One night after Jamie Moyer, the Phillies' resident "fisherman," sullied his perfect record against the Marlins, Kyle Kendrick shook off his past struggles against Florida and pitched six shutout innings. Coming into the game, Kendrick was 1-1 with a 5.40 in three starts versus the Marlins, including his July 19th outing in which he gave up seven earned runs in 4 1/3 innings. But Kendrick put all that aside and came up with a big win for the Phillies, as he and the bullpen combined for a 5-0 shutout.
In contrast to yesterday's game, the Phillies took an early lead and built on it. In the first inning, Chase Utley scorched a double to deep right center, scoring Shane Victorino and giving Marlins starter Anibal Sanchez (yes, the one who threw the no-hitter) a rude welcome in his second start since his right shoulder surgery. The Phillies left the first inning with 1-0 lead, but there was more to come.
Sanchez appeared to unravel a bit in the second inning. The first batter, Geoff Jenkins, reached on a Sanchez error and the next batter, Chris Coste, was hit by a pitch. In just a few pitches, Sanchez had gotten himself into a jam, with two on and none out. However, with Eric Bruntlett and Kendrick due up, things could have been worse. Bruntlett didn't see it that way, as he ripped a double down the third base line, scoring Jenkins and advancing Coste to third. Kendrick did his part as well, scoring Coste on a grounder to short. Ryan Howard tacked on another insurance run in the third inning with his 32nd home run of the season.
All the while, Kendrick kept the Marlins off the board. Unlike his last outing against Florida, in he pounded the strike zone and the Marlins pounded him, Kendrick pitched around Florida's hitters. Perhaps he pitched around them a bit too much, walking five batters (he only walked one on July 19th), but time and time again Kendrick worked himself out of trouble, as the Marlins struggled with situational hitting, going 1 for 7 with runners in scoring position. When the Marlins did hit Kendrick, they didn't hit him hard. They had just one extra base hit against him, a John Baker double, and one of the four hits he allowed was an infield single.
Kendrick was pulled in the bottom of the sixth and 31 year-old rookie (the Phillies seem to love these guys) Mike Cervenak came in to pinch hit with Bruntlett on first and no outs. Bruntlett stole second on a 2-1 count and managed to take third as well thanks to a Dan Uggla error. (He's still got it!) Cervenak singled on the next pitch and Bruntlett scoring, giving Cervenak his first career hit and RBI. Jimmy Rollins doubled and Cervenak nearly scored his first run as well, as he advanced to third. However, it was not in the cards, as Sanchez was pulled for Doug Waechter, who struck out Victorino, and then Mark Hendrickson induced fly outs from Utley and Howard. Still, the Phillies held a 5-0 lead and the game was in the hands off the bullpen.
Once again, the bullpen performed admirably. Chad Durbin pitched the seventh and eighth (getting an at-bat in the process) and Ryan Madson pitched the ninth, maintaining the shutout and giving the Phillies a little breathing room in the NL East standings.
Kendrick became the second Phillies starter this season to reach ten wins (also matching his 2007 win total). Once again, he made hitters get themselves out and pitched himself out of jams, finding a way to win. Think of him as a young Jamie Moyer. Very young.
Tomorrow Cole Hamels can join Moyer and Kendrick on the ten-win plateau. He has yet to register a win against the Marlins this season, despite two very good starts (and one bad one). If Hamels wins, it will be his first since July 3rd, when he went 8 2/3 against Atlanta. Hamels hasn't pitched especially badly since then (though his last two starts were less than impressive). More often, he's fallen victim to a sputtering offense. Perhaps that will change tomorrow, as the Phillies face Marlins rookie Chris Volstad. That 3+ game cushion atop the division would sure look nice.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Third Time's the Charm for Blanton
In his first two starts for the Phillies, he gave up a combined seven earned runs in eight innings, and yet the Phillies won both games, thanks to impressive rallies (particularly in Blanton's debut against the Mets). Tonight he led the Phillies to victory himself, pitching seven strong innings and earning his first win for his new team.
Blanton would be matched nearly pitch for pitch by the Cardinals' Braden Looper, who also went seven innings. Yet, great as they were, neither pitcher was perfect. Looper made the first of two mistakes in the third inning, when Greg Dobbs homered to give the Phillies a 1-0 lead. In the fourth, Ryan Howard came up and continued his abuse of Looper, crushing a homer to right-center and extending the Phillies' lead to 2-0.
Howard has always played well against the Cardinals and Looper, in particular. Coming into the game, Howard had three home runs in four at-bats against Looper. Tonight he add a fourth home run, plus a pair of walks.
Howard's home run would make the difference tonight, as Blanton would only make one mistake the entire game. That mistake resulted in a 420-foot blast by Ryan Ludwick in the seventh inning, his third home run of the series, that made it a 2-1 game. But it wouldn't matter in the end, as the Phillies bullpen survived the eighth and ninth. J.C. Romero allowed a single in the eighth, then struck out Cesar Izturis, then Charlie Manuel turned to Chad Durbin who induced a 6-4-3 double play off the bat of yesterday's hero, Joe Mather.
