Results tagged ‘ Nationals ’
Unproductive Phillies Offense Leads to Series Loss
The month of June did not start off as the Phillies may have hoped. After a win on Monday, the Phils went on to lose two straight to the lowly, last place Washington Nationals by a score of 2-1.
Domonic Brown was almost the hero as he blasted a shot to left center that should have scored the three runners on base at the time. But the Nats left fielder, Laynce Nix, ripped the Superman cape right off Brown’s back, put it on himself and literally flew through the air to snatch the ball out of no-man’s land. Nix won the tug-o-war battle.
That catch will be on highlight reels all week. Nix also hit the go-ahead home run off pitcher Roy Oswalt. He was a one-man wrecking crew.
Oswalt had a descent game, allowing just the two runs. He was pulled early after five innings in order to send Brown in with the bases loaded, after which Brown was robbed of that big hit.
The real disappointment, however, was watching the Phillies offense revert back to old habits. They had only five hits in the game, went 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position and left 9 men on base. Ryan Howard had two of the five hits. No one collected an RBI as the lone run scored after a Nats error.
Chase Utley is another concern. He is hitting only .194 since coming off the DL. And although he appears healthy, his swing is simply not there. That is especially concerning when you remember that the only thing Utley was able to do the entire time he was injured was hit.
The Phillies have a day off tomorrow to lick their wounds, but things do not get much better on Friday. They are headed to Pittsburgh and recent history shows the Phillies have a rough time there. Despite the Pirates fielding fairly awful teams over the years, the Phillies simply play badly in Pittsburgh. They better hope that changes.
Shane Victorino should be back for the series, which will hopefully be a nice boost for the offense. However, who will be sent down to make room?
My feeling is that John Mayberry Jr. has to stay, as he is the only suitable center field back-up who can match Victorino’s defense. Brown should be here to stay. Michael Martinez is a Rule-5 and the Phils do not want to lose him. But Ross Gload is injured. He can hit, but cannot run or play the field. If it were up to me, he’d be going on the DL to make room.
Another option is pitcher Mike Zagurski, but it seems like the Phillies want an extra pitcher around. However, Zagurski still has not shown he is a major leaguer.
It is a tough decision. Glad I do not have to make it :O)
Photoshopping by Jenn Zambri Photography
*Read more about the Phillies at my other home page, Phightin’ Phils Phorum in the MTR Media network*
Cliff Lee Imposter Tanks Against Nats?
Who was that pitcher on the mound for the Phillies Tuesday night? Certainly it could not be Cliff Lee. At least not the one we are used to. He must be an imposter!
After a careful review of the statistics, the mystery Lee went only 5.1 innings, allowing six runs on seven hits to a last place Nationals team. He also walked three batters and gave up two home runs.
Upon witnessing this disastrous outing, I can come to only one conclusion: Cliff Lee has been abducted by aliens. They are conducting a number of probing experiments on him in order to clone the near-perfect pitcher. This totally explains why an imposter was sent in his place to give up six runs in less than six innings.
Perhaps many do not agree with my assessment. However, I assure you that the alternative is much more difficult to swallow. Cliff Lee had a horrible game? Against a crappy team?? No way. Aliens…I tell you, it must be aliens.
On the other hand, many pitchers sucked without alien intervention. Danys Baez has been returned to earth after a spectacular five innings in last week’s 19-inning marathon. On this night, Baez coughed up three runs in just one inning.
And then lefty Mike Zagurski, called up to take Vance Worley’s roster spot, walked the opposing pitcher, gave up one run and another walk in just one inning. Zagurski has been given a plethora of chances in the Bigs over the years. But each time, despite doing well in the minors, he tanks as soon as he is called up.
The offense took the night off as well, apparently refusing to play with imposter aliens. The only excitement was when Domonic Brown and John Mayberry Jr. smacked back-to-back homers in the fifth.
So the Phils went down in flames by a score of 10-2…against the Nationals. Ugh. Well, tomorrow is another day and with any luck, the aliens have returned the real Cliff Lee and maybe will visit the Marlins or Braves next. ;o)
Lee Photo by Jenn Zambri Photography
*Read more about the Phillies at my other home page, Phightin’ Phils Phorum in the MTR Media network*
A Hot Win In D.C. For The Phillies
Hot may not be an accurate word to describe the Phillies day in D.C. where they beat the Nationals by a score of 5-4. Perhaps scorching, boiling or searing would be appropriate terminology.
