Big teases and bad breezes

Monday's loss raises concerns about the starting rotation and Charlie Manuel’s tactical wherewithal in September.

It was a general consensus before 2005. It’s a matter that’s been suppressed on this space for five months.

The truth I’ve been hiding from is the Phils don’t have the starting horses to contend. The difference became clear last night when Brett Myers gave up four runs in the first inning, and his opponent Andy Pettitte cruised through 5 2-3 cool innings before leaving with an apparent leg injury.

Pettitte ranks second all time with 13 post-season victories behind Atlanta’s John Smoltz, almost certain to return to the post-season again with the Braves. After last night, both teams are on the fast track to October, with the Phils back in the usual rear-view.

Tonight the Astros will send Cy Young contender Roy Oswalt to the hill against Jon Lieber, whose ERA is almost two points higher.

It’s just another example of the team’s lack of a single dependable pitcher they can count on for a sure win. There’s no stabilizing force, no ace. In addition, two of their starters aren’t healthy with Cory Lidle and Robbie Tejeda missing time with injury.

Who, exactly, will lead this team against the Astros, Marlins, Braves and Nationals? I don’t have a clue.

Monday night in a nutshell
Ninth inning aside (I’ll get to that in a bit), this contest was decided the moment David Bell botched the first hit of the game, allowing Willy Taveras to reach base on an error.

Taveras is widely considered the fastest player in the league, and Myers was clearly unnerved by his presence. He threw over to first about 10 times before walking the next batter, Craig Biggio. Two batters in, Myers had already lost control. Morgan Ensberg then singled, setting up a three-run homer by Lance Berkman that gave Pettitte three more runs than he needed.

If it hadn’t been for Myers’ line drive off Pettitte’s leg, there wouldn’t have been a seventh and ninth inning, when the Phils narrowed the Astros’ lead to one run against their bullpen. Otherwise, Pettitte could have cruised through nine.

Charlie Manuel
Playing catch-up in September is a situation when the manager becomes the most important piece of the puzzle. With more options after September call-ups, it should be easier, not harder. Here’s how manager Charlie Manuel played that game last night.

Crossing off the list of players available off the bench – Michael Tucker, Ryan Howard, Kenny Lofton, Shane Victorino and Matt Kata – the game basically became a race to see if the Phillies could tie the score before Endy Chavez needed to come in to pinch hit. Chavez is basically a guaranteed out, banging out one hit in his last 24 at bats.

Manuel doesn’t have the luxury of adjusting to all the new bodies in the dugout. He can’t keep all the parts fresh or happy, but he can improve his chance to win using the right players at the right times. The Phils’ bench is currently loaded with speed and capable infielders.

That freedom means using the fastest runner, Chavez, to pinch run for Ryan Howard in the ninth, knowing first could be replaced with a handful of options.

Instead, Manuel used Matt Kata to pinch run, calling on Chavez to bat for the pitcher against right-hander Brad Lidge, going with the left-right matchup, even though Lidge must have licked his chops at the prospect of facing an amateur like Endy.

Chavez fell in the count 0-2 before a ball in the dirt hit his bat on a pitch that would have certainly rolled past catcher Brad Ausmus and scored the runner from third. Chavez eventually struck out to end the game, the trashiest AB I’ve seen all season, perhaps in many seasons.

There’s no guarantee Ramon Martinez or Todd Pratt could have tied the game if Manuel would have used them instead of Chavez. I guess we’ll never know. But how can a manager possibly justify using his worst hitter in the most critical spot in the game?

Remember the days when the Phillies traded Marlon Byrd for Chavez to provide speed and defense off the bench? It was such a nice idea. When did it go wrong?

Comments

[Matt]

Totally agree. I was wondering why Pratt was on the bench. Because he's the backup catcher? Can't be--too late in the game to worry about that. Because Manuel wanted a left hitter up against a right handed pitcher? I'll take my chances with Pratt, thanks.

Wouldn't Chavez have been better suited as the pinch runner for Howard? I would think he's faster than Kata.

[J. Weitzel]

Agreed. I re-clarified that point in the post.

[Tom G]

Matt,

AJ Hinch is up with the team now, so CM has three catchers, he could have certainly used Pratt to PH and would have still had another backup catcher to play with.

