Philadelphia Phillies vs. Milwaukee Brewers: Wild, Mistake-Laden Top of the 3rd

Gold Notes

The top of the third inning of the Phillies vs. Brewers Wednesday matinee was a wild, mistake-filled affair.

As Rickie Weeks, the Brewers second baseman and leadoff hitter, stepped into the box to start the second inning against Phils starter Cliff Lee, CSN’s play-by-play man Tom McCarthy took note of a stat that he tossed to his longtime broadcast partner Chris Wheeler.

The following short exchange is not verbatim, but it does capture the spirit of it:

McCarthy: Rickie Weeks led the NL with an extraordinary 754 plate appearances last year.

Wheeler: Wow, he must not have drawn many walks.

To be honest, I’m not sure if Wheels covered himself later, as I was distracted by my favorite almost three-year-old on the planet.

Of course, walks—and just about anything and everything that can happen to a hitter—counted as part of those plate appearances and Weeks did draw a respectable 76 of them.

He also fanned 184 times, but that’s another story.

Now, I’m not one of Wheeler’s biggest detractors and he certainly has them. In my mind, he knows the game of baseball inside and out, even if hardly a lovable figure.

He does deserve a mulligan here.

Anybody who is more or less speaking extemporaneously for three-plus hours a game is bound to want a few sentences back.

While Wheels’ miscue stood out at the time, it may have ushered in the weirdest half-inning of the season.

Weeks followed by weakly cuing a ball off the end of the bat that rolled slowly just outside the first-base foul line. The second sacker never broke from the box as Ryan Howard waited patiently to see if the ball would roll into fair territory.

The ball just inched fair in front of the bag, and the Phils slugger alertly grabbed it and stepped on the bag for the first out.

The ballhawk that is center fielder Carlos Gomez followed with a routine pop-up to first base for out number two, bringing the red-hot Ryan Braun to the dish.

Braun lofted a pop-up that appeared to be foul just beyond first. Wilson Valdez camped under it but then made a miscue every bit as bad as Wheeler’s speaking gaffe or Weeks’ refusal to run to first on his cue shot. The ball clanked off the normally reliable infielder’s glove just into fair territory.

Braun, who would have been on second base if he had been hustling, took first base with two outs.

Up stepped the massive and “massively hot” Prince Fielder, who doubled off the wall in left center. Braun, motoring like a man possessed, got a great jump and kept going, ignoring the stop sign of third base coach Ed Sedar (who is not an easy man to miss).

Braun got a major reprieve, as shortstop Jimmy Rollins’ throw home was a little off-line and in a place where catcher Carlos Ruiz could not block the plate. With a heads-up slide to the third-base side of the plate, Braun made it home safely. A good throw would have nailed him by a half step or so.

With the lumbering Fielder on second, third baseman Casey McGehee singled sharply to right. First and third, right? With Fielder going nowhere, McGehee made too lazy a turn toward second base. A good throw by Ben Francisco hit cutoff man Ryan Howard, who made an easy tag of the Brewers’ wandering third baseman for the final out.

When it was over, the top of the third produced two hits, an unearned run, three or four baserunning gaffes, a Little League-level fielding error and a bad mistake by a veteran broadcaster.

As I write, the Phils and Brewers are tied 3-3 in the bottom of the seventh, thanks to Placido Polanco’s three-run blast in the bottom of the sixth.

If it seems like this was the Phillies’ first homer and first runs in weeks (no relation to Ricky), this writer had the same impression.

 

For more information on Matt Goldberg’s new books, as well as writing, speaking and interview requests, please e-mail: matt@tipofthegoldberg.com or contact him via his Bleacher Report homepage.

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Halladay Beating: Brewers Rout Phillies Ace on a Very Different Night in Philly

The Philadelphia Phillies sent their ace of aces—their Ace of Spades, if you will—to the hill last night after the previous night’s frustrating 12-inning loss. The winning pitcher responded by yielding only two hits in six innings of work as his team won 9-0.

Good news for Phillies fans, right? Think again.

Not on this night. It was former Phillies left-hander Randy Wolf (someone the Phils usually rough up) who shut the home team down, as his Brewers were giving the great Roy Halladay a rare, horrible night at the office.

In some ways, the result was as appropriate as it was difficult to digest for Phillies fans. Please follow my logic.

The game was played on the second evening of the Jewish holiday of Passover, which is known as the Second Seder Night. In essence, a Seder is a long dinner and service that can last as long as a Major League baseball doubleheader; take my word for it.

One of the highlights of Passover is the youngest child present singing a traditional song called the Four Questions, that begins with the iconic (to some): Why is this night different from all other nights?

Speaking of Passover, one of MLB’s brightest Jewish stars, Ryan Braun, shined for the Brewers. The sweet-swinging left-fielder went 2-3 with a homer, an RBI, three runs and two bases on balls.

Not known for his defense, Braun also made the key defensive play of the night, robbing shortstop Jimmy Rollins of what looked to be a two-run double when the Brewers held a still narrow 2-0 lead in the bottom of the third.

Before we get to my own Four Questions, here is a bonus query: Why wasn’t Ryan Braun tied up at a Seder as some of us were? It would have helped the Phillies cause immensely.

So, why (and how) was this night different from all other nights?

1) On all other nights, the Phillies bounce back from losses with a win of their own: What happened on this night?

Even the most fervent Phillies fan did not expect their favorite team to never have a losing streak in 2011. Did they?

