Results tagged ‘ Antonio Bastardo ’
Phillies Showing Signs of Life
The Phillies had not won a series since June 20th, the last time they faced the Rockies. It is fitting then that almost a month later, their next series win also came against the Rockies.
On Saturday, Vance Worley led the team pitching 6.2 innings and allowing only 2 runs. The game was almost a rout as the Phillies led 6-2 going into the 8th inning. But the bullpen struck again, allowing 3 Rockies runs and cutting the lead to a very uncomfortable 6-5. Jonathan Papelbon was forced into the game for a 5 out close attempt. The Phillies gave him 2 more runs to play with in the 9th and they walked away with an 8-5 victory.
Then today, Cole Hamels led the charge, pitching 8 innings with only 1 run allowed. For the first time in a long time, everything was clicking for the Phillies. Even without Chase Utley or Ryan Howard in the line-up, as it had been pretty much all year, they still scraped out 5 runs.
Carlos Ruiz normally sits for Sunday day games, but he has been so hot, manager Charlie Manuel had to play him. Chooch did not disappoint and went 2-for-4 with an RBI. He is now hitting an unbelievable .353…in the middle of July. Wow.
And Hunter Pence finally broke and 0-for-13 streak with a 3-run homer in the 5th inning. That had to be a huge relief for him.
Speaking of relief, no one was more relieved to have a little success than Antonio Bastardo. After allowing 5 runs in his last 2/3 of an inning pitched, Bastardo finally pitched a 1-2-3 inning using only 7 pitches, all strikes. That 9th inning performance may be the injection of life Bastardo has been looking for all season.
Now I do not mean to be a Debbie Downer here, but keep in mind, the Phillies just beat the 2nd worst team in the National League. The Dodgers are up next and that team is hanging right in there with the Giants for first place in the NL West. This will be a much bigger test for the Phillies.
The pitchers schedule to go against the Dodgers are in this order: Joe Blanton, Roy Halladay (his 1st start off the DL!) and Cliff Lee. This looks like a very solid opportunity for the Phillies if they can continue to build on this momentum.
Game time Monday night is 10:10pm (yikes!). Bust out the caffeine…
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Photo by Jenn Zambri Photography
Howard’s Return Spoiled in Loss to Braves
We all waited through 84 dreadful games to finally see the Phillies line-up back together again. Chase Utley came back and now, Ryan Howard is back. But game #85 with Howard, Utley and the old gang together was fun for about 2 or 3 innings. And then, reality set in.
Howard started off his 2012 season with a monster double to center field. Cheer rang out among fans excited to see the big man back again. But by the 3rd inning, we all began to wonder why the offense was still not getting it done.
The Phillies sprinkled 5 hits here and there, two of which were from Howard. The Braves did not have many hits either as Kyle Kendrick finally found his groove after his last regular start spot in the rotation was pushed back a few days. Maybe getting skipped finally gave Kendrick the incentive he needed to step up his game.
And he did just that; Kendrick was great through 7 innings. He allowed only 4 hits and did not give up a single run, even after getting into a tight spot in the 7th inning. But he did not get any run support from his teammates and then was pulled in the 8th in favor of Antonio Bastardo.
Bastardo was awful; he had no command and walked 3 batters, even walking a run home with the bases loaded and 2 outs. If I was managing this team, I’d have pulled him after the first 2 batters based on the season he has had so far and his obvious lack of control at that moment. But you know Charlie Manuel; he is going to stick with “his guy” until he gives up 5 runs, including a grand slam to Brian McCann.
And this exactly what happened. I am so tired of people going on about “roles” in the bullpen. This is my 8th inning guy, this is my middle-relief guy, etc… Because in the same breath, they will tell you that these guys are only human, not robots. That is correct. However, it totally contradicts the theory of bullpen roles.
