After last night’s game, the Phillies made a roster move, sending last night’s starter Andrew Carpenter to Triple-A Lehigh Valley in exchange for Sergio Escalona. The move, at first seemed puzzling– why call up a pitcher, and why Escalona? So, let’s take a closer look at the move.
The Phillies weren’t going to keep Andrew Carpenter on their roster, after his rocky-route to a win on Saturday night, so they had to find someone to replace him. There were a few options, like third baseman Mike Cervenak, who had a brief stint with the big-club last season.
Cervenak is currently batting .326 with three home runs and 23 RBI for Lehigh Valley but hurt his wrist Saturday, forcing him to make a trip to the DL, so his name was out of the mix.
But why not someone like second baseman Pablo Ozuna, who had a stellar spring training and is hitting .286 with a .320 OBP, or John Mayberry, who’s hitting .270, but has shown power, which can be valuable off the bench, with his eight home runs and 25 RBI?
But maybe the Phillies just needed a pitcher, as J.C. Romero waits out the remaining fourteen games of his suspension.
So, why not Mike Koplove, who has allowed just one earned runs and 12 hits while striking out 21 and walking nine in 17 1/3 innings; or Gary Majewski has allowed eight earned runs in 19 1/3 innings (3.72 ERA)?
Or what about Kyle Kendrick, who is improving his off-speed pitch, and has a respectable 3.75 ERA in 36 innings for Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
But despite what the team could’ve done, they decided to add Escalona. Pitching coach Rich Dubee explained the decision as two-fold. Heading into their fourth game in three days, the Phils felt they needed an extra arm to shore up a bullpen, which has been severely overused in recent days.
Chan Ho Park, who, to his credit, has good as of late, has not exactly been the Phils most consistent performer was to take the hill in game four. In the short term Dubee felt an extra arm would be more valuable than an extra bat. Dubee said Escalona offers the team “flexibility,” since he has minor league options.
If the Phils were to call up a veteran, like Majewski, in order to put them back down they would need to designate them for assignment. When you are designated for assignment, you have options to jump ship and head over to another club, where a big-league job may be open.
For now, all indications point to the fact that Escalona will stay with the big-club through the series in Cincinatti. At that point the situation will be re-assessed and the team will take the long term future into account.
And hey, so far the move has worked out—Park pitched only 1 1/3 innings Sunday and Escalona came in in a key spot to pick up his first big-league win.
Thanks to Dave Murphy, of The Philadelphia Daily News, for most of the information above.
After a rough 5-8 stretch, the Philadelphia Phillies ran into the right team at the right time. After playing the Mets, Cardinals, Braves, and Dodgers, the Washington Nationals were just what a slumping team needed.
Jimmy Rollins, who came into Saturday with a .199 average, improved his average to .222 by accumulating seven hits in the series.
Chase Utley, who hit .342 in the month of April, is hitting .195 thus far in May and is now hitting .291 overall. Oddly enough, the downfall in Utley’s average began the day after he sat out a May 5 game against the Cardinals.
The reason for his absence was a bruised foot, which had been struck by a pitch. Utley has not been the same since.
You might recall that, around this time last season, Utley began to see a decrease in his average. Many speculated that there was something wrong with his body, which turned out to be true. News of a hip injury became afloat after the season, proving the theory right.
Could this recent “injury” be the same? Only time will tell.
Raul Ibanez, the new Philly Messiah (Pat who?), came back to life in this series. He entered Friday with a .336 average and left Sunday with a .357, tallying three home runs, nine hits, and nine runs batted in.
In the month of April, Ibanez hit .359, and was already beginning his new love affair with the Philly faithful. But May has been even sweeter, as he has hit .379 in the month.
Among others, Pedro Feliz has boosted his average above .300 once again, and Jayson Werth is inching closer to .300 with every day.
Ryan Howard and Shane Victorino stand alone among Phillies’ hitters, being the only two hitters not producing to their highest ability of late. Even Carlos Ruiz has been coming through when needed, which is huge for the club.
Overall, the Phillies rank sixth in baseball in runs (199), eighth in OBP (.348), fourth in SLG (.454), eighth in OPS (.802), and third in home runs (50).
