Philadelphia Phillies Lose to the San Francisco Giants: Deja Vu All over Again

OK, so the Phillies lost last night. It’s just one game, right? One series in July. No big deal.

Well, not so fast. It’s not just that they lost. It’s not even that they lost two in a row for the first time since June 3 or that it was the first time they have lost a series since June 17th at Seattle.

No, it’s not that they lost that worries me, it’s the way they lost.

It was way too familiar. Too uncomfortable, like another series they lost to the Giants. And that one did matter. It was last year in October and it ended the Phillies’ season. Too soon.

And although Kyle Kendrick against Tim Lincecum looked like a mismatch from the start, this loss can’t be blamed on the Phils’ pitching. It was the offense that let them down. That here-today, gone-tomorrow offense that for two games in a row against the world champions just couldn’t get the big hit when they needed it.

Kind of like that October series in 2010 that ended with a called third strike to the Phillies’ big piece.

Now, I don’t mean to be overreacting here. Really. The Phillies do still have the best record in baseball and a five-game lead over the second-place Braves in the NL East. But I don’t think Ruben Amaro added Cliff Lee to this lofty pitching staff and now equally lofty $170 million payroll just to win the division.

We all know they have their sights on a bigger prize this year. And all the pitching in the world can’t win without runs. It’s not the pitchers who are expected to drive in those runners in scoring position.

At least the Giants aren’t that good offensively, either. That’s some consolation, right?

Well, not so fast. That, too, changed a bit last night when they obtained the Mets’ Carlos Beltran to add to the heart of their lineup.

Now, Beltran won’t turn the Giants into an offensive juggernaut. (He really wasn’t a factor last night offensively, although he did make a great catch in right field that squelched a potential rally. And don’t get me started on right field defense. That’s a post for another day.) But he is a career .310 hitter at the Giants’ AT&T Park. He also hits very well against the Phillies and in the playoffs.

So where’s the good news? Well, if the Phillies’ recent winning play had silenced the cries for a right-handed hitter, now they are back and we can hear them loud and clear. Ruben may need to pull yet one more bat out of his hat, preferably named Hunter Pence, before the trade deadline on Sunday.

Yes, I know I’m the one who’s always preaching that we should all remember to enjoy the ride. And I am.

I guess what I’m saying is that I just don’t want the ride to end too soon.

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Philadelphia Phillies: No Pain, No Gain

Wednesday was the kind of Phillies game I like.  High scoring, low stress.  

Pretty much right from the start you knew that this one would go in the win column for the fightin’ Phils.

In fact, the Phillies have continued their streak of winning series since their return from the All-Star break.  They won two of three from the Mets and two of three from the Cubs.  

Who won those four games?  Vance Worley won two, Kyle Kendrick and Michael Stutes each won one. Worley, Kendrick, Stutes—just who we thought would be winning games for the Phillies, right?

And what about offensively?  The leader in RBI since the All-Star break has eight. It’s not Ryan Howard or Chase Utley, not Shane Victorino or Raul Ibanez, either.

The Phillies RBI leader since the break is Michael Martinez.  Now, Jimmy Rollins is second with six (Did you see him hit home runs from both sides of the plate yesterday??), but third is John Mayberry with five.

And while Rollins leads in runs scored with eight, tied for second? Domonic Brown and Michael Martinez.

So let’s review, the Phils are 4-2 since their return from the All-Star break, and the major contributors to this early second half success are Vance Worley, Michael Stutes, Michael Martinez, Domonic Brown and John Mayberry.  

Oh yeah, there have been two saves as well, recorded by—you guessed it—Antonio Bastardo.  

None of these players, except maybe Brown, would even be in the lineup if it were nor for injuries (that’s the no pain, part.)

In fact, the Phillies have been decimated by injuries so far.  Half of their starting lineup has missed significant time, and they lost their No. 3 and 4 starters and their top three bullpen closers.  

Yet, they sit atop the NL East at 61-36.  That’s 25 games over .500.  Twenty-five games!  And they lead the second place Braves by 4.5 games.  

Yes, we expected this team to be good, but if someone had said they would have all of the injuries mentioned above, I don’t think anyone thought they’d be this good. 

No, no one wants injuries, but the silver lining to losing your starters is learning something about your backups you might never have known.

In the case of the 2011 Phillies, we learned that there are some young pitchers and position players that could be a big part of this team’s future.

And not only the future, they might play significant roles this year as well.  Thanks to the unexpected playing time they are getting now, these young players will be battle tested for the stretch run and the playoffs should the Phillies get there.

