The 2012 season didn’t start badly for Roy Halladay. Just the opposite, actually. He threw eight shutout innings on opening day and ended April with a 1.95 ERA over five starts. Things didn’t start to take their dramatic turn in the wrong direction until May.
At least we now know that 2013 won’t go the same way as 2012 for Halladay. Cause last nice he made his first appearance of the year and was horrid, needing 40 pitches to get through the first on his way to allowing five runs in 3 1/3 innings as the Braves pounded the Phils.
Halladay has a 5.50 ERA over his 21 starts since the beginning of May, 2012. In those starts he’s allowed 136 hits, including 20 home runs, in 122 2/3 innings. Twenty is too many home runs to give up in 122 2/3 innings even if you’re not Roy Halladay.
The Phillies are 0-2 on the year after losing to the Atlanta Braves 9-2 last night.
Halladay got the start for the Phillies and went 3 1/3 innings, allowing five runs on six hits and three walks. Two of the hits went for extra-bases, both home runs. He struck out nine. Striking out nine in 3 1/3 innings is usually the sign of a good outing. This wasn’t one of those times.
Andrelton Simmons was the first hitter of the game for Atlanta and Halladay struck him out swinging for the first out in the bottom of the first. Jason Heyward was next, though, and Heyward singled to right. Justin Upton followed and hit a 1-2 pitch out the opposite way to right-center for his second home run of one game and one at-bat, putting Atlanta up 2-0. Freddie Freeman followed with a walk before Halladay struck BJ Upton out swinging for the second out. Dan Uggla was the next hitter and Halladay walked him, putting runners on first and second for lefty Juan Francisco. Francisco singled to right, scoring Freeman to make it 3-0 as Uggla moved up to third. Halladay struck Evan Gattis out swinging 1-2 to end the inning.
Three runs in the frame for the Braves on three hits, two singles and a home run, and two walks. Halladay threw 40 pitches in the inning, which is more than what would be ideal.
He struck out the side in the second, getting pitcher Paul Maholm looking and Simmons and Heyward both swinging.
Freeman blooped a single the opposite way to left field with one out in the third. He went to second on a wild pitch before BJ Upton struck out for the second out. Halladay walked Uggla, but got Francisco on a ground ball to first to end the inning.
Gattis led off the fourth and hit a 1-1 pitch just out to left. 4-0. Halladay struck out Maholm for the first out before Simmons singled into center. Valdes came in to pitch to the lefty Heyward and walked him 3-2, then walked the righty Justin Upton 3-2 as well, which loaded the bases for Freeman. Freeman lined a ball into left-center that split the gap and rolled to the wall, clearing the bases and putting Atlanta up 7-0. Valdes struck out BJ Upton and Uggla back-to-back to set Atlanta down.
Gattis’s homer just barely made it out, eluding Brown as he jumped for it at the wall. Valdes gives up back-to-back walks and both of the runners score on the Freeman double. He walked one of the last 36 batters he faced in 2012. Halladay leaves the game with one out and a runner on first and Simmons scores on the Freeman double.
Gattis flipped his bat and his ball just barely cleared the fence. Not saying the Phils don’t have bigger fish to fry. I’m just saying.
Valdes came back and set the Braves down in order in the fifth.
He goes 1 2/3 innings in the game, allowing two runs on one hit, the Freeman double, and two walks.
Bastardo pitched the sixth. He walked Justin Upton with two outs, but got Freeman looking to leave Upton stranded.
Adams struck out BJ Upton and Juan Francisco in a 1-2-3 seventh.
First appearance as a Phillie for Adams. Is it too much to ask him to go nine? Every day?
Papelbon made his ’13 debut in the eighth. He got the first two before Simmons singled. Heyward was next and hit a 3-1 pitch out to right, making it 9-2.
The pen goes 4 2/3 innings in the game, allowing four runs on three hits and three walks. Valdes threw 40 pitches in the game and surely can’t pitch tonight. Papelbon 22, Bastardo 18 and Adams eight.
Last night was the first of eight games in eight days for the Phils, so they have seven more before an off-day. Hopefully they won’t have to wait too long for one of the starters to get an out in the sixth inning, or the bullpen numbers are going to get even uglier. The bullpen has a 7.04 ERA through two games. They’re obviously way better than that, but they are lacking a long man, which is something you don’t want to be lacking if your starters are going to average about four innings a game and you have to play the next seven days in a row.
Kendrick and Lannan aren’t real good candidates to go deep into games, either. The Phillies have three candidates to pitch deep into games and two of them just pitched badly. So let’s hope we see Cliff Lee pitching well for a long time tonight.
