Roy Halladay Labors to Victory, Philadelphia Phillies Outlast Brewers 5-4

Maybe it was poetic justice, or simply baseball justice, that the Phillies fought back to win a game for their ace tonight. After all, it was Labor Day Saturday, and the man often mispronounced as Roy “Doc” Holiday was clearly laboring tonight.

The Phillies offense picked up Halladay tonight, allowing him to notch his 17th victory in a season that he has pitched well enough to have already garnered 20—a milestone that he reached twice as a Toronto Blue Jay. Indeed, baseball justice was served in the 5-4 win that allowed the Phils to remain just one game back of the Atlanta Braves, who won a 2-0 pitchers’ duel versus Josh Johnson and the Florida Marlins.

The box score will tell the tale that Halladay, who had only yielded 17 homers in his first 28 starts, gave up four of them in just seven innings—a relatively short night’s stint for the workhorse. In fact, this was the first of Doc’s 316 career starts that he ever served up four gopher balls in one game.

The longballs came in pairs: two in the top of the second. One to beefy Prince Fielder (his 29th) and another to skinny Alcides Escobar (his fourth). The other pair were offered to the same guy, Corey Hart, who took Doc deep in the third and again in the seventh, forcing Halladay to the showers on the wrong end of a 4-3 score.

The silver lining in the cloud of homers was that all four were solo shots. Not to worry: The Brewers are an aggressive team that swings for the fences, and Halladay had one of those nights where he just could not find his spots. It did not help that home plate umpire Mike Estabrook was not giving any pitchers the corners, and the strong winds were gusting all night.

Offensively, the Phillies played a little “Brewers Ball” and a little, um, little ball in coming back to capture the victory in the bottom of the seventh—just in time to get the “W” for Halladay. They tied the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the second on back to back dingers by newly resurgent sluggers Ryan Howard and Jayson Werth.

If you’re keeping track of encouraging signs, that’s two home runs in the last three games for Howard (who always seems to heat up in September) and four in the last eleven contests for Werth, who is also regaining his power stroke. Chase Utley knocked in another run—nine rbi in his last four games—and Carlos “Chooch” Ruiz sprinkled in three more hits.

Having said all this, a case could be made that tonight’s hero was backup Wilson Valdez, who drew a walk in the bottom of the seventh to load the bases. After Rollins grounded out to third baseman McGahee who threw home to prevent the tying run, up stood Placido Polanco with the bases still loaded and one out.

Polanco lofted a fly to medium left field that Ryan Braun had time to set up and make a strong throw home. His throw was on line but not particularly strong and catcher Jonathan Lucroy seemed to want no part of a potential collision with Chooch who was motoring in from third. The throw skipped by the reluctant catcher, and Wilson Valdez kept on coming beating Lucroy’s lackluster tag off a throw from reliever Zach Braddock.

Valdez’ hustle would produce the final run, as the bullpen—featuring a rare one-two-three close by Brad Lidge—shut the door on the Brewers.

What does all this mean? The Phillies are at a season-high 20 games over .500, and pending results from the Left Coast, three-and-a-half games in front of the Giants for the wild card lead.

For Halladay, he won a game he night have lost and notched his 17th win with (most likely) five more starts in the regular season. Clearly, Doc would trade a 20-game season and a possible Cy Young Award for the opportunity to see the first postseason action of his illustrious career.

But why not take all three?  With the way the Phillies are starting to jell, and with the way Halladay usually controls opposing batters, is it unreasonable to predict 20 wins, a Cy Young award and a major part of an NL East title for the team ace?

On this Labor Day Halladay weekend, the above seems perfectly reasonable.

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Chase Utley And The Philadelphia Phillies Are The New Philadelphia Eagles

P-h-i-l-l-i-e-s Phillies!

It’s only weird because you’re not used to it. It’s a little long, yes. But it’ll have to do for now.

