Sunday: Werth seals the deal in defeat of D-backs

Jayson Werth went yard twice, including the game-winner in the ninth, as the Phillies outlasted Arizona 3-2. Raul Ibanez also went deep for the first time this season.

Beerleaguer: This was the Jayson Werth game, not only for the two home runs, but for a couple great plays in the field. Werth is making better contact than anyone in the lineup right now, slugging .633 and staying consistent basically since the opening whistle. Nelson Figueroa earns second-star honors for an effective emergency start: five innings, two runs, laboring at times, but performing about as well as one could realistically expect. However, one could make a good argument that the game was decided by four wicked innings by Chad Durbin, Jose Contreras and Ryan Madson, highlighted by Contreras striking out the side in the eighth. It would appear the Phillies have hit the mark with the Contreras experiment.

If I were to make one more observation, it would be that the Phillies clearly miss the added threat of Jimmy Rollins. Juan Castro, who left the game for precautionary reasons with a tight hammy, has done a nice job filling in, but Rollins has the ability to carry the offense on his back the way Werth did last night. They definitely miss him; their run production has dipped ever since he's gone on the DL. Shane Victorino looks shockingly out of place the way he's selecting pitches. He looks like a seven-hole hitter frankly. Maybe it's time for Charlie Manuel to try something different.

Notes: Wilson Valdez is expected to start at short today. Castro's injury is not considered serious.

Comments

[burt]

what happened to our running game? dead last in majors with only 4 steals. even without Rollins, we gotta do better than that.

[ozark]

Castro and Valdez is much better than Bruntlett and_______.

[denny b.]

"Time for Charlie to try something different"?

That was funny.

I'd sit Vic today and put Francisco in CF. He needs some AB's. Would also sit Polanco (who hasn't looked the same since he got hit with that pitch) and put Dobbs at 3B. Francisco leads off. Dobbs 2nd. The usual suspects (sans Castro) in their usual positions afterward.

[Sophist]

burt - Vic's on base is .250 (he's been on first base 15 times). 2 SB and 0 CS is pretty good in what's at most 15 opportunities. Chase is getting on base but over half his hits have been for extra bases. Werth is a similar story: over half his hits have been for extra bases. He's been on first 17 times and was CS once. Chase and Werth took about a month to collect two steals last year. Those are your basestealers right there.

The low numbers that stand out to me in the early going offensively are: Howard's BB (3) and Vic's on base (.250). It's probably surprising to no one that they are near bottom on the team in P/PA in the early going. Here are your regulars:

Werth: 4.73
Ruiz: 4.53
Utley: 4.35
Ibanez: 3.97
Vic: 3.63
Howard: 3.61
Polanco: 3.36

[Sophist]

I don't know why you'd sit a struggling hitter in April, esp. when that guy is one of your best defenders and you're playing in a park with a spacious, unusual OF.

[NEPP]

The test of Rube's career with be resigning Jayson Werth.

It HAS to happen for us to be a contender next year but it appears impossible. This is where he needs to shine as a GM.

So, what happens if Valdez goes down today? Polly moves over and Dobbs plays 3B.

[NEPP]

I'd sit Shane, move Werth to CF and put Francisco in RF personally.

Werth is the 2nd best defender out there and he can play a capable CF...something I dont really see with Francisco.

And, I wouldn't sit Shane because he's struggling, I'd sit him because its been a long week and he hasn't had any time off yet and its a day game after a night game.

[curt]

Sophist - Sounds like you think the guy who has led this team in hitting the past 2 years (as in the guy most likely to actually get a hit) is likely to do some hitting this year as well. Radical thought.

[NEPP]

curt, that's crazy talk.

I wouldn't sit him due to struggles.

I'd sit either Raul or Shane to give Francisco playing time and to give them a day off for a day game after night game.

[Sophist]

This came up yesterday:

Given a day to step back and analyze Hamels' quick descent into ineffectiveness, Dubee saw a problem that has bothered Hamels for some time: His arm angle was inconsistent.

"He had five ground-ball outs the whole night; four of them were in the first three innings," Dubee said. "He had a tremendous angle in the beginning, and then all of a sudden he got flat."

http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/phillies/20100425_Phillies_Notes__Hamels__arm_angle_a_bit_off.html

[curt]

There's usually a reason bench players are bench players. I don't get the constant drumbeat on BL to play the benchwarmers. I'd say that's one thing Cholly has right.

[sifl]

Totally off-topic, but gaming blog Kotaku has a PED-related review of MLB 10 The Show, and their reviewer's virtual prospect winds up playing for Reading. In the screenshots provided, Freddy Galvis has a great game and the R-Phils beat Strasburg, and the rest of the starting staff (including Savery and Flande) look absolutely miserable in the simulation.

http://kotaku.com/5523142/can-i-stop-worrying-and-learn-to-love-the-juice

[BobbyD]

Surprised that the Braves haven't won since their emotional win over the Phillies.

