The Phillies have reported that Brad Lidge had successful surgery to repair his flexor pronator tendon in his hip. Initial reports are that he will be able to start throwing in about eight weeks, and the Phils are hopeful he will be ready to go by Opening Day. I can’t help but wonder how much this injury impacted Lidge during the 2009 season. The thought that an injury was causing — at least some of — Lidge’s woes last season gives me hope that he will be able to bounce back in 2010.
The Phillies won game one of the World Series with good pitching and solid defense. Cole Hamels and the Phillies’ bullpen were able to pick up the stagnant offense, and win the game. The Phils were unable to replicate that formula for success last night, as they dropped game two 4-2 to the Rays, evening the series at one game apiece.
For the second game in a row, the Phillies offense was unable to cash in on their opportunities with runners on base. In six of the nine innings last night, the Phillies got their leadoff man on base. They stranded 26 men in all, and went just 1-15 with runners in scoring position. This offense has been historically bad in games one and two, making things that much tougher on the Phillies pitchers.
For his part, Brett Myers, while not horrible, wasn’t good enough to make up for the Phillies lack of offense. Myers’ first-inning struggles continued last night, as he walked Akinori Iwamura and allowed a B.J. Upton single to open the game. Jayson Werth bobbled Upton’s single putting two runners in scoring position with no one out. Unlike the Phillies, the Rays were able to capitalize on their chances with runners in scoring position. Both runners scored on ground outs, putting the Phillies in an early 2-0 hole. The Rays added runs in the second and fourth innings.
The Phillies scored two late runs off Rays’ reliever David Price. Eric Bruntlett hit a pinch-hit homer in the eighth and Carlos Ruiz scored on a Jayson Werth shot that was ruled an error in the ninth. The opportunities to score many more runs were there, but the Phillies failed to come through. Say what you will about the umpiring performance of Kerwin Danley — and trust me it was nothing short of brutal — and it’s impact on the game, but the bottom line is the Phillies didn’t capitalize on the chances they were given by the Rays.
The Phillies 3-2 victory in game one of the World Series proved the point that good pitching trumps good hitting in baseball’s post season. The Phillies set a World Series record for futility, going 0-13 with runners in scoring position, yet they still won the game. This is a game that the Phillies could easily have lost, but they won anyway.
They won the game because Cole Hamels, Ryan Madson and Brad Lidge were able to hold down a very good Rays offense. Hamels had another impressive post-season start, tossing seven solid innings of two-run ball, as he continues to blossom into one of the game’s best pitchers. With last night’s victory, Hamels is now 4-0 with a 1.55 ERA in the 2008 post season. Madson followed Hamels with a 1-2-3 eighth inning and Brad Lidge closed the door, tossing a 1-2-3 ninth for the save.
Chase Utley was the offensive hero for the Phillies, delivering a huge first inning two-run home run after Jayson Werth worked a walk off Scott Kazmir. Utley added a single and Werth doubled twice for the Phillies. Ryan Howard and Jimmy Rollins continued to struggle for the Phillies — which is of concern — going a combined 0-9 with five strikeouts and nine left on base.
Before the game, many — if not all — of the pundits said a game one victory was a must for the Phillies. I must say, I agree with them. If the Phillies had lost with Hamels — their ace, and probably the best pitcher on either team — on the mound, there would have been increadible pressure on Brett Myers and the rest of the Phillies in game two. Instead, Hamels delivered an ace-like performance and in the process grabbed home-field advantage for the Phillies.
Excited doesn’t even begin to describe how I’m feeling right now. The Phillies beat the Dodgers last night to clinch the National League title, four games to one. Though their opponent is yet to be determined, I’d be shocked if they don’t square off against the Tampa Bay Rays in the World Series.
Last night’s game solidified several things in my mind:
- Cole Hamels has proven himself to be an ace. He completely shut down the LA Dodgers in game five on his way to being named NLCS MVP. Hamels finished the series with a 2-0 record and a 1.93 ERA. He struck out 13 and walked five in 14 innings of work. Hamels may never become the type of pitcher who demands the ball on short rest, but there is no one I’d rather have pitching for the Phillies in an important game.
- The Phillies’ offense has shown the ability to win games without relying on the long ball. Sure, they’ve still hit home runs in the postseason, but they’ve also shown the ability to string together hits and capitalize on the other team’s mistakes. Scoring on only home runs in the playoffs can be a recipe for disaster, so it’s nice to see them doing the little things that help manufacture runs.