The Philadelphia Eagles have been the talk of the town for so many years. From Randall Cunningham, to the endless plethora of quarterbacks in between, to Donovan McNabb, they have pulled a big part of this city’s sports weight, if you will, behind them.

The Flyers, Sixers, and Phillies have always played second, third and fourth fiddle to the mighty Eagles.

But, with Kevin Kolb at the helm, McNabb out, Evan Turner joining Sixers nation, and the 2008 championship, it’s now clear that the big-dogs in Philadelphia are your Philadelphia Phillies.

So many questions surround the other teams in Philadelphia: Can Kevin Kolb take the control and lead the Eagles back to elite status. Can Evan Turner adjust to the NBA, and just how good will he be?

Those are just two questions surrounding those particular teams. Two individual columns could be written about the needs and questions of both of those franchises alone.

With the Flyers going to the Stanley Cup Finals last year, and the Phillies going to the World Series, it’s clear that they are the two elite teams in Philly.

Of the two teams, there is no doubt who are the beloved—you’ve got it.

It’s definitely hard-earned, and well deserved. They took over the town in 2008, a year that was not, by any means, a quiet one in Philadelphia sports.

The Sixers, for one, had a decent run, giving the third-seeded Southeastern Division champion and eventual Eastern Conference champion Orlando Magic, a run for their money. The Sixers were able to push the series lead to 2-1 and in game four, they stretched their lead to over 15 points—to no avail, however.

Orlando magically, pulled off the comeback win, beating the 76ers 84-81.

The Flyers, in that same year, advanced a bit further than the Sixers, going to the Eastern Conference semifinals, only to lose the the eventual Stanley Cup Champions, the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Eagles, after a season which looked to promise that the Eagles would finally win a Super Bowl, with everything falling into place for Donovan McNabb and the gang, failed to deliver. Unfortunately, their run ended one game before the big dance.

Despite all of these teams vying for the championship in their respective sport, the Phillies were the only ones to accomplish their goal.

The following season worsened for everyone except for the Flyers and Phils. The Eagles ended their season in the wild card round with back-to-back loses to their bitter rival, the Dallas Cowboys, while the Sixers came nowhere near mattering.

Each of the other teams have moved into a new era, and with the solid core of the Phillies being the premier in the majors, it solidifies your Philadelphia Phillies as the new face of Philadelphia Sports.

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Carlos Ruiz: Why Do the Philadelphia Phillies Waste Him in the No. 8 Hole?

What if you were told that the Philadelphia Phillie with the best on base percentage on the team was hitting eighth in the regular lineup?

Well, it would be a lie. Carlos Ruiz doesn’t have the best OBP amongst Phillies’ regular starters.

Just the second best.

“Chooch,” as he has been affectionately dubbed by his teammates and the fans, has gained a reputation this season as a stellar clutch-hitter and key cog in the Phillies’ nucleus.

However, manager Charlie Manuel still is not using Ruiz to his full potential.

 

Ruiz’s Improvement

In 2007 and 2008, Ruiz posted OBPs of .320 and .340. Decent numbers out of the catcher’s spot, but nothing about which to write home.

The 2009 campaign appeared to be more of the same from Ruiz. At the end of July, Carlos had an on base percentage of .325, in line with with career numbers.

But then August hit, and Ruiz apparently figured something out. In August and September, Ruiz posted .391 and .410 OBPs, respectively.

This improvement has carried over into 2010. Ruiz’s .383 OBP is a career high, and the third-best amongst starting NL catchers.

Ruiz has been performing at this new level for the past 145 games. The “small sample size” argument no longer applies. 

 

The Problem with the Phillies Lineup

Despite Ruiz’s new found ability to get on base, Charlie Manuel has apparently failed to notice.

Ruiz has played 53 games as the eight-hole hitter. He has played 41 games hitting seventh in the order.

In fact, in 2010, Ruiz has never batted higher than sixth in the order.

