Those games (particularly the Saturday night game) were so painful to watch that I’m not going to re-live the pain by writing about them. If you want a good recap of the series, Todd Zolecki has a good one here. I really wouldn’t have much to add to what he said.
Now we head to Tampa Bay, and I really don’t see things looking up. David Price vs. Jamie Moyer doesn’t exactly scream comeback game. The other pitching match-ups are a little better, and I think we will halt the streak during the series, but will lose 2 out of 3.
Despite how annoyed I am right now, I’ll try to put a positive spin on this…
5 Reasons not to panic:
- This is the same exact thing that we did last year during interleague play, and we ended up winning the World Series.
- The Mets, Braves and Marlins aren’t playing much better.
- We will get healthy soon enough, with Ibanez, Howard, Lidge and Eyre all rejoining the team relatively soon. This is not the product that we are going to finish the season with.
- We will make a move. Might be big, might be small, but will likely improve the current team.
- We now have 9 games on the road, apparently the only place we play well.
But, I can’t sugar coat it all…
5 Reasons to panic
- Jimmy Rollins might be in for 2003 Pat Burrell-esque season, a colossal disappointment thus far.
- Madson hasn’t cut it as a closer, and we don’t know what will happen when Lidge gets back.
- We are historically bad at home right now.
- Having these types of losses over and over have to hurt the psyche of this team.
- If we can’t trade for a pitcher, we aren’t going very far.
That’s all I got for now. This week it’s more likely I’ll be watching Season 2 of Dexter and Season 5 of Entourage onDemand than the Phillies games. I’ll be following them, but need a break for my mental health this week. Feel free to put any thoughts below.
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I was thinking today about how “lucky” I am to have attended the final game in each of the two most recent horrific home stands we have had in club history.
My family and I were at yesterday’s game to witness firsthand the conclusion of a 1-8 homestand. While it was great to see Hamels pitch like he did, the sleepwalking offense really sapped any positive energy he was able to generate.
We were also in attendance in 2004 when the Phils put the finishing touches on a 1-9 homestand by turning what looked like an easy victory into a loss by coughing up 7 runs in the 7th, 2 runs in the 8th, and dropping the final game to the Astros.
Ah, special memories.
I only wish my father was enough of a fan to have taken me to the final game of the only other horrendous homestand in my lifetime, which was a loss to the Reds in 1979 that wrapped up another 1-8 homestand.
Oh well, 2 out of 3 ain’t bad.
more bad news: Condrey going on DL tomorrow.
It’s Condrey’s back, right? He’s been trying to pitch through it for a little while and it’s most likely responsible for him getting knocked around lately. And so the strain on those who remain only intensifies. Any word on who might be filling in for him?
How about we give Stairs a softball and have him pitch underhand? He already looks like every other guy in any softball league I’ve played in, plus it couldn’t be any worse that what we’ve had to endure these past couple of weeks.
As much as I love Jimmy Rollins, the guy is cover your eyes awful. He is missing easy plays in the field and can’t hit to save his life. It’s time for him to work out his problems in triple A ball.
Pete, I’d love to see a ranking of all the MVP players of the past 50 years, I’d have to believe that Jimmy is one of the weakest MVPers of all time.
Sadly, I think we have to consider that Jimmy was on PED for that one year which gave him a boost well over his career averages.
I see that it’s a strained oblique for Condrey and that Escalona will probably be called up to take his place.
At the rate that we are using our bullpen, every single reliever is going to break down at some point this season. The problems have started already and will continue as long as our starters don’t hold up their end.
Last night marked the 3rd time, in less than half a season mind you, that the only run the Phils scored in a game came from a solo home run by Jason Werth (the other two were on 4/22 against the Brewers and on 6/17 against the Blue Jays). It just got me wondering who holds the record for that. I’m sure the Elias Sports Bureau would have the answer.
I’d love to know who holds the single-season record and the career record—-both for the Phils and the all-time MLB mark—–for number of times a solo home run by a player has accounted for the only run his team scored in a game.
Interesting tidbit from Philliesnation:
“Charlie Manuel has benched Jimmy Rollins for tonight’s and Friday’s game. Manuel says Rollins will return to the leadoff spot when he returns, however he’ll ride the pine for the next two days.”
I guess the boneheaded play in the field, on top of his lack of hitting, was more than Manuel could take.
I’ve been harping on Rollins for a while now, so I might as well continue. I found an article on fangraphs about him. Here is the upshot:
“……J-Roll is really having some major hang-ups with the heat, to the tune of -1.57 runs per 100 fastballs pitched. He’s also not striking the ball with authority, as evidenced by a plummeting line-drive rate and a hike in infield flies……..At 31-years old, I’m hardly saying Rollins is finished, though I think this could be the beginning of the end of Rollins best days………”
Also, fangraphs pegs Rollins dollar value worth to the team at minus2.4 million dollars. Ouch!
On the positive side, fanfgraphs also has a positive article about Joe Blanton. The upshot:
“Through May 21, Blanton had the following numbers: 8 GS, 44.1 IP, 17 BB, 37 K, 7.11 ERA. Since then: 6 GS, 39.1 IP, 9 BB, 40 K, 2.75 ERA.………..A 5.06 ERA and 4.82 FIP is nothing to write home about, but if Blanton can continue to twirl gems similar to his last several starts, then Kentucky Joe may be able to fill the void left by Myers,……….Many are quick to suggest the Phillies need to acquire an ace, but if Blanton has legitimately improved into an under the radar, #2 pitcher, they might not need to mortgage the farm for someone like Roy Oswalt.”
Let’s see……..No hits, 7 strikeouts, and only 1 base runner (on a walk) in 6 innings for the Phils…….The wheels came off for Hamels in the bottom of the 5th (4.2IP, 8 hits, 2 walks) and we’re down 4-0………..Good night Phils. I’m done.
Couldn’t help myself. Had to check in on the Phils one last time. So glad I did. Lidge comes in to pitch the bottom of the 8th and surrenders 2 hits and 2 walks, throws 1 wild pitch, only records 1 out, and leaves the game having given up 1 run (it ended up being 2 runs, as Romero walked in a run while I was typing this) while still being responsible for the 3 men (yes the bases are loaded) on base when he was taken out. Glad to have him back. How much worse is it going to get for us?
OK, one last thing then I’m done for the night.
Back to Rollins. Here is an update from Andy Martino:
“Jimmy Rollins is out of the lineup tonight again, and Charlie Manuel indicated that the, um, mental break could last longer than the two days initially planned. He is taking it day-by-day.”
Could it be that Rollins is not taking this very well and the situation has turned into a bit of a standoff? Maybe Manuel is trying to make a point.
hey guys-