It all happened right before our eyes, and we couldn’t do a thing about it. It only took one at-bat. It only took one at-bat for the Yankees to change Philadelphia’s mindset that they would never lose again. With two outs and no one on base for the Yankees in the top of the ninth inning at Citizens Bank Park in Game 4 of the World Series, “closer” Brad Lidge gave up a single to leftfield off the bat of Johnny Damon. With power hitting switch-hitter Mark Teixeira up at the plate against Lidge, Damon stole second, and then proceeded to steal third in the same play when he realized that no one was covering third base because of the shift the infield was playing for Teixeira. After Teixeria was hit, the Yankees followed up with a total of three runs in the inning to put them ahead 7-4.
How quickly moods can change. One second the Phillies felt like they were at the top of the world, and the next they felt like they were at the bottom of a hole, trying to dig themselves out before time ran out. Just the half inning before in the bottom of the eighth, Pedro Feliz surprisingly smashed a fastball right down the middle off reliever Joba Chamberlain for a home run to tie the game at 4. Lidge needed just one more out to put the game in the Phillies bats, but everyone knew it wasn’t going to be easy, especially since Lidge’s track record hadn’t been the greatest during the regular season. From that point on, everyone knew that it was over. Even though there was plenty of baseball to be played, everyone realized that it just wasn’t meant to be.
Two games later, the Yankees easily defeated the Phillies 7-3, clinching their sports record 27th championship title. The lack of offense and clutch pitching for the Phillies cost them their second championship in as many years, and made Phillies fans revisit their pre-2008 motto, “there’s always next year”. Maybe the Yankees were a better team, but I am sure that Philadelphia expected much more out of their ballclub. Every game, no matter what the Phillies were able to put onto the scoreboard, it seemed as if the Yankees had the momentum, and wouldn’t lose it.
Through all of the World Series struggles for the Phillies, Philadelphia must tip their caps to the champs. The Yankees deserved the title. With over 100 wins during the regular season, and skyrocketing their way through the playoffs, the Yankees were probably the best team in baseball. Oh, and did I mention they had four or five possible hall of famers? With one of the most professional players in the game Derek Jeter, the all-time post season wins leader Andy Pettite, and the all-time post-season saves leader Marino Rivera, the Yankees were destined to win before the series even started. With those types of caliber players on their roster, and the addition of players such as Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira, and Jorge Posada, it was obvious that the Phillies were just overmatched.
It will take a few weeks to overcome the disappointment and disgust Phillies fans are feeling right now. Losing is something that seems foreign to Philadelphia since it hasn’t happened since 2007. With some work over the offseason, and hopefully some free agent signees and the addition of a few new players, the Phillies will enter the 2010 season even stronger.
Yes, the season is over, and I must admit that it hasn’t even hit me yet, but one phrase will keep me going strong through the offseason; “there’s always next year”.
- Brennan Weiss (Look for a Phillies Offseason Keys to Success article coming out soon!)
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Showing posts with label Phillies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Phillies. Show all posts
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
The Lesser of Two Evils Pt. 2
Last week before the Yanks and Phils locked up their respective World Series appearances I was convinced that if this ultimate Mets nightmare matchup occurred, I would be rooting for the Yankees. Now, after a week of non-stop Yankee media glorification, I may be ready to jump this ship before it even leaves the dock.
As explained last week, my reasoning behind pulling for the Yankees was three-fold. 1) Being cross-town rivals with Mets really has no impact on my team’s standings unless it is in interleague play. 2) The Yankees operate with class. They do not partake in the same Mets trash-talking and dirty play as the Phillies have over the past few years. 3) Despite the bone-headed nature of Yankee fans, this Yankee team is a fun group to watch. I like that they look like they are having fun. They have a good chemistry that I wish could somehow rub off on the Mets. You would think two teams with similarly bloated payrolls would have similar chemistry, but no such luck.
But despite this reasoning, the fact remains that rooting for the Yankees is a tough proposition because if they do win, I will have to deal with all of the hoopla right in my backyard. This includes relentless media coverage, a ticker tape parade and an onslaught of obnoxious Yankee fans everywhere I go. The past eight years without Yankee post-season glory have been the sole bright notes in an otherwise mediocre decade of Mets Octobers. A 2009 Yankees World Championship will only serve to remind me that the last time our cross-town rivals won it was at our expense.
At least if the Phillies repeat, their success won’t be right under my nose. Sure, there will probably be some anti-Mets player or media comments made, but I know I’ll be able to watch television, listen to sports radio and read the newspapers more than I would be able to if the Yankees take the crown. Plus, the bonus is that the majority of New York media coverage of a Phillies victory would be about the Yankees choking. That is kind of appealing now that I think about it!
So what is a die-hard Mets fan to do in a situation like this? Well, I could just start a media blackout immediately, pop in some 1986 Mets highlights and pretend the apocalypse is not upon us. But instead, I think I’ll adopt a policy of neutrality and watch without any vested interest in who takes the crown. As a Mets fan, this is an unwinnable situation in every respect so I might as well just sit back and watch. All I can really hope for is that it is an entertaining series and that it goes a full seven games before winter baseball withdrawal kicks in. May the best team win.
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As explained last week, my reasoning behind pulling for the Yankees was three-fold. 1) Being cross-town rivals with Mets really has no impact on my team’s standings unless it is in interleague play. 2) The Yankees operate with class. They do not partake in the same Mets trash-talking and dirty play as the Phillies have over the past few years. 3) Despite the bone-headed nature of Yankee fans, this Yankee team is a fun group to watch. I like that they look like they are having fun. They have a good chemistry that I wish could somehow rub off on the Mets. You would think two teams with similarly bloated payrolls would have similar chemistry, but no such luck.
But despite this reasoning, the fact remains that rooting for the Yankees is a tough proposition because if they do win, I will have to deal with all of the hoopla right in my backyard. This includes relentless media coverage, a ticker tape parade and an onslaught of obnoxious Yankee fans everywhere I go. The past eight years without Yankee post-season glory have been the sole bright notes in an otherwise mediocre decade of Mets Octobers. A 2009 Yankees World Championship will only serve to remind me that the last time our cross-town rivals won it was at our expense.
At least if the Phillies repeat, their success won’t be right under my nose. Sure, there will probably be some anti-Mets player or media comments made, but I know I’ll be able to watch television, listen to sports radio and read the newspapers more than I would be able to if the Yankees take the crown. Plus, the bonus is that the majority of New York media coverage of a Phillies victory would be about the Yankees choking. That is kind of appealing now that I think about it!
So what is a die-hard Mets fan to do in a situation like this? Well, I could just start a media blackout immediately, pop in some 1986 Mets highlights and pretend the apocalypse is not upon us. But instead, I think I’ll adopt a policy of neutrality and watch without any vested interest in who takes the crown. As a Mets fan, this is an unwinnable situation in every respect so I might as well just sit back and watch. All I can really hope for is that it is an entertaining series and that it goes a full seven games before winter baseball withdrawal kicks in. May the best team win.
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Monday, October 19, 2009
The Lesser of Two Evils
While last week’s post-season drama made for exciting baseball for Mets fans, this week’s early league championship action has left much to be desired results-wise. This is not to say the games have been boring because aside from yesterday’s Phillies blowout of the Dodgers, all of the games have been close. They just, for the most part, haven’t had the final outcome most Mets fans would have hoped for.
Let’s face it folks, the two teams right now that Mets fans least want to see advance to the World Series are the Yankees and the Phillies. This puts us in an extraordinary pickle of who to root for. While we can admit both teams are good and well deserving of a potential Fall Classic appearance, seeing one or both make it just turns our stomachs – especially in light of the Mets debacle 2009 season. So if it comes down to these two teams, how will we decide whom to throw our “support” behind?
Let’s face it folks, the two teams right now that Mets fans least want to see advance to the World Series are the Yankees and the Phillies. This puts us in an extraordinary pickle of who to root for. While we can admit both teams are good and well deserving of a potential Fall Classic appearance, seeing one or both make it just turns our stomachs – especially in light of the Mets debacle 2009 season. So if it comes down to these two teams, how will we decide whom to throw our “support” behind?
It’s really not a remotely simple decision…First you have the ever-present jealousy and disdain Mets fans have towards the Yankees. Our cross-town rivals lead a charmed existence. Winning comes easily for them. They have a huge payroll but unlike the Mets, they spend wisely and it shows on the field. Their fans are arrogant and possess a sense of entitlement that drives us completely insane. And the truth is, no matter how good the Mets ever hope to be, they will always be the “other” New York team. Plus, if the Yankees win another World Series, I will have to deal with the ridiculous amount of media coverage and fanfare that will be showered upon them for weeks on end. Thankfully, I no longer work in Manhattan so I won’t have to deal with morons enroute to a ticker tape parade, but avoiding television and print news is a huge inconvenience.
Then you have the Phils…Truthfully, I never had anything against the Phillies until they became competitive over the last 3 years or so. Now, while I can love the scrappy brand of baseball they play, I honestly am annoyed by the fact that over these past three years they have taken every opportunity to slam my Mets in the press. I also don’t care for some of the shady rough plays in the field, such as deliberately trying to hurt Mets players on slides. Add to the fact that the one game I went to at Citi Field when the Phillies were in town was a miserable experience of Mets fans being completely outnumbered. The fact that Phillies fans turned out in droves was not upsetting but the level of belligerence exuded from even before the first pitch was deplorable. It created an atmosphere where if you had taken small children to a game you would want to get them out of the stadium as soon as possible. For now, I will try to believe that what I saw that night was the exception and not the norm.
