Suppan in Red...
...Sox, not pinstripes. Lee Sinins is reporting that the Red Sox acquired Suppan for prospect Freddy Sanchez, likely ending the Phillies trade efforts before the end of the day.
Thursday, July 31, 2003
The future
David Cameron has an article on Phillies' prospect Cole Hamels over at Baseball Prospectus. The article is for premium members only, and can be found here.
Rumors and news
There are reports that the Phillies are considering calling up hot-hitting 2B Chase Utley if David Bell's back injury continues to linger. The plan would be to have Utley play 2B and shift Placido Polanco over to third. Complicating this plan is the day-to-day status of Polanco, who missed his second straight game last night with a sore left quad. Utley was sent down to Scranton in early May to get some everyday play, and has had a spectacular season at AAA.
Utley is hitting .314 with 70 runs scored, 14 home runs, 68 RBI, and 10 stolen bases, and could serve as a spark for the Phillies lineup.
-----
Regarding the many trade rumors floating around the Phillies, my gut instinct (an hour before the deadline) is that they do nothing. We'll see if that's true...
A quick recap
It's 20 to 3 now, and if you had wanted a full recap of last night's game, you would have found one by now. So while work has interfered with my blogging life again, I'll keep to the highlights.
What impressed me...
The Phillies offense scored two runs each off of starter Kevin Brown and reliever Paul Shuey. Why does this impress me?
Kevin Brown is one of the tougher pitchers in the NL, opposing batters hit .234 off of him, and his WHIP is 1.10. So what do the Phillies do? Smack nine hits and draw three walks in six innings. That works out to a .333 average and a 2.00 WHIP. And they took advantage of a first inning error by Brown to jump to the 2-0 lead.
After the Dodgers tied the game off of Brett Myers (who went six innings himself and allowed two runs for a no decision), the Phillies had to face the Dodgers' bullpen -- the toughest in the NL. Paul Shuey took over for Brown in the seventh, and the Phillies sent him to the showers with this line:
0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 batters faced
Shuey holds hitters to a .189 average and allows just over one baserunner an inning (1.08 WHIP). So what do the Phillies do? Marlon Byrd greets him with a single -- extending his hitting streak to 11 games -- and Ricky Ledee triples him home. Good night, Paul Shuey. 3-2 Phillies.
So the Phillies face the best pitching staff in the majors and do the following:
Those kinds of things make for a good night.
What frustrates me...
...is that a night like last night -- where everything goes right -- can come right on the heels of a night where everything goes wrong. My frustrations lie in the lack of consistancy in this Phillies team.
They come out of the break and take three of four from Montreal.
Then they drop two to the Mets.
Then they sweep two from the Cubs at Wrigley.
Then they get swept by the Marlins.
Then they come home and take the first two from the Dodgers and their great pitching staff.
Anyone else getting sick from the roller coaster ride? All I am asking for is some consistancy, and not in the wins and losses. I want that consistancy in the effort. I want to see the same effort, the same energy, the same enthusiasm night after night, and I am not seeing that. It was there in Chicago. It has been there against the Dodgers. It wasn't there against New York or Florida. Wherever the switch is, tape it up in the "on" position for goodness sake!
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Enough of my ranting...
The bottom line is that the Phillies have taken the first two from LA at a wonderful time. Florida's sweep of the Diamondbacks has the fish nipping at our heels, and the Wild Card lead remains at one game. Tonight's series finale matches up Odalis Perez versus Brandon Duckworth, who is winless in ten starts. As bad as Duckworth has been, Perez has been almost as bad lately. In their last three starts, Duckworth is 0-2 with a 5.54 ERA; Perez is 1-1 with a 6.48. But in his most recent start (7/25 at Arizona), Perez gave up one run on five hits in eight innings, picking up a tough ND.
Florida has the night off, so the Phillies will enter Friday with the Wild Card in hand, but they hope to extend that lead. It depends on which team shows up: the energetic and excited one, or the one that is there just to clock in and clock out.
Trade winds
For some reason, I went through all of yesterday thinking that yesterday was the trading deadline. The light did not come on in my head until late last night... *rolls his eyes*
So, since the deadline still hasn't passed, there are still rumors floating about. In today's ATM Report, Lee Sinins has the following bits of news:
6) According to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, the Astros have intensified
their interest in Pirates P Jeff Suppan. The paper also reports the Pirates
offered the Phillies Brian Giles, without adding Jason Kendall to the deal,
but the Phillies thought the asking price of Marlon Byrd, Brett Myers and
prospect Gavin Floyd was too high.
7) According to the Philadelphia Daily News, if the Phillies make a trade,
it will be for Suppan.
Too high indeed! Including Marlon Byrd -- while I am against it -- would at least free up an outfield position for Giles (assuming that you are not benching Burrell in the process). But including two of the top pitching prospects in the system is insane. That deal will never happen, or else Phillie fans will want Ed Wade's head.
The Phillies are evidently still in the running for Suppan, but many teams, including the Astros, are hotter on the Pirates' heels about this one.
Note: I hope to offer a full update, including a recap of last night's game, later this afternoon.
Wednesday, July 30, 2003
More trade talk
"Rumors" from ESPN.com's Page 2 writer, Graham Hays:
The Phillies are talking to the Tigers about a deal that would send Jeremy Bonderman (4-14) and Mike Maroth (5-15) to the Braves.
The unfortunate part of this "deal" is this: pitching in front of that lineup, they could both reach .500 before the end of the season.
Duracell agrees
ESPN.com's Jim Caple had ten trade "decrees" he wants put in effect before the deadline, including:
5. The Phillies trade for J.D. Drew just so we can see how Philly fans react when he homers in the bottom of the ninth to win a crucial game in September.
Ummm...no thanks.
Shall we make it 5 with 10?
Vicente Padilla got his tenth win of the year last night, giving the Phillies four ten-game winners on the season. Could they have a fifth by the end of today?