The ninth inning featured yet another meeting of Brad Lidge and Albert Pujols, but this one held little suspense. Pujols hit a sharp grounder on the first pitch right to Jimmy Rollins, who fired to first for the first out. Lidge then struck out Ludwick, but walked Troy Glaus. Brendan Ryan came in to pinch run and Rick Ankiel stepped in to pinch hit. Ankiel was held out of the lineup with an abdominal strain, but was available as a pinch hitter, so the Cardinals turned to him here.
Perhaps if Tony La Russa had remembered Ankiel's last meeting with Lidge, he would have acted differently. (I remember quite well. Three sliders, three swings, no contact.) The first pitch, not surprisingly, was a slider, but it was low and in the dirt and it skipped away from Carlos Ruiz. That allowed Ryan to take second, putting the tying run in scoring position. However, Lidge got down to business after that. He threw a slider for a called strike, then got Ankiel to whiff on two more sliders, ending the game and recording his 27th save in as many chances.
The Phillies are now 3-0 in games Blanton starts, which is good in itself, but it was especially encouraging to see him have a dominant outing tonight. The first win was little more than luck, as far as Blanton was concerned, and the second was cut short due to a rain delay, but he did not get off to a great start. But tonight, against a formidable offense, he was at his best allowing just four hits, only one of which was for extra bases (Ludwick's homer), and striking out five.
Tomorrow we'll see Brett Myers put to the test as he tries to prove that his stellar performance against the Nationals was not a fluke. He'll take on Todd Wellemeyer, who was partially responsible for the Phillies' 20-2 rout of the Cardinals on June 13th. To be fair, he was coming off an injury and may not have been entirely healthy, so don't expect another 20 runs tomorrow. Then again, who expected Blanton to dominate?
Blanton would be matched nearly pitch for pitch by the Cardinals' Braden Looper, who also went seven innings. Yet, great as they were, neither pitcher was perfect. Looper made the first of two mistakes in the third inning, when Greg Dobbs homered to give the Phillies a 1-0 lead. In the fourth, Ryan Howard came up and continued his abuse of Looper, crushing a homer to right-center and extending the Phillies' lead to 2-0.
Howard has always played well against the Cardinals and Looper, in particular. Coming into the game, Howard had three home runs in four at-bats against Looper. Tonight he add a fourth home run, plus a pair of walks.
Howard's home run would make the difference tonight, as Blanton would only make one mistake the entire game. That mistake resulted in a 420-foot blast by Ryan Ludwick in the seventh inning, his third home run of the series, that made it a 2-1 game. But it wouldn't matter in the end, as the Phillies bullpen survived the eighth and ninth. J.C. Romero allowed a single in the eighth, then struck out Cesar Izturis, then Charlie Manuel turned to Chad Durbin who induced a 6-4-3 double play off the bat of yesterday's hero, Joe Mather.
The ninth inning featured yet another meeting of Brad Lidge and Albert Pujols, but this one held little suspense. Pujols hit a sharp grounder on the first pitch right to Jimmy Rollins, who fired to first for the first out. Lidge then struck out Ludwick, but walked Troy Glaus. Brendan Ryan came in to pinch run and Rick Ankiel stepped in to pinch hit. Ankiel was held out of the lineup with an abdominal strain, but was available as a pinch hitter, so the Cardinals turned to him here.
Perhaps if Tony La Russa had remembered Ankiel's last meeting with Lidge, he would have acted differently. (I remember quite well. Three sliders, three swings, no contact.) The first pitch, not surprisingly, was a slider, but it was low and in the dirt and it skipped away from Carlos Ruiz. That allowed Ryan to take second, putting the tying run in scoring position. However, Lidge got down to business after that. He threw a slider for a called strike, then got Ankiel to whiff on two more sliders, ending the game and recording his 27th save in as many chances.
The Phillies are now 3-0 in games Blanton starts, which is good in itself, but it was especially encouraging to see him have a dominant outing tonight. The first win was little more than luck, as far as Blanton was concerned, and the second was cut short due to a rain delay, but he did not get off to a great start. But tonight, against a formidable offense, he was at his best allowing just four hits, only one of which was for extra bases (Ludwick's homer), and striking out five.
Tomorrow we'll see Brett Myers put to the test as he tries to prove that his stellar performance against the Nationals was not a fluke. He'll take on Todd Wellemeyer, who was partially responsible for the Phillies' 20-2 rout of the Cardinals on June 13th. To be fair, he was coming off an injury and may not have been entirely healthy, so don't expect another 20 runs tomorrow. Then again, who expected Blanton to dominate?
Friday, August 1, 2008
Ludwick and Lohse Snap Phillies' Streak
Of all the pitchers to snap the Phillies' six-game winning streak, who would've thought it would be Cole Hamels? Yet that's just what happened tonight, as Hamels struggled to keep the ball in the park and Lohse limited the Phillies offense.
