I picked the Phillies to repeat as National League champions this year because of their devastating lineup, the presence of Cole Hamels, and the weakness of their competition in the NL. Despite slow starts from Hamels and Rollins, the Phillies enter this weekend’s series against the Yankees in first place in the NL East, in large part thanks to the strength of their offense and the weakness of their competition.
The Phillies have scored 5.74 runs per game this season, tops in the majors and comfortably ahead of the second-place Yankees (5.66 R/G). They’ve done that despite the fact that Rollins was hitting just .195/.231/.268 with one stolen base on May 11. Since then, Rollins has hit .341/396/.500 and stolen four bases, and the Phillies have gone 7-3 while scoring an even six runs per game.
With Rollins having returned to form, the top two-thirds of the Phillies lineup is indeed devastating. Behind Rollins lurks Chase Utley (.295/.432/.597), Raul Ibañez (free from pitcher-friendly Safeco, he’s leading the majors in homers, total bases and slugging, and the NL in RBIs and OPS), and Ryan Howard. Behind them is my preseason breakout pick Jayson Werth, who is living up to my expectations by hitting .272/.371/.500 and leading the team with eight stolen bases in nine attempts (including a recent successful steal of home). Only then do you get to switch-hitter Shane Victorino.
Yes the bottom third is weak, it is a National League lineup after all, but playing in an American League park, as the Phils will be doing this weekend in the Bronx, they can slot in ace lefty pinch-hitter Matt Stairs (.304/.515/.609) as the designated hitter behind Victorino.
No NL team can rival that firepower, which is why the league has to be thankful that the Phillies’ pitching has been so bad in the early going. Only four teams, the Yankees among them, have allowed more runs per game than the Phillies this year, and no team has a worse starters’ ERA than the Phillies 6.31. Forty-six-year-old Jamie Moyer has had just two quality starts in eight tries; last year’s deadline pickup, Joe Blanton, has just three in eight tries and has allowed ten runs in 13 innings over his last two starts; and fifth-starter Chan Ho Park just got booted from the rotation altogether.
Fortunately for the Phils, Cole Hamels is emerging from his early season struggles. After starting the season nursing an inflamed pitching elbow, which pushed back his first start, Hamels was rocked in his first two outings (12 runs in 9 2/3 innings), then took a comebacker off his pitching shoulder in his third, and rolled over his ankle trying to field a ball in his fourth. He had to leave both of those latter games following those injuries, but over his last five starts, including those two, he has posted a 2.70 ERA and struck out 33 men in 26 2/3 innings, and he’s lasted at least six full innings in each of his last three.
With Hamels and Rollins rounding into form, it’s no surprise that the Phillies are on a hot streak. They’re 6-1 on their current road trip, which has fare more to do with how they’re playing than where. It’s not outlandish to treat this weekend’s series between the Yankees and the defending World Champions as a potential World Series preview, but it’s enough for me that they’re two of the best and hottest teams in baseball.
The Yankees will send CC Sabathia to the mound to take on fellow lefty Hamels in a rematch of Game One of last year’s NDLS on Sunday. Tomorrow they’ll face another lefty in 26-year-old J.A. Happ, Park’s replacement in the rotation. Tonight, they’ll face the pitcher who has been keeping the Phils afloat through Hamels struggles, Brett Myers.
Myers hasn’t been pitching like a proper ace, he isn’t one, but he’s been consistently solid for the Phils, turning in a quality start in five of his last six outings. His last two have been his best, as he’s allowed just three runs in his last 13 innings and struck out eight Nationals in seven innings his last time out. Myers one bugaboo has been his major league leading 12 home runs allowed. That’s a bad weakness to have coming into the Bronx as the Yankees lead the majors in home runs (the Phillies lead the NL), and the new Yankee Stadium has been host to more home runs than any other park this year.
