Going into tonight's NBA Draft Lottery, the Philadelphia 76ers had an 18.3% chance of landing one of the top three picks in the upcoming draft. Tonight, luck was on their side, as the Sixers ended up jumping up from the number six pick all the way up to number two, which gives them even more options than they had before and puts them in position to grab a true star in this draft.
Of course, the obvious choice if the Sixers had it would be John Wall, the point guard from Kentucky. If the Washington Wizards don't pick Wall for some reason, the Sixers should take about ten seconds to make their pick. Wall's the consensus top pick in the draft, and Jrue Holiday would have to take a backseat to Wall if he did come in to Philadelphia. That's the ideal situation, but I don't see it happening. Wall has been seen as the top pick in this draft since the mocks started coming out, so I don't see him being passed over for another talent. That doesn't mean that the Sixers would be missing out, though. They still have the number two pick, and with it, they have a few options.
The easy pick for the Sixers would be Evan Turner, the national player of the year from Ohio State. Turner is an athletic swingman who played shooting guard in college. At 6'7", 205, he has good size, and he can play small forward, shooting guard and point guard on the floor. He was a triple-double threat in college and is aggressive at getting to the basket on offense and defense. Aside from Wall, the talk of who is going to be number one has only been about Turner. That's all that it is in this draft. The Sixers are going to end up with the chance to pick one of those two players, and it likely will be Turner. Just because it is the Sixers, though, there are some issues with drafting Turner.
The biggest one is the fact that the Sixers already have several athletic swingmen that can play small forward and guard. Andre Iguodala and Thaddeus Young come to mind right away, and drafting Turner would create a logjam at that area. Honestly, the Sixers don't need another athletic swingman without getting rid of one of those two players, and Iguodala would be the odd man out. The Sixers were reportedly looking into trading Iguodala before the deadline last season, so he would be the likely target to move out of town. I wouldn't like to see him leave, but Evan Turner is a great player that could do great things in Philadelphia, so it's not a total loss. Turner can contribute from the day he steps on the court in a Sixer uniform, so to have that waiting at the number two pick is a huge thing. He still needs to work on his outside shooting a bit, and he does turn the ball over a bit too much for my tastes, but those things can be worked on once he gets into the league. The logjam issue is the biggest hangup that I have with the Sixers drafting Turner, but it would be the same situation if they were able to draft John Wall. Regardless, the Sixers are going to have to move someone to accommodate whomever they pick in the NBA Draft.
Of course, they could do something crazy and draft some foreign player that no one has heard of before. With this team, I wouldn't put it past them. They really hit the jackpot tonight, and are going to be picking at their highest spot since 1997, when they drafted Keith Van Horn. The players drafted around him? Tim Duncan and Chauncey Billups. Hopefully, they do a little bit better this time.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Phillies Recap: Phillies-12, Pirates-2
Game Recap:
Kyle Kendrick pitched eight strong innings, and Jimmy Rollins made his return to the lineup, going 2-4 with a double and an RBI as the Phillies pounded the Pirates last night.
What went right?
Shane Victorino went 2-4 and scored three times.
Placido Polanco was 1-4 and scored twice.
Jimmy Rollins came off the disabled list and went 2-4 with a double, an RBI and two runs scored.
Ryan Howard went 3-5, scored two runs and had a grand slam in the eighth inning to put the game away. He finished with six RBI.
Jayson Werth was 2-5 with a home run and four RBI.
Carlos Ruiz came back as well and went 1-4 with a run scored.
Kyle Kendrick pitched eight innings, allowing just two runs on five hits. He struck out four and walked one.
What went wrong?
You can keep looking. Nothing to see here.
Game Analysis:
Welcome back, Jimmy Rollins. After missing much of the start of the season thanks to an injury he got warming up before the home opener, Rollins made his return to the Phils last night, and it didn't look like he missed a beat. He made a great defensive play in the first inning, then drove in a run in the bottom of the first on an RBI groundout. He'd finish the game with two hits and two runs scored, and he was only part of the story on offense. Jayson Werth continued his hot streak with a four RBI game, and Ryan Howard finished things off in the eighth inning with a towering grand slam that put the game completely out of reach.
