Phillies look to improve to 15-16 in first extended look at Batista since 2006
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Phillies look to improve to 15-16 in first extended look at Batista since 2006
David Murphy, Daily News Staff Writer
We are in the second week of May and the Phillies still have yet to win three straight games. Tonight, they'll look to put their first foot forward against 41-year-old Mets righty Miguel Batista, who has not started a game against the Phillies since July 25, 2006. He has faced them 12 times in relief over the last three seasons, including once on April 15, when he gave up hits to two of the three hitters he faced, allowing a run in the process.
Some match-up highlights. . .
Jimmy Rollins is 11-for-20 with four extra base hits and four walks in his career against Batista. John Mayberry is getting the start at first base. Although he has only faced Batista twice, you can bet Charlie Manuel likes this match-up. Laynce Nix, who was another option to start at first, is 0-for-9 with a walk and a strikeout in his career against Batista. Placido Polanco will bat sixth tonight. He is 12-for-35 with three doubles and four walks against Batista.
Blanton vs. Mets. . .
The Mets rocked Blanton in his only start of 2011 against them, scoring seven runs on 10 hits in 4 2/3 innings of a game the Phillies ended up winning 10-7. But Blanton has looked like a new pitcher since returning from the disabled list. In a relief appearance against the Mets at the end of last season, he struck out three of the seven batters he faced in two scoreless innings. During his first three years with the Phillies he had some dominant performances against the Mets. The one batter who has had some success against him is Ike Davis, who is 5-for-11 with two doubles and a walk. Blanton has pitched well against David Wright, holding the Mets star to six hits with six strikeouts and three doubles in 23 career at-bats.
The Phillies lineup. . .
- Jimmy Rollins SS
- Juan Pierre LF
- Shane Victorino CF
- Hunter Pence RF
- Carlos Ruiz C
- Placido Polanco 3B
- John Mayberry Jr. 1B
- Pete Orr 2B
- Joe Blanton RHP
Why isn't Nix playing leftfield? They need some pop in the lineup not a Punch and Judy hitter who can't field. I for one get so frustrated at Charlie Manuel's ineptitudes. He needs to go along with Gross and Dubee. The team needs a shake-up bring up Sandberg and Aumont. See what they can do to right the ship. Chuck has rode the gravy train too long and now the gravy is gone he is useless.— Phillip Phan
Comment removed.- How about phillies LOSE to METS.Ihope they lose all 14 games on this home stand.Losing a series to the METS this is HEAVEN.— tobyjoe
- Mets went out and acquired a bullpen for a minuscule fraction of the cost of Palelbon's $50 million...whose bullpen is superior? the Ruben method of building a 25-man roster is get your name in the paper by signing one overrated overpaid closer and then rely on dreck like Qualls, Schwimmer, Herndon, Etc --notice it doesn;t work.... for offense get your name in the paper by throwing $125 mil. on a guy who was terrrific in 2007 and then go rely on Mayberry, Wigginton, Galvis and Orr ...uh gee how come Phils can't win?uhhhhh...uh go sign former Cy Young winners on the decline and then don't have may money to sign future Cy Young winner like Hamels ...and all you imbeciles still defend clueless rube and boo Werth— warbiscuit
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- The Phils are not the team we knew. Get used to it. They hit worse than Lehigh. We need to pray that Amaro will finally tired of the OLD MAN team and start trading for prospects knowing this season is already over for the Sisters of Mary hitting failures.— Koons
- Look for big night for Pete Orr....check with me at 6:00AM.— NewMick314
- You mean Phillies fielding legend, Pete "Iron Hands" Orr?
A brutal 7th here. Someone kill me please.— s - The last place Phillies will struggle to win 80 games this year but the home town writers can't see how bad this team is.— farley
- If you had to make a prediction for how this dismal 2012 baseball season will end, here are the most likely choices:
Phillies finish last and own the "Basement' of the National League East OR Philies finish fourth with a 500 record. There can only be one sliver lining on this.......Cholly, entire coaching staff, Amaro fired, and Montogmery and Giles sell the team to a "real' owner who actually wants to win all the time and not just every 15 or 30 years.
— daystrum - Nice suoprise from wigginton but it is over. Has anyone noticed the phils cannot play fundamental offensive baseball anymore,moving runners,sac flys, hitting grounders to the correct side to move or score runners etc,etc,etc. Gross has got to go,cause i can't stomach much more of this minor league offense. I have watched almost every single game for about 6 years now and this is the first time I am finding other things to do than watch my BELOVED PHILLIES— Trot
- Looks like a spring training lineup.— P Even
- Wigginton came back to Earth the last two weeks or so. His benching tonight looks about right.— EL Zorro
- That mini Wigginton hitting streak was really one of the keys to them winning some games. You knew it had to end ... he's really a bench player who's not going to sustain that.
— s - I think he got tired playing all those games. He's been missing pitches down the middle he was hitting earlier. — EL Zorro
- The confusion must started when John Mayberry Jr, who is supposedly starting at first tonight, changed his name to Laynce Nix.— The K Man
- I don't think we need two 2nd basemen in the lineup, but okay!— kilo_005
- The league has agreed to let the Phillies play two men at each base until they get their s**t together. However, they'll also be allowed to have more than one on base offensively as well. So tonight my nightmare of "6 left stranded" is realized. — s
