Breaking down the last four innings of a 5-3 loss. . .
It's easy to second-guess Charlie Manuel's bullpen decision-making in the Phillies' 5-3 loss to the Braves. But let's try to talk through his rationale: Trailing 2-1 heading into the bottom of the sixth, Manuel's ideal game unfolds like this: -Lefty J.C. Romero faces lefty Eric Hinske, pitches carefully to righty Dan Uggla, then faces lefty Freddie Freeman. -Romero either retires all three, or retires Hinske and Freeman and walks Uggla. -Kyle Kendrick faces Alex Gonzalez-David Ross-Jair Jurrjens-Martin Prado and takes you through the seventh. -Antonio Bastardo gets the eighth against lefty Nate McLouth, switch-hitter Chipper Jones, and lefty Hinske. -Ryan Madson gets the ninth with a lead, or Mike Stutes gets the ninth in a tie game. The other scenario he probably pondered goes like this: -Romero faces the same three batters. -Stutes, rather than Kendrick, follows Romero. -Bastardo gets the eighth. Now, let's look at the two key decisions that Manuel made after pinch-hitting for Joe Blanton in the bottom of the fifth (a move that led to the Phillies' only run to that point): 1) Kendrick over Stutes Romero got Hinske, but allowed Uggla and Freeman to reach base. With runners on first and second and one out in the sixth, he decided to go with Kendrick for two reasons. First, Kendrick is a sinker-ball, groundball pitchers, and the Phillies were a double play away from getting out of the inning. Second, Alex Gonzalez and David Ross were due up. Gonzalez was 0-for-8 in his career against Kendrick. Ross was 0-for-5. In his last two outings against the Braves, Stutes allowed a home run to Eric Hinske and almost allowed a grand slam to Dan Uggla on a hanging slider that sailed just to the left of the foul pole. You can certainly argue that Stutes' strikeout stuff would have been the proper play. But if Manuel's biggest concern was a three-run home run by Gonzalez, then you can see why he thought Kendrick was the safe play. 2) Letting Kendrick face Martin Prado This one might have been the biggest question mark. After Kendrick gets a loud fly-out from Gonzalez, Ross reaches base on an RBI bunt single and Jair Jurrjens walks. The bases are loaded for Martin Prado. Not only has Prado killed Phillies pitching this series, as well as in his career, the Braves' leadoff hitter is 5-for-10 in his career against Kendrick. In the bullpen is Vance Worley, who got Prado to ground out on Friday night. Perhaps Manuel is hesitant to burn his two most stretched-out relievers in one inning, which would have left him with Danys Baez and Scott Mathieson as the two multiple-inning-type guys should the game go to extras. The other option, then, was Stutes. Problem is, he would essentially be calling on Stutes to face one hitter, since lefty McLouth, switch-hitter Jones, and lefty Hinske were due up. Assuming Stutes retired Prado, lefty Antonio Bastardo would have pitched the seventh. At that point, the play would have been to call on Worley for the eighth and, hopefully, ninth (assuming the Phillies were still down or the game was tied). Mathieson, Baez and Madson would then be the guys from that point on. Manuel also could have called on Bastardo to face Prado, who is 0-for-2 against him, leaving him in to face McLouth-Jones-Hinske. He then might have had either Stutes or Worley for the eighth or ninth. Whatever things Manuel envisioned, it's a safe bet that they did not go according to plan.
Breaking down the last four innings of a 5-3 loss. . .
David Murphy, Daily News Staff Writer
It's easy to second-guess Charlie Manuel's bullpen decision-making in the Phillies' 5-3 loss to the Braves. But let's try to talk through his rationale:
Trailing 2-1 heading into the bottom of the sixth, Manuel's ideal game unfolds like this:
-Lefty J.C. Romero faces lefty Eric Hinske, pitches carefully to righty Dan Uggla, then faces lefty Freddie Freeman.
-Romero either retires all three, or retires Hinske and Freeman and walks Uggla.
-Kyle Kendrick faces Alex Gonzalez-David Ross-Jair Jurrjens-Martin Prado and takes you through the seventh.
-Antonio Bastardo gets the eighth against lefty Nate McLouth, switch-hitter Chipper Jones, and lefty Hinske.
-Ryan Madson gets the ninth with a lead, or Mike Stutes gets the ninth in a tie game.
The other scenario he probably pondered goes like this:
-Romero faces the same three batters.
-Stutes, rather than Kendrick, follows Romero.
-Bastardo gets the eighth.
