA of only 2.90.
Another weakness to be addresses is that the team needs to win more at home. Their record is only 22-23. However, the team seems to be in the process of correcting this flaw as it had won five straight home games heading into the All-Star break and nine out of its last ten.
One bad symptom for the team that bothers me personally has been its interleague record. Everybody says such games mean nothing, and yet, the Phillies would be up by seven games in the division right now if they had only won half of them.
Instead, the AL East pounded the Phils this season, winning 12 of 18 games (.333 winning percentage for the Phillies). Of course, there won’t be anymore interleague games in the regular season but it would be nice to know they play the American League better in case they meet up again in the World Series.
Overall, though, the prognosis is positive. Despite some tough times, inconsistency and injuries, the team has stayed at first in its division since May 30. With a few more players healing up more, a few heating up more (Rollins in particular) and a few key acquisitions (Halladay and Martinez?), the Phils could stand to improve immensely and will undoubtedly be the heavy favorites come the playoffs.
It will be interesting to see if the Phils can turn things on again come September, like they have the past two seasons. In fact, last October, they were almost unbeatable (11-3). This year’s team could duplicate that feat if all the cylinders are firing at the right time.
For now, the team gets a solid B for its mid-season grade. The complaints are relatively minor. They have some weaknesses, but management seems to be addressing them and the team is definitely regaining its focus. I believe the pitching will improve quite a bit. No doubt, the Phils will be back up to their “A” game before too long. Read more!
Monday, July 6, 2009
Read 'Em and Sweep
By Chris Pollay
At the start of the weekend, four teams found themselves bottlenecked together atop the National League East. The Philadelphia Phillies and Florida Marlins were tied for first with the New York Mets only one game back and the Atlanta Braves a mere two-and-a-half back.
When the smoke cleared at the end of Sunday afternoon, it was the Phillies who remained at the top with a one game lead over the Marlins and a four-game lead over the Braves and Mets.
Here are some of my observations following another wild showdown against the Phils and the Mets in the competitive NL East:
• The Mets held a 4-3 record against Philadelphia for the season going into the weekend (they also won four of the first five games in 2009). After Philly swiftly swept the series, however, the Liberty Bell Bombers now lead the rivalry this season by a 6-4 margin including five straight wins.
• The Phillies started the weekend leading the National League in numerous offensive categories, including: first in runs scored (394); first in home runs (107); first in slugging percentage (.444); first in OPS (.778); and first in total bases (1,173), yet they were barely treading over .500 with a 39-37 record. They can blame the inconsistency mostly on bad pitching as the ballclub was also ranked 15th in the National League in giving up earned runs, and 16th in hits and home runs allowed. In fact, the team had given up at least five runs in 14 of their last 18 games before they hosted the Mets on Friday. During the three-game series, however, Philly only gave up three runs overall to New York and emerged with a much more respectable 42-37 record.
• Philadelphia dominated a one-sided series in which they never trailed (or needed to bat in the 9th, for that matter). They outscored the Mets 13 to 3, outhit them 23 to 18 and didn't make an error. The Mets committed two. New York batted a collective .196 (18 of 92) and the Phils were .261 (23 of 88) as a team.
• The trio of starting pitchers for the Phils (Rodrigo Lopez, Jamie Moyer and Joe Blanton) boasted an ERA of 1.35 in 20 innings. Even more notable, the club's bullpen had a cumulative ERA of 0.00. Not a single run was scored by the Mets in the 8th or 9th innings.
• Philadelphia exploded out of the gate strong and scored in the first inning of EVERY game setting the tone in the series. They were clearly hungrier and more focussed.
• Philly had accrued a distressful 13-22 home record before the series started. Now, it’s still less-than-stellar at 16-22, but the home sweep is definitely a promising sign.
• Jimmy Rollins proved once again to be a pesky thorn in the Mets' collective back sides. After struggling all season long, his bat seems to be heating up at just the right time. This weekend, he connected on five of eleven (.455) from the leadoff spot with three walks and a home run. He also scored twice and tallied five RBIs. By all accounts, he was the MVP of the weekend series.
