Phillies-Reds: Philadelphia Trumps Reds, 4-3

Good starting pitching? Check.

Clutch hitting? Check.

Solid three innings from the bullpen? Check.

Last night’s terrific pitching matchup between Cole Hamels and the Reds‘ Johnny Cueto was all it was built up to be. Hamels was dominant, although he did allow three runs to score and yielded two home runs.

The Phillies ace went six full innings and threw a season high 117 pitches. On the night Hamels struck out seven batters, walked two and allowed five hits (two of which were solo home runs).

At the end of the night, Hamels had dropped his ERA down to below five, at 4.95. The lefty also got in the act offensively, helping out with a momentum shifting base hit in the fifth inning.

Ryan Howard hit a home run to lead off the second inning and the Reds’ Jay Bruce tied things up with a solo shot of his own in the fourth inning. Responding in the top of the fifth inning the Phillies worked a three run rally.

Pedro Feliz started with a double. Hamels would record his first hit of the season with one out. Jimmy Rollins then brought Feliz home on his only hit of the game. Chase Utley then brought Hamels home with a shot into right field. Rollins would cap the inning off by scoring on a Raul Ibanez sac fly to put the Phillies up 4-1.

The Reds were able to score a pair of runs off of Hamels before the night was done but the bullpen threw three scoreless innings to pick up the win for Hamels. Clay Condrey walked one batter but surrendered no hits.

Ryan Madson allowed one hit but struck out one to hand the game over to Brad Lidge, who recorded his third straight scoreless save. Although Lidge got in a jam with the potential game winning run on first base, he worked out of it to pick up his third straight save since blowing Friday night’s save opportunity in Washington.

With the win, accompanied by the Mets losing to the Dodgers, the Phillies took over sole possession of first place. The Phillies are one game in front of the Mets.

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Phillies-Reds: Cole Hamels, Jimmy Rollins Lift Philadelphia to Fifth Straight

On the same day Philadelphia Phillies fans found out that JA Happ would finally replace Chan Ho Park in the starting rotation, Cole Hamels once again defeated the Cincinnati Reds, in Great American Ballpark.

The Phillies beat the Reds 4-3 in a game where Philadelphia’s ace threw a season high 117 pitches to pick up yet another win against the Reds. Hamels is now 3-0 at Great American Ballpark and more importantly 2-0 with a 2.31 ERA in his last four starts.

Ryan Howard got the scoring opened up with his ninth homer in the second inning.

After the Phillies put together a three-run fifth inning to regain the lead for good, the refreshed bullpen took over. Clay Condrey, and Ryan Madson shut down the Reds in the seventh and eighth, with Brad Lidge fashionably closing out his third consecutive appearance.

With the win, it was the Phillies fifth straight(21-16) and keep their hold on first place in the National League East over the Mets.

If you ask Cole Hamels how he felt about the pitch count he had throughout six innings, you might be surprised with his answer.

“I don’t think that’s something I want to do in such a short amount of innings,” Hamels said of throwing 117 pitches.

“Sometimes you need to finish guys off and they keep fouling it off and that just adds to your pitch count. Sometimes it’s a challenging game. The hitters are good. You try and minimize pitches but it’s not always going to work out for me.”

Hamels was not only the star on the mound for the Phils, but perhaps the key component on the offensive side of the game.

Hamels helped his own cause with the bat in his hand also, hitting a single that led to three of their four runs. Pedro Feliz ripped a leadoff double, followed by a Carlos Ruiz flyout. This brings to the plate Cole Hamels. Rather than sacrifice to move Feliz to third, Hamels hit a single to drive in Feliz.

The phrase “hitting is contagious” really rang through after the single by the pitcher. Jimmy Rollins doubled in Hamels, then Chase Utley smacked an RBI single then Raul Ibanez hit a sacrifice fly.  

Back to the Rollins side of things, he is batting .363 (8-for-22) with a double, triple and three RBIs during the Phils current five-game winning streak.

“When he goes, we go,” Howard said. “I don’t think anybody was worried about what was going on. He got off to a slow start, but that’s why you play 162 games. All that matters is where you are at the end.

