Mets 3, Phillies 2: Sounding off

I can spend all morning attacking last night’s game from all possible angles. Instead, the Philadelphia papers covered all the bases this morning. Here are the myriad lowlights of the game that may have ended the Phils' chances at the postseason:

Phil Sheridan, Inquirer: "If that was it, and it almost certainly was, then the Phillies' playoff chances died a fitting death last night.

"There was David Bell, the personification of so much that has frustrated fans all season, chugging around second base with 36,150 fans and roughly 30 men in his own dugout screaming: No!

".... But this loss wasn't fitting just because Manuel didn't use Endy Chavez (or almost anyone else) to run for Bell. That was a mistake. The point is that the mistake never should have mattered that much. It simply shouldn't have come to that.

"The jackals will want to blame Manuel for this loss, as they blame him for most losses. But the Phillies lost this game and very likely the wild-card berth because they couldn't generate any offense against Mets starter Victor Zambrano, who came in with a 7-11 record and a 4.10 earned run average.

"They scored just two runs, and those only because the Mets committed two errors in the fifth inning. The Phillies left 11 runners on base."

Paul Hagen, Daily News: "They lost because David Bell made an inexcusably airheaded baserunning mistake in the eighth, short-circuiting a potential rally by being thrown out at third when he represented the potential tying run.

"They lost, maybe, because manager Charlie Manuel decided not to replace Bell with a speedier runner in that situation.

"They lost because they didn't take advantage of the scoring opportunities presented to them by erratic Mets starter Victor Zambrano and the bullpen arms that followed. They left 11 runners on base, five of them in scoring position. And both their runs were unearned, compliments of two New York errors and a wild pitch in the fifth.

"They lost because, even though leadoff hitter Jimmy Rollins extended his hitting streak to 32 games, it was Mets leadoff hitter Jose Reyes who wreaked the kind of havoc at the top of the order that has been Rollins' specialty the last month. Reyes had a single, two doubles, a triple, stole a base and scored two runs.

"They lost because, for some reason, they've just had a devil of a time beating this division rival. They're 6-11 against the New Yorkers this season."

Beerleaguer points
Paul Hagen picked a strange time to tell readers that "there is no such thing as momentum in this sport," considering Jimmy Rollins just set a franchise record with a 32-game hitting streak, and garbage pitcher Victor Zambrano held them hitless for three innings after an emotional loss the night before. It’s pretty typical of the way Hagan writes baseball, almost like it isn’t played by human beings. Still, I enjoy his articles.

What is it with the Phillies swinging on the first pitch when Asian walk machine Kaz Ishii comes into the game? Once again, Ryan Howard chased the first pitch from the left-hander and tapped out with men on base. The No. 1 reason why they've failed against the Mets is they haven't been smart.

Charlie Manuel is blowing it big time this series. There's no question that you pinch run Chavez in that situation. David Bell's baserunning blunder is all Bell, however, not the fault of third base coach Bill Dancy.

I need to speak out about Pat Burrell’s weak whiff in the seventh, and Bobby Abreu’s mega-weak whiff in the ninth.

For the game, Burrell stranded four runners on two strikeouts, and Abreu stranded a runner at third with a strikeout in the third and grounded out before Burrell's strikeout in the seventh, then whiffed with a runner on second to end the game.

It’s the second-straight night Burrell has come up small, and for Abreu ... all I can say is if that last at bat is any indication of his poor health, then he’s hurting the team by not sitting. I’d rather have a 100 percent fresh Jason Michaels playing instead of a player that has actually hurt them this series.

Comments

[Bob]

ANOTHER GREAT CLUTCH AT-BAT BY BOBBY AA-BOO-BOO......

ok where are all those Abreu fans spouting off about his clutch stats???? last night was another prime example of why we need to trade his non-clutch ass for something of value......and ship off "low and away" Burrell too.....he's another dope who can't handle it when the pressure is on......here's another year that the teams "core" veterans wilt under the pressure of a playoff chase in September....real shocker!!!