The best part about the offensive showing last night was that the Phillies did all of their work with Chase Utley missing the game with flu-like symptoms. Even without Chase in the lineup, the Phils pounded the Pirates, putting up 13 hits and 12 runs. Ever since May started, the Phillies have been one of, if not the, hottest team in baseball, and with Rollins back in the lineup every day, things are only going to get better for this team on offense.
Even Kyle Kendrick got in on the act last night, too. After giving up a leadoff home run, Kendrick settled down nicely, allowing only four more hits in his eight innings of work. This is the second time this year that Kendrick has pitched this well, and if he could keep up with these performances, he might be able to keep a spot in the rotation. However, he's never been able to pitch well for long stretches, and left handed batters still kill him, but for the night, he was great. I just hope that he can keep it up, because if he does, then the Phillies add another solid piece to their rotation.
Tonight, the Phils and Pirates wrap up their quick two game series. Roy Halladay (6-1, 1.59 ERA) goes against Zach Duke (2-4, 5.56 ERA).
Kyle Kendrick pitched eight strong innings, and Jimmy Rollins made his return to the lineup, going 2-4 with a double and an RBI as the Phillies pounded the Pirates last night.
What went right?
Shane Victorino went 2-4 and scored three times.
Placido Polanco was 1-4 and scored twice.
Jimmy Rollins came off the disabled list and went 2-4 with a double, an RBI and two runs scored.
Ryan Howard went 3-5, scored two runs and had a grand slam in the eighth inning to put the game away. He finished with six RBI.
Jayson Werth was 2-5 with a home run and four RBI.
Carlos Ruiz came back as well and went 1-4 with a run scored.
Kyle Kendrick pitched eight innings, allowing just two runs on five hits. He struck out four and walked one.
What went wrong?
You can keep looking. Nothing to see here.
Game Analysis:
Welcome back, Jimmy Rollins. After missing much of the start of the season thanks to an injury he got warming up before the home opener, Rollins made his return to the Phils last night, and it didn't look like he missed a beat. He made a great defensive play in the first inning, then drove in a run in the bottom of the first on an RBI groundout. He'd finish the game with two hits and two runs scored, and he was only part of the story on offense. Jayson Werth continued his hot streak with a four RBI game, and Ryan Howard finished things off in the eighth inning with a towering grand slam that put the game completely out of reach.
The best part about the offensive showing last night was that the Phillies did all of their work with Chase Utley missing the game with flu-like symptoms. Even without Chase in the lineup, the Phils pounded the Pirates, putting up 13 hits and 12 runs. Ever since May started, the Phillies have been one of, if not the, hottest team in baseball, and with Rollins back in the lineup every day, things are only going to get better for this team on offense.
Even Kyle Kendrick got in on the act last night, too. After giving up a leadoff home run, Kendrick settled down nicely, allowing only four more hits in his eight innings of work. This is the second time this year that Kendrick has pitched this well, and if he could keep up with these performances, he might be able to keep a spot in the rotation. However, he's never been able to pitch well for long stretches, and left handed batters still kill him, but for the night, he was great. I just hope that he can keep it up, because if he does, then the Phillies add another solid piece to their rotation.
Tonight, the Phils and Pirates wrap up their quick two game series. Roy Halladay (6-1, 1.59 ERA) goes against Zach Duke (2-4, 5.56 ERA).
Monday, May 17, 2010
Phillies Recap: Phillies-4, Brewers-2
Game Recap:
The Phillies completed their three game sweep over Milwaukee thanks to a solid pitching effort from Cole Hamels and RBI from Placido Polanco, Wilson Valdez and Hamels.
What went right?
Shane Victorino went 2-4 with two runs scored.
Placido Polanco was 2-5 with an RBI.
Jayson Werth was 1-5 with a run scored.
Ryan Howard was 2-4.
Wilson Valdez went 1-5 with an RBI.
Paul Hoover was 1-2 with two intentional walks and a run scored.
Cole Hamels didn't have his best stuff, but still picked up his fourth win of the season. He allowed two runs on six hits in 6.2 innings of work. He walked three batters and struck out three, and also went 1-3 at the plate with an RBI double.
J.C. Romero had a few issues with full counts in the ninth, but worked a perfect inning to record his first save of the year.
What went wrong?
The Phillies worked 11 hits and five walks, but only scored four runs. They also left 12 men on base.
