Beerleaguer - Phillies Blog, Baseball News, Trade Rumors & Spirits

Game chat: Phillies, Jays settle series this afternoon

The Phillies have won five of the last five games started by Kyle Kendrick (3-2, 4.87 ERA), who has the ball against Shaun Marcum (4-2, 2.22) and the Jays today at CBP. First pitch is 1:35 ET.

Preview: A team that once went about business by averaging out the winning and losing streaks has figured out that slow and steady wins the race. A win today would give them their second-straight series win, which has happened a lot lately. For that to happen, they could use another quality start from Kendrick, who has five of them on the season all coming over his last six starts. The sophomore right-hander is making his living the same way he did last season, posting a staff-best 52 percent ground ball rate and issuing far fewer walks than he did in his first few starts.

Lineups are in with a few surprises. Following Friday’s three-homer explosion, Jayson Werth gets another shot against a right-hander today and bats second. Pedro Feliz returns to the lineup instead of Greg Dobbs, who had a solid day at the plate yesterday against A.J. Burnett. Carlos Ruiz will do the catching. Shane Victorino sits once again. [Live Boxscore]

Burrell and Utley: More men than machines lately

The Phillies rode the bats of Pat Burrell and Chase Utley through April, but May has proven to be the kryptonite for these men of steel.

Following a 6-3 loss, there's really no need to get into the same, tired Adam Eaton rant because it’s the same issue over and over. He caught the fat part of the plate more than you should with a fastball he had trouble controlling early. He made dumb mistakes and didn't put away batters when he had the chance. Rod Barajas’ grand slam pitch wasn’t a bad one, but for the most part, the Blue Jays waited for Eaton to get behind or make mistakes and hit him harder than the box score suggests.

Ryan Howard had his fifth three-strikeout 0-fer of the season, as the home fans continue their unrest. But it wasn’t Howard who blew the biggest opportunity. That honor went to Chase Utley, who grounded out on one pitch with the bases juiced in the third inning. Utley has seen his average fall from .369 to .310 this month and has one extra-base hit since May 6.

For the first time since April 3, Pat Burrell’s OPS fell below 1.000 after an 0-for-4 night. After a scorching start, voted as one of the runner-ups to Utley in National League Player of the Month voting, his line now reads like that of a human being - .286/.427/.564 - and he hasn’t gone deep since May 2. Comparatively speaking, Howard has been the better producer than these two lately, although you’d never know it by the tone being fostered at Citizens Bank Park.

Game chat: Right-handers square off in second act

Following his three-homer, eight-RBI night, Jayson Werth gets the nod and bats second against tough right-hander A.J. Burnett (3-4, 4.91 ERA). For the Phils, Adam Eaton (0-1, 5.40) tries for his first win.

Preview: Carlos Ruiz, who is battling a minor stomach ailment, is out of the lineup, replaced by Chris Coste. Shane Victorino gets the night off, with Geoff Jenkins starting in right. Of note for the Jays, unpopular ex-Phil Rod Barajas will do the catching. Best of the press notes: Eaton led all Major League pitchers in interleague ERA last season (1.40). ... The Phils lead all of baseball in home runs with 62 through 43 games. Last season, they didn't hit 62 until game no. 59. [Live Boxscore]

Phils win behind once-in-a-lifetime night by Werth

Phillies outfielder Jayson Werth homered three times and tied a franchise record with eight RBIs, as the Phils rolled Toronto 10-3.

Werth hit a solo, three-run and grand slam home run, putting him a two-run homer away from homering for the cycle. Four Phillies besides Werth have hit eight RBIs in a game; the last was Mike Schmidt in 1976. Nineteen others, including Ryan Howard, have hit three homers in a game.

Beerleaguer: Werth, who was plucked from the scrap pile last winter when the Dodgers decided they couldn’t wait for his wrist to heal, is turning into the steal of the Pat Gillick era. Although his left/right splits are cavernous, the Phils seem to be drawing more left-handed pitching these days and Werth is playing a significant role, adding a much-needed power bat from the right side to compliment Pat Burrell. They're no longer doomed against a left-hander.