The Yankees counter with A.J. Burnett, who will look to push the Yankees’ winning streak into double digits. Burnett held the Twins to two runs in 6 2/3 innings his last time out while striking out seven, but he also walked six men. The Yankees have won just two of Burnett’s last four starts over which he’s posted a 4.61 ERA and walked 4.28 per nine innings. Those are his four starts since giving up eight runs in Fenway. Burnett is giving the Yankees length, but he’s thus far looked like little more than the league-average innings eater he was when not facing the Yankees last year, which means it will be up to the Yankee offense to take advantage of Myers’ gopheritis tonight.
In other news, Brian Bruney’s elbow is hurting. He was unavailable last night and is unavailable again today. Given the hit the bullpen took last night after Joba Chamberlain’s first inning exit, the team has decided to activate Chien-Ming Wang to reinforce the pen. Jonathan Albaladejo, who gave up four runs in 2 1/3 innings last night, has been optioned to Scranton to make room for Wang.
2009 Record: 22-17 (.564)
2009 Pythagorean Record: 21-18 (.538)
2008 Record: 92-70 (.568)
2008 Pythagorean Record: 93-69 (.574)
Manager: Charlie Manue
General Manager: Ruben Amaro Jr.
Home Ballpark: Citizens Bank Park (103/102)
Who’s Replaced Whom:
- J.A. Happ (bullpen) replaced Chan Ho Park in the rotation
- Sergio Escalona (minors) replaced Miguel Cairo (minors)
25-man Roster:
1B – Ryan Howard (L)
2B – Chase Utley (L)
SS – Jimmy Rollins (S)
3B – Pedro Feliz (R)
C – Carlos Ruiz (R)
RF – Jayson Werth (R)
CF – Shane Victorino (S)
LF – Raul Ibañez (L)
Bench:
L – Greg Dobbs (3B)
L – Matt Stairs (OF/1B)
R – Chris Coste (C/1B)
R – Eric Bruntlett (UT)
Rotation:
L – Cole Hamels
L – Jamie Moyer
R – Joe Blanton
R – Brett Myers
L – J.A. Happ
Bullpen:
R – Brad Lidge
R – Ryan Madson
L – Scott Eyre
R – Clay Condrey
R – Chad Durbin
L – Jack Taschner
R – Chan Ho Park
L – Sergio Escalona
Restricted List: LHP – J.C. Romero (PEDs)
Projected lineup:
S – Jimmy Rollins (SS)
L – Chase Utley (2B)
L – Raul Ibañez (LF)
L – Ryan Howard (1B)
R – Jayson Werth (RF)
S – Shane Victorino (CF)
L – Matt Stairs (DH)
R – Pedro Feliz (3B)
R – Carlos Ruiz (C)
Gotta say the GM made the right call on bringing up Wang. He was the best pitcher available. It also nicely backs them into a situation where Wang and/or Hughes work out of the pen - both proving themselves in different ways - and with spot starts here and there. If they're both pitching well there's no reason to swap Hughes out for an inferior pitcher. Heck, sooner or later Pettitte or Burnett will be hurt.
If Wang gets back to his old self - or close to it - I'd much prefer him to Hughes in the rotation.
Damn, I knew there must be something wrong with Bruney.
The Orioles released Adam Eaton. Glad they waited.
So how many homeruns is Myers going to give up tonight? I'll say 4, only because he gets yanked early.
The Phillies get the Gas Face!
: )
Try to give people credit for working on their problems ad the media has reported that Myers and his wife went to counseling, but..a big part of me hopes Myers takes a line drive off his wife-punching face..domestic abuse is just so so wrong and for a guy his size to punch a woman in any circumstance is hard to accept.
Anyways, Go Yankees! Sox-Mets on tv here this morning so looks like Suzyn&Sterling for me..
/sarcasm on
Yipee! The Phillies at the Yankees is the national game on FOX here tomorrow afternoon. I can hardly contain myself...
/sarcasm off
Crappy way to start a game.
Sigh...
Gonna be one of those games, huh...
Hmmm.