The third inning proved to be the decisive one. Skip Schumaker led off with a single and Cesar Izturis followed with a walk. That brought up rookie Joe Mather with Albert Pujols on deck. Hamels, no doubt, didn't want to load the bases for Pujols and instead gave Mather a pitch to hit. And hit it he did, launching a three-run home run and putting the Cardinals ahead. The Cardinals would tack on another run after two infield singles and a sacrifice fly plated Ryan Ludwick, and the Phillies trailed 4-0 at the end of the third. The Cardinals extended the lead to 5-0 in the fifth inning, as Ludwick hit a solo home run off the first offering from Hamels in the at-bat.
The Phillies offense made its first appearance in the sixth. Shane Victorino led off the inning with a double and Chase Utley drove him in with a ground rule double. After a Ryan Howard strikeout, Pat Burrell hit his 27th home run, cutting the deficit to two runs. Geoff Jenkins doubled in the next at-bat, putting the tying run at the plate. That would be all for Kyle Lohse, as Tony La Russa put the game in the hands of the Cardinals bullpen. Russ Springer entered and retired Eric Bruntlett and Carlos Ruiz to keep it a 5-3 game.
That would be all the scoring the Phillies could muster, as Springer, Jaime Garcia, and Jason Isringhausen combined for 3 2/3 scoreless innings. The Cardinals, in the meantime, added an insurance run, as Ludwick homered for the second time in the eighth off Ryan Madson. The extra run wouldn't make a difference, as the Phillies were unable to register a single hit against the St. Louis bullpen, but don't tell that to Isringhausen, who walked two runners in the ninth. However, Victorino, representing the tying run, grounded the second, ending the game.
The third inning proved to be the decisive one. Skip Schumaker led off with a single and Cesar Izturis followed with a walk. That brought up rookie Joe Mather with Albert Pujols on deck. Hamels, no doubt, didn't want to load the bases for Pujols and instead gave Mather a pitch to hit. And hit it he did, launching a three-run home run and putting the Cardinals ahead. The Cardinals would tack on another run after two infield singles and a sacrifice fly plated Ryan Ludwick, and the Phillies trailed 4-0 at the end of the third. The Cardinals extended the lead to 5-0 in the fifth inning, as Ludwick hit a solo home run off the first offering from Hamels in the at-bat.
The Phillies offense made its first appearance in the sixth. Shane Victorino led off the inning with a double and Chase Utley drove him in with a ground rule double. After a Ryan Howard strikeout, Pat Burrell hit his 27th home run, cutting the deficit to two runs. Geoff Jenkins doubled in the next at-bat, putting the tying run at the plate. That would be all for Kyle Lohse, as Tony La Russa put the game in the hands of the Cardinals bullpen. Russ Springer entered and retired Eric Bruntlett and Carlos Ruiz to keep it a 5-3 game.
That would be all the scoring the Phillies could muster, as Springer, Jaime Garcia, and Jason Isringhausen combined for 3 2/3 scoreless innings. The Cardinals, in the meantime, added an insurance run, as Ludwick homered for the second time in the eighth off Ryan Madson. The extra run wouldn't make a difference, as the Phillies were unable to register a single hit against the St. Louis bullpen, but don't tell that to Isringhausen, who walked two runners in the ninth. However, Victorino, representing the tying run, grounded the second, ending the game.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Phillies Edge Back to First in Washington Win
The Phillies offense finally got back to playing on all cylinders, the way it theoretically should be the vast majority of the time, tonight. If Brett Myers had finally seemed to show signs of successful comeback last night by returning as a pitcher who was now vaguely Jamie Moyer-ish and shutting down the Nationals, the combination of that extremely weak-hitting team with the genuine Jamie Moyer looked extremely promising for the Phillies.
The first inning bore this out, as Shane Victorino singled (extending his hitting streak to ten games), Chase Utley followed, Ryan Howard singled on a ball that was hard hit but luckily bobbled in the outfield, then Pat Burrell collected two RBI on his single when Utley seemed to read the ball supernaturally well on contact and ran hard from second. Everything off of Washington's Tim Redding was hit hard.
Moyer, however, made a couple of mistakes in his half of the first, allowing a double to Austin Kearns and homers to Willie Harris and young catcher Jesus Flores to give the Nationals a 3-2 lead, and subsequently both pitchers seemed to settle down for a while. It wasn't until the fifth when a rare hit by Carlos Ruiz and a walk issued to Moyer heralded another Phillie rally -- hits by Jimmy Rollins and Victorino were topped off by Chase Utley's second home run in two games (following a long dry spell of lowered production from the second baseman), putting Philadelphia ahead 7-3.
The Phillies increased their lead and Shane Victorino extended his recent offensive tear with a solo home run in the seventh, and the two RBI that Lastings Milledge and Ryan Zimmerman collected for Washington against Ryan Madson in the seventh were not enough for them. Brad Lidge collected the save on the 8-5 win.
