Improving Lieber aims for another solid outing

The Phillies have scored 24 runs in the first two games this series, and will try to keep the flood gates open tonight for Jon Lieber (4-9, 5.51 ERA), seeking his first win since July 26.

Lieber's season has taken a turn for the better following two solid post-deadline starts. The Phillies attempted to deal the 36-year-old right-hander at the non-waiver trade deadline, but found no takers. Lieber is 1-4 with a 5.12 ERA in seven starts since coming off the disabled list and was unimpressive in starts that were reportedly attended by scouts.

The good news is Lieber has typically been a strong finisher, and if the Phils are to have any shot at the playoffs, he must finish strong over the remaining 45 games. He’s pitched well against the Mets. Lifetime, he is 5-6 with a 4.09 ERA in 19 career games against them, and is 0-1 with a 3.21 ERA in two starts this season.

Tom Glavine (12-5, 3.92 ERA) faces the Phillies for the fourth time this season. The veteran left-hander is 2-0 with a 4.92 ERA against them this season.

Last night, Randy Wolf lived up to his reputation as a poor-man’s Glavine with an excellent 7-inning, 2-run effort. Wolf, who appears to be in superb physical shape, helped himself with a 2-for-2 night at the plate.

Pat Burrell will likely return to the lineup after getting benched the last two nights. In doing so, manager Charlie Manuel may be taking the bat out of the hand of red-hot David Dellucci, who still has a .815 OPS against left-handers. The former reservist hit a three-run homer yesterday and is batting .421 with five home runs and 12 RBIs in the month of August.

Shane Victorino, also swinging a hot bat, could also sit. Victorino went 2-for-4 with a home run and a triple last night and is hitting .310 with a 1.018 OPS this month.

Comments

[seth.]

I think the Phillies make the playoffs if Lieber pitches well these last two months. If he pitches the way he has most of this season, they don't have a shot.
I bet he pitches 7 or 8 solid innings tonight.

[Lake Fred]

Jason will be working with Flash to get his sore arm back in shape after posting three threads today. I respond to Clouts stuff in the locked and loaded thread and boom, here's three new ones.

I don't feel so good about tonight's game. I hate Glavine and Lieber. Glavine, because he's the luckiest pitcher of all time..year after year; and Lieber because he's still with the Phillies. I just hope that Lieber concentrates and the Phillies bats continue their barrage.

[Mike H.]

What, no mention of donuts?

I don't like tonight's game, either, especially considering who has good numbers against Glavine - Lieby, J-Roll, the Midnight Mayor of Center City (Burrell), and our favorite punching bag, Abe Nunez.

[Willard Preacher]

Count me among those who doesn't like our chances tonight - if for no other reason than the performance in the first two games. The Phils have a tendency to crap the bed in a big series after putting up some big wins. That's why the whole "roller coaster" feeling we've been getting all year continues. Just when we think they're out, they put up a big game or two against a team they shouldn't beat. Then when we think they have a shot, they let us down for a few games.

I'd love to see the hot bats continue, but it is a pace that is tough to keep up.

[Bob D]

8 innings would be great. Then Manuel can throw someone he hasn't used from the pen since Sunday. He needs to rotate these guys in the pen better.
Maybe the Phils will score another 10+ runs tonight

[theragtopguy]

I think how the Phils do tonight against Glavine depends a great deal on the HP umpire. If Glavine gets those 2-3 inches off the outside corner he will be very hard to beat. As we all know, he lives on the outside corner.

Lieber has seemed to get his crap together somewhat better so we may have a pretty good chance here.

Let's hope that Pat and Co. can lay off those change-ups outside from Glavine. Make him get it up and more to the center of the plate and he will be eminently hittable.

Go Phils!!

[MG]

Hopefully the Fat Man Will Cometh and provide 7 innings tonight. The less we see of this bullpen, the better.

[voice of reason]

Count me among the optimists!
"Boston Creme" Lieber continues his streak of effective starts and Phils get to Glavine before he gets into a groove.

[Mike H.]

Well, that was a rather efficient first frame...

[theragtopguy]

Way to go Vic!! Guy has a rocket for an arm!

[Dan]

Is there anywhere to listen to the game online (for free)?

[Greg]

What is going on with Nunez? Did he remember how to hit??

[RickSchuBlues]

Dan, not for free.

Fred, why do you say Glavine's lucky? To have had so much success for so long, you have to be doing something right. What he is, is one of the smartest pitchers of all time. I have no fondness for the teams he's pitched for, but if you appreciate the craft of pitching, you have to appreciate Tom Glavine.

[theragtopguy]

I agree with you RSB. He pitches to the ump's zone. Sounds like he's not getting that 2-3 inches off the plate tonight.

How about that Coste?!?

[Mike H.]

First base must have looked like a giant bear claw or a danish on that grounder to first...

[Dan]

damn - Gameday is no fun to watch.

[Greg S.]

I like the pitch counts. 55 in 5 innnings for Lieber and 69 in 4 innings for Glavine.

[joe]

coste _is_ the man.

well, i guess utley's still the man... but coste is hitting the cover off the ball.

[Davthom73]

Great piece of hitting in that last at bat by Coste, who obviously owns Glavine, at three-for-three.

[MAW]

Is Lieber pitching as well as his line indicates?

[voice of reason]

Lieber has been very impressive - lots of pop-ups and weak grounders. Haven't seen every AB, but except for Delgado's 1st-inning single, don't recall Mets getting good wood on the ball on any other ABs.