Um...yeah...
yeah, i'm gonna pull a Nostralarmis and say the streak ends tonite ... i've got bad feelings about Burnett going tonite ...
CMW might be getting into the game tonight. Early.
[14] I'll wait until we see the bottom half of the inning first. But yeah, Burnett needs to focus a little, like that.
Like dat?
[14] [16] Good reverse jinx, boys.
Like dat!
So nice to have a 1Ber who can field.
jesus, what a BUM.
8 more years of THAT!?!?!?!?
Cashman should be fired.
Fireworks starting early tonight.
Man, that sucks.
damnit to hell
Damn Rollins...great great player. Waiting to see that throw on mlb.Gameday video replay
Bah!
Leave it to Flash to kybosh the Yankees winning streak!
Go back to wherever you were, now!
[25] Just an all-around nice play. Ibanez played the ball off the wall in the corner smoothly, hit the cut-off perfectly, Rollins gunned it low into the catcher's mitt, Ruiz blocked the plate without risking his body...
O fer gosh sake.
Doubleplus ungood.
damnit aj
I dunno. It was looking pretty good about three minutes ago, wasn't it?
The weird thing is, I very specifically thought that might happen on the first pitch. Weird!
Wow @ Carlos Ruiz touching one off...
Wow!
[32] Me too, so it must have been that obvious...
I'm close to falling off the AJ bandwagon..
[35] don't hurt yourself when you fall
[35] Wow, I didn't know he had one. Hope he doesn''t get a ticket.
Kazmir to the DL, Price is coming up for the Rays ...
[36] Butt-pads ever since the disastrous fall off the Randy Johnson bandwagon..I can handle this one.
[38] Also Troy Percival.
[38] Kazmir to the DL?
Who knew?
: )
[40] see # 41...
leiter was saying burnett isn't throwing enough breaking balls, but i think he should throw more fastballs and try to command them.
i don't think damon was running too hard before he rounded 3rd. is he just that slow now? that was a perfect relay, but it also took ibanez a long time to get it.
Bleh!
[43] You don't think Burnett is trying to command his fastball?
[45] in that i don't think he's throwing enough of them
Well that was a better inning.
Varitek tales Johan Santana deep..
[47] Yes, it was...
[48] So what must we do to combat this "Opposite Day" "horseshit?"
[46] Ok.
Hm. What do you think his ratio is today? Because his curve is certainly his out pitch. I'm just looking at the new Gameday chart and wow, that's a good curve.
oh kevin cash - please go away
Is it April again, or something?
[52] Why oh why is he still starting?
Johan whiffs Ortiz on 3 pitches..beautiful. Santana just awesome to watch.
[55] The rest... not so much.
Yeah I think I'd rather watch Santana tonight.
[51] well now it seems like the curve is the only thing he can locate, but it's working
so cash is bad at everything
go away now cash
[54] I'll say it again...
[57] A joy to watch! Just struck out Youkilis and made him look stupid..how could he give up a dinger to Varitek though!
least he got out of it
[62] Sh** happens.
I've come to the conclusion that Kevin Cash is to catching what Kei Igawa is to pitching...
That's really a beautiful shot looking south over the Harlem river, etc.
[65] The AAA battery!
[64] My roommate and I went to IHOP this morning and she ordered the breakfast sampler with strawberry crepes. After we finished and the waitress came over with our bill, she asked us how everything was, to which I replied loudly, "That-there with the strawberries, that really tasted like crepe!"
[67] Sounds awfully remote.
[68] You're a delightful customer, Chyll. I bet the waitress is also telling that same story, only in a slightly different tone of voice, as it were.
[69] I knew you'd get a charge out of it.
Baby steps to a rally...
[70] Yeah, she did roll her eyes a little. My job was done.
[72] Wahhhh!
[68] Tell her what to do with the chicken, Bobby Eroica??
I'm glad you're here, Will, because I'm not in the mood for crickets.
why is swisher hitting in front of cano?
