Lee Falters, Phillies Can’t Catch Up
Posted by Kieran Carobine, Sun, May 20, 2012 05:04 PM | Comments: 17
2012 Game Recaps, Posts
Hey Ryan, please come back soon. Please.
The Boston Red Sox continued to use Citizens Bank Park as their personal home run derby today in the rubber match. They jumped out to a 5-0 lead on the backs of Jarrod Saltalamacchia‘s three run shot in the third inning. Mike Aviles lead off the game with a home run for the second straight game. He has homered in every game this series.
The Phillies could never quite catch up falling 5-1 and losing two out of three games in their first interleague series.
Off day for Cliff
Cliff Lee came into the ball game with an ERA under two but still had not logged his first win of the season. Lee gave up five runs in the first three innings before finally settling in. He ended up throwing 112 pitches in seven innings of work. His ERA is now up to 2.66 and he is 0-2 for the season.
Misuse of the bench
Ty Wigginton batting with the bases loaded and two outs in the eighth inning was probably the right thing to have done. But looking back on it now, would it have better served the Phillies to see Carlos Ruiz hitting in that situation instead of in the ninth with nobody on? Obviously if you bat Chooch there, it raises the question who would play third base. Pete Orr was out when he pinch hit for Jacob Diekman. This whole series of events is way above my pay grade, but it is still something to ponder.
Pence still coming on strong
Hunter Pence, with all his oddness, is starting to heat up at the plate. He went 2-for-3 today and raised his average to .268 and has seven home runs this month. Pence has been batting clean up for the Phillies with Ryan Howard out. In a Howard filled lineup, Pence would be seeing different types of pitches so the fact that he is producing being the main threat is good for this team.
The dagger
The Phillies continue to miss out on the opportunities that they create. In the two losses this weekend they grounded into four double plays. Also today, Wigginton grounded out with the bases loaded when it seems the Phillies had something working. I like the idea of having speed at the top of the lineup with Jimmy Rollins, Juan Pierre and Shane Victorino but things need to be shaken up a little. Move Wiggy to hit third and Victorino in the sixth hole behind Chooch.
Posts: 0 bacardipr05
I didnt watch todays game. However, im stuck on yday game. If Cholly pulls Blanton and they could of just got 1 more clutch hit would of been a totally winnable game with all them hits they had. Its like they jab and jab but have a hard time delivering the knockout blow when there opponents are on the ropes.
Posted: 06:07 PM on May 20, 2012
Posts: 0 TheDipsy
Are record is not good and we have bee playing the worst teams in the National League. I think that this lineup will struggle when asked to hit against really good pitching, i.e. Braves, Marlins, etc. Jimmy is just brutal right now. Gottta get him down in the lineup IMO.
The Dipsy
Posted: 06:47 PM on May 20, 2012
Posts: 18 Kieran Carobine
I agree. I wouldn’t mind seeing Pierre in the lead off spot.
Posted: 06:58 PM on May 20, 2012
Posts: 1077 EricL
Jimmy got on base 2 of the 5 times he was up today, and has been on base in 15 consecutive games, the longest stretch of any Phillies player this season.
His average isn’t up to where it usually is, but he’s by no means ‘brutal.’
Posted: 07:15 PM on May 20, 2012
Posts: 0 TheDipsy
Sure he is. The stats say it all. Especially when you consider that he views himself as one of the main offensive cogs of the team and needed to be paid like one. Win me a game, Jimmy. Somehow. Someway.
The Dipsy
Posted: 07:38 PM on May 20, 2012
Posts: 0 schmenkman
Dipsy, you should try leaving the TV on when the other team bats. Apparently you’ve been missing some very nice shortstop play all season.
Posted: 02:23 PM on May 21, 2012
Posts: 0 BART SHART
Hear ye, Hear ye ————The Phillies Stink !! The Phillies Stink!!!
Hear Ye, Hear Ye ———– Jimmy Rollins stinks !! Jimmy Rollins stinks !!!
HEAR YE, HEAR YE !!! —- BENCH ROLLINS NEXT WEEK ! PUT GALVIS AT SHORTSTOP!
WHEN HE GETS BACK IN THE LINEUP, BAT ROLLINS
EIGHTH !!! HE STINKS OUT LOUD RIGHT NOW !!!!
MOTIVATE HIM BY HITTING HIM IN THE EGO.
Posted: 08:01 PM on May 20, 2012
Posts: 0 BART SHART
I wonder if the Phils could get a lot for Cliff Lee? If so, trade him and you’d have money to sign Cole Hamels. Lee is a fine pitcher who would benefit a lot of contenders. We could also get a couple of stellar prospects and dump a huge salary.
