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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J.C. Romero Starts Rehab Work Tonight

Tonight J.C. Romero will begin his rehab assignment with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. Romero currently has 14 games left on his suspension and is eligible to start pitching in the minor leagues under the suspension rules. Pitchers suspended for more than 26 games can appear in minor league games starting 16 days before the suspension is lifted.

Romero will get the start tonight and you can figure he will go for an inning or two.

Considering the Phillies’ pitching struggles so far, it would be key if Romero can have a solid outing tonight to put some concerns to rest.

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Poll Results: How Long Until Jimmy Rollins Turns it Around?

The readers have voted, and according to you, Jimmy Rollins will break out of his rut by the end of May.

When tabulating the votes, 67 percent of you said Rollins will get his bat on track by the end of May. Some are believing that the All-Star Break is the target date, with 22 percent of the votes. The remaining 11 percent are a bit more pessimistic about Rollins’ offense, believing that 2010 will be the start of the new Rollins.

Not one vote was cast for this past weekend. Of course, it is too early to declare this past weekend as Rollins’ resurgence, but he did have three straight games with multiple hits and scored five runs. He also raised his batting average to .222. He is hitting .239 for the month of May, in which he predicted he would hit .400.

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Poll: How many Philadelphia Phillies are All-Stars?

This week’s poll question is an interesting one. With the All-Star ballots out in the stadiums and voting online well underway, how many Phillies will make the All-Star team?

There are the usual candidates like Chase Utley and Ryan Howard, as well as some surprise candidates, like Raul Ibanez and Jayson Werth. Will Cole Hamels make his first All-Star appearance?

The Phillies may have the edge in getting an extra player (or two) on the roster, with Charlie Manuel heading the National League team, a perk (obligation) of representing the league in the World Series.

Your choices are anywhere between one (every team is represented so one is the bare minimum) and five (or more). Go ahead and cast your vote and then leave a comment with your guesses as to who will make it to St. Louis.

Here’s the catch: Manuel does not count, only players on the roster. Also, possible Home Run Derby contestants do not count either.

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Macho Row Phillie of the Week: Raul Ibanez

Raul Ibanez is the first Phillie to be named the Macho Row Phillie of the Week for a second time. There is no doubt that Ibanez has been the most consistent player in the lineup and this weekend against the Nationals,his bat seemed almost unstoppable!

In the past week, Ibanez has connected for four home runs, scored nine runs, notched 13 hits, and drove in 12 RBI. Ibanez lead the team in each statistical category mentioned, and in many cases was far and away the leader. He was the only Phillie to reach double digits in RBI. His batting average for the week was .481, the best out of the regular starters.

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Congratulations to Andrew Carpenter and Sergio Escalona

Just a note to send congratulations to Phillies prospects Andrew Carpenter and Sergio Escalona. Both prospects from the farm system were called up to give the Phillies some crucial innings over the weekend, and on back-to-back days the Phillies handed each pitcher his first career win in the majors.

For Drew Carpenter, it must have been a wild 24 hours. After J.A. Happ, the scheduled starter for the second game of the Phillies’ double header in Washington on Saturday, pitched a couple innings the night before in extra innings, Carpenter got word just before midnight that he would be called up and slated to start for the Phillies the next day.

It may not have been the kind of outing Carpenter would have wanted, but after 4.1 innings and five earned runs, Carpenter was credited with the win in the rain-shortened game.

After the game, Carpenter was sent back to Lehigh Valley and Sergio Escalona was called up from Double-A Reading for a spot in the bullpen.

Escalona had a different kind of outing than Carpenter. Escalona was called on in the seventh inning with the game tied at six runs a piece. He worked one full inning and allowed just one hit. He also recorded a strikeout. After the Phillies scored three times in the top of the eighth, Escalona was in line for his first career win.

Congratulations to both pitchers.

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DVD: Phillies Memories

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;

• “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” by Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard
• Rollins and Howard House Tour
• Last Out of no hitters by Jim Bunning, Rick Wise, Terry Mulholland, Tommy Green and Kevin Millwood
• Extended player interviews
• Classic footage of Larry Anderson spraying on his fake hair (from 1993)

The release date is May 26, 2009 and for just $17.99 this seems like a great buy. Reserve your copy today!

Phillies-Dodgers: Phils Rally but Falter in 10th

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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Philadelphia Phillies News and Notes

The Phillies entered Thursday’s game against the Dodgers a full game behind the Mets in the division. Some small news bits came out on Wednesday that should be mentioned.

• J.A. Happ has been named a starting pitcher for one of the games against the Washington Nationals on Saturday. The teams are playing a doubleheader to make up for the lost April 15 game in Washington. Brett Myers will start the other, likely the first game. If Happ is needed Thursday, though, in long relief, that could change the plans
• J.C. Romero is set to start his rehab assignment on Monday to prepare for his return to the Phillies following his suspension by the league.
• Charlie Manuel, who will manage the National League in the All Star game, has named his first assistant manager for the game. Dodgers skipper Joe Torre will accompany Manuel in the dugout in St. Louis, where Torre both spent some playing time and some managing time with the Cardinals. It appears that Manuel will also invite Cardinals manager Tony La Russa to join him in his home stadium.

Jamie Moyer’s Milestone on Hold Again: Dodgers Beat Phils 9-2

Jamie Moyer‘s 250th career victory continues to elude him. Moyer lost in his second attempt for the milestone after things fell apart in the fourth inning as the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers pounded the Phillies with a 9-2 defeat.

Moyer was charged with seven runs in just 4.1 innings of work. He gave up eight hits which included three doubles and one pop fly ball home run ball, which scored three runs itself. This game was actually Moyer’s third attempt for his 250th win.

He received a no decision in his first attempt against the Mets, took the loss in his second try in New York, and was pegged with the loss last night. Is he frustrated?

“I don’t really feel frustrated,” said Moyer, who was battling a cold. “I’m not making the pitches that I’d like to be making. I think early in my career I pitched frustrated. It didn’t work. So I try to put win or lose behind me and move forward.

“Every mistake I’ve made has gotten hit hard. It’s more or less how I’m feeling. Good pitches have gotten hit, but I feel like the mistakes that I’m making I’m being punished for. I’ve got to be mistake-free.”

Phillies.com via Todd Zolecki

Things started off well for Moyer, who got through the first three innings unscathed. Perhaps the Dodgers should be given credit for making adjustments on Moyer in the fourth inning, the second time around the lineup. The fourth inning was reminiscent of Moyer’s effort in game three of the 2008 NLCS when the Dodgers were hitting the ball everywhere off of the veteran pitcher.

Whether or not Moyer snaps out of it remain to be seen. It is unlikely he will be taken out of the rotation and will be given every opportunity to play through his struggles.

Meanwhile on offense Jimmy Rollins played his second straight game in the fifth spot of the lineup. In the spot he went 1-for-4 with a solo home run, which gave the Phillies a 1-0 lead in the second inning.

While the thought process of having Rollins batting fifth was to give him more RBI opportunities, he had very little to work with in front of him. Only Jayson Werth out of the top four recorded a hit. He also walked twice, and Chase Utley once. Ryan Howard struck out twice.

Picking up the win was former Phillies pitcher Randy Wolf, who threw six innings of three hit ball. Wolf walked three but struck out eight to earn his second win of the year. He also lowered his ERA to 2.77.

The Phillies and Dodgers complete their three game set this afternoon when Cole Hamels faces Chad Billingsley. Don’t forget to join the live blog today, starting at 12:30pm. Sign up for an e-mail reminder in the box to the right on the site.

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