The hometown nine will look to improve their play at home after dropping five of their first six games at Citizen's Bank Park. Tonight they face Tony Armas Jr. and the Washington Nationals.
For the first half of 2005, the Nationals were on top of the free-for-all known as the NL East. Around the time fans started to wonder how long it could last, something happened. Carlos Baerga started showing up in the boxscores as their cleanup hitter. At that point, everyone, including the Nationals, knew they were cooked. They were.
So began their spiral into the NL East cellar. By October, they were broken, easy marks for the surging Phillies during the final series of the year.
Today, they’re back to bottom feeding in the fine tradition of their French-Canadien forefathers, off to a 4-9 start, getting most of their offense from the top: Alfonso Soriano (.294, 3 HR); Jose Vidro (.348, 3 HR) and Nick Johnson (.357, 3 HR). The bottom eight fills out poorly. They have yet another scrap-heap beauty batting cleanup in Daryle Ward. Top prospecet Ryan Zimmerman is off to a shaky start, hitting just .204.
The Phillies should take this series easily if they play to their ability and avoid falling behind late. Their strength is in bullpen, where closer Chad Cordero and workhorse Gary Majewski make a formidable pair. The Phils got a good taste of them last season and had trouble. Cordero in particular had a breakout campaign, especially in the first half when he led all relief pitchers in Win Shares and was near the top in appearances. True to form, Majewski has already appeared in 8 games.
Cory Lidle (1-1, 4.91 ERA), will make his third start. He’ face Tony Armas Jr. (0-2, 3.27 ERA), a pitcher in the mold of Vicente Padilla for an equal blend of stuff, inconsistency and nagging arm trouble.
Follow along with the Yahoo! live boxscore [here].
I didn't see it, but on the radio it sounded like Dancy cost us another run (in the first inning).
Posted by: The other Adam | Tuesday, April 18, 2006 at 07:23 PM
Bill Dancy, probably a nice man, and loyal to the organization for all these years, needs to be somewhere other than third base coach for the Phillies. I'm at a loss how something like that could happen. Why chance it with nobody out in the first inning with the heart of the lineup on deck?
If there's a manual for third base coaches, wouldn't this be on page 1?
Posted by: J. Weitzel | Tuesday, April 18, 2006 at 07:24 PM
I hate David Bell
Posted by: kdon | Tuesday, April 18, 2006 at 07:38 PM
Real shambles tonight. No wonder they get booed at home. Add a bad play by Abreu to the mix, and you wonder what other cliched Phillies annoyance will happen. Wait, I know. Burrell will be called out looking to end the game.
Posted by: J. Weitzel | Tuesday, April 18, 2006 at 08:04 PM
That, or he'll hit a 2-run homer.
Can't watch it on TV so I didn't see the Abreu play or Rollins getting thrown out at home, but I can imagine both. I assume he just figured "hm, Rollins is fast and Alfonso Soriano doesn't like playing OF" and sent him without actually taking account of the situation, no?
Posted by: Adam | Tuesday, April 18, 2006 at 08:16 PM
besides our Flights of Dancy, this ballpark is killing us.
Posted by: That Dude | Tuesday, April 18, 2006 at 08:33 PM
Dbell with another rally killer.T
Posted by: That Dude | Tuesday, April 18, 2006 at 08:48 PM
David Bell is making up for lost time on the "grounding into double plays" front.
Posted by: Adam | Tuesday, April 18, 2006 at 08:49 PM
I hate David Bell
Posted by: | Tuesday, April 18, 2006 at 08:49 PM
Ladies and gentlemen, your Gold Glove rightfielder, Bobby Abreeeeeeu!
Bobby looks like an ass out there tonight, but I'm still squarely in his camp. They are gonna come back and win this one.
If nothing else, Bell's consistent.
Dancy is a putz but that didn't cost a run.
Posted by: Mike | Tuesday, April 18, 2006 at 08:55 PM
Nevermind, I don't know what I was thinking there. They'd have had that extra out to get Rollins home. Bad, but Bill's done worse.
Posted by: Mike | Tuesday, April 18, 2006 at 08:58 PM
Nunez? WTF - He was in the on deck circle even before Loeberthal got on! WTF is Manuel doing?
Posted by: kdon | Tuesday, April 18, 2006 at 09:01 PM
What the hell? I can understand Nunez pinch-hitting with a man on first, but why in HELL would be BUNT? If he just wanted a sac bunt, why not use Lidle and give him another inning??
Posted by: Adam | Tuesday, April 18, 2006 at 09:16 PM
Adam, you don't think the guy who hit 29 homers last year that we traded a semi-prospect for or the International League player-of-the-year might have been a better move than a futiliy infielder. Lidle looked pretty bad bunting earlier, so that's understandable, but as I said, Manuel was going to use Nunez BEFORE there was even a bunt situation.
