Game chat: Phillies try to avoid losing fourth straight

The struggling Phils turn to right-hander Kyle Lohse (7-12, 4.61 ERA) for some much-needed pitching help when they host the Padres in the second of three at Citizens Bank Park. First pitch is 7:05 ET.

Preview: Clay Hensley (2-3, 6.70 ERA) makes his first start since being recalled from the minor leagues. Hoping to gain ground in the playoff race, the Phillies have instead dropped three of four. Jamie Moyer was the latest to be roughed up, looking as though the league has caught up with him. With the embarrassing 14-3 loss, the Phillies fell six back of the Mets and three back of the Padres. It hasn't been the homestand fans had hoped for, to say the least, ruined by an overexposed bullpen, slumping hitters and better efforts from the opposition.

Comments

[Reed]

No ChUts tonight too. He is scheduled at Reading again.

[J. Weitzel]

ChUts? Sounds like a bad reaction to something. For example, "Watching the bullpen blow another game gave me the chuts."

[Reed]

Kinda like Chase's absence has give Ryan Howard the chuts?

[Billy Mac]

John Ennis has been called up. Brian Sanches DFA'd.

[MG]

Clay Hensley keeps the ball on the ground and doesn't give up many HRs but his K/BB is horrendous and he gives up a ton of hits. Plus, he isn't a LHP which has a kyrptonite to the Phils' offense this year.

See the offense roaring back to life tonight and pounding a marginal MLB starter in Hensley. Lohse will be Lohse (6+ innings with 3 or 4 runs) but that should be good enough with a rested pen and a pitcher who will get chased early by the Phils. Call it 7-5 Phils.

[Billy Mac]

I think the Phils win tonight in a laugher -- say 10-3.

[MG]

You know the Phils' offense is moribund if they don't bang around a guy like Hensley who has had major control issues this year, doesn't get a lot of strikeouts or has a good offspeed pitch, and has been horrendous on the road. No way this guy should make it through the 5th or have more than 2 or 3 strikeouts.

[MG]

One final prediction before I am out - Howard has a few hits tonight including a HR to end his HR drought.

[Fljerry]

I see where Conine just hit a double to knock in a run. Anybody that Mets pickup do well.

[Ben Keeler]

great..ruiz again tonight instead of Coste

Rollins
Iguchi
Burrell
Howard
Rowand
Dobbs
Werth
Ruiz
Loshe

[Reed]

This is must win as is tomorrow and what needs to happen especially against these 2 young bland righties is the O to get going again.
Howard hits 2 dingers.

[ajc1]

With Ennis called up, will he set the franchise record for number of pitchers used in a season?

Mesa must go.
As a Philie: 28.2 IP, 26 R, 18 ER, opponent's BA .349, SLG .434. Awful.
Last 3.1 innings (5 appearances)? 9 hits, 4 BB, 2 K, 2 HR, 12 R, 11 ER. F+cking atrocious.

Bring up Mateo.

[davthom73d]

With Coste getting the bench after Ruiz's last two starts produced 0 for 7, its clear that Gillick has instructed Manuel to use Coste as "THE BACKUP", who is supposed to get an average of two starts a week -- and no more.

[Alby]

Andy: I wasn't nominating Christenson for the Hall of Fame. I was simply listing pitchers who didn't "suck," as Curt so curtly put it. League average over a 10-year career does not constitute suckitude. And I was only listing those drafted/developed by the Phillies, not those who, like Schilling, were nothing much before they got here but blossomed with Philly. Or the guys who came here in trades but had the best years of their careers here. Keep in mind, this long Braves run of excellence has featured exactly one great pitcher developed by the Braves, Tom Glavine, arguably the weakest of the Big Three. Maddux was a free agent, Smoltz came in a trade. The best of those drafted by the Braves who have rounded out the rotation were Avery and Millwood. Avery was a high first-round pick who burned out very quickly. Millwood declined quickly after leaving Atlanta. Very few teams have better luck with pitching than the Phillies, except for those with pitching-friendly ballparks.

The point of my post was that we've had plenty of decent-to-very good pitching. But average pitching looks worse than average when you're playing in a hitters' park. When you've got below-average pitching, as this team does, well, you see the result. It's pug-ugly.

[Fljerry]

jack Sanford, Jim Owens, Jack Meyer, Turk Farrell, Don Cardwell (cardwell traded next year for tony Taylor - Cardwell threw a no-hitter first time he pitched for Cubs. Had Harry Anderson, and Ed Bouchee as rookies. These were first year players - good farm system at that time

[Andy]

Alby, yup, I got it.
Actually, I had remembered Christenson as far worse than he was (Lerch, too).