In a long baseball season, every team needs to expect the unexpected. Almost every winning team can point to players not in the Opening Day lineup who still played big roles in their success often because of injury, and the deeper your roster, the better your chances.  

So let’s hear it for the boys, and I mean boys.  

Worley is 23, Brown and Stutes are 24. And Martinez, Mayberry and Bastardo are all under 30, all younger than the average age of this veterans Phillies lineup.

Thanks to bad backs and sprained thumbs, numb fingers and tired knees, the Phillies are actually a better team than they were when they started this 2011 season.  

And let’s not forget, they were pretty darn good to start with.

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Philadelphia Phillies: Ranking Their 10 Greatest Players Never to Win a Title

Winning a World Series title.  To be the best in the world at what you do.  Ask any athlete about their ultimate goal and they all say the same thing:  to win a championship. 

For professional baseball players no matter how many individual achievements they may have earned from Cy Young Awards to MVPs, they all want to be forever known as World Champions and have the ring to prove it.

But only one team can win it all each year which leaves many superstar athletes without that crowning achievement.  In the case of the Philadelphia Phillies, the championships have been few and far between. 

Although they are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of American pro sports dating all the way back to 1883, they have only won two (count ’em TWO)  World Series titles, one in 1980 and the other, in 2008.

That leaves lots of choices for this top ten list.  And this is one list these Phillies would rather not be on: The 10 Greatest Phillies Players to  Never Win a Title.  

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Philadelphia Phillies: 3 Ridiculous Statements After First Game Back

And what a game it was!  

Though it was only one game, and it was only against the New York Mets, a team that has already decided that they are sellers in this pre-trade deadline period—they traded closer Francisco Rodriguez to the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday—that’s not going to stop me from sharing the three most important things I learned about the Philadelphia Phillies from last night’s win.

WARNING: Admittedly, I will be exaggerating and making rash statements based on limited evidence. But come on, you know you want to read it anyway. 

 

Rash Generalization No. 1:  The Phillies found their right-handed bat. (And Ruben Amaro, Jr. didn’t even have to spend a penny.)

He has driven in 12 runs in his last 5 games, 9 in his last two, including a career high 5 RBIs last night. When he was sent down to the minors last month, John Mayberry was told by Phils manager Charlie Manuel that he had to improve on his hitting against right-handed pitching, one big thing the Phillies have been lacking in their anemic first half offense.

You might say Mayberry took Charlie‘s words to heart. Eleven of those 12 above-mentioned RBIs have come against right-handed pitchers.

Advice to Charlie? Next time, tell Mayberry to improve on his home run hitting!

 

Rash Generalization No. 2:  Great pitching is contagious.

He is 5-1 with a 2.15 ERA in 11 starts. Cliff Lee? Roy Halladay? No. Oh, it must be Cole Hamels, then. Nope, not Cole either.

Vance Worley, the 23-yearold right-hander, filling in for injured Phillies starters Roy Oswalt and Joe Blanton has virtually come out of nowhere to earn a spot in this ace-filled starting rotation.  

With Lee and Halladay both pitching in the mid-summer classic, helping the NL capture home field in the World Series, the Phils wanted to give them both the days off they missed.

So, after a brief return to the minors during the All-Star break, Worley was called on last night to kick off the three game series against the Mets. With the young rookie on the mound, the Phillies barely missed a beat.  

Worley pitched five and a third innings, allowing just one run in 3-hit innings last night. Other than needing to work on his pitch count so he can go deeper into games, he has been nothing short of terrific.

Advice to Charlie? Dust off that dugout bench next to Lee, Halladay and Hamels to make room for Kendrick and Blanton. It seems that even sitting next to greatness can rub off!!!

Rash Generalization No. 3: Raul Ibanez will finish his Phillies career the way he started.

No, those were not boos you heard last night at Citi Field after Raul Ibanez‘s sixth inning solo home run. It was Phillies fans chanting, “Rauuuuuul.”  

Raul Ibanez has quietly been mounting a hot streak. He has hit in six straight games, during which time he is hitting .379 with four home runs and 14 RBI. Add to that his diving catch in the outfield last night and you might forget that this classy veteran is pushing 40.

This is likely Raul’s last year with the Phillies, and maybe even his last in the game he has played so well for so many years. I say he finishes with an end to this season like his scorching start with the Phillies in 2009.

Advice to Charlie? Make sure Raul gets plenty of rest, takes his vitamins, and sneaks in an afternoon nap whenever possible.

 

So there you have it, three groundless predictions based on one game.

Have a great Saturday. And remember, the Phillies play the Mets again today at 4:10.