But despite the 95 degree heat, Roy Halladay kept pushing for a win. He did not have an easy time either. Through seven innings, Doc gave up four runs, three of which were solo homers. But this time, the offense helped Halladay out.
Balls went flying off the bats like grenades in the sweltering heat:
The Nationals kept pace as the Phillies gained and lost the lead in the game like a see-saw. But not even ex-Phillie Jayson Werth could stop this Raul Ibanez homer. Ryan Howard hit one as well. The other photo is Werth striking out, just for fun:
The Phillies also showed a lot of hustle on the base paths. Although Placido Polanco is out by just a step in the photo below, he ran the play out hard:
And Chase Utley was all over the field. It looks like he is going full throttle at second, jumping, leaping and diving to make plays. One of the key defensive plays in the game came in the seventh. Halladay had put runner on first and third with no outs and managed to pick off Alex Cora, who wandered too far off third on a fielder’s choice.
That play probably saved the game for the Phillies. And here are a few other nice ones as well:
Once Halladay was out of the game, the bullpen did a nice job holding the 5-4 lead for him. Antonio Bastardo and Jose Contreras took the eighth and Ryan Madson closed it in the ninth:
Here is the full Photo Album from the game Tuesday afternoon. It includes a lot of nice pre-game shots, the President’s race and more.
Game two with the Nats is Tuesday night at 7:05pm. Cliff Lee will pitch.
Also as a side note, Vance Worley has been sent back to Triple-A to get more innings under his belt. No word yet on a replacement, although it is possible that the Phillies add a bullpen piece and use Kyle Kendrick as a starter.
Photos by Jenn Zambri Photography
*Read more about the Phillies at my other home page, Phightin’ Phils Phorum in the MTR Media network*
Phillies Sweep Nats With Another Great Halladay Performance
Happy Cinco De Mayo! To celebrate, Roy Halladay pitched another great game and the Phillies swept another series, taking the Nationals down in three-straight games with a 7-3 victory.
Through seven innings, Halladay was his usual, amazing self. He allowed only two runs on six hits while striking out 10 batters.
The Phillies offense broke the game open in the third inning, scoring six runs and chasing Nats starter John Lannan out of the game before even recording an out in the inning. Lannan is now 0-10 against the Phillies in his career while Halladay is the polar opposite against the Nats with 10 wins.
Raul Ibanez led the offense tonight. He is so happy to be out of the slump that his bat was on fire. Ibanez went 3 for 4 with a double and a home run plus three RBI. The home run was hit off Nats pitcher, Todd Coffee, which went into the second deck in right center field.
Right before the home run, Coffee was mysteriously stricken with a bloody nose, which delayed the game. The Nats trainer stuffed tissue up his nose as they waiting for the bleeding to stop. What exactly started the bleed? My guess is that Coffee had a mind-blowing, brain-straining premonition of the upcoming Ibanez homer. Quick, someone get that man a tampon before he bleeds all over the mound! Gross.
All of the starting position players except Ryan Howard had a hit in the game. And two players hit career milestones at exactly the same time. With a double steal in the sixth, Jimmy Rollins collected his 250th career stolen base. And for Shane Victorino, it was his 150th career stolen base.
Before the game, Roy Oswalt returned and threw a bullpen session. He is probably going to start on Saturday, but nothing is official yet. Oswalt spent just over a week in his home town in Mississippi helping clean up after tornado damage and checking on his family, all of whom are just fine, thankfully.
A new series starts tomorrow with the Atlanta Braves. Cliff Lee will pitch against Derek Lowe, who was arrested for DUI and reckless driving last Thursday. This is just one of the recent Braves personal disasters. Earlier this week, Braves pitching coach Roger McDowell was suspended two weeks without pay for making lewd gestures and homophobic remarks at a group of fans during a game.
***Important Blog FYI: The entire MLBlogs community is going to be switched to a WordPress format beginning on Friday, May 6. The transition may last through Monday night, May 9. All MLBlogs writers will be unable to post and you will be unable to access any MLBlogs during this transition. So do not panic if this and other blogs suddenly disappear during that weekend…we will be back :O)***
Go Phillies!
