Phillies Nation

Philadelphia Phillies (58-42) at San Francisco Giants (56-46)

Cliff Lee (7-9, 3.14 ERA) vs. Ryan Sadowski (2-3, 4.81 ERA)

Time: 10:05 p.m at AT&T Park
Weather: Partly Cloudy and Windy, 60
TV:Comcast Sportsnet
Twitter: Phillies Nation

Tonight’s the night Cliff Lee will be making his much anticipated Phillies debut.  He’ll also try to halt the Phillies two game skid.

The reigning American League Cy Young winner is having a terrific season with a 3.14 earned run average and 1.30 WHIP in 152 innings with the Tribe.  He had a 7-9 record, but lacked run support.  The Phillies failed to support their pitchers over the last two games.  They’ve only scored two runs in last two games, very uncharacteristic for the Phillies.

Ryan Sadowski started his Major League career by throwing 13 consevutive scoreless innings.  Since, he has allowed 13 earned runs in the last 11.1 innings he has pitched.  However, he has pitched well at AT&T Park.  His ERA at home is 1.50 in 12 innings.

Your Gameday Beer- Konigshoeven Blond Trappist Ale
Tonight’s beer kicks off our European tour and comes from the De Koningshoeven Brewery, a Dutch Trappist brewery. It is the only producer of Trappist beer outside of Belgium. Run inside an abbey, the monks get the water for the beer from five 200-metre deep wells on the grounds. La Trappe Blond is one of their many offerings. This Pale Ale is bitter and sweet like fruit candy, but less sweet by comparison to the more popular Leffe Blonde. – By Brian

GO PHILLIES!

Tonight is the night.  Tonight, we begin the Cliff Lee Experiment at AT&T Park in San Francisco, as the Phillies new hurler takes the mound.

His debut appearance comes with a litany of expectations, with the most significant placing Lee as the catalyst for another shot at a title.  So, basically, no pressure.

Ah, but there is. Lee’s presence alone makes this Phillies team the one to beat in the National League, and evens the playing field with the Yankees, Red Sox, and others in the American League.

Starting at 10:15 p.m., Lee will face off against Ryan Sadowski, the owner of five career starts.  The new number 34 will be placed on a pedestal, fairly or unfairly, from now until the Phillies run ends.

The 30-year old was brought here to solidify the rotation that had been in need of a workhorse to sit at the top with Cole Hamels.  Expectations will be immense out of the chute, and there is no doubt we will all be keeping a keen eye on him.  But, from now until the Phillies run ends, we will also be keeping tabs on the horse that got away; Roy Halladay.  The comparisons will be never-ending; especially for those who believed the right move to make was the one with Toronto.

To everyone out there: what will make Lee’s final two months a success?  Is a winning record enough?  How about becoming this year’s C.C. Sabathia?  Or does it all come down to Lee-ding the charge to another pennant, and ultimately, another ring?

Sit back and enjoy watching the reigning Cy Young winner toss his first game in red pinstripes.  It’s exciting when you realize that the Phillies not only made perhaps the biggest splash of the trade deadline (when was the last time they lay that claim), but are also in a stunning position for a repeat.  Enjoy.

Here’s a look at the action around the Phillies minor league system from last night. Check in starting Monday for Phillies Nation’s own rankings of the Phils’ farmhands.

Lehigh Valley – In an interesting turn of events, two guys playing for the Iron Pigs just a few nights ago were in the visitor’s dugout yesterday. Jason Donald and Lou Marson each played their first game for the Columbus Clippers, the Indians’ triple-A squad. Donald and Marson each singled in 3 at-bats to help Columbus win, 5-4 in 10 innings. Drew Carpenter pitched very well, allowing one run in 5 innings and striking out 4, but did not stick around long enough for a decision. First baseman Andy Tracy hit a two-run homer and Michael Taylor went 2-for-5 with a double, bumping his average to .255 with the Iron Pigs.

