Lieber may need a bigger
truck if he wants to drive around his ballooning ERA
June 5 2007
Jon Lieber was pounded for his second-straight start yesterday as the Phillies lost to end their seven-game home stand at 2-5. Over his last two starts Lieber has allowed 23 hits in 11 2/3 innings.
For the second time in four games against a lefty, Manuel put his best hitter against left-handed pitching, Pat Burrell, on the bench. The Phils scored one run. The last time Burrell was on the bench against a lefty, May 28, the Phils scored one run against Doug Davis through eight innings before Greg Dobbs hit a pinch-hit three-run homer in the ninth.
The Phillies lost to the San Francisco Giants yesterday, falling 8-1 to drop to 28-29 on the season. The teams split the four-game series. The Phils were outscored 21-1 in the two games they lost coming off of being swept by the Diamondbacks.
Lieber got the start
for the Phillies and went five innings, allowing five runs on ten hits and
three walks. Three of the hits went for extra-bases, two doubles and a home
run. He struck out two and took the loss to drop to 2-4 on the season.
His ERA has gone from 3.45 to 4.30 over his last two starts.
Lieber walked Ryan Klesko with two outs in the first, but struck out Barry
Bonds for the third out.
Bengie Molina singled to left with one out in the second for the first hit
for the Giants. Pedro Feliz was next and hit a ground ball to third that
might have been a double-play, but Helms threw high to second and the Phils
could only get one. Lieber struck out Kevin Frandsen to end the frame.
Randy Winn singled with one out in the third. Fred Lewis and Klesko both
flew to left to end the inning.
Molina singled with two outs in the fourth before Feliz ground to short for
the third out.
Frandsen singled to center to start the fifth and Barry Zito bunted him to
second. Winn reached on an infield single that sent Frandsen to third.
Lewis was next and he hit a ground ball to first. Howard came home and
Barajas tagged out Frandsen for the second out as Winn went to second with
Lewis safe at first. Klesko crushed a ball to right for a three-run homer
that put San Francisco up 3-0. Bonds walked and Durham moved him to third
with a double. Molina, who was 2-for-2 on the day, was walked intentionally
to load the bases and Feliz singled into right, scoring Bonds. 4-0 with the
bases still loaded. Frandsen driblled a ball to third that Helms
bare-handed, but couldn't get an out on. Durham scored and it was 5-0.
Zito grounded to second to end the frame.
Winn led off the sixth with a double and with three lefties due to hit in a
row, Manuel pulled Lieber for Zagurski. Zagurski got Lewis on a ground ball
to second that moved Winn to third, struck out Klesko for a big second out
and got Bonds on a fly ball to right to set the Giants down. Nice, nice job
by Zagurski against tough lefties.
Yoel Hernandez started the seventh and gave up a one-out double to Molina
who reached for his fourth time on the afternoon. Feliz moved Molina to
third with a single to right. Frandsen was next and he singled into center,
scoring Molina to put the Giants up 6-1 as Feliz went to second with one
down. Mark Sweeney hit for Zito and was retired on a great play by Werth in
left field in foul territory up against the wall. Winn grounded out to
first to for the third out.
Hernandez returned for the eighth and gave up a leadoff single to Lewis. He
got Klesko and Bonds before Durham homered to center, putting the Giants up
8-1. Molina grounded to short to end the inning.
Rosario started the ninth and got the leadoff man before hitting Frandsen
with a pitch. Pitcher Vinnie Chulk hit for himself and grounded into a
double-play.
Not much good news out of
this game for the Phils, but Zagurski did a great job and Rosario was good
as well. Hernandez threw 30 pitches as the pen was called on to pitch
four more innings after throwing 3 2/3 on Sunday.
The Phillies lineup against lefty Barry Zito went (1) Rollins (2) Victorino
(3) Utley (4) Howard (5) Werth (6) Rowand (7) Helms (8) Barajas. Werth in
left and Helms at third against the lefty. To not play Burrell against the
lefty is awful. Over his career he is by far the Phillies' best hitter
against left-handed pitching. Burrell's career OPS against lefties is .929,
Howard's .782, Utley's .824, Rollins' .775, Rowand's .823, Victorino's .714.