The Phillies had not lost as many as two straight in their previous 15 games prior to the ugly 9-0 defeat. Not only do they now have a losing streak, but the loss means that they will now drop a series for the first time.

With their vaunted pitching staff, the Phillies—who start Ace of Hearts, Cliff Lee, in this afternoon’s matinee—don’t figure to go on too many extended losing streaks. The 162-game grind dictates, however, that there will be losing streaks and lost series along the way.

2) On all other nights, Roy “Doc” Halladay dominates; what happened on this night?

In his short Cy Young-winning tenure with the Phillies, Halladay has suffered through very few outings in which he did not look like one of the very best pitchers on the planet. It was very un-Doc-like to see him give up 10 hits and six runs (all earned) while walking two and only fanning three in 6.2 innings of work.

The strangest event of the night was seeing Halladay taken out of the game in the middle of an inning. Reliever David Herndon did not help Doc’s stats by surrendering a three-run homer to third baseman Casey McGehee; two of those runs were charged to Doc.

How rare was it to see Halladay pulled in the middle of the seventh inning? According to David Murphy of the Philadelphia Daily News, this marked only the fourth time in his last 69 starts (including about half of those starts in a Blue Jays uniform) that this has occurred.

So, what happened? He’s human; even the best will throw in a few clunkers among their 33 or so starts.

3) On all other nights, the Phillies offense explodes; why were they unable to do anything last night?

Perhaps, this question should be re-worded.

The offense, which surely had some question marks heading into this season (no Jayson Werth; where’s Chase Utley?), is scuffling for runs and extra-base hits right now. They certainly have not looked particularly potent in their last seven games.

And with all deference to Randy Wolf, who pitched well in earning his second win, one expects more than two hits against an average pitcher and a bullpen that does not include Mariano Rivera and Brian Wilson.

There was much concern that the 2011 Phillies attack would more resemble “Judy” than “Punch.” With apologies to my female readers, that does appear to be the case right now.

The Phillies have never been known for playing small ball, but there may have been a positive sign or two to be found in last night’s otherwise anemic attack. Jimmy Rollins bunted for a base hit; now that’s different. And the men in red pinstripes also coaxed four walks while only fanning five times. They also executed a double steal in that (unlucky) bottom of the third.

4) In all other seasons, Chase Utley plays second and bats third; when are you coming back, Chase?

Yes, the Phillies had a pretty good record without Utley in their lineup last year, and their 10-6 record does project to 101 wins. But let’s not kid ourselves. As terrific as Wilson Valdez has been as a stop-gap replacement, the Phillies miss Utley’s bat and leadership.

For a good projection of Utley’s possible return, please see http://bleacherreport.com/articles/670463-philadelphia-phillies-notes-chase-utely-eyes-return-brad-lidge-healing-more

Nobody knows whether we’ll see Utley back by the end of May, but his return will allow Rollins to return to another position in the lineup (although one can still debate where he would be most effective) and Valdez to return to his role as super-sub.

The pitching is good enough to keep the team in games and in the thick of the pennant race without him, but it is hard to believe that the Phillies are not missing their best all-around player.

In the final analysis, even Chase Utley would not have made a difference on a different kind of night at Citizens Bank Park.

And yes, to complete the holiday analogy, one might say that Roy Halladay was serving up some matzo balls last night that Braun and his teammates were not missing.

One might also say that this, too, will Passover. Oy!

For more information on Matt Goldberg’s new books, as well as writing, speaking and interview requests, please e-mail: matt@tipofthegoldberg.com or contact him via his Bleacher Report homepage.

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Cliff Lee, Roy Halladay and the Top 6 Phillies of the Week: Who’s No. 1?

In this past week in Phillies baseball, the Philadelphia Phillies won three of their five games, bringing their NL East-leading record to 9-4.

The week (defined for our purposes as Monday through Sunday) concluded with a hard-earned 3-2 win over the visiting Florida Marlins, who would have tied the Phils for first place with a win.

The men in red pinstripes split the rain-abbreviated, two-game set, and have yet to drop a series this young season.

As it played out, the Phillies—whose offense had been surprisingly potent the first nine games of the season—only tallied 17 total runs in the five games. On the bright side, they received four well-pitched games from their five-man rotation (who each started one game, starting with an ineffective Joe Blanton).

In such a pitching-dominated week, who are the leading candidates for my third Top Phillie of the Week Award?

A panel of alternate personalities, utilizing the finest technology and expertise imaginable, has identified six somewhat worthy candidates this time around. Interestingly, none of my panelists identified the previous two winners—Ryan Howard and Shane Victorino—as one of the six.

Let’s hope that there’s no jinx at work here.

So, who were the ones who made the cut and boosted their chances for the Top Phillie of the Year Award to be announced in October?

(Note to potential sponsors: Contact me via this site with your cash and/or proposals.)

Let’s get right to the Sizzling Six.

6) Cole Hamels—The best No. 4 starter in baseball—the King of Diamonds if you prefer—pitched very well earlier today in a mid-April version of a big game.

Hamels worked seven innings, yielding two earned runs on seven hits. He fanned seven while walking two. Unfortunately for Cole, the Phils did not score their third run ’til the bottom of the eighth.

5) Ryan Madson—The superb master of the eight inning made three appearances this week, and excelled in each. Madson notched his first win of the season today, and for the week, he gave up only one hit and no walks in three innings. His ERA remains at 0.00, and his WHIP (walks plus hits per innings pitched) is at a silly 0.40.

4) Carlos Ruiz—Chooch only batted 4-18 this week (.222), but that does not begin to tell the story.