Five of the six hits that Cole Hamels allowed came with two strikes on the batter.
Game Analysis:
The Phils came into their weekend series with one of the best offenses in all of baseball, and they proved that to be true in the first two games, putting up 19 runs against the Milwaukee pitching staff. On Sunday night, the Phils didn't get the same output from their offense, but Cole Hamels and the bullpen did enough as the Phillies completed a three game sweep against the Brewers to put themselves ten games over .500 for the first time this season.
The game started out well enough for the Phils, who scored a run in each of the first three innings. The offense looked like it wasn't going to miss a beat, and even Cole Hamels got things going with an RBI double in the third inning. Despite issues in the first inning, Hamels looked solid after that, getting the Brewers out with his pitches and doing well to make sure that he kept the Phillies in the lead while he was on the mound. He did give up back to back home runs in the sixth inning, but honestly, if those are the only runs that he's going to give up during a game, I can live with that. I don't know if he's ever going to look like the 2008 version of Cole Hamels again, but the guy that's out there pitching at the moment has won four games and has an ERA that's inching closer to 4.00 than anything else, so that I can take. All that the Phillies need is a solid pitcher behind Roy Halladay. If Cole Hamels can be that pitcher, then the Phils are just fine in that department.
The one area that the Phillies might not be ok right now is their bullpen. Tonight, they managed to get by with Danys Baez and J.C. Romero, but things were interesting. Baez threw good pitches, but still ended up with two on and no out before Casey McGehee grounded into a double play, which was followed by a ground out from Corey Hart to end the inning. Romero retired the first two batters he faced, but went to 3-0 on Craig Counsell before getting him to fly out to Shane Victorino to end the game. It wasn't pretty, but it worked at least for tonight. The good news is that the Brewers have one of the best offenses in the National League, so the Phillies aren't going to face off against that every night. The bad news is that the Phillies have Danys Baez and Jose Contreras closing games out right now. Yes, they are still good pitchers, but they shouldn't have to be in this situation. The front office is killing me with how they're handling the bullpen. It's a weakness now, like it was last year, and yet nothing major happened. It needs to be fixed.
Either way, the Phillies went into Milwaukee and swept a series that they should have. Tomorrow, they head home to take on the Pittsburgh Pirates. Kyle Kendrick (1-1, 5.89 ERA) will face off against Charlie Morton (1-6, 9.19 ERA). God help you if you lose this game, Kendrick...
The Phillies completed their three game sweep over Milwaukee thanks to a solid pitching effort from Cole Hamels and RBI from Placido Polanco, Wilson Valdez and Hamels.
What went right?
Shane Victorino went 2-4 with two runs scored.
Placido Polanco was 2-5 with an RBI.
Jayson Werth was 1-5 with a run scored.
Ryan Howard was 2-4.
Wilson Valdez went 1-5 with an RBI.
Paul Hoover was 1-2 with two intentional walks and a run scored.
Cole Hamels didn't have his best stuff, but still picked up his fourth win of the season. He allowed two runs on six hits in 6.2 innings of work. He walked three batters and struck out three, and also went 1-3 at the plate with an RBI double.
J.C. Romero had a few issues with full counts in the ninth, but worked a perfect inning to record his first save of the year.
What went wrong?
The Phillies worked 11 hits and five walks, but only scored four runs. They also left 12 men on base.
Five of the six hits that Cole Hamels allowed came with two strikes on the batter.
Game Analysis:
The Phils came into their weekend series with one of the best offenses in all of baseball, and they proved that to be true in the first two games, putting up 19 runs against the Milwaukee pitching staff. On Sunday night, the Phils didn't get the same output from their offense, but Cole Hamels and the bullpen did enough as the Phillies completed a three game sweep against the Brewers to put themselves ten games over .500 for the first time this season.
The game started out well enough for the Phils, who scored a run in each of the first three innings. The offense looked like it wasn't going to miss a beat, and even Cole Hamels got things going with an RBI double in the third inning. Despite issues in the first inning, Hamels looked solid after that, getting the Brewers out with his pitches and doing well to make sure that he kept the Phillies in the lead while he was on the mound. He did give up back to back home runs in the sixth inning, but honestly, if those are the only runs that he's going to give up during a game, I can live with that. I don't know if he's ever going to look like the 2008 version of Cole Hamels again, but the guy that's out there pitching at the moment has won four games and has an ERA that's inching closer to 4.00 than anything else, so that I can take. All that the Phillies need is a solid pitcher behind Roy Halladay. If Cole Hamels can be that pitcher, then the Phils are just fine in that department.