As the trading deadline approaches, GM Ed Wade says he has no deals on the burner, but also will not deny that something could be done before the 4PM Eastern deadline, or during the waiver period. There are a number of reports out there this morning that have the Phillies pursuing Pirates starter Jeff Suppan. Suppan, who in the Pirates' dumping could be had for minor leaguers, is 10-7 on the season with a 3.57 ERA, and has easily been the Pirates' most consistant starter.
While not denying these rumors, Wade did say that struggling Phillie Brandon Duckworth was not part of any discussions.
"He's very much a part of our future," Bowa said.
Said Wade: "He's got a lot of ability. He pitched in a pennant race two years ago and we're prepared to hang with Brandon at this point. We saw his upside before he got hurt in Spring Training before he got hurt. He was the best pitcher we had in camp."
So expect Duckworth to stay in red pinstripes. But will he be replaced in the starting rotation by Suppan? All we can do is keep our ears open as the trades are starting to come fast and furious -- or at least as fast and furious as baseball deals come.
Anything but a hit parade
Let me welcome you this morning with these sad stats:
And now these:
Any wonder why there were only two runs, eight hits, or 13 total baserunners last night? Maybe we should be wondering why there was so much offense.
Yes, the anemic Phillies offense welcomed the National League's worst offense to town last night. Two hours and thirty-seven minutes later (that might include batting practice, I'm not sure), the teams were done for the night. A Bobby Abreu two-run home run in the second was all the offense that was needed last night -- and it's a good thing, because that's virtually all there was.
Vicente Padilla went eight very strong innings last night, allowing just three hits and one walk; he also hit two batters. On the rare occasions when he did allow a runner to reach base, he was helped by some strong defense. Nick Punto -- starting at 2B for Placido Polanco, who was out with a sore quad -- made a pair of wonderful diving stops: one ranging to his left on a hot-shot ground ball, the other racing out to center on a looping pop fly. Phillies fans were also treated to the rare sight of Mike Lieberthal nailing a runner attempting to steal, when he caught Dave Roberts attempting to swipe second in the fifth.
Padilla's strong effort earned him his tenth win of the season, becoming the fourth Phillie to reach double-digits in wins. He also allowed the depleted bullpen -- who had been responsible for three of the four losses over the extended weekend -- a little bit of a rest. Dan Plesac and Jose Mesa combined to pitch the ninth, but threw all of ten pitches between them.
Not to be lost in the Dodgers' loss is the effort of Kaz Ishii, the hard-luck loser. Ishii went six innings, allowing just three hits and two walks -- unfortunately, one of those hits was Abreu's blast. Ishii struck out seven before turning it over to the bullpen, which threw two innings of two-hit baseball.
The win also kept the Phillies in the NL Wild Card lead. Florida defeated Arizona again last night, keeping the difference at one game. Arizona's loss pushes them to three back; the Cards won to stay 3 1/2 back. The Dodgers' loss takes them to four back, where they are suddenly tied with the "where the heck did they come from?" Rockies.
Viewers can expect more of the same tonight at the Vet, as the same two anemic offenses take the field. On the mound will be a pair of ten-game winners. Kevin Brown (10-5, 2.12) will go for the Dodgers, while Brett Myers (10-6, 3.65) takes the mound for the Phillies.
Notes
Though he says Bell won't admit it, Bowa believes the third baseman has been playing his injury since April.
Tuesday, July 29, 2003
Dodgers come to town
Jon, over at Dodger Thoughts, has a preview of the Phils-Dodgers series, from an LA point of view. He's very thankful that the Phillies had to "waste the top left-handed pitcher in the National League this season, Randy Wolf, against the Cincinnati Reds."
Check out what he has to say...
From Diamond Mind
... if Atlanta and Philly were both in line with the pythagorean records, it would be a virtual dead heat for first place in the East.
Turning Point
Top of the eighth, two out, no one on. Larry Bowa lets P Randy Wolf hit for himself. To this point, Wolf has thrown 95 pitches over seven innings, but has allowed just four hits since his first inning struggles. So Bowa lets him hit, instead of turning to a pinch-hitter and the overworked bullpen. Wolf flies out to center to end the top of the inning, and Sean Casey greets him in the bottom of the inning with a game-tying home run. End of the day for Wolf; in comes the bullpen.
Time to second guess? Should Bowa have pinch-hit for his pitcher with two outs? Had Wolf had enough?
"He had an easy seventh inning," Bowa said.
"The bullpen is completely exhausted. I don't second-guess it. I thought it was a no-brainer. If the bullpen isn't tired, I might take him out. But right now, our 'pen is spent."
In hindsight, I agree with the decision. Wolf, despite the four-run first, was still pitching strong. He had allowed a pair of one-out singles in the sixth, but proceeded to strike out the next two batters to get out of the inning. In the seventh, he set them down 1-2-3. With the starters' inability to go deep into games lalety, the bullpen is overworked, and over the weekend, they were inefficient.
If I am Larry Bowa, I stick with Randy Wolf until he gets into trouble.
Unfortunately, trouble came quickly. And the game was tied. Rheal Cormier came in and worked two innings of two hit ball. Terry Adams came in to start the tenth, but had nothing. He walked Aaron Boone, gave up a single to Adam Dunn, and intentioanlly walked Ruben Mateo to load the bases. With everyone in, Kelly Stinnett singled in the winning run.
Should it surprise anyone that Adams had nothing? Not really; this was his fourth straight game. Quite simply,
"He's tired," Bowa said.
That about sums it up for the entire bullpen right now.
The loss is the Phillies fourth straight, and with the Marlins win over Arizona, the Wild Card lead that was a comfortable four on Friday morning is now one. And the pitching-strong Dodgers come to town tonight. Vicente Padilla will try to stop the bleeding. An effective complete game would be nice...but am I aiming too high right now?