So with this in mind, if it comes down to a Yankees / Phillies World Series, I’m going to have to root for the Yankees to take it all. I rooted for the Yankees against the Braves in the 90’s so this is a somewhat similar situation of picking the lesser of the two evils. And truth be told, this 2009 Yankees team is definitely a more likeable bunch than those of the “stick-up-their-butts” late 90’s dynasty teams. Call me cheesy, but I kind of like those shaving cream pie in the face antics. Reminds me slightly of the ’86 Mets in a non-inebriated way. Regardless of who I root for, though, a Yanks / Phils World Series could make for a very exciting World Series if both teams play up to their potential. And the best part is, neither team is my team so I’ll be sitting watching from my warm, heated living room rather than having to brave 40 degree stadiums. See, Mets fans? There’s a positive in every situation. Sometimes you just have to look especially hard for it. Now enough with all of this crap…Go Dodgers and Go Angels (wishful thinking).
Friday, October 16, 2009
Despite Game Two, Phils Right Where They Want To Be...
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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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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Saturday, October 10, 2009
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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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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Friday, September 11, 2009
Charlie The Procrastinator
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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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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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.
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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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Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Don't Give Up On J-Roll
A couple of days ago, one of my buddies sent me a text message. As a Phillies fan, I tried to disregard his snotty little remark. “Jeter: 3 for 3!” the message said. He is a Yankees fan, so I have absolutely zero respect for him in that aspect. Of course Jeter had a great game, but my bud knows that I am all about Philly so the text was just unnecessary. The next time I saw him, we got into a heated debate about Derek Jeter and Jimmy Rollins. I am the type of fan who will back up my team and players until the day I die, so I defended Rollins.
I will admit that it definitely would have been difficult to find reasons to defend J-Roll if it were still the first half of the season. Anyone who followed baseball during the first half should obviously know that Jimmy was in as bad as a slump as any major leaguer can get in. Rollins, who can be known as a streaky hitter, arguably had the worst three months of his career. Many fans were concerned that Rollins simply forgot how to hit. Booing was a regular for Rollins in Citizens Bank Park and Phillies skipper Charlie Manuel would get questions about Rollins’ status during each post-game interview. It was bad, and it wasn’t going to go away until Rollins turned around. During the All-Star break, a tiny adjustment in his swing was all it took for Rollins to return back to his 2007 NL MVP season form. Rollins was hitting .297, with a .348 on-base percentage and a .540 slugging %. Up to August 31st. Not bad numbers for someone who couldn’t hit the side of a barn in the first half!
Rollins will make one cheer or even boo, but in the end, he can be as good as any other major league shortstop. His confidence and leadership on and off the field can match anyone, even future hall of famer Derek Jeter. And when J-Roll is on, he is on FIRE. Hopefully Rollins will be able to keep it up and carry the Phillies through the post-season and lead them to another championship. Until then, please just promise me one thing; don’t ever give up on J-Roll.
Read more!
I will admit that it definitely would have been difficult to find reasons to defend J-Roll if it were still the first half of the season. Anyone who followed baseball during the first half should obviously know that Jimmy was in as bad as a slump as any major leaguer can get in. Rollins, who can be known as a streaky hitter, arguably had the worst three months of his career. Many fans were concerned that Rollins simply forgot how to hit. Booing was a regular for Rollins in Citizens Bank Park and Phillies skipper Charlie Manuel would get questions about Rollins’ status during each post-game interview. It was bad, and it wasn’t going to go away until Rollins turned around. During the All-Star break, a tiny adjustment in his swing was all it took for Rollins to return back to his 2007 NL MVP season form. Rollins was hitting .297, with a .348 on-base percentage and a .540 slugging %. Up to August 31st. Not bad numbers for someone who couldn’t hit the side of a barn in the first half!
Rollins will make one cheer or even boo, but in the end, he can be as good as any other major league shortstop. His confidence and leadership on and off the field can match anyone, even future hall of famer Derek Jeter. And when J-Roll is on, he is on FIRE. Hopefully Rollins will be able to keep it up and carry the Phillies through the post-season and lead them to another championship. Until then, please just promise me one thing; don’t ever give up on J-Roll.
Read more!
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Sorry Philadelphia, No Repeat
As the playoffs near while the division and wild card races heat up, the World Series begins to pop up in all fans’ heads. Every fan and MLB analyst has his or her opinion on who is going to make it and win the Fall Classic, but nothing is set in stone, and the unexpected is a common theme. For the fans of Philadelphia, 2008 was one of the most memorable years in franchise history, but a repeat this year would make these two years even more memorable. If you consider how hard it is to get to the final series, especially with the much-needed luck and how the game is played today, the Phillies road to another championship will not be so easy. The Phils definitely have the talent, which they have proven over the last two seasons, but that key factor, luck, could unfortunately get in way.
After the Yankees went on their back- to- back-to-back tear from 1998-2000, there were six different World Series winners up to last year. In major league history, there have been 13 different times in which the same team won two consecutive championships. If you exclude the Yankees, the same feat has only happened seven times since the Modern era (1901-Present) began.
So, keeping these statistics in mind, it’s quite rare to find a talented enough team to repeat. I am not saying it is out of the question for the Phillies, but some luck and timing will be essential for this to occur.
Luck plays a large part in winning a world series, but it only makes such a difference. Plain and simply, you need to have the tools throughout your lineup in order to succeed, and do it consistently. The Phillies may have just that, but they are not the only ones. The overpowering Yankees, consistent Angels, (who haven’t lost more than three games in a row this season) and the stacked Dodgers, are just a few of the teams in both leagues that could easily be crowned the 2009 champion. My biggest fear as a Phillies fan are those Yanks. The Yankees may have started off a bit slow, but they are without a doubt one of the best teams in baseball right now. They have a 6.5 game lead over the Boston Red Sox, (another stacked lineup) and an almost sure spot in the playoffs. One may say that the Phillies have an eight game lead over the Braves in their division. While this is true, I must admit that they are not playing in the best division in baseball; the Yankees are. Even if the Phillies do win the National League Pennant, clinching the whole thing is going to be a lot tougher than last year.
Aside from the tough competition, the required luck, and everything else it takes to win a championship, the Phillies have some major issues looming over them as they enter September and the end of the season. I won’t go into much detail for I am sure everyone has heard multiple times about them, but if they aren’t cleared up and fixed soon, I am saying it right now, the Phillies will NOT win the World Series. Brad ‘Lights Out’ Lidge isn’t too “lights out” anymore, and without a consistent and reliable closer, it makes it 10 times harder to put away a team up by one run in the ninth inning. Speaking of reliable, last year’s Cole Hamels was the ace of the staff, but this year you never know which Hamels you are going to get. Usually, it’s not the good Hamels. If the Phillies want to go deep into the postseason, they won’t be able to do this if they only rely on Cliff Lee. Now, those are the two biggest issues concerning the Phillies right now, but some other minor problems include Pedro Martinez’s consistency and Raul Ibanez’s lost stroke. With all of this said, no one can’t be surprised, for we all know that all Philadelphia teams like to play “the hard way”.
Not everything has been negative as of late. The Phillies will be able to call up some minor leaguers in September when the 25-man roster increases. Off the bench power could be provided by Michael Taylor, though it is just a possibility. The return of Brett Myers could put a final statement in the bullpen, but after a long layoff from being on the DL, who knows what he will contribute to the ballclub?
Aside from players internally helping out the club, the Phillies do have a seven game lead over the Braves as of August 30, so this gives them time and flexibility to fix their problems. If it were a closer race, the patience for Brad Lidge to return to form would be at a minimum, and the City of Brotherly Love would be going frantic. Let’s all hope we never reach that point.
Playoff baseball is the best thing in sports. The atmospheres, intensity, close ballgames, great pitching matchups, and walk off homeruns are something that no other sport can match. Of course, it makes it that much better when your team is in it. I believe the Phillies will make their third straight playoff appearance and they will make it far into postseason play. Just how far is the question. The Phils are a great team, but there are always teams that are better. As much as I hate to say this as a diehard Phillies fan, sorry Philadelphia, no repeat this year.
Read more!
After the Yankees went on their back- to- back-to-back tear from 1998-2000, there were six different World Series winners up to last year. In major league history, there have been 13 different times in which the same team won two consecutive championships. If you exclude the Yankees, the same feat has only happened seven times since the Modern era (1901-Present) began.
So, keeping these statistics in mind, it’s quite rare to find a talented enough team to repeat. I am not saying it is out of the question for the Phillies, but some luck and timing will be essential for this to occur. Luck plays a large part in winning a world series, but it only makes such a difference. Plain and simply, you need to have the tools throughout your lineup in order to succeed, and do it consistently. The Phillies may have just that, but they are not the only ones. The overpowering Yankees, consistent Angels, (who haven’t lost more than three games in a row this season) and the stacked Dodgers, are just a few of the teams in both leagues that could easily be crowned the 2009 champion. My biggest fear as a Phillies fan are those Yanks. The Yankees may have started off a bit slow, but they are without a doubt one of the best teams in baseball right now. They have a 6.5 game lead over the Boston Red Sox, (another stacked lineup) and an almost sure spot in the playoffs. One may say that the Phillies have an eight game lead over the Braves in their division. While this is true, I must admit that they are not playing in the best division in baseball; the Yankees are. Even if the Phillies do win the National League Pennant, clinching the whole thing is going to be a lot tougher than last year.
