Where Have You Gone Cole?

After a superb six-hit complete game performance by Phillies’ ace Cliff Lee in the opening game of the NLDS on Wednesday afternoon, Cole Hamels wasn’t at the top of his game even before he took the mound for first pitch the next day. .

The Phillies, who are hungry for some revenge against the Rockies since they swept them in the 2007 NLDS, posted five runs on the board and defeated the Rockies 5-1 in game one. Phils manager Charlie Manuel then gave Cole Hamels the nod for the start in game two.

Philly fans definitely had to be feeling good about their chances after hearing this. Though Hamels has struggled throughout the course of the 2009 regular season, he is no stranger to success in the post-season. In the Phillies 2008 championship run, Hamels went 4-0 and earned NLCS and World Series MVP honors. Without Hamels’ clutch post-season performance last year, the Phillies would not have won the title.

Before Thursday’s 2:30 afternoon start time, Cole Hamels voiced his displeasure about the game time start to the media saying, “Being the defending world champs, I think it’s kind of a little weird that we get both games at 2:30.” Unfortunately, game time was not the only thing wandering around in Hamels’ head.

After Hamels was pulled out of the game after throwing just five innings and only 83 pitches, Hamels was notified that his wife was in labor. Hamels immediately left the stadium and headed for the hospital. Asked if this affected Hamels on the mound, Manuel told the media, “I know he was concerned about his wife – and his child too. That’s an exciting time. You’d have to ask him if it affected him. I don’t know exactly what was on his mind and what he was thinking.”

Though the Phillies put up a fight, they weren’t able to pull off another victory as the Rockies finished them off, winning 5-4 and splitting the series. This momentum for the Rockies is definitely a threat to the Phillies. With the series tied 1-1 and now the Rockies with home field advantage for the next two games in Colorado, the Phillies are going to have to step it up, especially in the pitching department.

Veteran Pedro Martinez, who will start game 3, brings promise and hope to the Phillies, but who knows how 30 degree temperature and a few flurries may affect him.

I don’t want to get ahead of myself, but if the Phillies can get past the Rockies in the NLDS (which will not be a walk in the park), then that means that Cole Hamels will start game one of the NLCS against either the Dodgers or Cardinals. If the Phillies want any chance of winning back to back championships, they are going to have to find where Cole is because if he doesn’t come out of his hiding soon, it will be too late.
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Howard, Hamels Heating Up at the Right Time

By Chris Pollay

In order for the Philadelphia Phillies to advance far in the postseason this year, a lot of players are going to have to play well. However, I am still clinging to a little hope that the team can repeat because the team’s two key players are heating up just as the season is winding down.

Both Ryan Howard and Cole Hamels are capable of lifting the entire team on their shoulders and carrying them for significant stretches.

Of course, Hamels did precisely that for much of the playoff run during the 2008 championship season. He was 4-0 in five starts. Pitching an average of seven innings per start, his ERA was a phenomenal 1.80 for the entire postseason.

While Cole has struggled quite a bit in 2009 (10-9 record with a 4.07 ERA), he has proven to still be the Phillies’ workhorse. So far he has racked up more innings pitched (177) than any other starter on the club. He also leads the teams in strikeouts with 157.

The most exciting statistics, however, are the ones from Hamels' last five starts (since Aug. 26). In that time, he has elevated his game considerably. Not only has he has won three of his last four decisions, he has only given up 6 earned runs in his last 37.2 innings pitched (1.45 ERA).

He is back in control of his pitches and his changeup, in particular, has been downright merciless. As a result, he has been lasting longer in his starts, which is a very good sign. His World Series MVP hangover seems to be over and I believe he’s ready to take the mound as the bonafide ace of the team come next month.

While Hamels leads the team defensively, there is no question who the offensive leader of the team is The Big Man Ryan Howard. He has been a machine throughout his short career. In the past three seasons, he has racked up home runs at a staggering pace: 58 in 2006, 47 in 2007, and 48 in 2008.

