Results tagged ‘ Charlie Manuel ’
Phillies Beat Nats in Opener; Schwimer in Trouble Again
The Phillies beat the 1st place Nationals Friday night by a score of 4-2. It was a very satisfying win considering that these teams have essentially switched places this year, with the Phillies going from 1st to worst for most of the season.
It was probably also very satisfying for Kyle Kendrick who pitched very well for his 3rd start in a row. Kendrick has received a lot of well deserved criticism for his mostly inconsistent play. But he does seem to have finally turned things around and fixed whatever issues he was having. Sadly though, his 21-inning scoreless streak was snapped last night when he gave up a 2-run bomb in the 7th.
Kendrick still pitched a very good game, allowing only 4 hits and 2 walks in 6 2/3 innings. And the offense helped him out with a couple runs sprinkled here and there. They did, however, leave a number men on base again, which seems to be a recurring theme.
But the 4 runs and seven pitchers (yes, 7) were enough to get the win. Manager Charlie Manuel played bullpen roulette in the 8th inning, going through one pitcher after another to get to Jonathan Papelbon in the 9th.
Luckily, the moves paid off and the Phillies grabbed Game 1 from the Nats.
Before the game, there were whispers of some drama going on behind the scenes regarding relief pitcher Michael Schwimer, who was demoted to Triple-A on Thursday. Schwimer pitched on Sunday, but now claims to be injured with a sore bicep. Upset about the demotion, Schwimer is apparently saying he should be on the DL, not in Triple-A. However, the reasoning behind this complaint may be because, if he is put on the DL, he keeps his major league paycheck and time clock in the bigs running.
So is he really hurt or is he just pissed and wants his money? The Phillies seem to think he is just fine. All pitchers have soreness throughout the year; that does not necessarily constitute an injury. But Schwimer intends to fight the demotion; he did not report to Triple-A and is instead seeking another medical opinion.
Remember back in May when Schwimer got into trouble with the Phillies for this Tweet:
He announced moves that had not been released to the public yet, prompting a strict talking to from GM Ruben Amaro Jr. On top of that, his performances on the field since then have ranged from good to awful. The lack of consistent play, and perhaps his attitude, may be the most likely culprits behind the demotion.
If that is the case, Schwimer is making a huge mess of what was previously a good opportunity for him. If he is in fact hurt, fine, he has every right to complain. But if not, with this being the 2nd time he has pissed off Phillies management, Schwimer may be in very hot water…scalding, actually. I hope for his sake that this ends well.
On to tonight’s game! Game time is 7:05pm and I will return sometime on Sunday with photos…see you there!
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Photo by Jenn Zambri Photography
11th Inning Walk-Off Gives Phillies a Series Split with the Reds
It took a torrential downpour to start the game, 4 runs, 11 innings and 4 ½ hours, but the Phillies finally pulled off a win against the Reds for a series split. The win also vaulted them into 3rd place in the division. Imagine being happy about 3rd place back in April…this has been a crazy year.
One person who was not happy about the rain to start the game was Cole Hamels. He stated after the game, “We have these things called radar detectors and if you can’t read them correctly I don’t know what’s going on.” After getting into trouble and allowing a run in the 1st while it poured, Hamels was probably having bad flashbacks to Game 5 of the 2008 World Series. Officials did not call that game until after Hamels relinquished 2 runs to tie the game due in part to the sloppy field conditions.
But that game turned out pretty well, although not until several days later. The start of Thursday’s game was not delayed as it should have been, so his frustration is easy to understand. But the extra-inning affair also worked out in the end. Hamels went 6 innings and allowed 3 runs.
The offense had some issues as well. It looked like no one could hit Reds pitcher Johnny Cueto until the 6th inning when the Phils finally scored 2 runs. But once they got the game tied up at 3-3, things got every stranger.
The Phillies started getting on base, but there appear to be a brick wall at 3rd base that no one could pass. In both the 8th and 9th innings, the Phillies had the bases loaded with only 1 out and did not score. In the 9th Domonic Brown hit into a double play to end the inning, adding to the frustration. They left 2 men on base with 1 out in the 10th as well. In all, the Phillies stranded 16 runners and went only 4-14 with runners in scoring position.
Throughout those many irritating innings though, the bullpen did an excellent job of holding the Reds at bay. 5 pitchers went 5 scoreless innings, including Phillippe Aumont who made his major league debut. He tossed a scoreless 8th inning.