Monday, July 28, 2003
More of the same?
After jumping to a 1-0 lead in the first, the Phillies -- as they did all weekend -- immediately gave the lead right back. Randy Wolf got hit hard in the first, and gave up four runs. But he has calmed down since then -- 2 hits since the first -- and the Phillies have scored four runs in the last two innings.
Phils 5, Reds 4 after five.
Minor League News
Back to June 15th
After taking the weekend off -- and you can't prove that they did anything else after the debacle in Florida -- the Phillies head back to June 15th. The June 15th game in Cincinnati had been rained out after one inning and rescheduled for today. So the Phils will complete the Chicago-Miami-Cincinnati trip with a one-gamer this afternoon. The Phillies then get back on the plane and head home for a 7-game, 6-day homestand.
*lets them do the math*
Yes, 7 games in 6 days. "How?" you ask. A rare, scheduled doubleheader Saturday night against the San Diego Padres -- that's how. The upcoming schedule will do nothing to help the depleted bullpen, which has been overworked by the starters' inability to get past the fourth inning in four of the last seven games. The Phillies have played 11 games in 11 days since the break, and have eight more over the next seven days before finally catching a little breather. Yet, pitching coach Joe Kerrigan believes that the bullpen will be fine. The Phillies have to hope so, as despite this weekend that never happened, the bullpen is still the third best in the NL.
Randy Wolf did a good job of resting the bullpen last week, as he threw a complete game shutout against the Cubs last Wednesday night. He goes for the Phillies today in Cincy against Ryan Dempster, and the hope is that he can at least come close to duplicating the feat. Game time is 12:35.
Random Notes
The Phillies passed the 100-game mark Thursday. Last year, they were 46-54 after 100 games. This year, they were 57-43. Despite their offensive inconsistencies, the Phils had scored more runs (479 to 451) in 100 games this year. The big difference: The team ERA was down from 4.54 to 3.54.
Friday, July 25, 2003
The Philly Connection
I know it's blasphemous to mention this with still two-plus months worth of baseball left. But football training camps are starting to open. Opening tomorrow is the Eagles' camp up at Lehigh, and in time for that event is the opening of a brand new Eagles' blog, the Iggles' Nest. Daniel has the site up and running, and takes a close look at some of the Eagles' offseason moves.
Head on over and check it out, because football is right around the corner...
A little perspective
For much of the season, we have looked at Atlanta's large division lead and wondered what was wrong with the Phillies. The Braves current lead is 9 1/2 games; despite that, the Phillies are playing .570 baseball. That's good enough for third-best in the National League, behind just Atlanta and San Francisco, who are each playing well over .600. For some perspective on how well the Phillies are actually playing...
If the Phillies played in the NL Central...
| GB | |
|---|---|
| Phillies | -- |
| Houston | 2 |
If the Phillies played in the NL West...
| GB | |
|---|---|
| San Francisco | -- |
| Phillies | 7 |
| Arizona | 11 |
If the Phillies played in the AL East...
| GB | |
|---|---|
| New York | -- |
| Boston | 2.5 |
| Phillies | 5 |
If the Phillies played in the AL Central...
| GB | |
|---|---|
| Phillies | -- |
| Kansas City | 2 |
If the Phillies played in the AL West...
| GB | |
|---|---|
| Seattle | -- |
| Phillies | 3.5 |
| Oakland | 4 |
Maybe we should consider Philadelphia to be Central?
Knocking on Wood
One day, they do it with the pitching. The next, the offense gets turned back on. Less than 24 hours after Randy Wolf's gem, the Phillies offense pounded out 14 runs on 14 hits in a 14-6 pouncing of the Cubs.
Through five innings, the Phillies had managed just two hits off of Cubs' pitcher Kerry Wood, one of those being Todd Pratt's solo home run in the third. A Sammy Sosa two-run bomb in the first, and a Kenny Lofton sac fly in the fifth had Chicago in front 3-1. But in the 6th, the wheels fell off...
The same Wood that had been dominant in the first five innings couldn't get anyone out in the sixth: Marlon Byrd singled, and Polanco did the same. Thome walked, and Abreu followed with a grand slam. Ledee walked, Rollins singled, and Pratt singled in a run. Wood's day was done. Kyle Farnsworth came in and quickly got the first out, but the fun wasn't over. After Perez flied out to center, Padilla walked to load the bases. Byrd walked, forcing in a run. Polanco singled in two more, and Farnsworth hit the showers. Remlinger walked Thome to load the bases -- again -- for Abreu, who with history on the line (two slams in an inning) managed only a sac fly to center. Ledee flied out to end the carnage, but the damage had been done.
Totals: 9 runs, 6 hits, 0 errors, 5 walks.
Thome was officially 0-for-0 in an inning in which 14 hitters came to the plate.
All of this offense allowed Vicente Padilla to pick up his ninth win of the season despite not having his best day. Padilla allowed six runs -- five earned -- on seven hits through six innings. He walked three and struck out three, and may have lost some of what he had in the long top of the sixth. Padilla actually tried to sneak down to the bullpen to throw a little bit in the top of the sixth, only to later find out that it wasn't allowed. Oops...
So the Phils head out of the windy city with a two game sweep and with the offense running hot. The Phillies finish the season series with Chicago, having taken five of six against a playoff-hopeful team. This morning, the team wakes up in Florida ready to face a team that is just five games behind them in the Wild Card race, and embarrassed them at home two weeks ago with a three-game sweep. The Phillies are primed to return the favor.
Tonight's game has Brett Myers (10-6, 3.55, 5-0 in his last seven starts) going for the Phillies, who will get their first taste of the latest sensation, Dontrelle Willis (9-2, 2.67). Willis is coming off his worst outing in the majors, but seems to be mystifying opponents his first time through the league. Tomorrow's game sees Brandon Duckworth (3-4, 5.28) -- who may be fighting to stay in the rotation -- against Josh Beckett (4-4-, 3.41). Sunday's game has Kevin Millwood (10-7, 3.77) -- trying to bounce back from a tough start -- against Carl Pavano (7-10, 4.17), who always seems to handle the Phillies well.