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Philadelphia Phillies: 10 Players Phillies Fans Hate the Most

They are the players we love to hate.  The players that because of something they did, or more likely did not do, are given a very special welcome whenever they return to Philadelphia.  The kind of welcome Phillies fans have become famous for.

Now all of these players did something to earn the wrath of the fans.  Maybe they failed to run out a ground ball or they weren’t willing to sacrifice their body to make a play at the plate.  

But whatever they did, they all have one thing in common–they done us wrong.

For Phillies fans, it’s not just winning that is important but the way the game is played. Philadelphia is a blue collar town; we like athletes who aren’t afraid to get their uniforms dirty.  And just leaving town doesn’t mean all is forgiven.    

Because Phillies fans have loooong memories.

And if you don’t believe me, just ask these guys:  The 10 most hated players in Philadelphia Phillies History.

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Philadelphia Phillies: The 7 Most Shocking Moments in Team History

There are some moments in sports that are so unexpected, so shocking that we can all remember exactly where we were when we heard the news.  The Philadelphia Phillies‘ signing of pitcher Cliff Lee this past off-season was certainly one of them.  It caught Phillies fans, even the Phillies manager, by surprise and was the talk of the baseball world. 

We can all remember where we were for that one.  I was watching ESPN reading the crawl on the bottom of the screen.  When I saw those words go by I thought I must have misread it so, thanks to the magic of modern technology,  I rewound the crawl and read it again.  Then I woke my entire household as I screamed over and over, “We got Cliff Lee! We got Cliff Lee!” 

(Feel free to insert your own story here.)

But there are other, perhaps lesser known, but even more shocking events in Phillies history.  More shocking you ask?  

Let’s just say that they include an unthinkable shooting, a home run that destroyed a city’s dreams and a collapse of epic proportions.

Buckle your seat belts as we count down the 7 most shocking moments in Phillies history.

Warning:  This is not for the faint of heart

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Roy Oswalt: Has He Thrown His Last Pitch for the Philadelphia Phillies?

This is not the season Roy Oswalt was hoping for.

The Phillies all-star pitcher has had his struggles both on and off the field. On the field he has been plagued by back pain and ineffectiveness. Off the field his family home was badly damaged in tornado-ravaged Mississippi. And last night he had to leave the game after only the second inning with tightness in his lower back.

It was Oswalt’s eighth start since returning May 17 from a stint on the 15-day Disabled List with lower back inflammation. Since then he has struggled, going 1-5 with a 4.06 ERA.

This is not the season Roy Oswalt was hoping for.

He never looked comfortable on the mound last night and Oswalt admitted after the game that he had back discomfort in his last start in Seattle as well. But Oswalt is an old-school guy who doesn’t like to let his team down. He’s used to pitching with pain and he’s not a complainer.

“I don’t want to be labeled a quitter,” Oswalt said in comments to the media after the game.  “Everybody goes through aches and pains and I thought maybe I could push through and make it to the All-Star break and maybe get a few more days off, but I didn’t quite make it.”

Oswalt has struggled with back pain all season but this is not a new problem. Last year he had an MRI that showed two degenerated discs in his back—not a good injury for a pitcher who used to overpower hitters with his 95 mph-plus fastball; a fastball that has eluded him this year.

This is not the season Roy Oswalt was hoping for. 

Roy Oswalt has always been a gamer. He played left field in one memorable 16-inning game last year when the Phillies had run out of bench payers (of course the first fly ball came his way and he handled it like a pro). He also volunteered to pitch in relief in a playoff game against the Giants last year with a not-so happy ending.  But he has always been a payer who puts team first. As he will now.

“I’m going to do what’s best for the team,” Oswalt said. “If I can’t pitch, I can’t pitch. I’m not going to keep gong out there and keep being a liability to the bullpen to have to pick me up.”

No decision has yet been made as to whether Oswalt will go back on the DL. He will have an MRI on Monday and will most likely miss at least his next start. And given his history and the fact that he admits to being in pain a lot of the time. “When I sit down and I stand up, when I walk, pitch sleep,” he said. Even Oswalt has concerns for his career.

“I’ve had a pretty good one,” he said with a laugh last night. “You throw as long as you can throw, and when you can’t throw no more, you can’t throw no more. I’m going to keep throwing as long as I can, and hopefully it’s not gotten to that point where I can’t throw no more. But if it’s gotten to that point, you just have to accept it.”

This is not the season Roy Oswalt was hoping for.

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Philadelphia Phillies: Baseball, Hot Dogs, Apple Pie and the Schmitter?