• Chase Utley and Shane Victorino also came up clutch for the Phils. Utley batted .333 (3 for 9) with one homer, three RBIs and two runs. The Flying Hawaiian was hotter than Spam Musubi batting .429 (6 for 14) and scoring three runs with one RBI. The top of Philadelphia's lineup was absolutely devastating in the series.
• The Phillies showed much more patience in the batter's box, which is a large reason why they swept. They did strike out 15 times, but they also drew 14 walks. Meanwhile, the Mets only walked six times and whiffed 20 times.
For now, it appears the Phils are stabilizing and the Mets continue to be embroiled in turmoil (not to mention injuries). It will be interesting to see where the two teams sit in the standings when they play their next series in late August. The Mets will host four straight games.
The two teams face off against each other eight more times in the regular season.
Read more!
At the start of the weekend, four teams found themselves bottlenecked together atop the National League East. The Philadelphia Phillies and Florida Marlins were tied for first with the New York Mets only one game back and the Atlanta Braves a mere two-and-a-half back.
When the smoke cleared at the end of Sunday afternoon, it was the Phillies who remained at the top with a one game lead over the Marlins and a four-game lead over the Braves and Mets.
Here are some of my observations following another wild showdown against the Phils and the Mets in the competitive NL East:
• The Mets held a 4-3 record against Philadelphia for the season going into the weekend (they also won four of the first five games in 2009). After Philly swiftly swept the series, however, the Liberty Bell Bombers now lead the rivalry this season by a 6-4 margin including five straight wins.
• The Phillies started the weekend leading the National League in numerous offensive categories, including: first in runs scored (394); first in home runs (107); first in slugging percentage (.444); first in OPS (.778); and first in total bases (1,173), yet they were barely treading over .500 with a 39-37 record. They can blame the inconsistency mostly on bad pitching as the ballclub was also ranked 15th in the National League in giving up earned runs, and 16th in hits and home runs allowed. In fact, the team had given up at least five runs in 14 of their last 18 games before they hosted the Mets on Friday. During the three-game series, however, Philly only gave up three runs overall to New York and emerged with a much more respectable 42-37 record.
• Philadelphia dominated a one-sided series in which they never trailed (or needed to bat in the 9th, for that matter). They outscored the Mets 13 to 3, outhit them 23 to 18 and didn't make an error. The Mets committed two. New York batted a collective .196 (18 of 92) and the Phils were .261 (23 of 88) as a team.
• The trio of starting pitchers for the Phils (Rodrigo Lopez, Jamie Moyer and Joe Blanton) boasted an ERA of 1.35 in 20 innings. Even more notable, the club's bullpen had a cumulative ERA of 0.00. Not a single run was scored by the Mets in the 8th or 9th innings.
• Philadelphia exploded out of the gate strong and scored in the first inning of EVERY game setting the tone in the series. They were clearly hungrier and more focussed.
• Philly had accrued a distressful 13-22 home record before the series started. Now, it’s still less-than-stellar at 16-22, but the home sweep is definitely a promising sign.
• Jimmy Rollins proved once again to be a pesky thorn in the Mets' collective back sides. After struggling all season long, his bat seems to be heating up at just the right time. This weekend, he connected on five of eleven (.455) from the leadoff spot with three walks and a home run. He also scored twice and tallied five RBIs. By all accounts, he was the MVP of the weekend series.
• Chase Utley and Shane Victorino also came up clutch for the Phils. Utley batted .333 (3 for 9) with one homer, three RBIs and two runs. The Flying Hawaiian was hotter than Spam Musubi batting .429 (6 for 14) and scoring three runs with one RBI. The top of Philadelphia's lineup was absolutely devastating in the series.
• The Phillies showed much more patience in the batter's box, which is a large reason why they swept. They did strike out 15 times, but they also drew 14 walks. Meanwhile, the Mets only walked six times and whiffed 20 times.
For now, it appears the Phils are stabilizing and the Mets continue to be embroiled in turmoil (not to mention injuries). It will be interesting to see where the two teams sit in the standings when they play their next series in late August. The Mets will host four straight games.
