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March 21st, 2013
Phillies Through 12 Games: Starting Pitching Superb, Offense Flat
April 19th, 2012
Forget about ERA for a moment. Phils pitching has given up 34 runs in 108 2/3 innings, an average of 0.314 runs per inning and 2.83 runs per game. Regrettably, the offense has provided only 35 runs over the 12 game span, including 15 runs over 2 of the games, an average of 2.91 runs over the first 12 games. “The Doc” Roy Halladay is undefeated at 3-0 (1.17 ERA) , while Cliff Lee is 0-1 in 3 starts (1.96 ERA) and both Cole Hamels (3.65 ERA) and Joe Blanton are 1-1 (4.16 ERA) in 2 starting outings. Second year starter Vance Worley is 0-1 (3.75 ERA) in 2 starts. And, oh yeah, newly acquired closer Jon Papelbon is fine so far, notching 3 saves while giving up 1 run in five innings of work over his 5 appearances. That was RyanWho???
One can follow pitching stats through the season by clicking here.
That the Phils’ record is 5-7 over their first 12 games this season, while going 9-3 in their 12 in 2011, is primarily due to an offense soo flat that it could have been unleavened, 18 minute matzah. When one looks at the Phils’ offensive leaders and productivity, the offensive short-circuits become clear. They’ve hit but 5 homers in the 12 game span, 2 of them by rightfielder Hunter Pence who leads the club with a .326 BA, and with 7 RBIs. In 2011, over the same 12 gams span, 1st baseman Ryan Howard (still on the DL) lead the club with 3 homers, 13 RBIs and a .308 BA. When one gets past catcher Carlos Ruiz who’s hitting .306 with a homer and 3 RBIs and centerfielder Shane Victorino hitting .277 with 5 stolen bases, the rest over the offense is abysmal. When one sees things like shortstop Jimmy Rollins striking out 10 times in 12 games, outfielder John Mayberry Jr. with 9 K’s in 12 games, rookie infielder Freddie Galvis with a homer and 5 RBIs and a .237 BA and 3rd baseman Placido Polanco batting .179, it dawns on fans that the Phils badly need Howard and 2nd baseman Chase Utley back playing regularly and injury-free.
This blog previously reported on Halladay’s brilliant opening day shut-out. Below are box scores and recaps of the Phils’ subsequent 11 games:
Miami 6, Phillies 2 Recap
Phillies 8, Mets 2 Recap
Phillies 5, San Francisco 2 Recap
The Phils now head to San Diego for 4 games between Thursday through Sunday with the Padres followed by 3 Games in Arizona with the Diamondbacks before returning home on the 27th of April to begin a 4 game series with those Chicago Cubs.
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Phillies Nip Pirates in Season Opener as ” Doc” Operates and Ruiz Drives in Winner
April 5th, 2012
The first 2 Bucs up in the first inning singled off of Halladay before the All Star and two-time Cy Young Award winner retired the next 21 of 23 hitters he faced in a masterful performance on Opening Day. After the first, the only runners to reach on “The Doc” were centerfielder Andrew McCutchen with 1 out in the fourth and shortstop Clint Barmes with 2 out in the eighth, both of the hit batsmen.
Old former Phillies’ catcher and nemesis Rod Barajas took an 0-3 collar and was one of Halladay’s 5 strikeout victims.
Pirates’ Opening Day starter lefthander Eric Bedard lived up to the Bucs’ hopes for potential matching Halladay’s 0’s through six innings while giving up 4 hits and walking 1. But, in the seventh, rightfielder Hunter Pence, batting in the clean-up spot with 1st baseman Ryan Howard still on the DL, led off by lining out to shallow centerfield. Ty Wigginton, playing 1st base, touched Bedard for a single to centerfield.
Leftfielder John Mayberry Jr. followed by doubling to rightfield, with Wigginton taking 3rd base. Ruiz, perfect in 3 of his 4 plate appearances, hit a sacrifice fly to shallow right plating Wigginton and making Bedard the losing pitcher. 2nd baseman Freddie Galvis, batting eighth in the order and subbing for DL 2nd baseman Chase Utley, ended the inning by grounding out to shortstop.
“The Doc” was not only masterful on the mound, but singled to open the eighth, but was stranded along with 3rd baseman Placido Polanco who was walked with 1 out.
