Results tagged ‘ Ryan Howard ’
The Doc Operates on the Red Birds
It seems like a very long time since we have seen a really good Phillies game. But with Roy Halladay on the mound last night looking like the ace that he is, it felt like old times again.
After a year of struggles and injury, Halladay appears to be at 100% finally. Against the World Champion Cardinals Friday night, he pitched 8 innings and allowed only 2 hits, one of which was a solo homer. That would be the only run of the night for the Cards.
The Phillies are in the process of finding out exactly what they have for next year. Halladay’s performance was a huge boost in that regard. They also tooled around in the outfield, moving guys here and there like a roulette wheel to see which one might hit the jackpot.
As a result, Nate Schierholtz played center field for the first time in his MLB career. Domonic Brown started in right and then both guys got shuffled around later in the game. Even with all the changes, everyone held their own pretty well.
Brown knocked in the first run for the Phillies with a single in the second that scored Ryan Howard. The other 2 runs scored on an 8th inning 2-run homer from Chase Utley. He hit the ball so hard it went into the upper deck of the bullpen in center field. It looks like Utley has also found his groove again.
The pitching was excellent for both teams, but the Utley homer won the game for the Phillies who walked away with a 3-1 victory. Game 2 starts tonight at 7:05pm. Cliff Lee will pitch and try to keep pace with the Doc’s amazing performance.
And a quick congratulations to former catcher Mike Lieberthal who was inducted into the Phillies Wall of Fame last night! Lieby looked both humbled and honored as he accepted the award and thanked the fans for their support. Congrats to him…a well deserved honor!
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Photo by Jenn Zambri Photography
Phillies Pitching Frustrating Once Again
The Phillies lost in spectacularly bad fashion by a score of 12-6 against the Braves last night, losing the 3 game series. Kyle Kendrick went only 3 1/3 innings while giving up 6 runs on 7 hits and 3 walks. Kendrick looked like he was sleepwalking through the game. He was awful.
The only thing worse than Kyle Kendrick’s pitching was his post-game interview. Nearly all of Kendrick’s stammerings after games give off an uncalled for air of righteous indignation, which is infuriating. Last night, he dropped this gem on the press: “I guess that’s how it is with me. It’s been, ‘What have you done for me lately?’.”
Aww, poor baby. Are those mean people picking on you, Kyle? Seriously? His reaction to totally sucking is to point out that people are unhappy when he sucks? Please excuse me while I vomit…
The most irritating part about Kendrick is that we all know he can pitch. We have seen him do it. But when he goes bad, he goes really bad and it almost seems as if he could care less. And so continues our ongoing frustration with Kendrick.
But even after those 6 runs, the Phillies battled back. Jimmy Rollins led the game off with a homer. Kevin Fransden had 2 hits and some nice plays at 3rd base. And Ryan Howard mashed a 3-run homer in the 5th to tie the game up.
However, mega frustration #2 showed up again after that: Antonio Bastardo. This kid should NOT be pitching in the 8th inning anymore. He clearly has lost whatever mojo he had last season. Bastardo gave up 3 more runs and then Josh Lindblom, newly acquired from the Dodgers, tacked on 3 more. Disgusting. Especially after the offense battled back like that, this was a serious kick in the gut.
The Phillies will have the day off today to wallow in this sickening loss before having to face the World Champion Cardinals on Friday. We can only hope that series will be better than this one.
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Photo by Jenn Zambri Photography
Hamels Ends Losing Streak Against Braves
It appears that Cole Hamels has found his groove again, and just in time to end a long Phillies losing streak against the division rival Braves. Prior to Tuesday night, the Braves had won 7 straight against the struggling Phils.
But once Hamels snapped out of his pitching slump, he made easy work out of Atlanta’s line-up. He pitched a 5-hit, complete game shut-out with 6 strike outs and no walks allowed. Yes, Super-Hamels has returned to his $144 million dollar form.
Ryan Howard also channeled his younger, healthier self with a 2-run bomb in the 1st inning. The Big Piece is indeed still in there somewhere, which is a very good sign for next season. Once his Achilles is fully healed, Howard should be getting right back to making opposing pitchers cry.
And Domonic Brown continues to show he belongs in the majors, along with a few flashes of why it has taken so long. Brown hit a double in the first, right before the Howard homer, and he also worked a walk later in the game. Brown played solid defense, but also made some base running errors. The double was really a single that he stretched out, but he would have been thrown out if the fielder had not dropped the ball. Brown also failed to tag on a long fly ball to center in that same inning. So there are still some growing pains, but overall, things are looking up for Brown.
And of course, Erik Kratz continues on his torrid pace at the plate. With 2 hits again last night, Kratz is now hitting .406 in 32 at-bats so far.
