Philadelphia Phillies Relievers David Herndon and Michael Stutes Reversing Roles

After a lengthy rain delay last night, the Phillies called upon relief pitcher David Herndon to help out.  In this game against the D-Backs, Herndon pitched three scoreless innings, allowing only one hit. In the fifth inning, he struck out the side.

This sort of solid performance is becoming a regular occurrence for Herndon.  Still, Herndon has not earned much favor in the eyes of the fans, despite his effort.

In his last 22 games going back to May, Herndon is pitching at a 2.00 ERA.  He figured out why he was having issues in April and made the adjustment.  But Herndon has been given a lot of grief from the fans this year after he got off to a rocky start. 

Herndon has really improved his game.  Michael Stutes, on the other hand, is watching the scales slowly tip downward and out of his favor.

Stutes seems to get all the praise because he got off to a very good start, unlike Herndon.  Plus, it does not hurt that he is adorable, right ladies?  So Stutes has gotten a pass in situations that Herndon has not.

Last night, Stutes was visibly upset after allowing a home run in the eighth inning to the first batter.  Charlie Manuel was seen in the dugout consoling Stutes, patting him on the back as he held his head in his hands in defeat.

Why is Stutes so upset after a solo homer?  Because he too recognizes that things are beginning to go downhill for him.  In his last 12 games, Stutes is pitching at an ERA of 5.17.  His ERA has risen every month since ending May with a 2.38 ERA.  His total ERA is now up to 3.40.

Stutes, like a lot of rookies in the same position, is starting to struggle.  It could be a combination of many factors—like a lack of experience, teams knowing better what to expect from him and being slightly overworked.  Stutes has pitched a lot and, especially for a rookie, this can take its toll.

Hopefully for Stutes, he can make an adjustment and work his way back like Herndon has done.  But in the meantime, he may spend a lot of time being frustrated until he figures it out.

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The State of the Philadelphia Phillies with 43 Games to Go

After Sunday’s rain-out, the Phillies have 43 games to go in the regular season—including the make-up game on September 20 at 1:05 p.m. as part of a split-doubleheader.  As of today, the Phillies still lead all of baseball with 78 wins and are nine game in front of the Braves in the NL East.

With all of the injuries suffered by the Phillies this year so far, it is even more impressive that they have been this dominant.  Four starting position players, two starting pitchers and three relievers have all spent time on the DL—and some of them made multiple trips.

They have also used four different closers because of the injuries and two spot/replacement starters.

And while Placido Polanco, the starting third baseman, is not technically on the DL right now, he has not played since August 6th due to a sports hernia.  After receiving an injection, Polanco is expected to decide by Tuesday whether or not to have surgery, which could put him out nearly the rest of the regular season.

Still, the Phillies keep finding ways to win.  Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels have been terrific on the mound.  But while the pitching seems to have carried the team through the first half of the year, the recent addition of Hunter Pence has jump-started the offense.  And once again, late in the season, Ryan Howard is heating up.

Jimmy Rollins is having his best year since the 2008 season.  Although hitting .265 is not spectacular, he is taking more pitches, drawing more walks and has been healthy all year.

Since coming off the DL with major knee issues, Chase Utley appears to be almost be back to his old self.  Shane Victorino is also having a great year despite two trips to the DL, batting .313.

The younger role-players have also been key to the Phillies success so far.  Michael Martinez, Wilson Valdez and John Mayberry Jr. have all made big contributions, filling in for injured players.  Young pitchers Antonio Bastardo, Michael Stutes and Vance Worley have been slightly overused for guys at their level of experience, but they have all responded very, very well.

The point is, this team is winning and shows no signs of slowing down.  This is a very special time to be a Phillies fan.  We could very well be witnessing something historic right now.  The season is far from over, but I like their chances.

While the team is off today, think about it.  Sit still for a moment and soak it all in.  Then, take a deep breath.  Can you smell it? 

…43 games to go.

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Hunter Pence Hunted, Caught by Philadelphia Phillies

July 29 has been a significant day in recent Phillies history. On July 29, 2009, the Phillies acquired Cliff Lee. That same day in 2010, they picked up Roy Oswalt. And this year, Hunter Pence is the big prize.

