Lieber feeble as Phillies falter
September 19
2006
You couldn't ask for a
much better setup for the Phillies last night. A genuine playoff race.
Thousands of screaming fans twirling their towels. They were facing
24-year-old Sean
Marshall, who took the hill for the worst team in the league. And it all
went very bad very quickly. Jon Lieber had a horrendous start and the
Phillies found themselves in an 8-0 hole that all the Jose Hernandez grand slams
they could muster couldn't dig them out of.
The Phillies lost to the Cubs last night, falling 11-6 to drop to 77-73 on
the year. With a dramatic win the Dodgers are again the leaders
in the NL West, with the Padres dropping into second place and the Wild Card
lead. San Diego is 1 1/2 games ahead of the Phillies. The Mets have
clinched the NL East.
Jon Lieber got the start for the Phillies and was wretched. He went 2 1/3
innings, allowing four runs on five hits. Three of the hits went for
extra-bases, a double and two home runs.
In the first, Cubs leadoff man Juan Pierre reached when Lieber couldn't
handle a ball hit back to him. Pierre promptly stole second. Ryan Theriot hit a
ball out in front of the plate that Coste couldn't handle. Theriot was safe
at first with a single while Pierre went to third. Ramirez hit a three-run
homer, putting the Cubs up 3-0. Lieber got the next three to end the
inning.
Things seemed better in the second as Lieber set the Cubs down 1-2-3. Less
so in the third. Pierre led off with a home run. 4-0. Theriot doubled and
scored on a single by Ramirez, making the score 5-0 as Ramirez went to third
on a throwing error by Nunez. Lieber got the lefty Jones to pop to short
for the first out and the Phillies went to lefty Brito, who set down Angel
Pagan and Scott Moore to end the inning.
Brito returned for the fourth. Ronny Cedeno led off with a single, but the
pitcher Marshall was next and he bunted with the Phillies getting Cedeno at
second. Pierre flew out to right for the second out of the inning. Brito
walked Theriot, setting up another three-run homer for Aramis Ramirez, which
made the score 8-0. Jacque Jones singled before Brito got Pagan to pop to
second to end the inning.
The Phillies scored six in the bottom of the fourth to get back in the game
at 8-6. Brian Sanches came in to pitch the top of the fifth. After getting
the leadoff man, Scott Moore homered to put the Cubs up 9-6. Sanches gave
up a two-out double to pinch-hitter Buck Coats, but got Pierre to end the
inning.
Rick White pitched the sixth. He gave up a one-out single to Ramirez before
walking Jones to put runners on first and second with one out. White got
Pagan and Henry Blanco to end the inning.
Aaron Fultz pitched the seventh and gave up a two-out single to pinch-hitter
Geovany Soto. Pierre grounded to third to end the inning.
Clay Condrey started the eighth for the Phillies, appearing in his first
game with the team since June 28. Theriot led off with a single and stole
second. Ramirez was next and grounded to second, sending Theriot to third.
Matt Smith came in for the Phils with the lefty Jacque Jones at the plate
and again did a tremendous job, getting out of a runner on third with one
down situation. He struck out Jones for the second out and got Pagan to
ground to short to end the inning.
Ryan Madson pitched the ninth. He gave up a one-out single to Moore and
Ronny Cedeno followed with a triple that scored Moore and made the score
10-6 Cubs. Pinch-hitter Matt Murton followed with a single that scored
Cedeno and made it 11-6 with one out and Cedeno on first. Madson stayed in
and got Pierre and Theriot to end the inning. Over his last ten games
Madson has now allowed ten runs on 17 hits in 9 1/3 innings. That's a lot
of hits. On the year, righties are hitting .343 against him.
The Phillies lineup against lefty Sean Marshall went (1) Rollins (2)
Victorino (3) Utley (4) Howard (5) Conine (6) Burrell (7) Coste (8) Nunez.
Conine hits fifth instead of Burrell against the lefty. I expect that by
the end of the year Howard's numbers hitting in front of Conine are going to
be significantly worse than his numbers while hitting in front of Burrell.
Nunez plays third instead of Hernandez against the lefty. Both awful on the
part of Manuel. More awful, but perhaps not as much Manuel's fault: Coste
catches Lieber, who prefers to throw to anyone but Lieberthal, despite
Lieberthal's three extra-base hits on Sunday.
In the first, the Phillies got a one-out walk from Victorino, but Utley
struck out and Howard grounded out to end the inning.
The Phils went 1-2-3 in the second. Nunez led off the third with a single,
but Brito, Rollins and Victorino went down in order.
Utley flew out to right to start the fourth inning with the Phillies down
8-0. Howard was hit by a pitch. Conine and Burrell both singled to load
the bases, and with Coste at the plate a passed ball advanced the runners
and put the Phils on the board at 8-1. Coste singled, scoring another, to
make it 8-2 with runners on first and third with one down. Nunez walked to
load the bases, and Jose Hernandez hit a grand slam to make it 8-6 Cubs.
Rollins followed with a walk, but Victorino flew out to left before Utley
walked, putting runners on first and second with two down for Howard.
Howard struck out to end the inning.
The Phillies went 1-2-3 in the fifth and again in the sixth. In the
seventh, Utley singled with one out but Howard and Conine both struck out to
end the inning.
Nunez doubled with two-outs in the eighth and the Phillies down 9-6, but the
pinch-hitter Dellucci struck out to end the inning.
The Phillies went 1-2-3 in the ninth.
Rollins 0-for-4 with a walk.
Victorino 0-for-4 with a walk and looked to be having a problem with his
left wrist or forearm.
Utley 1-for-4 with a walk.
Howard 0-for-3, struck out twice and left a team-high four men on base.
Conine was 1-for-4. Burrell was 1-for-4.
Coste was 1-for-4 with an RBI. The Cubs stole three bases against him
without being caught. Coste has thrown out 6-of-27 (22.2%) attempted
base-stealers this year.
Nunez was 2-for-3 with a walk and a double, which was the only extra-base
hit for the Phillies other than the Hernandez grand slam. He shouldn't have
been in the game.
If ever a team needed a savvy veteran to calm things down, it's now. Jamie
Moyer faces Wade Miller tonight. The bullpens are hurting after last
night's starters combined to go 5 2/3 innings, which may give an advantage
to the Phillies with Miller making just his third start of the year.