Aside from the tough competition, the required luck, and everything else it takes to win a championship, the Phillies have some major issues looming over them as they enter September and the end of the season. I won’t go into much detail for I am sure everyone has heard multiple times about them, but if they aren’t cleared up and fixed soon, I am saying it right now, the Phillies will NOT win the World Series. Brad ‘Lights Out’ Lidge isn’t too “lights out” anymore, and without a consistent and reliable closer, it makes it 10 times harder to put away a team up by one run in the ninth inning. Speaking of reliable, last year’s Cole Hamels was the ace of the staff, but this year you never know which Hamels you are going to get. Usually, it’s not the good Hamels. If the Phillies want to go deep into the postseason, they won’t be able to do this if they only rely on Cliff Lee. Now, those are the two biggest issues concerning the Phillies right now, but some other minor problems include Pedro Martinez’s consistency and Raul Ibanez’s lost stroke. With all of this said, no one can’t be surprised, for we all know that all Philadelphia teams like to play “the hard way”.
Not everything has been negative as of late. The Phillies will be able to call up some minor leaguers in September when the 25-man roster increases. Off the bench power could be provided by Michael Taylor, though it is just a possibility. The return of Brett Myers could put a final statement in the bullpen, but after a long layoff from being on the DL, who knows what he will contribute to the ballclub?
Aside from players internally helping out the club, the Phillies do have a seven game lead over the Braves as of August 30, so this gives them time and flexibility to fix their problems. If it were a closer race, the patience for Brad Lidge to return to form would be at a minimum, and the City of Brotherly Love would be going frantic. Let’s all hope we never reach that point. Playoff baseball is the best thing in sports. The atmospheres, intensity, close ballgames, great pitching matchups, and walk off homeruns are something that no other sport can match. Of course, it makes it that much better when your team is in it. I believe the Phillies will make their third straight playoff appearance and they will make it far into postseason play. Just how far is the question. The Phils are a great team, but there are always teams that are better. As much as I hate to say this as a diehard Phillies fan, sorry Philadelphia, no repeat this year.
Read more!
Monday, August 24, 2009
An Ending to Remember
By Chris Pollay
Yesterday, the Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Mets played a wild game that I don’t think any fan will forget about anytime soon.
Maybe it was the result of superstition... as in the number 13. After all, it was the thirteenth game between the two ballclubs this season and this one had a little bit of everything (and everything was a little bit odd).
It was definitely emotional. Phillies’ manager Charlie Manuel got ejected in the 9th inning, so you know this one mattered. Also, Pitcher Pedro Martinez made his return visit to New York, so you know this one had drama.
The fans were not too happy to see him again, but they were far more angry at the home hurler, Oliver Perez. He gave up a pair of three-run homers to Jayson Werth and Carlos Ruiz before the top of the first inning was even over!
Not surprisingly, he left the game after pitching only 2/3rds of an inning and giving up six earned runs. I realize Perez’s ERA for the season is quite unimpressive (6.82), but his ERA for just yesterday was a staggering 81.81! Good grief.
Pedro Martinez couldn’t ask for a better scenario than a six-run lead before he even threw his first pitch. Still, he was shaky enough to keep things interesting. By the end of the third inning, he had given up four earned runs (including two home runs to Angel Pagan).
By the time he left the game after six full innings on the mound, his team comfortably lead 8 to 4... one of those runs, by the way, was provided by a bases-loaded single by Martinez in the top of the third inning.
Yet, the Mets chipped away at the lead and made it a ballgame again. Down two in the top of the ninth, they found themselves with runners on first and second (with no outs).
Thanks to errors by Ryan Howard and Eric Bruntlett, the Mets were in a perfect position for a last inning comeback. New York even had the right guy in the batter’s box to make it happen. Jeff Francouer already had a hit and an RBI on Sunday, and had batted four of eight (.500) over the previous two games in the series (including a home run on Friday night).
When Lidge delivered the last pitch, Francouer was right on top of it. The ball headed toward the gap over second base. For a split-second, everything was aligned perfectly for the Mets. However, that glimmer of hope was completely crushed when Bruntlett played the ball perfectly. He caught it and touched second base in a flash. Then, for good measure, he tagged out Daniel Murphy who had already committed to run on the pitch.
What an unbelievable ending!
The game was definitely odd, to be sure. Angel Pagan hit two home runs, one of which was inside-the-park, and that wasn't even the biggest statistical anomaly of the day.
Of course, that title goes to the last play. Bruntlett's unassisted triple play takes the cake. Even odder, it occurred not too long after he recorded an error.
I’ve seen a lot of baseball. I’ve never seen any game end on an unassisted triple play. Then again, it doesn’t happen often. After all, Bruntlett's gem was the first unassisted triple play to end a game in National League history and it was only the 15th unassisted triple play in Major League Baseball history.
Wow.
That was definitely one for the books. Read more!
Yesterday, the Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Mets played a wild game that I don’t think any fan will forget about anytime soon.
Maybe it was the result of superstition... as in the number 13. After all, it was the thirteenth game between the two ballclubs this season and this one had a little bit of everything (and everything was a little bit odd).
It was definitely emotional. Phillies’ manager Charlie Manuel got ejected in the 9th inning, so you know this one mattered. Also, Pitcher Pedro Martinez made his return visit to New York, so you know this one had drama.
The fans were not too happy to see him again, but they were far more angry at the home hurler, Oliver Perez. He gave up a pair of three-run homers to Jayson Werth and Carlos Ruiz before the top of the first inning was even over!
Not surprisingly, he left the game after pitching only 2/3rds of an inning and giving up six earned runs. I realize Perez’s ERA for the season is quite unimpressive (6.82), but his ERA for just yesterday was a staggering 81.81! Good grief.
Pedro Martinez couldn’t ask for a better scenario than a six-run lead before he even threw his first pitch. Still, he was shaky enough to keep things interesting. By the end of the third inning, he had given up four earned runs (including two home runs to Angel Pagan).
By the time he left the game after six full innings on the mound, his team comfortably lead 8 to 4... one of those runs, by the way, was provided by a bases-loaded single by Martinez in the top of the third inning.
Yet, the Mets chipped away at the lead and made it a ballgame again. Down two in the top of the ninth, they found themselves with runners on first and second (with no outs).
Thanks to errors by Ryan Howard and Eric Bruntlett, the Mets were in a perfect position for a last inning comeback. New York even had the right guy in the batter’s box to make it happen. Jeff Francouer already had a hit and an RBI on Sunday, and had batted four of eight (.500) over the previous two games in the series (including a home run on Friday night).
When Lidge delivered the last pitch, Francouer was right on top of it. The ball headed toward the gap over second base. For a split-second, everything was aligned perfectly for the Mets. However, that glimmer of hope was completely crushed when Bruntlett played the ball perfectly. He caught it and touched second base in a flash. Then, for good measure, he tagged out Daniel Murphy who had already committed to run on the pitch.
What an unbelievable ending!
The game was definitely odd, to be sure. Angel Pagan hit two home runs, one of which was inside-the-park, and that wasn't even the biggest statistical anomaly of the day.
Of course, that title goes to the last play. Bruntlett's unassisted triple play takes the cake. Even odder, it occurred not too long after he recorded an error.
I’ve seen a lot of baseball. I’ve never seen any game end on an unassisted triple play. Then again, it doesn’t happen often. After all, Bruntlett's gem was the first unassisted triple play to end a game in National League history and it was only the 15th unassisted triple play in Major League Baseball history.
Wow.
That was definitely one for the books. Read more!
Monday, August 17, 2009
The Phillies Need More Closure... And Soon
By Chris Pollay
When you compare the 2009 Phillies with their 2008 Championship counterparts, it becomes apparent that last year’s team had one crucial advantage, a saving grace, if you will: closer Brad Lidge.
At times, he hoisted the entire team on his shoulders in 2008 and carried them to the finish line. This year, however, he is not the same player. He is the team’s biggest question mark as the Phils gear up to try to make a third consecutive postseason appearance.
Philly fans will never forget the immaculate numbers from last year: 41 saves in 41 opportunties in the regular season and seven saves in seven opportunities in the playoffs. Pure perfection.
His ERA for the regular season was a phenomenal 1.95 in 72 games and a merciless .96 in seven appearances during the postseason. He was virtually unhittable for the entire season and the Phillies never conceded a ninth inning lead all season long!
Think about that for a moment. Nothing gives a team more confidence than sending in a perfect closer to maintain a ninth-inning lead. That kind of confidence leads to championships.
This year, however, the closer has proved to be unstable, at best.
Lidge has struggled mightily and injuries have gotten the better of him for much of the year. With about six weeks left in the season, the right-hander has only saved 23 games in 31 opportunities (during 49 games). He also holds an 0 and 5 record, which contrasts sharply with last year’s 2 and 0 effort.
The closer you look at the Phil’s closer, the more distraught you will become by the numbers, especially if you compare them to the stats in 2008. He has already given up 35 earned runs so far this year, which is more than twice his total allowed of all of last season (he only gave up 15 earned runs in the regular season and one earned run in the postseason).
In 2008, throughout the course of pitching 69.1 regular season innings, Lidge only gave up 50 hits and two home runs. After pitching 43.2 innings this season, he has already been lit up for 52 hits and ten homers.
Clearly, the persistent pain in Lidge’s right knee has affected him more than he has let on. His numbers have spiked all season long which means his mechanics are simply not working properly and his confidence isn’t the same.
Perhaps what is most troubling (besides his 7.21 ERA) is that he has only given up three earned runs or less for an entire month once this season (June). In fact, he has already given up five in August and we’re only at the mid-point.
To put that in perspective, Lidge only allowed more than three earned runs in an entire month once all of last season (July).
The crucial weekend series against the division rival Atlanta Braves proved to be a microcosm for Lidge’s up and down 2009 season. He pitched in all three games, recording a save on Friday in nail-biting fashion, then blowing a save on Saturday before pitching the final out and earning a save again yesterday.
In all he pitched only 1 2/3 innings, yet, he gave up three hits, three walks and two runs. He also committed two errors on Saturday in a game he certainly does not want to remember.
