It wasn’t pretty, but it’s certainly a start. The Phillies fell behind the visiting Washington Nationals early, trailing by three in the fifth inning. After Shane Victorino tripled to start the Phillies half of the fifth, Nationals left fielder, Willie Harris, dropped a pop-up from Greg Dobbs allowing Victorino to score. Dobbs would score later in the inning to trim the Nationals lead to 4-3. Chris Coste tied the game in the seventh with a sacrifice fly. Jayson Werth — who at this point needs to be playing everyday — crushed a hanging breaking ball from Steve Shell for his 17th homer of the season. Brad Lidge closed to door for his 31st save in as many chances.
Last night marked the first game at Citizen’s Bank Park since Jimmy Rollins called the Philadelphia fans “front runners”. Though Harry Kalas told viewers there was a mixed reaction when Rollins strolled to the plate for his first at bat, it was hard to tell. For reasons unknown to me, Comcast played a clip of Rollins talking about his comments as he was being announced. My guess is that the Phillies, or some executive from Comcast decided to play the clip instead of the fans reaction. I think that Rollins comments were probably taken out of context by most fans, but I would wager that more than a few fans were disappointed that the reception that Rollins received was not heard.
As for the game, the Phillies won a game they desperately needed to. The offense still has a long way to go to regain the form they displayed in May, but in the end, a win is a win. With the home stretch drawing near, and a tough series with the Dodgers looming this weekend, the Phillies really need a sweep of the Nationals. Anything less would be hard to swallow at this point. Last night was a good start.
At the start of this season, few if any people were worried about the Phillies offense. Sure, they lost Aaron Rowand to free-agency, but the thought was the Jayson Werth/Geoff Jenkins platoon in right field would be able to produce enough to offset that loss. The big concern was the Phillies pitching. Many expected that the Phillies would need to slug their way to a second consecutive division title, because the pitching staff was such a question mark.
Fast-forward six months, and it’s safe to say that the opposite is true. For the most part the Phillies pitching has been more than adequate, and the offense has been, well, offensive. For the better part of this season, the offense has not been able to do the things that are required to win games. They don’t hit well with runners in scoring position. They fail, time and time again, to sacrifice themselves to advance a base runner. It has come to the point where if they don’t hit home runs, they simply don’t score at all. There is a saying in baseball that says hitting is contagious. That certainly rings true with this team. It’s feast or famine, and right now it is a time of famine.
I don’t think Charlie Manuel or hitting coach, Milt Thompson are to blame for the Phillies recent offensive woes. They aren’t the ones swinging at bad pitches or watching hittable ones into the catcher’s mitt. They aren’t the ones who fail to hit behind base runners or having questionable at bats with runners in scoring position. The blame needs to fall squarely on the shoulders of the players themselves. They need to stop talking and start producing. Looking on the bright side, the Phillies offense was in a similar funk a year ago. They caught fire as a unit and that propelled them to an NL East title. There is no reason why they can’t do the same this year. The question is, will they?
Entering last night’s game against the Dodgers, Kyle Kendrick had been one of the Phillies hottest starters. In his previous three outings, he had posted a spectacular 1.45 ERA. Last night, however, was a different story. Kendrick lasted just 3.1 innings and allowed a career high seven earned runs.
Though the Phillies offense was — for the most part — kept off balance by Dodgers starter, Derek Lowe, they kept battling and were able to make things interesting in the ninth inning. Chase Utley — who had a solid game, going 3-for-5 with 2 RBI — blooped a two out, two run single cutting the Dodgers’ lead to 8-6. That brought Ryan Howard — who represented the go-ahead run — to the plate, but Jonathan Broxton was able to induce a ground ball to end the game.
It’s always hard to try to find positives in losses, but I think there were a couple last night. Obviously, it’s always nice to see a team refuse to quit. It would have been easy for the Phillies to throw in the towel when they trailed 6-0 after the third inning, but they kept fighting until the end. This was also the first time in a long time where a Phillies loss wasn’t the fault of a lackluster offense. The Phillies pounded out ten hits and were able to score without hitting any home runs. If the offense can build on their effort last night, I think they’ll be fine coming down the stretch.
Cole Hamels returned to form yesterday after two sub-par outings. Unfortunately for him, the Phillies offense provided him with absolutely no support. Hamels lasted 6.1 innings allowing three runs – only two of which were earned – on seven hits and a walk. He also struck out seven Marlins hitters. With an effort like that from your starting pitcher, more often than not, you expect to win the game. Such was not the case yesterday.
Once again, the Phillies offense made an unproven pitcher look as if he were Cy Young. Chris Volstad didn’t surrender a hit until Hamels hit a single in the fifth inning. He made the Phillies offense look bad — or was it the other way around? To a man, their approaches at the plate were horrible. The Phillies swung at bad pitches, and watched hittable ones go by. In a word, they looked lifeless.
