Archive: September, 2011
Ray Parrillo
The Phillies plan on having Joe Blanton, Kyle Kendrick and Vance Worley work out of the bullpen during the playoffs, and the second game of Saturday's day/night doubleheader against the Mets at Citi Field could be used to prepare them for the transition.
Blanton will get the start. The righthander hasn't pitched more than one inning in his three appearances since he was activated from the disabled list earlier this month following a long absence with elbow problems. It's doesn't seem likely Blanton is ready to pitch more than three or four innings.
Kendrick is accustomed to coming out of the bullpen in long relief. He pitched six innings on Tuesday and would be available to give the Phillies a couple innings.
Marc Narducci
NEW YORK -- There is plenty of importance in the remaining six games for the Phillies beginning with Cole Hamels’ next start in Saturday’s 1 p.m. matchup at Citi Field against the New York Mets.
Hamels is 14-9 with a 2.80 ERA. His 0.98 WHIP is better than both Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee. Actually, entering Friday, his WHIP was the lowest among all National League starters.
It’s interesting that Hamels would tie a career high for wins with his next victory. With all he has accomplished, one would think he’d have more wins, which shows that is misleading statistic.
- Poll: NL Cy Young (3113 votes)
Marc Narducci
NEW YORK -- Pitching coach Rich Dubee and Antonio Bastardo both were confident that the recent pitching woes of the Phillies lefthander could be a thing of the past.
Dubee said before Friday’s game at Citi Field was postponed and rescheduled as part of Saturday’s split doubleheader, that Bastardo was apparently tipping his pitches.
For his part, Bastardo said his finger was too straight when throwing his slider and that wasn’t getting the proper rotation.
- Poll: NL Cy Young (3113 votes)
Marc Narducci
NEW YORK -- The Phillies game tonight at Citi Field against the New York Mets has been postponed. There will be a split doubleheader on Saturday at 1:10 and 7:10. Sunday’s game, originally scheduled for 1:10, has been pushed back one hour to 2:10.
Cole Hamels, who would have pitched on Friday, will start the first game for the Phillies against R.A. Dickey. Joe Blanton will pitch the second game against Mets righthander Dillon Gee.
Roy Halladay is scheduled to pitch on Sunday against Mike Pelfrey.
- Poll: NL Cy Young (3113 votes)
Matt Gelb, Inquirer Staff Writer
The Phillies have traded Mike Zagurski to the Arizona Diamondbacks for a player to be named later or cash considerations, according to Zagurski's agent, Marc Kligman.
The lefthander Zagurski was designated for assignment by the Phillies last Saturday. He pitched in four major-league games this season and allowed two runs on three hits. Zagurski finishes his Phillies career with a 6.82 ERA in 37 games over three seasons.
He was passed on the lefthanded relief depth chart by Juan Perez during the season. And when the Phillies wanted to add another lefty this month, they opted for Joe Savery over Zagurski.
- Poll: NL Cy Young (3113 votes)
Matt Gelb, Inquirer Staff Writer
As colleague Ray Parrillo mentioned in his story from Wednesday night's 7-5 Washington victory over the Phillies, Danny Espinosa can lay claim to the title "Phillies Killer of the Year." That's for sure.
Espinosa has the third highest OPS against the Phillies in 2011 for anyone with 20 or more at-bats. He hit three home runs off Cliff Lee, who did not allow more than one to any other hitter in the majors. He also homered off Roy Halladay, who has surrendered all of 10 long balls the entire season. Then he took old college teammate Vance Worley deep for a go-ahead blast Wednesday.
Ten of Espinosa's 20 hits against the Phillies are for extra bases. A third of his home runs this season were hit in 17 games against the Phillies. Take away his hits against the Phillies and he's a .227 hitter in 2011, not .238.
- Poll: NL Cy Young (3113 votes)
Ray Parrillo
Rightfielder Hunter Pence was diagnosed with a mild strain of the patella tendon in his left knee and is expected to return during the weekend series against the Mets at Citi Field.
Pence had an MRI Wednesday. He has patella tendonitis and apparently aggravated the condition during Tuesday's first game of a day-night doubleheader against Washington.
"I feel good," Pence said. "I never really thought we needed an MRI. But it feels good. It is what it is."
- Poll: NL Cy Young (3113 votes)
Matt Gelb, Inquirer Staff Writer
We get it. We've heard your emails, tweets, comments, calls... you're worried. The National League Championship Series from a season ago has spawned an inferiority complex among a fan base. At the very instant that a baseball juggernaut like the Phillies stumbles — believe it or not, that happens in a 162-game season — immediately all fingers are pointed to those six games against San Francisco.
See! It's happening all over again!
No, the Phillies have not played good baseball of late. In 12 of their previous 13 games, they have scored three or fewer runs. And, well, they have still won five of those 13 games (a .385 percentage).
Bob Brookover, Inquirer Baseball Columnist
For only the third time this season, the Phillies are sitting on a four-game losing streak going into Wednesday night's game with the Washington Nationals. They have not lost five in a row the entire season.
The Phillies also have lost eight of 12, which is by far their worst extended stretch of baseball since the games started counting on April Fool's day.
Something else was also lost over the previous two days.
Matt Gelb, Inquirer Staff Writer
UPDATE 6:13 p.m.: So Hunter Pence is not in the lineup for Game 2, as Charlie Manuel said he would earlier. Apparently the vague "knee soreness" was enough to bench Pence in a meaningless game.
The full lineup:
1. Jimmy Rollins 6
2. Placido Polanco 5
3. Shane Victorino 8
4. Chase Utley 4
5. John Mayberry Jr. 3
6. Raul Ibanez 7
7. Ben Francisco 9
8. Carlos Ruiz 2
9. Cliff Lee 1
- Poll: NL Cy Young (3113 votes)