The one area that the Phillies might not be ok right now is their bullpen. Tonight, they managed to get by with Danys Baez and J.C. Romero, but things were interesting. Baez threw good pitches, but still ended up with two on and no out before Casey McGehee grounded into a double play, which was followed by a ground out from Corey Hart to end the inning. Romero retired the first two batters he faced, but went to 3-0 on Craig Counsell before getting him to fly out to Shane Victorino to end the game. It wasn't pretty, but it worked at least for tonight. The good news is that the Brewers have one of the best offenses in the National League, so the Phillies aren't going to face off against that every night. The bad news is that the Phillies have Danys Baez and Jose Contreras closing games out right now. Yes, they are still good pitchers, but they shouldn't have to be in this situation. The front office is killing me with how they're handling the bullpen. It's a weakness now, like it was last year, and yet nothing major happened. It needs to be fixed.
Either way, the Phillies went into Milwaukee and swept a series that they should have. Tomorrow, they head home to take on the Pittsburgh Pirates. Kyle Kendrick (1-1, 5.89 ERA) will face off against Charlie Morton (1-6, 9.19 ERA). God help you if you lose this game, Kendrick...
Now that's how you start a series: Flyers dominate Montreal
Coming into the Eastern Conference Finals on the heels of the greatest comeback in team history, most people were anxious to see what the Flyers could bring to the table in Game 1. After all, the Flyers got just a day off in between beating the Bruins and starting the Conference Finals against the Canadiens, and Montreal seemed like destiny's darling, having knocked off the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins in seven games. What the fans at the Wachovia Center got tonight was an effort fitting of a team that had just finished an historic comeback, as the Flyers pounded Montreal, scoring four goals in the first two periods and just piling on after that for a 6-0 win and a 1-0 series lead.
Braydon Coburn got things started in the first period with an early power play goal that gave the Flyers a 1-0 lead, but the rest of the first period played more into the hands of Montreal. The Canadiens outshot the Flyers 13-6 in the first period, but Michael Leighton did more than enough to make sure that Montreal was unable to tie up the game or even take the lead. Ever since the first period of Game 7 against the Bruins, Leighton hasn't given up a goal, and has looked every bit like the goalie that was playing so well before he was injured towards the end of the season. After the first period, the offense made things a lot easier for Leighton.
Even with a 1-0 lead, the Flyers had been outplayed by Montreal for much of the first period, but that quickly changed in the second. James van Riemsdyk, Danny Briere and Simon Gagne all scored within the first ten minutes of the second period, chasing Montreal goalie Jaroslav Halak from the game and putting things out of reach early. For van Riemsdyk, it was his second goal in as many games, and the rookie looks like he's waking back up again after being in a funk for most of the Boston series and the entire New Jersey series. For those of us who wanted Danny Briere off this team, he's making us eat our words tonight. His goal in the second period was his eighth in ten games, and he has really picked things up for the Flyers on the offensive side of the ice. Meanwhile, Gagne has scored five goals in his last five games, and the Flyers have yet to lose since his return from injury. I really don't think that's a total coincidence, because Gagne is one of the heartbeats for this Flyers team.
The third period was more of the same for the Flyers, as they added two more goals against Carey Price. The suddenly hot Scott Hartnell added his third of the playoffs, and Claude Giroux did the honors in finishing the scoring, putting in his sixth goal of the postseason to finish off the Game 1 demolition. This was the exact kind of showing that the Flyers could have dreamed about after the Boston series, and they got it tonight. The offense was on point, even in the first period, and the first two goals were scored right in the crease, taking the skill set of Halak out of play. It looked similar to the Boston series, where the Flyers crashed the net in front of Tuukka Rask. To beat skilled goalies, sometimes you have to get physical with them, and the Flyers are certainly capable of that.
