The ugly, and not so ugly, numbers
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The ugly, and not so ugly, numbers
David Murphy, Daily News Staff Writer
Just some random numbers while perusing my stats this morning. . .
1) The Phillies are just 5-for-38 with runners in scoring position in their current four-game losing streak.
2) Josh Beckett, Gio Gonzalez and Jordan Zimmermann have held the Phillies to two runs on 24 baserunners with 16 and seven walks over 19 1/3 innings over the last three games.
3) And now for the good news: The bullpen has not allowed a run in its last 12 2/3 innings, dating back to the first game of the Boston series. Particularly impressive have been the two newest faces: rookie Jake Diekman has struck out seven of nine batters in two appearances during the stretch, while Raul Valdes has struck out four of 12 in 3 2/3 scoreless innings. Jose Contreras has retired the last nine batters he has faced, while Antonio Bastardo has not allowed a run in the month of May, pitching 9 1/3 scoreless innings while allowing just four baserunners and striking out 10. All of that is a very good sign. As frustrating as this team can seem, a stable bullpen along with the strength in the rotation would give the Phillies the ability to put together a long run of W's if the offense were ever to heat up. Keep in mind they were seven games out in late July in 2010 and ended up winning the division going away. What they can't afford to do is give away games that they are winning, which is why the bullpen is so important. In Bastardo, Contreras and Diekman, the Phillies have three relievers with legitimate back-of-the-bullpen stuff. If Valdes can somehow turn into their most reliable lefty specialist since Scott Eyre, suddenly the bullpen transforms from a glaring weakness to a clear strength. Of course, that only happens if Bastardo and Contreras are consistent and Diekman turns into the pitcher he has shown flashes of being since his call-up.
Conteras is garbage, nothing personal of course, but he has to be out of the equation. This is why the Phillies are a travesty, they count on over the hill, sub-mediocre refuse they scraped from the bargain bin like Qualls, and of course Contreraso or bush leaguers like Herndon. Deikman does look promising (if they don't turn around and trade him right away which is what Giles and Monty will do) and of course Bastardo along with a hopeful comeback by Stutes could bolster the bridge to Paplebon but for Ch...sts sake, do NOT USE Contreras! Its like playing Russian Roulette with a loaded 357 magnum chamber. I would use him with anything less than a 10 run lead! Of course, Cholly the caped Squirrel Hunter will keep using Contreras to ensure the Phils drop another 20 games in late innings. Heck, he has to do his thing, its what Monty and Giles want........ rent that basement for the next 10 years.— daystrum- Good luck finding all-stars to fill every bullpen spot.
Contreras comes off his third straight inning of no hit no run pitching and that's your focus? I'd love to only have Contreras to worry about with this team.
I personally think we've seen the best of Stutes. He seems like he could spend more time on the DL than Lidge did.— s - Dave, what will it take to bring up Domonic Brown who, under orders from Monty and Giles, is rotting in the minors? What possible rational can they use to justify using Pierre who can't hit or throw a ball 200 feet, Mayberry who is as exciting as Philly low fat Cream Cheese, or Nix who is nothing more than a glamorized bench warmer, over Brown who was supposed to be their main franchise outfielder of the future? Bring the guy up! What is the hesitation?....that he might misplay a fly ball like, gee....Hunter Pence and Pierre, two of the most defensively incompetent outfielders in the major leagues? Monty and Giles don't want Brown up because, yes, I am going to say it, because he just might start to hit and light a spark. Can't to that, Gile and Monty are determined to bury their team and conduct their fire sale, their clients are counting on it. Its time boycott. Do it and maybe with any luck, the team can be sold to an owner who really wants to win, not just every 15-20 years but EVERY year:-)— daystrum
- The level of competition in our division means none of them are likely to get too far from us because they'll keep beating each other. If the Phils can hang and get some offensive relief they won't be too far out come crunch time.— The K Man
Also good news ... in a backward kind of way ... the division is better, and thus I don't see anyone running away with it. 90 - 92 games wins it ... IMO.
— zubzub- People really need to keep expectations in check here. Father Time is winning out. Jimmy, Shane and Polanco are all OLD and their batting averages show it -- and their OBP really shows it.
Carlos and Pence are the only real threats in the lineup. Ruiz is the best player on the team but he's a catcher -- it would be a miracle if he is able to play at this level all season. Halladay is showing some age. Thome is 2 for 18, no HRs -- can they schedule his retirement party along with Burrell's?
This will be the last season with this core and they will struggle to be a .500 team in a surprisingly strong division. Then it will be rebuilding time for Amaro.
So...enjoy it while you can. They won't contend; they'll be 10 games out by the All-Star Break. But it is nostalgia. Tickets will be plentiful for a change. Maybe Utley will try to gut it out for a few weeks and we can see Utley, Rollins and Howard on the same infield for the last time.— tomB - trot - I second that idea - Chooch just HAS to be in the cleanup spot! Why is that SO clear to us and apprently no one else in the Phils' dugout?— dwp66
- It's true the division will keep beating up on each other, but at some point the Phils have to start winning some of those series. Keep losing 2 of 3 to teams in the division and they'll never gain any ground. Consider on their 6 game win streak they only picked up 1 game (which has now been lost).— kmon
- The problem is the starting pitching had to carry all the weight and now its taking its toll on them. Because they couldnt count on the relief pitchers, this put alot of stress on them to win the game single handedly. Lee got hurt trying to finish one in the tenth, Halladay is off rythem, Worely is hurt, now we have just Cole and Kendrick, boy that makes me feel good! Besides the non hitting by these players, the relief pitching, or lack of, has started all this mess!— huntnmike3666
- RYNE TYME-get someone who has a brain before we lose him again.— philsfansince1946
- You and Matt Gelb need to a get girlfriends.— BRIANMC
- Fifty seven percent of all statistics are made up.— burholme
- Pence should be moved out of the cleanup spot. He is 1 for his last 22 ABs with RISP. Absolutely pathetic. Pence would have more RBIs if he didn't hit with RISP. Hey Howard haters, see what happens when he's not in the lineup. Of course Pence doesn't K as often but he sure as hell can't hit with RISP.— palmyra21
- The media needs to stop looking for every stat to try to keep hope alive. You can always spot a weak article when it uses anecdotal examples instead of the more common outcomes to a set circumstances. There is no reason to think that this team is going to change this trend. Bad baseball results in more L's than W's. Remember this team is sitting below .500 after the weakest part of their schedule. Put a fork in this season.— jfdatl
- To the exasperated but in informed, this is why Dom Brown isn't on the big club:
0 HR, 15 RBI, .248 BA, .291 OBP, .647 OPS, 5 errors & 23 Ks in 28 games at AAA.
— CallisonTaylorRojas