We might, actually, have some decent above average pitchers in the system now, too. I worry about development, though, and worry how they'll be received if their first MLB experience is in our Zen of Iniquities.

[Andy]

Whoop! Go PtB!

[Andy]

Hey, anyone know how far that was hit? Gameday practically ran out of room.

[parker]

Karl Lohse looking good.

[Andy]

Listen, on Gameday, Lohse looks sharp tonight. His only walk came to Milton Bradley. It looks, too, like his first pitch to Bradley was a message. I don't think the Phils think kindly of mister B.

[denny b.]

"It looks, too, like his first pitch to Bradley was a message. I don't think the Phils think kindly of mister B."

I just hope one of the good pitchers doesn't plunk him before the weekend's out.

Perfect scenario....

Get a big lead tommorow. Bring in Mesa late. He plants one right in back of Mr. Bradley. Mesa gets suspended about 8 games (so we don't have to see him for the next week). And, Cholly would probably earn a suspension too.

[parker]

Great At bat by Dobbs, even if he did get help.

[Ira]

coste riding the pine again, must have screwed Gillick's daughter or something to have clutchless chooch to be in the lineup again

[Andy]

Hey, we got more than just Mesa to burn. How about Gordon plunks him his next AB?

[Andy]

Take that Giles you p***y

[parker]

Different Giles, but equally applicable.

[AFish]

I was just going to comment that some of the fans seemed to think that Brian Giles was Marcus Giles, and then I see people here are doing the same thing.

[Andy]

Man alive. I don't know what Lohse drank or ate before this game, but he should share it with the rest of the staff. He looks GOOD.

[Ben Keeler]

Radano;s CourierPost blog tonight reports:

A) team meeting before todays game, and
B) Matheison on rehab assignment in Reading soon, hope to have in the bullpen by Labor Day

[Andy]

Yeah. I guess I messed up. But hey, what's good for the gander is good for the p***y.

[Andy]

Pitching around Burrell or bad control?

[Mr. Mac]

I'm not hating Burrell since the All Star break. I wish he could play like this all season though.

[MG]

Time for the Big Man to step up. Hensley hasn't shown anything decent so far tonight.

[MG]

Good AB by Howard. Make this bum throw strikes.

[Andy]

Don't swing at that first pitch Aaron!

[Joe F]

Seems like every 3-0 count results in a green light. Depending on the situation this is OK, but the hitters aren't being particularly selective (Ruiz) on 3-0. Don't be so quick to give green lights to guys who aren't selective!

[MG]

Pathetic AB by Rowand. In front of two crappy changeups and then a week combacker to the mound. Phils have to bury this loser.

[Andy]

Did Rowand miss the team meeting?

[Andy]

It is a joy to watch the Phils when the pitcher throws strikes.

[parker]

Gillicks guns getting it done.

[Andy]

This team meeting should have been two games ago.

[Slocs]

what team meeting?

[Andy]

BenKeeler post above:

Radano;s CourierPost blog tonight reports:

A) team meeting before todays game, and
B) Matheison on rehab assignment in Reading soon, hope to have in the bullpen by Labor Day

[Slocs]

send the runners

[Andy]

slocs: I admire your agressiveness. Kinda glad Chollie didn't heed your advice, as it turns out.

[Slocs]

we need a clutch hit from the top of the lineup

[Andy]

Hey slocs, Chollie DID hear you. He's just slow.

[Slocs]

andy - I tell you Charlie is playing more aggressive, bunting for a hit, hit and run, I just had a feeling he would send them. I thought while Lohse was bunting would have been better since 3rd and 1st were cheating so much. But whatever, The top of the order again chokes

[Ben Keeler]

Utley needs to get back. Tomorrow. Enough of Reading.

[Slocs]

now we need Ryan to drop a bunt on the left side so they start playing more hones against him.

[Fljerry]

Slocs
You really think he had Dobbs bunting - I'm sure Dobbs did this on his own -

[Tray]

Just remember Charlie, if Lohse starts to tire, take him out.

[Fljerry]

This game reminds me of Lohses last game where he was leading by 4-0 in the 7th and Phils lost 8-4 - hope somehow he gets thru the 7th and still in the lead

[Andy]

ooooooh
I can't believe he got a hit on that.
Sheesh. How far outside do you have to throw it?

[KevinLin]

Thanks for the jinx tray.

[Andy]

Okay. So this is Giles the jerk and not Giles the whiner, right?

[parker]

Any Giles is a bad Giles, In my opinion.

[Andy]

So after 5 innings, Lohse's thrown just 62 pitches - 43 strikes. Nice. He might last 8 innings. We might hear some P.O.D. tonight (metaphorically speaking since I live too far away to actually hear it.)