They also played Montreal much more physically than either Washington or Pittsburgh did for much of either of their series against the Canadiens. Philadelphia is a physical team first and foremost, and it showed tonight. Chris Pronger was on Mike Cammalleri from the word go, keeping the hottest player in the playoffs from picking up more than a single shot during the game, and he did his job against the rest of the Canadiens as well, helping to kill four Montreal power plays. The Flyers did their job when they had the man advantage, too, scoring twice on power plays and once right after a power play ended.
Considering everything that the Flyers went through last week, it was good to see them come out and treat this as a completely fresh start. That was exactly what needed to happen, and the Flyers looked like the fresher team tonight against an overworked Montreal team. It's still way too early to be thinking past the next game, but tonight was certainly a message that was sent by the Flyers. They aren't the Capitals or Penguins, and they're going to play Montreal tougher than any other team in the playoffs has yet. Nothing is ever decided in Game 1 of a series, but to have that first win is a big step in the right direction. Now, the Flyers have to put this game behind them and come out for Game 2 on Tuesday night with the same kind of fire and intensity that they had tonight. If they can do that, then they'll go to Montreal with a 2-0 series lead and all the momentum that they should need for this series.
Regardless, I'm not going to celebrate until the Flyers finish this series. The Canadiens are a damn zombie team this year. They should have died twice, but they're still around. Nothing is over yet, not by a long shot.
Braydon Coburn got things started in the first period with an early power play goal that gave the Flyers a 1-0 lead, but the rest of the first period played more into the hands of Montreal. The Canadiens outshot the Flyers 13-6 in the first period, but Michael Leighton did more than enough to make sure that Montreal was unable to tie up the game or even take the lead. Ever since the first period of Game 7 against the Bruins, Leighton hasn't given up a goal, and has looked every bit like the goalie that was playing so well before he was injured towards the end of the season. After the first period, the offense made things a lot easier for Leighton.
Even with a 1-0 lead, the Flyers had been outplayed by Montreal for much of the first period, but that quickly changed in the second. James van Riemsdyk, Danny Briere and Simon Gagne all scored within the first ten minutes of the second period, chasing Montreal goalie Jaroslav Halak from the game and putting things out of reach early. For van Riemsdyk, it was his second goal in as many games, and the rookie looks like he's waking back up again after being in a funk for most of the Boston series and the entire New Jersey series. For those of us who wanted Danny Briere off this team, he's making us eat our words tonight. His goal in the second period was his eighth in ten games, and he has really picked things up for the Flyers on the offensive side of the ice. Meanwhile, Gagne has scored five goals in his last five games, and the Flyers have yet to lose since his return from injury. I really don't think that's a total coincidence, because Gagne is one of the heartbeats for this Flyers team.
The third period was more of the same for the Flyers, as they added two more goals against Carey Price. The suddenly hot Scott Hartnell added his third of the playoffs, and Claude Giroux did the honors in finishing the scoring, putting in his sixth goal of the postseason to finish off the Game 1 demolition. This was the exact kind of showing that the Flyers could have dreamed about after the Boston series, and they got it tonight. The offense was on point, even in the first period, and the first two goals were scored right in the crease, taking the skill set of Halak out of play. It looked similar to the Boston series, where the Flyers crashed the net in front of Tuukka Rask. To beat skilled goalies, sometimes you have to get physical with them, and the Flyers are certainly capable of that.
They also played Montreal much more physically than either Washington or Pittsburgh did for much of either of their series against the Canadiens. Philadelphia is a physical team first and foremost, and it showed tonight. Chris Pronger was on Mike Cammalleri from the word go, keeping the hottest player in the playoffs from picking up more than a single shot during the game, and he did his job against the rest of the Canadiens as well, helping to kill four Montreal power plays. The Flyers did their job when they had the man advantage, too, scoring twice on power plays and once right after a power play ended.
Considering everything that the Flyers went through last week, it was good to see them come out and treat this as a completely fresh start. That was exactly what needed to happen, and the Flyers looked like the fresher team tonight against an overworked Montreal team. It's still way too early to be thinking past the next game, but tonight was certainly a message that was sent by the Flyers. They aren't the Capitals or Penguins, and they're going to play Montreal tougher than any other team in the playoffs has yet. Nothing is ever decided in Game 1 of a series, but to have that first win is a big step in the right direction. Now, the Flyers have to put this game behind them and come out for Game 2 on Tuesday night with the same kind of fire and intensity that they had tonight. If they can do that, then they'll go to Montreal with a 2-0 series lead and all the momentum that they should need for this series.