By batting Ruiz so low, the Phillies are wasting numerous run-scoring opportunities. With the pitcher often following Ruiz in the order, his .383 OBP is usually immediately followed by an out.

Of course, it is possible that Ruiz’s numbers are slightly elevated due to the fact that teams may pitch around him in order to get to the pitcher. However, Ruiz’s OBP is much higher than the average for eight-hole hitters, so it could be reasonably assumed that most of his skill would carry over to a different spot in the order.

 

A Shift in the Batting Order

So who should be moved down to allow Ruiz’s OBP to flourish higher in the order?

Rollins is locked in as the leadoff hitter. Manuel is rightly concerned with team chemistry, and Rollins relishes his role as the table-setter of the offense.

Utley is the ideal three-hole hitter. Howard is an RBI machine, and Werth has an even better OBP than Ruiz.

Ibanez has hit well since the All-Star break. And Polanco’s combination of high batting average and contact-hitting tendencies make him a solid No. 2 hitter.

But why is Shane Victorino consistently hitting so high in the batting order?

Previously a hitter with a solid OBP, Victorino’s plate-discipline skills have dropped off a cliff in 2010. While his 16 home runs are a career high, his on base percentage has dropped from decent to horrific.

His .313 OBP is the lowest of any Phillies’ regular, and the lowest mark of his career.

Despite his awful on-base skills in 2010, Victorino continues to hit higher in the order than Ruiz. In 101 games this season, “The Flying Hawaiian” has hit sixth or higher in the batting order.

Ruiz has hit sixth in the order in one game this season.

There is a 70-point gap between the on-base percentages of Ruiz and Victorino. Yet Victorino continues to get repeated opportunities at the top of the order, while Ruiz languishes at the bottom.

Victorino does bring more speed to the top of the order. But his OBP failings have made him a liability. Batters at the top of the Phillies’ order should be getting on base and allowing mashers like Utley, Howard, and Werth to knock them home.

The Phillies would be a more efficient offense if Ruiz was slotted above Victorino in the batting order. In a fully healthy order, Ruiz could be placed in the seven-hole, in front of Victorino. And when Polanco needs to miss the occasional game due to his elbow, Ruiz should be placed in the two-hole.

There may be only a month left. But in a tight division race, every run helps. Ruiz has earned a higher spot in the order. He deserves it.

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NL East: After Win, Phillies One Game Back of First Place Braves

What else is there to say about the starting pitching and, more specifically, Cole Hamels?

The guy has been lights out for most of the season, and appears to be more focused than he’s ever been during his time in Philly. The immature side-issues seem all but gone, he appears to have grown up, and he seems to really be hitting his stride as a consistent pitcher.

I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that there are more than a few teams that would do back-flips if Hamels were their ace, and it’s possible he’s not even the second-best pitcher on this staff.

Pitching has kept this team from a complete meltdown, and with Hamels pitching seven scoreless innings and the Phils pulling one out from the Brewers 1-0 on Friday night, they have moved to only one game behind the Atlanta Braves for first place in the NL East.

They’ve said their goal is not only to make the playoffs, but to do it as NL East champs. For them, they say, nothing else matters. A Wild Card spot is not acceptable.

However, it seems like the pitchers are the only guys who truly feel that way.

Putting aside the team’s unbelievable win against the Colorado Rockies Thursday night, the pitching staff has been the only thing preventing a Cardinals-like fall from contention.

Even the one run the Phils were able to score should have been an out. Everyone and anyone watching the game could see that. I bet even those of you watching with your girlfriend got a nudge on the shoulder and a rather confused “shouldn’t he have caught that?”

Yeah, he should have.

And, of course, by “he,” I mean either one of them.

For now the Phillies will take the one run, take the win and move on to the next game, but they’re not going to get by on one run come playoff time. The offense seems to just show up whenever it feels like it and doesn’t truly start hitting until Joe Blanton backs them into a corner by giving up five runs with one swing of the bat in the first inning.

Don’t laugh (or call me a moron). If anyone can do it, it’s Blanton.

