Results tagged ‘ Jake Diekman ’
The 2012 Phillies: A Season to Forget
The torture that was the 2012 Phillies season is finally over. And sadly, it ended just as I predicted before the season even began; without a playoff bid. I was hoping to be wrong about that.
Since the Phillies won the World Series in 2008, each year they have taken exactly one step backwards. So this year, missing the playoffs seemed like their destiny. They lost the World Series in 2009; lost the NL Championship Series in 2010; lost the NL Division Series in 2011; and now, the next logical step has arrived. The Phillies will go home early without even a sniff at a post-season run.
Remember happy days like these?:
For now, they are gone :O(
The first casualties of the 2012 disaster are already accounted for. Bench coach Pete Mackanin, hitting coach Greg Gross and first base coach Sam Perlozzo have all been given their walking papers. More fallout is probably on the horizon, but it will probably involve players, not coaches.
So who else should stay and who should go? Here are some thoughts, starting with the offense:
In 195 at-bats, Kevin Frandsen hit .338, which led the team. And for an entire month, he played with a stress fracture in his leg, yet he still kept hitting. I say put him at 3rd base and get a back-up in case of injuries.
If the Phillies do not re-sign Juan Pierre, they are insane. He hit .307 in 394 at-bats, led the team in stolen bases with 37 and he is the best bunter you can find anywhere.
Bring Shane Victorino back! After a depressing second half with the Dodgers, his price will go down, possibly to the point where the Phillies can afford to resign him. John Mayberry Jr. and Domonic Brown can platoon and then the Phils need another outfielder or two.
Needs to Go: Nate Schierholtz, Ty Wigginton, Michael Martinez. Martinez is good defensively, but hit only .174 in 115 at-bats. They can find a better utility guy. And we are stuck with Laynce Nix for one more year unless someone is willing to trade for him…not likely.
Back-up Catcher: In – Erik Kratz; Out – Brian Schneider.
Relief Pitching: Jonathan Papelbon stays and probably Antonio Bastardo. I will also put in votes for Jeremy Horst and Phillipe Aumont. The maybes are Jake Diekman and Justin DeFratus, although DeFratus needs to be 100% healthy, which I feel is still in question. Michael Stutes may return, but no one is sure in what condition.
Please Go Away: Josh Lindblom – trade him (if anyone wants him). He has been awful. This team needs some veteran help in the pen.
Please Come Back: Ryan Madson!
As for starters, unless someone’s arm falls off, stick with the usual 5: Cole Hamels, Cliff Lee, Roy Halladay (pray he gets healthy), Vance Worley and Kyle Kendrick.
And of course, all the usual suspects, like Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, Carlos Ruiz, etc… will be back. But will they be healthy? That is the looming question.
To give an idea of how badly the injuries hurt the team this year, consider this: I may be missing some, but by looking at the team stats, at least 49 different players made an appearance for the Phillies this year, rotating in and out of the 25-man roster. Also, only 2 players of those 49 reached 400 or more at-bats; Rollins (632) and Mayberry (441). That is scary.
So the season is over and the healing (quite literally) shall begin. Do you have any thoughts you would like to share about this season? Feel free to leave comments below.
“LIKE” us on Facebook for more updates & photos!
Photo by Jenn Zambri Photography
Blown Save Spoils Another Cliff Lee Start
My mother had a saying: “If not for bad luck, you would not have any luck at all.” I am sorry to say that I now need to pass that sentiment down to Phillies pitcher Cliff Lee. Can this poor guy get a break already?
Lee’s misfortunes have certainly not all been out of his own control. But it does seem like whenever he is on top of his game, the rest of the team lets him down. Did he spill the salt? Break a mirror? Walk under a ladder? Or did a black cat cross his path?
Whatever is causing the bad mojo seriously needs to stop. Lee went 8 innings against the Dodgers allowing only 2 hits and 1 run on a solo homer that probably should have been caught. And he would have kept pitching if his team had scored more than 1 run for him. But he had to be pulled for a pinch hitter.
In a game that wound up going 12 innings, the Phillies basically lost it in that first inning when John Mayberry Jr. failed to utilize his 6’6” frame to reach up and catch that home run ball which barely made it over the fence. Because the way Lee was pitching, he would have easily pitched all 9 innings and had a 1-0 win. Instead, the game went to extra innings.