As for the pitching staff, the bullpen is slowly moving up the ranks. Once near last in the league, the ‘pen is now in 13th in baseball with a 4.14 ERA. Chad Durbin (4.03 ERA), Ryan Madson (3.57), Scott Eyre (4.00), and Jack Taschner (3.86) have given consistent relief efforts of late, while the best relievers so far have been J.A. Happ (2.49) and Clay Condrey (2.61).
The starting rotation began the season in a funk, but just as the bullpen has, the rotation is quietly improving. Brett Myers’ 4.50 ERA appears to show inconsistency, but five quality starts beg to differ.
Cole Hamels battled soreness, a bruised shoulder, and a strained ankle through April, but has allowed just three earned runs in his last 17.1 innings. His ERA in the month of April is 2.08, and his year-to-date ERA of 5.04 would likely be better had it not been for his departure after 4.1 scoreless innings due to a strained ankle.
Jamie Moyer’s 8.15 ERA is certainly a cause for concern, as he has just one quality start and has allowed seven earned runs in each of his last two starts. But the 46-year old does have three wins, and that’s a plus no matter how you look at it.
Joe Blanton could be pitching more consistently as well, but his three quality starts is what you expect. The 6.86 ERA needs to improve, and only time will tell if it will.
Now, what is there to say about Chan Ho Park? A poor start to open the season, then decent starts in his next two outings, then a terrible start, then two impressive starts, and the most recent start was today’s poor outing. “Inconsistent” is all you can say, but a call for Happ to take his spot is a not an easy decision.
Without J.C. Romero for 14 more games, the bullpen would be without their best reliever so far. Waiting through a few more Park starts is not the worst idea.
Overall, the rotation’s ERA still ranks last in baseball, but look at the bright side. The Phillies are just one game out of first and four games above .500 (20-16) with an inconsistent rotation that is going to improve.
Plus, being last means one thing: Up is the only way to go.
Coming May 26 is a must have DVD release for all Phillies fans. Phillies Memories: The Greatest Moments in Philadelphia Phillies History, a compilation of great Phillies history will sit nicely next to the 2008 World Series collector’s set, or The Perfect Season.
One disc will provide two hours of historical information and footage focusing on the Phillies, from their start in 1883 to the final pitch of the 2008 World Series. What’s more, it is narrated by Harry Kalas.
Below is the product description from Amazon.com;
From the very first pitch thrown in 1883 to the final slider uncorked by Brad Lidge to clinch the 2008 World Series, the Philadelphia Phillies have for 126 years both frustrated and delighted their fans. Six pennants, two titles and countless what ifs have transpired in parks from Recreation to Shibe to Citizens Bank. Unforgettable names have been etched in red and white Whitey, Schmidty, Lefty, Dutch and Chase. Glorious home runs, unexpected no-hitters, dramatic comebacks and wait til next years have made up the mosaic of this team. Yet through it all, the most passionate and loyal fans in baseball have never stopped caring. It is all here from the painstaking years to the unforgettable parades down Broad Street. Through archival footage, exclusive interviews and behind-the-scenes footage and sound, this is, indeed, the definitive history of Philadelphia baseball.
Here are some bonus features on the DVD courtesy of Amazon;
The release date is May 26, 2009 and for just $17.99 this seems like a great buy. Reserve your copy today!
When the Phillies signed outfielder Raul Ibanez in December, Phillies fans questioned the decision.
Ibanez never received much publicity playing for a bad Seattle Mariners team on the West Coast, so to the common fan he was an unfamiliar face and name. He was 36, turning 37 in June.
He was a left-handed hitter, even though the Phillies already had lefties Ryan Howard and Chase Utley in the middle of their lineup. An even bigger reason the Philly faithful were skeptical of the signing was because it meant the team wouldn’t be resigning fan favorite Pat Burrell.
Sure, Burrell received his share of boos during his slumps, but he was a lifelong Phillie. He was drafted by the Phillies and actually signed with them, unlike J.D. Drew. When times were rough, he didn’t run himself out of town like Scott Rolen did.
He provided some huge hits for Philadelphia, especially against the rival New York Mets. After the Phillies won the 2008 World Series, Burrell and his dog led the parade.