I’m a bit of a purist when it comes to my baseball food.  I’m a hot dog and light beer kind of girl.  For me, adventurous is going for the chicken tenders and fries.  But that’s all about to change.

Today I’m at the Business Persons Special at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia to watch the Philadelphia Phillies play the Florida Marlins but there is something else on my mind, something I must do.

Today is the day I throw caution (and my digestion) to the wind.  Today I vow to leave my ballpark franks behind.

Today I’ve arrived at “the Bank” early, TUMS in hand, to boldly go where no timid eater has gone before. 

I’ve read about it.  I’ve heard about it.

Today I try it.

That’s right.  

Today, I try….

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Philadelphia Phillies’ vs Florida Marlins: Phils Win “All in the Numbers”

Who was that team last night? It reminded me of a team that used to play here. You remember them—Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins. Oh yeah, that is this team. But it has been a long time since these Phillies have had a game like last night. High scoring, low stress. Just the way I like them.

And with another game in just a couple of hours I’ll keep this short and sweet. After all, it’s the numbers, not the words, that tell the story of this game: 

“It’s All in the Numbers” Countdown

10. As in 2010. The Phillies haven’t hit five home runs in a game since June of 2010.

9. The number of wins for pitcher Cole Hamels, who became only the second National League nine-game winner. Who’s the first? Teammate Roy Halladay, of course.
 
8. The number of times I asked my son (who was only studying for finals) to check the television during the rain delay to see if the game was on yet.
 
7. Swans a-swimming. Oooops. I mean the number of home runs Ryan Howard has hit against Marlins starter Chris Volstad.  Seven homers is the most for Howard against any opposing pitcher.

 
6.  Last night’s win was the sixth for the Phillies in their current homestand, giving them a 6-2 record going into today’s doubleheader action.

5. This is an easy one. The five home runs in last night’s game including two-run shots from Howard, Utley and Rollins (more on the other homers in No. 2).
 
4. The number of bruises I have on my arm from pitching myself while watching the game last night to make sure I wasn’t dreaming.
 
3. For the only three hits given up by Phillies starter Cole Hamels in another dominant performance, including a a stretch where he retired 17 straight. Hamels left the game with back tightness in the eighth but says he won’t miss a start.

2. As in two solo home runs for Domonic Brown. It was his first career multi-home run game. The way he’s been swinging the bat lately, it won’t be his last.
 
1. First place. That’s where the Phillies sit in the East and, coupled with a Braves loss last night, the Phillies now have a 3.5-game lead.

So there you have it, by the numbers.  

The quote of the night? Phils skipper Charlie Manuel when asked if he was concerned when Hamels had to leave the game: “It’s always a concern when I see something like that happen. I can’t afford to let my heart skip a lot.  I’ve only got one, and I’ve had a lot of work done on it.”

Well, other than Hamels’ early departure, Charlie, last night’s game was easy on the heart.
But with two more games today, we’ll see if the Phillies can put up any more numbers.     

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Philadelphia Phillies Are First to 40 Wins

After winning three of four from the Cubs over the weekend, the Phillies became the first team in baseball to reach 40 wins.  

With a record of 40-26, they are 14 games over .500 and they sit in first place in the East. But with the Atlanta Braves hot on their heels just two games behind, it still seems like a long road ahead to make the playoffs.

And isn’t that how it should be in sports? As the Dallas Mavericks recently reminded us, the best team on paper, the team filled with superstars, the favored team going in, is not always the team that wins it all.

It’s the team that executes in crunch time, the team that guts it out till the end, the team that plays like a team that ultimately wins the big prize. 

Now while some may compare the Phillies and their ‘Four Aces’ to the Miami Heat with their ‘Big Three,’ I would make a case that the Phils actually have more in common with the Dallas Mavericks.  

Yes, they have their share of superstars, but they are a hard-working blue-collar bunch. Their work ethic, starting with Roy Halladay, is second-to-none and they do their talking on the field, not to the press or on Twitter.

The Phillies also have their Jason Terrys and J.J. Bareas, players who may be lesser known but are critical to a team’s success. Players like Wilson Valdez, Carlos Ruiz and Michael Stutes. It takes every member of a team to win it all. (Remember Matt Stairs in 2008?)

So congratulations to the Dallas Mavericks and Dirk Nowitzki, And onward and upward for the “Fightin’ Phils.”  

After an off day yesterday, tonight they’ll take on that other team from Florida.  

It has certainly been an interesting ride so far and there is a lot of baseball left to play before we’ll see if the this Phillies team will be “taking their talents” to the playoffs.

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