“If he’s hot at the end of the season and we’re hot at the end of the season, nobody will even remember the slow start. You knew at some point he was going to come back and putting it together. We’re used to it. It’s J-Roll being J-Roll,” Howard added. 

The Phils extended their Major-League leading record on the road to 13-4 and will send Jamie Moyer to mound tonight. Moyer, 46, is still looking for his 250th career victory.

Rollins quote: Daily News

Philadelphia Phillies-Cincinnatti Reds Opener: Jayson Werth to be Debriefed?

First, the big announcement: Chan Ho Park’s going to the bullpen and JA’s a Happ-y man.  We knew there was a pow-wow on Monday and we knew Charlie would share the secret with us Tuesday.  I love secrets.  And I loved this one only because Park’s going to a much better place.

 

And Jamie Moyer’s moving up in the rotation to pitch on Wednesday so he doesn’t have to face the Yankees over the weekend. 

 

Hmmm.

 

Wondering why we coddle Jamie Moyer when we have other talent to develop is a lot like my cat wondering why I shower when I have a tongue. 

 

Answer: because. 

 

Because of Rich Dubee, because of Charlie Manuel, because of Ruben Amaro, and because I can’t reach every part of my body with my tongue (although if I could, it would make me quite popular on YouTube).  In all seriousness though, it’s about respect.  Jamie’s earned it, Jamie gets it, and Charlie will give it to him. 

 

Then Dr. Moyer will come back and pitch against Florida – a young team that’s historically been a win for the old-timer. 

 

So who am I to talk about old-timers like that?  Well, no one really.  Not only are Jamie and I the same age, but during the slow times of Tuesday night’s game I threw the ball to my dog repeatedly but only managed to knock over a candle, dent the drywall, and hoist it into the trash twice over six innings. 

I suck, so I can’t fault anyone for trying, and I’m not.  I’m not even faulting management for trusting.  I’m just hoping they’re right.

 

The series opener with the Reds was rather slow, so much so that over the first two innings my son gradually stripped off his clothing until he was walking around like the Buddha.  The only reason I think he paraded around in his briefs was to show me that he’s growing hair on his legs and he’s quite comfortable with a wedgie.  I didn’t say a thing. 

But when he turned to walk away and showed us his self-made thong, my husband made the most loving comment.

 

“Get away from me, you freak.”

 

Speaking of briefs, isn’t it about time to resurrect that old debate about women reporters in the locker room?  There are a few Phillies I’d love to debrief. 

 

But to take my child’s mind off the boredom, I paused the game with my technologically advanced TiVo system and read him some books.

Then later we could fast forward through the commercials so I wouldn’t have to explain what erectile dysfunction was again or hear what to do with an erection that lasts more than four hours.  I, for one, wouldn’t consider that my problem.

 

Then in the third inning my dad called and told me a story: 

 

There was a wasp crawling up his kitchen window.  The pest was just warming up so he considered him an easy target, and hoping to see him die a slow, painful death my dad grabbed a can of repellent and sprayed, grumbling, “Take that, ya little varmint.”

 

A few seconds later the wasp started his ascent again, shaking his body like a dog after a bath. 

 

“What the…?”

 

The old man picked up the can and sprayed again.

 

Yet a third time the wasp prevailed, buzzing wildly with irritation.  As the little booger hooked its feet on the glass with each persistent step, my dad finally read the can – WATER REPELLENT.

 

He wasn’t taking its life; he was only making it mad.

 

That’s what it was like watching Cole Hamels pitch.  When the Reds got a hit, Cole came back with a K.  When the Reds drew a walk, Cole came back with a K.  And when they hit two homers followed by hits, Cole came back with a K.  He had seven K’s in all.  Special.  The Reds weren’t shaking his confidence; they were only making him mad. 

 

Then Condrey, Madson, and Lidge pitched three scoreless innings. 

 

But I will say Lidge has done more than just turn the lights out – he’s made it dark and scary.  I don’t think I was the only one holding my breath and peeking out between my fingers. 