So far this season, he has 41, and if the series against the Atlanta Braves this past weekend is any indication, he’s going to end the season on a tear. His three home runs and five RBIs helped the team win two of three crucial games.

Overall this season, Ryan is batting 20 points higher than last season (.271 vs. .251) and his OPS (On Base Plus Slugging Percentage) is higher: .917 vs. .881.

He also has obtained numerous career highs this season, including: most steals (7); most doubles (34); and has tied for most triples (4) even though the Phillies still have 14 more games to play.

With Howard and Hamels peaking at the right time, the team looks to be in pretty good shape. Their magic number is down to six and they’ve won 10 of their last 13 games.

I suppose I could focus more on some of the team’s weaknesses and trouble spots (and the team certainly has its share of both), but I prefer to take the positive approach as the postseason approaches.

And, of course, with Cole Hamels on the mound and Ryan Howard in the batter’s box, there certainly is a lot to feel positive about if you’re a Phillies’ fan.

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As Cole Hamels Turns...

As the Major League Baseball regular season winds down, the Philadelphia Phillies are reaping the benefits of recently awakened Cole Hamels. Hamels, who has been mediocre at best this season has turned in two recent starts that would even make fellow lefty and former Phillies legend Steve Carlton applaud. This recent resurgence by Hamels has the Phillies and their fans wondering if the former staff ace has really turned things around and returned to his dominant ways. As the Major League Baseball regular season winds down, the Philadelphia Phillies are reaping the benefits of recently awakened Cole Hamels. Hamels, who has been mediocre at best this season has turned in two recent starts that would even make fellow lefty and former Phillies legend Steve Carlton applaud. This recent resurgence by Hamels has the Phillies and their fans wondering if the former staff ace has really turned things around and returned to his dominant ways.

About a week and a half ago, Cole Hamels shut down the Pirates to the tune of eight innings of shut out baseball, while being rewarded with a no decision as his bullpen wasted another good outing by a Phillies starter. For an encore, all Hamels did was leave the San Francisco Giants dumbfounded in pitching a two hit, complete game shut out in his next outing which left many people salivating at the possibility of having two dominant aces at the top of the rotation in fellow left-hander Cliff Lee and Hamels himself.

While taking absolutely nothing away from Hamels’ two recent gems, it must be noted that prior to them, he was having a year to forget. Coming into the game against Pittsburgh on August 26th, Hamels had amassed a measly seven wins and eight losses to go with a brutal 4.78 earned run average. He may have hit a stroke of luck, however, in catching two poor offensive teams in a row to build his confidence a bit.

The Giants, while contending for a Wildcard Title, have one of the worst offenses in all of baseball and rank fifteenth out of sixteen teams in the National League in runs scored. For a pitcher like Cole Hamels, this should be, as it was, a dominant performance. The Pirates on the other hand are ranked thirteenth out of sixteen in runs scored in the N.L. and are arguably worse than the Giants’ offense based on the fact that their team batting average is four points lower. Again, a pitcher like Hamels should dominate a team this.

While it remains to be seen whether or not Cole Hamels can pitch effectively against a better offensive ball club, like say Colorado or the Dodgers, one thing is for sure, if Cole Hamels has finally figured things out and turned his season around, it can only mean good things for the Phillies, especially since Cliff Lee is coming back down to Earth. While pulling pretty far ahead of the pack in the N.L. East with their young ace struggling all season long, it could turn into a pretty lopsided season over the final month and into the playoffs if Cole Hamels has returned to being an elite pitcher in baseball. The Phillies certainly hope that this is the case.
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What to do about the ninth inning?

On a day where some questions about Cole Hamels appeared to be answered, other questions concerning Brad Lidge remain. Hamels pitched six innings and gave up just two earned runs Saturday afternoon against the Atlanta Braves on his way to what should have been his eighth win of the season, but when it came time for the Phils to turn the game over Brad Lidge, he gave up two runs in the ninth, and the Phillies lost 4-3.

