Win covers up blunder of yanking Oswalt
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Win covers up blunder of yanking Oswalt
Matt Gelb, Inquirer Staff Writer
SAN DIEGO — As Roy Oswalt walked off the field having retired 13 Padres in a row, Carlos Ruiz made a prediction.
“You’re going to finish this game,” his catcher said.
But as soon as Oswalt entered the dugout, Charlie Manuel told the righthander he was done. Oswalt was due to leadoff the ninth inning and Manuel wanted to extend the one-run lead. Plus, Manuel said, he had Brad Lidge to pitch the ninth.
“Oswalt had already done good,” Manuel said.
Lidge, of course, loaded the bases with by hitting Ryan Ludwick on the hand with an 0-2 count. Then, one strike away from winning again, he balked in the tying run.
In the end it was a blunder erased later by Jimmy Rollins’ fantastic slide and Chad Durbin’s fine relief as the Phillies won in 12 innings, 3-2.
But Manuel’s decision to remove Oswalt was a head-scratcher — and this is hardly second-guessing.
Oswalt needed just 11 pitches to finish the eighth. He was at 102 and had cruised past the Padres, his only mistake a solo home run to Yorvit Torrealba in the third inning. He had retired 13 San Diego hitters in a row.
If that’s the other Roy — Halladay — does Manuel do the same thing? He’s had a long leash on Halladay all season. Oswalt, apparently, has yet to merit the same trust.
“I wanted to go back out,” Oswalt said. “I feel like I probably could have finished the game.”
Oswalt said he lobbied his manager. Twelve times this season, he has thrown more than 102 pitches in a game. Manuel didn’t budge. He wanted a pinch hitter to begin the ninth with the top of the order due up. He sent Domonic Brown up for Oswalt. The rookie popped out in foul territory behind third base on the second pitch he said.
“But I understand,” Oswalt said.
It very nearly cost the Phillies their chance to gain ground on the Braves for the first time since Aug. 14. Incredibly, the Phils stand just two back of Atlanta despite not having scored more than three runs in five straight games.
Oswalt has pitched at least seven innings in each of his last four starts and has a 1.24 ERA.
“My mechanics have come around after the first start,” Oswalt said.
He was robbed of a fourth consecutive victory Friday. Oswalt has played every bit the part of ace the Phillies expected when they acquired him. He struck out six and walked none against the Padres on Friday.
He threw 78 of his 102 pitches (76.5 percent) for strikes. He wants to pound the strike zone with regularity. Consider that done.
“Actually,” Oswalt said, “I looked down there one time and I had like five balls in the fifth inning or something.”
It wasn’t good enough for an Oswalt victory Friday, but the Phillies still won. And Oswalt has played every bit the part of ace so far.
Maybe it's time for Manuel to start treating the Roys equally.
Careful what you wish for. Maybe you guys would prefer having Jerry and Omar as your manager and GM. I live in NY. So trust me, the Mets fans here would switch with us in a heartbeat. One other thing: Notice that no matter how much any individual player/s is struggling, there's never any complaining. That is testament of a good manager and a team that sticks together when things are going good or badly. GO PHILS!!!!!— Chaz Goodman- I agree 100 with Gelp and others. After winning 3 games in a row and retiring 13 hitters in a row and with only 102 pitches, Oswalt deserved to start the ninth. We have witnessed Charlie giving Halladay extra rope even when he wasn't as dominant. Why not give the same treatment to Oswalt. Has he checked Oswalt career second half numbers? Whoever is against that doesn't have a good baseball brain or is Charlie's relative. And JMan, Bowa's being tough with his players didn't work (that's what the press keeps saying) mainly because he didn't have the Club Charlie has now. As a matter of fact Charlie won only 3 more games (83) games in 2005, but that was with Utley and Howard in the lineup and the addition of Kenny Lofton (.335 in 110 games). In 2006 Charlie won only 85 games.— EL Zorro
- This isn't the first time Manuel has made a huge mistake handling his pitchers. He is too focused on the old school theroy of havingto use his closer. He now cost Oswalt a win.— The Marco Islander
- Oswalt Trumps Lee !!!!! How About That ????— mmmike22
- Anyone who thinks Oswalt should have come out of the game doesn't know the game. He only threw 102 pitches and had retired 13 straight hitters. Plus, San Diego was at the end of their order to start the ninth. This has nothing to do with Lidge. Oswalt was mowing them down with ease all night and should have had a chance to finish the game.— theesniper
- second guessing is always easy! If the choice is Oswalt with 8 great innings and low pitch count vs Lidge who can't pitch one inning without major drama, it's kinda a no brainer. So Oswalt leads off, he has as much chance of getting on base as any of the current non-producers. Werth, who everyone feels will not be around next year, is probably the only one who should....he is consistent and finds ways to get on base.Victorino is a huge disappointment and Howard needs to give huge sums of money back. It's sad that a team with this much potential has lost the will to win! Thanks Charlie!— magicmanlv
- He threw only 102 pitches! He retired the last 13 in a row! He deserved a chance to finish the game! The ONLY reason Charlie took him out was because IT WAS THE 9th INNING! That is not a good reason to take Oswalt out of a game that he was completely doninating!— SEEK313
- I'm confused, did we when or lose last night? Not one positive comment on the great slide by JRoll and scoring the winning run. Oh, and the fact that the Phils picked up a game on the Braveless. Typical Negadelphians. GO PHILS!!— Chaz Goodman
- "Win" or lose.— Chaz Goodman
- I don't really have a problem with Charlie yanking Oswalt when he was due to lead off the ninth in a one run game. Lidge gets paid a lot of money to close out games for this team and was on a nice roll until last night. I just hope this was a little bump in the road for Lidge because the Phils won't make the playoffs with a closer who blows one out of every four save opportunities like Brad has done over the last two seasons. This is not last year when the Phils could get by with a less than effective closer.— sazeracking
Chaz, a lot of people here are undercover (cowardly) fans of other teams. Another large portion of posters are not knowledgeable.— road515- Chaz, maybe because the article is about the manager's boneheaded move. If you look to the left of the page, there is an article about the slide. Stay focus. And I wouldn't have a problem yanking Oswalt in the ninth either, if we have Mariano Rivera and/or if he wasn't as dominant as last night.— EL Zorro
- There's no way you can call pinch hitting for a pitcher leading off an inning a "blunder." Well, you have, but it's a poor choice of words and not that realistic an expectation. With what we learned would we have preferred to see Oswalt bat for himself? Maybe, but trying to get an insurance run is the normal, expected thing to do. Lidge needs to remember that he's already progressed past Little League and close out that game.— frankenslade
- 20/20 hindsight......If you can't trust your closer in the ninth....Yeah and if the Padres would have scored in the 9th off of Oswalt you would be complaining that he didn't take him out.....— phigglesfan75
- Cholly is the embodiment of Dr. Frankenstein! He can't deal with the old adage of "if it ain't broke don't fix it!" Oswalt was sailing along quite nicely, but noooooooo, we have to pull him out and put in the Wonder Saver, S-head Lidge who couldn't hit the Broad Side of a Barn these days. But he can hit a batter and he can Balk with the best of 'em. Makes ya proud, doesn't it!? If I'm one Lidge's team mates, I'd want to take him out and beat him 'til he can't pitch anymore. Back to Dr. Frankenstein Manuel, QUIT TINKERIN' WITH IT! Every time he does this the train totally derails. If it's workin', leave it alone!— PhillyfaninFL