If they are in fact human, then they are prone to having good days and bad days. If a guy is having a bad day, like Bastardo, then you use someone else, regardless of their “role!” Not to do so is counterproductive, detrimental to your team and gives the impression that the 8th inning guy (or whatever-inning guy) HAS to be a robot in order to succeed. And yet you have just stated he is NOT a robot. See my frustration with this?
Human beings are NOT made of metal; they are flexible. And as such, they should be flexible in their “roles.” Charlie also loves to talk about showing confidence in “his guys.” Well how much confidence do you think Bastardo has now after that disastrous outing?
Sometimes, you need to step in and save someone from themselves. Tell him, “Today is not your day. You’ll get them the next time.” That disappointment HAS to be better than the one that comes with allowing 5 runs in the 8th inning of a previously scoreless game, followed by getting chewed out on the bench by your pitching coach in front of everyone.
I have a lot of respect for Manuel and the way he manages. When things are going good, his style works very, very well. You can afford to let a guy go a little further. But when times are bad, like they are now, you have to adapt. And in my humble opinion, that is the part he is getting wrong right now. And this team, 13 games back in the NL East, cannot afford ANY wrong moves.
I still love ya, Charlie. But seriously, do “your guys” a favor and show some tough love. This team needs a swift kick in the rear, on all sides of the ball. And now we can only pray that it is not already too late.
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Player photos by Jenn Zambri Photography
Another Nail in the Coffin of the Phillies 2012 Season
The Phillies have lost 47 games so far this season. Some of them have been very ugly, some of them have been sleep-inducing and some have been downright aggravating. But last night’s 6-5 loss to the Mets may have been the worst loss for a number of reasons.
For starters, the Phillies were actually able to score 5 runs off one of the best pitchers in baseball right now, R.A. Dickey. And they should have scored even more. The Phillies left 9 men on base and went 4-for-13 with runners in scoring position. They had opportunities and missed out.
Cole Hamels was not spectacular, but he kept the team within a run of the Mets. Over 7 innings, Hamels allowed 4 runs and walked one batter. But he was by no means awful.
Then Antonio Bastardo came out in the 8th and actually pitched a 1-2-3 inning. Based on the rest of his season so far, that was pretty amazing.
The Phillies fought to hang on to that one run lead only to see Jonathan Papelbon, their $50 million closer, blow it in the 9th. And that is what really makes this one sting more than the other 46 loses. They stayed in it, they battled and came up short anyway as Papelbon gave up a lead-off double, walked a batter and hit a batter before finally surrendering the winning runs. It was ugly.
And the timing could not be worse. This loss puts the Phillies at 13 games out of first place with 78 games left to play. It is another series lost and one more nail in the coffin of this 2012 season.
Do the math. The Phillies need to win at least 50 of their last 78 games, based on the current pace of teams in the NL East, to even have a shot at a Wild Card spot with 87 wins. That means they have to win ALL 22 of the 3-game series’ left and at least split the 3 remaining 4-game series’. Yes, win or split EVERY remaining series this year. ALL OF THEM.
Based on the Phillies performance so far this season, anyone out there think that is possible?
It saddens me to say this, but I believe this is the game that signals the end of the 2012 season for the Phillies. When you look back later for a turning point, this is it. I hope I am wrong, but things are not looking good right now.
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The Phillies Are Halfway to Nowhere
After being swept by the Marlins today, the Phillies are 10.5 games back in the division with a 36-45 record. It is their worst effort through 81 games since 1997.
It is the halfway point of the season; time to count the bodies and see exactly how big the hole is that the Phillies are digging. Let’s begin with Jim Thome. He was traded to the Orioles in exchange for 2 prospects: Class A catcher Gabriel Lino and right-hander Kyle Simon, both of whom will report to Class A Lakewood. So the Phillies did not even get a player who could help out right now.
If the Phillies were actually contending, Thome might still be here. But it is the best move for Thome, who will actually get some playing time in the American League. I wish him the best.