Regardless, I'm not going to celebrate until the Flyers finish this series. The Canadiens are a damn zombie team this year. They should have died twice, but they're still around. Nothing is over yet, not by a long shot.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Phillie of the Week: May 9-15
The Phillies continued their hot play in the month of May so far, winning four of the five games they played this week. While the pitching has been a little questionable at times, the offense clicked together nicely, and that's where the Phillie of the Week comes from this time around. This week's Phillie of the Week is:
Shane Victorino
Shane has really picked up his game of late, and while he's not the same leadoff hitter that Jimmy Rollins is, he's certainly doing a good job. This week, Shane hit .391 with two home runs and eight RBI. He also had three triples and scored seven times. That's the kind of production that the Phils need out of Shane, and now that he seems to have broken out of his early season funk, hopefully he can keep it up all year.
Shane Victorino
Shane has really picked up his game of late, and while he's not the same leadoff hitter that Jimmy Rollins is, he's certainly doing a good job. This week, Shane hit .391 with two home runs and eight RBI. He also had three triples and scored seven times. That's the kind of production that the Phils need out of Shane, and now that he seems to have broken out of his early season funk, hopefully he can keep it up all year.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Phillies Recap: Phillies-10, Brewers-6
Game Recap:
The Phillies pounded out ten runs and 17 hits, but needed Jose Contreras to come in and record his first ever save to preserve a second straight win over the Brewers.
What went right?
Shane Victorino was 3-6 with two runs scored, a home run and four RBI.
Placido Polanco went 4-6 with an RBI.
Chase Utley went 2-4 with two RBI.
Wilson Valdez was 2-5 with a run scored.
Paul Hoover had a great day, going 3-5 at the plate with three runs scored and two RBI.
Joe Blanton pitched well for six innings, but had trouble in the seventh before leaving. He went seven innings, allowing five runs on six hits. He walked one and struck out five while getting his first win of the year.
Jose Contreras recorded his first Major League save, walking one and striking out two in the ninth inning.
What went wrong?
Ryan Howard went 1-5 with three strikeouts.
Dave Herndon had a rough go of things in the ninth inning, allowing a run on three hits while just recording a single out.
Game Analysis:
Two days in Milwaukee seem to have done the Phillies good, as they've recovered from their weather induced trip to Colorado with back to back solid wins over the Brewers. For the second game in a row, the Phils put up double digit hits and at least nine runs against Milwaukee pitching, and Joe Blanton picked up his first win of the season.
The biggest story of the day is the offense once again, which knocked another starting pitcher out before the end of the sixth inning. Today, it was Chris Narveson, who threw 130 pitches before leaving in the sixth with the Phillies staked to a 4-1 lead. The biggest blows would come later in the game, as the Phillies pushed another five runs across in the seventh inning and added another in the eighth. That would be enough, but it would be close, thanks to the bullpen. I can't say enough for how Shane Victorino is playing right now. He's not the typical leadoff batter, but he's been playing better and better as the season has gone on. His batting average is up to .263, and he's leading the team in RBI with 32. His three hits and four runs batted in today were a big reason why the Phillies won, so I can't complain about what he's doing, but I still can't wait until Jimmy Rollins is back in the leadoff spot. Even with Rollins out, this team is producing runs, however, and that's a good thing.
Then, there's the pitching staff. For six innings, Joe Blanton pitched like a solid number three or four man in the rotation, giving up a few runs, but keeping his team in the game. Then, the seventh inning arrived, and Blanton just didn't have his stuff any more. I'd like to believe that his showing in the seventh was due to a few bad pitches and the fact that he's still coming back from injury, and that's what I'm going with for now. As long as Blanton can avoid the big inning, he's a good pitcher. Today, his big inning came in the seventh, which was after the Phillies took a 9-2 lead, so it wasn't as damaging. His ERA actually went up, as he allowed three home runs, but he got the win, and that's what matters. The Brewers are a very good offensive team, but their pitching is suspect, and that's what the Phils have been able to take advantage of so far in this series.