Oh, okay, three of us.
Lugo with an awful defensive play, now 3-1 Muts. Easy to root for the Amazins when they are playing Boston..
[71] Energized, if you will...
Four of us!
[77] He's a switch hitter, so he breaks up the lefty pair (Matsui, Cano). Girardi strongly believes in that kind of thing.
[81] i'm around too
Why am I suddenly feeling hungry?
[76] Yeah, but you might hear Rip on line toot; the syrup is still arguing with the eggs...
[83] Uh... sorry.
Isn't it nice to have a glove at first?
If Jason GIambi were playing first base, we'd be blown out of this game by now.
Burnett's face is going to make a great Old Man face some day. And I feel like Teixeira's is going to make a great Fat Guy face some day.
[83] Up for some of this, rbj? http://tinyurl.com/olxbn9
Hm.
Well, can't win 'em all, right?
god aj is ticking me off
[87] That's still up for discussion...
[76] sorry, had to run out and grab a bite to eat for dinner
what is that, 3 good to great plays by Teix
and 3 shitty pitches by Burnett.
Fuck this, let's see some Wang.
[88] Not that hungry. I'll just have some chips and a beer.
When I was wondering about the over/under on homeruns, I didn't realize I was talking about our pitcher.
[92] Ssshh, this is a "family site"!! >;)
please take advantage of the error this inning
[94] that *is* my family language, you ought to see what I write when I'm feeling 'blue' ...
Oh great, Cash is up again!
Losing to that ***** Myers is annoying..am going back to Muts-Sox..
I'm beginning to miss Molina ABs.
poor Johan..another Mets error leads to 2 runs for Boston. TEN errors by the Mets in Santana's 8 starts..ouch..
Another "touching moment" at second base...
[98] cash just might make one pine for will nieves
Ok, who in the Hell replaced our "nine in a row winning Yankees" with these asshats?
Didn't know Myers was such a good pitcher :(
[102] Douglass Wallop?
well, at least this craptacular is moving along rapidly.
[102] this is how our streak will end, not with a bang, but a whimper.
you get a FAIL there, Mr. Ruiz.
i know one can't really be mad at igawa - he sucks - it is not totally his fault - but if he wasn't such a disaster a lot of the forced pitching decisions made the last two years would not have to be made.
i know he is not even on the roster anymore, but if he could have been the long man, it would have probably been better for cmw to get his one more start and then slot back in the rotation rather than this weird role he has for now
My god, the Mets stink..awful, awful base running by Daniel Murphy there..they'll give this game away to Boston.
Fermented viscera? Are the Japanese starving? (And no details please.)
[105] "crepetacular"...
but if he wasn’t such a disaster a lot of the forced pitching decisions made the last two years would not have to be made.
Is that really accurate though? Teams replace ineffective pitchers more often than not.
[109] Daniel Murphy is the Mets' punishment for botching Willie's firing so badly...
Well, at least there is no doubt whatsoever as to who is paying the "lion's share" of fines in the next Kangaroo Court!
I submit that the defendant, one Mr. Allan James Burnett, is guilty of being a "total asshat" in the Yankees' first IL game and ruining a perfectly great nine game winning streak!
The prosecution rests...
that was - um - not very graceful
[110] While not quite on the level of the Cantonese (southern china, "We eat everything with legs except for the table"), in Japan they pretty much eat everything..I had real trouble with the slices of raw horse meat..
Rays 13 , Marlins 0 after 4. Sux up 4-3 after 4.5.
I wouldn't mind losing to a great pitcher who's on top of his game, but these guys are doing nothing against a homer happy pitcher in a homer happy stadium. Yeesh.
[116] I think I'm going to pass on crab brains and any and all livers, OK...
: )
ALEX, STRONG LIKE BULL!!!
[116] Well, at least it's HEAVILY salted.
[116] Please don't bring that up again...
