Results tagged ‘ Chase Utley ’
The Chase’s Are Wild as Phillies Trump the Fish
The Wild Card chase is back on for the Phillies who have won 6 in a row. They now sit only 4 games out of a potential playoff spot. The other Chase, that being Chase Utley, is starting to look like the guy we all remember. Despite a costly error in the game against the Marlins, Utley went 3-for-3 last night with 2 walks and an RBI. He reached base in all 5 of his at-bats.
Juan Pierre also continues to produce; he also had 3 hits in the game, plus an RBI. And Jimmy Rollins took advantage of a huge error by the Marlins catcher who dropped what appeared to be Jimmy’s 5,000th or so pop-up this year. Ok, maybe I exaggerate…but J-Roll followed the dropped pop-up with a 2-run homer on the next pitch. Rollins ended the night with 3 RBI on 2 hits.
But as the runs continued to pour in, Phillies pitchers continued to give them right back. Roy Halladay did not look great again, allowing 5 runs in 6 ½ innings while walking 3 batters. Just when it looks like Halladay is doing well again, he has a game like this.
But the bullpen was not much better. Manager Charlie Manuel had to use 4 pitchers to get though the 7th inning as it seemed no one wanted to get the final out. Halladay and the pen combined to allow 4 runs that inning.
In the bottom of the 7th, things got progressively weirder. After Rollins collected his 3rd RBI of the night, the Marlins manager apparently suffered a momentary lapse of reason. Ozzie Guillen, already considered one of the strangest men in baseball, made yet another move to solidify his crazy-man reputation. He ordered an intentional walk of Kevin Frandsen to pitch to Utley instead.
To break it down, Guillen decided he wanted to pitch to a guy who already had 3 hits in the game instead of a guy with a stress fracture in his left leg. Forget the left-handed, right-handed theory; a broken leg VS. 3-for-3…and broken leg won. Wow. Utley wound up walking as well and no damage was done, but that was a seriously weird chain of events.
The 9-7 put the Phillies back at the .500 mark for the season so far. That is a small miracle considering how bad most of the season has gone. Could a large miracle be in the works? It is a long-shot, but if the Phillies keep winning, who knows?
Game 3 with the Marlins starts early today at 4:05pm. Let’s go for the sweep!
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Photo by Jenn Zambri Photography
Doubleheader, Double Wins as Phillies Sweep Rockies
After a ridiculous 3 hour rain delay on Saturday, the Phillies finally settled on a Sunday doubleheader to finish off the Rockies series. Cole Hamels started the Day Game and allowed only 2 runs in 7 innings.
Chase Utley had his hands in a number of plays, including a hit, a walk and a very entertaining run scored:
The defense was solid, but the highlight was watching Ryan Howard hold onto the ball for an out after getting bowled over at 1st base by a Rockies player. He also had 2 key RBI in the game.
The bullpen did not allow a run, setting up a 2-2 tie game going into the bottom of the 9th.
With the bases loaded and 1 out, John Mayberry Jr. connected for a game-winning, walk-off single.
The excitement continued in the Night Game, which turned out to be a comedy of errors for the Rockies. They fumbled, dropped and just plain missed a lot of balls hit their way. 5 errors helped keep the Phillies alive after rookie starter Tyler Cloyd gave up 4 runs in 4 inning.
With the early exit, the Phillies wound up using 7 pitchers, none of whom allowed a run except Cloyd:
As it turns out, all the Phillies needed for the win besides pitching was Carlos Ruiz. Fresh off the DL, Chooch got a standing ovation when he stepped in to pinch hit. And he promptly added to the Phillies fever with a single in the 6th that led to 2 runs and a Phillies lead.
Chooch stayed in the game to catch. Ruiz was 2-for-2 with an RBI in his return, coming in cold off the DL, not having played a single inning in over a month. No rehab start…nothing. Just pure Chooch. This guy is incredible. Chooooooooooooooch!!!
The Phillies went on to win by a score of 7-4 to complete a 3-game sweep of the Rockies.
I have photos of both Game 1 and Game 2; just click the links. Yes, it was a long day, but worth it!
The Marlins are up next….and a run at the postseason??? Hmmmm…..
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Photos by Jenn Zambri Photography
9th Inning Walk-Off Gives Phillies a Win Over the Rockies
The start of Friday night’s Phillies game against the Rockies was painful to watch. Cliff Lee did not start off very well, allowing 2 runs on 3 hits in the 1st inning. Michael Martinez made an error at 3rd base, which extended the inning. In all, not a great beginning.