Some thought the outfield would be only a little better than average after Aaron Rowand, but that hasn't been the case. Nine homers by Werth ties Burrell and Howard as he continues to look more like an everyday player and less like a 4th outfielder. He's strong, fast and patient. His defense would show better in right, but that's another subject. His numbers (23 RC, .295 GPA, 9 HR) are up with the best at his position, and his 4.8 P/PA is the very best in baseball, regardless of position.

We discussed extending Hamels yesterday. Here's a guy in Werth who's very interesting. He's still a decent age and is probably ready to start making real money. If they believe he can sustain this level, and if they feel they cannot keep Burrell, you have to wonder if the Phils should think about keeping him around a tad longer than the schedule dictates when the two sides meet this winter.

Game chat: Toronto in town for interleague action

Left-handers Jamie Moyer and David Purcey clash when the Phillies and Jays resume their non-conference rivalry tonight at Citizens Bank Park.

This on-going series with Toronto is intended to remind us of the 1993 World Series, but instead, reminds me of June of 2006, a time when the Phils were spiraling out of control and reliever Aaron Fultz made that spot start for the Phils up in Toronto. A month later, the Phils would throw in the towel and raffle off select parts. Ah ... memories.

Nearly two years and a playoff appearance later, they’re in better shape. At 23-19, they trail the Marlins by a game in a soft NL East, facing no significant injuries or insurmountable adversity. The biggest question may be their starting pitching. One concern is whether Jamie Moyer can give them the kind of season they need through September. The ancient left-hander tries to rebound from his worst start of the season against southpaw David Purcey. Purcey, a 2004 first-round pick, is making just his second start of the season for Toronto.

Lefty mania: This will be the fifth-consecutive left-handed starter the Phils have drawn, and they’ve faced a number of them this season already. Geoff Jenkins, who’s out of the lineup again, must be having second thoughts about signing here. [Live Boxscore]

Soggy stuff putting interleague opener in jeopardy

Periods of rain are expected to last through the evening with highs in the lower 60s, according to CBS 3. Winds expected to be 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain near 100 percent. Then tonight, occasional rain will taper off closer to midnight. Lows in the upper 40s. [Link]

Friday: Hamels goes the distance; contract discussed

Following the first complete-game shutout of Cole Hamels’ career, Daily News scribe David Murphy poses a timely question: why not sign Hamels to a multiyear contract right now? [Link]

This excellent, rainy-day question comes on the heels of another deal to a rising star, as the Brewers signed Ryan Braun to an 8-year, $45 million contract yesterday, which buys out his arbitration years and eats two years of free agency. Elsewhere, the Rays agreed on a three-year extension with left-hander Scott Kazmir worth $28.5 million, which includes a team option for 2012. So why not offer the same type of long-term deal to Hamels? Phillies GM Pat Gillick had the answer.

"Right now, it isn't going to happen," Gillick told the DN. Ok then. So, when do the Phils start thinking about it?

"If at some point, if [Hamels is] performing to the level, you're going to have to talk multiyear at some point," Gillick said. "These guys, maybe they are smarter giving guys 8-year deals. I don't know."

Meanwhile, as the Phillies decide whether Hamels is performing at a sufficient level, the young left-hander dominated the Braves for his first complete game of the season, giving up four hits while striking out six and walking two. Pedro Feliz, Ryan Howard and Shane Victorino homered in a winning cause. Afterward, readers expressed satisfaction with the series, and the Phils’ pull within the division.

“The Phils handled Atlanta nicely in this series. Other than last week, they have consistently been winning series and are now 1.5 and 2 games up on the Mets and Braves, respectably. I think the signs are still largely positive so far this season, and I also believe that the Mets and Braves aren't a whole lot better than they've shown so far.” -- RSB

Game chat: Left-handers settle it tonight at CBP

Chuck James (2-2, 7.58) and Cole Hamels (4-3, 3.36) rock the house when the Braves and Phillies play the deciding game of their three-game set.

Webster’s New World Dictionary defines an ‘ace’ as “the best pitcher on a baseball team, counted on to win important games, such as the deciding game of a three game series against a tough division rival with a formidable lineup.” So there you have it.