New York lost to Florida, putting Philadelphia a half game ahead of them to top the division standings. The Phillies have a right to be satisfied that the Mets' shot at uncontested first has not lasted long. With the Mets not playing tomorrow and the Phillies taking on the weak Washington Nationals for another game, its important that they take this opportunity to shore up their lead to an entire game.
On the Eve of the Deadline...
'Twas the night before trading,
When all through the (club)house
Not a rumor was stirring,
Not even Manny Ramirez.
In all fairness, the Phillies did fill their biggest need in patching up the rotation with Joe Blanton, but for a team in a three-way division race, it's surprising that there's nothing happening on the trade front. There was talk about an outfield bat such as Casey Blake, Matt Holliday, and very briefly Manny Ramirez, and also about acquiring a left-handed reliever such as Brian Fuentes, Ron Mahay, or Damaso Marte. At the same time, the team has one of the most potentially devastating lineups in the majors, the best bullpen in the majors, and they dealt with their rotation as best they could. They made their second-half starting pitcher deal and all that remains to be seen is whether they can repeat the second half success they've had in the past year. So it begs the question: should they make a deal or not? Looking at both sides of the argument...
YES, THEY SHOULD MAKE A DEAL:
The team needs something to get it going. They ended the first half on the slow side and they've been mediocre starting the second half. They've looked slightly better in the last few games, with the offense coming through when it needs to rally and an encouraging start from a recently recalled Brett Myers. If the team is starting to warm up, this would be a good time to add another piece and build the momentum. There isn't a specific piece that the team needs; they filled their one gaping hole with Joe Blanton, though it remains to be seen what to expect from him. But imagine improving the bullpen that is already the best in the majors, or adding a bat to an already nasty lineup suffering from inconsistency.
At this point in the season, the Phillies have been unable to separate themselves from the Mets and the Marlins and now is the time to make an addition to create that divide. If they could acquire a great right fielder, that'd be a good move, though most of the outfielders available would hurt the defense, already hurt by Pat Burrell. Acquiring another utility guy would make a lot of sense if Feliz is going to have some trouble, to spell Bruntlett, and if they get a guy with speed, he could take the place of So Taguchi, who has not been particularly useful this season. Another left-handed bullpen pitcher would also be a nice move. They don't necessarily need to tinker with the bullpen, but it would be nice not to be stingy with J.C. Romero for fear of overusing him as the sole lefty in the pen. With Chris Coste slumping offensively, and Carlos Ruiz doing nothing offensively, even getting a catcher would be a decent idea. Whatever it is, the team needs to make a move in order to boost the team and reestablish themselves as, in Jimmy Rollins' words, the team to beat in the NL East.
Or, as my good friend pointed out to me today, "Everybody likes deals."
NO, THEY SHOULDN'T MAKE A DEAL:
The biggest problem with the Phillies making a trade is figuring out what they have to give up. Their farm system is not particularly strong and they already used two of their major chips to acquire Joe Blanton. Their most highly sought-after prospects, Carlos Carrasco and Lou Marson, are a part of the Phillies' near future and they could both help the major league club as early as this year. They have a few intriguing prospects lower in the system, such as Jason Donald and Greg Golson, but to acquire a supplementary piece with one of those guys would be a waste. Does it really make a lot of sense to trade shortstop Jason Donald for left-handed reliever Ron Mahay? In a year or so, Donald could be a major trade chip.
Bearing that in mind, what position would the Phillies acquire that would justify giving up one of their few good prospects? The team solved its one major issue in the Joe Blanton deal, and if that doesn't work out or Myers doesn't work out, they could give J.A. Happ another crack at a starting slot, and see if Adam Eaton or Kris Benson prove themselves rotation worthy in the minors. They already have the best bullpen in the majors and will be getting Tom Gordon back at some point in the season which, if he's healthy, would be just as good as getting any pitcher they could acquire at this point. So Taguchi has been a little better of late, and once Pedro Feliz comes back, he should be better in theory, and quite frankly he's been exactly what the team was expecting him to be when they signed him: a great fielder with a little bit of power. In September, they'll probably call up Lou Marson or Jason Jaramillo to help with the poor production at catcher, though there was never a lot of talk about them getting a catcher anyway.
Lastly, with the team's reputation for having better second halves in recent years, the fact that they were far better in the first half than they had been the past couple years, it's worth it to see what they do with an improved roster from the division winning team last year.
IN CONCLUSION:
It might be worth it to get a supplementary player, but it's highly unlikely that they'll make a deal. They don't have the trading chips to make it happen in a way that would be truly worth it. But if either the Mets or Marlins make a deadline deal, the team could be fighting an uphill battle.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Myers' Return: Take Two (Live)
Tonight the Phillies begin a three-game series in Washington. Brett Myers gets the first start, facing rookie Colin Balester. Myers' control was nowhere to be seen last time out against the Mets, but, on the bright side, he did not allow a home run. We'll see if he can shut down the light-hitting Nationals.