But Lee settled down after the 1st inning snafu. However, the Phillies offense seemed content to keep blowing opportunities. Ty Wigginton got a rare start at 1st base, but the rust from sitting on the bench was very apparent. He struck out in all 3 at-bats, twice when there was 1 out and a runner on 3rd base. Worse, Juan Pierre was on base both times and managed to steal 2 base the second time around. Still, Wigginton could not get the runs home.
Clearly not his night, manager Charlie Manuel decided to pinch hit for Wigginton in the 7th. That move proved to be a momentum changer as Laynce Nix smashed a 2-run double to tie the score. Then 4 bullpen guys held the lead from the 7th to the 9th inning, giving the Phillies a chance to win.
In the bottom of the 9th, Jimmy Rollins worked out a lead-off walk and Pierre, already with 3 hits on the night, put down a sacrifice bunt to move the runner over. The Rockies intentionally walked Chase Utley and Nate Schierholtz stepped to the plate as a pinch hitter. A wild pitch moved Rollins to 3rd and Schierholtz then singled to right, scoring Rollins for the walk-off win.
This has been a tough year for Schierholtz who got traded here from the Giants mid-season, giving him hope of more playing time and a chance to prove himself. But a broken toe sidelined him in mid-August, just as he was getting comfortable in the line-up. Schierholtz was activated off the DL on September 1st and had not had a hit since returning until last night. That walk-off single had to be quite a relief for him.
The Phillies have two more games with the Rockies; Cole Hamels will pitch tonight and then Tyler Cloyd on Sunday. I will be attending both games and hope to return with some photos if the weather cooperates. Game time tonight is 7:05pm.
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Photo by Jenn Zambri Photography
Halladay Strong in Phillies Win Over the Reds
This has not been an ideal year for anyone in the Phillies organization, especially Roy Halladay. After landing on the disabled list earlier in the year, Halladay struggled to regain his usual form.
In a 6-2 win over the Reds, Halladay finally looks like he is healthy again and back on his usual game. Over 7 1/3 innings, Halladay allowed just 1 earned run and struck out 5 batters. The offense provided him with some runs to seal the deal.
The two big blasts of the day came from Erik Kratz and Chase Utley. Kratz smashed a 3-run homer in the 2nd inning and Utley added 2 more runs with another bomb in the 3rd inning. Kratz now has 9 homers in only 38 games with a slugging percentage of .611. How this guy was stuck in the minor leagues for so long is a mystery.
Another mystery, at least to certain sports talk show hosts, is John Mayberry Jr. With another multi-hit game against the Reds, Mayberry continues to hit at a torrid pace. Critics are always on him, saying he is not an everyday player. But he is showing us right now, as he did at the end of last season as well, that he is an everyday guy. Why? Because when he starts every game, like he does now, he hits.
In contrast, when the Phillies used Mayberry as a platoon guy, like they did at the start of last year and this year, he struggles. When he plays regularly, he hits. Mayberry hit .271 in July and .290 in August because, after the Shane Victorino trade, he has become a regular in the line-up. Now this is just my 2-cents, but I say let the guy play center next year. He has earned it.
And there is my rant for your Phillies off-day. Play resumes tomorrow at 7:05pm when the Rockies come to town.
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Photo by Jenn Zambri Photography
The Case for Kevin Frandsen
In a 3-2 win over the Mets on Thursday, the Phillies’ newest 3rd baseman Kevin Frandsen went 4-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored. In 107 at-bats this season, he is hitting a very hot .355. His defense has been solid and rumor has it that he is great in the clubhouse as well. So, what is the problem?
News reports, staff interviews and sports talk shows all say the same thing: Frandsen is old, he is not an everyday player and this run he is on is just a fluke. Frankly, I don’t get it. Why are all these people so down on Fransden? I say, give a guy a chance.
First, let us examine this claim that Frandsen is “old.” He just turned 30 in May. 30 is not old, not even in baseball years. The only other Phillies infielder younger than Frandsen is Michael Martinez, who will be 30 in 2 weeks. Everyone else, Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins, all have at least 2 years or more on Fransden. In fact, the average age of the entire team, including all the rookies, is 30.
Conclusion: Frandsen may be middle-aged, but he is not old.
And what about this notion of Frandsen not being an “everyday player?” Frandsen had exactly 1 year, out of the last 7 seasons, during which he almost played everyday. In 2007 with the Giants he hit .269 in 109 games with 31 RBI. He then missed all of 2008 with a ruptured Achillies. Since then, he has not been given another shot at being an everyday guy, except in the minors, where he hit for an average of .292 from 2009-2011 combined.