Hamels would be the first to admit he hasn’t been as sharp as was at the start of the season; he was 2-1 with a 0.82 ERA in his first three starts, but is 2-2 with a 4.98 ERA in his last five. He has not been particularly good against the Braves, going 3-2 with a 4.42 ERA against them. He’ll try for something closer to definition of an ace tonight.

Beerleaguer for breakfest: Readers explain Myers' dud

Brett Myers walked off the field to a chorus of boos after giving up eight runs – six earned – over 4 1-3 innings in a 8-6 loss to the Braves. Readers generally agree that Myers – who allowed three home runs to make it 15 on the season – has been undone by poor command.

"Myers problem tonight is what his problem usually is: Location. If he can locate his fastball and curve within the zone consistently, he can win big throwing 80% curveballs. If he can't put them in the proper spots, then it doesn't matter what % of anything he throws. He's gonna suck." – clout

"Myers' velocity has vacillated back and forth. Tonight it wasn't there but he was throwing his fastball @ 92-93 MPH in his last start.  Tonight he wasn't able to locate and got burnt. I still think the Braves' advance scouts saw something though because the Braves were swinging at a ton of first pitches in their ABs early tonight. ... Even if Myers is only throwing 89-90 MPH on his fastball, he can still be a very effective pitcher but needs to use the offspeed stuff more and earlier in the count (and basically junk the cutter since there isn't enough velocity difference between it right now and his fastball).” -- MG

"Maybe it's past the point where the Phils can even look at him as an effective starter. How long do you wait? When Howard slumps, he's one guy out of nine on the field. You can live with it. When a starting pitcher slumps, he's affecting the team in a much more drastic way, every fifth day. And there's no place to put him in the bullpen. Starting to think Seth Everett might have a point." – RSB

Beerleaguer: The Phillies need to get to the bottom of the velocity issue with Myers, because if he's hurt, now's the time to do something about it. A 15-day trip to the DL would be an excellent option. It's not like they'd miss his starts right now, and they have a replacement throwing well in Happ. A tryout would also allow the Phils to see what they have in Happ, who's 25 and doesn't need any more time in AAA. Myers' strikeout totals - which are still strong - are a little deceiving. Even the game at San Fran was not particularly sharp and the reported improvement in velocity couldn't have been more overblown. He's barely 90, and he looks sloppy, too. Sharp contrast in craft between Glavine, who hits his spots, and Myers, who isn't establishing his fastball, and gets burned by too many careless mistakes.

Taguchi slumping: A look around the league finds teams starting to cut bait with underperforming players, even players with substantial contracts. It happened recently with outfielder Jason Michaels in Cleveland. On a different team, one with better depth, So Taguchi, who grounded into a killer DP last night, might have been out of a job as well. I thought Taguchi would be a nice fit – and still may be – but his last hit came April 25 and he’s batting 178/.229/.222. Taguchi, who signed for $1M this winter, will be 39 in July. One has to wonder if he’s lost just too many steps to contribute.

Game chat: Glavine makes 65th start against Phillies

The Braves visit Philadelphia for the second of three at Citizens Bank Park. Tom Glavine (0-1, 4.03 ERA) tries to record his first win of the season against Brett Myers (2-3, 5.33) and the Phillies. First pitch is 7:05.

Glavine is 28-17 with a 3.68 ERA against the home club, including a 2-0 mark with a 2.14 ERA in five outings against them in 2007, all quality starts, according to the AP. Meanwhile, Myers is 4-6 with a 4.16 ERA in 24 games, 17 starts, against the Braves. ... The Phillies lead all MLB teams with 13 come-from-behind wins this season, following the trend set last year when they won a baseball-best 48 after trailing. ... The Phillies have taken 10 of their last 15 from the Braves, including last night’s 5-4 win, the 11th time the Braves have lost a 1-run game this season.

Everett: Now's the time to sell high on Brett Myers

MLB.com’s Seth Everett was a guest on WIP’s Morning Show yesterday and raised the issue of trading Brett Myers to a team in need of a closer.