A report from Phillies Beat Writer Todd Zolecki states that Pence will be sent from the Astros to the Phillies in exchange for Class-A first baseman Jonathan Singleton, Class-A pitcher Jarred Cosart and two yet unnamed prospects.

The best news of the night is that neither pitcher Vance Worley or outfielder Domonic Brown were included in the deal. While the two named prospects are highly touted, the Phillies really pulled off an amazing deal without having to give up any Major-League talent.

This is another huge score for Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr.

Pence, 28,  is a lifetime .290 hitter and two-time All-Star who combines both power and speed.  Pence hit 25 home runs each year from 2008 to 2010 and had a career-high 91 RBI last season. In addition, Pence cannot become a free agent until the 2014 season, putting the Phillies in control for years to come.

With the addition of Pence and also Placido Polanco returning from the DL this weekend, two moves will have to be made. My best guess is that Brown will be sent back to Triple-A to work on his game.  The second casualty could be John Mayberry Jr.

While the playoffs and the World Series are promised to no one, the addition of Pence certainly does improve the Phillies’ chances.

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Philadelphia Phillies 2011 First-Half Report Card

Having ended the first half of the season with a 57-34 record, the best in baseball, the Philadelphia Phillies have much to look forward to in the second half.  And although many injuries and questions still loom in the background, the first half of play was very successful for this team.

What makes the first half even more remarkable is that the Phillies were able to win despite injuries and missed time from a bucket-full of All-Star caliber players, including Chase Utley, Roy Oswalt, Shane Victorino and Placido Polanco.

In the bullpen, the Phillies are currently on their fourth closer of the year as the first three all went on the DL.  First Brad Lidge, then Jose Contreras and finally, Ryan Madson.

The rest of the pen has been run primarily by rookies and inexperienced players over the last several month.  But these players have stepped up and are keeping hope alive.

The following  is a look at the Phillies 2011 First Half Report Card.

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Have the Four Philadelphia Aces Become Three?

Pitcher Roy Oswalt was pulled from Thursday night’s game against the Cardinals after only two innings, in which he allowed four runs.

After one out in the second, Oswalt began teetering sideways off the mound after his delivery.  Things got worse as the inning went on, as Oswalt began hopping and stumbling after pitches while grabbing his lower back.

Oswalt was left in to finish the inning.  Afterward, reports were that Oswalt had back spasms.

Later, Oswalt told MLB.com reporter Austin Laymance, “At this point I’m not really helping the team, I’m kind of a liability more than anything.”

He also added that his back has been hurting lately upon sitting, standing, walking and sleeping.  That is very bad news.  And why Oswalt was allowed to make this start under these circumstances is curious.

However, the back issues are not really a surprise.  Oswalt had a long history of back problems before he came to the Phillies last season.  He has also been on the DL once already this year with the same issue. 

In his last four starts, Oswalt has allowed 15 runs in only 21.1 innings.  And now, it appears he is headed back to the DL, possibly for a long time.

The four aces have essentially been cut down to three without Oswalt, leaving Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels as the remaining top starters.  The original fifth starter, Joe Blanton, is also on the DL and there is no date set for a possible return.

The Phillies can fill the holes with younger pitchers like Kyle Kendrick and Vance Worley.  However, the long-term effect on the Phillies season is a big question mark.

And another question is whether Oswalt will be back to pitch this year.  And if he does return, how effective will he be after multiple back injuries?

An MRI on Monday should provide more details, but for now, the Phillies are in a potentially bad spot without one of their aces.

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2011 Phillies Phestival: A Worthy Cause

The 2011 Phillies Phestival to benefit the ALS Association raised $893,033 this year with a record crowd of 6,800 fans on Monday night.

The Phestival included player autographs, games, prizes, grab bags and photo opportunities.

ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is a fatal disease of the nervous system for which there is currently no cure.