Ibanez photo by Jenn Zambri Photography
*Read more about the Phillies at my other home page, Phightin’ Phils Phorum in the MTR Media network*
Worley Whips The Nats
Game two against the Nationals was a very good day for young pitcher Vance Worley. Filling in for the injured starter, Joe Blanton, Worley made his second start of the year tonight and notched his second win.
Through six innings, Worley allowed only one run on four hits with one hit batter. He also smacked a single into left and later scored in the fifth inning. Worley has been so good, some may be wishing that Blanton really takes his time coming back.
By the way, have you all seen the new Vance Worley fan club? They call themselves “Worley’s Warriors.” So is it just me, or do they look less like warriors and more like a Mariachi Band?
Anyway, the offense did their job tonight as well. Raul Ibanez put the final touches on a newly busted slump, going 3 for 4 with a solo homer. While his batting average will take some time to recover, currently at .194, the hitting funk is officially over.
Jimmy Rollins had a nice day as well, relishing his return to the lead-off spot with two hits, an RBI and a walk. Also with two hits, Brian Schneider continues to fill in for the ailing Carlos Ruiz. And Shane Victorino collected two RBI.
The best part of the offense tonight was watching the Phillies go around the diamond one base at a time in the sixth inning to score four runs. The small ball is back and the Phillies are scoring again.
Another return tonight was that of J.C. Romero, fresh off a rehab assignment. Romero pitched a clean seventh inning and appears to be in very good shape. Upon being added to the roster, pitcher David Herndon, who has been struggling, was optioned to AAA.
The Phillies went on to win by a score of 7-4 after Danys Baez allowed a 3-run homer in the 9th. Ugh.
FYI – Our old buddy Jayson Werth has had only one hit in the series so far.
The final game of the series is Thursday night at 7:05pm. Roy Halladay will pitch.
Side note: Matt Stairs, now with the Nationals, got his 100th career pinch hit tonight. Congrats, Matt!
***Important Blog FYI: The entire MLBlogs community is going to be switched to a WordPress format beginning on Friday, May 6. The transition may last through Monday night, May 9. All MLBlogs writers will be unable to post and you will be unable to access any MLBlogs during this transition. So do not panic if this and other blogs suddenly disappear during that weekend…we will be back :O)***
Go Phillies!
Hamels Hammers Nats as Werth Returns to Philly
As the Washington Nationals came to town, so did Jayson Werth. In his first return to Philly since departing for “greener” pastures, Werth stepped to the plate amidst some boo’s from the fans. But within seconds, the cheers silenced the boo’s and Werth was welcomed back with the thanks he deserved for helping to bring Philly a World Championship in 2008.
Werth earned a little more love after the tip of his cap as he misplayed a ball that ended up as a triple for Jimmy Rollins. He subsequently made an off-line throw home, allowing Rollins to score on a Placido Polanco sac fly.
Rollins led off today, with Shane Victorino and then Polanco to follow. Shaky up the line-up a bit and putting J-Roll back in his comfort zone was likely meant to spark the offense, which has been sleepy for a while.
Raul Ibanez finally broke his hitless streak tonight which ended at 0-35. He hit a double in the fourth inning. That streak tied as second worst hitless streak for a Phillie; Joe Morgan went 0-35 in 1983 and Desi Relaford still holds the #1 spot with his 0-36 in 1998.
Although the streak was broken, Ibanez still left the bases loaded in the fifth inning. He swung at the first pitch after Nats pitcher Livan Hernandez had just walked the previous batter. But Ibanez was redeemed in the seventh with an RBI-double. Those two hits had to feel really good after an 0-35 stretch.
But luckily for the Phillies, Cole Hamels was not just pitching tonight; he was hitting as well. Hamels whacked a two-out triple in the third. Rollins then knocked him in for the first run of the night.
In the fourth, another odd thing happened. The Nationals intentionally walked Pete Orr, who had batted .154 in his previous four games, to load the bases. Then with a 2-0 count in his favor, catcher Brian Schneider swung and gave the Nats the double play they were hoping for.
But Hamels kept the team in the game, allowing only four hits in his first seven innings. In the bottom of the seventh, the Phillies added on a few runs for a 4-1 lead. Then in the eighth, Hamels smacked his second hit of the night, a single. Yes, the pitcher was a mere homer and double away from hitting for the cycle ;o)
But Hamels did not need to hit for the cycle to impress. He stayed in for the ninth and got his first complete game of the year, while only allowing one run. But I am willing to bet he is still prouder of the two hits ;o)
Roy Oswalt was supposed to start today, but he is still in Mississippi taking care of tornado damage at his house. The Phillies had enough days off to move the rotation up a day, which worked out just fine for Hamels. FYI – Oswalt will be back for his next start.