One of Ruiz’s hits was a solo homer in the top of the sixth on Thursday, to break up Washington Nationals’ starter Jordan Zimmerman’s perfect game, and put up the first run for Cliff Lee—the only breathing room he would need.

On Sunday, Ruiz drove in the winning run with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the eight. He also made a terrific play on a surprise bunt, and a great block of a pitch in the dirt in the top of the ninth, preserving the one-run victory.

3) Placido Polanco—Polly does not grab headlines; he just continues to collect hits and play the game the right way.

Polly hit for .429 for the week (9-21) to boost his season’s average to .373. He hit safely in all five contests, with a homer (the first run in Sunday’s game), six runs scored and four RBI.

2) Roy Halladay—One runs out of superlatives for Doc, who added another chapter to his Philadelphia legend with his 3-2 complete game victory at Washington.

Doc scattered six hits in his complete game performance, yielding two runs and two walks, while striking out nine. The other half of the story?

The man who has more complete games (career) than any other hurler in baseball, showed his toughness one more time. When skipper Charlie Manuel came to the mound with the Phils hanging onto a 3-1 lead with two runners on and one out, Doc waved him off simply saying, “I’ve got ‘em. I’ve got ‘em.”

Well, he got ‘em all right, ending his gutsy performance by striking out two batters looking. For an account of his feat, see more here.

 

It was swift, no-nonsense and dominant. In a word, iconic. Typical Doc.

1) Cliff Lee—It would take an almost perfect performance to top Halladay this week, and Philly’s co-favorite pitcher delivered one.

Bouncing back from an off-game at Atlanta, Lee had everything working versus the Nats on Thursday.

Lee threw a complete game shutout, yielding only three hits and a walk in the 4-0 win. Amazingly, he fanned 12 Nats on only 99 total pitches. That, my friends, is almost impossible to do.

In recognition of this masterpiece (and we may not see a better pitched game all year, even from this staff), Cliff wins our third Top Phillie of the Week Award.

 

GOLD NOTES

Here is one of those stats that is hard to fathom, or Hard to believe, Harry if you prefer.

(Per an AP recap piece), prior to Halladay and Lee throwing their complete games, no Phillies’ pitching tandem had done so since  Paul Byrd and Curt Schilling in May of the 1999 season. This tidbit came to my attention in an AP recap, and my head is spinning to try to comprehend it.

Yes, complete games are rare, but how can they be that rare? 

One would think that this pitching staff will not need another 12 years to duplicate what should be very achievable. It may happen again in the next 12 days.

 

For more information on Matt Goldberg’s new books, as well as writing, speaking and interview requests, please e-mail: matt@tipofthegoldberg.com or contact him via his Bleacher Report homepage.

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Philadelphia Phillies’ Roy Halladay and New Names for the 4 Aces

Roy Halladay was dealing once again, throwing eight innings of two-hit, shutout ball on the road versus the Washington Nationals. Well over the 100-pitch mark, he was laboring in the ninth.  The Nats had narrowed the deficit to 3-1 and had runners on first and third with just one out.

Skipper Charlie Manuel walked to the mound, and almost any other pitcher in Major League Baseball would get a pat-on-the-back and an ovation—if they made it to the ninth in the first place.  Per Paul Hagen of the Philadelphia Daily News (quoting Manuel), the conversation between manager and ace pitcher went like this:

Manuel: “Well, Roy, here I am.”

Halladay: “I’ve got ’em. I’ve got ’em.”

Manuel: “OK, you’ve got ’em, then.”

As manager-pitcher conversations have always been protected by some form of doctor-client (Doc-client, in this case?) privilege, we’ll have to take Charlie at his word. And yes, I prefer to think that this is all that the no-nonsense Halladay uttered.

Doc goes back to the hill, and yields an infield hit, which cuts the lead to one and places runners on first and second—still with one down. Adding to his legend, what does Halladay do?

He strikes out one-time Phillies-hero Matt Stairs looking, and then rings up surefire Hall-of-Famer Ivan Rodriguez with yet another Backwards K.

The game-ending strikeout means three things:

1. The Phillies win again, and now sit at an impressive 8-3.

2.  Halladay runs his record to 2-0, with a low, low ERA of 1.23.

3.  “I’ve got ’em. I’ve got ’em.” becomes an instant Philly sports quotes

 

Where Will This Quote Rank in Phillies Sports Lore?

Only time will tell as to whether Doc’s quote will be remembered years down the road, but his terse, ultra-confident statement and the way he backed it up with two called strikeouts may well end up being the stuff of local legend.

Indeed, it may one day take its place next to Ryan Howard’s “Get me to the plate, boys”, which the big man lived up to with a two-out, two run, game-tying double in the bottom of the ninth. Of course, both the line and the line drive were delivered in Game Four of the NLDS in Colorado.

So, RH-2, if you will, may not quite make it to the level of RH-1’s quote, but it sure beats other recent quotes with more pejorative connotations, such as “They’re fair-weather fans” or the iconic “We’re a small market franchise.”

Adding to the Nickname for Our Starting Rotation

In September, 2010, and in this very space, I was brainstorming nicknames for the Phillies three-headed monster, and ended up proposing H20. The nickname went a little viral, even if only some of that virus accompanied that piece.

When Cliff Lee, shocking-Lee and joyful-Lee returned to South Philly, I was among those who proposed (and advocated) R2C2 for the rotation of Halladay, Lee, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels.

