Glorious Bastardo
The Phillies' post-season roster surprise.
Glorious Bastardo
Rich Hofmann, Daily News Sports Columnist
Cliff Lee as the Game 1 starter makes perfect sense and is not a surprise (at least it isn't a surprise to avid readers of High Cheese). There really is no risk here. It keeps people on their regular turns and it keeps both Lee and Cole Hamels available for a potential Game 5 against the Rockies. It is no big deal.
The most important decisions will involve, a) the closer (and manager Charlie Manuel ain't telling) and, b) the way they use J.A. Happ in the first two games, if they use him at all. These are where Manuel will earn his money -- when or if to use Happ against a big lefty in a big spot out of the bullpen in the first two games, and then when to fit him into the starting rotation after that. These are the issues that will be ripe for second-guessing if the thing blows up. The Game 1 starter will be a footnote.
But this lefty thing has been a fixation for Manuel, with good reason. It is the only explanation for the final roster move: Antonio Bastardo, in.
When they called up Bastardo the other day, quiet glances were exchanged among the people paying attention. It wasn't a big deal, but, well, they weren't bringing him up just for the hell of it. Bastardo went on the disabled list in late June with a shoulder strain and the assumption was that his season was done. But when it became more and more clear that Scott Eyre -- despite having an elbow injury -- would be the only lefty in the bullpen, and when it became clear that the Phils were going to have to face lefty Todd Helton five times a game in the first round of the playoffs, suddenly the talk began about Happ's hybrid role. And then Bastardo showed up, quietly.
He pitched once, Saturday, with the champagne smell finally wearing off. He pitched one inning, threw 13 pitches, reached about 94 mph on the radar gun, walked one guy.
And, now, here he is.
"They've got some guys who have been really good left-hand bats off the bench," Manuel said, referring specifically to Jason Giambi and Seth Smith. "I think that any time we can put a lefty on them, I think that that might be the best way to go...It's always good to be able to put a lefthander on that lefthanded hitter if that's his weakness."
Giambi has arguably been better against lefties this year. But Smith hits 40 points less against lefties with less power, and Helton's power numbers are much, much lower against lefties. Against righties, he has 14 homers in 439 plate appearances. Against lefties, he has one homer in 206 plate appearances.
So, Bastardo.
And the wheels turn.
Why is Walker not on the roster?— phillyfan412- I would say that Walker was left off partly because he is a righthanded pitcher, and partly because after pitching effectively all year, he had a really poor September. If the Phils get past the Rockies, and they decide they want another righthanded short reliever, they can put him on the NLCS roster.— citizenkane
- I can't see why you have Dobbs and Stairs. If you omit one of the two, it opens a spot for another pitcher, which would : 1. Help not use a starter in the pen and 2. Give Cholly more match-up options. Dobbs can't play defense or hit (with the still injured calf) so he should go.— scootch
Comment removed.- I am guessing they let the writers title their own blogs rather than an editor; if so, nice work on this one, Rich!— jrwoznicki
- Phils taking 12 pitchers. You can't take 13, even if you don't like Dobbs.— P Even
- scootch - for a 5 game series they have enough pitchers. Walker has not had good outings lately. I had him on the bubble so I'm not surprised he didn't make the roster, particularly since he's a right-hander.— s
- In two weeks Walker went from being tried as a closer to off the post-season roster. Oh well.— paolibulldog
- Walker is not on the roster because he doesn't belong on the roster. He pitched decent until the last month of the season but his ERA was misleading. He was pitching in garbage situations and he has allowed more than half of his inherited runners to score. So his ERA was good but he was giving up runs, they just weren't being credited to his ERA. When they gave him a more important role in September and let him pitch later in games, he got lit up and had an ERA over 6.50 for the month. He was a mirage. Anyone who watched the Phils play in September knows why Walker isn't on the playoff roster. Keeping Bastardo over Walker and Condrey isn't that big of a suprise given Romero being out and Eyre being limited and Happ in the rotation.— JimG
- Not sure where Kendrick fits in. I'd rather see Condrey on the roster.— guyguy4
- all the talk last year was about how Hamels likes to go on his normal rest, Lee starting makes sense and when u think about it, what does it matter, they both need to win, whether one goes first or second. Lee is going to surprise us all. Cairo has played well in september and deserves to be on the roster. Stairs 2nd half has been well, awful, but he has a lifetime pass in my world. Bench players are just a part and without each part fitting, it wont matter. Phillies in 5.— sportsfan63
- Phils in 4— Will.i.Am
- Comment removed.
- Comment removed.
- All the talk is about the Phils pitching roster when the Rockies best left handed starter is out for the series. Phils in 3— greenflyer