But first, Vance Worley will make his second start of the year tomorrow. Game time is 7:05pm.
***Important Blog FYI: The entire MLBlogs community is going to be switched to a WordPress format beginning on Friday, May 6. The transition may last through Monday night, May 9. All MLBlogs writers will be unable to post and you will be unable to access any MLBlogs during this transition. So do not panic if this and other blogs suddenly disappear during that weekend…we will be back :O)***
Go Phillies!
Photo by Jenn Zambri Photography
*Read more about the Phillies at my other home page, Phightin’ Phils Phorum in the MTR Media network*
Phillies Win Fourth Consecutive Series With Win Over Nats
Phillies pitcher Cliff Lee needed a solid bounce-back game tonight after his last start was a small disaster. Against the Nationals in the third game of the series, Lee did more than bounce back. He pretty much destroyed the Nats line-up, one batter at a time.
Over nine innings in a complete game, Lee allowed only three hits, no runs, 1 walk and struck out 12 batters. The Nats bats looked baffled at the plate. At this rate, teams may have to start a support group soon for players who are totally humiliated by this Phillies pitching staff. They can call it C.R.A.P.P, Cannot Rally Against Phillies Pitching.
Lee’s competition, Jordan Zimmerman, kept up with Lee through five innings. He had a no-hitter going until the sixth when Carlos Ruiz smashed a home run to left. With one swing, the no-hitter was gone and Phillies took a 1-0 lead. Shane Victorino scored later that same inning on a Placido Polanco single.
Zimmerman was pulled in the eighth after both Carlos Ruiz and Wilson Valdez singled and Lee reached on an error to load the bases. A ground out followed by a Jimmy Rollins single scored two more runs, increasing the Phillies lead to 4-0.
The Nats, in a four-run hole in the bottom of the ninth, attempted a comeback with a lead-off single. But Lee shut them down. Our old buddy Jayson Werth made the last out, which was the icing on the cake.
The win tonight means the Phillies have taken two out of three games in D.C. this week. This marks their fourth consecutive series win to start the season. It also marked the first time the Phillies had back-to-back complete games since May of 1999.
The Phils go back home to face the Marlins tomorrow. Roy Oswalt will pitch and game time is 7:05pm.
Photo by Jenn Zambri Photography
*Read more about the Phillies at my other home page, Phightin’ Phils Phorum in the MTR Media network*
Halladay Never Quits As He Dodges A Big Bullet
Tonight’s Phillies game against the Nationals looked more like a game of dodgeball than baseball. Bats and balls were flying everywhere as players dodged out of the way or dropped the ball like it was on fire.
In the fourth inning, Jimmy Rollins reached base when Ian Desmond dropped an easy ground ball. One batter later, Desmond nearly football tackled Rollins who was on his way to third base. As J-Roll rolled to the ground, the umpire called interference on Desmond and Rollins was safe at third.
Both Rollins and Ryan Howard had ball-handling issues as well. The ball got stuck in each of their gloves at one point but they each recovered.
More flying objects threatened in the bottom of the fourth inning. Danny Espinosa shattered his bat on a swing and pieces of the bat flew right at Roy Halladay, who was standing defenseless on the mound. Luckily, the bat just grazed his glove. Right behind him, Wilson Valdez fielded the ball cleanly despite the flying debris an turned and amazing double play to end the inning.
Ryan Howard tried to dodge a ball in the fifth when pitcher John Lannan hit him in the hand. Nightmares of Chase Utley’s broken hand in 2007, who was also hit by Lannan, swirled in the air. But Howard was fine and a run was walked home as a result.
Oh, and Roy Halladay was pretty good tonight, too. With the offense spotting him three runs, Halladay mowed down Nats batters one by one. Even Jayson Werth, who was great on Tuesday night, could not dodge the bullets from his former teammate.
Werth finally got a hit in the ninth inning, as Halladay was then the one trying to dodge a bullet. With one run in, Werth on third and only one out in a 3-1 game, Charlie Manuel went to the mound to get Halladay who it appears, refused to leave. Manuel gave Halladay his wish and left him in. The next batter hit an infield single to cut the Phils lead to 3-2.