 

Great American Park was the site of Brad’s first save for the Phils last year spawning 41 straight in 2008.  When Tom said that, it brought back nightmares of Fox Sports beating Brad’s consecutive save record to death with every single game of the World Series – like they wanted to jinx him.

 

So the ninth was a typical Lidge nail-biter:

 

First batter – fly ball.  Easy out.  Take a breath. 

Second batter – single on a J Ro bobble.  OK, pay attention, base runner. 

Third batter, 3-0 count.  Whoops. 

Then 3-1, then 3-2, then… Say it ain’t so! Base on balls.  

Fourth batter, 3-2 count.  Not again!  Cover eyes. 

Then foul ball, then foul ball, then… Strike. 

Rung him up!  That a boy! Take rapid, shallow breaths.

Hope for a happy ending. 

High ball to the flyin’ Hawaiian – just what the doctor ordered. 

Game over. 

Click off TV without even catching a glimpse of cute Ricky Bottalico.

Go to bed.

Sigh.

Ignore debriefed husband.

 

The offensive summary is easy.  I think you’ll recognize the melody:

 

Chase and Jimmy got a hit, E-I-E-I-O.

Ryan hit one o’er the fence, E-I-E-I-O.

Shane looked fine; Raul sac flied,

Werth and Ruiz kept on tryin’,

But Pedro got two hits on by, E-I-E-I-O.

 

So that’s a wrap.  Cole Hamels got the win and Brad Lidge got the save—just like old times.  The Phillies have won their last five on the road and are still first in the NL East. 

 

In other news, Alex Rodriguez hit a two-run homer for the Yankees to help beat the Orioles 9-1.  Picking a target like Alex definitely made Selena Roberts’ book easier to sell, but A-Rod’s performance is making it harder to believe. 

 

I guess you can’t knock a good wasp down. 

 

See you at the ballpark.

 

Park to Pen; Minor League Transaction; Other Notes

Preview Game 37: Phillies at Reds

The Phillies head to Cincinnati to take on a young and impressive Reds team. If you like pitching matchups then be sure to settle down and watch tonight’s Phillies-Reds game as Cole Hamels will square off against Johnny Cueto.

For Hamels, tonight will be the first of what figures to be two high profile pitching matchups. Hamels is scheduled to oppose CC Sabathia this weekend when the Phillies face the Yankees. This is a great time for Hamels to prove himself worthy of making the All Star team. Hamels has turned in a pair of solid innings and picked up a win in the process. Hamels was given a no decision in his last outing against the Dodgers.

Cueto has won three straight games and has allowed just four runs in 22.0 innings of work in those games. Scoring runs against Cueto happens rarely, with his 1.93 ERA and 1.01 WHIP demonstrating why. The young pitcher has really improved over his performance in 2008, which wasn’t all that bad. Tonight will be Cueto’s first appearance against the Phillies.

The (tied for) first place Phillies will hope to continue swinging the hot bats they had in Washington. Raul Ibanez, coming off of NL Player of the Week honors (as well as Macho Row Phillie of the Week, of course) leads the way. Ibanez leads the team with a .357 batting average, 35 RBI, 50 hits, 33 runs scored, and a .714 slugging percentage.

For the Reds offensively, the spotlight still shines on right fielder Jay Bruce, one of the top prospects to come out of the Reds’ farm system. Bruce has 11 home runs in 2009.

Center fielder Willy Taveras leads the team in runs scored and stolen bases.

Phillies Record: 20-16
Reds Record: 20-17

NL East Standings (Team, record, games behind):

1. Phillies: 20-16, –
2. Mets: 21-27, –
3. Braves: 18-19, 2.5
4. Marlins: 18-20, 3.0
5. Nationals: 11-26, 9.5

Pitching probables: Hamels (1-2, 5.04 ERA) vs. Cueto (4-1, 1.93 ERA)

TV: Comcast and Sportsnet

First pitch: 7:10 pm

Season Series: First meeting

Game open thread will be posted at 6:30pm. Game recap will be up tomorrow morning.

