Ryan Howard homered to left field yesterday in an 8-2 loss to the Giants at AT&T Park.
Good sign?
Typically, it is. But lately those opposite field hits haven't translated into Howard breaking out of his slump. He enters today's series finale against the Giants hitting just .169 with seven homers and 17 RBIs. Worried? I still think it's too early to be really, truly worried. You have to look at Howard's track record and assume at some point he will break out of it.
Jim Salisbury looks at Howard's slump in today's Inquirer.
"He looks like a lost person at the plate," said a major-league scout who has seen a bunch of Howard's at-bats this season. "It looks like he's guessing every pitch, like he's trying not to strike out instead of hitting the ball."
"He's not swinging at strikes. He's chasing bad balls," Charlie Manuel said. "He's not following the ball. He's not staying on it. He's swinging too early and missing it by a lot. He's trying too hard and digging himself a big hole. It's like he gets up there and says, 'I've got to hit a home run.' It looks like he's trying to get 10 hits in one at-bat."
"It's mental," Mike Schmidt said. "But what you go through leads to physical problems. Instead of waiting and trying to smoke that ball right out of the catcher's mitt, you lose your sense of how to do that. I'm sure Ryan's mind is playing some tricks on him. You miss balls you should be driving, and you get frustrated. It's tough to figure out how to get it back."
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Nobody knows about bad slumps more than Pat Burrell, who hit .209 with 21 homers and 64 RBIs in 2003. Here's what he had to say about it Thursday:
Q: Did everybody seem to have the answer for you?
A: That's part of the natural process of playing and struggling. People are always going to try to help because that's the nature of the game. But that's a small part of things. The biggest thing is trying to decide what it is that you're going to do about it. We try all kinds of different things. Sometimes it's daily. It's just different things you're trying to do, trying to get a better feel for things. Now when you're not getting results it makes it tough to stick with something that's not working. But you know, you just keep grinding away. I don't know if there is a clear cut answer for what the best way is. You've got to consistently work at it. You can't just assume that things are going to change. It might just be a little thing, but if you consistently get your work done, a lot of times that can make you feel a little more comfortable. If you go into the game with a good mindset sometimes and get a break here and there, the next thing you know you get a couple hits and you start getting into some good counts and things turn around. But I think most important thing is you have to continue to work and look for whatever that piece is that isn't there. And he does that. It is hard. It's especially hard because the other team is paying attention, too. And they can smell blood, so it's a tough situation. He's a hugely talented player, and that's going to help. It's just a matter of keep going and staying with it. Because in the big picture you can make up a lot of ground.
Q: Do you end up second guessing yourself a lot in a slump?
A: That's part of the maturing process as a player. You go through that period of struggle for a while and over time you start to learn, 'Hey, this is what I'm doing. This is what I've got to do to get out of it.' And the most important thing is not try to do too much and let the game come to him. And that's also hard. For a guy they don't throw a lot of strikes to anyway, combined with a guy that swings a lot ... He'll be fine. Is it important for him to get on track? Absolutely."
Q: Could you be a better player today after surviving those struggles in 2003?
A: I don't know. Maybe. I'd take the opposite. I'd take not having to deal with it, but sometimes we don't get to choose that. What's done is done, that's the most important thing. Yesterday is over. Today is a new day. You have to find out what you have to do to be prepared. Know who's pitching and what they've done in the past with you. All those things help. The more information you have the more prepared you're going to be. That's never a bad thing. With him it's such a fine line. It could turn around in one day.
Q: Remember any random people giving you advice?
A: I was having lunch with a guy, who was doing an interview. And a guy walked up to the table and said, 'Hey, Pat, sorry to interrupt you guys while you're eating, but stop swinging at the (bleeping) slider.' And he walked out.
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In the Phillies Notebook, more on Scott Mathieson and Chase Utley and Burrell struggling at the plate.
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In The Inquirer's Sunday baseball column, Salisbury looks at some of the deals that are really paying off ... like Gavin Floyd, for example.
I remember talking with former Phillies general manager Ed Wade in Clearwater, Fla., during spring training 2005 about their chances to sign Jimmy Rollins to a contract extension.
Wade must have felt pretty optimistic about their chances because he talked openly it, and why they wanted to do it. But I specificially remember Wade saying one of the biggest reasons he wanted to sign Rollins to an extension is because Rollins is a red-light player, meaning he always seems to come up big in the big games. He seems to thrive in moments like that. Moments like last night. Rollins came up big in a 7-4 victory over the Giants at AT&T Park.
He knew everybody would be watching him in his first game back from the DL. He also had family in town as Rollins grew up across the Bay in Alameda.
So what did Rollins do?
He went 3 for 5 with a double, home run and three RBIs.
"Yeah, ankle's broken," Rollins joked afterward.
Charlie Manuel seemed downright giddy afterward in his office.