[Andy]

Ouch. Pat. Pat. Pat.

Ouch.

[Andy]

That's 100 pitches for Hensley. How much longer til we get into the bullpen?

[Joe F]

"John Ennis has been called up. Brian Sanches DFA'd."

Is there a source on this? I can't find anything that mentions it.

[bay_area_phan]

Joe: On MLB Gameday, Ennis is listed as a being on their active roster. Sanches isn't.

[Ben Keeler]

they said it on the radio as well

[Andy]

okay. OUCH

[Slocs]

Ennis has been starting recently, you think, he'll go Tuesday. I know Eaton has good numbers against the mets but I'm pretty sure I might have gotten a hit off him his last few starts. Quite frankly anyone but Eaton. Quite frankly, I'm thinking Happ should get the call

[Joe F]

Thanks.

I know Lohse's pitch count is low, but I don't feel comfortable about this game. We need some friggin offense!

[Tony]

did that ump just say "that f***ing ball was down"??

[parker]

Hope that puts a fire under this teams keister.

[joe]

tony -

yes, yes, he did. that was one of the funniest things i heard on tv in a while.

[parker]

Come on J-Roll, wake up!

[Slocs]

look like the more recent flyers. Get pushed around and do nothing. That is fucking bullshit. That guy should be tossed. The Phillies just sit on the bench and do nothing. Bunch of pussies

[bay_area_phan]

I'm the guy that was calling Jimmy Rollins a Hall of Fame caliber player a few weeks ago -- so I'm a big fan. But he is yet another guy that has been absolutely pathetic over the last 3 weeks. Absolutely pathetic.

[ajc1]

That's 8 left stranded by the Phils.

[Tony]

joe-
i thought it was that fan that was heckling giles all game, then saw it was called a ball, and wow, gotta love live broadcasting

[Slocs]

tony: yes, I had it tivo-ed and rewound it too listen

[Slocs]

What's more American than baseball? Kyle Lohse, an American Indian!!!

[Fljerry]

This is where Lohse blewup last time 6 2/3

[Joe F]

6 2/3 seems to be a hard limit for Lohse. If we actually had a bullpen, I'd be glad that he's being taken out. But naturally, I'm skeptical about being able to win this game 2-1.

[JD]

Cholly pulled Lohse too early.

[parker]

Manual pulling a Jorge Bush here. "We have this saying in Texas, and I think Tennessee. Ya fool me once, ya, um, uh, you won't fool me again."

Good move getting Lohse out I think.

[Ben Keeler]

Romero is the right move. I just hope it works.

[Fljerry]

if you notice cholly takes most of his pitchers out with 6 2/3 - I could never figure this out since he uses up a pitcher for only one out and usually the pitcher is still pitching good

[Tray]

Seems like a bit of a quick hook when he had just 84 pitches and the next batter was Rob Mackowiak (batting .188 this month).

[attytood will]

Charlie's like an American general...always fighting the last war.

[Slocs]

gotta love the worst bullpen in the world

[joe l]

Seatbelts on boys...

[bay_area_phan]

To me, it seems a little early to remove Lohse. He was only at 84 pitches and there was little indication that he'd lost effectiveness. Just because this is where he blew up the last time doesn't mean it's where he'll blow up this time.

[Ben Keeler]

NO TOM GORDON IN THE 8TH

[attytood will]

Worked...for now.
Terrified of that 8th inning.

[parker]

That was a good pitch that Stansbury steak fought off. Not bad by Romero there.

[Fljerry]

Ben if not Gordon who then?

[parker]

8th is 12 Digits. If not I'd be surprised.

[Ben Keeler]

Alf....but he aint much better.

[bay_area_phan]

Why not Mesa in the 8th?

[bay_area_phan]

Here goes Cholly pinch running for Burrell again? How many times this year has the pinch runner scored a run that Burrell wouldn't have scored? Answer: None. How many times has the defensive replacement made a run-saving catch that Burrell wouldn't have made? Answer: Maybe once or twice? How many times has the other team come back to tie the game, leaving us with some weak-ass hitter to come up in Burrell's spot later in the game? I'd guess 30 or 40.

[ajc1]

BAP - not funny man. Almost gagged.

[JD]

I wish Cholly wouldn't pull Burrell out of close games

[bay_area_phan]

Sorry AJC. Didn't mean to cause anyone an adverse physical reaction. Was just trying to see if anyone would take me seriously.

[Joe F]

Nunez to 3B, Dobbs to RF, Werth to LF? I thought Dobbs in right was an emergency type thing...

[joe l]

Burrell out, Mesa in.. what could go wrong?