Details of Phils' Marshall plan fuzzy, but apparently involve having people run around and around the bases
August 3 2007
The Phils pounded out
seven runs in the first three innings yesterday in Chicago, chasing Cubs'
starter Sean Marshall after just 2 2/3 innings. Despite jumping out to a
7-1 lead, the Phils made it interesting as they took a one-run lead into the
ninth inning. They held on for a 10-6 win.
Klye Lohse made his debut with the Phillies and had to leave after just an
inning after Jacque Jones smashed a ball off his arm in the first. He
wasn't real impressive before he got hurt and the rest of the pen wasn't
real impressive after. The offense bailed them out, though, led by a huge game by Jayson Werth and more fireworks from
out-of-this-world-hot Pat Burrell.
The Phillies beat the Chicago Cubs yesterday afternoon, winning 10-6 to
improve to 57-51 on the season. The teams split the four-game series. The Phils are in second-place in the NL East, a half-game
ahead of the third-place Braves. They trail the NL East-leading Mets by
four games. In the Wild Card hunt they are a game back and trail the
Dodgers, Cubs, Padres and Brewers.
Lohse got the start for the Phillies and lasted just an inning before having
to leave the game after taking a line drive off his forearm. He went one
inning, allowing a run on two hits and a walk. One of the hits went for
extra-bases, a double. Five of the seven hitters he faced reached base.
Alfonso Soriano led off the first with a single and was caught stealing.
After Lohse got Ryan Theriot on a ground ball to second, Derek Lee doubled
to center. Lohse hit Aramis Ramirez with a pitch, putting men on first and
second with two down for Floyd. Floyd was hit by another pitch, loading the
bases. Lohse walked Mike Fontenot, forcing in a run to tie the game at
1-1. Jacque Jones was next and he smashed a ball of the forearm of Lohse,
but Lohse got to the ball and got Jones at first to end the inning.
JD Durbin came on in long relief in the second and threw a 1-2-3 inning.
In the third he walked Lee with one out before striking out Ramirez for the
second out. Floyd moved Lee to second with a single before Fontenot doubled
to right, scoring Lee and moving Floyd to third with the Phillies' lead cut
to 7-2. Jones was next and he reached on an infield single. Floyd scored
and Fontenot went to third. 7-3. Koyie Hill flew to center for the third
out.
Soriano singled with one out in the fourth and scored on a two-out double by
Lee to make it 7-4. Ramirez grounded back to the pitcher for the third out.
Geoff Geary started the fifth and got the leadoff man before walking
Fontenot. Jones was next and he singled Fontenot to second. Hill hit a
ground ball to Howard and he threw to Rollins at second, forcing Jones for
the second out. With men on first and third, Matt Murton pinch-hit for the
pitcher and singled to left. Fontenot scored and the lead was cut to 7-5.
Soriano popped to first to end the inning.
Geary returned for the sixth and gave up a leadoff single to Theriot, but
Lee followed and hit into a nicely turned double-play. Ramirez doubled and
Romero came in to pitch to the lefty Floyd, who grounded to short to end the
inning.
Romero stayed in for the seventh, walking Fontenot to start the inning but
getting Jones to hit into a double-play. Hill grounded to third to end the
inning.
Gordon pitched the eighth. Soriano doubled with one out and scored on a
single by Theriot to cut the Phils' lead to 7-6. Lee grounded to third and
Theriot was forced at second for the second out before Ramirez walked.
Pinch-hitter Mark DeRosa flew to right to end the inning.
Myers came in to pitch the ninth with a four-run lead after pitching the day
before. That's not necessary. The Phils scored three runs in the top of
the ninth, but they did it with one out. Would have liked to see them get
someone else up and save the wear on Myers' arm in a non-save situation.
Myers set the Cubs down 1-2-3 to end the game.
Not a real impressive job by the Phillies' pen after Lohse leaves after just
an inning, but the bats pick them up. Durbin allowed three runs in three
innings, Geary a run on four hits and a walk in 1 2/3. Romero and Myers
were good, although I would have preferred not to see Myers at all. Gordon
allowed a run in his inning, the first he has allowed in his five
appearances since returning from the DL.
The Phillies' lineup against lefty Sean Marshall went (1) Werth (2) Iguchi
(3) Rollins (4) Howard (5) Rowand (6) Burrell (7) Helms (8) Coste. Werth
gets a shot at leadoff, still not my choice. How 'bout Jimmy Rollins?
Iguchi? Burrell still hits sixth. Nice to see Coste and Helms in there,
though.
Rollins doubled with two outs in the first and scored on a single by Howard
to put the Phils up 1-0. Rowand struck out swinging for the third out.
Burrell led off the second with a home run that put the Phils up 2-1.
