RON CORTES / Staff photographer
Reliever Chad Durbin has appeared in 24 of the Phillies' 45 games this season.
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Paul Hagen: Phillies bullpen gets much-needed day off today
WHEN A STARTING pitcher leaves a game early, it ain't pretty. There are basically just a few reasons why that happens, and none is conducive to having his teammates file out onto the field to congratulate each other at the end of the game.
One is that the poor guy just doesn't have it that night and the manager wants to get him out of there before the game gets out of reach and give his offense a chance to play catch-up.
Another is that it's a reliever getting a spot start. His arm isn't stretched out enough to pitch deep into the game. That's what happened with Florida's Burke Badenhop last night, the reason he was pulled after five effective innings despite having thrown just 81 pitches.
The third is when the starter is hurt. That was also demonstrated at Citizens Bank Park on a balmy evening when Phillies righthander Brett Myers was forced to leave with right hip inflammation after 5 2/3 innings of the 6-2 loss to the Florida Marlins.
What that means in the short term is right under everybody's nose. But there's also a long-term toll if starters make a habit of not sticking around until the seventh or eighth inning:
The bullpen can get fried.
Last year, Chad Durbin was a revelation in the first half of the season with a 1.89 earned run average. After the All-Star break: 4.33. Including 6.94 in September. Durbin also made a career-high 71 appearances and led all NL relievers in innings with 87 2/3.
It's hard not to conclude that there's a connection.
Durbin doesn't buy it, by the way. "I don't put a whole lot of stock in that," he said. "I think I was very fortunate in the first half. The runners were really staying on base after I left the game. Somebody else would come in and get a pop-up or a doubleplay. But those things tend to even out."
Still, what's happened so far this season is a cause for pause.
Going into last night, there were 31 National League relief pitchers who had made at least 22 appearances.
Four of them - Durbin, Clay Condrey, Ryan Madson and Brad Lidge - draw a paycheck from the Phillies.
The only other team with as many relievers carrying that kind of workload is the Marlins. But they've played three more games than the World F. Champions, who in fact are tied for the fewest dates in the league.
"I'm very concerned, yes," manager Charlie Manuel said. "We've been using our bullpen a lot.''
Durbin already has been in 24 games and Condrey matched him last night, meaning that each has been in over half the 45 games the Phillies have crossed off their handy pocket schedules. Madson and Lidge are just under half, at 22 appearances each. Which means at this pace the Phillies would have a quartet of relievers with around 80 appearances each. That's a lot.
"You don't really think about that," Durbin said. "You try to take care of yourself afterward. But when you go down in that bunker, you don't think about how many times you've been out there.
Condrey also said he didn't foresee a problem. "Because guys are pretty smart about how they go about their business," he explained. "Guys have a pretty good routine and a pretty good idea how to handle it."
There are also a handful of reasons to believe that the situation could begin to correct itself as the calendar turns to June, that the pace with which Manuel has had to use the same four pitchers will lessen significantly.
The simplest part of the equation is to have the rotation start to pitch better, eating more innings in the process. And there are signs that could be happening.
Myers was coming off his best outing off the season and had allowed just one run on two hits through the first four innings before his hip began to bother him. Righthander Joe Blanton had his best start of the season Tuesday night. And Cole Hamels, after a slow start related to elbow problems he experienced during spring training, appears to be back to being a reliable staff ace.
There is also the fact that Chan Ho Park is now in the bullpen. Since he was originally signed with the idea that he could contribute multiple innings of relief, that figures to ease the burden.
Finally, lefty J.C. Romero's 50-game suspension for testing positive for performance-enhancing substances will expire next week. Romero was a key component of that championship bullpen, leading the staff with 81 games.
"That should definitely give us more depth and make us better," Manuel said. "It will give us more room to maneuver."
Said Condrey: "All that, coupled together, should help. At the same time, so far, there haven't been any problems."
It doesn't hurt, either, that the Phillies are off today. After all, that's the only way to be absolutely positive that every pitcher in the pen will get a day of rest. *
Send e-mail to hagenp@phillynews.com