Even when he signed with the Tampa Bay Rays, Burrell took out a full page ad in Philadelphia newspapers thanking the fans for a great time as a Phillie and saying that he hoped to see everyone again in October for the World Series.
Throughout the offseason, Phillies fans peppered the front office with questions like “Why didn’t we bring back Pat Burrell?” and “Who is Raul Ibanez?”
To answer the latter question, Ibanez was a 13-year MLB veteran. A lifetime .286 hitter with nearly 800 RBI, Ibanez is only one of five outfielders to have 100 RBI in each of the past three seasons, along with Carlos Beltran, Carlos Lee, Magglio Ordonez, and Bobby Abreu.
Now, Ibanez is making Phillies fans ask “Pat who?”
Ibanez is off to a blistering start. He is a much more consistent hitter than Burrell, currently hitting .368—good enough for sixth-best in the major leagues. He has just as much power as Burrell, hitting 13 home runs and 35 RBI so far this season, and he leads the majors with a .735 slugging percentage.
His had his most impressive offensive display thus far this season yesterday against the Washington Nationals. In the first game of a double header, Ibanez went three for five with two home runs and drove in four runs. He followed that up in the second game with two hits in three at-bats, another home run, and three more RBI.
He’s also been clutch, hitting a two-run single Friday night to give the Phillies the lead in the 12th inning.
Ibanez is a more competent defensive player than Burrell, who was routinely subbed out late in games for a defensive replacement.
Ibanez is proving to be one of the best off-season signings. At a rate of $30 million over three years, Ibanez is also one of the biggest bargains, compared to the high price players such as C.C. Sabathia, Mark Teixeira, and Manny Ramirez, who haven’t quite lived up to their hefty contracts.
While Burrell was a homegrown product who was a part of the franchise’s first World Series in 28 years, Ibanez is proving to be a fantastic addition.
Fans are no longer questioning the transaction. And those aren’t boos you’re hearing in the stadium. They are chants of “Raul!”
The Phillies took both games of today’s Day/ Night double header at Nationals Park in Washington. Raul Ibanez led the charge in both games, finishing with three home-runs on the day. Here’s a closer look at today’s action…
Game One
After a twelve-inning game Friday night, that forced the Phillies to dive deep into their bullpen, the team needed some decent innings and a quality start from Brett Myers in game one Saturday.
And they got just what they needed. Myers even further improved his unblemished road record (3-0) with his win Saturday.
Myers struck out eight, including four in his last two innings, giving the bullpen plenty of breathing room, as he left with a 6-2 lead, coming out for a pinch-hitter in the top of the eighth.
“I was thinking about sending him back out there, but once we had runners in scoring position and all those left-handed hitters on the bench, I figured we might as well use them,” said Phillies manager Charlie Manuel.
Manuel’s tactics worked, and the Phils were able to tack on a couple more runs.
Myers, who’s been hurt often by the long ball, allowed no exceptions Saturday. The ball flew out of Nationals Park, for both sides in the early portion of the game. Myers surrendered two home-runs.
“After the third inning I felt like he really settled in and started going more at the hitters,” Manuel observed. “He looked like he was really making sure he was spotting his fastball.”
Offensively, the Phils weren’t so shabby either. Their 14 hit assault was led by outfielder Raul Ibanez. Ibanez put the Phils ahead quickly, hitting homeruns in each of his first two at bats. In his first multihomer game of the season and the 10th of his career, Ibanez followed up a four-hit game on Friday with three more hits and four RBIs.
After a Jayson Werth home-run in the second to tie things up, the Phils started to pile things on in the third. They never looked back from there.
The Phils bullpen hit a minor speed bump in the bottom of the eighth, when Ryan Madson came on in relief and gave up three runs on four hits to pull the Nationals to within three at 8-5, making it a save situation for struggling Phillies’ closer.
But “Lights Out’ Lidge lived up to his name,
pitching a scoreless ninth and getting dangerous pinch-hitter Elijah Dukes to strike out swinging for the final out and his sixth save.
Manuel like what he saw, and continued to instill his confidence in Lidge.
“His stuff is there, it’s good, and he’s our closer,” Manuel said. “We’re going to keep running him out there to get him right.”