Some other nicknames have joined the discussion, including variants of Mound Rushmore, the Fab Four (or Phab Phour) and the Four Aces.  For my money, none are as catchy as H20, but I’m not going to advocate getting rid of Cliff Lee.

Still, the Four Aces (I’ve never been a “phan” of overusing the Ph) is a good name, but it seems about time that we define the aces a little more.

Admittedly, I’m not a bridge player, and don’t care for watching poker on TV, playing it with friends or doing so online. But in most people’s minds, the Ace of Spades carries the most weight, so let’s go to it.

Roy Halladay:  The Ace of Spades

Many, including yours truly, have referred to Doc as the Ace of Aces, and he certainly is—among the Phillies, and among all great pitchers in MLB.

Hence, Halladay takes his rightful place as the Ace of Spades: dark, serious and just a little menacing

Cliff Lee: The Ace of Hearts

Lee won the hearts of Phillies fans in a few short months in 2009, forever earning the town’s love with his two wins versus the Yankees in the 2009 World Series, punctuated by his behind-the-back stab and his ho-hum, yawning catch of a weak pop-up.

Philly’s heart was broken when its newest sports hero was traded to Seattle last year, but they loved him even more when he spurned the Yankees’ mega-dollar deal to pitch for the Phillies and their ultra-sensitive fans.

The man from Arkansas is clearly the Ace of Hearts

Roy Oswalt: The Ace of Clubs

For many years, Oswalt was the lone ace for the Houston Astros, but he has pitched quite well since coming here.

Oswalt is a man of few words, but (a la Big Roy Halladay) lets his play do the talking for him. Given his big stick mentality and the fact that he starred for another ballclub, Little Roy looks just fine as the Ace of Clubs.

Cole Hamels:  The Ace of Diamonds

A diamond is a high-priced commodity, which can be quite brilliant, or somewhat flawed.

Hamels, sometimes known as Hollywood, has just a little of that blue-blooded, snooty appearance, which belies how fierce of a competitor he is.

And despite a somewhat flawed 2009 season, Hamels has mostly shined brilliantly in his tenure here.

The Ace of Diamonds is a good fit for Cole.  King Cole? Nah…

As for Joe Blanton, an excellent No. 5 starter despite two straight rough outings, I’m thinking it over. Jack of Clubs doesn’t quite do it for me.

 

For more information on Matt Goldberg’s new books, as well as writing, speaking and interview requests, please e-mail: matt@tipofthegoldberg.com or contact him via his Bleacher Report homepage.

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Roy Halladay and the Top 7 Philadelphia Phillies of the Week: Who Is No. 1?

In This Past Week in Phillies Baseball, the Philly squad was coming off a season-opening, three-game sweep of the Astros and facing a pair of series against two division rivals—the New York Mets and the Atlanta Braves.

With Sunday’s 3-0 win at Turner Field, the Phillies took the rubber game of the series after similarly rallying to take two of three at home versus the Mets.

The two series wins gave the men in red pinstripes a 4-2 record for the week, boosting the first-place team to 7-2 overall.

Needless to say (and somewhat inaccurately), the 25-man roster was obviously playing its collective bats off to try to win this columnist’s second-ever Top Phillie of the Week award.

With such a microscopic sample size, it’s hard to ascertain any trends here, although the runner-up slot may be jinxed.

New co-ace Cliff Lee earned the No. 2 spot (behind slugger Ryan Howard) after his electric, 11-strikeout winning performance against the Astros. Perhaps, Lee succumbed to the pressure of trying to do too much to earn the (TPW) award, and fizzled during Friday night’s loss to the Braves.

Of course, you may say that a pitcher who is one of the very best big game performers in Major League Baseball, would not be feeling this pressure, and your theory is equally valid. Okay, it was only one bad start, and he’s likely to have four or five clunkers this year. And it was nice of Cliff to do this on the road where he would not face the possibility of a scattered boo or two from fans that generally adore him.

With all that said, let’s get right to our Top Seven Phillies of the Week, culminating with this week’s winner.

Budgetary constraints render it impossible for me to make a contribution to a worthy cause in his name, although if any of you would like to do so in my stead, please contact me.

Let’s start with apologies to Roy Oswalt (another strong start, and win) and Ryan Howard (tied for the NL lead in RBI) for just missing the top seven.

7) Cole Hamels – Yesterday, Hamels pitched the best game by a Phils starter this young season: seven innings of four-hit ball, eight strikeouts and one walk in the 3-0 shutout. Of course, earlier in the week he threw that stinker at home versus the Mets.

6) Ryan Madson / Jose Contreras (combo) – The back end of the bullpen made two appearances together and yielded a combined one walk and two hits (versus four strikeouts) in four innings of work. Madson has two holds and Contreras has two saves.

5) Placido Polanco – Polly was a little RBI machine this week, contributing a .308 batting average (6-23) with one run and eight runs batted in. He hit safely in five of the six games this week.

4) Roy Halladay – Scoring 11 runs with Doc on the hill is like sending in a tank to do battle with a mosquito—overkill. Halladay was his brilliant self in the 11-0 win over the Mets, throwing seven innings, giving up six hits and one walk and fanning seven.

3) Antonio Bastardo – The man with either the best or worst last name in MLB (I see it both ways) pitched 4.2 innings in three appearances. He made the most of his work, picking up a win, and only giving up two hits and striking out nine batters. Bastardo only yielded one walk, and his ERA is 0.00. Nine of AB’s 14 puts have been of the strikeout variety, including his last six!