Frandsen is finally playing everyday and it is paying off. He is the hottest hitter on the team right now. So my conclusion on this topic then is, keep watching. If he keeps this pace up through September, there should be no question that Frandsen can be an everyday player.
As to the charge that this is just a fluke, Frandsen has over 100 at-bats now. That is obviously not a huge amount, but it is enough to make an initial judgment and .355 is not too shabby. My conclusion here is the same as before: if he keeps going strong over the next several weeks, I don’t see at all how this is a fluke. It seems to me that he is finally getting a shot and taking full advantage of it.
All these people need to quit hating on Frandsen and give the guy a chance! He just might be an option at 3rd base next year. He would certainly save some salary for the team. Also, you can be fairly certain that, unlike Rollins and his recent episode, he is going to hustle every time out.
So what do you think? Feel free to leave comments below.
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Photo by Jenn Zambri Photography
Cloyd’s Debut & Utley’s Big Idea
A very excited and nervous Tyler Cloyd took the mound for the Phillies last night. His major league debut would eventually end in a 3-2 loss to the Mets, but the rookie was still happy just to be there.
With Vance Worley finally put on the DL and expected to have elbow surgery, Cloyd will get a few more shots at a win. He told reporters, “It’s an awesome feeling that they’re going to let me stay up here and show what I can do.”
Cloyd allowed 3 runs in his debut over 6 innings and walked 2 batters. Much of his early struggle appeared to be nerves. But once he settled down, Cloyd looked pretty good, despite his lower than average fastball. His location was good and his breaking pitches had some nice, late movement on them.
The bad news is, the Phillies have now dropped 2 games in a row to the lowly Mets. Depressing.
There was some other near earth-shattering news yesterday as well. Chase Utley began taking ground balls at 3rd base and later told the media that he asked GM Ruben Amaro Jr. if he could give 3rd base a try. Amaro figured, why not?
Utley is apparently trying to help the team solve the current 3rd base issue. With Placido Polanco constantly having back issues and likely not returning next year, the Phillies need a 3rd baseman. They seem to view Kevin Fransden as a utility guy, although he has played very well at the hot corner.
As for Utley, we all know his is Superman already (except for those bum knees, of course). But he has not played 3rd base in 10 years, since his time in the minors. He told reporters, “I figured I’d give it a try just to get back over there, get my feet wet, just get a feel for the position again.“
This brings up many questions. Would 3rd base be less taxing on Utley’s knees? I doubt it. Does he have the arm strength for the position? Maybe, maybe not. Couldn’t the Phillies try Freddy Galvis there? He adjusted well going from short to 2nd, so maybe 3rd is not a huge leap.
It is nice to see Utley offering to take on something new for the better of the team. Whether or not that is a realistic option remains to be seen.
In the meantime, the Phillies have to try not to get swept by the Mets this afternoon. Game time is 1:05pm.
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Photo by Jenn Zambri Photography
Rosenberg Gets Schooled Again / Cloyd Is Called Up
The Mets took Phillies rookie B.J. Rosenberg to school last night as they roughed him up for 4 runs in the 10th inning. The Mets went on to win and Rosenberg went back to the clubhouse sporting a 12.66 ERA.
As he entered the clubhouse, Rosenberg must have been given a “Baseball for Dummies” book as a gift. Because in his post-game comments, he told reporters, “Everything was up. It’s pretty simple, you make really bad pitches to good hitters and you’re going to get in trouble.” So it has taken 5 years in the minors, 13 games and 15 earned runs allowed in the majors and a beating by the Mets to figure that out? I really hope he reads the entire book…
Ok, I am picking on the poor kid, I know. He is still learning. But in the meantime, it is frustrating to see a kid with a 95mph fastball tossing it right over the middle of the plate when he knows better.
Vance Worley had a lot of trouble too, allowing 4 runs in only 4 1/3 innings. Why is Worley still pitching? He has bone chips in his elbow and needs surgery. Why not shut him down and get him healthy for next year. Because he is not helping the team right now.
Worley says the elbow is not the issue, but can that really be true? Anyone who has ever had an injury of any kind knows that if you play through it, you will inevitably compensate for that injury in some way. If my right knee hurts, I lean more on my left knee, even though I know in a week or so my left knee is going to hurt as a result. The only other option is not walking, which is not really a realistic option. But it is worse with pitchers because when they compensate, they develop bad habits which can lead to new injuries like shoulder soreness.
