Upcoming match-ups: Lincecum, Cain, Bumgarner loom large
From Roy Halladay vs. Tim Lincecum to Cliff Lee vs. Matt Cain, we break down the Phillies pitching match-ups through next weekend.
Upcoming match-ups: Lincecum, Cain, Bumgarner loom large
David Murphy, Daily News Staff Writer
It won't get any easier for the Phillies offense -- not right away, at least -- as the team embarks on a 10-game west coast trip after tomorrow's series-finale with the Mets. Kicking off the trip is a date with the Giants and fearsome threesome Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain and Madison Bumgarner. Here's a look at the projected pitching match-ups through next weekend.
Monday, April 16
at San Francisco, 10:15 p.m.
RHP Roy Halladay at RHP Tim Lincecum
BREAKING IT DOWN: Through two starts, Linecum's ERA looks more like a yards-per-catch. The perennial Cy Young candidate allowed five earned runs in 5 1/3 innings to the Diamondbacks and six earned runs in 2 1/3 innings against the Rockies. Giants fans are a bit concerned about the lack of velocity on Lincecum's fastball, as well as his hesitancy to use it, but Arizona and Colorado aren't the friendliest places to pitch. The last time the Phillies faced Lincecum, they managed just one run on seven hits and a walk with five strikeouts in 7 2/3 innings of a 3-1 loss at ATT Park.
Tuesday, April 17
at San Francisco, 10:15 p.m.
RHP Joe Blanton at LHP Madison Bumgarner
BREAKING IT DOWN: As if the Giants needed more pitching, the 22-year-old Bumgarner posted a 3.14 ERA, 7.9 K/9, 2.1 BB/9, 0.7 HR/9 in 51 starts in 2010-11. Last July, he held the Phillies to two runs on six hits and two walks with nine strikeouts in eight innings of a 3-0 Phils win.
Wednesday, April 18
at San Francisco, 10:15 p.m.
LHP Cliff Lee at RHP Matt Cain
Cain against the Phillies since the start of the 2010 National League Championship Series: 3 starts, 22 innings, 1 earned run, 2 extra base hits, 15 base runners, 14 strikeouts. Enough said.
Thursday, April 19
at San Diego, 10:05 p.m.
RHP Vance Worley at RHP Joe Wieland
BREAKING IT DOWN: With veterans Tim Stauffer and Dustin Moseley battling injuries, the Padres were expected to call on the 22-year-old Wieland to make his major league debut on Saturday, setting him up to open the Phillies series at Petco Park by facing Worley, who knows something about pitching as a rookie. Wieland might not be a Top 100 prospect, but he does have impressive minor league numbers: a 3.29 ERA, 8.4 K/9, 1.6 BB/9 and 0.6 HR/9 over five seasons in the Rangers and Padres organizations. Scouting reports say Wieland saw the velocity on his fastball jump last season, sitting in the 90-93 MPH range. The lack of consistent secondary pitches is why he is not viewed as a potential top-of-the-rotation starter, but we have seen first hand what a pitcher can do with a good fastball and unfamiliarity on his side (hello Worley, J.A. Happ and Kyle Kendrick).
Friday, April 20
at Padres, 7:05 p.m.
LHP Cole Hamels at RHP Edinson Volquez
BREAKING IT DOWN: Was it really only four years ago that Volquez embarked on a campaign that saw him go 17-6 with a 3.21 ERA, 9.5 K/9, 4.3 BB/9 and 0.6 HR/9 in 196 innings for the Reds? Since then, he has endured surgery that limited him to 21 starts in 2009-10 and a 50-game suspension for performance enhancing drugs (served while he was rehabbing from surgery). The Phillies battered him for four urns in 1 2/3 innings in Game 1 of the 2011 NLDS. He never achieved consistency last season, but Volquez pitched well in his first two starts of 2012, holding the Dodgers and Diamondbacks to four earned runs with 15 strikeouts and seven walks in 12 innings.