The two teams face off against each other eight more times in the regular season.
Read more!
Monday, June 22, 2009
The Long Ball in the Long Season
by Chris Pollay
Over a third of the long, long baseball season is officially in the books and the Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Mets rest atop the National League East in a tight race. However, neither team is playing remotely well at the moment, and the Phils currently seem to be trying to give up their division lead by losing eight of nine games heading into today. The Mets, however, appear to have no interest in taking it as they have stalled with a 3-8 record in their last eleven games.
On the plus side for the Mets, they have pitched much better than Philadelphia all year. In fact, their team ERA is 4.25 through 67 games. Meanwhile, the Phils have struggled alarmingly with a team average of 4.79 (also through 67 games) and have given up 101 long balls to the opposition.
It’s been much worse of late, too.
When the Phils were recently swept by Toronto, the Blue Jays scored a staggering 23 runs in three games. In the prior series against the Red Sox, Boston tallied in 22 runs, taking two of three. During the first two games in the interleague Baltimore series, the team gave up another 13 runs in two losses. That’s 58 runs in eight games, which averages out to an ERA over 7.0.
Philadelphia’s pitching has been missing a few cylinders, yet despite that, the ballclub still precariously leads somehow. (Fortunately, Cole Hamels showed some positive signs of life by only allowing two earned runs yesterday, but that was only the third time this month the Phils' staff have allowed two or less runs.)
So, how in the world have the Phillies captured the division lead with such a high team ERA?
The reason is simple: they have been able to rely on hitting the long ball quite well themselves. As bad as their arms have been, the bats continue to be off the charts.
True, the Mets have hit for a higher average (Mets: .277 average; Phils: .259 average), but the Phils have unquestionably inflicted more damage per swing.
The Liberty Bell Bombers have a jaw-dropping 98 homers as a team, compared to the Mets hitting only 43.
Raul Ibanez (who will be sorely missed while on the DL) has hammered 22. Ryan Howard has notched 20. Chase Utley has racked up 15. Jayson Werth has knocked out an even dozen. Nobody on the Mets is even in double-digit homer territory through the season’s first 67 games. Read more!
Over a third of the long, long baseball season is officially in the books and the Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Mets rest atop the National League East in a tight race. However, neither team is playing remotely well at the moment, and the Phils currently seem to be trying to give up their division lead by losing eight of nine games heading into today. The Mets, however, appear to have no interest in taking it as they have stalled with a 3-8 record in their last eleven games.
On the plus side for the Mets, they have pitched much better than Philadelphia all year. In fact, their team ERA is 4.25 through 67 games. Meanwhile, the Phils have struggled alarmingly with a team average of 4.79 (also through 67 games) and have given up 101 long balls to the opposition.
It’s been much worse of late, too.
When the Phils were recently swept by Toronto, the Blue Jays scored a staggering 23 runs in three games. In the prior series against the Red Sox, Boston tallied in 22 runs, taking two of three. During the first two games in the interleague Baltimore series, the team gave up another 13 runs in two losses. That’s 58 runs in eight games, which averages out to an ERA over 7.0.
Philadelphia’s pitching has been missing a few cylinders, yet despite that, the ballclub still precariously leads somehow. (Fortunately, Cole Hamels showed some positive signs of life by only allowing two earned runs yesterday, but that was only the third time this month the Phils' staff have allowed two or less runs.)
So, how in the world have the Phillies captured the division lead with such a high team ERA?
The reason is simple: they have been able to rely on hitting the long ball quite well themselves. As bad as their arms have been, the bats continue to be off the charts.
True, the Mets have hit for a higher average (Mets: .277 average; Phils: .259 average), but the Phils have unquestionably inflicted more damage per swing.
The Liberty Bell Bombers have a jaw-dropping 98 homers as a team, compared to the Mets hitting only 43.
Raul Ibanez (who will be sorely missed while on the DL) has hammered 22. Ryan Howard has notched 20. Chase Utley has racked up 15. Jayson Werth has knocked out an even dozen. Nobody on the Mets is even in double-digit homer territory through the season’s first 67 games. Read more!
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