But, here’s the reason why Philly fans should not panic: Somehow, the team has a better record now (66-49) than they had at this same point last season (62-53)... and they’re doing it without a dominant closer.
Of course, I realize a blown save in the postseason can change the momentum of an entire playoff series. Despite the shaky stats, Phils’ manager Charlie Manager is resolute in keeping Lidge in the closer role. He insists the team is completely confident with him on the mound late in the game (even if fans are not).
Since Ol’ Cholly has brought the City of Brotherly Love its first championship in 25 years, I have to give him the benefit of the doubt. He believes in players, not numbers, and his team has already proved that it knows what it takes to be champions.
Even though they have had more than their share of problems this year, the Phillies keep finding ways to win. They are ahead of last season’s pace and still look poised to make a potentially deep October run. As a fan, I have to believe Lidge will step up again and be a positive difference maker when it matters most for the team.
Guess we'll find out soon enough. This should be another interesting September. Read more!
When you compare the 2009 Phillies with their 2008 Championship counterparts, it becomes apparent that last year’s team had one crucial advantage, a saving grace, if you will: closer Brad Lidge.
At times, he hoisted the entire team on his shoulders in 2008 and carried them to the finish line. This year, however, he is not the same player. He is the team’s biggest question mark as the Phils gear up to try to make a third consecutive postseason appearance.
Philly fans will never forget the immaculate numbers from last year: 41 saves in 41 opportunties in the regular season and seven saves in seven opportunities in the playoffs. Pure perfection.
His ERA for the regular season was a phenomenal 1.95 in 72 games and a merciless .96 in seven appearances during the postseason. He was virtually unhittable for the entire season and the Phillies never conceded a ninth inning lead all season long!
Think about that for a moment. Nothing gives a team more confidence than sending in a perfect closer to maintain a ninth-inning lead. That kind of confidence leads to championships.
This year, however, the closer has proved to be unstable, at best.
Lidge has struggled mightily and injuries have gotten the better of him for much of the year. With about six weeks left in the season, the right-hander has only saved 23 games in 31 opportunities (during 49 games). He also holds an 0 and 5 record, which contrasts sharply with last year’s 2 and 0 effort.
The closer you look at the Phil’s closer, the more distraught you will become by the numbers, especially if you compare them to the stats in 2008. He has already given up 35 earned runs so far this year, which is more than twice his total allowed of all of last season (he only gave up 15 earned runs in the regular season and one earned run in the postseason).
In 2008, throughout the course of pitching 69.1 regular season innings, Lidge only gave up 50 hits and two home runs. After pitching 43.2 innings this season, he has already been lit up for 52 hits and ten homers.
Clearly, the persistent pain in Lidge’s right knee has affected him more than he has let on. His numbers have spiked all season long which means his mechanics are simply not working properly and his confidence isn’t the same.
Perhaps what is most troubling (besides his 7.21 ERA) is that he has only given up three earned runs or less for an entire month once this season (June). In fact, he has already given up five in August and we’re only at the mid-point.
To put that in perspective, Lidge only allowed more than three earned runs in an entire month once all of last season (July).
The crucial weekend series against the division rival Atlanta Braves proved to be a microcosm for Lidge’s up and down 2009 season. He pitched in all three games, recording a save on Friday in nail-biting fashion, then blowing a save on Saturday before pitching the final out and earning a save again yesterday.
In all he pitched only 1 2/3 innings, yet, he gave up three hits, three walks and two runs. He also committed two errors on Saturday in a game he certainly does not want to remember.
But, here’s the reason why Philly fans should not panic: Somehow, the team has a better record now (66-49) than they had at this same point last season (62-53)... and they’re doing it without a dominant closer.
Of course, I realize a blown save in the postseason can change the momentum of an entire playoff series. Despite the shaky stats, Phils’ manager Charlie Manager is resolute in keeping Lidge in the closer role. He insists the team is completely confident with him on the mound late in the game (even if fans are not).
Since Ol’ Cholly has brought the City of Brotherly Love its first championship in 25 years, I have to give him the benefit of the doubt. He believes in players, not numbers, and his team has already proved that it knows what it takes to be champions.
Even though they have had more than their share of problems this year, the Phillies keep finding ways to win. They are ahead of last season’s pace and still look poised to make a potentially deep October run. As a fan, I have to believe Lidge will step up again and be a positive difference maker when it matters most for the team.
Guess we'll find out soon enough. This should be another interesting September. Read more!
Monday, August 10, 2009
Rough Road Ahead
By Chris Pollay
Last Friday, the Philadelphia Phillies (61-48) stood poised atop the National League East with a comfortable seven-game lead ahead of Florida as the Marlins headed to the City of Brotherly Love for an important three-game series.
By the time the Marlins left, however, the huge lead shrunk down to only four games and the Phils are suddenly looking quite vulnerable.
It’s not so much that the Marlins outscored the Phillies 21 to 9 and outhit them by a stunning margin of 39 to 21 -- although that certainly helps -- but it’s the road that lies directly ahead. It's not going to be an easy one.
This week the Phillies travel on the road and face two tough ballclubs: the Chicago Cubs (58-51) and the Atlanta Braves (58-54), teams that have beat the Phillies eight of twelve times this season thus far.
And, right now, the Phils look like they would struggle to beat anybody.
After a blistering hot July, they are once again all-too-fallible, losing eight of their last eleven games, including a humiliating 12 to 3 loss to Florida on Sunday where the Phillies were so frustrated that Shane Victorino got ejected while flapping his arms in centerfield (apparently showing his displeasure for the home plate umpire's calls).
I can't blame him, really. It was a lousy day for the home team. Incidentally, 12 runs is the most the Phillies have given up to any ballclub in all of the 2009 season and the Marlins' 19 hits in the game was a season high.
Hmmm. Maybe Victorino was trying to simply fly the Hell out of there.
Still, the home losses to the Marlins are hardly an unusual occurrence this year. It is interesting to note that the Phils and Marlins seems to prefer each other’s ballparks. At Citizens Bank Park, the Marlins are 5-1 in 2009; however, when the two teams meet in Land Shark Stadium, the Phils have won all six games.
Unfortunately, this weekend was played in Philly. Thus, the Marlins exploded offensively right when they need it most. The team batted 39 for 116 (.336) compared to a struggling Phillies club that only hit 21 of 99 (.212).
Helping the Marlins bat like a team of Triple Crown Winners was the Phils’ sputtering starting pitching staff, which didn’t pitch well (4.76 ERA) or deep. They only lasted 17 innings in the series, taxing the bullpen to come in for ten innings in three days. The late inning relievers were simply awful, giving up eleven earned runs and an ERA of 9.9.
Hopefully, the team will enjoy the day off and rest up a bit as clearly fatigue is catching up with them.
The Phillies need to step up this month as they face National League East opponents ten times in the month's remaining 19 games. The club is 25-18 against its own division this season, but if you take out the games against the basement-dwelling Nationals, they are only 15-16.
That's simply not good enough if you want to win the division crown.
Read more!
Last Friday, the Philadelphia Phillies (61-48) stood poised atop the National League East with a comfortable seven-game lead ahead of Florida as the Marlins headed to the City of Brotherly Love for an important three-game series.
By the time the Marlins left, however, the huge lead shrunk down to only four games and the Phils are suddenly looking quite vulnerable.
It’s not so much that the Marlins outscored the Phillies 21 to 9 and outhit them by a stunning margin of 39 to 21 -- although that certainly helps -- but it’s the road that lies directly ahead. It's not going to be an easy one.
This week the Phillies travel on the road and face two tough ballclubs: the Chicago Cubs (58-51) and the Atlanta Braves (58-54), teams that have beat the Phillies eight of twelve times this season thus far.
And, right now, the Phils look like they would struggle to beat anybody.
After a blistering hot July, they are once again all-too-fallible, losing eight of their last eleven games, including a humiliating 12 to 3 loss to Florida on Sunday where the Phillies were so frustrated that Shane Victorino got ejected while flapping his arms in centerfield (apparently showing his displeasure for the home plate umpire's calls).
I can't blame him, really. It was a lousy day for the home team. Incidentally, 12 runs is the most the Phillies have given up to any ballclub in all of the 2009 season and the Marlins' 19 hits in the game was a season high.
Hmmm. Maybe Victorino was trying to simply fly the Hell out of there.
Still, the home losses to the Marlins are hardly an unusual occurrence this year. It is interesting to note that the Phils and Marlins seems to prefer each other’s ballparks. At Citizens Bank Park, the Marlins are 5-1 in 2009; however, when the two teams meet in Land Shark Stadium, the Phils have won all six games.
Unfortunately, this weekend was played in Philly. Thus, the Marlins exploded offensively right when they need it most. The team batted 39 for 116 (.336) compared to a struggling Phillies club that only hit 21 of 99 (.212).
Helping the Marlins bat like a team of Triple Crown Winners was the Phils’ sputtering starting pitching staff, which didn’t pitch well (4.76 ERA) or deep. They only lasted 17 innings in the series, taxing the bullpen to come in for ten innings in three days. The late inning relievers were simply awful, giving up eleven earned runs and an ERA of 9.9.
Hopefully, the team will enjoy the day off and rest up a bit as clearly fatigue is catching up with them.
The Phillies need to step up this month as they face National League East opponents ten times in the month's remaining 19 games. The club is 25-18 against its own division this season, but if you take out the games against the basement-dwelling Nationals, they are only 15-16.
That's simply not good enough if you want to win the division crown.
Read more!