- Tim McCarver is one of the worst color analysts around. He seems to make bold statements/predictions before anything has played out. Last night, he was all over Hamels for the first few innings because his fastball was “up in the zone.” He said this was bad news for the Phillies and Hamels, almost rooting for one of the Dodgers hitters to capitalize on these “mistake” pitches to prove his point. Had McCarver done his homework — as any national analyst should do — he would have known that Hamels throws his fastball up in the zone, and his change down.
- Ryan Madson has officially become the second most trustworthy member of the Phillies bullpen. There was a time earlier in the year when I said I felt uneasy whenever Madson entered a game. I no longer feel that way. He as a 1.00 ERA in nine innings of postseason work, along with six strikeouts. He has also seemed to gain some velocity on his fastball. He has been throwing it in the mid to high 90s, something I don’t remember seeing in the regular season.
I think the Phillies match up pretty well with both the Red Sox and Rays, so I expect a closely contested and exciting World Series. For now, I’m just going to enjoy the National League title and hope for the best.
After the Phillies victory in game four of the NLCS, I’ve been hearing a lot of Phillies fans say they wouldn’t mind if the Phils lose tonight so they could see the clincher in person. I, for one, want no part of that. I say take care of business tonight. The Phillies have everything in their favor right now. They have all the momentum. They have their ace on the mound tonight. They are facing Chad Billingsley, who allowed eight runs in their game two match up.
Failing to win tonight would swing the momentum back in the Dodgers’ favor, and could spell trouble for the Phillies. I don’t want to find out if the Phillies offense can finally figure out Hiroki Kuroda in game six. I don’t want to see which Brett Myers will show up for the Phillies in that game either. I want no part of Derek Lowe on full rest in game seven, and I don’t want to find out who the Phillies will trot out to the mound to face him. Just get it done tonight!
Cole Hamels is the ace of the Phillies pitching staff, the kind of pitcher you want to see on the mound in meaningful games in September. While every game is as important as the next, there are games that can make or break a season. The Phillies have a huge series against the division-leading Mets — who currently sit 2 games in front of the Phillies in the NL East — looming this weekend. For Hamels to get the ball in that series, he would need to be moved up in the rotation, though with an off-day on Thursday, he would still be pitching on “normal” rest. To me, this is a no-brainer. You pitch Hamels on Sunday, skipping Kyle Kendrick, who has struggled in his past three starts.
It would appear that Charlie Manuel and Rich Dubee agree. Before last night’s 4-0 victory over the Washington Nationals, both said they would prefer to pitch Hamels on Sunday night. They hinted that their decision would hinge on how Hamels looked in his start last night. He sure looked good to me, pitching an efficient 7.1 innings without allowing a run, while throwing just 104 pitches. After the game, Charlie Manuel reaffirmed his desire to have Hamels pitch on Sunday. Cole Hamels, however, didn’t sound so excited about the idea, basically saying he’d prefer to wait until after Friday’s game before making a decision either way.
Look, I respect the fact that Cole Hamels has a very laid back attitude. I think that helps him remain composed on the mound in just about any situation. I also understand that the 203 innings he has pitched so far this year are the most he’s ever thrown in his career and — given his injury history — you have to be concerned about him “breaking down”. But he is the ace of the Phillies staff, and you want your ace to demand the ball in key games. Sunday’s game is huge, as a victory would represent a two-game swing in the standings. The bottom line is Cole Hamels needs to pitch on Sunday.
Chris Coste capped an improbable Phillies victory last night with a bases loaded single in the bottom of the 13th inning, as the Phillies beat the Mets 8-7. The Phillies fell behind early in the game, trailing the Mets 7-0 after 3 1/2 innings. Despite the early deficit, I never got the sense that the Phillies were out of the game. I did, however, get the sense that the Mets players felt as though this game was in the bag far too early. As the Mets were celebrating in the dugout — an act no doubt seen by the Phillies players — the Phillies slowly began to chip away at their lead.
The Phillies scored a run in the fourth on a sacrifice fly, and then got to Pedro Martinez for four in the fifth– on a pair of two-run home runs from Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard. Rollins, who had five hits on the night, added an RBI single in the eighth, cutting the lead to 7-6. The Phillies tied the game in the ninth on an RBI double from Eric Bruntlett.