Game Two
The rains came in full force Saturday night, giving the Phillies and Nationals bullpens a much needed rest.
With Philadelphia leading, 7-5, in the top of the sixth inning, and the bases loaded for Ryan Howard, the skies opened up forcing crew-chief Laz Diaz to call for the tarps– sending both clubs scurrying off the field and into a rain delay which became a “call” after an hour and a half.
Before the rain delay, the Phillies called on Andrew Carpenter, who had just one big league inning under his belt, to start for the Phillies, in lieu of J.A. Happ, who was scheduled to pitch, but was forced to pitch two innings in last night’s 12-inning win.
Carpenter was recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley just after midnight on Friday. He didn’t arrive in Washington until the sixth inning of game one.
In the first the Nationals gave Carpenter a typical, ‘welcome to the big leagues, kid,’ greeting him with a double to the wall by Cristian Guzman and an RBI single by Nick Johnson to put Carpenter in an immediate 1-0 hole. Carpenter managed to limit the damage to just that in the first inning by working out of a bases-loaded jam.
“I was actually more nervous [in last year’s start] than I was today,” said Carpenter, who was 1-0 with a 4.72 ERA in six starts for the Iron Pigs. “I didn’t have too much time to think about it, which was probably a good thing.”
He settled down from there too, cruising, until he hit a little trouble in the fifth–a two-run single by Willie Harris, causing Charlie Manuel, who saw the storms coming, to go get his rookie and replace him with Clay Condrey, to sure things up, just in case the game wouldn’t last much longer.
“I wanted to make sure we got in those five innings,” Manuel said. “I wanted Carpenter to go five, but that was the most bullets he’s thrown this year and he was getting worn down. Their hitters did a good job of stretching the count on him. But I felt he was aggressive, he stayed in there and battled and made the pitches when he had to.”
Offensively, the Phils bats got things done as well, scoring seven runs in just five innings, and having the bases loaded in the sixth, when the tarps were, at first unsuccessfully drug onto the field. Ryan Howard, who embedded a two-run third-inning shot in the centerfield batters eye. The ball had to pulled out of the lawn, beyond the 402′ sign in centerfield.
And then there was Raul Ibanez, who led the charge all day, hit a pivotal fifth inning homerun, his third of the day.
The Nationals never stood a chance from there.
The Phils and Nationals are back at it on Sunday, where the Phils will try to complete the four-game sweep of the last-place Nationals. The Phils will hand the ball to Chan Ho Park, who will go up against Jordan Zimmerman. Game time is set for 1:35 from Nationals Park.
An I-Bomb-nez went off in the nation’s capital yesterday.
The same thing happened in my son’s room.
I knew my child had been busy. While I sat on the couch for nine hours watching HD-TV present an exciting double-header with a Preakness intermission, my son was busy redecorating.
So before I even opened the door to his room, I said, “What’s it look like in here anyway?”
He said, “Like someone picked it up and shook it really hard!”
That doesn’t work for a room, but it worked for a lineup. Charlie shook up the order and it worked like a charm. I think before every game he should put the starter’s names in a cup and shake them, like Yahtzee dice.
Over the course of both games we had Jimmy Rollins in the leadoff spot with Shane Victorino and Chase Utley trading off at number two.
But then Raul Ibanez hit in what will now be known as the “preliminary cleanup slot”, with Ryan Howard in the “backup cleanup spot”. Moving Raul to the third spot redefined the batting order. I guess you can never be too safe.
In game one, Raul stepped to the plate like he’d just arrived at a political convention: ready to party. Nats pitcher Scott Olsen missed his mark, but Raul didn’t.
He hammered that low inside pitch right over the 402 on the center field fence. It was the first dinger hit off Olson by a left hander all season and gave the Fightin’s their only run of the inning.
But it got the party started.
Especially for Jayson Werth. He hit a homer to christen the second inning, breaking free of an 0-for-9 slump.
Then all hell broke loose in the 3rd.
J Ro singled, my favorite Hawaiian moved him to second with another, and then Rauuuuuuul did what he does best (he focused) on the outfield wall again to bring ‘em all home safely with a three-run shot. I wish the President could do that in Iraq.