I will give credit to Jose Contreras for picking up his first ever save today, too. He came into the ninth inning with runners on second and third and a four run lead, but then walked the first batter he faced, loading the bases. What did he proceed to do? Only stike out the next to batters to save the game and give the Phillies the win. I know that Contreras isn't a closer, and I think he knows it as well, but for him to step into this role with both Brad Lidge and Ryan Madson on the disabled list is a big step for both him and the Phillies. If today is any indication, then the Phillies might be ok with those two not able to pitch. Contreras has been lights out for the Phils so far this year anyway, so having him pitching in the ninth inning might not be as big of a deal as people think. As long as he can keep pitching like he has been, he's going to do well in the role of closer, and that's what the Phillies need right now. They have the offense to score runs on any team, but if they can't close people out in the late innings, then things are going to get interesting. Hopefully, that doesn't happen, and so far against the Brewers, it hasn't.
The Phils close out their series with the Brewers tomorrow night on ESPN. Cole Hamels (3-2, 4.53 ERA), gets the nod for the Phillies, and he'll face off against Doug Davis (1-4, 7.56 ERA).
The Phillies pounded out ten runs and 17 hits, but needed Jose Contreras to come in and record his first ever save to preserve a second straight win over the Brewers.
What went right?
Shane Victorino was 3-6 with two runs scored, a home run and four RBI.
Placido Polanco went 4-6 with an RBI.
Chase Utley went 2-4 with two RBI.
Wilson Valdez was 2-5 with a run scored.
Paul Hoover had a great day, going 3-5 at the plate with three runs scored and two RBI.
Joe Blanton pitched well for six innings, but had trouble in the seventh before leaving. He went seven innings, allowing five runs on six hits. He walked one and struck out five while getting his first win of the year.
Jose Contreras recorded his first Major League save, walking one and striking out two in the ninth inning.
What went wrong?
Ryan Howard went 1-5 with three strikeouts.
Dave Herndon had a rough go of things in the ninth inning, allowing a run on three hits while just recording a single out.
Game Analysis:
Two days in Milwaukee seem to have done the Phillies good, as they've recovered from their weather induced trip to Colorado with back to back solid wins over the Brewers. For the second game in a row, the Phils put up double digit hits and at least nine runs against Milwaukee pitching, and Joe Blanton picked up his first win of the season.
The biggest story of the day is the offense once again, which knocked another starting pitcher out before the end of the sixth inning. Today, it was Chris Narveson, who threw 130 pitches before leaving in the sixth with the Phillies staked to a 4-1 lead. The biggest blows would come later in the game, as the Phillies pushed another five runs across in the seventh inning and added another in the eighth. That would be enough, but it would be close, thanks to the bullpen. I can't say enough for how Shane Victorino is playing right now. He's not the typical leadoff batter, but he's been playing better and better as the season has gone on. His batting average is up to .263, and he's leading the team in RBI with 32. His three hits and four runs batted in today were a big reason why the Phillies won, so I can't complain about what he's doing, but I still can't wait until Jimmy Rollins is back in the leadoff spot. Even with Rollins out, this team is producing runs, however, and that's a good thing.
Then, there's the pitching staff. For six innings, Joe Blanton pitched like a solid number three or four man in the rotation, giving up a few runs, but keeping his team in the game. Then, the seventh inning arrived, and Blanton just didn't have his stuff any more. I'd like to believe that his showing in the seventh was due to a few bad pitches and the fact that he's still coming back from injury, and that's what I'm going with for now. As long as Blanton can avoid the big inning, he's a good pitcher. Today, his big inning came in the seventh, which was after the Phillies took a 9-2 lead, so it wasn't as damaging. His ERA actually went up, as he allowed three home runs, but he got the win, and that's what matters. The Brewers are a very good offensive team, but their pitching is suspect, and that's what the Phils have been able to take advantage of so far in this series.
I will give credit to Jose Contreras for picking up his first ever save today, too. He came into the ninth inning with runners on second and third and a four run lead, but then walked the first batter he faced, loading the bases. What did he proceed to do? Only stike out the next to batters to save the game and give the Phillies the win. I know that Contreras isn't a closer, and I think he knows it as well, but for him to step into this role with both Brad Lidge and Ryan Madson on the disabled list is a big step for both him and the Phillies. If today is any indication, then the Phillies might be ok with those two not able to pitch. Contreras has been lights out for the Phils so far this year anyway, so having him pitching in the ninth inning might not be as big of a deal as people think. As long as he can keep pitching like he has been, he's going to do well in the role of closer, and that's what the Phillies need right now. They have the offense to score runs on any team, but if they can't close people out in the late innings, then things are going to get interesting. Hopefully, that doesn't happen, and so far against the Brewers, it hasn't.