7:08: A look at the Phillies' starting lineup. Once again, Greg Dobbs gets the start at third, despite the fact that he's a terrible fielder and is far more valuable as a pinch hitter.
7:16: Balester's off to a good start, putting the Phillies down in order in the 1st. Now let's see which Brett Myers shows up.
7:22: Myers works an 0-2 counts before Willie Harris grounds out to the mound. Ronnie Belliard follows with a fly out to Geoff Jenkins. Ryan Zimmerman is watches strike three go by to end the inning. So far so good. In fact, Myers only threw one ball that entire inning.
7:25: Howard goes down swinging, but what else is new. Can't complain when the guy has 30 homers and 90+ RBIs in July. Burrell follows with a single for the first hit of the game.
7:26: Despite his best efforts, Jenkins can't ground into a double play. Felipe Lopez flips to Belliard, who tries to barehand it, but instead drops the ball and both runners are safe.
7:29: Belliard can rest easy as the Phillies fail to capitalize on his error. Dobbs pops out in foul ground and Chris Coste flies out to left.
7:32: A look at the home runs allowed leaderboard shows that Myers is now second in home runs allowed. Perhaps some celebration is in order. Let's hope no one tells Myers. Don't want him getting any ideas.
7:34: Six batters faced, six outs for Myers. He's throwing that fastball for strikes; something he couldn't do against the Mets. No strikeouts this inning, but a pair of pop-outs and a hard hit grounder were all the Nats could muster.
7:40: Chase Utley launches a home run to right, scoring Jimmy Rollins. I think it's safe to say he was due. Phillies lead 2-0.
7:49: Myers breaks up the perfect game by grazing Paul Lo Duca with the first pitch of the Nationals third inning. However, his stay on base isn't long, as Lopez grounds into a double play. Howard tags first for the first out and then Lo Duca is caught in a rundown. Lanester, of all people, gets the first hit of the game, slapping a single up the middle off a Myers fastball.
7:54: Balester's hit won't matter, as Harris pops to second after running a full count. Myers has a shutout through three innings. It's only the Nationals, but still. Baby steps.
8:00: Balester retires the Phillies in order, capped off by an impressive scoop by Zimmerman, who throws out Coste to end the inning.
8:02: Myers starts the bottom of the third by running a fastball in on Belliard and hitting him. Belliard's pain-induced cry can be heard across the stadium. Although that might just because no one is at the game.
8:04: Myers gets out of trouble yet again. Zimmerman hits into a 6-4-3 double play and Austin Kearn grounds to short for the third out. Through four innings, Myers has thrown just 39 pitches, 27 of them for strikes. I'm starting to believe...
8:07: If the Nationals wanted to retaliate for the hit batters, they missed their chance, as Myers goes down looking for the first out of the fifth.
8:08: Rollins gets a hold of one, drilling it to deep right field, but Kearn tracks it down and it's just a long out. Victorino follows with a single and here comes Utley with a chance to drive a few more runs in.
8:11: Scratch that. Utley won't get much of a chance as Victorino is gunned down trying to steal second. It's none too wise to take the bat out of a slugger's hands like that, but considering how rarely the Phillies are caught stealing, it wasn't a bad gamble. Didn't work out this time, but the Phillies still hold a two-run lead.
8:15: Jesus Flores leads off the inning with a single up the middle, right after nailing Victorino at second. That guy always seems to have an impact. This brings light to the fact that Lo Duca is playing first base, instead of Dmitri Young or Nick Johnson. Technically this makes Myers' start that much less impressive, but like I said, baby steps.
8:19: Lopez grounds up the middle and Rollins makes a great throw on the run to retire the side. Five scoreless innings for Myers on 52 pitches. He could well go the distance.
8:22: Utley comes close to hitting his second homer of the night, but doesn't quite get enough on the ball. Kearns catches it on the warning track. Howard follows with another near-home run, caught by Harris in deep left.
8:26: Burrell hits a two-out single, but Jenkins strikes out for out number three. Give credit to Balester, who's looked good tonight, only really making one mistake.
8:32: Another 1-2-3 inning for Myers, who has taken a page from Jamie Moyer's playbook, mixing speeds and getting contact outs rather than trying to strike everyone out. The result? Sixty-five pitches threw six shutout innings.
8:37: Dobbs strikes out, once again proving that he should be relegated to the bench. Granted, the Phillies are in a bit of a bind at third base with Pedro Feliz now on the DL, but wouldn't they be better served to start Eric Bruntlett?
8:43: Eric Bruntlett comes in as a defensive replacement at third base. I feel slightly responsible for complaining about Dobbs. (Does Manuel read this blog? I'm both flattered and frightened by the prospect.) It seems a shame to waste him as a pinch hitter, but with Myers pitching well and having just hit, they probably won't need more than one pinch hitter, so it's not a bad move. Meanwhile, Myers starts the inning with a walk to Zimmerman.
