Take That L.A.: Rollins, Phillies Boot Dodgers
Posted by Tim Malcolm, Mon, August 25, 2008 11:23 PM | Comments: 148
Posts
27-5.
That’s the score of the four-game series between the Phillies and Dodgers, a series almost completely owned by the Phils. They finished off the four-game sweep with a 5-0 win Monday night, setting up a giant two-game set with the Mets for first place in the National League East.
Let’s start with Jimmy Rollins, who broke out the bat and did much damage. He went 3-for-3 with a single, double and triple, and reached base all five times. He scored once and drove in two runs while busting the whole time for his hits. This is the Jimmy we’ve been waiting for, the Jimmy that we love cheering. Keep it going, Young.
The offense continued their fine play, and situational hitting was on full display. Rollins knocked his two-run single with two outs in the second inning; Jayson Werth deposited Ryan Howard on a single in the seventh. In all the Phils had 10 hits and took enough advantage of their chances. Sure they left 22 on — including eight left on by Pat Burrell — but across the board the offense resembled more of a fine-tuned machine, one capable of winning games on singles and doubles, not bombs.
And hey, at least the Phils weren’t the Dodgers, who left 32 men on base. Blue should leave Philadelphia pretty steamed with how they were unable to execute, and it’s definitely nice to see the shoe on someone else’s foot. But credit Brett Myers, who wasn’t dominant, but made huge pitches in tight situations. He induced two double plays, a few more groundouts and struck out nine, never letting up when runners reached base (12 of them). It’s truly amazing to see the Myers of May and June stacked up with the Myers of these last seven starts. He’s poised, gritty, confident in his pitches, and back to his old, bulldog self.
JC Romero (despite not being a good spot for him) pulled another Romero-esque outing, polishing off three hitters after letting the first two reach base. Clay Condrey had the same sort of inning in the ninth, and struck out Manny Ramirez in the process. By the way: Ramirez went 2-for-17 without an extra-base hit in the series, a far cry from the happy-go-lucky, new-haircut Manny of two weeks back. LA can have its Manny-do, we got the Victo-beard.
Associated Press photo
Posts: 0 Phil
I think our rotation can match up with theirs.
HamelsOllie
Blanton>Pedro(It’s ashame to say that because Pedro used to be incredible)
Kendrick>whoever their #5 is.
Our bullpen blows theirs away.
Our pitching is all around much better than the Mets.
Posted: 11:17 AM on August 26, 2008
Posts: 0 Geoff
shane victorino has proven more valuable to me. jimmy had ONE good year. maybe two if youre being generous. the rest of his years really are not that impressive offensively.
Posted: 11:18 AM on August 26, 2008
Posts: 0 Rich the Mets Fan
Well, that time of the season has come once again. I would be excited, except that I am going to work and will miss tonight’s game. Good luck, though not too much :)
Oh, and Phil, I think the 5th starter for the Mets is Pelfrey, and believe me, he’s faring way better than Kendrick this season.
Posted: 11:23 AM on August 26, 2008
Posts: 0 Phil
Wow…what ahppened to my comparison…it got messed up.
Posted: 11:23 AM on August 26, 2008
Posts: 0 Phil
Pelfrey is not your #5…he’s your #2 now.
Posted: 11:24 AM on August 26, 2008
Posts: 0 Phil
My comparison looked like this. Let’s see if it works now:
HamelsOllie
Blanton>Pedro
Kendrick>#5
Posted: 11:25 AM on August 26, 2008
Posts: 0 Rich the Mets Fan
Well, that being the case now, it’s going to most likely be Niese, who is doing spectacular in the minors. Hopefully, it’ll translate into big league success.
Posted: 11:26 AM on August 26, 2008
Posts: 0 Phil
wtf is going on… it’s not working…
Hamels Ollie
Blanton > Pedro
Kendrick > #5
Posted: 11:26 AM on August 26, 2008
Posts: 0 Geoff
the key is maine being gone. without maine their pitching isnt really better. maine is the key ingredient for the mets. hes a decent number 2 when healthy.
Posted: 11:26 AM on August 26, 2008
Posts: 0 Phil
ugh…whatever.
Posted: 11:27 AM on August 26, 2008
Posts: 0 Rich the Mets Fan
Phil, you still messed up on HamelsOllie. Was it supposed to be
Hamels
Posted: 11:27 AM on August 26, 2008
Posts: 0 Geoff
oliver perez is a lot like blanton: can dominate when on but isnt always on.