 

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Am I Missing Something About Chris Coste?

All Chris Coste has ever done his entire baseball life is battle. After an impressive Spring in 2006 he had the team made out of Spring Training. Then a last minute trade brought David Dellucci to the Phillies and Coste was optioned.

After being recalled and batting .328 with seven homeruns as a back up catcher, he was sure to be a lock for the 2007 squad. Not so, as the Phillies made the mistake of bringing in Rod Barajas.

Coste for a second time showed his worth and won the role. This offseason, the Phillies acquired back up catcher Ronny Paulino from the Pittsburgh Pirates. Again Coste had to compete for and again won the back up catcher role.

Yesterday, the Phillies signed veteran catcher Paul Bako to a minor league contract.

Why?

Are they filling out the minor league roster or is Coste really this inadequate?

Sure his batting average is down a little this year at .235, but with only 55 at bats, one good game can change all that.

Bako hit .209, .205, and .217 from 2006 to 2008 respectively. He is a year older than Coste and bats left handed, something the Phillies really don’t need on their bench.

Again, the move may just be to fill out the minor league roster, but why does it always seem like the Phillies are saying to Coste, you are just keeping a seat warm for someone else?

Coste won the back up job in 2009. Let him serve in that roll and I bet you will see some big hits from him both when he plays and off the bench.

If he can’t hit all season address it next winter. But for now, bringing in a career .231 hitter just doesn’t seem to make sense. Am I missing something?

Baseball Updates: Bako, Cairo, Romero, First Place-o

The Phillies are back in action tonight. That means you can expect a game preview later today, as well as the regular game thread later. For now, here are a couple quick notes about the team from yesterday.

The Phillies signed veteran catcher Paul Bako to a minor league deal. I’m not sure why the team would sign a 36-year-old catcher, although, as Beerleaguer points out, he did get off to a good start last year with the Cincinnati Reds. Bako will head to Clearwater for extended spring training.

The move adds depth to the catcher position in the system, so I would not expect Bako to be making a push for Chris Coste‘s job off the bench. If Bako performs well in the minors, though, perhaps he could be used in a trade somewhere along the line; although, the market for a catcher that is near 40 is thin.

J.C. Romero started his rehab assignment with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs last night, although it is more like extended spring training for the suspended reliever. Romero entered the game in the seventh inning with the game tied at three. Romero gave up a lead off double to Braves prospect Reid Gorecki, who then stole third base. Gorecki scored on a single. Romero was charged with the loss after giving up one run in one full inning.

As noted in an article from IronPigsBaseball.com, “‘My body responded well, my arm action was good, it’s just that I was a little jumpy with my changeup,’ Romero said when asked during a postgame press conference on how he felt after pitching in a game for the first-time in 2009. Romero also added that his performance was a ‘C+,’ but that he ‘felt good.'”

Romero had three stolen bases against him, but that does not concern me. I would rather Romero just get loosened up and work on his pitch location than worry about base runners. Romero did record a strike out.

Romero is slated to pitch again Wednesday with the Reading Phillies.

Finally, Miguel Cairo accepted his Minor League assignment as stipulated in his contract. Cairo will report to Lehigh Valley, but a definite date has not been announced regarding when he will start playing. Cairo was designated for assignment to make room on the roster for Drew Carpenter, and then Sergio Escalona.

The Mets blew a game last night to the Dodgers. The Mets’ loss puts the Phillies in a tie for first place in the division, with two games in hand (one of which comes against the Mets).

 

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Chan Ho Park Heartbroken: What’s Really Wrong with the Phillies Pitcher

On Saturday the Phillies won a double-header in route to a series sweep, and a filly ran the Preakness in route to a sweep of the field. 

 

What’s the difference?

 

Nothing really, until you look at the failure of Chan Ho Park. 

 

Something has to be true about Chan Ho: he has to have something that comes close to resembling an intangible phenomenon called “talent.” The MLB didn’t go all the way to South Korea to get a pitching prospect because we lack talent right here in the US. 