ALS is also known, especially in baseball, as Lou Gehrig’s disease.  The disease is named after the famous Yankee because he was one of the first public figures known to have died from the rare disease.  Prior to this, few people knew about the illness.

These days, ALS affects approximately five out of every 100,000 people worldwide. It is a devastating illness which gets progressively worse over time.

The Phillies have held the Phestival to benefit research for ALS for 22 straight years now, raising over $12 million total in that time.

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Philadelphia Phillies: Was Optioning John Mayberry Jr. the Right Move?

With center fielder Shane Victorino coming off the disabled list, the Phillies had to make a move.  Their choice was to send John Mayberry Jr. back to Triple-A.

Mayberry is an excellent outfielder, who can also play first base.  His defensive skills are nearly comparable to Victorino’s and he was the only solid center field back-up option.  But Mayberry struggled at the plate, hitting only .231 with three homers and 12 RBI this year.

The other players the Phillies could have moved were Michael Martinez, Ben Francisco or Ross Gload.  They were not going to send down a pitcher, as manager Charlie Manuel seems to like having 12 pitchers on the roster.

Martinez seemed like a logical move, but a few issues have kept him in place.  First, he is a Rule-5 player and the Phillies will likely lose him if he is placed on waivers.  Second, with Chase Utley’s knee still a sticky situation, Martinez is now the only real back-up infielder behind Wilson Valdez.

On the other hand, Martinez is a far inferior defensive player in both the infield and outfield.  He has also been unimpressive at the plate, hitting only .184 with three RBI in 49 at-bats.

Francisco won the right field job out of spring training, but has since been in a downward spiral.  His defense is not up to par and his bat has gone to sleep since hitting .308 in the first 10 games of the season.  In May, Francisco hit only .167.

And Francisco still has a minor league option available.  The deterrent, however, seems to be his $1.175 million salary.

As for Gload, he is playing with a muscle tear in his right hip and it appears that he cannot run.  The last two times he reached base as a pinch-hitter, a pinch-runner was sent in for him.  Gload is a great pinch-hitter, but can the Phillies really afford to carry a player on the roster who cannot run or play the field?

The only fix for Gload’s hip is surgery, which would end his season.  He has no options, but the Phillies could have placed him on the DL to buy time.

So with all of this, plus a lack of production at the plate, Mayberry finds himself back in Triple-A.  In the long-run, it may be the best move for him as he will get more at-bats.  However, if Raul Ibanez begins to cool off, the Phillies may question this decision later.

In my opinion, I believe Martinez should have been the one to go.  Aside from being a Rule-5 player, he had the least amount of upside.

Then again, with more playing time, maybe Mayberry will return later with a renewed energy and more life in his bat.

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Philadelphia Phillies: The Resurgence of Raul Ibanez

Recently voted by his peers as one of the nicest players in baseball in a Sports Illustrated poll, Raul Ibanez is the type of guy that people want to see succeed.  And he is type of player that the Philadelphia Phillies need to succeed.

But 2011 did not start out the way that either the Phillies or Ibanez had hoped.  In the month of April, Ibanez hit only .161 with 10 RBI and one home run.  His on-base percentage was .247, well below his .345 career average.

Things got so bad for Ibanez at the plate that he even endured a near record setting 0-for-35 slump.  That streak tied the second worst hitless streak for a Phillie; Joe Morgan went 0-35 in 1983 and Desi Relaford still holds the number one spot with his 0-36 in 1998.

Ibanez finally broke the streak on May 3 and has been on a tear ever since.  He is hitting .323 in May with five home runs and 15 RBI.  And the month is not over yet.

Ibanez’s resurgence is likely due to a combination of things.  According to Mandy Housenick of “The Morning Call,” he started a brand new routine this offseason with a new trainer and even a new diet.  After discovering that he had severe food allergies back in the 2009 offseason, Ibanez sought the help of a nutritionist to adjust his diet.

It turns out that the dairy and gluten allergies were causing Ibanez muscle soreness and exhaustion. Once he eliminated the allergens from his diet, Ibanez began to feel healthy again.