And although it took them until the 10th inning, the offense finally scored some runs. The Dodgers walked the bases loaded and then Hunter Pence came through with a clutch hit for the 2nd day in a row. That singled scored 2 runs and gave the Phillies a 3-1 lead with their closer ready to come in for the bottom of the 10th.
But pitching for his 3rd consecutive day for the 1st time all year, Jonathan Papelbon could not get the job done. He gave up 2 runs allowing the Dodgers to tie the game again. This was a huge blow to the team, especially coming from a guy getting paid $50 million. This was Papelbon’s 3rd blown save of the year; all 3 occurred in the last 7 games that he had save opportunities.
Having depleted their bullpen to get this far in the game, the Phillies were left with few options. By the time the 12th rolled around, rookie Jake Diekman was forced into a second inning of work and he finally gave up a 2-run homer to hand the game to the Dodgers. Diekman is not to blame though; it was unfortunate he had to be put into that situation.
So another great performance from Lee was wasted in this 5-3 loss. The good news is that, despite this loss, the Phillies have won 2 series in a row. They have an off-day today and will return Friday to face the Giants at home.
This next home stand will probably be the determining factor on who stays and who goes before the trade deadline. The Phillies have to win both series to even have a chance. Cross your fingers…
“LIKE” us on Facebookfor more updates & photos!
Photo by Jenn Zambri Photography
Dear Phillies, Please Stop Toying With Our Emotions
After two big wins over the Rockies on Tuesday and Wednesday, the Phillies failed to sweep the series with a loss on Thursday. And the Rockies are a team they very well should have swept.
The first two victories gave fans hope that this struggling team might finally be getting their act together. They played well and showed a winning attitude. But last night’s disaster saw those hopes dashed and frustration set it once again.
It is not that they lost the game. This is baseball; losses happen. The issue is how they lost the game.
Let us begin by looking at the opposing pitcher, Jeff Francis. This guy had a minor league deal with the Reds this year, who finally released him. The Rockies picked him up and Francis had a 12.46 ERA in 2 starts for them coming into this game. This is a guy that the Phillies should have absolutely pounded.
Instead, they left 7 men on base and went 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position. Worse than that, the Phillies continue to fail to score runners from 3rd with less than 2 outs. In the 2nd inning, Jimmy Rollins, who homered to start the game, popped out with 1 out and a man on third. J-Roll had 2 pop-outs and a ground ball double play to go with his solo homer in this game.
Then in the 8th, the Phillies squandered a lead-off double by Ty Wigginton. Hunter Pence struck out swinging at a crap pitch…again. Carlos Ruiz flied out and Shane Victorino popped out to end the inning. Both Pence and Victorino walked back to the dugout to a chorus of boo’s from the frustrated fans who are tired of watching the same mistakes over and over and over…
As for the pitching, Vance Worley and his bone-chip plagued elbow were a bit shaky. But he kept the team in the game and walked off the mound to a 2-1 score with the Phillies trailing. Still, he did all he could.
But the bullpen failed once again. Chad Qualls had a bad inning but escaped without allowing a run thanks to a good defensive play by Ruiz at home plate. Still, Qualls heard the boo’s too as his season has been much worse than you would expect from a veteran bullpen guy.
The problem there is that the rest of the pen is mostly rookies who are clearly not ready for the bigs. Between Jake Diekman and Michael Schwimer, the Rockies padded their lead to a 4-1 score.
Down by 3 runs in the 9th, there would be no comeback on this day as the Phillies went down in order. Yes, right back to the old 2012 ways we have become so accustomed to this season.
A 3-game series with the Rays begins tonight and fans can only pray for a miracle. Cliff Lee will try, once again, to get his first win of the season. Game time is 7:05pm.
“LIKE” us on Facebook for more updates & photos!
Photo by Jenn Zambri Photography
An UnbeLEEvable Let Down
So this is what I get for being optimistic…a clunker from Cliff Lee. Ugh. The Phillies lost the 3-game series to the Red Sox today with a 5-1 loss. Lee still does not have a win on the season, although the previous losses were not his fault.
The offense kept letting Lee down. Today, it was Lee’s turn :O( The first batter he faced smacked a home run to center, which was not a good omen. Through 7 innings, Lee surrendered 5 runs, all of which came in the first 3 innings. Lee found his groove after that, but it was too late.