Thursday, July 24, 2003
Random Notes
Struggling No. 5 starter Brandon Duckworth tinkered with his mechanics during yesterday's side day. The right-hander worked on slowing down his approach to plate and on throwing with more of a downward angle, corrections he hopes improve his location.
"It was a good bullpen session for me, and I'm going to take that into the game," he said.
Duckworth's next scheduled start is Saturday at Florida.
And have you noticed...?
Bill Giles isn't enough?
The Philadelphia Daily News' Sam Donnellon has an article applauding Ed Wade for his recent work, most recently his acquisition of former Pirates reliever Mike WIlliams. But he is also hoping that Wade gets right back on the phone to Pittsburgh to acquire one more player: LF Brian Giles.
Donnellon sees Giles very nicely filling the hole in LF created by Pat Burrell and his lack of hitting. Donnellon argues that Giles is the perfect short-term solution, adding a potent bat to the heart of the lineup and hopefully carrying the team into October baseball. With Pittsburgh in salary dump mode, Giles can probably be had for less than he is worth, and if the purse strings of ownership are still open, he is affordable at an average of $9 million a season.
But even Donnellon admits this is a short-term solution. Come the offseason, the Phillies would have two top LF, both with contracts that average around $9 million a year, and neither a candidate to change positions. One of them would have to go, and Donnellon knows it wouldn't be Burrell. The organization has already invested too much in both his present and his future to part with him after one bad year. Giles already has multiple teams (Oakland, Seattle) after his services, and the Phillies would probably be able to deal him in the offseason.
It sounds, hypothetically, like a great idea. But practically, would it work? I am not talking baseball-wise or financially. While there have been rumors that the Phillies should send Burrell down to AAA to work out the kinks, most of those rumors are followed by whispers of "but what would it do to his confidence, his psyche, to be sent down?". The same whispers can be applied here. What happens to his mental outlook if the Phillies were to acquire a top-notch slugger to help the team, and he just so happens to play the same position as Burrell? Does he see it as a challenge? Does he perceive it as a slap in the face?
And worse, what happens if the Phillies find no takers for Giles in the offseason? What then?
Donnellon presents a great hypothetical...but that's about as far as it should go.
A shot in the arm
Randy Wolf gave the Phillies exaclty what they needed last night: a victory, snapping the two-game losing streak; and a night off for the bullpen. After two straight starts by Brandon Duckworth and Kevin Millwood of less than three and four innings, respectively, Wolf went all nine last night, firing a four-hit, complete game shutout against the new-look Cubbies at Wrigley Field.
Wolf got the offensive help he needed early on. A solo home run from Ricky Ledee -- playing in LF for Pat Burrell -- in the second gave the Phillies a 1-0 lead, and a two-run bomb onto Sheffield Avenue in the third by Jim Thome made it 3-0. The long ball by Thome allowed him to reach 1,000 RBI for his career, fittingly in the park that he dreamed about playing in while growing up. The two homers would prove to be all that Wolf would need on the night. Wolf threw 131 pitches on the night (some reports have him at 135 or 136), 86 of them for strikes. He allowed just the four hits, and walked only three. He faced some trouble in the first inning, with two on and two out, but got Eric Karros to ground out to end the threat. He allowed only three more base runners to reach scoring position after the first.
Wolf held the Cubs' new acquisitions -- Kenny Lofton and Aramis Ramirez, acquired from Pittsburgh for a wind machine (Jose Hernandez) and some pocket change on Tuesday -- to a combined 0-for-8, and Sammy Sosa went 0-for-4 with two punchouts. Mark Grudzielanek had three of the Cubs' four hits on the night.
Wolf had made up his mind before the game that he was going to give the bullpen a night off, and told pitching coach Joe Kerrigan so.
"I told Joe I didn't want any relievers pitching today," Wolf said.
As the game headed to the ninth, despite a rising pitch count, Wolf had no doubt that he was going back in to finish things off. Larry Bowa had Jose Mesa warming in the bullpen just in case, but his services were not needed. Wolf got Karros, Ramirez, and Alex (Cubs' version) Gonzalez 1-2-3 in the ninth to cap the night. (Besides, when was the last time you saw Mesa throw a 1-2-3 ninth??) In the process, the members of the bullpen got some much needed rest.
An extra-innings win by Florida at Atlanta cuts the division lead to 9 1/2 games, while the Diamondbacks loss -- their fifth straight -- extends the Phillies Wild Card lead to three games. While the Phillies' offense continues to sputter along, I have become convinced that I could have the Offensive Slumber tracker in the left column for the rest of the season. Instead, I will take it down, and replace it with the Wild Card standings. Should the Phillies somehow make a run at the Braves, I'll show the NL East race instead. For now, let's focus on the route to October.
Vicente Padilla goes in this afternoon's matinee, facing Cubs' All-Star Kerry Wood. Padilla has won four of his last five decisions, and four of his last seven starts, lowering his ERA from 4.48 on June 4th to 3.71 entering tonight's game. He hopes to continue to trend, and help the Phillies to a Wrigley sweep.
Wednesday, July 23, 2003
More accolades for the pitching staff
In the latest issue of Sports Illustrated, Albert Chen has an article on Joe Kerrigan's influence on the improvement of the pitching staff.
Trades?
Rob Neyer offers his opinion on what the playoff contenders need for the stretch run:
The Phillies are in a similar situation [as the Braves], except they don't have a huge lead. Their biggest weakness has been at third base, where David Bell has been atrocious. But he's finally (and mercifully) been placed on the disabled list, and Tyler Houston is an acceptable replacement, probably as good as anybody who's available via trade. The Phillies' fifth starter, Brandon Duckworth, hasn't been good (3-4, 5.28), but he hasn't been terrible, and anyway what do you expect from a fifth starter? Like the Braves, the Phillies, who have the third-best record in the National League, should probably just stay the course.