Yay, Stat-Padder!!! >;)
[112] i definitely agree that ineffective pitchers are replaced all the time. i am more referring to when something unforseen happens - in this case the pen had to basically pitch an entire game yesterday and joba's next game status is a bit iff - so the yanks are forced to make a move. rather than let cmw got the addiitonal start in aaa, which he cashman et al believed he needed, he was called up in an "emergency." long-term it would probably have been better for wang to get his other aa start and then get slotted back in the rotation - not have to be called up just to serve as the long man this weekend. someone else from aaa should have played that role. unfortunately, the most logical person cannot because he is so poor (and hence not even on the roster).
[122] If we give up any more homers to the Phils I'll be forced to bring out the real hard-core dishes..you'll have nightmares!
A-Rod, please continue start-padding in next two ABs!
I just walked into my apartment, and Alex went yard.
I think I'll do that 5 more times.
groundball - good going
hey! that sinker was 94 on the gun!
Big Baby Youkilis leans over the plate and gets hit, then jaws at Santana..what an A-hole..
Well at least A-Rod read Cliff's write up.
[124] If it can top my crepe story, have at it. Me, I'm looking for the Gas-X right now...
[125] LOL @ Diane!
[128] I hope it hurt!
crap
Oh CMW...
DAMN.
that was a BOMB.
Wang, picking up where he left off...
Raul Ibanez thanks the Phils for releasing him from Safeco ...
this sucks - am probably over reacting - but rushing cmw back is not the best thing
Does Wang have a splitter .... ? Cause if not, he needs to learn one ... fast.
[136] and big XOXOXOs to his agent...
that was a nice pitch
[130] You should have had the ham and cheese omelet with pancakes on the side (blueberry "syrup")...
Works for me!
: )
[130] I'll keep it funny: "Creamy Winter Stew-flavored potato chips", "Water Salad Refresh Drink" (in a can), "Wasabi (Japanese Horseradish) Beer"..there are endless examples.
Could it really be all over for Wang or is Ibanez just on fire?
his sinker is still not right
Water Salad Refresh Drink???
Wangs pitches are up... not sinking
Hmmm .... and to think I bid on and stashed CMW on my roto roster .... for this.
[142] More the latter honestly, but the question remains...
So, what did I miss?
[144] http://tinyurl.com/oxqsqg
Is Swisher up in the bullpen yet?
[149]
And its made by the people who bring us Coca-Cola no less!
[145] they're not sinking consistently. some were very good, others, not so hot.
his velocity looks pretty good though 92-94.
Clearly CMW was rushed back. Huge difference pitching against the Phillies versus the Paw Sox...
No surprises there really.
I fully expect Posada and Nady to start tomorrow!
[148] Sorry Mattpat... thought you were busy getting your lobotomy after this "crepefest"...
: )
I suspect the headline tomorrow will be:
"This one doesn't go to eleven. Or even ten.
You're down by 5 and you swing at the first pitch? Nick is hitting like a pitcher.
[154]
If he was tired of watching the NY WNBA team on ESPN, would he be having a Rebecca Lobotomy?
[154] They weren't going to win 120 in a row or whatever the hell is left. Just win the series.
The real issue is that AJ Burnett has been such a frigging bust for this team.
[156] I was thinking more along the lines of The Ramones' "Teenage Lobotomy," Diane.
It's the "granpa factor" at work again, I'm afraid...
: )
[157] Agreed... One great outing at Tampa and the rest, not so much...
Hmmm... maybe time to check out those "Full Metal Alchemy" DVDs...
where's william tonight?
i just flipped to the nba game - and by the way craig sager has topped himself with this outfit - and stan van gundy was bitching about his team. it's too bad shaq dubbed him the master of panic becuase that would be a great name for william (please note this statement was made all in good fun :})
I just got my DVD set of "The World at War" ... maybe its time to crack it open.
The only ones happy about CMW are the worms
Gotta say this much, Robbie looks real cool starting a double-play...