And how about Cliff Lee…when Phillies beat reporter Todd Zolecki asked pitching coach Rich Dubee about Lee’s struggles, Dubee basically pleaded the 5th. The response given multiple times was, “I’m not going into it.” Lee appears healthy, no mechanical issues were mentioned. That leads one to believe that Lee, winless in 13 starts, has thrown in the towel. I hope that is not the case, but Lee has not seemed right in a long time now.
And the bodies continue to mount. Jimmy Rollins’ hot streak is over; he is hitless in his last 11 at-bats. Placido Polanco is 2 for his last 15. Antonio Bastardo has allowed 6 runs in his last 4 2/3 innings in relief.
The next head on the block might actually be Cole Hamels. Just announced as an All-Star this year along with Carlos Ruiz and Jonathan Papelbon, it is rumored that the Phillies are shopping Hamels to other teams. If team management feels Hamels will walk once he hits free agency and this 2012 team is down for the count, Hamels may be gone soon.
That would be a terrible shame, but if the Phillies do not pick themselves up and start winning, Hamels will not be the only casualty.
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Photo by Jenn Zambri Photography
Double Disaster as Phillies Lose Two Against the Rays
The Phillies managed to spend only one day out of the basement in the NL East after Saturday’s win. But Sunday’s twin killing against the Rays propelled them right back to where they apparently belong; in last place. When your two best starters are pitching and you still lose both games, things have clearly gone very, very wrong.
In the first game, Cole Hamels was practically unhittable. He did not allow a run over 7 innings and gave up only 3 hits.
Leaving the game with a 1-0 lead, the bullpen was going to have to pitch 2 clean innings. And as you probably already know, that did not happen.
I try not to say too much about how Charlie Manuel handles this team. Because frankly, what he has been given to work with is on par with a minor league team. But after Antonio Bastardo walked 2 batters in the 8th with just a 1-run lead, he should not have been allowed to continue. Bastardo was awful the day before and clearly, he still has not found proper command of his pitches. So why then is he left in to pitch to Carlos Pena?
Apparently, he was left in to clear the bases for the next pitcher as he gave up a 3-run homer to Pena. I saw that coming, as did everyone in my section screaming, “Take him out!” But Manuel puts blind faith in these guys even when it has become obvious to everyone else that the leash has gotten far too long.
Then again, look at the players Manuel has to choose from. The pickings are slim. This bullpen just sucks, so in that regard, it is still hard to blame the manager. I still don’t agree with the decision to leave Bastardo in, but I am also glad I was not the one having to make that decision.
And then in the 8th with 2 outs and the bases loaded, Manuel left Michael Martinez in to bat instead of pinch hitting. Martinez is hitting .133 and could not hit the broad side of a barn right now. After the game, Manuel told the media that neither Juan Pierre nor Mike Fontenot were hitting lefties well, so he left Martinez in. The issue with that is, Martinez is not hitting ANYONE right now.
Angry at the media for asking, Manuel suggested the reporters should tweet him with their in-game decisions saying, “You guys can float the information down there to me, being as I ain’t smart enough to get it.” Oh my…
Here are a few other random shots from the 1st game, which the Phillies went on to lose, 3-2.
In game 2, Cliff Lee basically squashed any shot he may have had at his first win of the season by allowing 5 runs over 7 innings. His last 3 starts have been awful. Where did our ace go?
Perhaps the strain of not having a win has finally stolen whatever small amount of sanity he had left? No one really knows what is going on here.
Placido Polanco tried to get this team going. He went 2-for-3 with 2 RBI and a walk. John Mayberry Jr. also had a big hit and an RBI. And it was apparently “opposite day” for Hunter Pence who drew 3 walks in the game.
But the offense literally ended there. The Phillies managed only 4 hits and left 6 men on base.
And just so Lee did not feel singled out in this one, some of the rookie pitchers decided to help out with 5 walks, a wild pitch and 2 more runs for the Rays in one inning. It looks like B.J. Rosenberg’s major league career may be over before it began. He was responsible for all that damage except 1 of the walks.
