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Phils hopeful about their pitching just as long as nobody moves them to the ACC
By egrissom | March 4, 2010
While the Phils struggled some in the early innings last season, it was still the relievers who had more trouble overall. The table below shows the Phillies rank in the NL for starters and relievers for 2009 in ERA, ratio, runs allowed per nine innings and runs allowed per batter faced:
NL Rank |
||||
| ERA | Ratio | Runs allowed per 9 innings |
Runs allowed per batter faced |
|
| Starting Pitchers |
7 | 6 | 7 | 7 |
| Relief Pitchers |
9 | 7 | 9 | 9 |
Of the 16 teams in the NL, it seems fair to say that the Phillies starters were seventh best in the league and the relievers were ninth best in the league.
That’s a little misleading, though, because the Phillies had some awful problems with their rotation in 2009. They started the season terribly. At the end of May, Phillies starters had thrown to a 5.86 ERA and a 1.51 ratio over 48 games. They had an awful stretch to end the season as well. They didn’t get a quality start in their last 12 games, pitching to a 6.60 ERA and a 1.66 ratio over those games. They were pretty good in between, though. Here’s their ERA and ratio by month for 2009:
| Month | ERA | Ratio |
| April | 6.35 | 1.68 |
| May | 5.53 | 1.39 |
| June | 4.10 | 1.39 |
| July | 3.02 | 1.09 |
| August | 3.16 | 1.27 |
| Sept/Oct | 4.39 | 1.33 |
| Total | 4.29 | 1.34 |
In June, July and August, Phillies starting pitchers threw 499 1/3 innings with a 3.41 ERA and a 1.25 ratio. Atlanta’s starters had the best ERA in either league in ‘09 — they threw to a 3.52 ERA with a 1.27 ratio for the season.
The Phils beat Florida State 13-6 last night in their first spring training action, a game that was most notable for an ugly debut for Phillippe Aumont. Aumont got hit hard in the third inning, getting just two outs while being charged with five runs on three walks and two hits, including a three-run homer. The Phils outscored Florida State 13-1 after finding themselves in a 5-0 hole in the third. Dane Sardinha went 2-for-2 with a double and four RBI and the Phillies walked 16 times in the game. Drew Naylor, Joe Savery and Jesus Sanchez threw four perfect innings to end the game and struck out nine batters combined. Happ got the start and allowed a single and a walk over two scoreless innings.
The Phils play the Yankees this afternoon, with Halladay and Kendrick expected to pitch.
Topics: pitching |
March 4th, 2010 at 3:29 pm
I really don’t like the practice in baseball of pro teams playing college teams in Spring Training. Yeah, no one is really taking the game seriously on the pro side, but I think therein lies the problem.
The Phils were losing that game 5-0. Imagine if they don’t come back from that? Yeah, I’m sure the guys would laugh it off or try to explain it away, “It’s the first game of spring training,” “I was working on a new pitch” and largely they’re right. But you know it’s kicking around in the backs of their heads that they just got beat by a college team.
The media certainly wouldn’t let them forget it.
March 4th, 2010 at 4:09 pm
Also, 16 walks? Really? 16. I don’t think it’s a great idea either. Judging from his quotes, Aumont seems to be okay with getting pounded. But you’ve gotta think there are some guys who would take it pretty hard to get blasted like that when they are supposed to be a stud prospect. I totally understand what Florida State gets out of it, but less sure what it does for the Phils.