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Lee - Francisco Trade Turns Out Great
Going into the sixth inning in last night’s game between the Phillies and Giants, Philly fans knew that they had something special. Newly acquired Cliff Lee from the Cleveland Indians was pitching a no-hitter with one out in the sixth when Juan Uribe slapped a double down the right field line. Giants’ fans stood and gave a standing ovation. That is how well respected Lee is around baseball. Though the Phillies didn’t get Blue Jays’ Roy Halladay, many will say that they are pretty content with Lee. Not only was Lee the 2008 Cy Young Award winner, but his leadership and presence in the Phillies clubhouse will add an extra push through the postseason, and hopefully into the World Series. Lee ended up pitching a complete game against the Giants, giving up only one earned run on 4 hits while striking out six and walking two. Not bad for someone who has never faced a national league team with the exception of interleague play.
Not only did Lee pitch superbly, but he also helped the Phillies offensively as well going two for four with a single and his first career double. Again, not bad for someone who got probably 7-8 at-bats during an entire season. Lee was most definitely a complete package Friday night in San Francisco, something that Phillies fans hope to see more often. The Phillies were an almost definite for the playoffs before they acquired Lee, and now they might have what it takes to make it to the World Series. Now I’m not saying that it is going to be easy, but if the Phils starting staff keeps it up, and the offense keeps swingin’ the bats like they know how, a repeat in 2009 is not out of the question.
Now that the 2009 trade deadline is over and the Roy Halladay saga is officially over, Phils fan may find it easy to forget how Lee made it to the Phillies. Thanks to the Phils general manager, Ruben Amaro Jr., the Phillies were able to bring one of baseball’s premier starting pitchers to the team while avoiding giving up some of their best prospects. If Lee continues his dominant performance in the National League, and continues swinging the bat (haha), the Lee trade could go down in Phillies history as one of their best trades ever.
Another key fact that Philly fans may tend to forget as they continue to praise and watch the great Lee purely dominate on the mound, is the second part they acquired in the trade. Outfielder Ben Francisco has started in Shane Victorino’s place, who is suffering from a bruised knee, and has turned out to be a great pickup for the Phils. He fills the role of a right-handed bat the Phillies had been seeking since last offseason. Though Francisco only went one for four in last night’s game, he showed off his power and how he could contribute to the ball club. In his first at-bat, Francisco drilled a one hopper to third baseman Pablo Sandoval, who couldn’t handle the heat. In his next three at-bats he hit a double off the left field wall, and nearly two homers that would have left Citizens Bank Ballpark if the Phils were playing at home. The power and hopefully consistency is a sign for the Phillies that Francisco is someone who can be relied on to contribute a few clutch base hits as September and the playoffs creep upon them.
I know it’s only been two games since Lee and Francisco joined the Phillies, but with their performances so far, the Phillies have a lot to look forward to for the rest of the regular season, and far deep into the playoffs.
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Not only did Lee pitch superbly, but he also helped the Phillies offensively as well going two for four with a single and his first career double. Again, not bad for someone who got probably 7-8 at-bats during an entire season. Lee was most definitely a complete package Friday night in San Francisco, something that Phillies fans hope to see more often. The Phillies were an almost definite for the playoffs before they acquired Lee, and now they might have what it takes to make it to the World Series. Now I’m not saying that it is going to be easy, but if the Phils starting staff keeps it up, and the offense keeps swingin’ the bats like they know how, a repeat in 2009 is not out of the question.
Now that the 2009 trade deadline is over and the Roy Halladay saga is officially over, Phils fan may find it easy to forget how Lee made it to the Phillies. Thanks to the Phils general manager, Ruben Amaro Jr., the Phillies were able to bring one of baseball’s premier starting pitchers to the team while avoiding giving up some of their best prospects. If Lee continues his dominant performance in the National League, and continues swinging the bat (haha), the Lee trade could go down in Phillies history as one of their best trades ever.
Another key fact that Philly fans may tend to forget as they continue to praise and watch the great Lee purely dominate on the mound, is the second part they acquired in the trade. Outfielder Ben Francisco has started in Shane Victorino’s place, who is suffering from a bruised knee, and has turned out to be a great pickup for the Phils. He fills the role of a right-handed bat the Phillies had been seeking since last offseason. Though Francisco only went one for four in last night’s game, he showed off his power and how he could contribute to the ball club. In his first at-bat, Francisco drilled a one hopper to third baseman Pablo Sandoval, who couldn’t handle the heat. In his next three at-bats he hit a double off the left field wall, and nearly two homers that would have left Citizens Bank Ballpark if the Phils were playing at home. The power and hopefully consistency is a sign for the Phillies that Francisco is someone who can be relied on to contribute a few clutch base hits as September and the playoffs creep upon them.
I know it’s only been two games since Lee and Francisco joined the Phillies, but with their performances so far, the Phillies have a lot to look forward to for the rest of the regular season, and far deep into the playoffs.
Read more!
Friday, July 24, 2009
The Prospects in a Potential Trade for Roy Halladay
The Roy Halladay to Philadelphia rumors have been reported just long enough and make just enough sense that Phillies fans have taken to spending large chunks of the day scouring the internet for the latest rumors and keeping MLB Network on mute in the background while they work in hopes that news will break that a certain Canadian team's ace is looking at real estate in the City of Brotherly Love. Or is that just me? Anyway, I do not know a single Phillies fan who does not want Roy Halladay in red pinstripes. I do, however, know a few Phillies fans with concerns about what it would cost to acquire Halladay. There are concerns that mortgaging the future for a 32 year old pitcher who is only signed through 2010 may not be worth it. I am squarely in the do-whatever-it-takes-to-land-Halladay camp, but whichever side of the fence you fall on, lets take a look at the prospects most likely to be involved in a potential deal and the issues surrounding them.
Kyle Drabek/JA Happ. I pair these two pitchers together because I believe that one will have to be included in a Halladay deal, but not both. If Toronto insists on getting both pitchers, I don't think Philadelphia will pull the trigger. The question then, is which pitcher would you rather deal? It's a question I've gone back and forth on since the Halladay rumors began. Drabek is a 21 year old potential ace with a mid-90's fastball and a curveball that makes scouts drool. But when will that potential be realized? He could be in the major leagues by next season, but it is highly doubtful that he would be ready to dominate that soon. He would likely be treated with kid gloves, potentially starting out in the bullpen or with an innings limit for the season. So by the time he is ready to start winning Cy Youngs, the Phillies core will be aging and/or the team could be retooling. The Phillies window of opportunity is now. Is Drabek ready for now?
Meanwhile, Happ is a potential Rookie of the Year candidate who is getting major league hitters out right now. He doesn't have the stuff or the ceiling that Drabek has, but he is a smart, poised kid who knows how to pitch. If the point is to win now, and Happ is helping the Phillies win now, why would you want to trade him? The possibility exists that Happ is pitching over his head right now. What happens in a month, when teams have seen him a few times and scouts have extensive reports on him? Rare is the young pitcher who doesn't struggle at some point. What happens if Happ's struggles come in September and October, and the Phillies missed an opportunity to trade a pitcher who profiles as a #3/4 starter when his value was as high as it would ever be, and instead traded a guy who could be a future ace? It's a tough question to answer, but at this point, if it has to be one or the other, I'm trading Happ. The only reason is that I think the Phillies have enough depth in the rotation to make it work. Hamels/Halladay/Blanton/Moyer/Pedro still gets it done in the playoffs. Normally, you don't want to subtract from the major league roster of a contender, but this is not a normal situation. This is Roy Halladay.
Michael Taylor/Dominic Brown. This is another one but probably not both situation for these two highly regarded outfield prospects. Whether the Phillies would balk at trading both players I don't know, but it wouldn't really make sense for the Blue Jays, with some organizational depth in the outfield, to take both when they have other holes to fill. Taylor has more power than Brown, and is closer to the majors. But Brown is the higher rated prospect, and if the Jays are taking the long view on their rebuilding project, they might prefer Brown. Brown is a phenomenal athlete, and profiles as a centerfielder, while Taylor is most certainly a corner outfielder. Again, I think Toronto will end up with one guy or the other. If given a choice, I think I would prefer to deal Brown. I realize he is the higher rated prospect, but if the Phillies can bite the bullet here, where they have some depth, and it saves them from depleting other parts of the farm system, then I think it is a wise move. Besides, I happen to think that Michael Taylor is quite underrated and could probably hit in the majors right now if the need arose. I could see him stepping into rightfield when Jayson Werth's contract expires after the 2010 season. Also, the Phillies have a speedy centerfield prospect by the name of Anthony Gose who could be the future of the position.
Jason Donald. Marco Scutaro's contract expires after this season, and the Blue Jays would like a prospect who could play shortstop for them in 2010. Jason Donald could fit the bill. Blocked at short and second base in Philadelphia, the Phillies tried Donald at third during the spring with mixed results. It was thought that Donald could replace Pedro Feliz at the position in 2010. However, Feliz's improvement with the bat and his usually steady defense for a team without a lot of strikeout pitchers make it more likely that his option will be picked up for next season and there will not be a spot for Donald. Donald has struggled to hit and stay healthy in AAA this season, but has shown recent improvement on both fronts. He's the closest thing the Phillies have to a major league shortstop not named Jimmy Rollins, so if a Halladay deal goes down, Donald will almost certainly be in it.
Lou Marson. Marson is another major league ready prospect the Blue Jays may have interest in. However, Toronto already has a top catching prospect in their organization by the name of JP Arencibia. But Arencibia's future may be at first base or DH, and if the Jays feel that is the case, they may have interest in Marson. The Blue Jays may covet 20 year old Travis D'Arnaud more, and if a catcher goes to Toronto for Halladay I think it will be D'Arnaud.
