The Phillies didn't have
much of a chance coming into the second half of the season. Whatever chance
they did have is slipping away and may be gone for good after their upcoming
four-game set with the unbelievably hot Braves. It may be as simple as the
Phillies just aren't good enough. That their offense looks better on paper
than on the field and they can't overcome the problems they have with their
starting pitching. I can take all of that. What I can't take is blaming it
on Ed Wade or the contracts the Phillies were burdened with coming into
the 2006 season. No. Ed Wade didn't make them give 15 starts to Ryan Madson in which he threw to a 6.61 ERA. Ed Wade didn't trade Vicente
Padilla without getting a player back that contributed. Those moves were
risks and they didn't work. I don't have a problem with risky moves,
even ones that don't work -- I like them a lot better than doing nothing. The Phillies are having a wretched season, but
it's their own wretched season, not Ed Wade's.
The Phillies lost their second straight game last night, falling to the
Padres 10-6. The loss drops them to 42-50 on the year. They fall into
third place in the NL East 13 1/2 games behind the Mets and two full games
behind the Braves. If you haven't been following what the Braves have been
doing of late, you should leave this site immediately and look it up. The
summary is this -- they've won seven straight, outscoring their opponents in
the seven games 77-32.
Ryan Madson got the start for the Phillies and was awful. He went 5 1/3
innings, allowing seven runs on ten hits and a walk. Five of the hits went
for extra-bases, three doubles and two home runs.
In the bottom of the first, Dave Roberts led off with a ground rule double
and Mike Cameron followed with a two-run homer that put the Padres up 2-0.
Madson kept the Padres off the board in the second and third and went into
the bottom of the fourth tied 2-2. Mike Piazza led off with a home run to
put San Diego up 3-2.
Madson started the bottom of the sixth with the Phillies still down a run,
and things went badly. Single, walk, RBI-double, sac fly made it 5-2 San
Diego with a runner on third and one out and Geoff Blum at the plate. Blum
doubled, making it 6-2 and Franklin finally replaced Madson. Josh Barfield
greeted him with an RBI-triple and it was 7-2 San Diego. Franklin did
strike out Mark Bellhorn before getting Dave Roberts to ground out and end
the inning, stranding Barfield at third. It was kind of a small victory.
Geary came in for the seventh with the Phillies down 7-5 and set the Padres
down 1-2-3. His ERA dropped to 3.31 on the year and he's allowed just two
runs on eight hits over his last 9 2/3 innings.
The Phillies added another in the top of the eighth to pull within 7-6 and
Arthur Rhodes came in to start the bottom of the inning. The Padres got a
single, a double and an intentional walk to load the bases with one out and
pinch-hitter Josh Bard at the plate. Bard was hit by a pitch, driving in a
run to make it 8-6. Dave Roberts followed Bard with another ground-rule
double, scoring two more to make it 10-6 with runners on second and third
and one out. Aaron Fultz came in to the game, intentionally walking Cameron
to load the bases before getting Giles to pop out and Rob Bowen to ground
out and end the inning. I assume the Phillies are trying to trade Rhodes,
one of the four lefties in the pen. It might be tough, given his 6.07 ERA
at this point. After throwing to a 5.79 ERA in June his ERA in five July
games is 18.00. On the year he's allowed 38 hits in 29 2/3 innings. Fabio
Castro has pitched four innings since the Phillies traded for him on June 29
and hasn't appeared in the last eight games for the Phils.
The Phillies lineup against righty Clay Hensley went (1) Rollins (2) Utley
(3) Abreu (4) Burrell (5) Howard (6) Rowand (7) Bell (8) Lieberthal.
After going 1-2-3 in the first, Aaron Rowand got the Phillies on the board
at 2-1 in the top of the second with a solo home run. The homer was
Rowand's ninth on the year and first in 92 at-bats. Rowand made his
spectacular catch against the Mets on May 11 and ended that day at
310/356/516 in 126 at-bats. Since then he has hit 229/299/382 in 147
at-bats.
In the third, Jimmy Rollins hit a solo home run, his tenth on the year,
tying the game at 2-2.
In the fourth, Aaron Rowand got hit by a pitch for the third time in four
days, but the Phillies did not score.
In the fifth, Pat Burrell struck out with two outs and runners on second and
third.
Ryan Howard led off the sixth with a double but the Phillies didn't bring
him around and went into the top of the seventh trailing 7-2. Nunez led off
the seventh with a single and Rollins followed him with a double, sending
Nunez to third. Utley singled, driving them both in, and Abreu followed
Utley with a double that got the Phillies to within 7-5. With nobody out
and Abreu on second, the Padres brought in Cla Meredith who got Burrell,
Howard and Rowand to end the inning. Cla?
With the Phillies still trailing 7-5, David Bell led off the top of the
eighth with a triple and scored on a pinch-hit ground out by Victorino to
make the score 7-6. Rollins came up with a two-out double in the inning,
his third extra-base hit of the game, but the inning ended on an Utley fly
out to left.
The Phillies went down 1-2-3 in the ninth against Brian Sweeney.
Rollins was 3-for-5 with two doubles and a home run.
Utley was 1-for-3 with two walks and two RBI. His hitting streak extends to
20 games. He's at 439/468/684 in July. Last year Utley slumped at the end
of the season, hitting just .251 in August and September.
Burrell was 0-for-5 with a big strikeout, leaving four men on base.
Howard was 1-for-5 with a double. He's 8-for-his-last-21 (.381) after
starting the month 9-for-29.
Rowand 1-for-3 with a home run. I hope he knocks it off with the hit by
pitches soon, cause he's starting to look like Rudy Stein out there, to the
degree that's possible. Over his career he's been best in July in August,
so let's hope he's heating up.
Bell 1-for-3 with a triple and a walk. He has been awesome in July. After
slugging, really, .241 in 79 June at-bats he's been the Phillies' best
non-Utley hitter in July, posting a 360/400/600 line in 50 at-bats. Despite
having five doubles, two triples and a home run in those 50 at-bats, he's
knocked in just five runs, so he's often lacking in ducks.
Lieberthal was 0-for-3 with a strikeout and left three men on base. His
average on the season drops to .222 in 99 at-bats and he's on-basing just
.257 and slugging .303. I expect Coste will catch Lieber this afternoon.
The Phillies try to salvage a game this afternoon as Jon Lieber goes for the
Phillies. He will not face Chris Young, who has a problem with his foot,
but 25-year-old right-hander Mike Thompson. Thompson will be recalled from
Triple-A Portland to make the start. He's made nine starts for San Diego
this year, going 3-2 with a 4.30 ERA. Righties are hitting .287 against him
and lefties .228.