8:50: After getting the next two hitters to fly out, Zimmerman is tagged out at second base to end the inning. Myers catches a break, and he hasn't needed many tonight. We're now through seven, still with a 2-0 score.
8:55: Yet another near-home run, as Victorino hits one hard to deep right. Harris makes an impressive jumping catch, slamming into the wall for his trouble. Great catch, tough break for the Phillies.
9:02: After a very long Utley at-bat results in a single, Howard flies out to retire the side. It's a good thing Myers has been lights-out tonight because the offense hasn't given him much help.
9:07: Lo Duca leads off with a single up the middle and Lopez follows with a potential double play ball. Unfortunately, Utley bobbles it and all runners are safe. The tying run is on base with no outs. And here comes Manuel. That'll do it for Myers, who had an outstanding start. Looks like J.C. Romero will come in and try to preserve the win.
9:11: Ryan Langerhans bunts to the right of Romero and nearly beats it out, but Romero makes a strong throw to get him at first. That advances the runners, putting the tying run in scoring position.
9:14: Harris breaks up the shutout, chopping a grounder to third. Christian Guzman (running for Lo Duca) scores as Bruntlett fires to first. Desptie Bruntlett's efforts to hold him, Lopez takes third on the throw. With that, Manuel goes to Chad Durbin who will face Belliard with two outs and the tying run on third.
9:18: Durbin does his part, getting Belliard to ground out to second, and the Phillies escape...for now. The heart of the Nationals' order is due up in the ninth. Fortunately for the Phillies, that means Zimmerman, Kearns, and Flores. That doesn't sound like a very healthy heart to me.
9:26: After Joel Hanrahan strikes out Burrell and Jenkins, Bruntlett laces a single into left field. Now Coste gets a chance to give the Phillies a little insurance with two outs.
9:28: So much for that. Coste grounds to first, ending the inning, and in comes Brad Lidge with a one-run lead. Come on, Brad, do it for Brett! He deserves it (for once).
9:33: Lidge is looking like...well, himself. He gets Zimmerman to ground to third for the first out.
9:36: Kearns works a full count, but it's all for naught as he fouls out on the first base side. Howard runs it down and the Phillies are one out away from Myers' fourth win of the season.
9:38: And there it is. Flores flies out to right to end the game. Lidge has his 25th save and Myers his 4th win. Final score: 2-1 Phillies.
It's a little concerning that the Phillies could only muster two runs off the Nationals, but first things first: Brett Myers had a great outing, pitching into the eighth inning and allowing just one (unearned) run. He only recorded two strikeouts, but he did a tremendous job of keeping hitters off-balance and making them beat themselves with pop-ups and routine ground-outs. This was one of his best starts of the season (which isn't saying much, I know) and it might be his most important start. Yes, it was against the hapless Nationals, who didn't even have all of their top hitters available, but Myers needed a dominant outing to get his confidence back up.
The question now is: Is this the Brett Myers we'll see from now on, or was it just luck combined with ineptitude on Washington's part? There's no way to tell at this point, but this was a very encouraging outing, and not just because of the end result. Myers was extremely efficient, throwing only 88 pitches through seven innings and two batters in the eighth, and he pounded the strike zone. Sixty-three of his 88 pitches were strikes; a stark contrast to last week's start against the Mets when he threw only 49 strikes out of 95 pitches.
Myers had thrown his share of strikes earlier in the season, but he threw a few too many, as a lot of them landed in the outfield bleachers. One could argue that a better hitting team would have made Myers pay for throwing as many strikes as he did tonight. While that may be true, the Nationals didn't hit many balls hard at all. While the Phillies had at least three hard hit outs, caught at or near the warning track, not one Phillies outfielder had to step on the warning track all night. In fact, the Nationals didn't have one extra-base hit.
Ultimately, this was just one start and Myers could struggle again next time out, but suffice it to say, this was a very encouraging outing and bodes well for future success. We'll just have to wait and see, but for now, I'll gladly take the win.
7:08: A look at the Phillies' starting lineup. Once again, Greg Dobbs gets the start at third, despite the fact that he's a terrible fielder and is far more valuable as a pinch hitter.
7:16: Balester's off to a good start, putting the Phillies down in order in the 1st. Now let's see which Brett Myers shows up.
7:22: Myers works an 0-2 counts before Willie Harris grounds out to the mound. Ronnie Belliard follows with a fly out to Geoff Jenkins. Ryan Zimmerman is watches strike three go by to end the inning. So far so good. In fact, Myers only threw one ball that entire inning.
7:25: Howard goes down swinging, but what else is new. Can't complain when the guy has 30 homers and 90+ RBIs in July. Burrell follows with a single for the first hit of the game.
7:26: Despite his best efforts, Jenkins can't ground into a double play. Felipe Lopez flips to Belliard, who tries to barehand it, but instead drops the ball and both runners are safe.
7:29: Belliard can rest easy as the Phillies fail to capitalize on his error. Dobbs pops out in foul ground and Chris Coste flies out to left.