Reading – The R-Phils blanked the Portland Sea Dogs, 2-0, behind a stellar effort from Vance Worley, who pitched six innings of shutout ball. Worley allowed just 3 hits and 2 walks while striking out 3 to pick up the win and move his record to 7-8. Scott Mathieson pitched two innings of perfect relief in his first appearance at double-A this season. He retired all 6 in order, finishing off his last batter with a strikeout. Recently demoted Sergio Escalona pitched a spotless 9^th, striking out a pair to earn the save. Jeremy Slayden was 2-for-4 with a solo homer to provide all the offensive Reading needed, and Quintin Berry stole his 38^th base of the season.

Clearwater – Righthander Darren Byrd put up his third straight start without allowing a run, this time going 8 innings of scoreless ball. He allowed 4 hits and 2 walks while striking out 6 to earn his third win in a row and move his record to 4-3. Byrd has not allowed a run in his last 19 innings. Shortstop Freddy Galvis knocked a two-run single to back Byrd in the Threshers 2-0 win.

Williamsport – In the first game of a doubleheader against Batavia, Matthew Way struck out 11 in 6 innings, though he took the loss. Way allowed 2 runs (one earned) on 5 hits. His ERA sits at 1.67 through 8 starts (37.2 innings) with the Crosscutters.

Williamsport won the second game, 4-0, behind 6 shutout innings from Josh Zeid, including 9 strikeouts. First baseman Francisco Murillo’s three-run blast provided plenty of offense.

The official IronPigs twitter reports that Joe Savery was promoted from Double-A Reading to Triple-A Lehigh Valley today.

With Reading, the 23 year old  was 12-4 with a 4.41 earned run average in 112.1 innings.  He allowed 1.46 walks and hits per innings pitched.

This is The Dip, a weekly column penned by our own commenter, The Dipsy. Agree or disagree with what he says? Tell us by visiting our contact page.

Amongst all the hubbub surrounding the Cliff Lee acquisition, the Phils find themselves sitting on a potential treasure trove of arms to employ for the stretch run to the pennant (it used to be called “pennant”, I’m not sure what its called now). While J.P. Ricciardi cleans out his desk Saturday morning, victim of what l call a “Ruben Sandwich,” Charlie Manuel will be sitting in a locker room somewhere trying to think of a way to fit six, soon to be seven, and not long after that, eight (!) pitchers into his starting rotation. That eighth pitcher will almost assuredly be Brett Myers, showing up late to the party, but there nevertheless.

If things go as The Dipsy predicts (in honor of Ricky Henderson’s induction into the Hall of Fame, I am referring to myself in the third person), Happ will go to the bullpen (a shame), Lopez will be traded for a minimal return and Martinez and Moyer will be your No. 4 and 5 starters, not necessarily in that order. Easy enough, I guess, until Myers is done his rehab stints and shows up at Citizens Bank Park pronouncing himself cured and ready to pitch. And that talented right arm has to go someplace.

In 2008, Myers was one of the best starters in baseball after he came back from his electroshock therapy in Reading. He went long into games, moved his fastball in the zone, and his curveball bit and didn’t hang. In short, he was great, and the Phils would not have reached the World Series without him. The season prior, Myers was unexpectedly thrust into the role of closer and thrived with 21 saves while averaging more than 10.5 strikeouts per nine innings. The guy has shown he can close.

What happens when Myers returns will hinge on what happens with Martinez. If Martinez can’t hack it, Myers slides into his spot and Martinez goes to the pen. If Martinez is pitching reasonably well, he will serve as the righty starter to balance out the rotation, and Myers will pitch in relief. Then it becomes interesting. I would love to see the “Bridge to Lidge” include Myers flashing his old form and effectively holding things down anywhere from the sixth to eighth innings, with the switch over to J.C. Romero as needed, then right into Ryan Madson. Then Lidge in the 9th.

