The Phillies’ recent struggles, which if not turned around soon may spell out an early exit in the 2009 postseason, if they don’t relinquish their now five and a half game lead in the division first, appear to be many from the embarrassing offense to the throw of the dice starting rotation and the weakened bullpen but the biggest problem all year has been Brad Lidge’s inability to close out games and it has not gotten better. The Phillies’ recent struggles, which if not turned around soon may spell out an early exit in the 2009 postseason, if they don’t relinquish their now five and a half game lead in the division first, appear to be many from the embarrassing offense to the throw of the dice starting rotation and the weakened bullpen but the biggest problem all year has been Brad Lidge’s inability to close out games and it has not gotten better.
Everyone knows about Lidge’s perfect 2008 season. In 2009, however, he has become arguably the worst closer in baseball. If not for his ten, count them, ten blown saves at this point in the season the Phils would be in much better shape to lose a few as they are doing now. Almost every closer will blow a few save opportunities each year, but even if Lidge converted five of those ten that he has blown, the team would have eighty-four wins right now, as opposed to seventy-nine and a more comfortable lead in the division.
Phils manager Charlie Manuel has stuck by Lidge all season long with his “He’s my closer” moniker, but how much confidence could Charlie possibly be instilling in his closer if he keeps letting him blow save after save? In fact, it’s possible that the World Series Champion manager is doing more harm than good. Just watch Lidge’s body language when he’s on the mound and his extremely heavy breathing. This is not a sign of a guy who is confident. In fact, he looks terrified.
Charlie Manuel wanted to stick by Lidge after what he did for him, the team and the city last season and that is very respectable. There has to come a time, however, when last year is over and new adjustments are made to win games this year. “He’s my closer,” he says. Well, then guess what Charlie? If he’s your closer come October, you’ll be sitting at home on the couch after a few games and watching the World Series on TV.
Over the past few nights, Charlie Manuel has been more willing to use others, such as Ryan Madson, to close out games. Manuel has stated that at this point he’ll have to play the match-ups and do what’s best for the team rather than simply let Lidge blow game after game. One has to wonder, however, if this isn’t something they should have sorted out two months ago when Lidge was clearly not up for being the closer this year. Perhaps experimenting with a few different guys to close out games in July would have left the team a bit more prepared in September and October. Hopefully Charlie’s procrastination doesn’t turn into a disaster.
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Showing posts with label Philadelphia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Philadelphia. Show all posts
Friday, September 11, 2009
Friday, September 4, 2009
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.
Read more!
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.
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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