I'll agree, with the exception of his analysis on Duckworth. I've written about that the last two days, and I think it's time to find another option. I find it interesting that Neyer does not even mention Burrell and his struggles. I doubt he thinks that a .195-hitting, power hitting LF is acceptable for a playoff team.
Getaway day
Pretty much sums it all up.
A day after Brandon Duckworth could not get out of the third and put the onus on the bullpen, Kevin Millwood barely served as an improvement. Millwood gave up five runs on seven hits, threw 99 pitches, and lasted just 3 2/3 innings in an eventual 7-5 loss to the Mets. Millwood falls to 10-7 on the year, and the Phillies were swept in this brief two-game series by a team that had been swept in four by the Braves just before showing up in town.
The Phillies fell behind 6-1 before staging a comeback attempt, but it proved to be too little, too late. Trailing 7-4 entering the bottom of the ninth, Jim Thome laced a two-out RBI double to cut the lead to two. He went to third on a Bobby Abreu single. A stolen base by Abreu put the tying run in scoring position, but Pat Burrell -- who in all fairness had a two-run triple earlier in the game -- struck out to end the game and the homestand.
So for the second day in a row, the Phillies have failed to complete a comeback. More frustrating is that for the second day in a row, they have been forced to stage a big comeback. Duckworth and Millwood have combined for 6 1/3 innings over two starts, and the bullpen is being taxed. Here are the bullpen numbers over the last two days:
| IP | H | R | # Pitches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terry Adams | 2 1/3 | 1 | 0 | 44 |
| Turk Wendell | 2 | 4 | 3 | 36 |
| Mike WIlliams | 3 | 3 | 1 | 49 |
| Dan Plesac | 1 | 1 | 0 | 10 |
| Carlos Silva | 1 1/3 | 1 | 1 | 21 |
| Rheal Cormier | 1 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
| Jose Mesa | 1 | 1 | 0 | 25 |
No truth the rumor that they will be recruiting arms from the bleachers in Wrigley today, but it's pretty close. Randy Wolf will face Matt Clement tonight, and Vicente Padilla will take the mound against Kerry Wood tomorrow. Win, lose, or draw, these two have to eat up some serious innings and give the bullpen a little bit of rest. The pitch count totals aren't horrible, but another short outing by a starter, and this 'pen might implode. The bullpen has been the second-best in the NL this season, but much of that has been due to the ability to selectively use them. The starters have gone deep into games, leaving the relievers to fill their assigned roles and nothing more, and not asking them to pitch two, three, four days in a row. A stretch like this could cancel out most of the good that has come from the pitching staff this season.
Yesterday, I mentioned that it might be time to look for an alternative to Brandon Duckworth as the #5 starter. I am evidently not the only one thinking that way. There is one article in the Doylestown (PA) Intelligencer, and another in the Cherry Hill (NJ) Courier Post this morning examining the possibility of dropping Duck. The Intelligencer article points out that "[i]n Duckworth's 14 starts, the bullpen has been used a total of 68 2/3 innings - or nearly five innings each time he starts." Both articles quote Larry Bowa as saying that while a change is not imminent, it could become necessary.
"If these scenarios keep happening, he'll run out of chances at some point. Saturday, it's not going to be that he has to go five good innings or he's not going to keep pitching. We're not there yet. But he's got to step up to the plate and respond."
Among those mentioned as possible replacements are Ryan Madson and Amaury Telemaco -- both of whom I pinpointed yesterday -- from Scranton, or possibly moving Carlos Silva from the bullpen to the rotation. Silva has been a starter in the minors and Bowa sees him as a future starter in the big leagues. Bowa says that's not happening right now -- he needs Silva's arm in the bullpen -- but it remains a possibility. The recent acquisition of Mike Williams -- an extra bullpen arm -- may make that choice easier.
But for now, Duck keeps floating. The question remains...how long until he sinks the bullpen?
Tuesday, July 22, 2003
Duck, Duck...Goose!
A walk, a single, and a home run. Four batters, three base runners, and just like that, a 3-0 deficit. Brandon Duckworth had hoped to start the second half of the season off right; he had hoped to work deep into the game, showing some stamina that was lacking in the season's first half; he had hoped to pick up his first win since May 17th.
Four batters into the game, and those hopes were as crushed as the pitch Cliff Floyd deposited in the right field seats in the top of the first.
Duckworth lasted just 2 2/3 innings last night, giving up five earned runs on six hits, including home runs to Floyd and Joe McEwing (his first of the season). After giving up the fifth run, Duckworth was yanked.
As brilliant as Duckworth seemed two years ago, he has struggled that much since. He started this season on the DL, and just hasn't put it together since returning in mid-April. His longest outing of the season is seven innings, in a loss to Seattle on June 5th. Since then, he has lasted 5 1/3, 1 (injury), 6, 3, 5 1/3, and last night's 2 2/3 IP. I realize that we are looking at him as a fifth starter, but we should still be able to expect more than that from a fifth starter.
On the season, Duckworth has made 14 starts. He has lasted an average of 4 1/3 innings per start. He has thrown an average of 82 pitches in that 4 1/3 innings. Only thanks to the bullpen is the team 6-8 in the games he has started. With the Phillies in the thick of the playoff hunt, we are quickly reaching the point where a decision needs to be made on whether or not Brandon Duckworth can be the #5 starter that is counted on in August, September, and hopefully, October.
The question becomes, if not Duckworth, then who? Is there someone the Phillies can call up, or do they have to look outside the organization?