The offense simply stunk again. Lee created the most excitement at the plate with a double in the 3rd. But while there was plenty of action at second base, the Phillies could not seem to find home plate.
Hunter Pence had two hits in the game and missed what may have been a third hit except that it was lined sharply to first. I do not know why the Red Sox were belly aching about having less defense with David Ortiz at first base due to National League rules, because Big Papi snagged every ball that came his way. He was quite annoying.
But Big Papi also had a little fun with rookie Freddy Galvis when they met at first base. Galvis had one hit in the game and played amazing defense, like usual. And now, he has been officially baptized in the majors as Ortiz appeared to razz him a bit. Although the look on Galvis’ face in the photo to the far right below says about all you need to know about how this game went…
But do you want to know what the real problem with the Phillies offense is? For starters, Jimmy Rollins has been quietly having an awful year. He is batting .229. Shane Victorino is not far off with a .253 average. Essentially, all of the regular starters (meaning, those not on the DL) are underperforming while the “bench” guys or secondary starters are doing most of the damage.
Oh, and the other issue. A photo is worth a thousand words (see photo to the right)…need I say more?
In the “good news” column, Jake Diekman appears to be back on track after one bad outing. He was really sharp as he struck out the side in the 8th inning.
The Phillies squeaked out one run in the bottom of the 8th, but left the bases loaded…again. They seem to be allergic to home plate. Benadryl, anyone? Ah-chooo!
And just in time, when the offense has begun to stink again, here come the Nationals…Game 1 is Monday night at 7:05pm.
Here is the full Photo Album from today’s game.
“LIKE” us on Facebook for more updates & photos!
Photos by Jenn Zambri Photography
5 in a Row!
Winning 5 games in a row seemed an impossible task for the Phillies until now. Their longest win streak of the season previous to this one was only 2 games. They have also gone above the .500 mark for the first time since the first game of the year.
Even having Roy Halladay on the mound has been no guarantee of a win this year as the offense has underperformed. Against the Cubs on Thursday night, Halladay finally got some run support and had a good game himself as well.
Over 8 innings, Halladay allowed 3 runs, 2 of which were solo homers. But he was even hotter at the plate, going 2 for 4 with 2 runs scored. Only 3 other Phillies had multi-hit nights,
One of those guys was Halladay’s battery mate, Carlos Ruiz. To say Ruiz is on fire right now is an understatement. He is scorching every pitch that comes his way. In this game, Ruiz went 4 for 5 with 3 RBI and he is now hitting .363. He even stole a base. Wow.
Juan Pierre continues to nip at Ruiz’s heels with a .343 average and 2 more hits in last night’s game. Pierre also made several outstanding grabs in left field.
But while the offense was cooking and it looked like this game might be a laugher, the all too familiar bullpen monster reared its ugly head again. With an 8-3 lead in the 9th, we saw the other side of rookie Jake Diekman. Two games ago, he was spectacular in his major league debut. But last night, he was the exact opposite…awful.
Diekman walked 2 batters, hit a third batter and then gave up a bases-clearing double. The score narrowed to 8-6 with 2 outs and Jonathan Papelbon had to be brought in to close the game. He allowed an RBI single to the first batter he faced, making the total line for Diekman 4 runs in 2/3 of an inning. Yikes!
Papelbon did finally get the job done, but the final score was a frighteningly close 8-7. And the “other” side of Diekman was not something we would ever like to see again.
So the Phillies are heading home for a 3-game interleague series with the Red Sox. Game 1 starts at 7:05pm tonight.
“LIKE” us on Facebook for more updates & photos!
Photos by Jenn Zambri Photography
From the Minors to The Moon: Extras Help Phillies to a Win
In a 9-2 win over the Cubs Wednesday night, 6 of those 9 runs were produced by pinch hitters. Many of the “extra” pieces the Phillies picked up over the last few weeks contributed to the win.
Even the starting pitcher sort of came “off the bench.” With no warning, Kyle Kendrick was thrust into the starting role when Vance Worley unexpectedly went on the DL with elbow soreness. Kendrick has had a rough year being pushed and pulled from the bullpen to the rotation and back again. But on this night, he managed to pull a great performance seemingly out of the air.
Kendrick allowed only 1 earned run through 6 innings and did walk anyone. He also had an unearned run on a routine fly ball that Juan Pierre dropped in left field. Luckily, that was the only major blunder for the Phillies that night.