This discovery led Ibanez to completely change his offseason training routine after the 2010 season.  The change in both diet and exercise plans seem to be major contributing factors to his turnaround at the plate this year.

The slump in April, therefore, could be the result of Ibanez adjusting to his new routine.  If that is the case, the Phillies can look forward to a lot more production from their left fielder.

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Philadelphia Phillies: Will Injuries Derail the Phils’ Season?

As of May 13, 2011, the Phillies are 25-13 and two games ahead of the Florida Marlins for first place in the NL East. 

However, Phillies players are dropping like flies. Can they maintain this pace in spite of all the injuries?

So far, the Phillies have lost their starting shortstop, both catchers, two starting pitchers, a bunch of relief pitchers and more.

Starter Joe Blanton came off the DL but looks like he needs to go back as he is still in pain and losing speed on his pitches. Starter Roy Oswalt is coming back this week, but also looks like he is not 100 percent after a rehab start on Thursday.

Then in Saturday’s 5-3 loss to the Braves, center fielder Shane Victorino left the game early with a hamstring pull. It ended his 15-game hitting streak.

The Phillies’ anemic offense managed only three hits in the game, a trend which has continued throughout the season so far. The pitching has helped the Phillies win games, but the loses due to a lack of hitting are starting to pile up.

At the same time, the pitchers are now coming up lame. If the injuries continue and the Phillies wind up with both weak pitching and weak hitting at the same time, this spells trouble.

If Victorino winds up on the DL, the Phillies may have been able to fill the roster spot by calling Domonic Brown back up since he has recovered from hand surgery. However, earlier in the week, Brown sprained the thumb on the same hand he had surgery on and is unavailable to play right now.

Currently in right field, Ben Francisco has been terrible in the month of May. He is hitting just .071 since May 1. Ryan Howard is hitting .217 in May. Placido Polanco’s May numbers are down as well, hitting .234. Brian Schneider’s bat was starting to heat up when he got hurt and was sent to the DL. Carlos Ruiz is back, but rusty and he is still looking for his first hit this month.

The bench players have filled in admirably where they are able to. But if this trend continues where the offense slumps and the pitching can no longer bail them out, the Phillies could lose their grasp on first place quickly.

The Phillies season is at a crossroads now. Either they will be able to continue to battle through the injuries or they will not.

But this is an issue they have dealt with for many years running now. This Phillies team knows how to carry on when star players hit the skids.

Hopefully, knowing that they have overcome injuries in the past will be enough to propel them into the future as a winning team.

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Cliff Lee Is Not Feeling the Love from Philadelphia Phillies Bats

While Phillies fans have certainly shown their support of Cliff Lee since his return, his teammates are a bit lacking in that department. In Lee’s last three starts, the Phils have scored a grand total of one run for him.

Friday night, the huge “zero” on the board amounted to a very odd outcome. Lee struck out a career-high 16 batters in the 5-0 loss to the Braves. This tied Steve Carlton for the most strikeouts over nine innings by a lefty in Phillies history.

The third inning was not great for Lee, as he allowed three runs. But aside from that inning, Lee was lights out, keeping pace with Derek Lowe who had a no-hitter going into the seventh.

But if you allow just three runs over seven innings, you are supposed to get a win, right? Sadly, that did not happen.

The most frustrating offense came in the seventh after Shane Victorino broke up the no-hitter with a single to left. Placido Polanco knocked a ground rule double, which as the ball hopped over the fence in center, actually prevented Victorino from scoring.

With two men in scoring position and no outs, the Phillies bats failed again. Lowe left the game with an injury and Eric O’Flaherty replaced him. 

Facing O’Flaherty should have been a relief after Lowe had mowed the Phils down in six straight innings. Instead, the next three batters, Ryan Howard, Ben Francisco and Raul Ibanez, all struck out swinging. Not one of them could even make contact.

And that continues to be the Achilles heel of this team. These severe hot and cold streaks at the plate are going to catch up to the Phillies eventually. The team’s 21 wins behind a stellar pitching staff is covering the multitude of offensive sins right now. But that cannot last for long.

The Phillies bats will need to get serious very, very soon.

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