[George S]

This was inevitable.

First off, I questioned the move to let Tucker bat for Michaels in the 7th inning. Michaels has a high OBP, and the bases were loaded. He had two hits in the game already. But I rationalized to myself that it was a platoon advantage move, a 'by-the-book' move that nobody could criticize you for if it failed. Besides, I told myself, that's why they acquired Tucker. But I didn't like it. Is Tucker a better hitter than Michaels? Flat out no.

But the Chavez move pushed me beyond my ability to remain calm, because there was not a single argument, NOT ONE, that could be used to justify letting him come to bat. L-R platoon advantage? Chavez is batting .189 vs RHP. He's terrible. He has no concept of a strike zone, no power, no plate discipline, nothing. Even Floyd could have struck him out!
This is where it would have been nice to have Tucker available.

But even without Tucker, as has been pointed out, Chavez should be running, not batting, and Kata or anyone else should have been at bat in that situation.

This is criminal mishandling of your roster, pure and simple. Absolutely terrible.

As for Howard, as much as I like him, and even given that he's a rookie, he's not going to be any 10-yr answer at 1st base unless he can figure out how to at least get his bat on the ball vs LHP in key situations. This has been becoming more obvious and not just from tonight.

I figure tomorrow night we will be posting something about Rheal Cormier. Like I said..inevitable.

(Ok, consider my venting over)

[Ken]

worst ab i have ever seen

swung at every pitch

blocked the potential winning wp..really hard to accept as a phils fan

also..why not chavez to run?

also.. if you know chavez in up next...why not send the runner home... even if you say its a 1 in 10 shot that something bad happens to the astros..surely chavez is no better than in a 1 in 10 chance against lidge!!

phighten phils my aZZ

[Tom Goodman]

Goerge: Bobby Abreu, Chase Utley, and Pat Burrell got their bats on the ball last night but in the last few weeks all of them have failed to get their bats on the ball in key situations. At least last night Howard walked in the ninth inning to set up the possible tie or win until Charlie bet the ranch on Endy.

Aside from the hitting, or lack of it when it counts, Jason has nailed the real problem this team faces: there simply isn't a Steve Carlton to call on. They have no ace, just a bunch of failed aces and never-were aces. No one who can go out there and reliably right the ship. Brett Myers will never be that guy. Never. He cannot harnass that anger into something productive; instead, he turns it on others and ultimately himself. I'm sure deep down inside he blames Bell for all his troubles last night.

I also read a number of comments elsewhere today that several Phillies were blaming the home plate umpire for his floating strike zone. Larry Andersen certainly took more than a few shots at him. This is the ultimate cop-out, but not unexpected when all the mirrors in the clubhouse have been put away.

[J. Weitzel]

Notice Pettitte was getting those low strikes. Why? Ausmus was framing those pitches better.

[Tom Goodman]

Jason: Myers has never been a low-ball pitcher. Lieberthal wasn't the problem; Myers was. Someone made an error and he was finished for that inning. After all, Lieberthal was framing the pitches in innings 2 - 9, too.

[J. Weitzel]

I guess the point I'm trying to make is the difference between Lieberthal and Ausmus is like night and day. Ausmus will work for his pitcher, Lieberthal actually makes his pitchers look bad by lunging at the ball. When you have a catcher like Ausmus, you can throw inside and outside pitches with more confidence knowing the catcher can "fluff" the zone. That's what Pratt does. That's why Lieber has hand-picked Pratt because Lieber depends on that tough inside cutter to left-handers.

[Tom Goodman]

Don't let Bill Conlin's dyspepsia influence you. I don't think Lieberthal's framing is the issue. I think it is more of a temperament issue. He isn't enough of a take-charge guy. Conlin wouldn't be happy unless Gabby Hartnett were behind the plate every night.

[theragtopguy]

I agree 100% with Tom G. Lieberthal is too laid back and is quite satisified with stealing his money.

Elmer really fouled up badly last night, for sure.

How can you send that twerp Chavez up to hit with all the marbles on the line? Should've been pinch running instead of Kata.

Chavez doesn't even belong in the majors, hell , he'd have trouble hitting in Legion ball with that crappy swing!

Said it before and I'll say it again--ELMER MUST GO!!!!! Bring in a real manager, Jimmy Leyland.