At AAA Scranton, only a couple of names pop out as ready to come up and help out in the rotation:
Those are the only starters of interests at AAA. There may be a name or two at AA Reading, but skipping a level and jumping into a playoff race may not be the formula for success. But to whom do the Phillies turn if they look outside of the organization? Here are some names that have been rumored to be on the trading block:
Jeff Weaver
Sterling Hitchcock
Sidney Ponson
Jason Johnson
Kelvim Escobar
Odalis Perez
Kris Benson
Javier Vasquez
Limited choices. Vasquez probably isn't available, unless the Expos fall out of sight in the next week or so. Benson is missing his start today with an injury and has a history of arm problems. Weaver and Hitchcock just throw up red flags for me. Recent reports have Escobar staying in Toronto, and Perez is leaving LA only in the right deal. That leaves the Orioles duo.
The O's recently made a contract extension offer to Ponson, and are waiting to test his reaction before making a final decision on dealing him. Even if they choose to move him, he won't be cheap. The Phillies have some players in the farm system to deal, but are they willing to move an Utley, a Madson, etc. for a possible two-month rental? Johnson is a decent enough pitcher, but is he any better than what the Phillies currently have?
The options are few, but they may have to be examined. If Duckworth continues to struggle, and drains the bullpen in the process, an alternative has to be found. For now, the Phillies have to hope that Kevin Millwood can eat up some innings (and gain a win) in this afternoon's matinee. Unfortunately, he has fallen behind 3-0 in the third inning...let the fun continue.
Monday, July 21, 2003
In for the long haul...
...or at least past this season. GM Ed Wade signed a two-year contract extension last night, taking him through the 2005 season. This signing was expected for weeks, and there was little doubt it would be completed.
Looking ahead
For that time in the near future when Myers is the staff ace, here are a few guys that can back him up:
3 out of 4, and the Phillies pick up an All-Star
How long now until we refer to Brett Myers as the Phillies' "ace"? The ace of the future threw another gem yesterday, going 8 2/3 innings, striking out ten, and carrying a shutout into the ninth before Brad Wilkerson launched a two-out, two-run home run to spoil the day. (By the way, how many ninth inning homers is Wilkerson going to hit in Philly, anyway?) Myers's victory was his 10th of the season, allowing him to join Kevin Millwood and Randy Wolf with 10 wins apiece. The threesome is tied for 4th in the NL in wins -- only Shawn Chacon (COL, 11), Russ Ortiz (ATL, 13), and Woody WIlliams (STL, 13) have more. It was also Myers's fifth straight win since he fell to 5-6 in a loss at Anaheim on June 11th. Myers spread out seven hits on the day, and did not walk a batter; he has allowed just one base-on-balls in his last five starts.
The Phillies jumped on top quickly yesterday, as Jim Thome doubled with two outs in the first inning, and Bobby Abreu scored him with a single. The one-run lead lasted until the sixth, when Placido Polanco led off with a double. Thome fouled out, failing to move the runner up, and Abreu was intentionally walked to get to Pat Burrell. Burrell, who has been the recipient of standing ovations all weekend at the Vet, has shown improved patience at the plate since the All-Star break. His stats may say that he is only 2-for-13 since the break, but they have been good at-bats. And more of a key are the four walks to three strikeouts -- he had previously had a K/BB ratio of 2 to 1.
Anyway, Burrell came to the plate with two on and one out in the sixth yesterday, and quickly fell behind 0-2. The first pitch appeared to be a fastball to the outer half of the plate that Burrell took. The second was a breaking pitch that Burrell flailed at...again. At 0-2, he fouled off a pitch before taking ball one. He fought off two more before taking a pitch just off the outside of the plate. Expos' pitcher Claudio Vargas wanted the pitch but got nothing from the home plate ump. At 2-2 and frustrated by the last call, Vargas threw the next one high and away. So Burrell has now worked a full count from 0-2, and the pitcher is a bit rattled. The ninth pitch of the at-bat is again on the outer part of the plate, but caught some of the middle. Burrell got a hold of it, and ripped it to left-center field for a double, scoring Polanco for the second run of the game. If Burrell can continue to have patience and work some more at-bats like he worked this one, improvement might not be too far off.
The Phillies added a third run in the seventh when Marlon Byrd singled with one out, Polanco followed with a single of his own, and Abreu hit a ground rule double down the left field line, scoring Byrd. It stayed that way until Wilkerson's bomb in the ninth, and Jose Mesa came in to get Edwards Guzman and close out the game.
Combine yesterday's game with the two 11th inning wins on Thursday and Saturday, and the Phillies took three of four from the Expos. Unfortunately, the Braves took all four from the Mets (including yesterday's ridiculous comeback), and stretched their lead to 9 1/2.
The Mets come off the four-game beating, and arrive in Philly today. Tonight's matchup is Brandon Duckworth (3-3) versus Aaron Heilman (0-2), while tomorrow afternoon's game has Kevin Millwood (10-6) going against Steve Trachsel (8-6), who the Phillies roughed up just before the break.
While the Phillies were finishing off the Expos, Ed Wade was working the phones and completing a deal to bring an All-Star to Philly. Wade acquired Pirates closer Mike Williams and cash for minor league pitcher Frank Brooks. Brooks had been 3-4 with nine saves and a 2.30 ERA at Reading, and had recently been bumped up to Scranton.
Williams was the Pirates All-Star representative this season, a selection that surprised even him. On the season, Williams has appeared in 40 games, throwing 37 1/3 innings, going 1-3 with 25 saves in 30 chances. Those numbers aren't bad. His ERA, however, is 6.27. And he has issued more walks (22) than strikeouts (20). Not good. This is, of course, Williams's second tour of duty with the Phillies. He started his career in Philly back in 1992. In five seasons with the Phillies, he appeared in 99 games (54 starts) and had a record of 13-25. His best season with the Phils came in 1995, when he went 3-3, mostly out of the bullpen, and had a 3.29 ERA. He was moved to the rotation the following season and struggled mightily. He finished 6-14 with an ERA over 5. The next season, Williams found himself in Kansas City.