Carlos Carrasco/Jason Knapp. If we assume the deal so far includes Happ or Drabek, Brown or Taylor, and Donald, we'd have to figure the Jays would get at least one more pitcher in return. Again, I think they could get Carrasco or Knapp, but not both. Knapp is the higher rated prospect (this was not true as recently as last year, when Carrasco was the organization's top prospect), but Carrasco is closer to the major leagues. Knapp, just 18 years old, throws in the high 90's with acceptable breaking stuff. With his fastball, he might eventually be better off is a closer, especially if he only develops one offspeed pitch and not two or three. Carrasco has fantastic stuff himself, but he has struggled this season in AAA. Still, If I had to choose which one to trade, I would trade Knapp. At 18, there is so much margin for error. He has great stuff, but can he pitch? Could he be a major league starter? How soon? What if he blows his arm out (to be fair, a question you could ask of any pitcher, including Halladay)? I say let the Blue Jays deal with the question marks. I believe that the troubles that Carrasco is having in the minors will teach him the maturity to deal with the struggles that will surely come in the big leagues. You have to remember, Carrasco is a 22 year old kid with stuff so good he never had to do anything with it other than throw it right over the plate. In AAA, against more seasoned hitters, he is learning the value of location and command. It's not that I wouldn't trade Carrasco, it's just that in this scenario that I completely made up, I prefer to deal the guy with more unknowns.
Joe Savery/Antonio Bastardo/Johan Flande/Drew Carpenter/Vance Worley. These pitchers all project to be major league pitchers at some point, but it is doubtful they will be stars. We are talking #4/5 starters and relievers here. The only exception might be Bastardo, who showed a lot in his time in Philly, but also showed he had a long way to go before he got hurt. However, because he is hurt at the moment, it is doubtful that Toronto will ask for him in a trade. This is a very good thing. The rest of these guys could be used to compliment a Halladay package. in fact, if the Phillies stand firm and better offers don't emerge, and Toronto realizes that the best offer they are going to get is coming right now and not in the offseason, the Phillies may be able to get away with trading two or three of these guys instead of someone like Happ or Carrasco.
So in the end, if my scenario is even close to correct, the Phillies would be giving up a lot. But they would also have enough left to plug holes and sustain themselves while competing for the World Series for the next 2-3 years. By then, they will have had at least two more draft classes with which to replenish the minor league system. So as far as I'm concerned, yes, Roy Halladay is worth it. No matter what the price.
You can read me more often at MikeonthePhillies.
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Kyle Drabek/JA Happ. I pair these two pitchers together because I believe that one will have to be included in a Halladay deal, but not both. If Toronto insists on getting both pitchers, I don't think Philadelphia will pull the trigger. The question then, is which pitcher would you rather deal? It's a question I've gone back and forth on since the Halladay rumors began. Drabek is a 21 year old potential ace with a mid-90's fastball and a curveball that makes scouts drool. But when will that potential be realized? He could be in the major leagues by next season, but it is highly doubtful that he would be ready to dominate that soon. He would likely be treated with kid gloves, potentially starting out in the bullpen or with an innings limit for the season. So by the time he is ready to start winning Cy Youngs, the Phillies core will be aging and/or the team could be retooling. The Phillies window of opportunity is now. Is Drabek ready for now?
Meanwhile, Happ is a potential Rookie of the Year candidate who is getting major league hitters out right now. He doesn't have the stuff or the ceiling that Drabek has, but he is a smart, poised kid who knows how to pitch. If the point is to win now, and Happ is helping the Phillies win now, why would you want to trade him? The possibility exists that Happ is pitching over his head right now. What happens in a month, when teams have seen him a few times and scouts have extensive reports on him? Rare is the young pitcher who doesn't struggle at some point. What happens if Happ's struggles come in September and October, and the Phillies missed an opportunity to trade a pitcher who profiles as a #3/4 starter when his value was as high as it would ever be, and instead traded a guy who could be a future ace? It's a tough question to answer, but at this point, if it has to be one or the other, I'm trading Happ. The only reason is that I think the Phillies have enough depth in the rotation to make it work. Hamels/Halladay/Blanton/Moyer/Pedro still gets it done in the playoffs. Normally, you don't want to subtract from the major league roster of a contender, but this is not a normal situation. This is Roy Halladay.
Michael Taylor/Dominic Brown. This is another one but probably not both situation for these two highly regarded outfield prospects. Whether the Phillies would balk at trading both players I don't know, but it wouldn't really make sense for the Blue Jays, with some organizational depth in the outfield, to take both when they have other holes to fill. Taylor has more power than Brown, and is closer to the majors. But Brown is the higher rated prospect, and if the Jays are taking the long view on their rebuilding project, they might prefer Brown. Brown is a phenomenal athlete, and profiles as a centerfielder, while Taylor is most certainly a corner outfielder. Again, I think Toronto will end up with one guy or the other. If given a choice, I think I would prefer to deal Brown. I realize he is the higher rated prospect, but if the Phillies can bite the bullet here, where they have some depth, and it saves them from depleting other parts of the farm system, then I think it is a wise move. Besides, I happen to think that Michael Taylor is quite underrated and could probably hit in the majors right now if the need arose. I could see him stepping into rightfield when Jayson Werth's contract expires after the 2010 season. Also, the Phillies have a speedy centerfield prospect by the name of Anthony Gose who could be the future of the position.
Jason Donald. Marco Scutaro's contract expires after this season, and the Blue Jays would like a prospect who could play shortstop for them in 2010. Jason Donald could fit the bill. Blocked at short and second base in Philadelphia, the Phillies tried Donald at third during the spring with mixed results. It was thought that Donald could replace Pedro Feliz at the position in 2010. However, Feliz's improvement with the bat and his usually steady defense for a team without a lot of strikeout pitchers make it more likely that his option will be picked up for next season and there will not be a spot for Donald. Donald has struggled to hit and stay healthy in AAA this season, but has shown recent improvement on both fronts. He's the closest thing the Phillies have to a major league shortstop not named Jimmy Rollins, so if a Halladay deal goes down, Donald will almost certainly be in it.
Lou Marson. Marson is another major league ready prospect the Blue Jays may have interest in. However, Toronto already has a top catching prospect in their organization by the name of JP Arencibia. But Arencibia's future may be at first base or DH, and if the Jays feel that is the case, they may have interest in Marson. The Blue Jays may covet 20 year old Travis D'Arnaud more, and if a catcher goes to Toronto for Halladay I think it will be D'Arnaud.
Carlos Carrasco/Jason Knapp. If we assume the deal so far includes Happ or Drabek, Brown or Taylor, and Donald, we'd have to figure the Jays would get at least one more pitcher in return. Again, I think they could get Carrasco or Knapp, but not both. Knapp is the higher rated prospect (this was not true as recently as last year, when Carrasco was the organization's top prospect), but Carrasco is closer to the major leagues. Knapp, just 18 years old, throws in the high 90's with acceptable breaking stuff. With his fastball, he might eventually be better off is a closer, especially if he only develops one offspeed pitch and not two or three. Carrasco has fantastic stuff himself, but he has struggled this season in AAA. Still, If I had to choose which one to trade, I would trade Knapp. At 18, there is so much margin for error. He has great stuff, but can he pitch? Could he be a major league starter? How soon? What if he blows his arm out (to be fair, a question you could ask of any pitcher, including Halladay)? I say let the Blue Jays deal with the question marks. I believe that the troubles that Carrasco is having in the minors will teach him the maturity to deal with the struggles that will surely come in the big leagues. You have to remember, Carrasco is a 22 year old kid with stuff so good he never had to do anything with it other than throw it right over the plate. In AAA, against more seasoned hitters, he is learning the value of location and command. It's not that I wouldn't trade Carrasco, it's just that in this scenario that I completely made up, I prefer to deal the guy with more unknowns.
Joe Savery/Antonio Bastardo/Johan Flande/Drew Carpenter/Vance Worley. These pitchers all project to be major league pitchers at some point, but it is doubtful they will be stars. We are talking #4/5 starters and relievers here. The only exception might be Bastardo, who showed a lot in his time in Philly, but also showed he had a long way to go before he got hurt. However, because he is hurt at the moment, it is doubtful that Toronto will ask for him in a trade. This is a very good thing. The rest of these guys could be used to compliment a Halladay package. in fact, if the Phillies stand firm and better offers don't emerge, and Toronto realizes that the best offer they are going to get is coming right now and not in the offseason, the Phillies may be able to get away with trading two or three of these guys instead of someone like Happ or Carrasco.
So in the end, if my scenario is even close to correct, the Phillies would be giving up a lot. But they would also have enough left to plug holes and sustain themselves while competing for the World Series for the next 2-3 years. By then, they will have had at least two more draft classes with which to replenish the minor league system. So as far as I'm concerned, yes, Roy Halladay is worth it. No matter what the price.
You can read me more often at MikeonthePhillies.
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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.
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Thursday, July 16, 2009
Series Preview: Phillies vs Marlins
Thanks to a 9-1 home stand right before the All-Star break, the Phillies were able to put a little distance between themselves and the rest of the NL East. Now the Phillies begin an important four game series with the second place Florida Marlins, who are 4 games back in the division. A series win or sweep for the Phils could afford them some much needed breathing room as they try to work out their kinks down the stretch. However, a series loss or sweep in Florida could tighten the division race considerably. Let's take a look at the pitching matchups for the series.
Thursday, July 16th: Jamie Moyer vs. Chris Volstad
Marlins killer Jamie Moyer (12-2, 3.06 ERA career vs. FLA) gets the first start after the break, presumably to give Cole Hamels one more day of rest for his tired arm. Moyer has pitched like he is 46 years old most of the time this season, but there have been flashes of effectiveness mixed in there as well. So which Moyer will take the mound this evening against the Fish? That remains to be seen, but the old man has been fairly effective in two starts against Florida this season. Meanwhile, Chris Volstad gets the start tonight for the Marlins. The young righty pitched a shutout in his last start in San Francisco, but has struggled with inconsistency all year. Volstad has also been reasonably effective in two stars against Philadelphia this year.