It gets even better.
Ryan Howard proved that he really does want to be the best he can be by showing iron-clad patience at the plate by finally laying off a breaking ball to draw a walk on a 3-2 count. It was a thing of beauty.
Then Jayson hit a single, doubling our presence on the base path, and Chris Coste (yes, Costey) hit one to load the bases.
But then the slumping Eric Bruntlett hit a fly ball to position seven to call it quits. The poor guy ended three innings that way.
And although he wasn’t in a two-out at-bat in the eighth, he failed to contribute again as he went 0-for-4. It was sheer torture. (Can you hear a Guantanamo Bay analogy here?) My heart went out to him.
But I don’t think anyone noticed. With Raul beating up the Nats pitching staff in game one to go 4-for-5 with 4 RBI, and Jimmy Rollins, Shane Victorino, Ryan Howard, Jayson Werth, Pedro Feliz, and Chris Coste all contributing at the plate, it covered up Eric Bruntlett’s and Brett Myers’ inability to get on base like a Watergate conspiracy.
But Brett’s pitching was a different story. All Charlie needed him to do was go deep, and he did. He went seven innings, struck out eight, and allowed only three hits…all personal season bests. And he did it by shaking up his throws like he was standing at the craps table.
Even after Ryan Madson let his fastball hang for three RBI in the eighth, allowing the Nats to move within three, Brad Lidge finally allowed no runs in a game as he closed down the ninth for an 8-5 Phillies victory.
I tell ya, there’s gold in them thar Phils and we found more of it in game two.
Calvin Borel showed how to ride a filly to victory in the second leg of the Triple Crown, and Philadelphia showed Washington how to hit for another victory in the second game of a double-header–in front of a surprising number of Phillies fans.
The oooo’s for Raul were just as prominent in Nationals Park as they were on Citizens Bank Way.
Last night Rollins showed he learned his lesson last year when he hustled to beat a throw to first to assist him in hitting 2-for-4. I hate to go out on a limb here, but I think old Jimmy is back.
After sitting out game one, Chase Utley got a chance to contribute by hitting 3 for 4, helping him get on base all four times.
Then Ryan Howard continued the slugfest with a two run dinger in the third, and Raul proved that his three-run HR in the afternoon wasn’t a fluke by repeating it in the fifth inning last night.
Matt Stairs, Shane Victorino, and Carlos Ruiz couldn’t get a hit but managed to get on base drawing walks, but then the rain came pouring down in the fifth, prompting the Nats to cry “Uncle,” and put an end to the 7-5 victory that gave minor leaguer Andrew Carpenter a chance at his first MLB start without hurting anyone (with a little help from Clay Condrey).
Through it all, Raul exuded effort by going 6-for-9 on the day. He left his mark like an ink pen in a washing machine.
He even attempted to take out an infielder to foil a double play. Earlier in the week, I saw him try to take out second base to do the same thing. I know a babe in section 145 he could take out.
Now, it’s true our team didn’t do everything perfect on Saturday but they did a bunch right. And it gave me enough to restore my hope for the season…much like a great President Obama speech.
And one more thing… Jayson Werth is “Phillie of the Week.” Does that mean he’ll appear in a calendar? I’d be happy to help with the wardrobe (or lack of). And how about positioning? I could show him where to lay (very close to me).
I’m still seeing stars. I can’t wait until the next time the Phil’s bats erupt. The bomb that went off yesterday cast a cloud over the Nationals and helped our team go 3 for 3 in the series so far.
Let’s see what we can do today.
It was a long, warm night.
It was one where quality came with quantity…12 innings of it.
But it didn’t start out that way. After the first inning, it seemed like it was happening all over again.
“We’ve fallen and we can’t get up!”
The top of our lineup forgot how to hit, and Joe Blanton threw more than 26 pitches to get out of the inning.
Then in the second, it became apparent that the top of the lineup really started at the end of the alphabet: Raul IbaneZ, along with Pedro FeliZ and Carlos RuiZ, made offense look E-Z.
They each singled like a pack of copycats, with Pedro reaching base in his last eight appearances and Carlos doing it in his last nine. I don’t know the stat on Raul; we’re just used to him doing everything with a capital “Effort” and “Hustle”.
