Bullpen Blows Lead; Phils Lose 4-3
Posted by Tim Malcolm, Wed, August 13, 2008 08:05 AM | Comments: 101
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Cole Hamels can’t buy a win.
In a rare occurrence, the bullpen was handed the lead in the eighth inning and couldn’t hold it, as they gave up two runs in the final two frames to lose, 4-3. With the loss and Mets’ and Marlins’ wins, the Phils’ lead over the Mets in the NL East is just a game, with a 1.5 game lead over the Fish.
Hamels pitched well in seven innings, dodging trouble while striking out seven. He had the lead, but Chad Durbin wasn’t on his game, allowing a run on a sacrifice fly. JC Romero hit Russell Martin, and one out later, the catcher scored on an Andre Ethier single. Game over.
The offense could’ve given Hamels more support, however. They only managed six hits, and no hitter had more than one. Chase Utley hit his 30th home run of the season, and Pat Burrell added a sac fly, but that was it. Hamels actually had the other Phils RBI. Is it the offense just gets too comfortable when Hamels is out there?
Whatever the case, it’s a bad loss. They had the lead all game, and the usually reliable ‘pen squandered one. Give it up to the Dodgers offense, which is much more formidable than in the past. When you see Manny Ramirez and Casey Blake in the middle of that order, you can’t help but sigh that the Phils couldn’t add something — anything – to help the offense at the deadline.
Associated Press photo
Posts: 0 Dennis
Does anyone know if Taguchi’s throw reached home plate yet?
Posted: 08:34 AM on August 13, 2008
Posts: 0 MA Phanatic
somewhere, Pat Burrell is reading that and saying, “That’s what I said!!”
Posted: 08:35 AM on August 13, 2008
Posts: 0 Geoff
The dodgers improvement is strictly because they caught pat gillick asleep at the wheel. the phillies wanted blake apparently but the dodgers actually acted and they got him cheap. Again, failure at the deadline.
But, last night was of greater concern. The offense was quiet again. The bullpen blew a lead in a big game which hasnt happend much, if at all, all year. When the team finds new ways to LOSE in august, its very disturbing. they just arent really that good.
without victorino they have to get someone off waivers of call up golson. thats not good. theyre in trouble if hes out for any real amount of time, and if he is they might actually be done. depending on if anyone shows mettle and steps up, raising their level of play to fill the void. but that would require heart, so you wont see jimmy rollins doing that.
Posted: 08:52 AM on August 13, 2008
Posts: 0 Chris
Why was Ethier not walked in the bottom of the ninth? This makes no sense. There was one out with winning run on second. It would have created a force out/double play situation. Manuel is just plain horrible. You know Bowa had to love this.
Posted: 08:57 AM on August 13, 2008
Posts: 0 Geoff
fortunately i have two games in the last week of the season, one with the braves, and one on the second to last game of the season. that should be entertaining because its going to come down to the wire. the phillies arent good enough to run away with it.
Posted: 08:57 AM on August 13, 2008
Posts: 0 R.Mac
geoff where do you get your info? im assuming from some of your posts that you pull it directly out of your ass but i could be wrong……go phils
Posted: 09:00 AM on August 13, 2008
Posts: 0 Phil
R.Mac the Phillies did say they wanted Blake. You should do some research. As for the Phillies being a “bad” team, I have come to realize they’re actually a great team playing like they’re bad. If this offense played as good as last years offense this team would probably have 75-80 wins right now.
Posted: 09:08 AM on August 13, 2008
Posts: 0 Geoff
this is all pretty obvious man, if you cant keep up then its your problem. its baseball after all
Posted: 09:08 AM on August 13, 2008
Posts: 0 Phil
Does anyone know why Jason Donald and Lou Marson didn’t start today? Maybe the Phillies flew them home because they are sick of their anemic offense.
Posted: 09:18 AM on August 13, 2008
Posts: 0 Paul
This offense is looking so flawed right now. From the top of the order to bottom.
Posted: 09:25 AM on August 13, 2008
Posts: 0 Geoff
im ready to clear out spots 6-8 in the order, clear out rollins and bring in all new people next year for those slots.