"I'm happy that we got everybody back now," he said. "I think we're going to play better. I think we're going to go get the East."
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Righthander Kris Benson is throwing a bullpen today in Clearwater, Fla.
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The Phillies optioned Brad Harman to double-A Reading to make room for Rollins on the 25-man roster.
Phillies righthander Scott Mathieson's big-league career is in peril.
He is scheduled to have his right elbow scoped Thursday, but is very likely to have his second Tommy John surgery in a little more than 19 months. Mathieson, who also had ulnar nerve transposition surgery Sept. 24 last year, hasn't pitched in the big leagues since Sept. 2, 2006.
Pitchers that have Tommy John surgery typically have an 80 to 90 percent success rate. Those pitchers that need the surgery again typically have only a 30 percent success rate. So Mathieson, the team's 17th round pick in 2002, has a long, hard road ahead of him.
It finally happened.
The Phillies have activated Jimmy Rollins from the 15-day disabled list. He will hit leadoff tonight against the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park. Rollins has been on the DL since April 20 with a sprained left ankle, although he first injured the ankle April 8 against the New York Mets at Shea Stadium.
To make room for Rollins on the 25-man roster, they have optioned infielder Brad Harman to double-A Reading.
This could be a problem.
Brett Myers is 2-3 with a 5.33 ERA. He has pitched more than five innings just four times in his first eight starts. He has just three quality starts. He hasn't given his team enough of a chance to win when he has been on the mound, including yesterday's 8-3 loss to the Diamondbacks at Chase Field.
"I can't put together back-to-back good starts," Myers said. "I don't know what the problem is. It's frustrating."
Everybody knew Myers' problem earlier this season. He wouldn't throw his fastball because he had no velocity on his fastball. He tried to fool hitters with his off-speed pitches, but that didn't work. He rediscovered his fastball for his May 3 start against the Giants at Citizens Bank Park, where he allowed six hits and two runs and struck out 10 in seven innings. He appeared to have decent velocity yesterday, too. His fastball hit 92 mph on a few occasions.
So what happened yesterday?
"I wouldn't change anything because I felt I had good stuff today," Myers said. "I just got hit around."
"I hope he doesn't try to reinvent something because the stuff he had today easily could have been one run or two runs," said Chris Coste, who caught Myers his last two starts. "There was such a fine line between success and failure today."
Cole Hamels is 3-3 with a 3.10 ERA, Jamie Moyer is 2-2 with a 4.15 ERA, Kyle Kendrick is 2-2 with a 4.93 ERA and Adam Eaton is 0-1 with a 5.63 ERA. The Phillies have three starters with a 4.93 ERA or higher. Moyer has pitched well after seven starts, but he was 4-2 with a 3.00 ERA after his first seven starts last season. He went 10-10 with a 5.65 ERA the rest of the way. That's not to say that will happen again, but that the Phillies shouldn't have to rely on Moyer to be their second-best starter in the rotation.
That should be Myers.
If Myers doesn't straighten out soon, you have to wonder if the starting pitching will catch up to them. They need that 1-2 punch at the top of the rotation, which is what everybody expected when the Phillies returned Myers to the rotation and made him their opening day starter.
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In the Phillies Notebook: Jimmy Rollins will be at AT&T Park today, Charlie Manuel felt the Phillies gave too much respect to Brandon Webb and more.
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Pitching match ups for this weekend's series against the Giants.
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JoeSportsFan has the Mr. Redlegs Remix. I probably enjoyed Mr. Redlegs falling and losing his head more than most people. Not sure why, but I've always enjoyed a good fall. I've fallen myself, obviously. Many times. When I trip over things I typically blurt out, "Have that removed." (Extra credit for those who know where that line comes from.) But I loved how the man inside the costume tried to cover his head to not break the illusion that he's actually -- a freakin' human being!
Jimmy Rollins is flying to San Francisco today and will join the team tomorrow at AT&T Park.
Rollins has been on the DL since April 20 with a sprained left ankle. The Phillies said Rollins' arrival in San Francisco does not guarantee he will be activated before tomorrow night's game. Athletic trainer Scott Sheridan will test Rollins' ankle first before he is activated.
Shane Victorino looked a little like a professional wrestler last night at Chase Field.
But who?
How about Rey Mysterio?
Victorino survived a clothesline from Conor Jackson in the eighth inning last night in a 5-4 comeback victory over the Diamondbacks.
“All I know is that I was on my back,” Victorino said of the play that set up the Phillies' big inning. “That’s all I remember. It didn’t feel good at the time, but now I feel good."
It was a big victory for the Phillies, who didn't want to face Brandon Webb today in the series finale trying to get a split.
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The Phillies sure have missed Jimmy Rollins, who could be back in the Phillies lineup tomorrow night at AT&T Park in San Francisco. Baseball Prospectus estimates that Rollins' stint on the DL has cost them at least nine runs over the past month.