[157] yeah, tomorrow's the key.
i figured tonite for a loss, sunday for a win.
tomorrow's the get game, we'll see if pettite can hold down the Philly lefties ...
[153] i don't this one game was worth it to rush wang back for. this is most likely a big set back for him.
[162] Hey, it's not THAT bad a loss..
I forget which Woody Allen movie it was where he takes Diane Keaton to see something "light" on a Saturday afternoon, "The Sorrow and the Pity"..
[160] Click.
At least I am fortunate enough to have two The Late Show with Craig Ferguson episodes on TIVO...
Kevin Cash is "hitting" .063 at the moment. Isn't that a crime against humanity by now or something?
gotta go back and watch THAT in HD!
Yes, "clutch" HR by Jeter, unlike the stat padding by A-Rod. It even inspires Tex.
wow, sounds like a loooong Tex tater..think we got the Komeback Kids magic again tonight??
I will gladly leave my television off, if it's going to help and all!
: )
All they need to do now is kidnap Pujols and send him up to the plate when Lidge gets into the game.
[171] prolly not, but it's nice to see us not go out without a bit of a battle. would have been something if CMW had held them down to 5.
still, that ball from Teix was OBLITERATED.
literally, when he swung, all i saw was the bat, there was no ball. it was one of those swings where you just know, from the instant there was contact, "that's long gone."
beautiful.
Yikes. Why does Brett Myers always do this to us?
What happened with AJ? How did Wang look?
Santana whiffed Youkilis for the third time..beautiful, what a pitcher.
[175]
a) like the 'little girl with curls'
b) sink on the sinker still not consistent, but velocity was pretty good
Santana is wasted on the Mets.
Hey .... Wang HAS lowered his ERA! :-)
[179] Yeah, all the way down to 25.96!
: /
[180] baby steps, baby steps ...
i'm not going to say that was a nice inning for CMW, but it was an 'important' one ...
[177] Thanks. I'm stuck in hockey country tonight.
[180] It had been 34.5, so 3 innings of 2 run ball took 8.54 off the ERA. Yowsers! I guess the silver lining is that he's pitched so little that he can really get it down to respectable.
[181] Watching CMW's ERA is like watching my stock portfolio on a streaming quote ticker!
wow ... over in Boston, Dennis Eckersly began a sentence thusly, "Masterbate ... err, Masterson blah, blah, blah"
Whelp, just have to start another streak tomorrow
[184] not really, i think i saw somewhere that if he pitches to his career average the rest of the year, he'll end up with an era above 5.
Nationally televised game tomorrow, don't the Yankees usually suck at those?
well, at least there wasn't any suspense about it ... off to Boston ...
[188] That's at least semi-respectable, and would show that he's back to being the Worm Killer. I'll take it.
Heck, a 4.5 ERA is respectable these days. Back in the 1970s that was awful.
Hopefully, that game woke their lethargic asses up to the fact that the World Champs are a team they should be aspiring to right about now, and not by getting their asses handed to them...
And with that butchery of our language, I hope you all have a great remainder of your evenings!
: )
meanwhile, who the hell is Bobby Parnell and why is he touching 100?
*that* was some cheese!
Wang's WHIP (ahem) prior to tonight was 4.83.
Tonight, it was 2.00.
Daniel Bard on for the Sox, the 100mph boy..me no like Sox pen..scary..
on comes K-Rod, we'll see if this is an adventure ...
15-1 Rays over Marlins, bottom 7th
[196] K-Rod's motion is just so awkwabut hope he closes out the Sox now. .
[198]"awkwabut"...can I patent that as a new word?
Sheffield in LF in Fenway .... Adventureland!!!!
uh, NO, eck.
that's NOT a curveball, *that;'s* a slider ...
That's the first time I liked K-Rod. I feel dizzy.
well, nicely done Mets.
Rodriguez is still a douche.
Wll, both Sox and BJs lose, so damage is minimal. Halladay loses 1-0.