Friday, July 17: Cole Hamels vs. Ricky Nolasco
This game features a matchup of struggling aces trying to find themselves. The inconsistent Hamels appears to be battling the effects of a fatigued arm after leading the Phillies in innings pitched on the way to a World Series title in 2008. He appeared to have things figured out in the start versus Cincinnati in which his team scored 22 runs, but he then gave up 5 runs in 6 innings against the Pirates in his last start before the break. Nolasco was the Marlins best pitcher in 2008, but he struggled so badly to begin this season that he was sent down to the minors to work out his problems. He has pitched well since his return, but he gave up 7 runs to Arizona in his last start before the break.
Saturday, July 18: Joe Blanton vs. Josh Johnson
Big Joe has been lights out for the Phillies of late, giving up just one run in his last two outings before the break. Blanton has registered a quality start in 7 of his last 9 outings, and his ability to eat innings has been a key to the team's recent success. Johnson, meanwhile, has established himself as one of the best and most consistent pitchers in the National League. He has the stuff to be dominant on any given night. Johnson has recorded a quality start in 16 of his 19 trips to the mound this season, and his ERA has at no time ventured above 3.00. This would figure to be the toughest matchup of the series for the Phillies, but Joe Blanton outdueled Mets ace Johan Santana less than two weeks ago.
Sunday, July 19: JA Happ vs. Andrew Miller
JA Happ has been absolutely fantastic since moving from the bullpen to the rotation on May 23rd. Since then, he has been the Phillies best pitcher, going 4-0 with a 3.03 ERA as a starter. In Happ's last 4 starts, he has not pitched less than 7 innings per outing. He's having quite the audition, as there will likely be Toronto Blue Jays scouts in the stands on Sunday. Happ could very well be moved in a potential Roy Halladay deal. Meanwhile, the young lefty Andrew Miller has struggled with consistency this season. Like Happ, Miller started the season in the bullpen before eventually regaining his starting role. Miller lasted just 2.2 innings in his last start before the All Star break, giving up 6 runs (but only 2 earned) against the Diamondbacks.
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Thursday, July 16th: Jamie Moyer vs. Chris Volstad
Marlins killer Jamie Moyer (12-2, 3.06 ERA career vs. FLA) gets the first start after the break, presumably to give Cole Hamels one more day of rest for his tired arm. Moyer has pitched like he is 46 years old most of the time this season, but there have been flashes of effectiveness mixed in there as well. So which Moyer will take the mound this evening against the Fish? That remains to be seen, but the old man has been fairly effective in two starts against Florida this season. Meanwhile, Chris Volstad gets the start tonight for the Marlins. The young righty pitched a shutout in his last start in San Francisco, but has struggled with inconsistency all year. Volstad has also been reasonably effective in two stars against Philadelphia this year.
Friday, July 17: Cole Hamels vs. Ricky Nolasco
This game features a matchup of struggling aces trying to find themselves. The inconsistent Hamels appears to be battling the effects of a fatigued arm after leading the Phillies in innings pitched on the way to a World Series title in 2008. He appeared to have things figured out in the start versus Cincinnati in which his team scored 22 runs, but he then gave up 5 runs in 6 innings against the Pirates in his last start before the break. Nolasco was the Marlins best pitcher in 2008, but he struggled so badly to begin this season that he was sent down to the minors to work out his problems. He has pitched well since his return, but he gave up 7 runs to Arizona in his last start before the break.
Saturday, July 18: Joe Blanton vs. Josh Johnson
Big Joe has been lights out for the Phillies of late, giving up just one run in his last two outings before the break. Blanton has registered a quality start in 7 of his last 9 outings, and his ability to eat innings has been a key to the team's recent success. Johnson, meanwhile, has established himself as one of the best and most consistent pitchers in the National League. He has the stuff to be dominant on any given night. Johnson has recorded a quality start in 16 of his 19 trips to the mound this season, and his ERA has at no time ventured above 3.00. This would figure to be the toughest matchup of the series for the Phillies, but Joe Blanton outdueled Mets ace Johan Santana less than two weeks ago.
Sunday, July 19: JA Happ vs. Andrew Miller
JA Happ has been absolutely fantastic since moving from the bullpen to the rotation on May 23rd. Since then, he has been the Phillies best pitcher, going 4-0 with a 3.03 ERA as a starter. In Happ's last 4 starts, he has not pitched less than 7 innings per outing. He's having quite the audition, as there will likely be Toronto Blue Jays scouts in the stands on Sunday. Happ could very well be moved in a potential Roy Halladay deal. Meanwhile, the young lefty Andrew Miller has struggled with consistency this season. Like Happ, Miller started the season in the bullpen before eventually regaining his starting role. Miller lasted just 2.2 innings in his last start before the All Star break, giving up 6 runs (but only 2 earned) against the Diamondbacks.
Read more!
Sunday, July 5, 2009
It's not you, it's me ...
I think I need a break. I know it has been 27 years, and we've had our ups and downs, but I really think we should take some time to re-evaluate what we want, and maybe even see other people. I don't know how much more I can take. I've been strung along for years. Kept on edge till the very end, then dropped like a sack of potatoes. And even though there are still the occasional butterflies and excitement, I'm just so tired of being let down and feeling ashamed. I feel like the guy in high school who was in love with the chubby girl but was too ashamed to let anyone find out.
The Mets have been my life-long love. And, although they've made me furious in the past, I've never wanted to give up on them so badly; yet, I feel guilty about it. It isn't even the All-Star break yet and they're only four games out of first. With all of their injuries and their lack of quality replacements - that's really not bad at all. I know that logically, but I'm so tired of the bone-head plays, lousy hitting and all around lackluster play.
And with all of that said, they have FOUR All-Stars. FOUR! Is anyone else baffled by this? I know Wright is our star, and he's batting .326 which is extremely respectable, but he infuriates me right now. Grounding into double plays, popping out on the first pitch he sees and striking out way too much. He doesn't hit enough home-runs anymore for me to accept the amount of times he strikes out. I saw in Citizen's Bank Park on Friday night and compared the Mets batting averages with the Phillies. Not much of a difference there, but the power was completely lopsided and as much as it kills me to say this, so was the heart.
But, I think the thing that frustrates me the most right now, is that with all of their injuries, the only person they've said anything about coming back is Oliver Perez. Yeah, the starting pitching isn't great, but is he going to make that much of a difference? Maybe his injury was the problem, and he'll be a stud. But even if he is a stud, will it really matter? What good is a solid outing if they can't back it up?
Maybe this break will do both of us some good. Because I lied. It is you. Read more!
The Mets have been my life-long love. And, although they've made me furious in the past, I've never wanted to give up on them so badly; yet, I feel guilty about it. It isn't even the All-Star break yet and they're only four games out of first. With all of their injuries and their lack of quality replacements - that's really not bad at all. I know that logically, but I'm so tired of the bone-head plays, lousy hitting and all around lackluster play.
And with all of that said, they have FOUR All-Stars. FOUR! Is anyone else baffled by this? I know Wright is our star, and he's batting .326 which is extremely respectable, but he infuriates me right now. Grounding into double plays, popping out on the first pitch he sees and striking out way too much. He doesn't hit enough home-runs anymore for me to accept the amount of times he strikes out. I saw in Citizen's Bank Park on Friday night and compared the Mets batting averages with the Phillies. Not much of a difference there, but the power was completely lopsided and as much as it kills me to say this, so was the heart.
But, I think the thing that frustrates me the most right now, is that with all of their injuries, the only person they've said anything about coming back is Oliver Perez. Yeah, the starting pitching isn't great, but is he going to make that much of a difference? Maybe his injury was the problem, and he'll be a stud. But even if he is a stud, will it really matter? What good is a solid outing if they can't back it up?
Maybe this break will do both of us some good. Because I lied. It is you. Read more!
Monday, June 29, 2009
Goodbye June Swoon, Hello July Revive
By Chris Pollay
It has been a painful month for Phillies’ fans, to be sure. Calling it a June Swoon is too kind. It’s more like a Friggin’ Free Fall.
After starting the month on a 4-0 tear, Philadelphia proceeded to lose 14 of their next 19 games as opponents treated the pitching staff’s fastballs like oversized piñatas. With one more game left to play this month, Philly has posted an overall June record of 11-14. Even if they win tomorrow, they will still end up with a cumulative losing record for the entire month.
That’s no reason to sound the alarm just yet, but the Phils do need to shut off the snooze button.
Despite recent evidence to the contrary, the Phillies have been irrefutably consistent for a long time now. During 2008 and 2009, the ballclub played ten months of regular season and post-season baseball and accumulated winning records during eight of them*.
Both exceptions occurred in June. That just can’t be coincidence.
(*If you are a stickler for details, Philadelphia did technically have a losing record in another month in 2008 when they opened their season one day prior to April. Thus, they ended up 0-1 for March.)
It’s hard not to believe the team is a victim to the infamous June Swoon that so often plagues Major League Baseball franchises. However, statistical evidence of last year also suggests the Phils may have a July Revive coming up now.
The Phils have posted 15-10 records in July during the previous two baseball seasons. So, here’s hoping they can win 60% of their games this July, as well.
Take a look at the breakdown of the team’s month-by-month win-loss records for the past two seasons:
April 2009: 11-9
May 2009: 17-11
June 2009: 11-14 (With one game still to play.)