Sixth is a really, really bad place for him to be hitting. If you go out and
train a bunch of seals to bark out numbers one through nine randomly, then
allow them a single bark to chose his spot in the batting order, they would have a
56% chance finding a better place for him than the Phils do every day (any
slot one through five would be better). Helms doubled and went to third on
a single by Coste. Adam Eaton pinch-hit for Lohse, who had been injured to
end the bottom of the first. Eaton walked, loading the bases. Werth was
next and he singled, everyone moved up a base with the Phils up 3-1. Iguchi
hit a sac fly to left and Coste scored. 4-1. With runners on first and
second and two outs, Rollins flew to right and Howard popped to third.
With one out in the third, Burrell singled and went to third on a double by
Helms. Coste followed with a single that scored both runners and put the
Phils up 6-1. Theriot was charged with an error on the throw, but Coste
held first. Durbin bunted Coste to second and Werth scored him with a
double. 7-1. Iguchi walked but Rollins lined to center for the third out.
The Phils went 1-2-3 in the fourth.
In the fifth, Barajas pinch-hit for Durbin with two outs and singled. Werth
flew to left for the third out.
Rollins walked with one out in the sixth, but Howard and Rowand both struck
out behind him.
Burrell started the seventh with a single and Chris Roberson pinch-ran for
him. I hate that play. Ryan Howard is a terrible base-runner and terrible
at defense, you never see him taken out of the game in the seventh for a
pinch-runner that would put the Phillies up by three runs if he scored.
The reason you don't see it is cause it would be an awful decision.
The Phils seem to think with Burrell, on the other hand, that it makes a lot
of sense. It doesn't. The
Phillies take way too many at-bats away from Burrell late in the game -- I
have a hard time believing the defensive upgrade they get in left (or the
advantage they get with the faster runner on first) comes close to
preventing as many runs as Burrell would help them score. Helms and Coste
went down behind Burrell and Romero hit for himself and flew to right. The
decision to take Burrell out of the game is worse if you let Romero hit for
himself.
Iguchi walked with one out in the eighth and moved to second on a ground out
by Rollins. Howard was walked intentionally and Rowand struck out to end
the frame.
Roberson started the ninth with a single. Nunez tried to bunt him to second
and popped it up for the first out. Coste moved Roberson to second with a
single and Carlos Ruiz pinch-hit for Gordon and doubled to right. Roberson
scored to put the Phils up 8-6 and Coste went to third. Werth followed with
a double of his own, scoring both runners to make it 10-6. Iguchi struck
out for the second out as Werth stole third, but Rollins flew to center to
end the frame. Huge hits by Ruiz and Werth to give the Phils a four-run
lead after the team had gone five straight innings without a run.
Werth was 3-for-6 with two doubles and four RBI. He's at 253/343/385 on the
year.
Iguchi was 0-for-3 with two walks and an RBI. He's 8-for-21 with seven
walks (381/500/667) since joining the Phils.
Rollins was 1-for-5 with a walk. He left six men on base. 6-for-17 with
two doubles in the series. 297/345/538 on the year.
Howard was 1-for-4 with a walk and an RBI. 4-for-18 with 11 strikeouts in
the series. 271/397/590.
Rowand was 0-for-5 with four strikeouts and left four men on base. 3-for-18
in the series. 320/387/524.
Howard, Rowand and
Rollins combined to go 2-for-14 yesterday and leave 13 men on base.
Burrell was 3-for-4 with his 15th home run. 7-for-13 with two home runs and
four walks in the series. 268/426/484. After the game in Houston on July
2, Burrell was hitting 203/371/378. He's hit 471/589/814 since, with six
home runs in 70 at-bats (thanks,
day-by-day database).
Helms was 2-for-4 with
two doubles. 2-for-7 in the series. 255/312/372.
Coste was 3-for-5 with an RBI. 4-for-9 in the series. 365/389/500.
Kyle Kendrick (5-1, 4.04) faces superstar-to-be righty Yovani Gallardo (3-1,
2.72) tonight in Milwaukee as the Phils play the first of three against the
Brewers. Kendrick was fantastic against the Pirates on Sunday, holing them
to a run on six hits over seven innings. In his 55 2/3 innings he's held
opponents to 15 walks. Righties are hitting .212 against him, lefties
.324. Lefties have hit six of the seven home runs he has allowed.
Opponents are hitting .204 against 21-year-old Gallardo. He's appeared
in nine games for the Brewers, six of which have been starts. He's
appeared in four games at home, throwing to a 1.50 ERA in 24 innings while
allowing just 13 hits and holding opponents to a .173 batting average and a
0.83 ratio. The Brewers took him in the second round of the 2004
draft.
Lots of interesting stuff at Sportsclubstats.com, where the Phillies' playoff chances are calculated every day along with many, many other things.