Then Pedro Feliz made Davey Lopes proud with his gutsy base running as did Raul Ibanez, Jimmy Rollins, and Jayson Werth. Hey, he’s the base coach who whined that they weren’t aggressive around the diamond, so let me pose a warning to you, Davey: be careful what you wish, for you shall get it.
And he did.
My motto is, “You can’t get around the bases by standing still.” I imagine that’s something Davey’s known since he was a teenage boy entertaining “company” in the back of his daddy’s Buick.
As a former leadoff hitter and stolen base record holder, it’s obvious he started rounding the bases at an early age. And his experience works for the Phils.
Hit-by-pitches came in pairs; two for you, two for us, with Chase taking both of ours. It helped him make it to base four times without a hit. Now he has the 91st HBP of his career (setting a franchise record) and eight on the year.
We’re going to start ending his name with those initials: Chase Utley HBP. We’ll give him an honorary doctorate for sacrificed flesh and his epitaph will go something like this:
Here lies Chase Utley
He wasn’t keen on leaning.
He took a bunch for the home team
If you get my meaning.
Ryan Howard stepped to the plate in the seventh, 0 for 5, and hit a three run dinger. It was an inside pitch and they said when you pull your arms in like Ryan did you’re not supposed to able to hit a ball more than 400 feet. Tell that to a bumble bee.
The saga continued for 12 glorious innings but it seems I’m the only one with the attention span for long games.
Since the Nationals don’t draw much of a crowd, the camera showed those in attendance so many times I now know each spectator personally, and near the 10th, my husband and son started comparing the sounds they could make with their own flesh. Trust me, a Phil’s loss is prettier.
By my count Feliz and Ruiz (now dubbed the “E-Z’s”) made it on base 10 times. Raul, the Zen Master of Consistency, went 4-for-6, Jimmy earned his third stolen base, and Shane even got a few good hits in and caught the last out…again.
The sad thing was Tom McCarthy could finally talk poorly about the quality of the Nats bullpen because they’re the only other team with one worse than ours.
But not last night: Durbin wasn’t disturbin’, Condry took on his two batters and won, Madson faced four and retired four, Lidge gave up only one run (but did so in his 6th consecutive inning), and JA Happ looked sharp as a time traveler, taking his win for tomorrow’s double-header today.
And in case you fell asleep, Carlos “Bargain Basement” Ruiz silently improved his batting average to .308 while Jayson Werth increased his by 100 points since April, even though he only made it to base on balls last night.
Still, he’ll definitely be wrapped around me when I pick up my blanket on July 24.
And I hope it’s a long, cold night.
Lest you think that the Philadelphia sports scene is all sunshine, lollipops, and rainbows these days, let me point out a sobering truth. The Phillies have not played well at all this season.
In fact, I find it just short of amazing that they are even at .500 through 32 games, roughly 20 percent of the season.
The vaunted lineup has been wildly inconsistent and actually ranks 24th in baseball in batting average, sandwiched between the light-hitting Giants and Mariners.
They still rank sixth in home runs and 11th in runs scored, indicating they can be explosive at times. But this also shows that they have been unable to string hits together, move runners, and succeed with men in scoring position.
Despite all of the talent throughout the lineup, everyone knows that Jimmy Rollins is the catalyst for everything. His pathetic .238 on-base percentage and Mendoza Line batting average have set the tone for an underachieving offense.
Jumping out of his shoes on the first pitch and seemingly trying to hit everything out of the ballpark, Rollins has a groundout-to-flyout ratio of 0.96. And Shane Victorino isn’t much better at 1.11.
In a bizarre twist, Ryan Howard has a ratio of 1.83, a number more typical of a singles hitter than the slugger he is. More often than not, he has failed to drive the ball and has grounded out instead.
Chase Utley’s recent woeful home stand is another cause for concern, as questions have kicked up about the status of his hip. One can only hope that there is nothing more than a slump going on.
As for pitching, the rotation and bullpen have both been disastrous. The Phillies rank 15th in the National League in ERA—ahead of only the lowly Nationals. They also lead all of baseball in home runs allowed.