Everett mentioned Milwaukee as a team with playoff aspirations having a rough time with their bullpen. Myers, who avoided arbitration by signing a three-year contract last February, earns $8.5 million this season and $12 million in 2009, so he would be better than a rental. The 27-year-old right-hander has been up-and-down at best in his return to a starting role and excelled last season as a closer. Everett, who said teams probably wouldn’t consider his early struggles a concern, proposed a swap for a package that included one of Milwaukee’s young starters.

Phillies 5, Braves 4: Maybe this is another case of selective memory, but I feel like I've watched a dozen starts by Phillies’ pitchers this season that resemble the one Kyle Kendrick had last night, where he isn't locating his pitches, digs an early hole, you think this is the game he will suffer a massive meltdown, and the next thing you know, he's through six innings.

Kendrick, who struggled in spring training and entered the season near the top of the list of concerns, has been fine as a back-end starter. In his last six starts, including last night, he has a 4.62 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 37.0 IP, 8 BB, 19 K. Hat tip to MG for the math.

Reading at the quarter mark: Position player review

The bulk of the Phillies’ top position talent resides in Double-A Reading. Reading Eagle beat writer Mike Drago provides an early update.

The Reading Phillies aren't even a .500 team this season, but the good news is that all of their young position prospects are excelling, most of them in their first Double-A seasons. That's encouraging, and rare. Given their ages, each of the four (Greg Golson, Jason Donald, Lou Marson and Brad Harman) should have productive major league careers.

Greg Golson is still striking out a ton, nearly 30 percent of his at-bats, and still getting fooled on breaking balls. But he's made a huge jump in his return to the Eastern League. He's shown power potential, is stealing bases at a high rate and is playing a marvelous center field (with a great arm). And he's batting .309, far better than he ever has. I don't see why he can't have a big league career every bit as good as Mike Cameron, maybe better.

Jason Donald is a kid that really grows on you. He's a baseball player. I think he's got just enough range and arm to play shortstop in the big leagues, and probably could be shifted to third. And he's gonna have the bat, and the power, to play a corner spot. I'm not certain that he's going to be a everyday guy in the big leagues for a long time, but I can see him having enough bat and versatility to stick around for a while.

Lou Marson has been the biggest surprise of all. His bat was a liability his first three seasons, but right now he's hitting .320 with an astounding .441 on-base percentage. How many catchers can do that? The list starts and ends with Joe Mauer. He hasn't shown any power yet, but that will come. He's only 21. I can see him having a Mike Lieberthal-type career. You'd take that, wouldn't you?

Brad Harman is the toughest call of the four. I haven't seen much of him, since he spent a couple weeks in Philly. I'm not sure that he's got a position. He's got some pop, so he could end up at third base. Will probably end up as a utility/bench guy in the big leagues.

-- Mike Drago / Reading Eagle

Game chat: Phillies back home for date with Braves

Best of the press notes: Kotsay swinging a hot bat

Andruw who? One of the most underrated moves of the off-season has worked for Atlanta, where center fielder Mark Kotsay has hit safely in 17 of his last 20 games, according to the Braves’ press notes.

Dating back to April 17,  Kotsay, who was traded from Oakland to Atlanta in January for right-hander Joey Devine, is hitting .368 (28-for-76) with five doubles, two home runs and 15 RBIs. His .368 ranks fourth in the majors during that span.

One-run woes: According to Elias, the Braves were one of only five teams in major league history to start a season by losing their first nine games decided by a single run. They snapped that streak on Thursday, but on Friday, dropped to 1-10 in one-run games with a 3-2 loss to the Pirates, the 15th consecutive loss for Atlanta in one-run games on the road dating back to last season.

Lefties: The Braves will throw three lefties at the Phils this week: Jo-Jo Reyes, Tom Glavine and Chuck James. According to Elias, before last week, the Braves had not started three consecutive left-handed since June 4-6, 1997, when they started Glavine, Denny Neagle and Terrell Wade.

Phillies transaction: The Phillies have traded organizational catcher Tim Gradoville to the Texas Rangers for future considerations. Gradoville began the season in Reading as a player/coach and has been in the Phillies’ system forever and ever. Gradoville was a fixture. It’s like trading the organ player.

R-Phils at the quarter mark: Four possibilities for help

With talk that the Phillies are seeking additional pitching, Reading beat writer Mike Drago updates the readiness of four Double-A pitching prospects.