Closer Jon Papelbon came on in the ninth and did what closers are supposed to do: go clean on the Pirates on 10 pitches, 9 of them for strikes while striking out 1 for his first save as a Phil.
For all of Thursday’s scores in both leagues, click here.
The Phils play the 2nd and 3rd games of their season opening 3 game series in Pittsburgh on Saturday and Sunday as All Star lefthander Cliff Lee is opposed by Jeff Karstens on Saturday.
On Sunday, the 2011 rookie of the year candidate and 2nd year hurler Vance Worley and James McDonald are scheduled to oppose each other in the rubber game of the series.
Please Note: a wrap-up of the Phillies’ spring exhibition games will follow shortly and we will discuss the 25 man Season Opening roster, Ryan Madson’s going down with a “Tommy John” elbow injury in Cincinnati and more.
For all of Saturday’s and Sunday’s action in both leagues, click here and here.
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Phillies at Halfway Mark in Exhibition Games
March 19th, 2012
As the Phillies approach the halfway mark in the exhibition schedule, Vance Worley has been impressive in the spring of his sophmore season in MLB giving up but 2 runs in ten innings of work over a 3 game span. He’s been particularly brilliant over the last eight innings striking out 11 while giving up 4 hits. Reliever Antonio Bastardo has also been impressive in four innings of relief over 4 games, giving up just 1 hit and no runs. Kyle Kendrick has been great as well, giving up 4 hits over 8 1/3 innings while striking out 9 and holding opponents scoreless in 2 relief efforts and 1 start. Closer Jon Papelbon has given up 6 hits, but only 1 run thus far this spring, while walking 2 and striking out 4 in five innings of work.
Ace starters Roy Halladay and lefthander Cliff Lee have been dinged a few times in the exhibition season while working to iron out some rough edges. Neither Halladay nor Lee seem concerned, although some reporters have expressed alarm. The other ace, lefthander Cole Hamels also may be struggling a bit this spring, although he’s only been scored on twice in 10 2/3 innings over 3 games. He’s given up 11 hits over that span while striking out 7. Hamels has only walked 1 this spring, while Halladay has issued 1 free pass and Lee 2. Joe Blanton, competing with Kendrick and Worley for either the 4th or fifth starter spot, tossed scoreless ball in his first 2 starts before giving up a 3 runs, including a homer in five innings in his most recent start which the Phils utlimately won over Atlanta last Thursday by a 6-4 score.
Offensively, the Phils have neither looked impressive nor consistent having scored 84 runs over 17 games through Saturday for about an even 5.0 average per game. But then again, they are without two of their biggest cogs in 1st baseman Ryan Howard and 2nd baseman Chase Utley, and their other horses; shortstop Jimmy Rollins, rightfielder Hunter Pence and centerfielder Shane Victorino have yet to find offensive consistency. 3rd baseman Placido Polanco seemed to be finding his hitting eye before reportedly going down with a sprained finger. Utley might make it for opening day, but don’t look for Howard before May. Therefore, the Phils hope for consistency from Rollins, Pence, Victorino, and hopefully Polanco while trying to patch together some offensive punch until they are back at full strength.
Reports note that Utley should debut in exhibition games next week. Dontrelle Willis’ attempt at being a lefthanded arm in the bullpen failed, despite his clean inning Thursday vs the Braves, as the Phils released him on Friday.
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Phillies’ First 10 Exhibition Games: Some Positives and Negatives
March 13th, 2012
Through the first 11 Grapefruit League exhibition games, the Phillies sport a 5-5 record with 1 tie.On the positive side, 2 of the 3 pitchers engaged in the battle for the 4th and 5th starter jobs in the rotation — Joe Blanton and Kyle Kendrick — have yet to be scored upon in five innings of pitching each. “The Doc” Roy Halladay has been banged up a little in the early exhibition going giving up a single run and 3 runs (on a 2 homers to the same guy) in his first 2 starts spanning five innings while lefthander Cliff Lee threw two innings of shutout ball in his opening start while giving up 2 runs, including a homer in his 2nd start over three innings. Lefthander Cole Hamels gave up a run over two innings in his first start while tossing three shutout innings in his most recent start.