Now, let's look at the two key decisions that Manuel made after pinch-hitting for Joe Blanton in the bottom of the fifth (a move that led to the Phillies' only run to that point):
1) Kendrick over Stutes
Romero got Hinske, but allowed Uggla and Freeman to reach base. With runners on first and second and one out in the sixth, he decided to go with Kendrick for two reasons. First, Kendrick is a sinker-ball, groundball pitchers, and the Phillies were a double play away from getting out of the inning. Second, Alex Gonzalez and David Ross were due up. Gonzalez was 0-for-8 in his career against Kendrick. Ross was 0-for-5. In his last two outings against the Braves, Stutes allowed a home run to Eric Hinske and almost allowed a grand slam to Dan Uggla on a hanging slider that sailed just to the left of the foul pole.
You can certainly argue that Stutes' strikeout stuff would have been the proper play. But if Manuel's biggest concern was a three-run home run by Gonzalez, then you can see why he thought Kendrick was the safe play.
2) Letting Kendrick face Martin Prado
This one might have been the biggest question mark. After Kendrick gets a loud fly-out from Gonzalez, Ross reaches base on an RBI bunt single and Jair Jurrjens walks. The bases are loaded for Martin Prado. Not only has Prado killed Phillies pitching this series, as well as in his career, the Braves' leadoff hitter is 5-for-10 in his career against Kendrick. In the bullpen is Vance Worley, who got Prado to ground out on Friday night. Perhaps Manuel is hesitant to burn his two most stretched-out relievers in one inning, which would have left him with Danys Baez and Scott Mathieson as the two multiple-inning-type guys should the game go to extras.
The other option, then, was Stutes. Problem is, he would essentially be calling on Stutes to face one hitter, since lefty McLouth, switch-hitter Jones, and lefty Hinske were due up. Assuming Stutes retired Prado, lefty Antonio Bastardo would have pitched the seventh.
At that point, the play would have been to call on Worley for the eighth and, hopefully, ninth (assuming the Phillies were still down or the game was tied). Mathieson, Baez and Madson would then be the guys from that point on.
Manuel also could have called on Bastardo to face Prado, who is 0-for-2 against him, leaving him in to face McLouth-Jones-Hinske. He then might have had either Stutes or Worley for the eighth or ninth.
Whatever things Manuel envisioned, it's a safe bet that they did not go according to plan.
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Nice breakdown David. I agree with the line of reasoning, except for the fact that Kenrick doesn't seem to pitch as well out of the stretch. He seems to be a better pitcher when handed the ball at the beginning of an inning, as opposed to trying to clean up someone elses mistakes.
KK, with his 1.83 ERA has certainly done a terrible job for the Phillies so far. His 5 inning spot start against the Braves a week ago was terrible, how dare he allow 2 hits and a walk for that game! For shame Kyle Kendrick for having the audacity to breathe the same air that Philsfan56, SwellMatt or any other haters out there breathe. And that Charlie Manuel, oh how he dare lose a game! He and his .563 winning percentage as the Phils manager is a pox on everyone. "Bring back Lee Elia" cry the masses! He clearly has pushed all the wrong buttons in guiding this team to 6 straight winning seasons, 4 straight division titles, 3 straight NLCS berths, going to 2 WS in a row and winning the WS, all the while improving the teams win total every year since 2006. Oh, woe is the life of a Phillies fan! I wish the Priates played here, they have done nothing but win the last 18 years.— ESFjellin- I'm tired of everyone ripping Charlie. I'd like to see who could do better with the bullpen pitchers he has to work with. He uses the "educated guess" system to choose who pitches and when. It will get better when Contreras and Lidge get back....although we have no idea which version of Lidge we'll be getting. Kendrick should be traded, if someone will take him. He'll never be an effective relief pitcher because he can't strike anyone out and has a tendancy to walk hitters he shouldn't be walking. Romero just has a tendancy to walk everyone, and when he doesn't, he's getting hit hard. It would help if the offense could score some runs though. It might keep the starters in longer.— SteveS11
- For what its worth, if anyone thinks the Phillies miss Chad Durbin, he's chugging along with a 6.14 ERA at Cleveland.— SteveS11
- The weakest link in the whole pitching staff is Romero. The second absolutely worst thing a reliever can do when he comes into a game, is walk a hitter. The first of course, is giving up a home run in a one run game.— Ron
- Kendrick has neither the tenacity nor the ABILITY to be counted on for "situational" pitching ((relieving). You start him and hope he gets on a roll, or use him in long relif to avoid "wasting" GOOD pitchers.— recGUY
- Rumple, I'm with you. These guys actually have nothing to complain about, so they make up stuff. The Phillies, for all of the injuries they have already absorbed, have one of the best records in all of baseball. When confronted with that fact, guys like Murphy have to invent something to stir the troops.— EPC FAN
- Kendrick is not a reliever, period. He should not be put in a situation he's not familiar with.— EL Zorro