Logic then tells us, get Worley off the mound…now. Of course, I am not the GM so all I can give is my opinion. Maybe the Phillies need a new book too. Has anyone yet written, “How Not to Destroy a MLB Pitcher for Next Season for Dummies?”
So despite the Phillies starting this game with a Grand Slam from Ryan Howard and later, a home run from Chase Utley, they lost it 9-5 in 10 innings.
Now who will be the Mets next victim? That’s right…another rookie fresh out of Triple-A. Because Cole Hamels has a tummy ache (officially a “gastrointestinal illness”), Tyler Cloyd will make his major league debut tonight at 7:05pm.
Cloyd, named the International League’s best pitcher of the year, had a 12-1 record with a 2.35 ERA in Triple-A this year and a 1.80 ERA in Double-A over 4 games. Despite all the hype, many “experts” say Cloyd does not have major-league stuff. Well, we will find out tonight I suppose…best of luck to the kid!
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Photo by Jenn Zambri Photography
Phillies Sweep the Nationals!
It was apparent today that Cliff Lee was determined to win a game at home, something he has not done all year long. And for most of the 1st 5 innings, it was all Lee, all the time. He pitched, he hit and he played defense.
The first score of the game came off the bat of Lee who doubled in a run in the 5th inning. The rest of the team got on board fast, with a 2-run homer from Jimmy Rollins. Laynce Nix added a solo homer in the 6th and Lee held the Nats to 1 run in 7 innings for the 4-1 win and a 3-game sweep!
The day before, Roy Halladay continued his journey to being Roy Halladay once again. He went 7 innings allowing only 2 runs on 7 hits and a walk.
Halladay got our old buddy Jayson Werth to strike out twice and coaxed 2 grounds out from rookie star Bryce Harper. Both were all smiles before the game, but not after.
The big bopper of the night was John Mayberry Jr. who had two hits, including a line-drive homer to left, and picked up 3 RBI in the game. Chase Utley drove the other run in and Rollins set the table with 2 walks off another old Phillie, Gio Gonzalez. Kevin Fransden also had a hit and did a lot of cheering for his teammates.
Then in the 8th, the old Antonio Bastardo came back for a visit. Where has this guy been all year? He struck out the side, handing a fairly easy save to Jonathan Papelbon in the 9th.
Some other awesome sights at the ballpark on Saturday were creatures from the Philly Zoo and a grinning Domonic Brown, despite having a sore knee:
Despite the sweep, the Phillies are still 9.5 games back in the Wild Card race, so don’t get your hopes up too much. It is not impossible, however, they’d pretty much have to win every game from here to the end. But the news is good for next year as the bullpen is improving and starters are getting healthier.
And of course, they just swept the dreaded Nationals. I cannot think of a better reason to be happy right now. Here is the full Photo Album from Saturday’s game.
The Phillies have a day off on Monday and the Mets come to town on Tuesday. Game time is 7:05pm.
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Photos 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
Two-Straight Complete Game Shut-Outs for Hamels
After a couple of shaky starts after signing a huge contract, Cole Hamels is in the zone again. Last night marked the second straight complete game shut-out for the lefty with a 4-0 win over the Miami Marlins.
Hamels tossed 113 pitches, 85 of them for strikes. He allowed 7 hits and 1 walk, but no Marlin even crossed home plate. While playoff hopes for the Phillies are all but dashed, Hamels could still be in line for another big prize if he continues to pitch at this pace: the Cy Young award.
This ace already has a World Series ring, a World Series and a NLCS MVP award plus 3 All-Star nods. All Hamels has left to accomplish is the Cy Young…and of course, one more World Series ring.
Supporting their teammate, the Phillies offense produced 4 runs, which was plenty considering how Hamels was pitching. Juan Pierre had another 3-hit night, including a triple and an RBI. Domonic Brown, John Mayberry Jr. and Kevin Fransden had 2 hits each while Chase Utley and Erik Kratz both knocked in one run each.
As for the bullpen…there was no bullpen as Hamels went all 9 innings. This could be the best bullpen performance all year long! Way to sit on the bench guys; nicely done. With the way this year has gone, I am sure the relievers were as relieved with this turn of events as anyone.
The Phillies have another shot at the Fish tonight. Kyle Kendrick, despite being awful lately, will get yet another chance at being a real starter. This is beginning to feel like Pinocchio trying to be a real boy…it’s never going to happen. I could be wrong; what do you think? Will Kendrick ever be consistent enough to be a starter? Feel free to leave comments below.
Game time is 7:10pm.
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Photo by Jenn Zambri Photography
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