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Post-game: Victorino, Helms, Paulino

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22 comments

Post-game: Victorino, Helms, Paulino

POSTED: Monday, May 25, 2009, 11:20 PM

It was an interesting baseball game, in that there were three key situations that may or may not have affected the outcome of the game.

***First, the Shane Victorino caught stealing in the ninth inning: It was Victorino's decision to go. The Phillies essentially give Rollins and Victorino a green light at all times. But a frustrated Charlie Manuel said afterward that the onus is on the runner to realize the situations when running is not prudent. With the tying run at the plate and no out in the ninth, that was the situation the Phillies were in. But Victorino ran on a 1-0 pitch to Matt Stairs and was gunned down.

 “That was a mistake,”  said Manuel, who pulled Victorino aside in the dugout after the play. “We talk about our running game and things like that, but also you’ve got to know when to run. I can stop him, but at the same time, our baserunning, with the way we set it up, we like to think you won’t make mistakes like that.”

Victorino addressed reporters shortly after the clubhouse was opened to the media and issued a mea culpa.

“I (messed) up,” Victorino said. “It was a stupid situation there, but hey, I made a mistake. I’m not going to second-guess myself right there. I’ll face the reality that I messed up.”

***Second, Wes Helms' three-run home run in the fourth: Jamie Moyer threw a 2-2 fastball that either caught the inside corner or landed just outside. Marvin Hudson ruled it was the latter.

Home plate umpire Marvin Hudson ruled it was the latter situation, and on the very next pitch Helms sent a 3-2 change-up sailing into the left field seats for a three-run home run.

“It really doesn’t matter what I think,” Moyer said of the pivotal play, which sparked the Marlins to a 5-3 victory and handed the Phillies just their third defeat in 11 games. “You need to go ask Marvin.”

***Third, Ronny Paulino's RBI single up the middle in the sixth (if you are counting, all five runs were driven in by ex-Phillies). The Phillies were trying to pitch around Paulino, believing that the Marlins would leave Chris Volstad in to bat with the bases loaded and two out in the innings. After throwing Paulino three balls, Moyer unleashed a pitch that caught the plate. Paulino drove it up the middle for an RBI.

"I should have thrown it to the backstop," Moyer said.

Who knows if the Phillies would have won had any of the aforementioned three situations transpired differently. Even if Helms had struck out, there would have been one out and men on base in the fourth. Even if Paulino had walked, the Marlins might have pinch hit for Volstad in the sixth. And even if Victorino had remained at first, Stairs' groundout might have been turned into a double play.

That's the beauty of baseball.

22 comments
Comments  (22)
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 1:19 PM, 05/26/2009
    re: Broadcasters. LA is the Man. The Phillies appear to belive that he is not PC enough for TV, though. I generally listen to the first couple of innings on the radio as I drive home from work, and I enjoy it a whole lot more than the TV broadcast. McCarthy isnt terrible, but it seems like the producers have instructed him to make Sarge sound interesting by talking about Sarge's career. Listen: I loved Sarge when he was on the field, but at this point does anyone give a rat's patoot about his career? And if they mention his Great Danes one more time.....
    freebistat
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 1:22 PM, 05/26/2009
    Reread Krak's post. The fact is that unless this team seemingly scores 5-7 runs a game, none of the starters is ever home free. The hitters have been up and down even with all the HR's. The team is still not getting enough from the people they depend upon like Chase, Jimmy and even Ryan. Ruiz is always going to be more down than up and his defense cannot be criticized. And by now, I think July, the relievers will be on fumes unless the starters can at least go 6-7. And that so far doesn't look like it is in the cards. Talking about the Cards, that guy Lohse might actually look good as a 5th starter or even a 4th.
    KGKoons
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 1:44 PM, 05/26/2009
    What might have prevented Shane's boneheaded steal attempt in the 9th is a stop signal given by the manager. That would allow the runners to be aggressive and at the same time not permit them to run us out of a potential rally. Just a thought.
    terryharmon
  • Comment removed.
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 2:25 PM, 05/26/2009
    Victorino and Werth should be swapped in the outfield. Werth has the stronger, more accurate arm, and while Shane may be a tad faster, Jason seems to go back on the ball better. With Shane in right his speed would compensate for the Phillies style of giving up too much of the line in the late innings. Ideally you need a lefty thrower in right field but we have painted ourselves into a corner with the trades and unless we make a trade are stuck with what we have. --- Moyer's problem seems to be more like what a few others were experiencing in that he is too tentative, and needs to go after hitters in the beginning of the count then put them away ASAP. This business of trying to be too fine has affected the whole team over the past month and 2/3rds and is just foolishness. Get 2 strikes and use your best pitch for the K. --- As far as I know the CBP is sold out with every home game and the support on the road is unbelieveable yet the team can't get up for home games? What the hell is with that? HOW ABOUT THIS GUYS! SHOW A LITTLE APPRECIATION FOR THE SUPPORT OF THE HOME TOWN CROWD AND START WINNING!
    Wally 24
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 2:37 PM, 05/26/2009
    While you always want to be aggressive on the bases you must be reasonably sure you're going to make it when in the situation that Victorino was in. When you don't then you got called on the rug and deservedly so. If he had done it in the 5th inning it would be excuseable because there is time to make up for the mistake. Shane is not alone in this blunder and Chase and Jimmy have also taken us out of innings at crucial times. Seems to me Charlie shares a certain amount of responsibility also.
    Wally 24
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 3:13 PM, 05/26/2009
    Re: walter sobchak - the reason you can't sync 1210 AM with the TV is because 1210 also offers HD radio and delays their regular audio several seconds so the regular and HD audio are sync'ed on the radio. Try tuning into 830 AM - WEEU out of reading. They don't broadcast in HD and their audio runs ~ 5 seconds ahead of WPHT 1210.
    Richard_LV


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