The Phils close out their series with the Brewers tomorrow night on ESPN. Cole Hamels (3-2, 4.53 ERA), gets the nod for the Phillies, and he'll face off against Doug Davis (1-4, 7.56 ERA).
Lidge is back...on the DL
It may have taken a few extra days, but today the Phillies placed Brad Lidge back on the 15 day disabled list with inflammation in his right elbow. The move is retroactive to May 10, and Antonio Bastardo has been called up in the meantime to fill Lidge's place on the roster.
Lidge hadn't pitched in a game since last weekend after complaining about stiffness in his elbow earlier this week. An MRI revealed that there was no structural damage to the elbow, which had undergone surgery back in November, but there was some inflammation that may take some time to heal. So, Lidge goes back on the disabled list, and Jose Contreras will take his place as the closer until he's ready to pitch again.
This seems like the story of Brad Lidge ever since the 2008 World Series. Every time he takes a step forward to get back to that 2008 form, he ends up moving two steps back. Last year, he never was fully healthy, but tried to pitch through it and got shelled. This season, he's making sure that he's completely healthy, but he can't seem to get there. It's a shame, too. So far this year, he only has one save, but has just a 2.70 ERA in his appearances. Each time he had come out for the Phils, he had looked better and seemed like he was going to be more of the 2008 Brad Lidge than the 2009 version. Instead, he's back on the disabled list and isn't going to be playing for at least the next ten to 15 games. Hopefully, Jose Contreras can fill his shoes and pitch well, but he's never been the closer at any point of his career, and it's not what the Phillies signed him to be.
Regardless, it seems like the Phils can't get away from the injury bug so far this year. Lidge started it off back at the end of last season, and it's carried over to Jimmy Rollins, Carlos Ruiz, Ryan Madson, Joe Blanton, J.A. Happ and Brad Lidge again. After three years of staying healthy, this team is getting nailed with injuries so far this season. They're still in first place and playing well right now, but they're going to need to get some of their regulars back, and soon. I can only stand Wilson Valdez playing at shortstop for so long. At least Rollins should be back at the end of the month, and Ruiz should be back shortly as well, so the offense is coming back together. The pitching, on the other hand, is going to have to be held together for a little while until everyone gets healthy again.
Lidge hadn't pitched in a game since last weekend after complaining about stiffness in his elbow earlier this week. An MRI revealed that there was no structural damage to the elbow, which had undergone surgery back in November, but there was some inflammation that may take some time to heal. So, Lidge goes back on the disabled list, and Jose Contreras will take his place as the closer until he's ready to pitch again.
This seems like the story of Brad Lidge ever since the 2008 World Series. Every time he takes a step forward to get back to that 2008 form, he ends up moving two steps back. Last year, he never was fully healthy, but tried to pitch through it and got shelled. This season, he's making sure that he's completely healthy, but he can't seem to get there. It's a shame, too. So far this year, he only has one save, but has just a 2.70 ERA in his appearances. Each time he had come out for the Phils, he had looked better and seemed like he was going to be more of the 2008 Brad Lidge than the 2009 version. Instead, he's back on the disabled list and isn't going to be playing for at least the next ten to 15 games. Hopefully, Jose Contreras can fill his shoes and pitch well, but he's never been the closer at any point of his career, and it's not what the Phillies signed him to be.
Regardless, it seems like the Phils can't get away from the injury bug so far this year. Lidge started it off back at the end of last season, and it's carried over to Jimmy Rollins, Carlos Ruiz, Ryan Madson, Joe Blanton, J.A. Happ and Brad Lidge again. After three years of staying healthy, this team is getting nailed with injuries so far this season. They're still in first place and playing well right now, but they're going to need to get some of their regulars back, and soon. I can only stand Wilson Valdez playing at shortstop for so long. At least Rollins should be back at the end of the month, and Ruiz should be back shortly as well, so the offense is coming back together. The pitching, on the other hand, is going to have to be held together for a little while until everyone gets healthy again.
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