Aumont had been called up to replace Jeremy Horst who was on paternity leave. But Horst returned, and also pitched, last night. Aumont stayed and instead, Michael Schwimer was very quietly sent back to Triple-A. So it appears the Phillies will get a longer look at Aumont to see what he can do.
With the bullpen’s solid effort, the table was set yet again for the Phillies in the 11th inning. Finally, someone got a hit with the bases loaded. John Mayberry Jr. singled to left to score Chase Utley for the walk-off victory. After the game, Charlie Manuel expressed his frustration about all the previously stranded runners by saying, “I feel drained. Really. I kept waiting for somebody to come home.” Everyone laughed, which is certainly a lot easier when you have won the game.
And now the 1st place Nationals come to town. There is just something very wrong about that previous sentence…sigh. Game time tonight is 7:05pm.
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Photo by Jenn Zambri Photography
Hamels Halts Phillies Losing Skid
Not much has gone right for the Phillies this year. But at least we know that when Cole Hamels takes the mound, they at least have a shot at a win. After dropping 3 straight, the Phillies collected a win last night over the Brewers, thanks in large part to Hamels.
Hamels cruised through 7 2/3 innings allowing only 1 run until 1 bad pitch in the 8th ran him out of the game. The Ryan Braun 2-run homer was 1 of 4 home runs Braun has hit in this series…so far. I am sure Braun, who was said to be in a slump prior to this series, was thrilled to see the Phillies come to town. And just think, he may not be done yet.
Despite that annoyance, Hamels had a very solid game. The 4-3 win was nailed down by closer Jonathan Papelbon, who got 4 outs to seal the deal. Manager Charlie Manuel was criticized for not using Papelbon in a similar situation on Thursday night. On Saturday, he did not make the same mistake again.
The Brewers had a couple base running blunders, which helped the Phillies out. One guy got caught in a rundown and another did something a bit unusual. With 2 outs in the third, Braun again smashed what should have been a double to deep left field. But Jonathan Lucroy, who was on first base, missed second base and then stood like a deer in headlights instead of stepping on the base and continuing to run. By the time Braun reached second, all he could do was throw his hands in the air at Lucroy who was still there, looking dazed. Braun was out; inning over. Oops.
As for the Phillies offense, John Mayberry Jr. knocked a 2-run homer in the 2nd, followed by a solo shot from Erik Kratz. Ryan Howard doubled in the 3rd to give the Phils the go-ahead run.
The Phils get one more shot at the Brewers this afternoon. And they will also get another look at wannabe starter Kyle Kendrick. Can he repeat his last performance of 7 shut-out innings against the Marlins last week? Game time is 2:10pm.
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Photo by Jenn Zambri Photography
Record-Setting Night Highlighted by Solid Pitching
There was an awful lot going on in last night’s 1-0 Phillies win over the Marlins. And it all began with just the second pitch of the game which Jimmy Rollins sent screaming over the right field wall for the 41st lead-off homer of his career.
That turned out to be the only run of the game, which was also a record-setting game for Rollins. He picked up his 1,731st game at shortstop, making him the leader in games played at that position for the Phillies. J-Roll passed friend and former manager Larry Bowa to snag the record.
It was also a record setting night for manager Charlie Manuel. With the victory, he notched his 700th win as the Phillies skipper. And that win was punctuated by the decision he made to give Kyle Kendrick one more shot at a starting role. Everyone, including Manuel, has been frustrated by the way Kendrick has pitched lately, so this moved seemed chancy.
The gamble paid off though. Manuel had a heart-to-heart with Kendrick before the game that seems to have motivated him. We all know Kendrick can pitch; the problem is he is never consistent. One day he is great, the next start, he is awful. But as is Manuel’s style, he sticks with his players.
Kendrick rewarded Manuel’s loyalty with 7 strong, scoreless innings against the Fish. He gave up only 5 hits and did not walk anyone. The real question now is, can he repeat this in his next start. We shall see…
So the Phillies went on to win with only the Rollins solo homer supporting them. This win ensures another series victory for the Phils who are slowly rounding back into non-last place form.
They could sweep the series with another win today in Miami.
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Photo by Jenn Zambri Photography
Phillies Go From Minor Problems to Major Ones
In yesterday’s 2-1 loss, the Phillies looked either unable or unwilling to deal with Braves pitcher Mike Minor. The only Phillies run was a solo shot from Chase Utley. They also committed 2 errors in yet another game.
The near-comatose effort, careless swings and lack of hustle have gone from being a minor issue to a major one.