Carlos Carrasco: He's a markedly better pitcher than he was last season at Reading, but he's still yet to take that huge step forward people are waiting for. His K/BB ratio is much improved, though it's still not great (44/19). Not sure why this is, but he's been tougher on lefties this year (.191 vs. .237) but not as effective against righties (.276 vs. .258). I'll have to check on that. Bottom line: He's not ready for the big leagues yet; by the end of July we'll have a better idea. He needs to run off five or six consecutive, consistent starts before he's moved up, and he hasn't come close to doing that.

Josh Outman: Early results from the bullpen are very promising. Last three times out: four innings, two hits, no walks, three strikeouts. Key there is no walks. Velocity on back-to-back nights was still good, 92-93. For the season, lefties are hitting just .160 off him, and he's struck out 10 of 25 lefties he's faced. It's early in the process, but he could become a seventh-inning guy, or situational guy, by midseason.

Fabio Castro:  Was actually better in a starting role than I would have imagined, but he's still walking too many batters (19 in 33 2/3). I can see him in some minor role in the major league bullpen, middle innings, situational type thing, though it's interesting this year that lefties are hitting better (.231) than righties (.202) off him.

Joe Bisenius: He had injuries the past two seasons, lost confidence, and now has control issues, but I still like him. He's got great stuff. He could turn it around quickly and be back in the big leagues by midseason.

Antonio Bastardo (honorable mention): He's better, and throws harder, than people have given him credit for. Still very inexperienced, though.

Beer nuts: Blogging, Bissinger and other points

Buzz Bissinger, author of "Friday Night Lights," is making the rounds in Philadelphia, trying to clear his name after the mess he made by losing his cool on HBO.

The author was on 610-WIP’s morning show this a.m. after appearing on Howard Eskin’s show last week. Although I only caught the tail end of the interview this morning, I listened to the Eskin interview in its entirety; I actually pulled into a mall parking lot to give it my undivided attention. Eskin, of course, considers Bissinger a champion for putting blogs in their place and shares his concern about the future of reporting, and that seems to be the sentiment of many established journalists.

It isn’t often that Beerleaguer breaks Phillies' continuity, but for this I’ll make an exception. Speaking on behalf of one of the city’s most established sports blogs, I felt a small sense of duty to respond, even though the integrity of Beerleaguer is rarely in doubt and the site is often praised for upholding journalistic standards, even inside the public comments thread. 

It might surprise some people, but I agree with some of Bissinger’s points, disagree strongly with others, all explained with a cooler head on Eskin’s show.

Like Bissinger has said in these follow-up interviews, there are many blogs worth reading, but many, many more that are not. Some sites do the legwork. Many more, like this one, rely on secondary sources. And many rely on hearsay and throw-away humor, and unfortunately for Bissinger, that’s how he came to take the bait, while the rest of us have dismissed those spaces as the work of amateurs out for kicks. And for the record, there's nothing wrong with getting your kicks, especially in the not-so serious world of sports.

The problem is, Bissinger and others are listening to a vocal minority instead of a silent majority, embodied by vast numbers here who hold traditional reporting and thought-provoking commentary in high regard. Readers take pride in this forum, their forum, which was designed with a journalistic eye. Some have called it the best place to receive Phillies’ information and insight, but I’d bet 9 out of 10 click Philly.com for the real scoop before they check here. This is where they come to debate the issues in a controlled, fun environment.

Of all the points Bissinger made, the most offensive and misguided part is the notion that bloggers would like to see the mainstream media disappear. The fact is, reporting is more valued than ever. It’s more global than ever. It’s also better than ever. We’re bombarded with perspectives from all angles, unbound by geography and circulation. Go back 15 years and the world, in many ways, still existed in relative darkness. Today, everyone is looking and the standards are higher. The same holds true for outrageous speculation and sensationalism. Instead of happening in the neighborhood watering hole, it’s happening in raucous pockets on the Internet.