Posted: 09:29 AM on August 13, 2008
Posts: 0 Don M
Phil, I think both of them weren’t sure things to make the team.. so whoever the sure guys are probably get the starts… I have no idea who those other guys might be. But I remember them saying that Donald was “probably” going to make the Olympic team and that Marson was a possibility… both of them making it is a good thing, but I don’t think we’ll see them carrying this team or anything
Posted: 09:29 AM on August 13, 2008
Posts: 0 Phil
They were really hyping Jason Donald up on MLB.com. He’s even the main picture on the us baseball website.
Posted: 09:31 AM on August 13, 2008
Posts: 0 Dennis
Who would’ve thought we would be sitting here worrying about the Phils offense in mid-August. This is going to be such a disapointing season if we don’t win the divsion, we should be at least 10 games up right now!
Posted: 09:36 AM on August 13, 2008
Posts: 0 Don M
Geoff… quit crying.. the Dodgers gave up two top-prospects to get Blake.. one of which was ranked as high as 3rd in their organization “he throws 95mph with a plus breaking ball” behind Kershaw and Andy LaRoche going into this season..
The other guy Carlos Santana plays a mean guitar.. and was one of the top-hitting prospects they had.. but at Catcher he was blocked by Martin.
IF the Phillies would have traded their top bullpen candidate and top cathcing prospect you would have cried about that too!
Posted: 09:36 AM on August 13, 2008
Posts: 0 Geoff
you know im going to be watching extra close. because if he shows anything, im putting jimmy rollins on the block as soon as the season ends and telling him: “guess what pal? youre going back to california” and ship him off to LA to the angels or dodgers, maybe even the padres. beane wont take him if you tried to give him away.
Posted: 09:38 AM on August 13, 2008
Posts: 0 Geoff
you call it crying, i call it explaning why theyre sucking right now. all of these things are factors in this series of offensive and now, pitching meltdowns.
including and especially the trainers. what have i been telling you all year about the trainers? now, theyre dropping like flies out there. rollins first, then werth, then nothing for a while, then victorino lidge gordon feliz. nice one trainers, really nice.
Posted: 09:40 AM on August 13, 2008
Posts: 0 Buffalophilsfan
I really think this team needs to make a deal for another bat now! I wanted Manny at the deadline and he is only hitting around .500 and put new life into the Dodgers. Don’t you think he would look pretty good right now hitting between Chase and Ryan.
How about Sheffield. The guy is unhappy in Detroit, does not want to only DH and would be the other right handed bat in the middle of the order the Phills need. The rotation looks great right now, we need to get the offense in gear. Somebody wake up in that front office and prove you are trying to win this thing instead of “Standing Pat!”
Posted: 09:41 AM on August 13, 2008
Posts: 0 Geoff
im not totally convinced that don watches any of the games. he might catch a few here and there but thats about it
Posted: 09:41 AM on August 13, 2008
Posts: 0 Don M
I think the sad thing about the phillies offense is that its going to hurt their chances of signing Cole Hamels to a long-term deal…
I think that “wins” is one of the factors used to determine Salary Arbitration for pitchers.. since Cole won’t want to sign long-term here, and his win total won’t be that high thanks to no run support (ranked 51 of 60 national league pitchers in Run Support)… its going to cost him money, and he’s going to be out like a boner in sweatpants when it comes time to be a Free Agent.
Posted: 09:42 AM on August 13, 2008
Posts: 0 Geoff
oh hes not sticking around unless they cough up some serious dough. he hates half the people on the team including the front office, and i dont blame him.
Posted: 09:44 AM on August 13, 2008
Posts: 0 Don M
Rollins twisting his ankle was 100% the Trainers fault.. you are correct there!
Are you not convinced that I watch ANY of the games because I said to everyone yesterday that I didn’t watch Monday nights game?? You should be a detective…
Blake would look awesome on our team.. especially with Feliz out.. but when the other teams want something that your team doesn’t have or doesn’t want to give up.. (like Pitching and Catching prospects) you need to realize that its different than “sleeping”
Posted: 09:47 AM on August 13, 2008
Posts: 0 Don M
Shane Victorino left tonight’s game against the Los Angeles Dodgers after his at-bat in the top of the seventh inning because of lower back stiffness.
“I felt it in BP today,” he said.
