Nationals Pound Phils Pitching With Homers
Posted by Tim Malcolm, Thu, April 16, 2009 10:36 PM | Comments: 19
2009 Recaps, Posts
The Nationals slammed four home runs off Phillies pitching, powering them to their first victory of the 2009 season. The Nats won 8-2.
As usual, the Phillies got behind too early. Joe Blanton surrendered a three-run bomb to Adam Dunn in the first inning, a hole from which the Phils couldn’t climb. Raul Ibanez drove in Chase Utley in the fourth inning, and Jimmy Rollins drove in Lou Marson in the fifth, but the Phils couldn’t mount any real rallies, scattering only five hits off Nationals pitching.
Blanton finished with a line of 6 IP / 3 ER / 8 H / 1 BB / 5 K. He wiggled out of jams after the first inning, putting together a solid, if initially flawed outing. Though down 3-2, the Phils couldn’t hold the deficit. Chad Durbin and Jack Taschner combined to allow five runs via three home runs in a little more than an inning.
There was a silver lining: Making his first appearance of 2009, Marson went 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored. The jury is out on how well he calls a game: eight runs isn’t great, but Durbin and Taschner seem like easy foils for runs.
Posts: 0 Manny
Watching Jimmy Rollins on all those commercials on TV being “cool” and then seeing him struggling at the plate like he is right now, IS REALLY REALLY FRUSTRATING!! AGHHH Get a base hit goddammit!
Posted: 10:58 PM on April 16, 2009
Posts: 0 Grrrumpy Miner
If the Marlins are that damn good,than the Mets and Phillies are in a peck of trouble.
Posted: 11:02 PM on April 16, 2009
Posts: 0 Loyal Phils Phan
Giving up 20 long balls over the first 8 games is very disturbing. Only silver lining right now is the fact that they are 4-4. The same spot as last year after 8. The Marlins started 7-3 over 10 last season. If they stay healthy, they will be a problem. That’s a very talented young team. But they faded last season so only time will tell if they can be the National League version of the ’08 Rays. It is very frustrating but it still a very young season.
Posted: 11:17 PM on April 16, 2009
Posts: 0 Tim C
I just got back from the game and the only true excitement I felt from my fellow Phillies fans all game was whenever Lou Marson stepped to the plate. Otherwise, the first home run really sucked out all of the air.
Also, Nats fans suck. There were hardly any left at the end of the game to watch them win their first game of the season. It was disappointing.
Posted: 11:41 PM on April 16, 2009
Posts: 0 Russ
I was also at the game, made the trek in from Baltimore. the nats don’t have fans, they have “enthusiasts”. Predominantly phillies crowd tonight that didn’t have much to be excited about, except for Marson. Everyone around me noticed his good play tonight.
On a side note, really easy to get to the ballpark from public transit. Cheap too.
Posted: 12:11 AM on April 17, 2009
Posts: 0 Tim C
Yeah the plus side of the lack of fans is you can pay $5 for a grandstand seat and then move down to better sections later in the game.
Posted: 12:57 AM on April 17, 2009
Posts: 0 MikeB
Equally frustrating in regards to Rollins not hitting so far this season is that the Phillies have a guy who was the leading hitter on the team in spring training, Eric Bruntlett, who’s natural position is shortstop and could be playing.
Posted: 03:25 AM on April 17, 2009
Posts: 0 mike
Why would anyone think spring training average, related to the season Bruntlett over Rollins, what a joke. Mikeb you can’t be serious, The whole blog is laughing.
Posted: 07:44 AM on April 17, 2009
Posts: 0 Woodman
Bruntlett over Rollins….. What the hell are you smoking?
Posted: 07:48 AM on April 17, 2009
Posts: 0 NJ
It’s like saying send Cole to the minors… You can’t ignite a October calibre team but benching your healthy but under-performing stars in April when your really just getting games under your belt after the off-season, this isn’t the Padres.
The fact of the matter is the Phils are a very streak team with some questionable fundementals at the plate at times. With Rollins, Howard, Utley and anyone else you want to label as an underperforming star you take the bad because the good is what makes them upper-tier player and the only thing separating them from regular eveyday players is a body of work. By now you should know what its going to be because we’ve seen this before and the same bad games last year that had us questioning these guys ended up in a championship.
