Archive: October, 2010
Bob Brookover, Inquirer Baseball Columnist
In case you had not heard, the Phillies have three really good pitchers at the top of their starting rotation this season and it has made them a favorite to return to the World Series for the third straight year.
If you haven't heard about this, you can pick up the Inquirer today and read the 10,423 stories on the subject. Of course, you could also read about them for free on this web page. The advantages of the newspaper are that you can hang it on your wall -- I read myself all the time just above the urinal at my local tavern and it's quite a thrill -- and you don't have to click any buttons. (That's the end of my effort to save the print media).
Sorry for the detour. The subject here is not "The Big Three," or "H2O" as some people would like the trio of Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels and Roy Oswalt to be known. No, this blog is about Joe Blanton and Kyle Kendrick -- "The Little Two" or, as I'd like them to be known, "The Disposable Duo."
Matt Gelb, Inquirer Staff Writer
UPDATE (5:53 p.m.): Minutes after I write this, the roster is officially announced. It is as posted below. In addition, Paul Hoover, Danys Baez, David Herndon, Kyle Kendrick and Jamie Moyer will travel with the team. Brian Bocock and Vance Worley were sent to Fall Instructional League in Clearwater to stay sharp. John Mayberry Jr. reported to the Arizona Fall League.
The Phillies do not have to officially send their roster for the Division Series to the Commissioner's Office until 10 a.m. Wednesday. They chose not to announce a roster Tuesday for strategy purposes, but indications are the team will take just 10 pitchers in favor of an extra bench player.
That means Kyle Kendrick, Danys Baez and David Herndon -- three pitchers who spent the entire season with the Phillies -- will not be on the 25-man Division Series roster.
Bob Brookover, Inquirer Baseball Columnist
Video: The Inquirer's Matt Gelb predicts the Phillies will win their NLDS matchup with the Reds in four games thanks to the pitching of Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels.
Matt Gelb, Inquirer Staff Writer
Major League Baseball released the remainder of the schedule for the playoffs...sort of. There are still some possible changes.
We do know this: The Phillies and Eagles will be going head-to-head on Sunday night. The Eagles are in San Francisco for a night game and the Phillies will play Game 3 on Sunday night in Cincinnati.
The schedule:
Bob Brookover, Inquirer Baseball Columnist
Charlie Manuel did not announce his postseason roster for the division series with Cincinnati at his news conference Tuesday afternoon, but he did say that both catcher Carlos Ruiz and lefthanded reliever J.C. Romero will be ready for Game 1 against the Reds.
Ruiz was hit in the left elbow by a pitch from Atlanta's Tim Hudson and eventually left the game Sunday at Turner Field and Romero left with back pain caused by irritation in his sciatic nerve.
Ruiz was the Phillies' only .300 hitter this season, finishing the year with a .302 average and Romero is expected to be one of two left-handed relievers in Manuel's bullpen. The Phillies are also likely to keep lefthander Antonio Bastardo on the roster.
Matt Gelb, Inquirer Staff Writer
ATLANTA -- Some of the Braves have emerged from the clubhouse, soaking wet of champagne, to celebrate with the hundred or so fans who remain at Turner Field.
That can mean only one thing: The Phillies will play Cincinnati in the Division Series. The Reds are in the postseason for the first time since 1995.
Atlanta wins the wild card thanks to an 8-7 win over the Phillies on Sunday and a 3-0 victory by San Francisco, eliminating San Diego.
Ray Parrillo
ATLANTA – The Phillies had been deliberating on their post-season rotation since they clinched their fourth straight NL East Division title Monday in Washington.
The deliberating has ended.
Roy Halladay, as expected, will start Game 1 of the NLDS Wednesday at Citizens Bank Park. Roy Oswalt will pitch Game 2 Friday, also at the Bank, and Cole Hamels will take the mound for Game 3, which will be played Sunday on the road.
It had been assumed that Halladay, the club’s 21-game winner and Cy Young Award challenger, would be the Game 1 starter. Manager Charlie Manuel and pitching coach Rich Dubee indicated Oswalt was the choice for Game 2 because he’s never lost a start at Citizens Bank Park. The compact righthander is 9-0 with a 2.10 ERA in 10 career starts on the Phillies home turf and 5-0 with a 1.76 ERA in six starts since the Phillies acquired him from Houston in late July.
“Roy’s found a very good comfort zone at home,” Dubee said before the Phillies opened the final regular-season series against the Braves Friday at Turner Field. “Cole’s had some really good games in Cincinnati. He pitches very well on the road, as he does at home.”
The Central Division champ Reds began Friday as the team with the best chance of playing the Phillies in the NLDS.
There was speculation the Phillies might start Hamels in Game 2 to give their opponent a righty-lefty-righty look.
But Dubee said Halladay and Oswalt are different kinds of pitchers, which made splitting them up moot.
“If there were two guys alike, then you might want to (split them up),” Dubee said. “But those guys are very different. Cole has pitched some very good games at Cincinnati, and at home.”