"That is a conservative estimate because a healthy Rollins would take more plate appearances than Bruntlett has, due to batting leadoff," Baseball Prospectus' Joe Sheehan said. "I'm applying a level of exactitude that doesn't exist in the real world. Given the error bands on projecting Rollins' performance and the very real plate-appearances issue, I think it's safe to say that the difference between Rollins and Bruntlett, offense only, is about a third of a run per game, which would be nine runs overall."
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In the Phillies Notebook, Brad Harman, Gavin Floyd and more.
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The Phillies today acquired lefthander Stephen Randolph from the Houston Astros for a player to be named.
The Phillies have been looking for lefthanded relief help, but Randolph is not joining the Phillies. He's joining triple-A Lehigh Valley as the Phillies continue to shuffle minor-league players, but he at least has big-league experience. In 109 appearances in the majors with Arizona and Houston, he is 10-7 with a 5.52 ERA.
He is 0-1 with a 1.20 ERA in 11 appearances for triple-A Round Rock.
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The winner for worst ballpark music is Chase Field. Hands down. I thought PNC Park in Pittsburgh was bad because they still think Eddie Money and .38 Special are Billboard chart toppers, but the music at Chase is a mix of yuck and bad.
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Thanks again to The 700 Level for posting this clip.
Shane Victorino and Conor Jackson violently collided on a play at first base in the top of the eighth. Victorino struck out, but ran to first on a passed ball. The throw from catcher Chris Snyder was to Jackson's right and the two smacked heads. Victorino went flying. Jackson helicoptered to the ground. Jackson left the game. Victorino stayed in and scored the game-tying run on Eric Bruntlett's double to left.
Bruntlett scored on Chase Utley's single to center to hand the Phillies a 5-4 lead, their first lead of the night.
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Micah Owings had retired 11 consecutive batters when Geoff Jenkins singled to right with one out in the seventh. Pedro Feliz followed with a two-run homer to left to make it 3-3. Feliz entered the night hitting just .236, but it seems he has had his share of big hits so far this season.
But Ryan Madson gave the lead right back to Arizona in the bottom of the seventh to make it 4-3. Madson has a 5.40 ERA.
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Chris Young homered and Augie Ojeda tripled and scored in the fifth to make it 3-1. The Phillies have just two hits through five innings.
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Shane Victorino singled to center to score Carlos Ruiz from second base in the third inning to make it 1-1. Ruiz made a nice slide to beat the throw to the plate.
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Jimmy Rollins went 0 for 3 with a walk and two runs scored tonight in a rehab assignment with single-A Clearwater. He also helped turn two double plays. Here's what Phillies assistant general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said about Rollins: "Jimmy played today and felt fine. We're confident that he's still progressing well and, at this stage, he is still day to day."
I expect Rollins to be ready to roll this weekend against the Giants.
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Kyle Kendrick allowed a run on three hits in the first inning and allowed two more hits and a walk in the second inning. He has thrown 42 pitches in the first two innings, which isn't good after Adam Eaton could give the Phillies just four innings last night.
The Phillies made a 2-for-1 trade in November when they acquired Brad Lidge from the Houston Astros.
It made Lidge their closer.
It returned Brett Myers to the rotation.
Lidge has a 0.00 ERA and seven saves in seven opportunities. In 15 innings, he has allowed just two unearned runs, seven hits, and six walks. He has struck out 13. Opponents have hit just .135 against him. He has helped make the Phillies' bullpen one of the best in baseball. The Phils' relievers entered last night with a 2.79 ERA, which ranked second in the National League.
Thank his slider.
"First of all, he throws 95 to 97 m.p.h.," Geoff Jenkins said. "So when he spots that fastball, it sets up his slider. But when he's going good, he has the ability to throw his slider for a strike and not throw it for a strike. So a hitter, when he throws a 90-m.p.h. slider, it's hard to differentiate ball and strike. It's got real tight movement to it. On a 90-m.p.h. fastball, you have about three-tenths of a second to decide when to hit and which spot it's in. So a slider, it's even tougher. The fact that he can elevate with his fastball and go down with his slider makes him tough."
"There's no discernible spin to it," Chris Coste said. "A lot of sliders, even the really good ones, you can see the spin and it gives you a chance. But his comes in and it looks like a fastball and then it breaks late. So a lot of times, curveballs or sliders, right out of the hand, they're already doing something. It's like his gets halfway there and decides to do its thing. It's weird. It acts almost like a slider and a change-up all at once. I think that's why it's so tough to hit, because you don't pick it up until it's halfway there, and by that time it's usually too late."
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It sounds like Jimmy Rollins won't join the team until Friday in San Francisco at the earliest.
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Adam Eaton (bleeped) up in the fourth inning last night in a 6-4 loss to the Diamondbacks.
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In the Phillies Notebook, the decision to bench Ryan Howard and more.
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