Something needs to change. Attitudes need to be adjusted, and players need to be held accountable for their efforts, or lack thereof. Jimmy Rollins needs to display some patience at the plate. He’s the LEAD OFF hitter. He needs to work a count and get on base any way he can. He cannot be swinging at terrible pitches early in the count. Ryan Howard needs to do a better job in the field. I know he is a DH playing 1B out of necessity, but he needs to be able to execute the simplest of plays — specifically the throw to second base. Shane Victorino needs to stop swinging for the fences. Like Rollins, his job should be to get on base and set the table. Chase Utley and Pat Burrell need to pick things up as well. They carried this team on their backs until May and have been inconsistent ever since. I know you can’t ask them to do everything, but some consistency would be nice.
I doubt Charlie Manuel will do anything drastic, it’s just not his style, but if I were managing this team, I would start playing the players who produce and show they care. For the Phillies to win the NL East, they’re going to need to figure things out in a hurry. They let a golden opportunity to widen the gap between themselves and the Marlins slip away over the past three days, yet they remain atop the division. With a weekend series against a bad Pirates team looming this weekend, they absolutely must turn things around. If they can’t, they will find themselves out of first place, and unlike last year, I don’t think they have what it takes to play catch-up.
The Phillies offense rebounded last night, scoring early to help Kyle Kendrick notch his 10th win of the year, as the Phils beat the Marlins 5-0. The victory increased the Phils lead in the NL East to 2.5 games over the Marlins and 3 games over the Mets, who lost to the Padres.
Once again, Kyle Kendrick pitched himself into and out of trouble, walking five and surrendering four hits in six innings of work. Kendrick was able to bear down and prevent the Marlins from pushing a run across the plate. The composure that Kendrick shows in pressure situations is remarkable to say the least. More often than not, he seems to be able to bear down and stop the bleeding once he’s in trouble.
Offensively, the Phillies had a nice game. Ryan Howard went 2-for-5, with his 32nd home run of the season, and narrowly missed hitting two more. The Phils also were able to use “small ball” — something that this team has done far too infrequently this season– to produce a couple more runs. Rookie, Mike Cervenak, collected his first Major League hit and RBI, when he pinch hit for Kendrick in the sixth. In all, it was a well balanced attack, and one that Phillies fans should hope to see more of down the stretch.
The rubber match of this three game series is a must win for the Phillies. They will send their ace, Cole Hamels to the mound to face off against Chris Volstad this afternoon. Hamels will need to rebound from two consecutive sup-par outings to help the Phils widen the gap between themselves and the Marlins.
What was Charlie Manuel thinking last night when he handed the ball to two rookies in a pressure situation against a division rival? I understand that the back-end of his bullpen has been used quite a bit this season, but the Phillies had off on Monday, so everyone should have been rested. Overused or not, in a 2-0 game — especially one against a team hot on your heels in the division — you need to call upon your go-to guys. It’s not a time to see if a rookie can handle a pressure situation, and it’s certainly not a time to allow pitchers to get in work.
Whether it was intentional or not, Manuel’s use of the bullpen last night conveyed that the outcome of the game didn’t matter to him. Instead of trying to keep things close by calling upon the guys who have gotten the job done all year, he opted for untested players in unfamiliar roles. While it’s unfair to say that these moves cost the Phillies the game, it’s certainly easier to come back when you’re trailing 2-0 than it is when you’re down 8-2.
Prior to last night’s game, Jaime Moyer had the Marlins number. He had made ten starts against them in his career, winning all ten. That string of success came to an end last night, as the Marlins beat the Phillies 8-2, trimming the Phillies lead in the NL East to just 1.5 games over the Fish. Moyer, who has been one of the Phillies most consistent starters this year, struggled with his command as he allowed two runs over five innings of work.
To his credit, Moyer battled and kept the Phillies in the game, but once again the offense has turned cold. Though Marlins starter, Josh Johnson pitched a good game, the Phillies had more than enough chances to take control of the game. They had at least one base runner in each of the six innings that Johnson pitched, but they couldn’t come up with a clutch hit to break things open. The Phillies best chance at mounting a comeback came in the seventh inning. Shane Victorino hit a questionable two-run homer — replays showed the ball was clearly foul – cutting the Marlins lead to 4-2. After Chase Utley was hit by a pitch, Ryan Howard struck out to end the inning and the Phillies threat. As a team, the Phillies are hitting just .198 in their last four games. That’s not getting the job done.