While all of this this sounds great In theory, it can’t work unless Lidge has it together. As of now he does not. And he has a history a “crisises in confidence.” If September comes with Myers pitching well and Lidge struggling, and we all hope that won’t happen, I would expect Manuel to dispense with the “I’ll stick with my horse” or “I’ll dance with girl that brung me” crap and make the switch to Myers. Playoff baseball is no place to wait for a guy to find his stuff. Myers runs to pressure. And he needs a contract next year. I think he’ll be primed. We want Brett Myers to pitch well. We all want Brad Lidge to pitch well. But most of all, we want the best guy on the mound to close games.

Rodrigo Lopez most likely made his last start as a Phillie.  Not because he didn’t pitch well, but because of new additions to the Phillies rotation.  If he had pitched well, the Phillies may have considered Lopez differently, but he could not handle his own pressure.  Also, poor defense did not factor in well.

Lopez allowed seven runs, three earned, in four innings.  In the first, the Phillies had a 1-0 lead, but the Giants went ahead 2-1 in the bottom half of the inning.  Jayson Werth misjudged a line drive, and that opened the gates.

In the fourth inning, Pedro Feliz made a throwing error which led to two runs.  At the last second, Feliz decided to go for the force out at second base instead of the easy play at first.  Assuming Feliz was throwing to first, Chase Utley was off the bag and the ball tipped his glove, scooting to right field.

Pablo Sandoval must have been very unhappy with Charlie Manuel’s All Star selections.  He showed Manuel what he missed.  He went 2-for-4 with a home run and four runs batted in.

The Phillies weren’t able to provide any offense other than Ryan Howard’s RBI double and Utley’s solo homer. Sanchez threw a pitch that sailed over Utley’s head. Utely clearly had a problem with it and stared him down.  On the next pitch he called time before he homered down the right field line.

The Phillies were 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position.  The three fielding errors didn’t help either in the 7-2 loss.

Philadelphia Phillies at San Francisco Giants

Rodrigo Lopez (3-0, 3.09 ERA) vs.
Jonathan Sanchez (3-9, 4.92 ERA)

Time: 10:05 p.m at AT&T Park
Weather: Mostly Cloudy, 58
TV: Comcast Sportsnet
Twitter: Phillies Nation

The Phillies open up a four game series against the San Francisco Giants. The Giants are a better team than in previous years.  They are well over .500 and lead the National League Wild Card by a half game.

This is most likely Rodrigo Lopez’s last start because of the additions of Cliff Lee and Pedro Martinez.  A great outing would make a tough decision for the Phils.  He is pitching for his job so he has not choice but to step it up.

Jonathan Sanchez threw a no-hitter against the San Diego Padres on July 10, but he barely became a starter.  Moved from the rotation to the bullpen, he found himself back in the rotation due to injuries.  Other than the no-no, Sanchez has struggled with an ERA close to 5.

Shane Victorino will  not be in the lineup due to a knee contusion.  Tonight’s lineup: Rollins (SS)/ Utley (2B)/ Werth (RF)/Howard (1B)/ Ibanez (LF)/ Francisco (CF)/ Feliz (3B)/ Ruiz (C)/ Lopez (P)

Your Gameday Beer – Guinness
I don’t need to tell you about Guinness. I’m sure you’re familar with its dark creamy goodness and fun fluffy head. This stout is one to savor, not the least of which because you have to wait those extra 2 minutes for the bartender to finish the pour. Since a Guinness is a meal in itself, skip the dinner and have some chocolate ice cream.  – By Brian

GO PHILLIES!

Comcast Sportsnet reported that John Mayberry Jr. and Steven Register were optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley, making room for Cliff Lee and Ben Francisco.

Mayberry hit .167 with three home runs in 30 at-bats.  Register allowed one run in two innings out of the Phillies bullpen.

When the Philadelphia Phillies named Ruben Amaro Jr. as their General Manager, I had my doubts. The Stanford graduate has proved me wrong and has made some terrific moves in the eight months he has be GM. The Lee trade was the icing on the cake.

Here are his top 10 moves since becoming the Phillies GM:

10 ) Acquired John Mayberry Jr. from Texas in exchange for Greg Golson.

Time will tell about this speed for power deal. Mayberry has minimal playing time, but Mayberry is more likely to put up the better offensive numbers in the future, while Golson tallies the steals.