Just ask manager Charlie Manuel. He told reporters, “Our team, we used to – and I hate to say ‘used to’ – we did things different,” Manuel said. “A lot of that contributed to our success. People do change. Success changes people. Money definitely changes people. You have to be able to see those things, too. I’m not singling out one person. I’m talking about a team.”
It is interesting to finally hear the manager say what the rest of us have been thinking all season long. This is also why many doubted whether getting injured players back, like Utley and Ryan Howard, would make any real difference. Because if the good attitude and the hustle are not there, it doesn’t matter who they throw out onto the field. And that is exactly what we are witnessing now.
These 2 losses against the Braves are probably going to push GM Ruben Amaro Jr. to pull the trigger on some trades in the next few days. The Phillies are too far behind to catch up now as they sit 11.5 games out of the 2nd Wild Card spot and 15.5 out of 1st with 61 games to go.
If that happens and the team really shuts down, it will be a truly sad sight to behold. Because even if they have nothing else to play for, you would hope they might have enough pride left to at least attempt to finish strong. All we can do is hope that they choose the high road and try to improve for next season.
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Player photos by Jenn Zambri Photography
Phillies Stomped Upon by Giants
For two consecutive games, the Phillies have gotten totally crushed by the San Francisco Giants. The 7-2 stomping on Friday and 6-5 10-inning loss on Saturday were just a few more blows to an already deflated team sitting at dead last in the NL East.
On Friday, Vance Worley was great for just over 4 innings…then he suddenly stunk, giving up a grand slam in the 6th. For the Giants, Tim Lincecum magically returned to Cy Young form after a horrible season. He had a 5.93 ERA entering this game; but apparently facing the Phillies is the cure for any pitcher in the midst of a 3-month slump.
The best news to come out of that game? Lincecum embarrassed himself early in the game by walking off the mound with only 2 outs recorded. He grinned once he realized the error to the great pleasure of all in attendance. Hey Tim, thanks for the 2 seconds of joy which was followed by hours of agony…
The agony continued into Saturday as Cole Hamels gave up 5 runs to the Giants in 7.2 innings. While he had some issues on the mound, he did hit his first career home run. The joy of that moment was quickly tempered by the 3 homers he gave up, including one to the Giants pitcher, Matt Cain.
The Phillies bullpen issues have reached critical mass. Manager Charlie Manuel does not trust then anymore so Hamels got left in the game too long for a career high 128 pitches. Then instead of going to long-man Kyle Kendrick either in that inning or in the 10th, Jonathan Papelbon was forced to go 2 innings and gave up the winning run to the Giants with 5 fresh arms sitting in the pen.
What this amounts to is this: The Phillies 2012 season is a total bust. Hamels may never pitch for the Phillies again. With the salary situation nearing the luxury tax, the Phils may also start dumping player not named Hamels. Ugh.
It is not a pretty picture, folks. I will be at tomorrow’s game attempting to get prettier pictures ;o) Wish me luck…
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Photo by Jenn Zambri Photography
Phillies Stumble Into All-Star Break With Little Hope to Save Their Season
The Phillies were swept by the Braves today in a depressing 4-3 loss. There was not even a little comic relief, as in Saturday’s loss when Hunter Pence bowled over 3rd base coach Juan Samuel while rounding the bases towards home. That bit had everyone except Samuel laughing to the point of tears.
The only laughs today came before the game started:
After that, absolutely nothing was funny. Even the presentation of All-Star jersey’s to Carlos Ruiz, Jonathan Papelbon and Cole Hamels was somehow lacking in enthusiasm.
And then fans learned that Shane Victorino was pulled from the line-up at the last moment, prompting rumors of a possible trade or injury. But what actually happened, according to Charlie Manuel, was that Shane was feeling “down” and had “a lot on his mind…” And so, Charlie took him out in favor of Jason Pridie.
That turned out to be the only good move of the day. Pridie hit a 2-run homer and a double, which accounted for all 3 Phillies runs in the game.
Vance Worley battled through 6 innings, allowing 3 runs, which was a nice improvement over his last start where he have up 6 runs in 4 innings. But despite the quality start, not much was going the way of the Phillies.
There were some nice defensive plays:
But the offense was lackluster, despite having both Chase Utley and Ryan Howard in the line-up. The top 4 in the line-up went 1-for-16 collectively, although Jimmy Rollins did go 3-for-3 in pop-fly outs. I am not sure that is a stat to be proud of, but at least he is consistent (note my sarcasm, in case you missed it).
Ultimately, Raul Valdes gave up a solo homer to who else, but Brian McCann, giving the Braves a 1-run lead that the Phillies failed to overcome.