7:32: A look at the home runs allowed leaderboard shows that Myers is now second in home runs allowed. Perhaps some celebration is in order. Let's hope no one tells Myers. Don't want him getting any ideas.
7:34: Six batters faced, six outs for Myers. He's throwing that fastball for strikes; something he couldn't do against the Mets. No strikeouts this inning, but a pair of pop-outs and a hard hit grounder were all the Nats could muster.
7:40: Chase Utley launches a home run to right, scoring Jimmy Rollins. I think it's safe to say he was due. Phillies lead 2-0.
7:49: Myers breaks up the perfect game by grazing Paul Lo Duca with the first pitch of the Nationals third inning. However, his stay on base isn't long, as Lopez grounds into a double play. Howard tags first for the first out and then Lo Duca is caught in a rundown. Lanester, of all people, gets the first hit of the game, slapping a single up the middle off a Myers fastball.
7:54: Balester's hit won't matter, as Harris pops to second after running a full count. Myers has a shutout through three innings. It's only the Nationals, but still. Baby steps.
8:00: Balester retires the Phillies in order, capped off by an impressive scoop by Zimmerman, who throws out Coste to end the inning.
8:02: Myers starts the bottom of the third by running a fastball in on Belliard and hitting him. Belliard's pain-induced cry can be heard across the stadium. Although that might just because no one is at the game.
8:04: Myers gets out of trouble yet again. Zimmerman hits into a 6-4-3 double play and Austin Kearn grounds to short for the third out. Through four innings, Myers has thrown just 39 pitches, 27 of them for strikes. I'm starting to believe...
8:07: If the Nationals wanted to retaliate for the hit batters, they missed their chance, as Myers goes down looking for the first out of the fifth.
8:08: Rollins gets a hold of one, drilling it to deep right field, but Kearn tracks it down and it's just a long out. Victorino follows with a single and here comes Utley with a chance to drive a few more runs in.
8:11: Scratch that. Utley won't get much of a chance as Victorino is gunned down trying to steal second. It's none too wise to take the bat out of a slugger's hands like that, but considering how rarely the Phillies are caught stealing, it wasn't a bad gamble. Didn't work out this time, but the Phillies still hold a two-run lead.
8:15: Jesus Flores leads off the inning with a single up the middle, right after nailing Victorino at second. That guy always seems to have an impact. This brings light to the fact that Lo Duca is playing first base, instead of Dmitri Young or Nick Johnson. Technically this makes Myers' start that much less impressive, but like I said, baby steps.
8:19: Lopez grounds up the middle and Rollins makes a great throw on the run to retire the side. Five scoreless innings for Myers on 52 pitches. He could well go the distance.
8:22: Utley comes close to hitting his second homer of the night, but doesn't quite get enough on the ball. Kearns catches it on the warning track. Howard follows with another near-home run, caught by Harris in deep left.
8:26: Burrell hits a two-out single, but Jenkins strikes out for out number three. Give credit to Balester, who's looked good tonight, only really making one mistake.
8:32: Another 1-2-3 inning for Myers, who has taken a page from Jamie Moyer's playbook, mixing speeds and getting contact outs rather than trying to strike everyone out. The result? Sixty-five pitches threw six shutout innings.
8:37: Dobbs strikes out, once again proving that he should be relegated to the bench. Granted, the Phillies are in a bit of a bind at third base with Pedro Feliz now on the DL, but wouldn't they be better served to start Eric Bruntlett?
8:43: Eric Bruntlett comes in as a defensive replacement at third base. I feel slightly responsible for complaining about Dobbs. (Does Manuel read this blog? I'm both flattered and frightened by the prospect.) It seems a shame to waste him as a pinch hitter, but with Myers pitching well and having just hit, they probably won't need more than one pinch hitter, so it's not a bad move. Meanwhile, Myers starts the inning with a walk to Zimmerman.
8:50: After getting the next two hitters to fly out, Zimmerman is tagged out at second base to end the inning. Myers catches a break, and he hasn't needed many tonight. We're now through seven, still with a 2-0 score.
8:55: Yet another near-home run, as Victorino hits one hard to deep right. Harris makes an impressive jumping catch, slamming into the wall for his trouble. Great catch, tough break for the Phillies.
9:02: After a very long Utley at-bat results in a single, Howard flies out to retire the side. It's a good thing Myers has been lights-out tonight because the offense hasn't given him much help.
9:07: Lo Duca leads off with a single up the middle and Lopez follows with a potential double play ball. Unfortunately, Utley bobbles it and all runners are safe. The tying run is on base with no outs. And here comes Manuel. That'll do it for Myers, who had an outstanding start. Looks like J.C. Romero will come in and try to preserve the win.
9:11: Ryan Langerhans bunts to the right of Romero and nearly beats it out, but Romero makes a strong throw to get him at first. That advances the runners, putting the tying run in scoring position.