9 ) Released So Taguchi.

Two days after becoming the GM, Amaro made his first move. Taguchi batted .220 and had a .580 OPS while with the World Champion Phillies in 2008. The Chicago Cubs signed Taguchi to a minor league contract, but hasn’t played in the majors since.

8 ) Signed Pedro Martinez.

Time will tell for this move, but it’s not a bad deal on paper. The Phillies get a former Cy Young winner, and cheaper than expected. It’s only one year, so it can’t hurt.

7 ) Avoided arbitration with Shane Victorino, Chad Durbin, Ryan Madson and Joe Blanton.

Amaro didn’t overpay any of them after each of them had a phenomenal 2008 season. Victorino: 1 year, $3.125M; Durbin: 1 year, $1.365; Madson: 3 year, $12 million; Blanton: 1 year, $1.475.

6 ) Released Adam Eaton.

This is self-explanatory.

5 ) Signed Ryan Howard to a 3-year deal.

Many believed Howard would go through arbitration every year, receiving more money each year until he reached free agency and offered Alex Rodriguez type money. This deal was a safe bet, eating out Howard’s arbitration years. The contract is $54 million.

4 ) Signed Chan Ho Park.

Park was signed to a one year $2.5 million contract. Park earned his way into the rotation, but struggled. However, since joining the bullpen, Park is 2-1 with a 2.67 ERA. Opponents are batting .222 against him.

3 ) Signed Cole Hamels to a three year deal.

The reigning NLCS and World Series MVP was signed cheap; only $20.5 million for the course of three years. Hamels is having an off year, but he is still the Phillies ace and has showed signs of rebounding.

2 ) Signed Raul Ibanez.

Pat Burrell who? Ibanez is batting .305 with 26 home runs and 74 RBI. He has a 1.009 on-base plus slugging percentage.

1 ) Traded Lou Marson, Jason Donald, Carlos Carrasco, and Jason Knapp to Cleveland Indians for Cliff Lee and Ben Francisco.

This is a steal. The Phillies get the reigning Cy Young winner, plus a much need right-handed bat. The best prospects, Kyle Drabek, Dominic Brown, Michael Taylor and J.A Happ were not part of the deal, which is huge for the club’s future.

Phillies Nation is teaming up with the Moyer Foundation to offer Phillies fans a great way to help an even better cause.  A small donation will put you in the running to win:

* An autographed Raul Ibanez baseball and a World Series hat and Rally Towel

* An autographed Jamie Moyer 250th win game ticket and a World Series t-shirt

* The chance to ask Jamie Moyer a baseball question! The top three people with the most entries will be able to ask Jamie a question which will be posted with his response on Phillies Nation.

Entries cost $10 and you can enter as many times as you want – 100% of your donation will go directly to helping kids. A winner will be chosen on August 10th.

Click here to make your donation for a chance to win one of these awesome Phillies prizes. Help kids in distress and win big!!

The Moyer Foundation was established in 2000 by one of our favorite Phillies pitchers – Jamie Moyer and his wife Karen. The Foundation has raised more than $17 million to support over 170 different organizations in Philadelphia and across the country. The Moyer Foundation’s mission is to offer encouragement, comfort and support to children enduring a time of profound distress – whether physical, emotional, or financial and to provide opportunities for enhancing overall wellness, stability and quality of life. 100% of personal and dedicated donations go directly back to the children and programs funded by The Moyer Foundation.

In addition to providing grants, The Foundation created and funds several key initiatives and community partnerships including the largest and furthest reaching – Camp Erin. Camp Erin is a free bereavement camp designed for children ages 6-17 who have experienced the death of a family member or friend. It is a weekend-long camp experience filled with traditional, fun, outdoor activities combined with grief education and emotional support. Bereavement professionals, licensed counselors and trained volunteers lead age appropriate groups through clinical bereavement activities such as art therapy, journaling, planned discussions and remembrance ceremonies. These activities give grieving youth the opportunity to process and validate their feelings while interacting with peers also dealing with loss.