2) Carlos Ruiz – No. 51’s bat came alive this week. Chooch went 7-16 (.438), homered once and knocked in six, while scoring four runs. His game on Saturday was quite impressive. He pinch-hit for Brian Schneider (who had also homered) in the seventh, and torched the Braves for a grand slam and a run-scoring double in two at-bats. Going out on a sturdy limb, let’s just say that the Phillies should win every game where they get two homers and seven RBI from their catchers.

1) Shane Victorino – The Flyin’ Hawaiian was the hottest of all Phils this week, with a .481 batting average (13-27), one homer, five RBI, six runs and two stolen bases. Victorino has five straight multiple-hit games.

So, congrats, Shane, and let’s see if anyone can wrest Top Phillie of the Week honors from you next week.

 

GOLD NOTES

Small sample sizes sometimes produce very strange results.

In the American League, the Cleveland Indians have won seven straight and the Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays are a combined 3-15. Is it the Carl Crawford Curse, plaguing both his former and current teams? The lifetime .295 hitter is batting .132 in the early stages of 2011.

But, the weirdest stat line may belong to the man widely considered the best player in the game, Albert Pujols. The already legendary Cardinal has only hit safely in four of nine games played, and has produced this slash line: .143 / .225 / .229 (for an OPS of .454). He has homered once (his only extra-base hit) and driven in just four runs, and scored twice. The Gold Glover even committed a very costly error in Friday’s 12-inning loss to the Giants.

I would not count Albert out of another MVP-type campaign by season’s end, but it’s highly unusual to see a player of his caliber struggling so badly, if only for nine games.

 

For more information on Matt Goldberg’s new books, as well as writing, speaking and interview requests, please e-mail: matt@tipofthegoldberg.com or contact him via his Bleacher Report homepage.

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Ryan Howard and Bullpen Key Philadelphia Phillies 10-7 Win Over Mets

A red-hot cleanup hitter and a clutch bullpen performance led the host Phillies past the feisty New York Mets 10-7. With the victory, the home team held onto first place in the very early stages of the 2011 pennant race.

With the temperature holding around 50 degrees, both the climate and the final score more resembled a defensive battle in the National Football League. Of course, it was a cool evening for baseball and an unexpected April slugfest.

Baseball is a game of clichés, and this contest between the NL East rivals put some of these diamond truisms under the microscope.

Cliché No. 1:

In April, the pitchers are ahead of the hitters.

Not tonight. The two teams combined for 28 hits off two quality starting pitchers; 16 of the 17 total runs were earned.

Cliché No. 2:

When a team does not cash in on an early (and easy) scoring opportunity, that lost opportunity will come back to haunt it.

Yes and no. Jose Reyes opened the game with a bunt single and advanced to third on catcher Brian Schneider’s throwing error. Man on third, nobody out; the probability of scoring at least one run figures to be at least 95 percent. Any statisticians in the house?

Not tonight. Starter Joe Blanton proceeded to wriggle out of the jam, punching out both Willie Harris (swinging) and David Wright (looking) and inducing a fly out from Carlos Beltran.

As often happens when the pitcher picks up the whole team, the Phils offense paid him back, starting with a leadoff triple from Shane Victorino. In no time, the home team was up 2-0, which they extended to 7-0 after three. The Mets were cooked, right?

Not exactly. Angel Pagan got two runs back for the Mets in the top of the forth with a bomb, and the Mets exploded for five runs in the top of the fifth to knot the game at a touchdown apiece.

If you recall, Tuesday evening’s starter Cole Hamels also got out of a big jam in the top of the first, and looked just fine after two. Then, he gave up a six-spot to the Mets in the third. Ouch!

Cliché No. 3:

When you’re pitching with a big lead, throw strikes. The worst thing you can do is to give free passes to the trailing team.

In his four-plus innings of work, Blanton had decent, if not great, control. He whiffed six batters, against two walks, and hit one batter.

For the most part, Blanton’s problem was that he was getting far too many pitches up in the zone.

Protecting a 7-2 lead (well, trying to protect a 7-2 lead) with one and out and nobody on in the top of the fifth, Blanton suddenly became very hittable.

In succession, he yielded a double, a walk, three consecutive singles, a double and another walk. Before you could say Antonio Bastardo, the Mets had whittled the lead to a single run with the bases loaded. The walks hurt; the belt-high fastballs and hangers almost killed.

Cliché No. 4:

A win in April is just as good as a win in September.

This is mathematically irrefutable, even if the spirit of it can be questioned.

Obviously, all W’s are created equal in the standings and a win against a division rival is even more important than one against the Astros, for a recent example. By June or so, the details of this game will be forgotten by most people with normal memories, and the fact that the Phillies won and the Mets (who may or may not be an afterthought come September) lost is all that counts.

As for the spirit of this cliché, if it were a choice between winning this game in September or April, I’d rather take it in September. Of course, this kind of win in April could also help a team win this kind of rollercoaster affair during the stretch drive.

In regard to the very early season stats, it’s very hard to project after just one time around the five-man rotation.

But, let’s do the math anyway. If the Phillies’ season continues exactly like this:

They will win 130 games, and lose 32.

They will do this without Roy Halladay, Joe Blanton or Cole Hamels winning any, although “Doc” will post an incredible 1.50 earned run average.

Placido Polanco will hit .450 (Teddy Who?) with 130 RBI and 194 runs scored.

Ben Francisco (Jayson Who?) will hit .333 with 65 homers, 162 RBI and 194 runs.

Ryan Howard (Albert Who?) will match Francisco’s 65 dingers, and do so with a .525 batting average, 259 RBI and 162 runs.