Offensively, the Phils have scored 57 runs in 11 games (5.18 run average per game) while hitting 10 homers without the presence of Chase Utley and Ryan Howard, both rehabbing after surgery, in the lineup. Rightfielder Hunter Pence leads the team with 2 homers having hit one in each of the first 2 games of exhibition while picking up 6 hits in 21 at-bats in his 9 exhibition appearances. 3rd baseman Placido Polanco got into 2 games getting a hit in each of them in a total of 5 at-bats. Shortstop Jimmy Rollins (5 for 17 with a homer in 8 games) and centerfielder Shane Victorino (5 for 21 with a homer) are collectively hitting below .250 BA.
These notes are only bits and pieces as it is too early to see indications of team performance or how the opening day roster will shake out at several positions.
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Phillies Begin 2012 Quest for Success
March 4th, 2012
Welcome back subscribers to Blogging Baseball as the 2012 Spring Training exhibition games begin, and as the Phillies begin their quest for success — hopes for a sixth straight NL East championship, which would be their third NL pennant in six seasons, and for their second World Championship in six seasons.
Blogging Baseball went into a early 2011 post-season hiatus after the Phils loss of their divisional series in 5 games to the World Champion St. Louis Cardinals. As 1st baseman Ryan Howard tore his achilles tendon on the final out of the decisive 5th game, this author was in the midst of dealing with personal issues.
The Phils begin the new season minus a few familiar faces are missing and some new faces have been added:
Starting pitcher Roy Oswalt, thought to be the fourth of the four aces rotation and who suffered through an injury-ridden 2011, still shows up on Yahoo sports as connected with the Phillies although his name does not show up on the Phils’ spring training roster.
Outfielder Ben Francisco, whose seventh inning winning pinch-hit 3-run homer made a winner out of starter Cole Hamels and gave the Phils a temporary 2 games to 1 lead over the Cards, was released by the club in the post-season.
Closer Brad Lidge, the hero of the 2008 Championship season and who successfully closed 48 games without a blown save as the Phils won every game where they had a lead in the eighth inning, was released by the club after having sub-par subsequent seasons and suffering with leg and back injury issues. Lidge was picked up by the Washington Nationals.
The Phils also went for bolstering their bullpen with acquisitions of closer Papelbon, reliever Chad Qualls, as well as former Marlins’ phenom Dontrelle Willis, who could give additional lefthanded relief flexibility should lefthanded reliever Antonio Bastardo get shelled as ocurred in the final games of the 2011 regular season. Papelbon had a perfect fifth inning in the opener with the Yanks.
The 2012 Phils look to rev-up their offense, which at times during the 2011 season went flat putting additional pressure on their rotation of aces and the bullpen. They need more productivity out of leadoff hitter and shortstop Jimmy Rollins, and returns to form by 2nd baseman Chase Utley and 3rd baseman Placido Polanco — both oft-injured in 2011. 2/3rds of the outfield look solid with the ‘Flyin’ Hawaiian’ Shane Victorino in centerfield and Hunter Pence in right. The real question in the outfield is: Will 2012 be the season that Domonic Brown proves ready for major league prime time and lock down the leftfield spot vacated with the release of Ibanez, or will he be platooned with John Mayberry Jr.? Mayberry Jr. could also see time at 1st base, along with Thome, Wigginton and Nix — on spelling Howard until he returns. Imagine a lineup of Rollins, Polanco, Wigginton with Utley batting clean-up and Pence batting 5th.
With the first 3 spots in the rotation solid locks with aces in Roy Halladay and lefthanders Cliff Lee and Hamels, there will be a heck of battle for the 4th and 5th starter spots between Joe Blanton, Kyle Kendrick and rookie sensation Vance Worley. If there is any pitching questions, they focus on the bullpen. Will David Herndon and Michael Stutes deliver as in 2011. Will Antonio Bastardo repeat the lights-out performances of 3/4 of the 2011 season or flame-out early. And will Dontrelle Willis come out of the bullpen to spell Bastardo in the lefty relief spot? Will young relievers Joe Savery and Michael Schwimer rise to major league levels and give the bullpen a lift? Will Jose Contreras return to the form his showed in 2011 before going down with his injury. Will Papelbon be a lights-out closer with the Phillies, as he was through his seasons with the Red Sox? Will his performance in 2012 approach or exceed Madson’s level of 2011?How the offense and relief pitching perform seem key to the Phillies’ fortunes in the 2012 season. By the way, the Phils and Yankees played their exhibition openers on Saturday with the Phils on the short end of the score. The two teams play again on Sunday, this time in the Yankees’ Florida venue.
Here’s hoping for an NL pennant and World Championship in 2012. Let’s go Phillies!!
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