Adding insult to injury, catcher Brian Schneider was leveled at home plate by Sean Rodriguez coming in to score. He left the game with a sprained ankle. Later, Pence almost took out the Rays catcher in a weird semi-collision with Jose Molina’s outstretched leg.
Schneider is now on the DL and the Phillies went down for the count in a 7-3 loss.
Here are the Photo Albums from both games: Game 1: Hamels start, Game 2: Lee start.
The Pirates come to town next for a 4-game series starting tonight at 7:05pm.
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Photos by Jenn Zambri Photography
Thome Sets Another Record in Phillies Walk-Off Win
In their 1st visit back to Philadelphia since losing the 2008 World Series, the Tampa Bay Rays once again brought the rain with them. Friday night’s Phillies – Rays game was rained out and will be played as part of a doubleheader on Sunday. The originally scheduled 1:35pm game will start instead at 1:05pm and the make-up game will begin at 6:35pm.
For today’s game, Kyle Kendrick started as originally planned, with Cliff Lee being pushed back to Sunday. After Lee had fully warmed up Friday night, they did not want to take any chances by having him go today.
Kendrick did not have a great day, getting speeches while on the mound from teammates Carlos Ruiz, Jimmy Rollins and then pitching coach Rich Dubee. It seemed like a lot of work just to get Kendrick through what turned out to be only 4 innings. He walked 3 and allowed 3 runs.
But the offense gave the pitching a boost with big home runs from Rollins and Juan Pierre. For Pierre, it was his first homer since August of last year and his first 3-run homer since 2004. Pierre is not typically a long-ball hitter and as a result, there were huge smiles all around the Phillies bench when he hit that one. Pierre got to play Superman, if only for just one day.
For the bullpen, Raul Valdes did a commendable job picking up the slack for Kendrick. Fresh back from the minors, Valdes pitched 2 very solid innings. Antonio Bastardo had a little trouble in the 8th where he loaded the bases but did pitch out of it after allowing only one run.
The 6-4 lead carried the Phillies into the 9th with a save opportunity for Jonathan Papelbon. It was not exactly smooth sailing. In fact, he blew his first save of season, giving up 2 runs and really putting the Phillies in a very bad position with a doubleheader scheduled the next day. This could not have been worse timing, except…
In the bottom of the 9th, a future Hall of Famer was lying in wait to bail Papelbon out. Jim Thome stepped to the plate in the bottom of the 9th and absolutely crushed a ball to deep left field. And just like that, BOOM! The Phillies won it in walk-off style.
It was Thome’s 13th career walk-off homer, which is a major league record. He is also the all-time leader in Interleague play home runs. And Thome is now tied with Sammy Sosa for 7th place in career homers with 609.
On Sunday, Cole Hamels will pitch the first game and Lee will pitch the second one. I will be at both games and shall return with photos.
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Photos by Jenn Zambri Photography
Phillies: Finding Ways to Lose
For those hoping that 2 wins in Minnesota may have been the fuel the Phillies needed to get back to winning, these last 2 games against the Blue Jays offered nothing but disappointment. A 3-0 shut-out loss on Friday followed by a 6-5 extra-innings disaster today said it all. This team sucks.
The Phillies offense could not muster a single run on Friday, even after the starting pitcher was removed from the game due to injury in the 1st inning. And that wasted a good performance from starter Vance Worley, who is valiantly pitching with bone chips in his elbow.
Then today, starter Cliff Lee could do little, again, to help himself to a win. The offense woke up a little and scored 5 runs for him with the biggest jolt being a 3-run bomb from John Mayberry Jr. With a 5-2 lead in the 8th, Lee began to fall apart again as if his own personal dark cloud was lurking above.