Which brings us to…

(Phillies) Cliché No. 5:

Howard does not hit well in the cold weather months, and may really struggle without the protection afforded by No. hitter Chase Utley and No. 5 hitter Jayson Werth.

Yes, and the Earth is flat, and Butler shoots extremely well in NCAA title games.

Of course, over time, the absence of Utley (for however long) and Werth may mean fewer good pitches for the big first basemen to hit. Right now, the man is crushing almost everything offered.

Most power hitters are streaky, and Howard is no exception. Still, Phillies fans have to be most pleasantly surprised and elated to see the biggest cog in their lineup start the season like this.

(Phillies) Cliché No. 6:

The starting rotation is untouchable, but the bullpen is suspect.

So far, Halladay, Lee and Oswalt all pitched quite well, while Hamels and Blanton were terrible.

In the bullpen, Antonio Bastardo gave up only one hit and struck out two in 1.2 crucial innings of work to get the win. J.C. Romero, Ryan Madson and Jose Contreras collaborated on three shutout innings, yielding only one hit and one walk.

Which brings us back to Cliché No. 3. Bastardo, who relieved Blanton during that wild Mets fifth, threw 17 of his 20 pitches for strikes. That worked out pretty well for him.

In the final analysis, a cliché or two held true and several others were ripped apart during a wild ballgame that saw the Phillies up their record to 4-1.

It was just one of about 90 or so victories they will need to qualify for the postseason.

After all, whether they win 2-1 (as most pundits projected as the norm for this season) or 10-7, a win is a win is a win—whether played in 50 degrees or 90.

And yes, I am fresh out of clichés.

 

For more information on Matt Goldberg’s new books, as well as writing, speaking and interview requests, please e-mail: matt@tipofthegoldberg.com or contact him via his Bleacher Report homepage.

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Philadelphia Phillies: Cliff Lee, Ryan Howard and the First Phillie of the Week

The first three games of the season are now in the books, and the Phillies—thanks to three fine pitching performances, a terrific Opening Day comeback victory and other timely hitting this weekend—are 3-0 for the first time since Abe Lincoln manned the White House.

Okay, that was a slight exaggeration (Grant Administration?), but to Phillies Nation, the regular season could not have come soon enough or started much better.

What follows is the first of a (planned) weekly series wherein this columnist will feature his Phillie of the Week, evaluating games from the preceding Monday thru Sunday. In this case, there is only the three-game sweep of the Astros to evaluate, but there were still plenty of heroes to recognize.

Here are my Lucky Seven Phillies of the Week, with No. 1, of course, being the Phillie of the Week. Budgetary constraints make it impossible, for now, to make a contribution to a worthy cause in his name, although if any of you would like to do so in my stead, please contact me.

Placido Polanco (.417 BA) and Wilson Valdez (.364) just missed my Lucky Seven.

7) Roy Halladay – Doc took the ball and had his usual terrific command of those nasty pitches he throws. He pitched well enough to tally one in the win column, but his offense did not wake up until after he vacated the hill.

Halladay fanned six, while yielding five hits, no walks and a single run in six innings. His ERA is a tiny 1.50.

6) Ben Francisco – The man who replaced Jayson Werth in rightfield and as the No. 5 hitter behind Ryan Howard, had a stellar week. His series was not perfect, as he misjudged a tricky fly ball in the opener for a two-base error.

But after that one miscue, he played a solid rightfield, including a catch up against the fence on Sunday that earned him a warm ovation. At the plate, Francisco is now batting .462 (six for 13) with a homer, four RBI and five runs scored. Jayson Who?

5) Jimmy Rollins – With his usual double play partner Chase Utley sidelined, Rollins started the year in the No. 3 hole, and had a terrific series. J-Roll hit a cool .500 (six for 12), scored four runs, and stole a base. The nifty shortstop also drew two walks on Sunday. That’s a great sign for Phils fans.

4) Roy Oswalt – Following Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee, and pitching in front of Cole Hamels, is not an easy task. Oswalt also had to do it against his former team. Not a problem, as Little Roy pitched six strong innings (yielding two earned runs on five hits, one walk and a hit batsman) in the 7-3 victory. Oswalt fanned six Astros.

3) John Mayberry, Jr. – Mayberry only had one hit this series (in three at-bats) but it was momentous. Mayberry lined a pinch-hit single to center off imploding reliever Brandon Lyon in the bottom of the ninth to cap a three-run rally. It was a walkoff RBI and the biggest hit of the young season.

2) Cliff Lee – The return of Cliff Lee before his once-and-present adoring fans in Game Two was an event every bit as memorable as Opening Day.

Mr. Lee did not disappoint whatsoever. He worked seven mostly dominating innings, giving up three runs on just four hits. Lee struck out 11 Astros without a walk, but did hit a batter on an offspeed pitch that grazed Chris Johnson’s foot.

Lee may have been awarded the No. 1 spot if it were not for that other Lee (Carlos) who belted a triple, a homer and all three runs batted in.

1) Ryan Howard – When you’re the biggest, most powerful hitter on a World Series favorite, one suspects that you are used to a disproportionate share of the spotlight and scrutiny. And with the departure of Werth and the injury to Utley, there has been even more attention paid to the Big Piece.

Howard has responded with a torrid start: Seven for 13 (.538 average) with three runs, a homer, a double and six RBI. Howard’s on-base percentage is a scintillating .500, and his slugging average stands at .846; his OPS is a gaudy 1.346.

Yes, it’s only been three games, but the three games have been quite remarkable.