Saturday’s outing by Hamels put to rest (at least until his next start) questions as to where the Phillies ace falls in the rotation as the season draws closer to the playoffs. In his previous two starts, Cole has only pitched 10 innings total, and he has also given up 10 earned runs and walked six batters while only striking out six. Throughout the season, Hamels has had a few quality starts followed by a few sub-par performances. The Phillies desperately need Hamels to string together four or five consecutive good starts not only to build his confidence going into the playoffs but to also provide the Phillies with the much-needed wins necessary to clinch the division.

Saturday’s game also saw another blown save by Phillies closer Brad Lidge, his eighth of the year. This comes just a day after Lidge looked so effective in saving Friday night’s 3-2 victory for the Phillies, earning him his 22nd save of the year. Sure, you could blame the defense for why the Phils lost on Saturday, but Lidge contributed to that by committing two costly errors on the same play to allow the tying run to score and put the winning run on third with nobody out. After two walks and a strikeout, Lidge eventually gave up a single to Omar Infante to complete the Phillies’ collapse.

With the season inching ever so closely to September and October, the question as to what to do with Brad Lidge looms over the defending world champs. His sole job is to record three outs, shut the door on the opposing team, and secure victory for the team, but throughout this year, he just hasn’t been getting that done at all. Even in his saves, Lidge has looked shaky, giving up home runs and walks.

But what can the Phillies do? They already know Ryan Madson can’t be their closer based upon how he performed in that role earlier this season, and J.C. Romero is not only on the disabled list but I’m sure the Phillies don’t want to take him out of his setup role. That only leaves Brett Myers as the only other viable option to pitch the ninth inning if Lidge continues to struggle. Myers already has a history of closing with the Phillies. In 2007, Myers moved from the rotation to the bullpen to fill that much needed vacancy. Myers, however, is still on the disabled list recovering from hip surgery, and suffered another setback. He was supposed to pitch one inning for the Phillies Clearwater minor league team, but he reportedly was scratched today because he injured his eye.

As the 2009 regular season draws to an end, the Phillies are going to need an effective Cole Hamels as well as a closer in which they have confidence, whether it is Brad Lidge, Brett Myers, or someone else. The rest of the staff is pitching just fine and the bats have started to come alive again, and the Phillies need that to continue if they plan on repeating in October.
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The rotation is just fine

There’s an old quote that says, “You can never have enough pitching.” Well, actually, you can, and that is what the Philadelphia Phillies are faced with now. They have potentially six starting pitchers and only five spots in the rotation.

The problem surfaced when the Phillies signed free agent Pedro Martinez in July as an insurance policy in case they had to trade away Rookie of the Year candidate J.A. Happ as part of a deal to land Roy Halladay. That deal never took place; Happ stayed, and the Phillies acquired Indians ace Cliff Lee instead.

When Lee joined the club last week, Rodrigo Lopez, who was filling in as the club’s fifth starter, had to move to the bullpen. Martinez, however, is still working out the bugs in the minor leagues, but when he is ready to come up and join the Phillies, many have speculated as to where he will go and what will happen to the rotation. The choice is not easy, but it might not be as complicated as some are making it out to be.

The top end of the rotation has no questions as to who will fill the spots: Cole Hamels, Cliff Lee, and Joe Blanton. The only question here is whether or not Hamels can look like the ace he was back in October when he lead the Phillies to a World Championship. Cole has struggled this year at times, and excluding his last start against the Giants where he gave up six earned runs in just five innings, he appeared to be stringing together a few good starts against Florida, San Diego, and Arizona, and he looked like the Hamels of old.

The back end of the rotation, however, is where all the controversy has been brewing for the past few weeks. Three pitchers – J.A. Happ, Jamie Moyer, Pedro Martinez – and only two spots.