Lee walked the first batter and then gave up a single which turned into a huge disaster. Jimmy Rollins, not one of our Triple-A fill-ins, committed a very costly error. Rollins tried to get the runner going to 2nd and threw the ball away. The ball went so far that both runners were able to score, essentially turning a single into a home run.
When your regular’s start playing down to the level of your replacement players, things are going terribly wrong.
Lee was pulled from the game after giving up another hit, which wound up coming around to score once Chad Qualls came in to pitch. Lee’s final line was 5 earned runs over 7+ innings. Ouch.
In the 10th inning of the 5-5 tie game, Joe Savery was sent to the mound for the Phillies. Yes, another rookie put into a situation that he should never be in. Where was Antonio Bastardo? He is young too, but he has more experience than Savery and usually performs well when starting a clean inning. Oh, that’s right….he punched himself in the face and cannot play right now. O….M…G….
As you may already know, Savery gave up the winning run. It was the 8th time this year the Phillies lost in a walk-off situation. And this loss now guarantees a losing road trip for the Phillies.
They have a chance to salvage one game in this series tomorrow with (gulp!) Kyle Kendrick on the mound. Game time is 1:07pm.
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Photo by Jenn Zambri Photography
Thome’s Hot Bat Helps Phillies to a Win
The Phillies finally won a game last night, although by the skin of their teeth. The 9-8 victory over the Twins broke up a 3 game losing streak in a month where wins have been hard to come by.
The return of Jim Thome from the DL seems to have sparked an offensive explosion. After hitting at a rate of .100 before he went on the DL, Thome now has 10 hits in his last 5 games serving as the DH against the American League. Thome has also hit 2 home runs in that span, the longest of which was a whopping 466 feet last night. The slugger has officially returned!
A bunch of Phillies had big offensive days as well. Juan Pierre, Hunter Pence and Carlos Ruiz all had 3 hist. And John Mayberry Jr. racked up 4 RBI on 2 hits, including a 3-run homer in the 1st inning.
That first inning was a bit unusual though. The Twins starter, P.J. Walters wound up leaving the game with 4 runs allowed without even recording a single out. It was later reported that he was experiencing shoulder pain.
So the Phillies caught a break and racked up 6 runs in one inning, adding 3 more later. But they still showed the same problems they have been dealing with all year. For example, they Phillies loaded the bases with NO outs in the 9th and once again, failed to score. They could not even muster a sac fly. That is just not going to win them ballgames.
And what has become another disturbing trend is the starting pitching. Cole Hamels, probably the Phillies’ best pitcher not on the DL right now, has really fallen apart lately. Against the Twins, with that huge 6-run lead after the top of the 1st inning, Hamels got knocked around, allowing 7 runs over 6+ innings. Antonio Bastardo allowed one more, all of which turned a 6-run lead into only a 1-run lead.
Luckily, Jonathan Papelbon nailed down the win, having to record 4 outs in order to do so. But I am sure he was just glad to be able to pitch in a save situation, which there have been very few of lately.
Despite all the drama, there were a few great defensive moments thanks to Michael Martinez who also just came off the DL after breaking his foot in spring training. He made the last out of the game by catching a pop-up that was over his head and about to drop in the middle of nowhere. And earlier in the game, he dove to snag a ball hit hard up the middle and in the same motion, made an amazing glove toss to Jimmy Rollins at second.
The return of Martinez is a welcome site now that Freddy Galvis is on the DL with a back fracture (ouch!). Mikey-Mart is about the same offensively as Galvis and his defense, while not quite as spectacular, is still very solid. So welcome back, Mikey!
Although it may be a long shot, the Phillies ‘could’ – maybe – possibly – win this series with a victory tonight. Joe Blanton is pitching and he has given up a minimum of 5 runs in each of his last 5 games. Let us hope that trend ends tonight. Game time is 8:10pm.
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Photo by Jenn Zambri Photography
Polanco’s 2000th Hit Helps Phillies Win
The Phillies Monday night 5-1 win over the Astros was full of hopeful signs. A little at a time, things are getting better for this team, which is currently still in last place in the NL East.