It did not look like Kendrick would get much run support as the Phillies took turns leaving men all over the base paths, especially on third base with less than 2 outs. Shane Victorino and Hunter Pence were the worst offenders with 7 and 5 men left on base, respectively. Victorino did manage 1 RBI though while Pence, again, went hitless.
Freddy Galvis and Carlos Ruiz picked up their teammates, both with 2 hits in the game. Ruiz is making a strong bid for an All-Star spot with his team leading .343 average and many clutch hits.
With a 2-2 tie going into the 7th, the Phillies bench came into play in a big way. In his first Phillies at-bat, Mike Fontenot singled and later in the game, scored a run. Ty Wigginton came off the bench in the 9th and gave the Phillies some breathing room with a 2-run single.
But the big blast came from the Moon Man, Hector Luna, in his first Phillies at-bat. “Luna” means “moon” in several languages, including Latin, Italian and Spanish. And Luna went straight to the moon with his first career grand slam in the 9th, giving the Phillies a huge 7 run lead.
Yet another new Phillie entered into the 9th as well. Raul Valdes pitched the bottom of the inning and nailed down the 9-2 win without any drama. The night before, Jake Diekman made his major league debut and got 4 outs to end the game, also minus the usual bullpen drama. These two guys are at opposite ends of the spectrum: one is a rookie and the other an experienced veteran. But together, they may signal very good news for this weak Phillies pen.
And this win is also very good news as the Phillies finally reach the .500 mark at 19-19 for the first time in weeks. They have not been over .500 since Opening Day. Perhaps they can accomplish that task tonight in Game 2 with the Cubs? Game time is 8:05pm.
“LIKE” us on Facebook for more updates & photos!
Photoshopping by Jenn Zambri Photography
Lehigh Valley Train Keeps Rolling as Phillies Finally Win a Game
Falling behind fast in the NL East, the Phillies were more than due for a team shake up which began on Thursday. Over the course of almost 3 days here is who is in and who is out:
COMING IN FROM LEHIGH VALLEY:
LHP Jake Diekman, 25 years old (no major league experience), LHP Raul Valdes, 34 years old (2 years in majors, 6 in minors), Third baseman Hector Luna, 32 years old (parts of 7 years in majors out of 11 years total), 2nd and 3rd baseman Mike Fontenot, 31 years old (6th season in majors out of 8).
OUTTA HERE:
LHP Joe Savery (to Lehigh Valley), RHP Michael Schwimer (to Lehigh Valley when Cliff Lee came off the DL), RHP Brian Sanches (to Lehigh Valley), Catcher Erik Kratz (to Lehigh Valley), Outfielder Laynce Nix (to the 15-day DL with a strained left calf), Oufielder Scott Podsednik (to the Boston Red Sox for cash).
Is your head spinning yet? Here is an analogy for you: Remember years ago when people joked that McDonalds chicken McNuggets were “pieces parts?” You had no idea if you ate one what exact part or grade of chicken you might be getting. That is now the Philadelphia Phillies. They are going to toss out onto the field some “pieces parts” and see what happens. Just call them the “McPhillies.”
Last night’s version of the McPhillies actually tasted ok. Thanks to 3-RBI nights and home runs from both Carlos Ruiz and John Mayberry Jr., things worked out well and ended in a 7-3 win. Freddy Galvis added an RBI as well with a double in the 6th inning.
It appears that Galvis is getting a little better at the plate everyday, which is great news. And Mayberry has a 4-game hitting streak going, which means maybe he is out of the slump. That would be huge for this team because Mayberry can add some real power if he keeps going well.
Vance Worley had a quality start with 3 runs allowed in 6 innings. So the bullpen was going to have to hold the Padres to those 3 runs, which they have been unable to do in many games now. But magically, both Antonio Bastardo and Chad Qualls decided they like their jobs and pitched pretty well. I say magic, but perhaps it was the oncoming lights of the Lehigh Valley train that inspired them?
Whatever it was, it’s a win and we’ll take it. Can the new McPhillies pull off 2 wins in a row? We shall see…game time tonight is 7:05pm.
“LIKE” us on Facebook for more updates & photos!
Photoshopping by Jenn Zambri Photography
Phillies Phollowers
Recent Comments