Still, Halladay stayed on the mound. Next up was another former Phillies, Matt Stairs. Normally one who swings away, Stairs froze as three straight strikes flew by. Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez suffered the same fate as he struck out looking to end the game, despite protests to the umpire.
The Phillies won by a score of 3-2. As for Roy Halladay, bullet dodged.
Late Rally Comes Up Short For Phillies
The big story before today’s Phillies – Nationals match-up was the reunion with Jayson Werth who left for a larger payday this past offseason. While Werth heard some boos from the Phillies fans who generally overrun Nationals Stadium, he also got the last laugh…for today, anyway.
Werth had two hits, including a double and a home run. He also walked once and scored twice. The boos either did not bother him or he found it to be motivating.
As for starter Joe Blanton, in his second attempt of the year, he faltered again. Blanton allowed five runs over seven innings to an anemic Nationals team. His 10.45 ERA is disturbing, although, it is still early in the season. Regardless, losing to the lowly Nationals is never fun.
And the Phillies offense did little to help Blanton. They seemed puzzled against veteran Livan Hernandez. Ryan Howard touched him up for a homer in the second inning, but hits after that were hard to come by and certainly were not timely.
In the seventh, after three straight singles and only one out, both John Mayberry Jr. and Shane Victorino struck out to end the threat. In the bottom of the inning, Antonio Bastardo walked a run home to make the score 6-1.
The Phillies tried again to rally against the Nats bullpen in the eighth. But although they got some runners on base and two runs scored, one on a ground ball and another on a wild pitch, it was not enough. The Phils went on to lose by a final score of 7-4.
Roy Halladay will take the mound tomorrow and try to hold down Werth and the Nats. Game time is 7:05pm.
Photo by Jenn Zambri Photography
*Read more about the Phillies at my other home page, Phightin’ Phils Phorum in the MTR Media network*
To Boo Or Not To Boo: What Reception Will Jayson Werth Get From Phillies Fans?
Much has been made out of Jayson Werth’s offseason departure from the Phillies after accepting a huge $126 million, 7-year deal from the Nationals. On Tuesday night, Werth will face his former team for the first time as the Phillies travel to D.C. for a three-game series.
Some fans have expressed their disappointment that Werth chose a big paycheck over staying with a winning team. After all, Cliff Lee gave up more money from the Yankees to come back to Philadelphia.
But in the same circumstance, most people would take the money. And the offer Werth got from the Nats was significantly more than the Phillies offered. So can you really blame him?
Money aside, there may be other reasons that Phillies fans feel the need to boo Werth. For example, this past February, Thomas Boswell of the Washington Post quoted Werth as saying, “I hate the Phillies, too,” in response to a comment made by Washington GM Mike Rizzo.
Then in late March, an interview with Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. by nick DiUlio of Philadelphia Magazine revealed more angry words by Werth. Amaro stated he received a text message from Werth after the Lee signing that said, “BOOOOOOOO!”
The next part of the same article read as follows: “That reaction from Jayson was funny,” says Amaro in his office in February, again flashing that smile. “He was pissed*off. He had just signed with Washington. He said to me, ‘You dum*bass. You could’ve had both of us.’ And I said, ‘You’re the dum*bass. You could have taken our arbitration offer.’”
While Werth is clearly sore over the deal, should fans be sore about Werth’s reaction?
Maybe.
But a few childish and angry words should not overshadow what Werth contributed to the Phillies team over four seasons. He helped them win the 2008 World Championship, played solid defense and added some pop to the line-up.
While Werth’s choice of words could be perceived as blatant disrespect for a team and a fan base that always had his back, the words were spoken out of shock and likely, disappointment.
Games in D.C. against the Phillies have been traditionally overrun with Phillies fans in the past several years. So, despite this being a home game for the Nats, Phillies fans will be heard.
So the question then remains, to boo or not to boo? Booing is not really my style, but each person is free to make their own choice. Ultimately, I hope Werth hears more cheers than boos out of appreciation for the time he was in Philadelphia.
And if you would really like Werth to feel bad about his poor choices of words this offseason, there is no better way than offering up a loud, hearty cheer to make him regret the indiscretion.
Photo by Jenn Zambri Photography
*Read more about the Phillies at my other home page, Phightin’ Phils Phorum in the MTR Media network*
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