Results tagged ‘ John Mayberry Jr. ’
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
Phillies Youth Tops Reds
The Phillies topped the Reds on Monday afternoon by a score of 4-2 using a combination of rookies and just a dash of experience. In his second major league start, Tyler Cloyd walked away with the victory. Catcher Steven Lerud collected his first major league win behind the plate in his second appearance. And Phillippe Aumont, in his 4th major league game, got his first major league save.
The three youngsters received support from another rookie making his first game appearance in 2012, Justin De Fratus. De Fratus was expected to make the team out of spring training, but instead spent most of the year on the disabled list with a strained right flexor pronator tendon. In Monday’s win, De Fratus pitched a scoreless 8th inning.
The other main contributor in the game had a little more experience. Jimmy Rollins smashed a 3-run homer in the 5th inning, providing the rookies with much of the offense. John Mayberry Jr. added the fourth run with a solo shot in the 6th.
This turn of events left me wondering…how do the Reds feel about basically being beaten by a minor league team? Rollins helped, so I added him into “Our Gang” here as well (L-R Cloyd, Rollins, Lerud, Aumont):
If you don’t remember the above referenced TV show, clearly you are younger than I am so, congratulations on that ;o)
Besides watching the Phillies win with a bunch of rookies, the best part of this game was Cloyd’s grandmother, who was shown on camera numerous times, hands in the air, doing her grandma happy dance. It was off-the-charts adorable. You go, grandma!
Game 2 with the Reds starts at 7:10pm tonight. Kyle Kendrick will be looking for his 5th consecutive win.
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Aumont, Lerud & Rollins head shots by Jenn Zambri Photography
Unnatural Things: The Phillies Blow a 6-Run Lead
One out away from sweeping the Braves, the Phillies blew it in the 9th last night. One lousy out and closer Jonathan Papelbon could not get it done. Worse, the Phillies allowed a 6 run lead to slip away in a game they should have won. Instead, the 8-7 walk-off loss may haunt the Phillies for some time to come.
There are certain things in life, and in baseball, that should just never happen. Blowing a 6-run lead is one of those things. It is unnatural. It is simply contrary to the laws nature.
And now the Phillies, who may have had a small amount of playoff hope with the momentum of a sweep, are even more clearly out of the race. What team that blows a 6-run lead this late in the year has even a remote shot at making the playoffs? None that I am aware of.
So another Cole Hamels start goes to waste as does another 3-hit game from John Mayberry Jr. The Phillies are now in Cincinnati playing the Reds. Pitcher Tyler Cloyd is making only the 2nd start of his short major league career. Best of luck to him!
In other news, pitcher’s Jake Diekman and Justin DeFratus have both joined the team as September call-ups. They should be available out of the bullpen in this series.
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Papelbon photo by Jenn Zambri Photography
Kratz & Mayberry Propel Phillies to Win
Friday night’s Phillies – Braves game was a little uncomfortable to watch through the first 5 innings as ace pitcher Roy Halladay struggled. Sweaty and red in the face, Halladay looked like he might pass out more than a few times. He gave up 4 runs on 2 homers and 4 walks before being pulled after 4 2/3 innings.
Catcher Erik Kratz did everything humanly possible to help the ailing Halladay, including taking what looked like a heavy-weight title knock-out shot at the plate from Chipper Jones in the 4th inning:
John Mayberry Jr. made a great, on-target throw and, amazingly, Kratz held onto the ball. It was an unbelievable play…but neither Kratz nor Mayberry were done impressing everyone yet.
Down 4-5 going into the 9th inning, the Phillies were going to need a small miracle to get to Braves star closer Craig Kimbrel. But Kratz was again up to the challenge as he took Kimbrel’s fastball deep to left to tie up the game.
That home run sent the game into extra innings where Mayberry stepped in once more to help the Phillies win. Kevin Fransden provided the first spark, staring the 10th off with a single. Later that inning, Mayberry saw one pitch and sent in into the seats for a 3-run homer, handing the Phillies an 8-5 lead.
Closer Jonathan Papelbon nailed down the save, which was the 250th save of his career and 31st this season. The Phillies now sit 8 games out of the Wild Card race. Not that the playoffs are a real possibility at this point, but just thought I would mention it. At the very least, they should aim to make life more difficult for the Braves. Game time today is 4:05pm.
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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
Where Has This Phillies Team Been All Year?
The Phillies put a brutal 12-5 beating on the Cincinnati Reds last night. So where has this ball-pounding Phillies team been all year long? Oh that’s right; they have been on the disabled list. Sad.
In fact, let us take a look at the 2012 Phillies path to destruction:
That is a lot of injuries. But with Placido Polanco returning yesterday, the Phillies now have most of their starters back, although some of them from the beginning of the season went to other teams in trades. And guys like Domonic Brown and Juan Pierre are making this look like a real line-up once again.
Unfortunately, it is probably too little, too late.
Still, any victory is a happy one. And the Phillies stomping all over the Reds last night was certainly fun to watch. And everyone in the line-up contributed. John Mayberry Jr. is suddenly on fire; he had 3 hits, including a 2-run homer. Pierre also had 3 hits and 2 stolen bases. Everyone in the starting line-up had at least one hit, which has been rare this year.
Roy Halladay did not get a hit, and he did not pitch very well either. But it did not matter. The 5 runs he allowed were easily swept under the proverbial rug since the offense kept on scoring. They scored in every inning except the 2nd, so each run Halladay gave up did not seem like a big issue.
The Phillies will go at the Reds again tonight and they will have a new, interesting player on the staff for this one. Remember that awful Cliff Lee trade a few years back…well, one of the fruits of that goof-up is now on the roster. Phillippe Aumont will take Jeremy Horst’s place on the roster as Horst is now on paternity leave for 3 days.
Aumont has had issues. His control is not great and he is an emotional guy, easily rattled at times. He has posted a 4.26 ERA in Triple-A this year. I guess this is the Phillies way of throwing him into the fire to see if he burns. Best of luck to him! Game time is 7:05pm.
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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
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
Sellout Streak Ends as Phillies Lose to the Braves Again
It was fun while it lasted, but we all knew it would come to an end sometime. The Phillies home sellout streak came to a close yesterday with a total of 257 consecutive games and 273 including the postseason. That means if you were at Sunday’s game like I was, you are now part of history: Game #257. It was the last day of a great era in Phillies baseball.
Jimmy Rollins told the media, “That’s a lot of baseball games. There’s been a lot of winning in that time. Hopefully, they enjoyed it as much as we did.” That last sentence has an air of finality to it, almost like a funeral. It is sad to see it end, although 41,000 people in attendance is still not too shabby.
But if the Phillies want behinds in the seats, they are going to have to show a lot more effort than they did last night in a 6-1 loss to the Braves. The only Phillies run of the game was a solo homer from John Mayberry Jr. The rest of the offense was mostly quiet.
Vance Worley did not have a good night either. Bothered by a tummy bug of some sort, the Vanimal was not his usual animal self. He was pulled after only 3 2/3 innings with 4 runs allowed. The bullpen tacked on 2 more runs later and with the way this team has played all year, there was no recovering from a hole that deep.
It was a fitting end to a game that marked the end of the sellout crowds. But the Phillies still have reasons to play hard this season. The first thing they should be playing for is pride. They should also be stepping it up for the loyal fans that have supported them all these years. No one wants to sit around in 95 degree heat to watch them sleepwalk through a game.
Finally, and sadly, they need to play for 2013 tickets sales. The bottom line, after all, is still the bottom line.
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