Posted: 11:27 AM on August 26, 2008
Posts: 0 Phil
Santana-Pelfrey-Maine-Ollie is a great 1-2-3-4 punch but Maine is gone so their rotation is about as good as the Phillies.
Posted: 11:27 AM on August 26, 2008
Posts: 0 Phil
It’s just not posting the way I want it to and I have no idea whynot. I’ll type out the >
Posted: 11:29 AM on August 26, 2008
Posts: 0 Phil
It’s not letting me make lists. I think it’s the website.
Posted: 11:29 AM on August 26, 2008
Posts: 0 Don M
Victorino has had impressive PARTS of this season… and if the only thing that you measure Rollins by is his offensive value, then #1 you are overlooking the most important aspect of a ShortStop…his defense.. and #2.. you are being pretty harsh on a 5’8″, 175lb guy that manages to play just about every single game since he’s been called up the big leagues
Victorino is becomming the spark-plug that Rollins was last year… that doesn’t mean you trade Rollins though..
Posted: 11:31 AM on August 26, 2008
Posts: 0 Phil
I’d trade Rollins and bring up Donald in a heart beat.
Posted: 11:32 AM on August 26, 2008
Posts: 0 Don M
Phil, whenever i use symbols like that it doesn’t let my comments go through
Posted: 11:32 AM on August 26, 2008
Posts: 0 Phil
Thanks Don M. Let me make a test on something..
Hamels [ Santana
Posted: 11:32 AM on August 26, 2008
Posts: 0 Phil
That worked…
Hamels [ Santana
Myers = Pelfrey(now but not all season)
Moyer ] Ollie
Blanton ] Pedro
Kendrick ] #5(we don’t know what their #5 is capable of.
Posted: 11:33 AM on August 26, 2008
Posts: 0 Don M
If you bring up Donald.. your defense goes WAY down.. and suddenly you place that much more pressure on Howard, Utley, Victorino and Burrell…
What do you guys think you could even get for Rollins??
Posted: 11:36 AM on August 26, 2008
Posts: 0 Rich the Mets Fan
Disagree about Ollie. He’s turned it around greatly since the Jacket was booted out of town, being more consistent with his performances and not melting down so much. Moyer and Ollie are kinda even, with a slight edge going to Ollie (of course, that’s just me), especially the last game they went head to head.
Posted: 11:37 AM on August 26, 2008
Posts: 0 fred
The mets rotation really isn’t that good without maine. Pedro has been crap most of the time, Santana is great i’ll give you that, but Perez is streaky and Pelfrey has had a good 3 game stretch but apart from that has struggled in a big way.
Hamels – Santana: adv. mets
Myers – Pelfrey: adv phils
Moyer – Perez: scratch
Blanton – Pedro: scratch
Kendrick – #5: adv. phils
Bullpens: we all know the answer to that…
Posted: 11:37 AM on August 26, 2008
Posts: 0 Phil
Rollins and a prospect or 2 to the Dodgers for Matt Kemp.
Posted: 11:37 AM on August 26, 2008
Posts: 0 Richie Allen
Please… JRoll trade is not happenin,and
John Q ..hit the road with your Met crap,the mets have no bullpen right now without Billy Wagner
Posted: 11:39 AM on August 26, 2008
Posts: 0 Phil
Don M Offense trumps defense anyday. If your bat is htat much more productive than who cares about your defense. Why do you think Hanley still plays SS
Posted: 11:40 AM on August 26, 2008
Posts: 0 Mark
Fred –do some research before you decide to make comments like you just did… Pelfrey started the season 2-7 since that time, the Mets have gone 14-3 in his last 15 starts. How is that struggling in a big way… Also Perez has been one of the most consistent and dominate pitchers in the NL over the last few months… look at the stats.
Posted: 11:40 AM on August 26, 2008
Posts: 0 Geoff
actually i think the target should be holliday, you use the rollins trade so that you can absorb the prospect loss itd take to get holliday.
for rollins you could get two A prospects. maybe a B prospect, and then some filler if there is any. thats a low-end estimate.
Posted: 11:40 AM on August 26, 2008
Posts: 0 Phil
They should let Burrell walk, trade Howard and Rollins for prospects. Bring up Donald to play short. Sign Teixera and flip some of the prospects to get Holliday.
Posted: 11:42 AM on August 26, 2008
Posts: 0 Geoff
id exclude our top two prospects and tell colorado they can pick any 4 of the rest of them.
