Phillies Need Strong Start from Kyle Kendrick with Halladay’s Struggles

The Philadelphia Phillies haven’t had the strong start to the season they had hoped, and starting pitching has been a big part of the reason. Cole Hamels gave up five earned runs in five innings in his debut, while Roy Halladay only made it through 3.1 innings and gave up five runs of his own. Cliff Lee, however, pitched great in his debut with only two hits in eight scoreless innings.

Now, it is time for Kyle Kendrick to take the mound in 2013, and he starts against the Kansas City Royals. In the Phillies’ home opener, the fourth pitcher on the rotation looks to build off his success from the end of last season.

But Kendrick has had an erratic career with the Phillies thus far.

He started 20 games in his first season in 2007 and posted a 10-4 record with a 3.87 ERA. The following year, Kendrick’s performance declined, as he finished 11-9 with a 5.49 ERA. In 2012, Kendrick resumed his place in the starting rotation after a few stints in the minors and the bullpen, where he added an effective changeup to his arsenal.

The 28-year-old did not get off to a fast start, but after the All-Star break, Kendrick had a record of 9-4 with a 2.87 ERA. The most promising aspect of that stretch was that Kendrick made it through six innings or more in eight out of his last 10 starts.

His consistency has never been more important than it will be this season. With the aging and ailing Halladay and the loss of Vance Worley, Kendrick has the opportunity to become the third ace on the pitching staff. Halladay may take time to return to 100 percent or may never actually get back there, so Philadelphia has to look to Kendrick to fill this void.

Spring training, however, did not signal strong hope for the right-handed pitcher, as he went 1-3 with a 6.88 ERA, but the regular season is a different animal.

Kendrick kicks off 2013 in Citizens Bank Park against 27-year-old Wade Davis. In 2010 and 2011, Davis had started 29 games in each season for the Tampa Bay Rays, yet he was a member of the bullpen in 2012. He now returns to a starting role for the Kansas City Royals.

Fortunately, Kendrick will not face off against a tough pitcher when more than 45,000 Phillies fans watch the team take the home field for the first time in 2013.

It is hard to predict how Kendrick will perform this season when he is assured to be pitching every five days, but the end of last season showed potential. Kendrick’s newly acquired changeup combined with his intimidating sinker has given him more confidence as he hopes to improve the Phillies’ starting rotation this season. 

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Why Domonic Brown and Michael Young Are Keys to Phillies’ Season

There are a lot of questions surrounding the aging Philadelphia Phillies as we kick off the 2013 season, such as if their starting pitching can return to dominance and if they’ll be able to put runs on the board, unlike last season. Adding to these questions are newcomers and young players with something to prove, and two Phillies in particular will be instrumental in Philadelphia’s success this year.

 

Michael Young

Although he’ll be playing third base for the Phillies, the longtime Texas Ranger is naturally a shortstop who played more and more games as the DH in the last few seasons. Young is getting up there in age, but has proven to be a consistent player throughout his career. Through 13 years, the 36-year-old has batted .301 but has recently shown a decline.

In 2012, Young saw his worst batting average (.277), slugging percentage (.370) and on-base percentage (.312) since 2002, his first full year as a starter. Young will be batting fifth in the lineup, behind Ryan Howard. The hard-hitting first baseman has the potential to change games with a swing of his bat and if he has a good year, then Young will be forced into many clutch situations.

The fear Howard can put in opposing teams forces them to intentionally walk him sometimes, leaving Young with multiple RBI opportunities. This also means that if Young is hitting well, then teams will be afraid to pitch around Howard.

His lack of experience at third combined with his age could really help or hurt the Phils this season, too. Young has played in over 155 games every season since 2002, but in his last two seasons in Texas, he only started 83 games in the field—only 25 games at third base, where he committed two errors.

 

Domonic Brown

At only 25 years old, Brown has been a promising prospect for the Philadelphia Phillies, but has yet to break out and impress. Two seasons ago, Brown hit .245 in 184 at-bats and in 2012 he batted .235 with 187 plate appearances. Well, this season Brown gets to start in left field, really getting the opportunity to become the star the organization hoped he would be.

On a team filled with aging All-Stars, Brown is a young athlete who has plenty of speed and power. He’ll be batting behind Young in the sixth position, but that could change if he shows major improvement.

If the Phillies hope to make it to the playoffs, they not only will need to avoid down years from top players like Chase Utley or Jimmy Rollins, but Brown must also break out of his shell. The offense lacked firepower last year and he could be the one to bring it in 2013. 

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Impressions from Philadelphia Phillies’ Opening Night

The Philadelphia Phillies fell to the Atlanta Braves 7-5 in their first game of the 2013 season, but it wasn’t all bad news.

Cole Hamels and Chad Durbin struggled on the mound, Chase Utley brought life to the offense and newcomers made their debuts. It is a much different Phillies team than a few years ago, when it had the best rotation in all of baseball and was considered a title contender. Now, the Phillies try to put a .500 season behind them as they set out to retake the NL East throne from the Washington Nationals.

So, what did we learn about the Phillies on Opening Night?

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MLB Preview: Taking a Closer Look at the NL East

The Philadelphia Phillies finally relinquished the crown to the emerging Washington Nationals squad in the surprising NL East division last season. The headline-grabbing Miami Marlins finished last in the division after having such high hopes and the New York Mets? Well, they were the same Mets we’ve come to know over the years: lack of production that leads to lack of effort. The Atlanta Braves had another solid year, but have still yet to make that breakthrough to become a true contender. So what does the 2013 season hold for these teams?

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