Bissinger claims to have trouble separating the two. I find it to be quite easy actually. In calling out Deadspin, Bissinger ran into a problem, besides the obvious point that he’s taken the issue too seriously and hasn’t given the average sports fan enough credit for identifying sources they can trust. On Eskin’s show, he said it’s getting hard to separate reality and fantasy in sports, which is ironic, since fantasy is the entire point. We're all fantasy experts, pretend managers and fake GMs. From Howard Eskin to Jason Weitzel, we're all playing a part. Blogs have simply made it easier to reach people, a natural progression in a new, limitless world. Who doesn't glory days of the past? We all do, but step back for a moment and realize this is a great time to be an informed, entertained and connected sports fan. Where newspapers now reach millions, not thousands, the peanut galleries like Beerleaguer reach thousands, not dozens, of passionate fans inside a virtual pub.

Phillies continue AAA overhaul, acquire INF Rouse

To complete last week’s Gookie Dawkins trade with the White Sox, the Phils acquired 28-year-old lefty-hitting infielder Mike Rouse, who’s already appeared in three games for the IronPigs.

Last season, Rouse made Cleveland’s opening day roster as a utility man, but went 8-for-67 and was demoted to Buffalo and was later designated for assignment. He signed a minor league contract with Chicago this off-season, but couldn’t break camp. Drafted by the Blue Jays in the 5th round of the 2001 draft, he’s seen Major League action in 49 games with Oakland and Cleveland, hitting just .165/.238/.209. In seven minor league seasons, the bulk of them coming in the Pacific Coast League, he’s a .273/.360/.404 hitter with 40 home runs.

Beerleaguer: I’d rather have Rouse than Dawkins. Actually, Rouse doesn’t look like a bad spare part, kinda like a middle infield variation of Greg Dobbs, whose career could benefit from a move to the National League just as Dobbs' did. There's no room for him in Philly, but he might be the guy to call if something were to happen to Jimmy Rollins or Chase Utley. He's off to a poor start in LV, however, going hitless in his first three games.

Phillies suffer a case of the Mondays on a Sunday

Nearing the season’s quarter mark, the Phils dropped the final game of their road trip, losing to the San Francisco Giants 4-3 on a two-run home run by backup catcher Steve Holm.

It could be the weather, or Monday morning or watching my team get beaten by a 28-year-old catcher who spent last season in Double-A; in any event, I sit here, look at the Phillies 21-18 mark and realize they’ve only been okay. They haven’t dug themselves into an early April hole, which is fortunate. They're hovering, and there's nothing wrong with that after 39 games. But I look at how they’ve managed to win and see a bullpen that needed to be perfect, a rotation that may be getting lucky and an offense that isn’t producing.

The offense part should take care of itself if Ryan Howard and Shane Victorino get on track, and if a few others can show a just a little improvement over the first month. It’s the pitching that scares me. The pitching, quite frankly, could have been smoke and mirrors for a month. Jamie Moyer gets shelled Saturday and J.C. Romero, who hasn’t been the spotless pitcher everyone says he’s been, gets tagged by Holm. Even Hamels got hit around Friday night. This against a Giants’ lineup generating less than 3.5 runs coming into this series.

The front office understands there’s still work to be done. They’re looking around and shuffling prospects in hopes of uncovering another lefty to add to the mix.

To take nothing away from Arizona, the Phils have run up against a string of teams that can’t hit: San Francicso, San Diego, Colordo is struggling, Milwaukee is struggling, Pittsburgh doesn’t scare you. Now they face Atlanta, a big division opponent, where the heart of the order goes Escobar, Chipper, Teixeira, Francouer and McCann. I can barely recall the Giants' lineup besides Rowand.

This week, we'll start to see what the Phillies are truly made of.

Game chat: Phillies set sights on 4-3 road swing

The Phils can consider their trip out West a success if Adam Eaton (0-1, 5.63) can rebound from his worst start of the season this afternoon against left-hander Johnathan Sanchez (2-2, 4.74 ERA) and the Giants. First pitch is 4:05 ET

Blacked-out game features old pro, budding star

Game chat: Today’s game between the Phillies and Giants will not be carried on television, making it the first Phils game to go unaired since June of 2006. Follow the action here, or tune in to the Phillies' Radio Network on 830-AM WEEU, when Jamie Moyer battles Tim Lincecum today at 4:05. [Live Boxscore]