Brett Myers leads the starters with an ERA of 4.81, while Joe Blanton and Jamie Moyer have been shells of the players that the Phillies leaned on so heavily last season.
Opposing hitters have a .406 on-base percentage against Moyer, who claims an 8.15 ERA.
The bullpen clearly misses J.C. Romero, who will be a welcome sight when he returns next month. If it’s not already panic time for Brad Lidge, it’s coming soon.
While he was not expected to turn in another perfect season, his inability to keep men off the bases, even when pitching in non-save situations, is an issue.
He already has allowed five home runs after surrendering just two all of last season and has given up just one fewer earned run in 15 games in 2009 than he did in 72 games in 2008.
Taking all these numbers into account, there should be no mystery about the Phillies’ 8-12 record at home.
But there is still cause for hope—high hopes, as someone might say.
Even with so many things going wrong, the Phillies find themselves just two games behind the Mets in the NL East with plenty of time to right the ship.
So don’t go jumping off the Ben Franklin Bridge just yet, Phillies fans.
The Phillies are still in this thing. And they are still the World Champions.
I’m a woman and I’m a lover. By design one makes me do the other. So after yesterday’s 5-3 loss to the Dodgers, I left all the hating to the man I married, whom we’ll now call “Husband Vader.”
The Dark Lord was so distraught at Phillies’ pitching yesterday, he nicknamed Chad, “Disturbin’ Durbin,” and he said, “Lidge throws balls and strikes in a ratio like kids share candy—one for you, one for me.” He says the problem with Phil’s ball slingers is Ruben Amaro didn’t amend the pitching staff in the off season – like my better half told him too.
I hate it when he’s right.
So I got to thinking (which is always a little scary). Then I read the article in the Daily News about sports psychologist, Harvey Dorfman, and I got to thinking even harder. Then I went deep, like a Ryan Howard hit.
I decided we need that magic back; be it luck, chemistry, or timing, we have to find it. Then I glanced over at the skipper of the Death Star and it came to me. We need to tap into “The Force.”
So with the team looking toward Harvey and my husband representing the dark side, I thought I’d pick another route. I’d contact the Dalai Lama.
I’ve been thinking of calling him myself because the temperature adjustment on my shower is so sensitive that the only way for me to take the perfect shower is to set it via mental telepathy.
So when I ask the Dalai to help me manipulate things with my mind, I’ll put in a good word for my team.
Maybe the Dalai has a special running—like the Phil’s ticket office: a six-pack of sessions we could split to save money. But getting in touch with him could be tricky. I guess I could Google his contact info and find a number to fax or text. I wonder if he Twitters—or is that Tweets?
I’d probably have to explain that that’s not the same as communicating by bird, although a guy in Conshohocken used that to vent his frustration with me quite effectively yesterday.
So here’s how I’d start.
Dear Mr. Lama, Esquire:
I think that shows respect. Then I’d get right to the point.
My Phils need your help if they expect to finish at the top of the NL East. So could you please give them the attitude of a Jedi Knight, turn their arms into lightsabers, and say something cool like, “May The Force be with you?”
Oh, and I hope you’ve seen Star Wars. If not, this most certainly makes no sense to you so if that’s the case, just give me a call at… well, you’re the Dalai, I reckon you know how to get in touch with me.
Then I’d write something catchy to get his attention to distinguish my request from the other worthy causes like peace, hunger, and global warming.
Maybe a poem.
Now if you’ve read my articles, you know – a poet I’m not. I don’t know pentameters from odometers, and I’d have to consult that site that helps you find rhyming words because the only one I know that rhymes with pitching is the one my husband uses to describe what I spend my time doing.
So here goes.
Help Us To Pitch, From the Bitc…
(Vader helped with the title)
There are so many things that Phillies can do
Like winning the division, the league, and the world.
But this year we’ve struggled and if I had my say
I’d have to blame pitching and poor ERAs.
I pay you great homage; I think that you rule
So I’m sending this message to ask for some fuel
For a staff of Phils pitchers who can’t find their groove
And a stand full of fans whose frustration still brews.
We need cyborg arms like that Terminator man’s
Made of titanium with wrought-iron hands
And mitts that attract any hits from the plate
That thought there’s a chance they’d pass us in haste.