**********
March 2008: 0-1
April 2008: 15-12
May 2008: 17-12
June 2008: 12-14
July 2008: 15-10
Aug. 2008: 16-13
Sept. 2008: 17-8
Oct. 2008: 11-3 (Postseason)
What stands out to me is how similar the records are month by month. The Phils were three games over .500 in April of 2008 and two games over .500 this April.
In May, the team won the same number of games in 2008 as it did in 2009, suffering only one more loss last season.
In recent history, June has proven undeniably bad, of course, but if last July, August and September are any indication of how the team plays late in the year, Philadelphia should inevitably revert to their winning ways shortly. (They certainly seem to get hungrier in the second half of the season.)
Manager Charlie Manuel’s recent closed-door meeting on Friday may have provided the spark that will light a midsummer fire underneath the ballclub.
Interestingly enough, there is a positive by-product to all of the losing of late. The Phillies have learned that the division race is theirs to win or lose.
The last time the Phils took over first place in the NL East was on May 30th. They have remained in that spot throughout the entirety of June despite trying to sabotage that lead in every conceivable way.
Of course, a large reason for this is that the Mets have solemnly swooned their way through June as well, posting an even worse 9-16 record leading up to today. Read more!
It has been a painful month for Phillies’ fans, to be sure. Calling it a June Swoon is too kind. It’s more like a Friggin’ Free Fall.
After starting the month on a 4-0 tear, Philadelphia proceeded to lose 14 of their next 19 games as opponents treated the pitching staff’s fastballs like oversized piñatas. With one more game left to play this month, Philly has posted an overall June record of 11-14. Even if they win tomorrow, they will still end up with a cumulative losing record for the entire month.
That’s no reason to sound the alarm just yet, but the Phils do need to shut off the snooze button.
Despite recent evidence to the contrary, the Phillies have been irrefutably consistent for a long time now. During 2008 and 2009, the ballclub played ten months of regular season and post-season baseball and accumulated winning records during eight of them*.
Both exceptions occurred in June. That just can’t be coincidence.
(*If you are a stickler for details, Philadelphia did technically have a losing record in another month in 2008 when they opened their season one day prior to April. Thus, they ended up 0-1 for March.)
It’s hard not to believe the team is a victim to the infamous June Swoon that so often plagues Major League Baseball franchises. However, statistical evidence of last year also suggests the Phils may have a July Revive coming up now.
The Phils have posted 15-10 records in July during the previous two baseball seasons. So, here’s hoping they can win 60% of their games this July, as well.
Take a look at the breakdown of the team’s month-by-month win-loss records for the past two seasons:
April 2009: 11-9
May 2009: 17-11
June 2009: 11-14 (With one game still to play.)
**********
March 2008: 0-1
April 2008: 15-12
May 2008: 17-12
June 2008: 12-14
July 2008: 15-10
Aug. 2008: 16-13
Sept. 2008: 17-8
Oct. 2008: 11-3 (Postseason)
What stands out to me is how similar the records are month by month. The Phils were three games over .500 in April of 2008 and two games over .500 this April.
In May, the team won the same number of games in 2008 as it did in 2009, suffering only one more loss last season.
In recent history, June has proven undeniably bad, of course, but if last July, August and September are any indication of how the team plays late in the year, Philadelphia should inevitably revert to their winning ways shortly. (They certainly seem to get hungrier in the second half of the season.)
Manager Charlie Manuel’s recent closed-door meeting on Friday may have provided the spark that will light a midsummer fire underneath the ballclub.
Interestingly enough, there is a positive by-product to all of the losing of late. The Phillies have learned that the division race is theirs to win or lose.
The last time the Phils took over first place in the NL East was on May 30th. They have remained in that spot throughout the entirety of June despite trying to sabotage that lead in every conceivable way.
Of course, a large reason for this is that the Mets have solemnly swooned their way through June as well, posting an even worse 9-16 record leading up to today. Read more!
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Slumping Rollins Benched for Three Games
Finally, after weeks of terrible performance, Phillies skipper Charlie Manuel has benched shortstop Jimmy Rollins. Rollins, the so-called catalyst for the Phillies offense, sat out Thursday and Friday nights’ games in hopes to correct his ailments at the plate. The result for the Phillies: a 10-4 loss against the Tampa Bay Rays and 5-0 loss at the hands of the Blue Jays. J-Roll also sat out Saturday afternoon’s 10-0 blowout win over Jays as well.
Rollins, who set the NL on fire in his 2007 MVP season, is batting a frigid 0.211 and has an on base percentage only slightly warmer at 0.254. You don’t need to be a baseball statistician to know those are inexcusable numbers for a person batting first for a defending world champion, or for that matter, any lineup. This kind of output wouldn’t even fly in Washington, where the Nationals are an embarrassing 16 games out of first place and it isn’t even July.
Throughout the 2009 campaign, Phillies manager Charlie Manuel has said that he is sticking by his player. Manuel has, however, dropped Jimmy to sixth in the batting order on several occasions already this season to take some of the pressure off of him. This experiment has worked, but just when everyone seems to think the struggling shortstop is okay and is put back in the top spot, another slump happens. When Jimmy returns from his benching, which is supposed to be in Sunday’s final game against the Blue Jays, maybe it is time for the Phillies manager to move Rollins towards the bottom of the lineup for more than just a couple of games.
The job of a leadoff man is to set the table for the rest of the lineup. Above all, batting first means that a hitter needs to get on base by any means necessary. Batting in the one-hole also requires patience and discipline. It entails taking a few pitches at the start of a game to let your teammates see just what the opposing pitcher has to offer. It also requires the hitter to make good contact, hit line drives, and, in the words of fictional manager Lou Brown to Willie Mays Hayes, “keep the ball on the ground.”
With that in mind, J-Roll is the antithesis of how a real leadoff hitter should perform. Ever since he first suited up in red pinstripes, Rollins has always had a poor approach to batting first in this lineup. Jimmy typically swings at the first pitch, which shows zero sign of patience or discipline. Consequently, he doesn’t walk much. His 16 walks are a disgrace for a leadoff hitter and are five walks fewer than the eighth hitter, catcher Carlos Ruiz. To compare Jimmy’s walks with his counterpart in this weekend’s series, Blue Jays shortstop Marco Scutaro, is not even fair. Scutaro has 49 walks and has an on base percentage of 0.393. Lastly, Jimmy is not making good contact either. His strikeouts double his walks, and his pop-ups are enough to make you want to choke him through the television or at least tell him to give you 20 push-ups.
Being a leadoff hitter also requires the player to steal bases. While this was one of the strong points for Rollins in the past, even that stat has fallen off this year. He only has 10 stolen bases out of 15 attempts. If you aren’t getting on base, then you can’t steal them.
Even with the struggling Rollins, the slumping Phillies, who are 2-8 in their last 10 games, are somehow miraculously still in first place. Granted their hold on the division and rival Mets is only by a half a game going into Saturday, they are still in the leaders’ circle. The Phillies, if they wish to repeat last year’s glory, are certainly going to need more production out of Rollins for the rest of the season, whether it is batting leadoff, in the sixth-hole, or maybe even lower.
Read more!
Rollins, who set the NL on fire in his 2007 MVP season, is batting a frigid 0.211 and has an on base percentage only slightly warmer at 0.254. You don’t need to be a baseball statistician to know those are inexcusable numbers for a person batting first for a defending world champion, or for that matter, any lineup. This kind of output wouldn’t even fly in Washington, where the Nationals are an embarrassing 16 games out of first place and it isn’t even July.
Throughout the 2009 campaign, Phillies manager Charlie Manuel has said that he is sticking by his player. Manuel has, however, dropped Jimmy to sixth in the batting order on several occasions already this season to take some of the pressure off of him. This experiment has worked, but just when everyone seems to think the struggling shortstop is okay and is put back in the top spot, another slump happens. When Jimmy returns from his benching, which is supposed to be in Sunday’s final game against the Blue Jays, maybe it is time for the Phillies manager to move Rollins towards the bottom of the lineup for more than just a couple of games.
The job of a leadoff man is to set the table for the rest of the lineup. Above all, batting first means that a hitter needs to get on base by any means necessary. Batting in the one-hole also requires patience and discipline. It entails taking a few pitches at the start of a game to let your teammates see just what the opposing pitcher has to offer. It also requires the hitter to make good contact, hit line drives, and, in the words of fictional manager Lou Brown to Willie Mays Hayes, “keep the ball on the ground.”
With that in mind, J-Roll is the antithesis of how a real leadoff hitter should perform. Ever since he first suited up in red pinstripes, Rollins has always had a poor approach to batting first in this lineup. Jimmy typically swings at the first pitch, which shows zero sign of patience or discipline. Consequently, he doesn’t walk much. His 16 walks are a disgrace for a leadoff hitter and are five walks fewer than the eighth hitter, catcher Carlos Ruiz. To compare Jimmy’s walks with his counterpart in this weekend’s series, Blue Jays shortstop Marco Scutaro, is not even fair. Scutaro has 49 walks and has an on base percentage of 0.393. Lastly, Jimmy is not making good contact either. His strikeouts double his walks, and his pop-ups are enough to make you want to choke him through the television or at least tell him to give you 20 push-ups.
Being a leadoff hitter also requires the player to steal bases. While this was one of the strong points for Rollins in the past, even that stat has fallen off this year. He only has 10 stolen bases out of 15 attempts. If you aren’t getting on base, then you can’t steal them.
Even with the struggling Rollins, the slumping Phillies, who are 2-8 in their last 10 games, are somehow miraculously still in first place. Granted their hold on the division and rival Mets is only by a half a game going into Saturday, they are still in the leaders’ circle. The Phillies, if they wish to repeat last year’s glory, are certainly going to need more production out of Rollins for the rest of the season, whether it is batting leadoff, in the sixth-hole, or maybe even lower.
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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