This was, without a doubt, the game of the year for the Phillies. Jamie Moyer struggled — lasting just three innings and surrendering six earned runs — but the bullpen (10 IP, 1 ER) and the Phillies resurgent offense (19 hits) picked him up. It felt like 2007 all over again last night. In fact, the game last night felt eerily similar to the Phillies 11-10 comeback victory over the Mets on August 30th of last year. Wins like these are almost too big for words in a pennant race. Last year, that victory propelled the Phillies to the post-season. If the Phillies are able to win the division again this year, this will be the game to look back on.
The Phillies offense continued their resurgence, and Brett Myers ran his scoreless-innings streak to 16 as the Phillies beat the Dodgers 5-0 last night. Myers pitched seven scoreless innings, scattering nine hits and striking out eight. His turnaround since being recalled from his minor league stint has been nothing short of remarkable. In his seven starts since being recalled, Myers has posted a 1.66 ERA.
Jimmy Rollins led a balanced offensive attack for the Phillies, driving in two runs and finishing a home runs shy of the cycle. His two RBI came on a two out, two run single in the second inning, putting the Phillies ahead 2-0. Prior to last night’s game, Rollins had been mired in a 4-for-46 slump. Hopefully last night’s game was a sign that Rollins is starting to come around. He is what makes this offense click, and that couldn’t have been more evident than last night.
With the starting pitchers pitching better than expected, and the offense finally coming back to life, the Phillies have the look of a team that could win the division. Citizen’s Bank Park should have a playoff atmosphere tonight, as the New York Mets come to town for a short two-game series. Games against division rivals are always important, so the Phillies need at least split of this series with the Mets. With the way this offense is going of late, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if they are able to take both games.
It’s no secret that the Phillies offense has struggled since the All-Star break. Things had gotten so bad, it was hard to imagine they would be able to turn things around quickly enough to keep pace with the red hot Mets. Three games later, everything has changed. Before this four-game series with the Dodgers started, I said the Phillies needed to win at least three games to consider the series a success. They’ve already accomplished that, and look to close out the sweep tonight.
While the starting pitching has been very good in this series, much of the credit needs to go to the offense which finally appears to be breaking out of its month-long slump. They have scored runs with timely hits, and even though some of them have been home runs, they haven’t relied on the long ball to put runs on the board. I think some of the credit for this turn-around needs to go to Charlie Manuel. He juggled the lineup — he moved Utley to the two hole, Burrell to the three spot and Victorino to the five spot — which has really seemed to spark things for the Phillies. Though I like the changes, I would still like to see him lead off with Victorino, and drop Jimmy Rollins down in the order. That would provide Utley, Burrell and Howard with more run producing opportunities since Rollins has been struggling — just 4-for-46 since making his ill-advised comments about the fans — and Victorino has been getting on base consistently.
Their play this weekend has the Phillies sitting just 0.5 games behind the Mets for the NL East lead. They will hand the ball to Brett Myers tonight, as they try to finish off a sweep of the Dodgers.
When the Phillies started their series against the last place Nationals, I said that a sweep was imperative. After taking the first two games of the three-game set, I was cautiously optimistic that they would be able to accomplish what needed to be done. Unfortunately, the bullpen was unable to hold a one-run lead in the eighth inning, as the Phillies fell to the Nats 4-3.
Ryan Madson, who hadn’t allowed an earned run in his previous eight appearances, took the loss, surrendering two earned runs in the eighth. To be fair, none of the balls hit off Madson were hit hard, but they found holes, and allowed the Nationals to win the ball game. Though he’s pitched fairly well out of the bullpen this season, there’s just something about Madson that makes me uneasy. I don’t know why, but I never feel comfortable when he enters the game. That said, I don’t think he should be solely to blame for the loss last night.
Much of the blame needs to fall on the shoulders of the Phillies offense, who struggled once again last night. This has been going on for far too long to be considered a slump that they are going to break out of. This is a flawed offensive team. One with too many “sluggers” and not enough “hitters”. Their at bats with runners in scoring position are almost embarrassing and they swing through pitches at an alarming rate. If the Phillies have any hopes of winning the division, they are all going to need to change their approaches at the plate. Last night’s loss dropped them to 2.5 games behind the first-place Mets. They have a tough four-game series with the Dodgers this weekend. It’s time for everyone on this team to dig deep and play like they can. The Phillies need to take 3-out-of-4 this weekend. Anything less will be a failure, and will come back to haunt them in September.