They’ll all celebrate the win for now, but the lack of offense will become a serious problem very soon if it’s not addressed and fixed permanently.

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Philadelphia Phillies: Ruben Amaro, Thank You for Roy Oswalt

Admit it, even though you were kind of giddy when Ruben Amaro picked Roy Oswalt from Ed Wade’s pocket at the trade deadline, you still weren’t sure that the Phillies‘ new No. 2 starter belonged in any discussions of the league’s top pitchers. After all, discussions of baseball’s top arms usually include names like Sabathia, Halladay, Wainwright, and of course, Lee.

You read about Oswalt’s propensity to shut down the opposition in August, September, and even October when he was an Astro, but you tempered your expectations after realizing that those impressive playoff numbers were from 2004 and 2005. Those were the days when Cole Hamels was dominating hitters by day and breaking bones (in his own valuable left hand, unfortunately) at night in Clearwater, Florida.

Nonetheless, it was hard not to be excited. After all, in the eyes of every baseball analyst, the Phillies’ starting rotation (or at least the three arms at the top) was the best in baseball.

Then came Oswalt’s first start as a Phillie, and even though it was less than twenty-four hours after his arrival from the deep south, and with a catcher he had just met, his 8-1 loss to the last place Nationals still gave you that unsatisfied feeling. The kind of feeling you get when you go to a Panera with a huge appetite.

What’s happened since, however, has made you forget those bitter Cliff Lee thoughts and envision another season with Halladay, Oswalt, and Hamels beginning or prolonging the offensive slumps of National League opponents.

In his first month as a Phillie, Oswalt is 4-1 with an ERA of 1.89. Take away that hurried first start against the Nationals, and those numbers go to 4-0 with a 1.31 ERA.

Maybe those late season statistics from years past weren’t a myth after all. With nearly 200 innings under his belt in 2010, Oswalt seems to be surging when it matters the most.

Isn’t it amazing what a pennant race can do for a terrific player freed from a losing atmosphere? The Phillies have now seen this phenomenon in two straight years with Cliff Lee and Roy Oswalt.

With Oswalt, the move to a contender has already proven that this undersized, 33-year-old Mississippian plays to win.

In a crucial stretch of August baseball, we have seen him win with or without his best stuff. At times, his location has been Halladay-esque, but there have also been days like this week’s start against the Dodgers, when Oswalt simply dug deep and competed when the strike zone seemed to elude him. Firing a 95-mph fastball for a strikeout on his 90th pitch of the afternoon was something you see $15 million pitchers do.

What you don’t often see $15 million pitchers do are things like pinch hitting at crucial spots in late-season games, and substituting as a surprisingly slick left fielder. Oswalt is leaving little doubt that he is motivated to win.

And the best part is that he will be wearing a Phillies uniform for at least another full season, and possibly two.

Maybe this Ruben Amaro, Jr. guy learned a thing or two during those three years under Pat Gillick. After all, have you heard anyone describe former Phillie J.A. Happ using the word “untouchable” since Roy Oswalt arrived in town?

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Halladay, Oswalt and Hamels: Where Does the Phillies’ Big Three Rank?

With only one month left in the 162-game marathon that decides who makes the postseason, it’s time to examine and rank the starting pitchers that each of the National League contenders summon to the hill.

For our purposes, I have evaluated and ranked The Big Three (if you will) for each of the nine teams that are over .500 coming into September.

As baseball is a game of nines, nine teams qualified—even if I would not wager big money on the Dodgers or Marlins or the ever-befuddling Cardinals these days.

Why only The Big Three in these days of five-man rotations?  I’m glad you asked.

I’m thinking about this with the premise of each team making it to the postseason.  Although many teams still go with a four-man rotation in the playoffs, The Big Three of any team will pitch six out of seven games of any series that goes the distance.