So while 2012 is a wash, the future may potentially be looking a bit brighter. Game 3 with the Braves starts tonight at 7:05pm and Kyle Kendrick will pitch.
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Photo by Jenn Zambri Photography
Howard Turns Boos to Cheers in Walk-Off Win
Since returning after spending half the season on the DL, Ryan Howard has not had much luck getting his bat going. He struck out 3 times in today’s Phillies - Diamondbacks game and each time, the boos got louder. But in the 9th, Howard would redeem himself with a walk-off single to hand the Phillies a 5-4 victory and the series win.
Prior to that, Howard was not the only one hearing the boo birds. Cliff Lee had a rough 2nd inning where he gave up back-to back homers to guys at the bottom of the D-Backs line-up. His battery mate, Erik Kratz, tried to help him out with 2 hits and an RBI in the game, but Lee is becoming notorious for these odd ups and downs.
In case you missed it, catcher Carlos Ruiz is on the DL with a partial tear due to plantar fasciitis in his left foot. So we will be seeing a lot of Kratz in the next 4-6 weeks.
The rest of the team sprinkled some offense here and there. Chase Utley smashed a solo homer in the 5th. And Domonic Brown went 2-for-4, which is a very good sign.
Brown also took flight on his way to 2nd base for a double. It is not a bird or a plane, it is Super-Dom:
The Phillies also took advantage of D-Backs errors while managing to avoid most of their own recent blunders.
A run scored in the 8th to tie the game, which was the result of a D-Backs throwing error. That set up the walk-off from Howard in the 9th. Here is the full Photo Album from the game.
Tomorrow the Braves come to town, and although the Phillies have little to play for right now, a little revenge from the sweep last week may be in order. Vance Worley will pitch; game time is 7:05pm.
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Photos by Jenn Zambri Photography
A New Era of Phillies Baseball Begins
Now that the dust has settled on baseball’s trade deadline, there is a lot of information to absorb and process. And for the Phillies and their fans, there are a lot of emotions involved as well. I think Ryan Howard summed it up best when he told beat writer Todd Zolecki, “Shane’s been here for a long time. Like I said, (he) was a very big part of this club. It is weird not seeing his face. It’s weird not seeing Hunter. But that’s how baseball works sometimes.”
“Weird” is an excellent description. Everyone expected major change because of this backwards Phillies season, but it is still strange to see a guy like Shane Victorino in another uniform after being such an integral part of this team for so long. He was indeed the “personality” of the team as well during their better days; loose, fun and fiery.
Shane was also open, honest and easily approachable, something many fans really appreciated. I had the great pleasure of spending time with him and his wife Melissa on several Phillies Cruise’s and can tell you they are wonderful, generous people. I wish Shane and his family all the best; they will be missed.
As for Hunter Pence, his energy will be missed. But honestly, I won’t miss his free-swinging and awkward plate approach; it totally stressed me out! But I am sure he will be a big help to the Giants; best of luck to him!
So what did the Phillies really get in return for all these moves? Well first, they dumped some salary which will help keep them under the luxury tax this year. They also got 5 new players; 2 major leaguers and 3 prospects.
The 2 major leaguers who will join the Phillies today are right-handed relief pitcher Josh Lindblom and outfielder Nate Schierholtz. Lindblom has a 3.02 ERA in 48 games this year and should be able to help out the bullpen right away. Schierholtz is a platoon player and lifetime .270 hitter. He will be a huge defensive upgrade over Pence, but an offensive downgrade.
The 3 prospects are right-handed relief pitcher Ethan Martin, catcher Tommy Joseph and right-hander Seth Rosin. Martin was the #7 prospect in the Dodgers top 20 and a former 1st round pick. He is probably a few years away from the majors.
Joseph is an interesting prospect; he was #5 in the Giants top 20 and a 2012 Futures Gamer. He is highly touted as a power-hitting run producer with a strong arm. He will likely either take over for Carlos Ruiz after the 2013 season or be used as trade bait in the off-season. Ruben Amaro Jr. has already gotten calls from other teams about him.
And finally, Rosin was #19 in the Giants top 20 with a fastball in the mid-to-upper 90’s. He has a 4.31 ERA so far this season.
These are obviously not mind-blowing pick-ups, but Amaro seems to have gotten as much as would be expected by these moves. So now we get to see if Domonic Brown and John Mayberry Jr. have what it takes to be everyday players. How these 2 guys play will determine many off-season moves for the Phillies.
In the meantime, this team still will keep on playing. Oddly enough, yesterday’s moves seem to have given the Phillies a little spark as they routed the 1st place Nationals 8-0. Now that the pressure is off and they are not expected to climb out of this huge hole, we may see some better baseball.