Last night’s game has me starting to believe in the value of a “clubhouse leader”. By all accounts, Aaron Rowand provided that type of presence. Without him on the roster, it’s starting to become clear that this team misses that type of leadership. They look almost lifeless, as if they’re waiting for someone to provide a spark instead of providing one themselves. They are a talented group, but I’m starting to fear that a lack of leadership has really magnified the normal ups and downs a team goes through. They need to figure things out, because time is starting to run out.
The Phillies win last night was huge. It was the kind of game they would have lost a couple weeks ago. The offense, was for the most part, cold for the majority of the game and it looked as though they were going to squander a chance to widen their lead in the NL East. That all changed with one swing of the bat, turning what could have been another frustrating loss into a gutsy come-from-behind victory.
Trailing 2-1 in the eighth inning, Pat Burrell knocked a clutch two-out RBI single to tie the game. Shane Victorino, who had replaced Geoff Jenkins in the 7th, followed with a three-run homer to right field to give the Phils a 5-2 lead.
The three run cushion nearly wasn’t enough. The back-end of the Phillies bullpen, which has done an excellent job this year — probably better than anyone expected heading into this season — made things interesting to say the least. Chad Durbin allowed an eighth inning run, but the Phillies were able to escape the frame when Ryan Madson induced an inning-ending double play off the bat of Ryan Ludwick. In the ninth, Brad Lidge allowed a lead-off home run by Troy Glaus and then proceeded to load the bases with one out. Seven pitches later the game was over as Lidge was able to strikeout rookies Nick Stavinoha and Joe Mather to end the threat and the game.
This was the kind of victory that playoff teams are able to pull off. The Phillies got another strong outing from Brett Myers and were able to keep the game close enough to pull it out in the end. Though the offense struggled, they were able to piece together a rally late in the game. As the stretch run draws near, wins like last night’s can really help a team build momentum. With a huge series against the second-place Marlins looming, let’s hope that holds true.
When their series against the Nationals started, it was clear that the Phillies needed a sweep. Anything less would have been a failure. They had fallen out of first place in the NL East, and risked losing further ground if they lost even one game to the bottom-feeding Nats. Building on the momentum they built over the weekend against the Braves, the Phillies offense continued to get back on track and gave the Phillies the sweep they needed. With last night’s victory, the Phillies are now a full game ahead of the second place Mets.
Kyle Kendrick had another quality outing, lasting 6 2/3 innings and giving up just two earned runs, as he notched his ninth win of the year. Kendrick is almost never dominant, but does just enough to keep hitters off balance, and his team in the game. It’s hard to ask for much more from your fourth or fifth starter.
Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino had two hits apiece, and continue to heat up for the Phillies. That, more than anything else is a positive sign for the Phils. They need for their table-setters to get on base. When they do, the Phillies score runs. It’s as simple as that. Hopefully the Phils can continue their offensive-resurgence when they open a weekend series against the Cardinals in St. Louis.
Another non-waiver trade deadline has come and passed, and once again, the Phillies have failed to make a significant move. As a Phillies fan, I knew deep down that Pat Gillick would probably live up to his nickname and stand pat. I guess there was a small part of me that held out hope that a deal would get done. There were certainly ways to bring in players who would help get them over the hump.
They could have landed Manny Ramirez. The Red Sox did everything in their power to give him away. Sure, he may have disrupted their clubhouse, but he also could have provided them with another big bat — one opposing pitchers and managers fear — for their stretch run. They could have landed Pudge Rodriguez. Sure, it’s true that he’s no longer the hitter he was early in his career, but he would have represented a major upgrade over the Phillies current catching platoon. They could have added a top-line starter — they were rumored to have been “close” to adding one yesterday — but they shied away because they didn’t want to part with too many prospects.
Yes, the Phillies added Joe Blanton to their rotation, but that’s not the type of move that wins championships. Yes, the Phillies, as they are currently constructed, are good enough to win the NL East, but that shouldn’t be their goal. Their goal should be to win a World Series. Instead of adding the piece or two that would have pushed them over the top, the Phillies opted to play down the stretch with largely the same roster they’ve had all season. I just don’t see this team as one who can seriously contend for a title in October.
Maybe Pat Gillick and the front office — and I lump the entire front office in here because I’m not at all convinced Gillick’s hands weren’t tied by ownership — were afraid to make the same mistakes that were made by the Phillies brass in the past. Maybe they didn’t want to trade away another Ryne Sandberg. Or, maybe they just lack the intestinal fortitude it takes to make a deadline deal. The bottom line is that winners take chances. They take risks. They don’t worry about what could be and they certainly don’t pat themselves on the back over deals that “almost” got done. Winners do what it takes to get to the next level. Until major changes are made in the front office, it will be almost impossible for the Phillies to be winners.