He threw a mere 14 innings for the Royals in '97, and resurfaced with Pittsburgh in 1998. He worked in a setup role for much of the season, and finished with a 4-2, 1.94 campaign. The following year, Williams found himself in the closer role. In '99, he had 23 saves and a 5.09 ERA. In 2000, he added a 24th save, and lowered his ERA by more than a run and a half to 3.50. In 2001, he picked up 22 saves (3.67 ERA) with Pittsburgh before moving to Houston at the trading deadline to work setup for Billy Wagner. A free agent at the end of that season, Williams went back to Pittsburgh, where he put together a career year. 2002 found Williams going 2-6 with 46 saves and a 2.94 ERA with a 2:1 K:BB ratio, earning him his first All-Star selection.
Williams has struggled this season, but still manages to get the job done. That kind of description sounds a lot like someone already in red pinstripes: Jose Mesa. A quick comparison:
| Player | Sv | BS | K/9 | K/BB | Opp. Avg. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Williams | 25 | 5 | 4.82 | .91 | .282 |
| Mesa | 18 | 3 | 6.59 | 1.88 | .273 |
Both lines make me nauseus. The Phillies have said that Mesa will retain the closer's spot, and Williams will serve as a set up man. Williams may not seem like a great pick up, but for what he cost and the fact that he will serve as an extra arm in the 'pen (and Mesa insurance, with closing experience), it's not a bad move. No word yet on who the odd man out will be...
Friday, July 18, 2003
Rollins
According to Lee Sinins, Rollins is day-to-day with a hamstring injury:
3) Phillies SS Jimmy Rollins had to leave yesterday's lineup, due to a
hamstring injury, and is day to day.
After 0 RCAA/.743 OPS and -15 RCAA/.686 OPS seasons in his first couple of
years as a starter, Rollins is off to a .386 SLG, .314 OBA, .700 OPS, -11
RCAA start in his first 91 games. Rollins is leading the league again in
most outs made and can join Frankie Crosetti (1937-39) as the only players
in baseball history to do it 3 consecutive years.
Pitching change
Randy Wolf's start was moved up from tomorrow night to tonight. I guess the one inning of work on Tuesday wasn't enough to push him back another day. He will face Javier Vazquez (6-6), with Padilla (8-8) facing Livan Hernandez (9-6) tomorrow night.
Walk off
Quick question: If a man named "Byrd" hits a walk off, do we consider it a fly off?
A few pitching lines for you:
A: 9 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 6 K
B: 8 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 5 K
C: 7 IP, 9 H, 2 R, 5 K
D: 6 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 5 K
So what are they? A is Kevin Millwood's complete-game shutout of Montreal last Tuesday. B is Tomo Ohka's performance in the same game. The two hooked up for quite a performance that day...and then they went out and did it again last night.
Line C is Millwood's line for last night; D is Ohka's. A few more hits allowed for each one last night, but the same level of toe-to-toe performance as nine days earlier. Only this time, neither one was around for a decision.
Millwood went seven innings last night, scattering the nine hits. He allowed more than one hit in an inning only twice, and the Expos scored in each of those. In the fourth, Millwood allowed a one-out single to Wil Cordero, who then scored on a two-out double by Ron Calloway. In the sixth, Orlando Cabrera led off the inning with a double; he then swiped third, and scored on a throwing error by Bobby Abreu. Millwood allowed a pair of singles and a walk after that, but got out of the inning with no further damage. Otherwise, Millwood allowed no more than one baserunner in any of the other five innings.
Ohka's night was almost as good. He allowed a Marlon Byrd single to lead off the first, only to erase him on a double play. He got in trouble in the second, when Jimmy Rollins singled, Pat Burrell walked, and Tyler Houston doubled to left -- all with two outs. Ohka was spared more than one run of damage when Phillies third-base coach John Vukovich sent Pat Burrell home after Brad Wilkerson bobbled the ball in left. Wilkerson recovered, and nailed Burrell easily at the plate, ending the inning. In the third, Ohka allowed a one-out single to Byrd, who again was wiped out on a double play. He allowed two hits again in the fourth, and again it cost him: a one-out double by Abreu and a two-out double by Rollins put the Phillies second run on the board. But that was all the trouble Ohka would see -- he allowed two hits in the fifth and walked Burrell in the sixth, but neither instance did any damage.
So the starters left, and the 2-2 stayed until the ninth. So with the game tied in the top of the ninth, Rheal Cormier earned a save. I didn't see it myself, so I have to use someone else's words; from the Inquirer:
With two outs and Expos catcher Michael Barrett on third - Barrett had hit a leadoff double to start the ninth - Expos centerfielder Endy Chavez threw his bat at the ball. The bat actually left his hands before it made contact.
The ball found its way into no-man's land. Chavez sprinted toward first as Barrett took off for home.
It was going to be close.
...
But Cormier's toss made its way to catcher Mike Lieberthal, who blocked the plate and tagged out Barrett to end the inning.
That's how you earn a save without getting a save.
I finally turned the game on in the bottom of the ninth. The bases were loaded, two were out, and Placido Polanco was at the plate. On a 2-2 pitch, Polanco fouled off a dribbler down the third base line. Rollins, who was on third, took off for the plate. When it was called foul, Rollins returned to third and appeared -- to my untrained eye -- to be limping. It did not matter at the time, as Polanco ground the next pitch -- fair -- to third, to end the inning.
In extras, Jose Mesa pitched a scoreless tenth, and Dan Plesac got through the eleventh. Jimmy Rollins led off the bottom of the 11th with a really good at-bat. He fouled off three pitches -- two of them down the left-field line -- before finally taking a pitch that way and keeping it fair. He busted hard down the first base line, but seemed to coast into second. WIth no one out, Larry Bowa pulled Rollins for a pinch runner. I am not sure what the extent of Jimmy's injury is, but I can assure you that I never thought I'd see him lifted for a pinch runner.