Posted by: kdon | Tuesday, April 18, 2006 at 09:28 PM
There it is. The icing on the cake. Grand slam given up by Geary with nobody warming up in the pen.
What a disgrace. Gillick can't put up with this mess, and neither should the fans, who seem to be surprisingly patient considering the garbage they've seen tonight.
After this game, a head needs to roll. Geary needs to be sent to Scranton. There's your head. Want another? Take your pick.
Posted by: J. Weitzel | Tuesday, April 18, 2006 at 10:01 PM
Yes, kdon. Yes I do. That only hit me after I posted. What I meant was that I could understand a pinch hitter, but only if it was a pinch hitter that was good at HITTING (i.e. Victorino, Gonzalez, or Dellucci).
What a horrific game. My faith in the 2006 Phillies has been reshattered.
I say we demote the entire bullpen except Gordon and replace them with the Scranton bullpen.
Posted by: Adam | Tuesday, April 18, 2006 at 10:11 PM
Heads better damn well roll!! How long does it take before someone (anyone!!) from Scranton gets a chance to replace these wretched relievers the Phillies continue to run out there?? I am so sick of Charlie Manuel and this weak core of relievers and it is only April 18th!! What the hell happened to busting out of the gate and winning some meaningful games in April? That is all we heard all off-season and now they just want to blow it off (there is a shocker for ya). Fire Charlie!!!! Do it now!!!! And send half of that wretched pen down to AAA!!!! Sad to see them pissing our season away yet again. I am so tired of hearing its early in the season. Too bad the last time we really kicked ass in April was 1993. Conincidence? I think not... Make some moves already!!
Posted by: Jon | Tuesday, April 18, 2006 at 10:11 PM
Geary left a meatball over the plate when he had two strikes on Church and that is Manuel's fault? Sorry, I don't buy it. Geary just isn't that good. I don't care what his ERA plus was last year, he didn't pitch in tight spots.
Trying to score Rollins was a big piece of brain flatulence on Dancy's part, but Geary cost us this one... just like he did Saturday night.
Posted by: MPN | Tuesday, April 18, 2006 at 10:13 PM
And there you have another 3-run effort by the Phillies, their fourth of this young season. And in the 13 games so far, they have been 3 or less 7 times.
Sure the pitching is weak. But if you invested $100 million in the pitching staff alone, it would just be a waste of $100 million. So who cares if Geary gives up a slam in the ninth? The Nats already had all the runs they were going to need. The had that by the fourth inning.
Posted by: Nat | Tuesday, April 18, 2006 at 10:20 PM
Mea culpa JW: When I typed my response only "There it is. The icing on the cake. Grand slam given up by Geary with nobody warming up in the pen...." was showing up in the comments.
David Bell is another guy who should lose some playing time. Two GIDPs...
Posted by: MPN | Tuesday, April 18, 2006 at 10:21 PM
I agree with Nat. Geary didn't cost us the game, but he still needs to be sent away.
Posted by: J. Weitzel | Tuesday, April 18, 2006 at 10:23 PM
My fault, MPN. I like to go back and add to my comments, especially on nights like this.
Posted by: J. Weitzel | Tuesday, April 18, 2006 at 10:25 PM
I struggle with sitting Bell in these Lidle outings because he gives up so many damn hits. I think he's still your best third baseman, but yeah, the two GIDPs is rough.
This is a different game if they rally in the first.
Posted by: J. Weitzel | Tuesday, April 18, 2006 at 10:28 PM
I agree with Jason. I know the story of this game will be the relief pitching, but if we scored a few (if not more) in the first inning this would have been a different game.
I was worried about Armas, I remember he shut us down last year.
Posted by: The other Adam | Tuesday, April 18, 2006 at 10:54 PM
People complain about Bell about I just don't see much of an upgrade with Nunez/Gonzalez. Manuel should sit Bell though against tough righties more often.
This bullpen don't have any reliable arms except Gordon and Rhodes right now. If they keep being used so often, I guarantee they break down by August. Ugh.
Posted by: MG | Wednesday, April 19, 2006 at 12:25 AM
Wow, what a crappy game. The blame for the loss can be spread around tonight. Dancy: dumb decision sending Rollins home with no outs. That changed the dynamics of the entire game. Bullpen: sucked as-per-usual. Abreu: horrible fielding. Bell: the announcers keep talking about how he isn't striking out, well I'd rather have him strike out than continue hitting into double plays!
*A thought: flip Utley and Howard in the order. The both of them are pressing and being extremely impatient...maybe a switch could help.
Posted by: Carson Book | Wednesday, April 19, 2006 at 07:17 AM