Give us sliders that drop like the ball’s on the take
And changeups that stop just a foot from the plate
Hundred plus fastballs and sub-one ERAs
But no torsos that say they like Tasty Cakes.
We want what we want, and not a bit more
Just another Broad Street parade to make our hearts soar.
So if you’d oblige which we ask with great shame
We’ll give you the credit in the very next game.
It’s not like we’re asking to conquer the world
We just want our pitchers to learn how to hurl.
And I think the Nationals, Marlins, Mets, and the Braves
Would all welcome the challenge (or so we say).
So send us Four Horsemen or the Magnificent Seven.
It doesn’t take many to salvage a season.
Throw in a game-saver who’ll pitch a first strike
That hits Chooch’s glove and takes a out a bite.
Or send us something that’s legal when used
A concoction made from Dalai juice.
And last but not least, to prove our sincerity
We promise to pray for things like world peace
After we beat every team in the league.
Then I’d end it with something gracious because I heard he goes for that. Something like…
Ever grateful for your help,
Flattish Poe
You don’t think he’ll think my name’s weird do you and then think I’m a freak? (Husband Vader says it’s not the name that makes me a freak.) But, think about it. I’m writing to a guy whose name is based on a little girl’s toy and a long-necked fuzzy animal, and he communicates via the airwaves. How much more freakish can you get? (The Dark Lord says, “Lots.”)
Wait! Where are my manners? I didn’t even invite him to a game. How thoughtless. I’d have to add a postscript.
P.S. If you’d like to see what I’m talking about, please don’t hesitate to join me at the ballpark. I’m in section 145 so you might even catch a home run ball. (And I don’t imagine you’d need a glove for that.) But don’t wear any Mets gear. Not everyone in my section is a fan of unconditional love.
Anyway, that’s what I’ll do. I know I’m just a fan but I feel I have to do my part, too. I’m just hoping to help the ball club and take a comfortable shower in the process.
Until next time,
Flattish
P.P.S. Dalai, please give our offense a shot of magical juice too (but not the kind that Manny used). Much obliged.
Yesterday was a sloppy game by the Phillies, as they lost the series finale to the Los Angeles Dodgers by a 5-3 score in 10 innings. While the starting pitching was spot-on from Cole Hamels, the offense was practically nonexistent. The Phillies literally ran themselves out of innings with repetitive poor base running.
Jimmy Rollins was placed back in the leadoff spot in the lineup and started the day with a double down the right field line. Rollins would later score in the inning to give the Phillies an early 1-0 lead when Ryan Howard hit a sacrifice fly to the outfield. The offense was then silent until the ninth inning.
Shane Victorino, Chase Utley, Howard, and Jayson Werth failed to record a base hit all day, with only Utley reaching base on a walk and being hit by a pitch. That gave almost nothing with which Raul Ibanez could work; he notched a pair of hits on the day.
Down 3-1 in the ninth inning, and down to their final out, the Phillies put together an improbable rally that was capped off by a Carlos Ruiz double to right center field to bring home the tying run.
In the extra inning, Chad Durbin recorded the first two outs and then struggled to record the third out. The Dodgers were able to whack some hits all over the field and eventually scored two runs in the inning to take a quick 5-3 lead. The Phillies went down quickly in the bottom of the 10th to drop to 16-16.
On the bright side, though, Hamels was Hamels once again. Despite not getting a decision in the game, Hamels went seven innings allowing only two runs, one of which was unearned. While he made a mistake on a pitch to James Loney that was hit for a home run, he struck out nine batters. Had he received some offensive support, he would have won his second game of the year.
Also, the Phillies continue to show that a game is never over until the final out is recorded. They already have a large serving of come-from-behind victories to show for it. Yesterday, they demonstrated that they will play every out until the game is over.
Of course, most of the game was pretty much garbage, but when it counted in the bottom of the ninth inning, this team did not quit.
Neither should the fans.
The loss capped off another poor home stand for the Phillies, in which they went 2-4 and lost both series after winning the first game. The Phillies are now in a tie for second place with the Atlanta Braves and are two games behind the New York Mets.
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