Just a thought.
Posted: 08:19 PM on May 20, 2012
Posts: 3467 Lefty
He has “limited no trade protection” according to Cots. I guess that means he can choose certain teams, or veto others? I don’t know. I doubt Ruben would trade him twice.
Posted: 09:39 PM on May 20, 2012
Posts: 1077 EricL
Hopefully they could get more than the slop they got for him last time they traded him. Of course, his value is limited by his salary, in that there aren’t more than a few teams that could even take on that kind of obligation.
That being said, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. It’s still mid-May. If they’re like 15 games out at the ASB, then we can start worrying about who to send packing, but they’re 5 games out 3 weeks into May. We’ve got a long way to go until we have to think about who they can unload.
Posted: 10:59 PM on May 20, 2012
Posts: 0 Don M
There is a 0% chance that Lee gets dealt before he only 1.5 years remaining on the deal
Also, which is the better group . . . . what we gave up for Lee… or what we GOT for Lee?
I would think what we got from Seattle is thought of as the better group of prospects right now? (Despite Tyson Gillies’ struggles so far this year)
Posted: 11:13 AM on May 21, 2012
Posts: 52 LCMRSalazar85
I was at the game, and the one thing that really stuck out to me is the lack of the clutch hit. It’s been lacking all season. At least 5 of our hits didn’t get out of the infield, and when Howard comes back, will he have figured out how to hit to the opposite field? Utley is another matter altogether. I’m not convinced that he’s going to be anything close to his former self. I hope I’m wrong. As far as our pitching goes, we need our aces to start pitching like it (except for Cole). It’s already shaping up to be a long season, and there’s no ‘pop’ to this team right now.
Posted: 09:30 PM on May 20, 2012
Posts: 0 grismundo
I blame Victorino more than Rollins, although they both have been horrendous recently.
Posted: 10:08 PM on May 20, 2012
Posts: 1077 EricL
Rollins is actually having better at bats, walking more recently, and is generally doing everything right except hitting. And that’s not to mention his excellent baserunning and phenomenal fielding. He’s one of the better shortstops in the league, and his hitting will come, as will the power. The people saying he should be benched in favor of Galvis, and going on about his ego are exposing their lack of any kind of objectivity and baseball knowledge.
Posted: 10:53 PM on May 20, 2012
Posts: 0 Don M
agreed . . . . its mid-May and people are saying how resigning the best available SS, a guy that’s been in the organization forever , etc.. is a bad deal because he’s not hitting the cover off the ball …………… I agree he’s struggling …. why he’s batting leadoff ahead of Juan Pierre is beyond me?…… but why all the hate?
His defense isn’t suffering, and when he’s on, his baserunning is still great …. there is much more to baseball than just a player’s batting average … and i’d love to know what everyone is talking about when they bash his ego? …. He’s had the same personality since day one in the majors……. something many say contributed to the team finally playing with some swagger in 2007
Galvis has been playing GREAT defense at 2b … but we have no idea how he would be at SS… and with his limited playing time above AA-ball, nobody had any indication if he could swing the bat well enough to play MLB full time ………… his .242 isn’t like he’s hitting the cover off the ball either and the fact that he bats 8th means guys are attacking him.
Also, he hits WAY better with Runners On Base than he does with the bases empty …. small sample size, but maybe he’s taking advantage of pitchers in the Stretch, instead of the windup … Rollins has been the opposite, especially struggling with Runners on base
Posted: 11:26 AM on May 21, 2012
Posts: 2523 Chuck A.
I think someone with “swagger” is naturally gonna have an ego. So what! It’s not like JImmy is arrogant like Rickey Henderson was when he played.
Posted: 01:54 PM on May 21, 2012
Posts: 0 George
Typical writeup and typical game response, except for the comments from Eric.
First, the writer says that it’s above his pay grade, but then makes claims with his subhead about “Misuse of the bench.” Later (even though “above his pay grade” concerning the bench might also mean the same concerning the entire lineup) he says he wants Wigginton batting third and Victorino sixth. And he gives no reason why, besides “shaking things up a little.” This, after complaints by practically everyone that Manuel needs to have a set lineup!
Then the comments: all about benching Rollins, Rollins’ big ego (as if anyone really knows) or trading one of the key pitching cogs to obtain a supposed offensive upgrade (likely a prospect), or to re-sign a different key pitching cog.
I realize that some of these remarks are pure frustration, but pure frustration isn’t helpful in the least, and gets extremely annoying. Hopefully, this will change when the team comes around some, although I doubt much will unless they go on a 500 game winning streak.
Posted: 08:49 AM on May 21, 2012