Distress
Posted By: J Stump
Posted: 8/8/2008 11:32:14 PM
The following things should make us all on edge when it comes to postseason baseball.
The Phillies have now been shut out twice in a row at home. This is supposed to be an offensive team. Let's face it, right now they are offensive, and that's not a compliment.
Usually when the Phils go bad, you can look at the top of the line-up for a lack of production. Not so today, as Rollins and Victorino went 4-7 (or 8, if you don't give Rollins that sacrifice I suppose, which ESPN.com apparently isn't right now) with 3 walks. The rest of the team went a whopping 2 - 30, with an additional 6 walks. Hitting the most home runs is nice, but I'd prefer a balanced attack that made teams pay for letting guys on, rather than eternally leading the world in runners left on base.
So how do you go for two straight games (21 innings even) in CBP without scoring a run? Well, when the long ball fails and you proceed to be 0 - 18 with runners in scoring position over the two games, that's going to pretty much do it.
I've had enough of the whole "good opposing pitching" excuse that's been floating around for the past 2 1/2 months now as well. The Marlins are not a good pitching team, and the Pirates are flat out not a good team. To not be able to score runs on either of those teams is flat out pathetic.
On a bittersweet positive note, Joe Blanton took a ton of heat before pitching at all in a Phils uniform, and then took even more after his first two starts. People enjoyed bringing up that he didn't last 2 innings in his second start as a Fightin, conveniently forgetting that the reason he didn't make it was due to a lengthy rain delay...no pitcher would've made it past those two. Since then? The guy's been pretty good, including tonight throwing a 1 hitter over 7 innings. Blanton and Hamels are probably thrilled at their run support over these last two games.
One last note...the bullpen has been great all year, certainly exceeding everyone's expectations, but they're starting to look very fatigued. It's nice the Phils added Eyre to help, especially for JC, but is sounds like to start he's going to be a guy they only use in situations to get 1 or 2 lefties out. Who's going to help Chad Durbin from arm fatigue, and Madsen from continuing to circle the drain? When your starters throw 1 hitters through 7 innings, your bullpen shouldn't need to have extensive use. I wrote a few weeks ago it was time for a players only meeting, and I still think someone needs to step up and start holding each other accountable. Maybe we can get Rowand to phone in and whip these guys back into shape?
When you add this all up, you're right, there's no PH in distress, but there sure is some distress in the PH. If they don't right this ship real quick, my next post may be titled "Panic"...which also has no PH.
| Jimmy Rollins |
| Joe Blanton |
| MLB |
| Philadelphia |
| Phillies |
| Shane Victorino |
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