Mayberry looked like a new man last night with 2 hits and a walk. New Phillie Kevin Fransden played amazing defense at 3rd base and whacked a 2-run homer. And Juan Pierre had 3 hits, although that is not unusual for him.
But the most exciting play of the game was a 2-run inside-the-park homer from Jimmy Rollins. He sped around the bases so fast, he scored standing.
All of a sudden, the Phillies had everything working. Even the pitching was going well as Cliff Lee finally notched his 2nd win of the year with 7 scoreless innings. Now that is the Lee we have been missing lately.
So here are the new Phillies…for now. Wouldn’t it be nice if, just for spite, they could sweep the Nationals? Ok, maybe I am dreaming…but still hoping for better baseball ahead!
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Photos 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
Together Again, Phillies Sluggers Turn Back Time
After a very unusual start to the 1st inning in last night’s Phillies and Brewers match-up, Chase Utley and Ryan Howard reunited in a way that appeared to turn time back to better days. They went back-to-back with solo home runs and just that quickly, it was like old times again. Ah, together again…
In fact most of this previously lame Phillies squad is back off the DL and as a result, they are starting to turn things around. Last night’s walk-off win was the second in row for the Phillies and also their first comeback win when trailing after 8 innings this season. Prior to this, they were 0-42 when losing after 8 innings.
This game began in a very odd way though. Roy Halladay was not his normal, studley self. He gave up 2 runs in the first inning before Howard and Utley countered with their solo blasts.
Even stranger was what happened to Shane Victorino before those home runs. Ex-Phillies pitcher Randy Wolf hit Victorino in the funny bone with a pitch; because he turned his shoulder to in an attempt to get out of the way, the 1st base umpire apparently got confused and called him out on strikes. Replay showed that Victorino came nowhere near to swinging at the pitch.
Both Victorino, in obvious pain, and manager Charlie Manuel argued his case to no avail. Once again, an idiot umpire would cost the Phillies a base runner and, after the homers, it cost them an extra run. Even worse, Victorino’s hand went numb after the hit to the elbow and he had to be removed from the game. He says he is fine now and should be able to play tonight; the ball just struck a nerve in the wrong place.
The umpire idiocy did not end there either. Howard’s obvious solo shot was initially ruled a double after the ball bounced back onto the field out of the left field flower beds. They had to go to replay to get the call overturned. But it was quite apparent to the naked eye that the ball left the yard. I guess the umpire went temporarily blind; an affliction which seems to be contagious. And all that happened in the first inning.
By the 4th inning, things were getting out of hand as Halladay continued to self-destruct and allowed 4 more runs for a 6-2 Phillies deficit. But for the second day in a row, the bullpen came through and held the score there. And that set up the Phillies 1st comeback win after 8 innings all season long.
With 1 out in the 9th, the Phillies were still 4 runs behind and down to their final 2 outs when suddenly, the clock turned backwards again. The Phillies offense began channeling their 2008 selves. Jimmy Rollins drew a walk followed by a Juan Pierre single. Utley walked; Howard singled in 2 runs; Carlos Ruiz singled in another and Hunter Pence followed with another walk.
With still only 1 out in the inning and a man on third, all the Phillies needed was a sac fly. Most of the year, the Phillies have been unable to accomplish this seemingly routine task. But on this throwback night, Ty Wigginton summoned his inner super-Wigginess and sent a line drive to left which scored pinch-runner Erik Kratz.
And just like that, the Phillies have found themselves on the comeback trail. Like J-Roll said after Sunday’s win, it is time to start streaking…
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Photos by Jenn Zambri Photography
Phillies Escape Sweep With 12-Inning Walk-Off Win
It was nice to finally see some smiles at the ballpark today as the Phillies walked-off with a 4-3 win in 12 innings over the Giants. When the game first began, things did not seem like they were going the way of the Phillies as Joe Blanton gave up a solo homer after tossing only 3 pitches.
But Blanton settled in and wound up allowing 3 runs over 8 innings. Most of the offense was supplied by John Mayberry Jr. who hit 2 solo home runs. And Chase Utley tripled a run home in the bottom of the first.
There were some nice defensive plays and some adventurous ones:
After the 8th inning though, both teams seemed to be stuck in neutral. Amazingly, the Phillies bullpen did not surrender a run after that. Antonio Bastardo, Jeremy Horst and Kyle Kendrick combined for 4 scoreless innings.
Finally in the 12 inning, the Phillies got a rally going. After a walk to Carlos Ruiz, Laynce Nix singled in his first game back off the DL. Then after a mostly quiet day at the plate, Jimmy Rollins came through with a single to score Ruiz for a walk-off win.