[NEPP]

Francisco was a starting LF in Cleveland. He should be getting a good number of starts to keep him sharp...especially with Raul looking every bit of 38 years old.

[NEPP]

Francisco had a career OPS+ of 106 going into 2010.

He's not a "bench warmer" in the traditional sense.

[MG]

curt - There isn't a constant cry to play the 'benchwarmers' but there are several reasons why you would consider starting some guys on the bench a start today.

Personally, I would start Francisco in RF and move Werth over to CF. I would favor giving Dobbs a start at 3B too but with Castro already out & KK on the mound I would stick with Polanco at 3B.

[Greg V.]

Couldn't agree more about Contreras. His stuff is flat out nasty!

[denny b.]

"There's usually a reason bench players are bench players."

They aren't paid as much as the players that start?

If the Yankees can consistantly give their big stars days off every-now-and-then and give their bench players some AB's, then Chuckles can do the same.

Plus, Vic has been lousy lately. That's how its supposed to work in the real world. You don't perform, you take a seat and give someone else a chance. At least for a day. Dobbs got his one start in the past 2 weeks the other day and looked good. Polanco is a older player who should be preserved for late season baseball. Dobbs should get more starts.

[MG]

It looks like Contreras has flip-flopped with Baez now for the setup role. He likely isn't going to be available today though since he has already pitched in the first 2 games of this series.

It means Baez likely gets the call in the 8th if they are ahead. After appearing 6 times in the first 2 weeks of the season, Cholly has only Baez 1 in the last 10 days since the meltdown against the Nats.

Probably going to ping-pong between Baez and Contreras until Lidge gets back and Madson becomes the de facto set up guy again.

[joe]

Baez is hit or miss, and when he can't get the ball over, its UGLY.

It looks like Baez is in the doghouse, and Cholly doesn't like to use Rooks in big situations, so Herndon is buried, too...

[Sophist]

NEPP - What do you mean by Ibanez looking 38? Just in the last 6 games he's hitting .357/.526/.643. I don't disagree that regulars should get their rest every now and then, but I don't really know what you're talking about.

[curt]

""There's usually a reason bench players are bench players."

They aren't paid as much as the players that start?"

Well yeah that's exactly how it works. Management randomly sprinkles multi-million dollar contracts on some guys, and other guys have to pick up the crumbs. The manager then takes a look at his roster and plays the lucky multi-millionaires.

Since even a moron like Cholly can count zeros he always knows who to play.

[curt]

Sophist - Ibanez is becoming a permissible target of venom on BL (PTOV). It's always OK to suggest that one of the several BL PTOV be benched, or whatever. The loss of Bruntlett and Feliz left a gaping hole in the roster of PTOVs.

[Meyer]

Well I guess if Charles wants to count another zero on his check he should play the players that go to the sixth power of 10. 6thPower Line-UP.

[awh]

""Madson has thrown more cutters this year than changeups. Something is wrong with that and I think its shown in his results so far. His change is by far his best pitch and he throws it as a 3rd option these days.

Posted by: NEPP | Sunday, April 25, 2010 at 10:20 AM""

NEPP, IIRC, either fangraphs or THT had an article about swings and misses, and Ryan madson's changeup generated a higher percentage of swings and misses than any pitch in MLB.

[Meyer]

Use this gift wisely Son of Mad.

[MG]

awh - Hamels is another guy I would like to see reduce the amount of cutters he is throwing and go with more changeups too.

Blame all of this 'cutteritis' on Halladay as he obviously infected Madson and Hamels.

[phlipper]

'The loss of Bruntlett and Feliz left a gaping hole in the roster of PTOVs."

I'm expecting the calls to platoon Howard (or trade him for a couple of prospects) to be picking up soon.

[Meyer]

Hamels will recover from cutteritis once his new pen pal Zito shows him his newly acquired slider.

[Meyer]

Madson's one cutter thrown inside yesterday was nasty.

[NEPP]

****What do you mean by Ibanez looking 38? Just in the last 6 games he's hitting .357/.526/.643. I don't disagree that regulars should get their rest every now and then, but I don't really know what you're talking about. ****

I don't mean it as a performance issue but rather as a guy that could use more than the occasional day off. If UC wants to keep him useful this year, he should be giving him regular rest. Given that we have a legit OF sitting on the bench, why not give Francisco a day a week minimum?

[bay_area_phan]

I'm all for giving Francisco more playing time, but not today. You don't bench Ibanez after he finally has a good game and, with Kendrick on the mound, you need the best defense possible on the field.