[sh]

I just want to say that i've been reading yours (and others) phlogs this season and have really enjoyed the excellent coverage/insights/comments on the phils by yourself and others.
If Monday's game was not depressing enough, last night surely sealed the deal on any final hopes this team had of playoff baseball...
What should have been a 'wild' & celebratory final homestand.. instead became a silent death march towards another October full of questions and doubts about the future of this team.
Almost as disheartening as the entire team's effort at the plate this game, was the lackluster enthusiasm displayed by the fans during the Phil's final at-bats. Though one could hardly be faulted for expecting this sort of ending.. it was sad nonetheless to be one of a handful of persons in my section who seemed to even give a damn that the season was fading right before our eyes.

[J. Weitzel]

Thanks for the compliments, sh. Comments like yours are what keeps this site going, especially on tough mornings like this one.

[Sixto Lezcano]

As someone else who was at the game last night, I swear people started leaving in my section when Abreu came up in the ninth (rightfully so it ended up). And while I thought Endy Chavez's game ending at bat versus Houston would be the worst moment of year for me, seeing Bell turn second and face plant at third takes the cake.

I have finally come around to the belief that Abreu should go and I'm curious what people think we should (or could) try to get in return. I'm not that up on the farm system, but I'm thinking a catcher or 3rd base prospect. And there's always pitching - any thoughts?

[Sixto Lezcano]

As someone else who was at the game last night, I swear people started leaving in my section when Abreu came up in the ninth (rightfully so it ended up). And while I thought Endy Chavez's game ending at bat versus Houston would be the worst moment of year for me, seeing Bell turn second and face plant at third takes the cake.

I have finally come around to the belief that Abreu should go and I'm curious what people think we should (or could) try to get in return. I'm not that up on the farm system, but I'm thinking a catcher or 3rd base prospect. And there's always pitching - any thoughts?

[Sixto Lezcano]

sorry for the multiple posts - computer screw up

[J. Weitzel]

Major-league ready pitching prospects, and a couple of them at that. Catching and third base is also thin.

[theragtopguy]

A fitting end to a goofy season. And I'm sure that we'll be looking at another year of CM running his nice relaxed team and making his stupid or non moves.

What worries me is that we will still have Slow Eddie pulling the trigger on any deals that need to be made this off-season.

Time to get creative in your deal making, Ed!

Great blog as usual Jason.

[J. Weitzel]

Creative is exactly right, Oley. They have a number of players they can sell high.

[Tim]

All this talk about getting rid of Abreu is ridiculous. I understand the concept of selling high, but under that logic the Cardinals should getting rid of Albert Pujols any day now.

It's true, Abreu has not come up big when the team has needed him most, and you can make an argument that he's damaging the team's chances by playing hurt. He has not had a great September, at least in terms of average and power. But he's gotten on base at the same rate and has worked out some walks in key situations.

He's still going to finish with the following line: 25-30 HR, .290 BA, .400 OBP, 100 runs, 100 RBI, 30 SB. I'm no expert, but I'm pretty sure that's the type of player you want to have on your team.

[Bob]

yes Tim, he does work walks...but at all the wrong times. isnt he's the #4 Friggin hitter? he's supposed to be hitting bombs not trying to work a walk like he did last night before he whiffed to end the game.
and if he's hurt, then he should have sat and put in a healthy player instead. obviously he's being selfish, just thinking about adding to his stats so he can get his usual .300 hollow average every year.

who F-in gives a damn about his individual stat lines, what has it gotten this team?? not to the playoffs for the last 12 years or during the time he's been here.....

THERE IS NO HEART OR BRAINS ON THIS TEAM EXCEPT FOR UTLEY AND HOWARD....STOP DRINKING THE KOOL-AID AND WAKE THE F UP!!!

[J. Weitzel]

Easy. Everyone's cool like J-Roll here.

[Deanna]

Not sitting Abreu was retarded more because -- what if the Phillies DO make the postseason, wouldn't you rather have a healthy and rested Abreu there for you than a falling-to-pieces Abreu who killed himself getting there?

But, no, god, don't get rid of him from the team. Just sit him this week. It does a Bobby good.

[Matt]

I agree that the Abreu trade talk is absurd. He's the guy you want up there in that situation, provided he's healthy.