The Phillies were so excited, they grabbed whatever was at hand to celebrate. In this case, several water bottles would have to do.
This win was a huge relief for all. J-Roll told Jim Jackson at 1210AM after the game, “The fans have not given up on us and we aren’t giving up on ourselves.”
Here is the full Photo Album from today’s 12-inning marathon.
The Brewers come to town tomorrow! Game time is 7:05pm.
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Photos by Jenn Zambri Photography
Can the Phillies Save Themselves?
There is a lot of chatter and trade rumors creeping around the Phillies right now. Who will stay and who will go? And, do they even have any real choices here?
One of the predominant theories says that if the Phillies make a strong run in the 2nd half, they may be able to keep guys like Cole Hamels and Shane Victorino. But to do so would mean winning a LOT of games.
Last night’s win over the Dodgers gave the Phillies a 3-game winning streak. That is nice, but not exactly a season-saving run just yet. Yet there were reasons to hope; Joe Blanton pitched extremely well, allowing just 2 runs in 8 innings, keeping the unreliable bullpen at bay. Ryan Howard hit his first home run of the year. And Victorino had 3 hits in the game.
But even if this short streak of better baseball continues, is it enough to keep the team together beyond the trade deadline?
Sadly, I believe the answer is no.
The Phillies bullpen needs serious help and a guy like Victorino is exactly what many teams will want in exchange for a solid pitcher or two. Even a player like Juan Pierre could help out a team ready to make a run at the playoffs. With Domonic Brown healthy again in Triple-A, the possibility of trading an outfielder greatly increases. Plus, both Pierre and Victorino have contracts that expire after this season.
And then there is the sad tale of Cole Hamels. The Phillies failed to get a long-term contract done last year, leaving Hamels close enough to free-agency for him to get a really big whiff of the huge piles of money waiting for him. If they cannot come to terms, Hamels will be traded before the deadline.
The Phillies really have little choice. If they know that Hamels will test free agency, the odds of retaining him are slim to none. Other teams who are not on the brink of the luxury tax and whose teams did not suck this year will be gunning for Hamels. And if you are going to lose him, you might as well get something for him in exchange.
I am not happy about this and I am sure many of you feel the same way. But the cold, hard truth is that a very large, steaming pile of poo is about to hit the fan. I hope I am wrong, but brace yourselves, just in case I am not.
The good news is that Roy Halladay returns to the mound tonight! In his first start off the DL, Halladay will face the Dodgers at 10:10pm.
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Photo by Jenn Zambri Photography
Phillies Showing Signs of Life
The Phillies had not won a series since June 20th, the last time they faced the Rockies. It is fitting then that almost a month later, their next series win also came against the Rockies.
On Saturday, Vance Worley led the team pitching 6.2 innings and allowing only 2 runs. The game was almost a rout as the Phillies led 6-2 going into the 8th inning. But the bullpen struck again, allowing 3 Rockies runs and cutting the lead to a very uncomfortable 6-5. Jonathan Papelbon was forced into the game for a 5 out close attempt. The Phillies gave him 2 more runs to play with in the 9th and they walked away with an 8-5 victory.
Then today, Cole Hamels led the charge, pitching 8 innings with only 1 run allowed. For the first time in a long time, everything was clicking for the Phillies. Even without Chase Utley or Ryan Howard in the line-up, as it had been pretty much all year, they still scraped out 5 runs.
Carlos Ruiz normally sits for Sunday day games, but he has been so hot, manager Charlie Manuel had to play him. Chooch did not disappoint and went 2-for-4 with an RBI. He is now hitting an unbelievable .353…in the middle of July. Wow.
And Hunter Pence finally broke and 0-for-13 streak with a 3-run homer in the 5th inning. That had to be a huge relief for him.
Speaking of relief, no one was more relieved to have a little success than Antonio Bastardo. After allowing 5 runs in his last 2/3 of an inning pitched, Bastardo finally pitched a 1-2-3 inning using only 7 pitches, all strikes. That 9th inning performance may be the injection of life Bastardo has been looking for all season.
Now I do not mean to be a Debbie Downer here, but keep in mind, the Phillies just beat the 2nd worst team in the National League. The Dodgers are up next and that team is hanging right in there with the Giants for first place in the NL West. This will be a much bigger test for the Phillies.
The pitchers schedule to go against the Dodgers are in this order: Joe Blanton, Roy Halladay (his 1st start off the DL!) and Cliff Lee. This looks like a very solid opportunity for the Phillies if they can continue to build on this momentum.
Game time Monday night is 10:10pm (yikes!). Bust out the caffeine…
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Photo by Jenn Zambri Photography
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