Phillies General Manager Ruben Amaro, Jr. filled one of those spots on Wednesday after J.A. Happ tossed a complete game shutout over the Colorado Rockies. Happ upped his record to 8-2 on the year and dropped his ERA to 2.74. Prior to that start, he lost his previous two outings, was faced with swirling trade talk, and had to deal with rumors that he might get moved to the bullpen.

The sheer fact Happ was able to show composure amidst such chaos and toss a gem is one of the reasons he needs to pitch every fifth day. Also, it would be unwise to even consider tinkering with Happ at this point. He is a young hurler who is pitching fantastically for the Phillies right now, and moving him back to the bullpen would not only weaken the rotation, but it would also mess with his confidence. I seem to recall young pitchers named Gavin Floyd and Ryan Madson who went back and forth, and that didn’t work out so well for the Phils now did it?

Next up is the ageless Jamie Moyer. Charlie Manuel mentioned earlier in the week that he wanted Jamie to stay in the rotation, and I almost agree with Charlie to a point. Jamie does lead the team in wins, but he also bolsters a 5.55 ERA, which is worst amongst starters. The reason he has the most wins is primarily because he typically faces one of the opposing team’s worst pitchers, and the Phillies give him a ton of run support. Yes, he does string together a few good outings every so often, but there are too many times like the one on Tuesday where he gave up six earned runs in five innings and walked four batters.

With that said, I still don’t think shipping Jamie off to the bullpen is such a good idea. First of all, Moyer hasn’t pitched in relief since the mid 1990’s. Second, Jamie would be coming into situations where he would have to get out of jams, which a lot of relievers rely on their fastball to do, and let’s face it, an 86 mph fastball isn’t mowing down anyone. Third, being in the bullpen means you have to be ready to pitch almost every day, and I think at age 47, Jamie has earned his four days off in between starts.

Lastly, there is Pedro Martinez, the man for whom all this controversy is over. When Pedro joins the team, he should do so as a member of the bullpen. I honestly don’t think Pedro has what it takes to be an effective starter any more. If he did, he would have had a job for the first four months of the season. He can probably get the job done for one, two, or maybe even three innings, but once lineups begin to face him a second time around, I feel they would start to tee off on him.

Plus, I don’t think Pedro’s arm can last into the seventh inning as a starter. So if you replace Moyer with Pedro, you would be replacing a guy in the rotation who can’t pitch seven innings for a guy who can’t even pitch six innings. That doesn’t exactly help out an already overworked bullpen. As a result, Pedro could pitch either in long relief or maybe take turns making guest appearances with Brett Myers in the ninth inning if Brad Lidge begins to struggle again.
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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.

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Streaking Phillies look to bust division wide open

The Philadelphia Phillies are hot right now. They seem to be clicking on all cylinders and have picked up after the All Star break exactly where they left off. The team is a winner of seven games in a row and nine out of ten as they head into Saturday night’s contest against the second place Florida Marlins, a team whom the Phillies hold a six-game edge over in the division.

Even Mother Nature can’t cool off the Phillies. During Friday night’s 12-inning victory over the Marlins, the game was delayed one hour 18 minutes for rain. The rain, no doubt, contributed to the Marlins tying the game late on the Phillies. The Phillies were up 4-1 heading into the bottom of the sixth inning when the Miami skies opened up. Phillies starter Cole Hamels looked like his old self, allowing only four hits and one run in five innings prior to the rain. After the rain delay, Hamels was replaced and the bullpen couldn’t hold on to the lead, but with clutch hitting and the services of Brad Lidge, the Phils were able to squeak out a 6-5 victory.

This series with the Marlins could prove to be crucial as the second half of the season begins. Since Florida is in second place, every win for the Phillies further extends their lead in the division over them. If the Phillies can take at least one more game in this four game set, that would stretch their lead to seven games over the Marlins, a team who some think have what it takes in young talent and pitching to at least make a run at the Phillies for the division title this year.