Victorino said he doesn’t think it’s serious, and hopes it won’t prevent him from playing in tomorrow night’s game.
“I hope not,” he said. “But we’ll see. I think it happened yesterday. I don’t know when.”
that was from the Inquirer… hopefully he just needs a day or two
Posted: 09:49 AM on August 13, 2008
Posts: 0 Geoff
theres no evidence that they actually tried to get him. they just said they wanted to get him. those two things are not the same.
Posted: 09:50 AM on August 13, 2008
Posts: 0 Don M
you know how much easier it is to look back on trade’s that you should have made… Blake would be good.. I’d really like him on this team.. but what is the point in saying EVERY SINGLE DAY that whatever trades they didn’t make was because “they were asleep at the wheel” etc… they inquired about EVERY player out there including Ramirez, Bay, Sabathia, etc..
Blanton has looked really good the last two times out, but nobody wants to talk about that.. because its more fun to complain about the fish that got away
Posted: 09:53 AM on August 13, 2008
Posts: 0 Geoff
the way the trainers/manager handle these things is what im referring to.
Posted: 09:53 AM on August 13, 2008
Posts: 0 Don M
What specifically would YOU like to see the trainers do differently… what the hell are you even talking about???
You regularly try to pick out the most ridiculous things, and then try to find some reasoning about how the Phillies are the worst at it..and how everything about the Phillies sucks…
We’ve been of the healthiest teams all year..
Posted: 09:59 AM on August 13, 2008
Posts: 0 Geoff
blanton has been a good acquisition. casey blake wouldve been nice but im not sure feliz got hurt until after the deadline, though he was in such a slump that it shouldve been obvious he was hurt, the trainers shouldbve noticed and gone to charlie with it earlier. maybe theyve have gotten him after all…
jason bay would look awefully nice out there in right field right about now. jimmy rollins would look awfully nice in a pirates uniform or a dodgers uniform. but the pirates dont want him because pedro alvarez is oging to be better than him.
Posted: 09:59 AM on August 13, 2008
Posts: 0 Geoff
also, donald and marson didnt start because theyre playing a doubleheader today
Posted: 10:00 AM on August 13, 2008
Posts: 0 Geoff
but youre not accounting for secret injuries and secret trades and the weather machines and pat gillick actually being in florida at the beach instead of making calls on deadline day.
Posted: 10:04 AM on August 13, 2008
Posts: 0 Phil
Geoff, what time is the other game? I wanna watch.
Posted: 10:07 AM on August 13, 2008
Posts: 0 Don M
In his defense.. Gillick probably got a great deal on a Southwest Airlines one-way flight to Florida.. since they are a team sponsor
Posted: 10:10 AM on August 13, 2008
Posts: 0 Geoff
wait nevermind. they changed the listing. a few days ago they had us playing twice today. they mustve realized the error and fixed it.
therye playing the dtuch tomorrow at 1030 am. they lost today 8-7 to south korea.
brandon knight, the starter, went 4 innings and gave up 6 runs. knight is 33 and was released by the pirates 2 years ago because he wasnt good enough to make their major league team. matt laporta did ABSOLUTELY NOTHING today. nice trade, cleveland…korea pieced it together with the bullpen. i didnt know they use the DH in international play…
US hititng led by matt brown, LA angels prospect, driving in 3 runs…
Posted: 10:16 AM on August 13, 2008
Posts: 0 PhillyGirlinMichigan
Ughh! I quit watching the game in the top of the 8th w/Hamels batting. Hated to see the results this morning; however, I’m not surprised. Romero and Durbin have been pitching in a lot of tight innings lately and can’t hold up forever. Hopefully, they’ll shake it off quickly. Looks like we visited L.A. at the wrong time of the season.
Too bad Durbin wasn’t up to his Manny-dominating ways last night. Last year in his only start against Boston, he fanned him 3x straight times. From what I remember though, the Tigers BP then came in and lost the game for him. Crap happens.
Posted: 10:17 AM on August 13, 2008
Posts: 0 Geoff
are we taht hurting for starting pitching that we send trash out there? what the hell? some journeyman who wasnt good enough for the pirates 2 years ago? i guess they dont want to send good pitching prospects over there…
Posted: 10:17 AM on August 13, 2008
Posts: 0 Phil
That sucks Marson and Donald didn’t start.