GOLD NOTES

Roy Oswalt walked Michael Bourn with two outs in the top of the fifth. That stuff happens, and Oswalt, (only one walk against six strikeouts) exhibited impressive control.

Except when compared to Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee, who did not issue any free passes. Collectively, the three starters fanned 23 and walked one in 19 innings. Your turn, Cole!

According to Todd Zolecki, of MLB.com, the Phillies opened the season with a three-game sweep at home for the first time since 1899. How is that possible? And yes, that was during the William McKinley Administration.

In case you were wondering, the Phils finished 94-59 that year, but they finished one game behind the Boston Beaneaters and eight back of the pennant-winning Brooklyn Superbas.

I will guarantee you that the Phils will not finish behind either of those juggernauts in 2011.

 

For more information on Matt Goldberg’s new books, as well as writing, speaking and interview requests, please e-mail: matt@tipofthegoldberg.com or contact him via his Bleacher Report homepage. 

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Philadelphia Phillies Cut Castillo: Luis, Luis, We Barely Knew Ye

Philadelphia Phillies General Manager Ruben Amaro announced earlier today that the team had cut ties with veteran second baseman (but extremely new Phillie) Luis Castillo.

Luis Castillo had just been cut by their division rival, the New York Mets and was given what turned out to be a very inexpensive and short trial with the Phillies.

Ironically, the 35 year old second baseman—who some observers thought would be the Phillies everyday second baseman until Chase Utley was healthy enough to regain his position—had his best game of the spring yesterday.

In four at-bats, Castillo singled twice, scored two runs and even stole a base for good measure in the Phillies 8-5 exhibition win over the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Alas, this good performance figures to be the only game he will play at Citizens Bank Park while donning the red pinstripes.

The three-time all-star and four-time Gold Glover had been coming off a frustrating 2010 season with the Mets. In a season restricted to 88 games and 299 at-bats, the lifetime .290 hitter managed an anemic slash line of .235/.337/.267, the final two numbers giving him an OPS of .605.

While never (to put it mildly) a power hitter, at his best, Castillo gave his teams (all of his All-Star appearances and Gold Gloves were earned as a Florida Marlin) plenty of speed and terrific defense.

Just two seasons ago, Luis put up fairly good numbers as a Met: .302/ .387/.346 (for a respectable .736 OPS) with 20 steals.

In the final analysis, it was likely that the Phillies saw enough of Castillo to feel that he had lost a lot of his defensive range and that he would more resemble the 2010 version than the 2009 one.

One wonders if Castillo regrets stealing that base yesterday, unless he uses that clip to catch on with another team.

As for the Phillies, the release is not a shocker and should not be criticized too harshly by their fans. Because the team signed the veteran to a minor league contract, they had a very small investment in him.

They may have lost some brownie points with Castillo, however. If by some miracle, he is enshrined in Cooperstown, one doubts he will be inducted as a Phillie.

 

NOW, WHO’S ON SECOND?

Nobody, including Utley, knows the timetable for the All-Star’s return, but the release of Luis (kind of rhymes) is a vote of confidence for super utility man Wilson Valdez and, apparently, Rule 5 pick Michael Martinez.

Valdez is expected to see the majority of starts at second base; Martinez is also likely to make the team and make an occasional start.

Rounding out the expected Phillies reserve core will be catcher Brian Schneider and outfielders Ross Gload and John Mayberry, Jr.

The final spot on the Opening Day roster appears to be a battle between infielder Pete Orr and infielder/outfielder Delwyn Young.

Young, on paper, has a little more pop at the plate, while Orr is a better fielder and baserunner.

The Phillies bench does not figure to inspire too much insomnia among opposing managers this year, but the game of baseball does have a way of churning out surprises.

Very few people outside of the Valdez family expected him to be such a major contributor last season. Mayberry looks closer to being a finished product and can certainly punish mistakes by opposing pitchers.

Schneider and Gload are solid professionals, on the field, and in the clubhouse.

Skipper Charlie Manuel has been known to go with his starting eight as much as any manager in the game.

That may be harder to do with a core group that is among the oldest in Major League Baseball.

With the release of Castillo, the Phillies may have gotten just a hair younger.

Will Valdez and Matinez contribute more than the former All-Star would have? That’s why they play the games—all 162 of them, starting Friday at Citizens Bank Park.

 

For more information on Matt Goldberg’s new books, other writings and public appearances, please e-mail: matt@tipofthegoldberg.com or contact him via his Bleacher Report homepage.

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Play Ball: A Look Back at the Philadelphia Phillies’ Last 10 Season Openers

Four more days!

Four more days!

Yes, the Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Atlanta Braves 6-1 on Sunday to run their Grapefruit League record to 19-13. And yes, those three more scoreless innings from ace of aces Roy Halladay (to up his exhibition games record to a silly 4-0 with an 0.42 ERA) looked quite encouraging to Phils fans.

Homers by Ryan Howard and Raul Ibanez, both having good springs, also engendered a smile or two from Phillies Nation.

But as they say in local TV, the big story is that the real season is starting on Friday, April 1—I’m not April Fool-ing you.

While there have been some good developments this spring, the Phillies have endured a few too many injuries and must be looking forward to getting it going for real.

Doc Halladay will take the ball versus the visiting Houston Astros at roughly 1:05 PM on Friday. Did I mention that this is only four days away?

In anticipation of the April Fools’ Day opener, let us embark on a journey through the last 10 Phillies season openers.