Saturday, April 21
at Padres, 8:35 p.m.
RHP Roy Halladay at LHP Corey Luebke
BREAKING IT DOWN: Luebke gave the Phillies some trouble last July at Citizens Bank Park when he held them to two earned runs with four strikeouts and one walk in five innings of a 3-1 Phillies win. He made a successful transition from the bullpen to the rotation late last June, finishing the year with a 3.31 ERA, 111 strikeouts and 29 walks in 100 2/3 innings over 17 starts.
Sunday, April 22
at Padres, 4:05 p.m.
RHP Joe Blanton at RHP Anthony Bass
BREAKING IT DOWN: Bass spent some time in the majors last season as a 23-year-old, posting a 1.68 ERA, 4.5 K/9, 3.9 BB/9 and 0.6 HR/9 in 48 1/3 innings over three starts and 24 relief appearances. Injuries have forced the 24-year-old back into the rotation this season.
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Cut that hair Olive Oil!— Drumphil- A long and challenging road trip, which also includes the Snakes, early in the season. Pitchers are OK, but hitters are still struggling. Is it just me, or is Polanco looking the same at the plate as he did with his injuries last year? Missed a few ABs last night, but I haven't seen him hit the ball hard yet.— ijj
- Ijj, it is not just you. He has looked awful to me and they are probably covering up some sort of injury so as not to get the phans too depressed.— Bobby G
- Polanco looks spent to me too. He's way off his usual April numbers.— s
Comment removed.- Polanco is not hitting at all. Unless there is improvement, I can't see him continuing in the second position. Nix stinks. Can't they bring up a bat from the minors to replace him?— jerseyshorefan
- Comment removed.
- So if absolutely everything breaks right for them next week, they'll go 3-4 against the Giants and Padres. They can't score against the slop pitching of the Pirates and Mets. How can they even think about scoring enough in San Fran against Lincecum, Cain and Bumgarner?— bigd1421
- The Phils could have used an off day before starting that West Coast trip.— D.K.O.
- Let's face it folks, the Phillies of 2012 are simply a BAD team, and may continue to be that for a few more years until they can unload the huge contracts from declining and non-producing players that are weighing them down. It was a nice run while it lasted, but its over. Get used to mediocrity for a while.— SteveS11
Lincecum must be the poster boy for the "Castro" district in San Francisco!- Lincecum must be the poster boy for the "Castro" district in San Francisco!
- I see a no hitter coming up.— dtowndestroyer
- they are 3 and 5 against the pirates, marlins and mets. They have been ouscored 10-2 in 2 games at home against the mets. Charlie can talk about the hitting coming around but by the time that happens, they'll be cemented in the cellar. They can't hit. Polanco is toast only good for a flare single at best. They have no power, don't bunch hits and don't walk. They don't work a pitcher and have no patience at the plate.
Maybe comcast should just televise the top half of the inning when they're home because when they come to bat...it's coyote ugly.
Utley and Howard will not be much help until they can play enough to get their rhythm. UNtil then, the Phils are in deep trouble.
Their bats are awful and even with great pitching. If you can't score runs you're in for a long season. My recomendation is to cancel comcast or you better have a case load of antacids.
They really can't hit water if they fell out of a boat. Nix, Pierre, thome and wigginton will be lucky to hit 200.
— Fan74 - garbage in garbage out --keep on attacking the messenger but when your g.m. is clueless imbecile who fills the roster with 15 non-major leaguers and most can't hit over .220 you'll get this result a lot --remember 2 days ago when all the clueless lackeys here were ecstatic when Phils beat Marlins --the team sucks because Polanco, Pierre, Galvis, Stutes, Schneider, Mayberry, Thome, Wigginton, Nix, Herndon, Savery, Bastardo, Orr, etc are all pretty much worthless garbage or not major-league ready.., cluless rube has only spent the highest budget in the league and traded all Phils propects to assemble what is, after 3 starting pithcers, the worst roster in baseball— warbiscuit