Pat Burrell lifted an 0-1 pitch to right center where it got tracked down, but it was far enough to allow Nick Punto to move to third. WIth one out, pinch hitter Jason Michaels line the first pitch in the hole on the left side -- where it was snagged by Calloway at third, who went to first for the second out, holding Punto at third. With two outs now, Tomas Perez was intentionally walked to get to Byrd.
Byrd already had three singles on the night; one more would win the game. He took the first pitch for ball one, and then swung at the second. The ball jumped off his bat and just kept traveling. It bounced off the 1983 NL Championship banner in left-center while Byrd bounced around the bases. By the time he got to home plate, the entire Phillies team was there waiting for him, waiting to smack him around a bit. They pounded him so hard, I wasn't sure if they were congratulating him, or beating him into submission.
No matter...5-2 final. Win #53. I'll take it, with or without the bruises.
Thursday, July 17, 2003
Who are you?
I'm struck by curiosity...who are my readers? Who are you? What kind of baseball/Phillies fan are you? Why do you keep coming back? What would you like to see here? I am just trying to get an idea of what type of person I have struck a chord with. Leave a comment (if it's working) or e-mail me and let me know about you.
Also, if there's something you want to know about me, ask away.
In a shocker...
In a news item that should surprise no one, ticket prices will go up next season with the opening of the new Citizens Bank Park. Yet, they will remain reasonable, all things considered.
There will be no personal seat licenses. No variable ticket pricing by who and when. And the increases are not out of line, considering it's a new park. Quoting the article in the Inquirer:
Prices for seats in the 200 level in the infield, which list for $28 now, will increase to $35 or $40, depending on their proximity to home plate.
Tickets in the outfield, where seats will be closer to the playing surface than at the Vet, will fall from $24 to $20 in the equivalent of the 200 level, from $22 to $18 in the 300 level, and from $16 to $15 in the 600 level.
Beyond that, it's apples and oranges, although the general direction of prices is up.
The cheap seats will go up from $10 to $15, but the seats will be closer to the field. There will be no general admission seats in the new park, but up to 5,000 seats will be discounted by as much as $5 on the day of the game, making the game a fairly affordable one.
Two other notes:
Season-ticket holders no longer will receive discounts, now usually $2 per date, off the list price of their tickets. And the current 16-game plans will become 17-game plans.
No more will seats be priced entirely by vertical level. On each level, seats in more desirable locations will cost more.
I have no complaints about this, as I have always thought that seats in one level behind home plate should cost more than seats in that same level tucked behind a foul pole. So, keeping it in perspective, the pricing doesn't seem too bad. That is, of course, until you get inside and head to the concessions.
Silva out
The relief pitcher had his suspension reduced from six games to five for his role in the June 13th fight against Adam Dunn in Cincinnati, and will serve it immediately. He will be eligible to pitch again on Tuesday, at home versus the Mets.
Burrell's struggles
The Inquirer has another article today on Pat Burrell's struggles in this morning's paper. However, instead of just focusing on his faults and struggles this year, they offer that he is not the first Phillie to have these struggles. The obvious comparison is to Mike Schmidt and his second year in Philly. But Frank Fitzpatrick draws other comparisons, including ones to Del Ennis, Chuck Klein, and Dick Allen.
Catch the article here.
Back to work
After a three-day vacation, the Phillies get back to work tonight against the Puerto Rico Expos at the Vet. Tonight's is the first in the four-game series, games 10-13 in the season series. The Phillies lost two of three to the Expos back in late May, and then swept a three-game set in early June. Philadelphia took two of three in Montreal last week, and lead the season series 6-3.
Tonight's 7:05 start will feature Phillies ace Kevin Millwood (10-6) against Tomo Ohka (7-9). These two matched up in Montreal last Wednesday, with Millwood getting the better of the matchup in the end. Ohka held the Phillies hitless into the seventh before Placido Polanco managed a questionable infield hit, and Bobby Abreu followed with a two-run homer. Millwood took the runs and ran with them, finishing off the Expos with a complete-game shutout.
Tomorrow's game matches Vicente Padilla (8-8) against Javier Vasquez (6-6). Padilla is 5-2 in his last eight starts, and has had his ERA fall from 4.55 to 3.81 in that time. Saturday's game features All-Star Randy Wolf (10-4) against Livan Hernandez (9-6), who has been the unexpected "ace" of the Expos staff this season.
Wolf will bring the Wolf Pack home from Chicago, where Wolf made his first All-Star appearance. Wolf replaced starter Jason Schmidt to start the third inning, and had a decent performance. Wolf struck out the Yankees' Jorge Posada before becoming cautious and walking Ichiro. Ichiro took second on a wild pitch, and scored on a two-out single by RBI machine Carlos Delgado. All told, Wolf pitched an inning, gave up one run on one hit, and struck out two Yankees (Posada and Soriano).
Sunday's finale features Brett Myers (9-6), going for the tenth win that eluded him on Sunday in New York, versus Claudio Vargas (6-5). These two matched up against one another last Tuesday, with the Phillies lineup touching up Vargas and his bullpen mates to the tune of 13 runs.
The Phillies hope to do well in this series, as the Braves -- with their 8 1/2 game lead -- head home to take on the New York Mess, who yesterday traded closer Armando Benitez cross-town to the Yankees as they continue their rebuilding process.
70 games to the finish line. Time to start sprinting...
Tuesday, July 15, 2003
All-Star worthy
From Jayson Stark's Useless Info column:
Lowest ERAs among qualified starters since last year's All-Star Game:
RHP: Pedro Martinez 2.02
LHP: Randy Wolf 2.73
I told you they were playing over their heads!
In a follow-up to yesterday's post, Diamond Mind has written on the comparisons from their preseason predictions to the reality at the Break. Here's what they have to say on the NL East ba