Right now you wonder when the starting pitchings going to find it’s feet, if Durbin bleed runs in winable games and not long-shot comebacks, will Ruiz’s injury destablise what has been a very steading spell behind the plate, not questions over Jimmy because you know the answer already having seen it before.
Posted: 08:04 AM on April 17, 2009
Posts: 0 NJ
^BTW how Did Marson do behind the plate? Offensive numbers impress and wondering whether his catching/game calling matched.
Posted: 08:06 AM on April 17, 2009
Posts: 0 bob
Marson made a save on a bouncing ball that Marty Biron better learn how to make, then gunned down a National running for 2nd. Hell of a night at the plate, he was our offense.
Very touched by the tributes to HK all around and a good amount of Phils fans. Unfortunately we didn’t have much to cheer about.
Posted: 09:00 AM on April 17, 2009
Posts: 0 Geoff
In terms of the offense, this is just what they do. The starting pitching is the main concern. The lineup will get hot and when they do theyll go on a rampage and blow teams out, where im sure theyll probably surge to the front of the standings. The question is: can they avoid that second slump they seem to always get where they lose the division lead and fall back a bit. Because while I have no doubt theyll go on a tear and grab teh division lead before June – this time they cant afford a second slump like they had last year because the division is better this year. Howard will do what he always does. Hell catch fire for three months out of the year – any three months but usually September – where somehow hell hit more bombs and drive in more runs than most other sluggers in baseball while only being on top of his game for a few months.
Its kind of amazing actually. Hell look like ass for a month or two while intermittently keeping his power numbers respectable, then POW, two weeks later you look up and hes leading major league baseball in RBI’s or HR’s. If he ever puts together a full season where he hits like he does in the late summer then hell break every major single season slugging record that year.
Posted: 09:36 AM on April 17, 2009
Posts: 0 Geoff
Im VERY relieved that Blanton pitched well enough for a QS. Thats huge for him to rebound with a solid outing. He made one bad pitch really that got crushed. Jack Taschner basically put himself on Charlie’s pay no mind list. A few more outings like that and Id expect Antonio Bastardo or Jake Woods to get the call to be the second lefty out of the pen to do what Tascher is supposed to be doing: fill in admirably until JC comes back.
Meanwhile, Lou Marson caught/called a good game. Its not his fault when the pitchers throw balls over the middle of the plate that get smoked outta here. You can plainly see they missed his target on the HR balls. Meanwhile, he threw out a runner and got two hits: he earns a good grade for his season debut.
Posted: 09:45 AM on April 17, 2009
Posts: 0 Evan
To be fair for Howard he looks like he’s taking a step in the right direction. He is going deeper in counts, he had two 3-1 counts last night. He just can’t seem to lay off the changeup low and away and almost any pitch on 3-2.
Posted: 09:50 AM on April 17, 2009
Posts: 0 Greg B
Every ball off Blanton was a rocket in the 1st inning except for teh 3rd out fly ball. I too, was encouraged to see zeroes for the next 5 frames, it really looked like he settled down.
I don’t think Durbin can get anyone out any more. Hor$e$hit baserunning got him out of the jam he was in. Taschner did a nice job getting Dunn out, but the 8th inning was ridiculous. My dad duly noted that he was absolutely no where near the plate on any of his balls (no near misses, Marson was doing a nice hockey goalie impression) and when he did throw a strike, it was grooved and was punished by mediocre Nationals hitters.
In my opinion, that should be Taschner’s last appearance. Whoever it was that on here b%$ching about not picking up Biemel, certainly looks smart at this point.
Posted: 10:33 AM on April 17, 2009
Posts: 0 Manny
Yea, I can’t believe the Nats have BEIMEL… he’s pretty damn good.
Besides Marson’s great performance, it was nice to see Ibañez not only hitting the ball well, but also jumping and trying to catch those home runs… The guy is a professional and he’s really trying hard… Keep it up Raul!
Posted: 10:40 AM on April 17, 2009
Posts: 0 TwoTonsOfIrony
In regards to Ibanez, I have also noted him jumping at home run balls. It’s kind of nice to see a guy that goes after anything that is within five feet of the wall, maybe one of these days he’ll steal one.
Posted: 11:43 AM on April 17, 2009
Posts: 0 ryan
i was there a that game. that stadium is shit. gives me even greater appreciation for CBP
Posted: 01:24 PM on April 17, 2009