 

Something had to catch someone’s eye and I’m sure it wasn’t because they had money burning a hole in their pocket. Even Charlie Manuel doesn’t look at a prospect and say, “Does he wanna make a load of dough?”

 

No. He says, “Does he have talent?”

 

Because Charlie says, “If you don’t, it’ll be an uphill battle,” (only he won’t say it clearly and he’ll stutter a bit, but you get my point). 

 

So what’s up with Chan Ho Park? Well, we’ve established it can’t be lack of talent. 

 

The population of the United States is 306.5 million (give or take the Phils fans who fall on and off the bandwagon). And the 40-man rosters of all 30 MLB teams total only 1200 players.

 

So the ratio of players to population—just in the United States alone—is such a small figure my calculator only spit out a decimal ending with an “e.”  I don’t know what that means except it’s astonishingly small (insert your own penis joke here). And that doesn’t include the minors because we all know everyone else is simply vying for a spot in the show.

 

What’s my point? It better be good, it’s taking me a while to get to it. 

 

Rachel Alexandra doesn’t know someone paid $10 million for her last week to see her win at Pimlico. She just runs. It’s something she can’t help but do. And Calvin Borel was so sure she would win he broke a jockey’s unspoken pact and predicted she would. 

 

So what’s she have that Park doesn’t have? Heart.

 

It’s not about having to perform; it’s about wanting to perform. And frustration, impatience, and excuses never accomplished anything. 

 

Personally I can attest to this because those three words never wrote an inspiring blog, created an unforgettable character, or produced an amazing experience in bed. But one thing’s for certain—I never did any of those for the money (although the last one had crossed my mind).

 

I can’t help it that ballplayers are paid extraordinary salaries to perform. The market mandates this. Major League Baseball just so happens to exist in an economy where free enterprise directs salaries. And, you and I support this.

 

Fans want to see their teams win, and you can’t win without talented players, and you can’t attract talent without money, and you can’t get money without fans. It’s a vicious cycle.

 

Society has moved from an existence of subsistence to sustaining our addiction to entertainment. We wanted it and we got it. It’s an economy we hail. 

 

Personally, I think the sport had more heart before money became such an instrumental player. I’m not saying we need to go back to how it was—why, gracious no—I want to see my team win. I just think the pressure for players to live up to their paychecks is a bigger obstacle to overcome than being a filly in a field of stallions.   

 

Rachel Alexandra didn’t think much when she ran that race. She just had talent that her jockey organized with technique. 

 

That’s all Chan Ho has to do—of course without the tiny man atop his back. He needs to stop thinking and start doing what he wants to do—pitch—not think, or fret, or bellyache, or obsess, or complain. Just throw.

 

He should stop coming to the ballpark thinking he knows what he’s going to throw, like he did on Sunday. That four-seam didn’t work because it wasn’t supposed to, and he couldn’t place his slider. 

 

What’s that tell you? It wasn’t meant to happen that way. Come prepared to pitch.  Come prepared to believe everything that comes your way has a purpose. And, when life hands you lemons, juggle them; it will help your dexterity. But definitely don’t walk in a run. That’ll just bring Charlie to the mound.

 

You can’t control how prepared the batters will be, or what the umpire will call, or even if the sky will fall. All you can control is what you throw and how you react.

 

Harvey Dorfman will even tell you that. But I don’t know if he’d tell you to watch a horse race to learn how to pitch a game. I might be the only wacko who can make that connection. 

 

As a fan I have no attachment to what Chan Ho will do this season. I can’t control it, so I don’t worry about it. I know the Phillies want to win as much as I want them to. Park’s not doing anything to me, and the only thing he’s not doing to himself is remembering why he plays professional baseball. 

 

He’s one of only 1200 guys in the United States who are fortunate enough to do that—who are talented enough to do that. 

 

If there’s anything I know about life, it’s that once you think you have it all figured out, it’ll throw you a curveball. Whether you hit it or not depends on what you’re thinking. If you’re thinking you won’t, you won’t. But if you’re prepared to not think at all, you will. 

 

It’s like writing a story. You can’t force it, you can only feel it; it has to come from the heart.