Not all seasons brought the same type of anticipation and passion as this one. But to a true baseball fan all season openers are great events, by definition, whether played in 80 degrees or 40, home or away.

Pack your virtual bags and take a slightly nostalgic journey through the last decade of Phillies baseball.

Begin Slideshow

Philadelphia Phillies of 2006: What a Difference 5 Years Makes

Despite a tough, injury-plagued spring training, today’s Philadelphia Phillies are about to break camp surrounded by the type of lofty expectations that are attached to very few ballclubs.

Yes, injuries to Chase Utley and Brad Lidge have scaled down some of the unchecked optimism about the regular season (okay, they won’t win 115 or so games), but they are still the odds-on choice to advance to the World Series for the third time in the last four years.

Charlie Manuel’s bunch has won the last four National League East pennants, and No. 5 is but a formality. The Phillies always win. Don’t they?

If you cut your baseball teeth in 2007, it’s hard to think otherwise. But it hasn’t always been this way, and one does not have to conjure up images of the horrid choke of 1964— featuring Jim Bunning, Chris Short, Chico Ruiz and Gene Mauch—to appreciate how special the last four seasons have been.

Please travel with me all the way back to the year 2006 for a reminder of the way it used to be.

 

The Phillies of 2006

In the early spring of 2006, the average price of a gallon of gas was $1.23, stadium hot dogs cost a dollar, and the Atlanta Braves were coming off their zillionth straight NL East title.

I’m just kidding about the price of gas, but stadium hot dogs did cost you a buck—on Dollar Dog Days.

The Phillies had finished the season with a quite respectable 88-74 record under first-year manager Charlie Manuel. Although 88 wins wasn’t bad, it was yet another season—their 12th consecutive—without a playoff berth.

For the glass-half-full fans, there was consolation to be found in finishing only two games out of first and one game behind the Astros for the wild card.

For most Phillies fans, it seemed like Groundhog Day. And who exactly was this glorified hitting coach with the strange accent who was mismanaging our team?

As the Phils geared up for Opening Day, nobody was comparing their starting rotation to the 1971 Baltimore Orioles or the 1990s Atlanta Braves. R2C2? The Four Aces? Mound Rushmore? Please.

The 2006 Phillies started the season with this rotation: Jon Lieber, Brett Myers, Cory Lidle, Gavin Floyd and Ryan Madson. Maybe they should have been called Five Guys, if a certain burger joint wouldn’t have sued. This wasn’t Mound Rushmore. It was more the case of Mount NeedMore.

By the way, the Phillies opened the 2006 season with four straight losses, and one win out of their first six. All six games were played in front of their ever-patient fans. Their first victory was earned by reliever Tom Gordon.

To reassure you that I’m not describing some alternate universe played outside of Citizens Bank Park, I will add that a certain Cardinals player named Albert Pujols left Philly with a .500 batting average, three homers and six RBI after the first three games. Some things stay the same.

The Phillies did have a pretty good hitting team back then, if in a bit of transition from an offense led by Bobby Abreu, Jim Thome, Pat Burrell and Mike Lieberthal to one sparked by the young emerging corp of Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins.

In 2005, Jim Thome battled injuries, which finally gave Howard his long-awaited shot. He capitalized with 22 homers and 63 RBI in only 88 games, winning Rookie of the Year honors.

Utley got his chance to play everyday in 2005, posting a slash line of .291/28/105 and Rollins, just 26, was coming off his first All-Star season.

The Phillies cut ties with Thome prior to the 2006 season, and Manuel presented the following lineup card to home plate umpire Gerry Crawford:

1. Jimmy Rollins, SS

2. Abraham Nunez, 3B

3. Bobby Abreu, RF

4. Chase Utley, 2B

5. Pat Burrell, LF

6. Ryan Howard, 1B

7. Aaron Rowand, CF

8. Mike Liebertahal, C

9. Jon Lieber, P

Even the most fervent Phillies fans may be surprised to see that Utley was hitting hitting cleanup, and Ryan Howard (who would slug his way to the NL MVP award with 58 homers and 149 RBI) was in the six-hole.

The lineup would soon see more changes. Bobby Abreu, who always struck me as both the most overrated and most unappreciated Phillies player, was traded to the Yankees in midseason.

Shane Victorino would emerge as an important outfielder before season’s end. Mike Lieberthal (starting to show signs of wear and tear) would finish 2006 and 2007 as a Phillie, but was losing playing time to Chris Coste and Carlos Ruiz.

Even Aaron Rowand, a fan favorite just acquired in 2006, would leave after the 2007 season. Third base? Don’t ask. David Bell, never a Philly fan favorite, saw the majority of the playing time.

The 2006 Phillies, despite big years from Howard, Utley, Rollins and Burrell, dropped to 85-77 and—check the record books—12 games behind a talented New York Mets team. They did not even make it as a wild card, extending that Groundhog Day scenario to 13 seasons.

Unlike the Phils of last year and for the foreseeable future, the starting pitching was never strong enough. Lefty phenom Cole Hamels came up midseason and posted a 9-8 record with a 4.08 ERA. Only Myers (12) and Madson (11) had more wins than Cole.

In the final analysis, that long, lost season of 2006 yielded a 2007 spring training of equal parts optimistic and uncertainty. That spring training gave birth to a 2007 team that nipped a collapsing Mets team by one game at the wire.

The rest, as baseball fans and archivists alike tend to say, is history.

For more information on Matt Goldberg’s new books, other writings and public appearances, please e-mail: matt@tipofthegoldberg.com or contact him via his Bleacher Report homepage.

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