Rollins singled to start the first and moved to second on a single by
Victorino. Utley bunted for the first out, moving them to second and
third. Yuck. Howard was walked intentionally. Werth flew to right for the
second out, not deep enough to move the runners. Rowand grounded back to
the pitcher to end the inning.
The Phils went 1-2-3 in the second.
Rollins singled to start the third and Victorino followed with a walk,
putting runners on first and second with nobody out for Utley again. He
struck out. If only he had bunted (that's a joke). Howard struck out, too,
and Werth flew to center to end the inning. Through three innings Rollins
and Victorino had combined to go 3-for-3 with a walk. Utley, Howard and
Werth were 0-for-4 and Werth had left five men on base.
Barajas doubled with two outs in the fourth but Lieber struck out to end the
inning.
With the Phils down 5-0 in the fifth, Rollins led off with a single and
Victorino followed and hit a double-play ball to Durham that Durham booted
for an error. Rollins at first and Victorino at second with nobody out for
the third inning. Utley followed with a single to right that loaded the
bases for Howard. Howard hit a fly ball to shallow left and the runners
could not advance. Werth was next and he fisted a dribller to third. The
Giants could only get one out, Werth was thrown out at first as Rollins
scored from third to make it 5-1 with two down and men on second and third
for Rowand. Rowand fouled out to Molina to end the inning.
Helms and Barajas started the sixth with back-to-back walks. Burrell
pinch-hit for Zagurski and dribbled a ball out in front of the plate.
Burrell was thrown out at first as the runners moved to second and third
with one down. Rollins hit a ground ball to third and Helms was thrown out
at the plate for the second out. Victorino grounded to third to end the
inning. Fourth time in six inning the Phillies had put their first two
runners on to start an inning.
Werth reached on a two-base throwing error by Durham with two down in the
seventh. Rowand struck out looking to end the inning.
The Phils went 1-2-3 in the eighth. Bourn hit for Hernandez with two out
and lined to short to drop his average to .257 on the year.
Utley singled with two outs in the ninth but Howard struck out to end the
game.
Rollins was 3-for-5 in the game and 4-for-17 with a triple in the series. 270/316/492 on the year. 316?
Victorino was 1-for-4 with a single and a walk. 3-for-13 in the series with a walk and a walkoff home run in game three. 271/350/386.
Utley was 2-for-4 yesterday and 5-for-13 with two doubles and a home run. He walked twice and drove in just one run, which came on his home run. 304/386/554.
Howard was 0-for-4 with a walk and two strikeouts. 2-for-12 with a double, a home run and three walks in the series. 217/381/496.
Werth was 0-for-4 with an RBI. 1-for-7 with a walk in the series. 258/347/419. Burrell was 0-for-1 yesterday and 1-for-11 with a walk in the series. 224/386/385. It's getting kind of late in the season to have an on-base percentage higher than your slugging percentage.
Rowand was 0-for-4 and left six men on base. 4-for-14 with a home run in the series. 319/387/500 on the year.
Helms was 0-for-3 with a walk. 1-for-5 with a walk, a double and two RBI in the series. He needs to be in the lineup, at least against lefties if the other choice is Nunez. 255/305/312. Wow, that's not good.
Barajas was 1-for-3 with a double and a walk. He had the Phillies' only extra-base hit of the game. 1-for-5 with a double and two walks in the series. 212/366/364. Ruiz was 2-for-6 with a double and a walk. 270/324/401.
Jamie Moyer (5-4, 4.23) faces Tom Glavine (5-3, 3.44) tonight in New York. These two faced each other on April 12 and Glavine got the win as the Mets took the game 5-3. Rollins had two home runs off of Glavine before the end of the second inning, putting the Phils up 3-1, but the Phillies didn't score again. Moyer gave up three home runs against the Diamondbacks on Wednesday and has allowed nine over his last five starts. He has a 5.58 ERA at home and a 3.24 ERA away from Citizens Bank Park. Glavine has lost two straight but hasn't allowed more than three runs in a start in any of his last three. Lefties are hitting .323 against him, righties .238. Rollins is hitting 375/444/828 against him in 64 career at-bats. Ruben Amaro Jr 3-for-8 with an RBI against Glavine in his career -- things are getting desperate, but not that desperate.