Sunday: Happ fitting in, but must improve control

Before Ryan and Ryan rewrote the script, starter J.A. Happ supplied another sample.

Early signs suggest Happ will fit in nicely at the bottom of the Phillies' rotation, but the learning process continues and there is room for improvement. Happ needs to work on keeping the ball down, but even more importantly, he needs to keep his walks under control. Happ allowed an uncharacteristic 10 hits yesterday, a season high, but also four walks, which has become the norm; he's now walked 14 in his last three starts, including six in his last outing, pushing his season strikeout-walk ratio to 41/28. Happ has pretty good stuff and hitters generally have had a tough time picking him up and getting good swings. The promise of better control, along with refinement to his secondary pitches, will put his club in position to win every time he takes the mound.

Comments

[kart racer]

He's a battler. I guess that's a good thing. Of course your not going to have many 6/2 outings when you give up 10 hits and 4 walks.

[kart racer]

Oh and I am still baffled why Madson since becoming closer decided not to put people away with the change up in favorable counts.

I'M STILL ANGRY ABOUT IT

[ozark]

In the era of the dreaded pitch count, Happ will rarely, if ever, see the 7th inning.
Roberts HR brought back memories of Biggio vs. Billy Goat. But hey, it's only June.

[bay_area_phan]

One small positive from yesterday. Jonathan Pettibone, the Phillies' 3rd round pick in 2008, made his season debut with Williamsport and pitched 5 innings, allowing just 1 run & 2 hits & striking out 6. I know nothing about the guy, but he was a high pick & they had to pay him way over slot to lure him away from college. If he has a few more games like that, I imagine he'll soon start appearing on Top 10 lists of Phillies pitching prospects.

Maybe they should call him up.

[4daysrest.com]

Ryan Howard is back in the hospital. Ut-oh.

[TNA]

After battling gamely on the road against the rest of MLB's heavyweights, this team was bound to have a letdown. It just so happened that this letdown coincided with coming home.

As for Madson not being dominant since becoming the closer, that *could* also be just a matter of luck and coincidence. He was bound to get knocked around a few times this year, and it's timing couldn't have been worse.

On the other hand, as for those of you who think pitching in the 8th is *only* psychologically different from pitching in the 9th, I think you may be simplifying the situation in that there are psychosomatic differences, not just 'mental' differences. Closers often talk about the adrenaline rush that comes with pitching in closing situations that doesn't occur in non-closing situations and being able to effectively channel that adrenaline. But sometimes, for some players, it takes a while in that situation to control that adrenaline. Broxton is a good example.

It seems as if this team needs a break. Both in terms of physical/mental and bounces. But it appears the WFC hangover is in full latent effect in terms of injuries and mental fatigue/sub-par interest.

It would be nice to upgrade the rotation, bullpen and bench, but this team has to stop waiting around for reinforcements or change to arrive externally. In that sense, Amaro should shut up about looking for upgrades through trades and start putting more accountability and responsibilities on the players that are on the roster right now. Even if the Phillies sign a (healthy) Peavy or Bedard, they're not going anywhere with the lack of accountability they've been playing with recently. It's downright un-neo-WFC-Phillies-like.

Here's to battling until the AS break and then taking it up to 4th gear for the 2nd half of the season. And then taking it to 6th starting in mid-September.

[EastFallowfield]

Yo, new thread

[64 survivor]

Aren't you being a little harsh on JA when he has the lowest ERA of any of our starters ( by over 1 run/9). If he is a 4-5 what are we going to do for 1-3 ???

[4DaysRest.com]

@ 64 Survivor - He's not being harsh on JA. His ERA has some wiggle room and it's staying low because of the innings he pitched out of the bullpen when he was effective early in the year. He has a bunch of extra scoreless innings from that little stretch that are keeping his ERA down.