9:14: Harris breaks up the shutout, chopping a grounder to third. Christian Guzman (running for Lo Duca) scores as Bruntlett fires to first. Desptie Bruntlett's efforts to hold him, Lopez takes third on the throw. With that, Manuel goes to Chad Durbin who will face Belliard with two outs and the tying run on third.
9:18: Durbin does his part, getting Belliard to ground out to second, and the Phillies escape...for now. The heart of the Nationals' order is due up in the ninth. Fortunately for the Phillies, that means Zimmerman, Kearns, and Flores. That doesn't sound like a very healthy heart to me.
9:26: After Joel Hanrahan strikes out Burrell and Jenkins, Bruntlett laces a single into left field. Now Coste gets a chance to give the Phillies a little insurance with two outs.
9:28: So much for that. Coste grounds to first, ending the inning, and in comes Brad Lidge with a one-run lead. Come on, Brad, do it for Brett! He deserves it (for once).
9:33: Lidge is looking like...well, himself. He gets Zimmerman to ground to third for the first out.
9:36: Kearns works a full count, but it's all for naught as he fouls out on the first base side. Howard runs it down and the Phillies are one out away from Myers' fourth win of the season.
9:38: And there it is. Flores flies out to right to end the game. Lidge has his 25th save and Myers his 4th win. Final score: 2-1 Phillies.
It's a little concerning that the Phillies could only muster two runs off the Nationals, but first things first: Brett Myers had a great outing, pitching into the eighth inning and allowing just one (unearned) run. He only recorded two strikeouts, but he did a tremendous job of keeping hitters off-balance and making them beat themselves with pop-ups and routine ground-outs. This was one of his best starts of the season (which isn't saying much, I know) and it might be his most important start. Yes, it was against the hapless Nationals, who didn't even have all of their top hitters available, but Myers needed a dominant outing to get his confidence back up.
The question now is: Is this the Brett Myers we'll see from now on, or was it just luck combined with ineptitude on Washington's part? There's no way to tell at this point, but this was a very encouraging outing, and not just because of the end result. Myers was extremely efficient, throwing only 88 pitches through seven innings and two batters in the eighth, and he pounded the strike zone. Sixty-three of his 88 pitches were strikes; a stark contrast to last week's start against the Mets when he threw only 49 strikes out of 95 pitches.
Myers had thrown his share of strikes earlier in the season, but he threw a few too many, as a lot of them landed in the outfield bleachers. One could argue that a better hitting team would have made Myers pay for throwing as many strikes as he did tonight. While that may be true, the Nationals didn't hit many balls hard at all. While the Phillies had at least three hard hit outs, caught at or near the warning track, not one Phillies outfielder had to step on the warning track all night. In fact, the Nationals didn't have one extra-base hit.
Ultimately, this was just one start and Myers could struggle again next time out, but suffice it to say, this was a very encouraging outing and bodes well for future success. We'll just have to wait and see, but for now, I'll gladly take the win.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Phillies Hit Five Homers in Comeback
After a short outing from Joe Blanton, a two hour rain delay, and a rocky outing from Adam Eaton, the Phillies had two five-run innings and five home runs and rallied to a 12-10 win, continuing their success over the Atlanta Braves.
Joe Blanton allowed two runs in the first inning, but settled down for a 1-2-3 second inning. However, after a two hour rain delay Blanton was lifted for Adam Eaton. Eaton proved why the Phillies had to trade for Blanton by allowing three runs on two home runs in two innings of work. In the bottom of the fourth, the home run parade started with a two-run shot by Chris Coste followed by a Shane Victorino three-run shot to tie the game. Clay Condrey and J.C. Romero shut down the Braves while the Phils scored six more runs including home runs from Pat Burrell, Jayson Werth, and Jimmy Rollins. Rudy Seanez allowed the Braves to come within three runs, partly due to a mistimed dive by Jayson Werth, and Ryan Madson allowed an RBI double to put the Braves within two. But Brad Lidge kept his perfect save record alive and clinched yet another series against the Braves, who have beaten the Phillies only twice in 2008.
Before last night, the Phillies hadn't scored 10+ runs since May. To see them do it two nights in a row is encouraging, especially with a home run from Jimmy Rollins. The 1 through 4 hitters in the lineup each had two hits, and every spot in the lineup had at least 1 RBI except for Eric Bruntlett, starting again for Pedro Feliz, and Chase Utley. (The suddenly useful So Taguchi drove in a run for the 9 spot.) It's hard to know from his first two outings what to expect from Joe Blanton for the remainder of the season. The two-run first was discouraging, but he recovered in the second. We already knew what to expect from Adam Eaton. But the Phillies' ability to rally was a big reason they were successful last year, especially in the second half.
Also worth noting was the beating Atlanta catcher Brian McCann took. McCann was 1 for 2 in plays at the plate. The first was with Chase Utley, who was thrown out, and the second was a literal head to head collision with Shane Victorino, who was safe but briefly knocked out McCann before he was able to get up and led off the field by the Braves head trainer.
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