As a general principle, I agree with curt. I don't understand the constant BL drumbeat for starting the reserves. They are reserves for a reason. Getting them 50 more ABs during the regular season has absolutely ZERO to do with how they will perform in the post-season. But it WILL cost us a few regular season games.

[NEPP]

Ibanez is a better defender than Francisco?

Huh?

[A-Train]

In our home, every time Jayson Werth hits a HR, a double, and RBI or a great def play, we all repeat what must be going through Jayson's mind..."CHA-CHING."

It would be nice to get him signed sooner rather than later.

[awh]

A-Train, I believe it's "KA-CHING".

"Francisco had a career OPS+ of 106 going into 2010.

He's not a "bench warmer" in the traditional sense."

NEPP, I posted a list during the offseason, of the career OPS+ of all MLB outfielders who had more than 350 PA in 2009.

There were 69 of them.

Francisco ranked #29.

Francisco is a bench player on the best team in the NL which happens to have three All-Star OF.

There are 30 MLB teams, which means there are 90 starting OF positions.

Anyone can do the math.

[A-Train]

BAP, I'd have to disagree. You can't expect bench players to perform when NEEDED if they don't get in games now and then. I'm not saying they need to start a lot, but they do need to see the field from time to time.

Also, it's not absurd to think Ibanez (who's 38) Victorino (who plays at 200 mph) and Utley (who wears down every year) could use a rest now and then.

[Meyer]

Save Ben for San Francisco. Chilly weather brings on the rheumatism.

[Old Phan]

I thought the calls for the bench players to start during the first week of the season were premature, but at this point with the Phils in 1st place, no reason not to give a few guys a break right now.

[NEPP]

Aumont is quietly having a good day so far in Reading.

4 IP, 3 K, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB.

[NEPP]

Update: 5 IP, 0 H, 3 K, 1 BB, 0 R

[NEPP]

Aumont is 90-93 with his sinker with lots of ground balls so far. Sounds pretty solid actually.

[bay_area_phan]

NEPP: I wrote that post in haste because I had to leave, and the result was a very unclear post. What I meant was, you don't want to pull Ibanez out of the lineup after he finally has a good game, and you don't want to pull Vic out of the lineup because you'll need his defense. I did not mean that you need to keep Ibanez in the lineup because his defense is better than Francisco's. Obviously, it isn't.

[NEPP]

Aumont: 6 IP, 0 H, 4 K, 2 BB, 0 R.

[NEPP]

bap, that makes far more sense. I thought maybe you had a stroke or something. Good points both. Francisco did just play anyway so its not the end of the world.

I would like to see him get more starts as the year goes on as he's a decent OF and our OFs could use a rest occasionally.

[NEPP]

Aumont's day is done after 6 innings of no hit ball. Not too shabby for our young prospect, eh?

[Sophist]

NEPP - Guy I like looking out for in the system is Santana. Well known to have torn up the Gulf (15 BB, 44 SO, .897 OPS in 139 PA), he's holding his own in Lakewood in the early going (.250/.414/.432 in 13 games, 9 BB, 20 SO).

Of course, the thing that makes this all the more interesting.

DOB: 8/5/1992.. 6'5", 200 lbs. He's stinking 17!

[Sophist]

Those SO are obviously a concern.

[Unikruk]

Isn't this where some manly man comes in to say that Aumont should have been allowed to finish his no-hitter?

[Meyer]

AAAAUUUUUUUUUMMMMMM

[toddzilla]

Aumont should have been allowed to finish his no-hitter. Whats all this babying of our prospects.
Sophist- the SO are obviously a concern but that BB rate is extremely encouraging. A 17 yr old in the top 15 in OPS in the Sally. Interesting.

[Meyer]

I can hear the stadium chanting already.

[NEPP]

Santana is doing quite well for a 17 year old. I love following his progress.

The SO are less of an issue with all those walks. Still an issue but not as worrisome since he's walking a lot too.

[bay_area_phan]

dennyb will be ecstatic when he sees this lineup.

[muchacho peligro]

17, lots of Ks, encouraging walk rate, hits the ball hard the other way (I've read and heard)...

who cares?

what's most important to me is that his name is Domingo Santana! Is there a more fun, stereotypically wonderful baseball name in the world? His name alone will make him a star in MLB

[Old Phan]

The only thing missing from today's lineup is BenFran.

[bay_area_phan]

During the off-season, Amaro told Cholly the bench to be stronger this year. So Cholly figured the best way to accomplish that goal would be to put half the starting lineup on the bench.

[NEPP]

yo, new thread.

[Matt]

How about trading Howard and Lidge for a middle of the rotation starter and top shelf closer. Resign Werth to long term contract?