In ranking The Big Three(s), I considered the pitchers 2010 statistics, their track record and their playoff history, or playoff cred.  I assigned each pitcher a score from 1-10, and posted a composite score for each three-man staff.

This is more art than science, and while assiduous research was done, no lab rats were injured in the process.

So, see where Halladay and Co.—or your favorite team’s staff—ranks, and then let the debates begin!

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Philadelphia Phillies: Entering the Stretch Run, No More Excuses

I am happy to say that I may have been wrong in writing off the Phillies.

Since I wrote that, the Phillies play improved greatly, and they fought their way back into contention. As September begins, they find themselves leading the wild card standings and trailing the Braves in the National League East by three games. With six games yet to play against the Braves, it is clear that the Phillies control their own playoff destiny.

Of course, just because they’re in a position to make the postseason, it doesn’t mean that they actually will. So how do the Phillies’ chances look heading into this stretch run?

Right now, the team’s biggest strength is their starting pitching. The rotation, bolstered by the addition of Roy Oswalt, has been performing very well. Oswalt, Roy Halladay, and Cole Hamels give the team an edge in just about every game they start. Joe Blanton has improved over the past month, and seems a good bet to at least keep the team in the game when he pitches. While fifth starter Kyle Kendrick has been much less reliable, he’s also pitched well enough at times to keep his starts from being automatic losses.

The bullpen seems to have stabilized somewhat recently. While he hasn’t been at the elite level of 2008, closer Brad Lidge has at least not been the disaster that he was in 2009 either. He seems to be an average major league closer at this point. He’ll get the job done the majority of the time, but he’ll blow a few saves along the way.

RYAN MADSON!!! has once again been excellent in his eighth inning setup role. The other relievers are less reliable, but considering how well the starters have done, there hasn’t been much need for them to pitch too much. They should be able to piece together enough successful innings from JC Romero, Chad Durbin, and Jose Contreras to get the job done.

Basically, the Phillies can count on their pitching giving them at least a chance to win on most nights. Which means that it is up to the offense to do it’s fair share.

The lineup has underachieved throughout the season. The Phillies have been one of the best offensive teams in baseball over the past few years, and most expected them to be a high scoring team again. Instead, they have struggled mightily, going through long stretches where they have had trouble scoring runs. They’ve been shut out 11 times so far, and on three different occasions, they’ve finished the game with only one hit.

Part of the problem has been injuries. Just about every regular player has spent time on the disabled list, and they’ve only had their expected lineup together for a handful of games. But as of September 1st, all of their regulars are back in the lineup.

Despite having a full roster, it might be a stretch to declare the team healthy as a few of their players don’t appear to be at full strength. Placido Polanco has admittedly suffered elbow pain for most of the season, and it might be wearing on him a bit. 

Something definitely seems to be wrong with Chase Utley. There was hope that the time he spent on the DL might actually help him, since he tends to wear down as the season progresses. But his hitting stroke doesn’t seem to be there. He seems to be hitting a lot of pop ups to the left side of the field, something that I don’t recall him ever doing much of before.

And Ryan Howard looks completely lost at the plate right now. Considering he’s typically a slow starter, it was to be expected that he might need some time to round back into shape after his stint on the DL. Still, he has looked unable to hit major league pitching since his return. Perhaps his home run on Tuesday night is a sign that he’s getting back on track. Since he’s carried the Phillies’ offense in September of recent years, they’ll need him to start hitting again quickly.

But despite their possible ailments, if these guys are playing, then they should be expected to perform at their usual high level. If they aren’t healthy enough to play well, then they shouldn’t be in the lineup.

The bottom line is that while injuries might have kept the Phillies from dominating up until this point, that is no longer a valid excuse. As manager Charlie Manuel recently said, “The lineup we have on the field tonight, that’s our lineup. If that lineup doesn’t hit, we’re in trouble.”

A postseason berth is waiting for the Phillies. If they can’t take it, they have no one to blame but themselves.

 

Originally posted in my blog: Stranger in a Strange Land

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