The Phillie lineup against lefty Paul Maholm went (1) Revere (2) Rollins (3) Utley (4) Howard (5) Young (6) Brown (7) Mayberry (8) Kratz. Revere again leads off, this time against a lefty, with Rollins still hitting second. The lefty Brown stays in the lineup and plays left. Mayberry in right, which makes a lot more sense against a lefty than it did a righty on Opening Day. I think it’s unlikely that Revere will lead off against lefties very often this season.
Rollins doubled to left with one out in the top of the first. Utley followed him and struck out swinging for the second out, but Howard was next and drew a walk as Rollins stole third, putting runners on the corners for Young. Young grounded to short to leave the runners stranded.
Brown and Mayberry singled back-to-back to start the second with the Phillies down 3-0. It put men on first and second for Kratz and Kratz grounded into a double-play. Halladay struck out swinging to leave Brown at third.
Brown starts the inning with a hit off of the lefty, which is nice to see even if nothing comes of it.
Rollins singled to left with one out in the third. Utley flew to center for the second out and Howard struck out looking to leave Rollins at first.
Rollins 2-for-2 with a single, a double and a stolen base through two and a half innings.
Brown lined a single to left with one out in the fourth. Mayberry was next and hit a ball that Francisco didn’t handle for an error, which again put two men on for Kratz. Kratz struck out for the second out. Halladay hit for himself and struck out to leave both runners stranded.
Again Kratz goes down after Brown and Mayberry get on board. Halladay had thrown 79 pitches in the game. He would face three batters in the bottom of the fourth, getting one out and allowing a single and a homer. You can’t really hit for Roy Halladay in the fourth, but if you’re playing on paper and you know he’s going to face three hitters in the bottom of the inning and get one out, you might want to consider it.
Down 7-0, the Phillies went in order in the fifth.
Young singled to center with one out in the sixth. Brown was next and grounded to first for the second out with Young moving up to second. Righty Cory Gearrin came in to pitch to Mayberry and walked him, putting men on first and second for Kratz. Kratz went down swinging to leave the runners stranded.
Again Kratz with Brown on second and Mayberry on first. In the second he hit into a double-play to end the inning. In the fourth he struck out with one out and men on first and second. Sixth he struck out to end the inning with two men on. Six men left on base through six innings.
Kudos to Mayberry for drawing the walk against the righty.
Righty Christhian Martinez started the seventh for Atlanta. Nix hit for Bastardo and singled to right. Revere was next and moved Nix up to second with a single. Rollins flew to right for the first out before Utley doubled into the right field corner, clearing the bases and getting the Phils on the board at 7-2. Luis Avilan came in to pitch to Howard and struck him out for the second out. It brought Young to the plate and he hit a dribbler on the first base side of the mound. Avilan popped off the mound, sliding to get the ball and threw to first. The ball hit Young and Young was called out for running out of the base line.
Really weird call you don’t see very often. Young was just about on the line when the ball hit him. Utley would have scored from second when the ball got away from Young, so it cost the Phillies a run. Avilan made a fantastic sliding play to make it close at first. Tired of him.
Righty Anthony Varvaro got Brown, Mayberry and Kratz in order in the eighth.
The Phils were down 9-2 when Vavaro set them down in order in the ninth. Galvis hit for Papelbon and struck out swinging for the first out.
Revere was 1-for-5 in the game. He’s 2-for-9 with a walk and a stolen base so far.
Rollins 2-for-5 with a double. 3-for-10 with a stolen base after two games.
Utley 1-for-4 with a double, two RBI and two strikeouts. 4-for-9 with three extra-base hits and five of the team’s seven RBI.
Howard 0-for-3 with a walk and struck out twice. 0-for-8.
Young 1-for-4. 1-for-6 with two walks.
Brown 2-for-4. 3-for-7 with three singles and a walk. 2-for-4 against lefties in the very early going.
Mayberry 1-for-3 with a walk. 2-for-7 with a double and a walk after two games. Walked against a righty last night after doubling off of righty Jordan Walden in game one of the set.
Kratz was awful at the plate, going 0-for-4 with two strikeouts and leaving six men on base in the first six innings. 1-for-8 with three strikeouts so far.
Cliff Lee faces righty Kris Medlen tonight in game three of the set. Lee threw to a 4.79 ERA in his six spring starts. He made two starts against Atlanta in 2012 and both of them were very good as he allowed one earned run in 15 innings between the two outings. Medlen was outstanding in 2012, throwing to a 1.57 ERA with an 0.91 ratio over 138 innings in 50 appearances, 12 of which were starts. He had an 0.97 ERA in his 12 starts. Opponents hit .191 against him and he walked ten in 83 2/3 innings while striking out 84.