 

Chan Ho doesn’t feel it, and you can tell by the look on his face; he’s heartbroken. 

 

Just break from the gate and run the race. You might get bumped, crowded, or have dirt kicked in your face, but if you keep your eye on the finish line, great things can happen.

 

Like ‘Nuke’ LaLoosh said in the best baseball movie of all time, “Don’t think, just throw.”

 

Or just watch Bull Durham. It’s enlightening and entertaining, especially on a night with no Phillies baseball. 

 

Enough said. See you at the ballpark.

Lights Out for Phillies, Lidge Getting Lit Up

Last October the World Champion Philadelphia Phillies piled on top of their perfect closer in celebration of his forty eighth save in forty eight chances. 

Carlos Ruiz was the first to wrap his arms around perfection and then the rest of the team ensued. The pile on began a celebration that had been almost thirty years in the making. However, it brought out the flaws in a closer who went through a full season and postseason perfect. That closer was Brad Lidge.

Brad Lidge left Houston looking for a new beginning and that’s exactly what he got in Philadelphia. With a restored confidence, Lidge entered 2009 with higher expectations than the year before. However, it seems these enhanced expectations were getting to Lidge the same way Pujols got to him in Houston.

Three shaky saves to start the season left Lidge still perfect, but it also left him with a 5.40 ERA after he gave up three runs in three save situations. 

Then on April 18th, against the Padres, perfection toppled down upon the Phillies in a big way after Lidge pitched two thirds of an inning and gave up four earned runs. Lidge got his first loss with the Phillies and for the Phillies sake his only, but that would not be his only save blown.

Less than a month later Lidge’s imperfection struck again against the Nationals when he squandered a two-run lead to blow his second chance for a save of the season and bumped his ERA over nine.

Just 36 games into the season Lidge is seven for nine in save chances with a staggering 8.31 ERA. In 17 1/3 innings he has 18 strikeouts, however, he has given up 23 hits, 16 runs, and 10 walks. A far change from the Lidge of 2008.

In Houston it was a mammoth home-run by Albert Pujol’s that shook Lidge right out of his closer role. It took a complete change of scenery to stabilize his shaken confidence.

After his first blown saves in the last two seasons, Lidge is again starting to look like his confidence had gone from “lights out” to getting lit up every time he takes the mound. Lidge has given up a run or more in nine of his 18 appearances, including six straight from May 5th, to May 15th.

If there is one thing Lidge can do to regain his perfection form back it would be to remember the season he accomplished in front of a city who is known for its harsh treatment of resident athletes.

Lidge will forever be in debt to Philadelphia after closing out his perfect season with the city’s first championship in well over twenty years. Until the Phillies, Eagles, Sixers or Flyers capture a title, the image of Lidge falling to his knees in front of a sold out Citizens Bank Park will be the fondest memory of all  to Philadelphia sports fans.

If the Phillies are fortunate enough to celebrate another World Series title they will have to remember to celebrate with a high five and a hug rather than a giant pile on. It couldn’t hurt to prevent Ryan Howard from diving on their closer, and Cole Hamels for that matter.

Raul Ibanez’s Tear Earns Him MLB Honors

Raul Ibanez continues to show everyone in baseball that he is fitting in quite well in Philadelphia.

So much so that Ibanez was just named the National League’s Player of the Week.

In the last week, Ibanez totaled 12 RBI, along with nine runs, which topped the NL. His four homers were also second in the entire league.

Ibanez ended the week with an amazing .481 average and a .963 slugging percentage. This award was the fifth of Ibanez’s career, and obviously his first in red and white pinstripes.

Ibanez has a .363 average with 13 dingers and 35 RBI on the season. The 14-year veteran is on pace to have a career year at the age of 36.

Ibanez continues to be a savior for this squad and is looking more and more like the No. 1 offseason pickup for any team this year so far.

 

Werth more than you think?

Jayson Werth was named one of two for the most underrated players in the National League, along with San Diego’s Adrian Gonzalez, according to a poll of major league executives and managers conducted by MLB.com.

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