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Braves pound Hamels, Phils
Phillies have minor-league pitching talent
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Aid for church in the (baseball) cards
Lopez gets the call-up to start against Mets
What's behind Rollins' prolonged slump?
Mets find way to beat Brewers' ace
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Bosox turn the tables on Orioles
McNamee vs. Clemens
Taylor blasts Reading to victory over Altoona
Andy Martino: The Phillies Zone
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Posted on Thu, Jul. 2, 2009

Phillies Notes

Lopez gets the call-up to start against Mets

By Andy Martino

Inquirer Staff Writer

ATLANTA - The Phillies bypassed promising youngsters Carlos Carrasco and Drew Carpenter to award veteran Rodrigo Lopez tomorrow's start against the New York Mets, but team officials said that Lopez's experience was not the main factor in their decision. They simply felt that he gave them the best chance to win.

"They said he was the guy who could help us at this moment because of the way he has been pitching," manager Charlie Manuel said.

The move is significant because the Phillies view Lopez's assignment as potentially more than a spot start. With Antonio Bastardo (shoulder strain) likely sidelined for more than a month and the trade market for pitching bearish, Lopez could become a member of the rotation if he pitches well.

Lopez, 33, was 65-65 with San Diego, Baltimore and Colorado. He is 5-4 with a 3.91 earned run average for triple-A Lehigh Valley this season. The righthander underwent reconstructive Tommy John shoulder surgery in 2007. According to Phillies assistant general manager Benny Looper, Lopez has lost velocity on his fastball (he now throws in the high 80s) but commands the pitch well.

The start is a high-profile one - at home, on a Friday night, against a division rival. But Looper said that experience, while weighed, was not the primary reason the team chose Lopez. "You have to consider everything, and that's just one of the factors," Looper said.

Options were not a consideration, because the team has already used its 2009 options on both Carpenter and Carrasco. No matter how many times either player is promoted or demoted this season, neither would burn further options.

If the team wishes to return Lopez to the minors, the pitcher would have to clear waivers. If another team were to claim Lopez at that point, the Phillies would lose him.

Madson struggling

Ryan Madson, who allowed the Braves to tie Tuesday's game in the eighth inning, is 0-2 with a 9.53 ERA and three blown saves in his last six appearances. He has walked seven batters in those outings.

Manuel said that Madson was trying to pitch with maximum velocity, which sometimes costs him control. "He's working on his velocity, and he might be overthrowing it," Manuel said, adding that Madson was leaving his fastball up in the strike zone. "I noticed his fastball has been up, yeah."

J.A. or Jay?

Tonight's starter, J.A. Happ, delighted the Phillies with a complete-game shutout in his last outing and is 5-0 this season. But increased fame has yielded increased confusion on one subject: What is this guy's name, and how does one pronounce it?

Born James Anthony Happ, the 26-year-old lefthander prefers "J.A. Happ" to appear in newspapers, on baseball cards and elsewhere in print. But don't say "J.A" - he wants to be called "Jay."

"I understand that there is a contradiction," he said. "I get that. But that's the way it is."

But why insist on using the initials? Why not just go by Jay Happ?

"I don't like that spelling, J-A-Y," he said. "J.A. Happ. Jay Happ. It's a good baseball name. Whatever. Just don't call me A.J. That's what bothers me."

Still in a funk. Last night's 11-1 loss to the Braves was the Phillies' 11th in the last 14 games. The Phils managed only two hits off Jair Jurrjens and a pair of relievers.