Meanwhile, the Braves are probably the only team with a legitimate chance to challenge the Phillies for the division crown. They have quality pitching, talented hitters, and a manager who knows how to win. They also swept the Phillies in Atlanta a few weeks ago while the Phillies were struggling mightily. The Braves, who are also six games back in the division, are currently beating up on the AAA club that is wearing the New York Mets uniforms. The Mets, who are now 8.5 games behind the Phillies, lost Friday night 11-0 in Atlanta and due to key injuries, are all but finished this season.

A six or seven game lead may not seem like a big lead in the division, and in July it isn’t, but it would take a near meltdown (like the Mets in 2007) for the Phillies to actually give up that lead. The Phillies are playing great baseball currently, and now is the time for them to open up their division lead to double digits. They just acquired former three-time Cy Young winner Pedro Martinez to fill their fifth starter position and are still the top team to land Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay. If the Phillies land Halladay, the question isn’t “Will the Phillies win the division?” The question will be “By how many games will the Phillies win the division?”

Even if the Phils don’t land Halladay, they are still the favorite to win the division. Granted they do have a lot of games left to play against the Braves and Marlins which could make things interesting down the stretch, but the Phillies are typically a strong second-half team and they certainly know how to finish off the competition. Read more!

The Trouble with Cole Hamels

The Phillies' problems this season are numerous. Some of them are due to injuries (Brett Myers, Raul Ibanez, Scott Eyre, Brad Lidge) and some are due to poor performances (Jimmy Rollins, most of the bullpen, anyone off the bench not named Matt Stairs). But a major problem the Phillies have that's flown under the radar for most of the season has been with alleged ace Cole Hamels.

You see, as far as I can tell, the term "ace" should mean something more than simply being the #1 pitcher on the staff. An ace is the rare pitcher who gives you something extra every time he pitches. If he's on he can dominate the opposition, carry a team on his back, and stop losing streaks. If he doesn't have his best stuff on a given night, he can still go deep into the ball game and give his team a chance to win. Roy Halladay is an ace. Tim Lincecum is an ace. Zack Greinke is an ace. This year, Cole Hamels is not an ace. And for the Phillies, that has been a big, big problem.

Last year, Hamels was an ace and the Phillies reaped the benefits. This year, he has been unreliable. Hamels began the season late because of some elbow issues in spring training. Once he finally got going, he was pretty shaky, dealing with a lack of command and then some freak injuries. Hamels didn't have his first really good outing until May 14, giving up just one run in 7 innings of work in a 5-3 loss to Los Angeles. He's had some 6 inning, 2-3 run outings mixed in this year, but he's had only one truly dominant start, pitching a shutout on June 4th against the Dodgers. In fact, Hamels has had just three starts this season in which he has pitched 7 or more innings. With a bullpen as beleaguered as the Phillies' has been this year, getting 6 or less innings out of your #1 starter just isn't going to work.

The big issue with Cole Hamels this season has been command of his fastball. Specifically, he has been leaving his fastball up in the zone far too often. Hamels has dominating stuff, but his dominant pitch is not his fastball, it's his change up. There is nothing wrong with pitching up in the zone every once in a while to change the hitter's eye level and set up the offspeed stuff down. But Hamels can't afford to live up in the zone with a fastball that is generally in the 90-91 mph range. What ends up happening is that hitters can catch up to that type of fastball left up in the zone and hit it hard. At the very least, a hitter can foul it off and extend the at bat until he gets a pitch he can do something with. So at bats are extended, more effort is expended, more pitches are thrown and Hamels is unable to pitch as many innings as his team needs him to.

Obviously the Phillies' have more to be concerned about than just Cole Hamels. The rest of the rotation is shaky, the bullpen is a mess, and no one seems to be able to hit. Hamels can't do anything about the offense, but if he can return to last season's form he can take some pressure off both his fellow starters and the bullpen. An ace bears a disproportionately larger burden than the rest of the pitching staff. Cole Hamels was an ace last year, and the Phillies desperately need him to be one again this year.
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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!