So the Braves had a nice visit to Philly, complete with attempts to steal young Phillies fans. Here is ex-Phil Chad Durbin and Dan Uggla before the game playing nice with one of the kids chosen for the traditional Sunday Starting 9:
Actually, it was very sweet. But Durbin was always that kind of guy; his presence is still missed on this ballclub.
So the Phillies go into the All-Star break in the midst of a complete disaster. They have won only 1 of their last 12 games and sit in dead last in the NL East, 14 games out of first. Get ready fans; I am afraid change is coming, and not the good kind.
For a pleasant distraction, check out my Photo Album from the game; just pretend they win and the photos look even better!
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Photos 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
What’s Happened to Cliff Lee?
What in the world is going on with Cliff Lee? Has he been abducted by aliens and replaced with a look-alike? Maybe the aliens are trying to clone him for their big MLB invasion plan. But this guy they left behind is not fooling anyone. This is not the Cliff Lee we have come to know.
Lee has allowed 20 earned runs in his last four games, including 6 tonight against the Miami Marlins. He only made it through 4 2/3 innings before getting the hook. Lee looked so bad, that manager Charlie Manuel actually pulled him when the next batter scheduled to hit was the opposing pitcher. Ouch.
And it has not just been the last 4 games. Lee has been up and down all year, with a trip to the DL for a sore oblique thrown in the middle. So what exactly has happened to this 3-time All-Star and Cy Young award winner?
It seems clear that the only person who can answer that question is Cliff Lee. And right now, he does not seem to have a clue either.
This is now 13 starts for Lee in 2012 without recording a single win. It appears someone has stolen his mojo. Anyone have a self-help book we can toss at him?
But Lee’s season has paralleled the Phillies season as a whole. It has been a real head-scratcher all around, laden with injuries and disappointment.
The Phillies went on to lose their 3rd straight game tonight, which was a combination of Lee’s performance and a non-existent offense. The only Phillies run of the game through 8 innings was a solo homer by Hunter Pence.
To recap, Chase Utley is back and the Phillies have not won a game since. Ryan Howard is on a rehab assignment and will be back soon. But if the pitching continues along this dreadful path, none of it will matter.
So please, little green men, we are begging you! Return the real Cliff Lee to us before it is too late!
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Lee Photo by Jenn Zambri Photography
Chooch Leads Phillies to a Big Win
If someone had told me that by the end of June this season, Carlos Ruiz would be leading all of baseball in batting average, I may have checked to see if that person was running a fever. Chooch has always been a good player; but he has never been .361 with 10 home runs-good. The 10 homers, including one in last night’s 5-4 win over the Pirates, is a career high. And it is only June…
So yes, Chooch leads everyone in batting average with .361. That is better than past MVP’s Joey Votto and Josh Hamilton. Ruiz has also outhit fellow catchers and All-Star voting leaders Yadier Molina and Brian McCann. Soooooo….VOTE FOR CHOOCH! We have until Thursday to get him to the All-Star game!
But even if that fails, manager Charlie Manuel told reporters yesterday that he plans on calling Tony La Russa, the NL All-Star team manager, to plead the case for Chooch. Manuel always sticks up for his players, but especially in this case, Ruiz really deserves the honor.
Chooch put his stamp all over last night’s win. He went 3-for-4 with a homer and 2 RBI. And while catching, Ruiz saved two runs from scoring by blocking the plate and tagging out the runners.
The biggest of those plays came in the 7th inning after starter Vance Worley got into a real jam. With no outs, 2 runners on base and 1 run already across, Worley was removed and rookie Michael Schwimer took over. Schwimer coaxed a ground out and then a short fly ball to left. One the fly ball, John Mayberry Jr. made a great throw home, which Ruiz caught and tagged the runner for an inning-ending double play.
That play kept the Phillies lead intact and Chooch’s subsequent homer added to that lead. The home run he hit in the 8th turned out to be a game saver as closer Jonathan Papelbon struggled in the 9th, allowing a solo homer. But the Ruiz blast made the difference in the 5-4 win.
The Phillies have now won 2 of the first 4 games against the Pirates, which is great news; because tonight’s 7:05pm game is going to be started and finished by the Phillies bullpen. The rainout on Friday forced a juggling of the pitching staff, leaving them 1 starter short this week. So Raul Valdes will start the game and likely pitch 3 innings, passing the ball on to the rest of the pen after that.
And while you are watching the game, do not forget to VOTE FOR CHOOCH!
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Photo by Jenn Zambri Photography
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