Posted: 10:21 AM on August 13, 2008
Posts: 0 Geoff
do they still have valujet? gillick probably would enjoy paying for something, but being cheap over even getting something for free. as an example, when the cubs gave away rich harden, he wouldnt even accept. but hell go out and give geoff jenkins 5mm per year.
hes a valujet guy.
Posted: 10:23 AM on August 13, 2008
Posts: 0 Don M
I think a lot of the guys labled as “top prospects” are probably a little young for this team.. Cameron Maybin’s and such.. talent-wise deserve to be over there, but he’s only 21.
but that one college pitcher is like 19 or 20.. so im not too sure how they came up with this roster..
Posted: 10:23 AM on August 13, 2008
Posts: 0 Geoff
i think some teams, like in european soccer, choose to protect their prospects and prevcent them from playing in the olympics. if they have a star player or star prospect, in this case, theyll ask him to decline because they dont want him to get hurt.
i could see them doing that with pitching because its pitching. cant understand why they woulnt want maybins abilities over there though.
Posted: 10:25 AM on August 13, 2008
Posts: 0 Don M
but Geoff.. our trainers are the worst ever, so there is no way they could keep Harden healthy, right??
Posted: 10:27 AM on August 13, 2008
Posts: 0 Phil
He has a good point Geoff.
Posted: 10:30 AM on August 13, 2008
Posts: 0 Phil
Dubee and the trainers would end Harden’s career after 3 starts.
Posted: 10:34 AM on August 13, 2008
Posts: 0 Don M
Despite what everyone thinks.. I really don’t like trying to pick arguements with Geoff on here..
But I hate even more that people find the need to continually make up new ways to bash the players, manager, coaches, GM, trainers, owners, etc..
The owners should spend more money, but it is a business, and they are in it to make money… EVERY team opperates to make money. Some are better at winning while they do it than others.. The GM has helped put together a pretty good team this year, but the players aren’t performing as expected.. BUT we’re still in 1st place and show signs of being a very good team.. its a long ride people, hang on and enjoy it!!
Posted: 10:35 AM on August 13, 2008
Posts: 0 Doug
Amen to Don M. for his “because its more fun to complain about the fish that got away.” I’m all for the management making more trades and shelling out some more money on free agents, but we have to face the facts that some trades aren’t worth making.
Also, Jimmy Rollins doesn’t need to be traded. He’s not having the best year, and someone needs to light a fire under him at this point, but the only way I’d want to see him traded away is if we get an absolute ace of a pitcher for him. Even sub-par for Jimmy is above par in comparison to other shortstops in the league.
Posted: 10:36 AM on August 13, 2008
Posts: 0 Geoff
yeah youre right. they would end his career in 3 starts. dubee would change his mechanics. he would blow his elbow out th next start, the trainers would say taht nothing is wrong at all and send him out two more times just to make sure he totally ruins his elbow.
Posted: 10:37 AM on August 13, 2008
Posts: 0 Geoff
jimmy rollins is trash. hes a for who, for what guy.
Posted: 10:37 AM on August 13, 2008
Posts: 0 Geoff
jimmy isnt worth an “ace” pitcher. i hate to be the one to break that to you.
Posted: 10:39 AM on August 13, 2008
Posts: 0 Geoff
im not even concerned about trades that didnt happen. im alreayd gearing up for trades that need to happen now to save the season and in the offseason to improve the team.
what if shane is really hurt? theyre screwed.
Posted: 10:41 AM on August 13, 2008
Posts: 0 Dave
Does this season even matter? I mean, to me, it looks like whatever NL East team makes the playoffs is toast in the 1st round. The Cubs, Brewers, and Dodgers are clearly the class of the league. Whatever East teams winds up winning the division, I can’t see them making it any farther than the NLDS.
Posted: 10:44 AM on August 13, 2008
Posts: 0 Geoff
im not psyched about sheffield, but do you think we could get away with him in right field in a platoon? can he move at all? in terms of a hitter, thats a salty veteran contact hitter that would be nice to have around for a run.
Posted: 10:44 AM on August 13, 2008