Starting pitcher Joe Blanton had another great outing, making us all wonder where this guy has been all these years. He has transformed from Average Joe to “I have an ERA under 3.00” Joe. Over 7 innings, Blanton allowed only 1 run on 6 hits and a walk.
Things got shaky in the top of the 8th when he allowed that one run via a solo homer and then gave up a single. Manager Charlie Manuel, not wanting to ruin and otherwise great start, pulled Blanton and let the pen take over. Blanton was visibly surprised at the move, but ultimately, it was for the best.
In the meantime, the Phillies offense showed signs of life. Carlos Ruiz and John Mayberry Jr. remain hot at the plate, each collecting 2 hits on the night. Rookie Freddy Galvis is finally catching on and had 3 hits plus 2 RBI.
But the best moment of the night came in the bottom of the 8th when Placido Polanco added his 2000th career hit in grand fashion. The 2-run homer was probably the best situation he could have imagined for this milestone. Congrats to Polly on this historic accomplishment!
And perhaps the back end of the Phillies bullpen is also getting into the swing of things. Antonio Bastardo, Chad Qualls and Jonathan Papelbon combined to close out the 8th and 9th innings and secure the win. Bastardo even provided his team with some comic relief as he hopped off the mound with enthusiasm thinking the inning was over when there were actually only 2 outs. Bastardo grinned as his teammates poked fun at him while he sauntered back to the mound.
It is nice to see this team finally having some fun out there. Winning certainly helps, but if they can keep their spirits up as well, that may go a long way towards digging their season out of the basement.
Game 2 with the Astros starts early today at 1:05pm.
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Photo by Jenn Zambri Photography
Hamels Returns to Help Phillies Win Series
The 5-game suspension Cole Hamels received for smacking Nationals rookie Bryce Harper with a pitch last week turned out to be sort of a joke. With the off day on Thursday, the Phillies were able to rearrange the rotation, pitching Roy Halladay yesterday and Hamels today. So as it turns out, Hamels did not even miss a start.
And the Phillies are sure glad he did not. Hamels was solid in the 3-2 win over the Padres, allowing just 1 run and 5 hits over 7 innings.
The offense was a little stale, as usual, but they managed 3 runs. This time, that turned out to be enough. Jimmy Rollins got it started in the 1st with a leadoff homer. Brian Schneider gave Carlos Ruiz most of the day off and helped out with 2 hits and an RBI. Juan Pierre collected 2 hits, 1 RBI and continues to be the Phillies best hitter with a .351 average. I am not sure anyone saw that coming when he won a spot on the team out of spring training. But we’ll take it.
Hunter Pence, on the other hand, continues to struggle. Pence looks lost at the plate. He is still swinging at bad pitches, although he showed a little more patience today. But he is pulling off balls; his body goes one way and the bat goes another way…it is very awkward. And it is more awkward than his usual approach, which is almost hard to believe.
The bullpen finally held a lead in this one, although Jose Contreras did give up a run in the 8th making the situation very tenuous. But Antonio Bastardo got him out of the inning without further damage. And Jonathan Papelbon finally got to pitch for a save; it was his first save attempt since May 1st.
Before the game, the Phillies celebrated Mother’s Day. Pierre’s mom, wife and son were greeted on the field and Pierre coddled and played with the infant, which was adorable.
And luckily, the warm fuzzies before the game translated into a win as the Phillies took 2 of 3 from the Padres.
The schedule for the remainder of May gets a little weird now. The Phils will play 2 against the Astros then fly to Chicago for 2 games with the Cubs and return home again to face the Red Sox and Nationals before hitting the road again. Game 1 with the Astros starts at 7:05pm Monday night.
Here is the full Photo Album from today’s game and pre-game warm-up’s and ceremonies.
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Photos by Jenn Zambri Photography
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