Posted: 11:43 AM on August 26, 2008
Posts: 0 Phil
Yeah, I agree. Pelfrey and Ollie are nasty now. I still think Myers and Moyer can go head to head with them no problem though.
Posted: 11:43 AM on August 26, 2008
Posts: 0 Rich the Mets Fan
Yes, Pelfrey has struggled the beginning of the season. However, I think you are seeing the coming of age for the young guy in that he has been nothing short of outstanding, outside of a few small hiccups. Myers has improved, yes, but he’s been on a tear the last few games. If it goes any longer than that, then I’ll give the respect where it’s due.
Posted: 11:44 AM on August 26, 2008
Posts: 0 Geoff
i wish about tex, but they have just about a zero percent chance of that. ill bet he actually stays with the angels. thats why you can move burrell to first if you somehow move howard. and you move howard for nothing less than top notch young pitching. if you cant get that, then just hold onto him.
Posted: 11:45 AM on August 26, 2008
Posts: 0 Mark
Myers did look very good last night – and as a Met fan I am always a litte weary with Moyer because the guy has just been a success his whole career nothing flashy but consistent…
I hope the Met can get some of that consistency from their pen down the stretch its going to be an extremly tight race.
Posted: 11:45 AM on August 26, 2008
Posts: 0 Rick
so if they got Holliday, do they let burrell walk or try the 1B experiment and trade low-and-away K?
Posted: 11:46 AM on August 26, 2008
Posts: 0 Phil
Trade low and away k.
Posted: 11:48 AM on August 26, 2008
Posts: 0 Rick
How do the Mets recent bullpen acquisitions fare? Are they good or bad?
Posted: 11:48 AM on August 26, 2008
Posts: 0 Geoff
keep burrell. holliday is based oon the assumption dervied from rosenthals speculation that the phillies will move howard for pitching. burrell to first base, holliday in LF, vic in center, werth in right get a better backup outfiielder to give shane or werth rest every once in a while. i kind of think werth might be good enough to be a 2/3 guy and let someone else work in once in a while.
Posted: 11:55 AM on August 26, 2008
Posts: 0 Rich the Mets Fan
Suprisingly, Schoenweis has been having a good season, though he needs work on leaving inherited runners stranded. Ayala has been their best closer in that he hasn’t f***ed up yet (knock on wood). Smith is on-and-off, but most times on. Heilman sucks! Dirty sucks! Feliciano is starting to make me angry!
That’s it.
Posted: 11:55 AM on August 26, 2008
Posts: 0 Mark
Ayala has been nasty… and not mention he has under a two ERA against Phils for his career. However its just one guy. The rest of the pen is so inconsistent. They will go 4 days of scoreless ball then break down in a bad way… Its been up and down… Al reyes is still in the minors and Stokes has become the long reliever and has been solid.
Posted: 11:55 AM on August 26, 2008
Posts: 0 Richie Allen
Is this a Philly or Mets Blog?
Posted: 11:55 AM on August 26, 2008
Posts: 0 Rich the Mets Fan
Both!
Posted: 11:56 AM on August 26, 2008
Posts: 0 Phil
I can’t believe the Mets fans are somewhat trying to stick up for their horrible bullpen. Heilman is worse than Mesa.
Posted: 11:57 AM on August 26, 2008
Posts: 0 Phil
Phillies are interested in Kotsay. I’m down with that.
Posted: 11:59 AM on August 26, 2008
Posts: 0 Rich the Mets Fan
Well, the Mets bullpen, overall, is bad. There’s no avoiding that. Doesn’t mean, though, that there is at least some specks of good amongst the pile of crap there.
Posted: 12:06 PM on August 26, 2008
Posts: 0 Geoff
yeah im ok with kotsay for a month. if you decline arbitration to him you might be able to resign him to a cheap deal if he proves a worthy backup.
Posted: 12:07 PM on August 26, 2008
Posts: 0 Don M
I still can’t believe that people think you can get “top-notch young pitching” for Ryan Howard.
Good Pitching beat Good Hitting… so what team in their right mind is going to give up the kind of pitcher you would want.. for Ryan Howard?? It just doesn’t fit.
Posted: 12:16 PM on August 26, 2008
Posts: 0 Geoff
anybody that quotes modern, key word modern, pro wrestling is a loser.
Posted: 12:18 PM on August 26, 2008
Posts: 0 Geoff
meanwhile, the braves got hosed in that kotsay deal
Posted: 12:19 PM on August 26, 2008
Posts: 0 Rich the Mets Fan
TNA>WWE
Posted: 12:20 PM on August 26, 2008