[Will]

this means we're gonna get to see the first installment of the great experiment that is arthur rhodes the closer

[joe]

i think that we may see a cg here.

[Will]

god i hope so joe, but I don't put anything past CM

[BllodStripes]

Glad Leiber made that out. Phew!

[voice of reason]

91 pitches through 8, hope Lieber can finish.

Any latest news on Gordon's status?

[J. Weitzel]

If this season accomplishes one thing, I hope it's that the Phillies talent evaluators - who never seem to know what they have until it's gone - take a look at the season Chris Coste has had and maybe start thinking outside the box when it comes finding ways to use talent that's already at their disposal.

[Billy Mac]

Looks like Lieber circa September 2005.

[J. Weitzel]

Lieber's turnaround the past three starts is very unexpected. I wonder what happened? One can only speculate. I'm sure we'll read something about it tomorrow.

[joe]

the talent people need to think that Coste is a Cuban exile that claims he's "25".

[seth.]

I'm watching the gamecast, and looking at Beltran's away numbers: he must suck at Shea.

[Bob D]

Wow went out for awhile and comeback to Leiber on verge of a CG. Just what the bullpen ordered. Last 3 games anly 3 relivers used awesome!

[Mike H.]

I'll tell you what happened. NO WALKS and GREAT DEFENSE. A two hour-10 minute game? Who do these guys think they are, Carlton and Gibson?

[seth.]

wow. 3 games. 4 runs for the Mets. 3 wins for the Phillies. i hope they're not getting my hopes up just to let me down.

[BllodStripes]

Wow that was quick. What a great pitching performance. Keep it going Phils.

[joe]

Nice donut-hole, Lieber.

[theragtopguy]

Yeah baby.

Way to beat those Mutts.

Who are those gys anyway? LOL

[Bob D]

What this Coste 3 for 3, no triple?? He stinks since he didn't hit for the cycle (sarcasm intended). Good game by Coste (behind the plate also).

[J. Weitzel]

I never thought I'd see that kind of game from Lieber again. I'm happy for him. Five-hit shutout!

Three convincing wins over the Mets! If they continue to get these types of games from Lieber and Wolf, and if Hamels continues to dominate, they'll have a strong chance at this WC thing.

[kdon]

"Lieber's turnaround the past three starts is very unexpected. I wonder what happened? One can only speculate. I'm sure we'll read something about it tomorrow."

You didn't hear? When Lidle left, he took his secret stash of ice cream and donoughts with him. Since the deadline, Lieber's been all about the tofu.

[RickSchuBlues]

With the strong performances of Wolf and Lieber, suddenly the rotation isn't looking quite so horrible anymore.

Terrific game, excellently pitched. Two craftsmen going it with brains and guts...and naturally, since Lieber has a bigger gut than Glavine, he came out on top. Okay, really, we owe him a hiatus on the fat jokes if he's going to pitch a shutout. Besides, he's got absolutely nothing on David Wells. He is the fattest player I've ever seen.

[Mike H.]

Two hours and three minutes total. I can't believe it. Probably the shortest game in MLB in the last three years.

They still have to get to .500 for the WC, though. No sarcasm intended.

[Will]

Lieber's always been better late in seasons, so his past few solid starts aren't suprising. This level, however, is wonderfully shocking.

[joe]

>This level, however, is wonderfully shocking.

He couldn't be shown up by a rookie and a guy still in "rehab" mode, could he? :-)

[kdon]

Can we officially begin to watch the scoreboard?

The WC may be tough to get if Cinci keeps playing teams that have Timo Freakin' Perez batting fifth! (Seriously, we may have a better chance to catch St. Louis) He just popped out with the bases loaded. 4-1 Cinci.

[Bob D]

We saw it earlier this year with Mathieson. Now lets see him put in a solid game tommorow afternoon. He looks alot like Hamels did earlier. Dominates at times during a game then gets wild. The walks usually hurt.

Lets go for the sweep. Funny how people were rooting for a split.

[kdon]

umm...5-1

[Drama Queen]

Don't the first posters feel a bit silly about not liking the Phillies chances tonight?...I'm just playing guys, I wasn't overly confident either, but I will say that I have been backing Lieber lately, because he's seem to figure it out the past few starts now.

Chris Coste continues to prover me wrong again and again and I'm loving every time he does it!

[BllodStripes]

Would Mathieson be confident or nervous right now? The last 3 starts have been dominating. I hope he can continue the trend.

[seth.]

Lieber is the poor man's Greg Maddux and Wolf the poor man's Tom Glavine, no?
I hope they both keep pitching like those two guys for the rest of the year.
And if Hamels keeps pitching like he has I'm going to start getting upset when I read about Liriano and Kazmir and Weaver and don't hear his name mentioned.

[Drama Queen]

A strong outing by Mathieson would go a long way to convincing more people that the Phils have a legit shot at the Wild Card. Mathieson has good stuff, but his stuff seems to be more suited for only 1 trip through the lineup.

[voice of reason]

At least the bullpen is rested.
Maybe the Phils can get to John Maine early and often and sweep the series with an 11-10 win.

[joe]

if mathieson is a cerebral pitcher, at all; he should be fine tomorrow.

cole completely destroyed these guys monday. wolf continued, and lieber polished them off.

i just hope that mathieson, who has better "stuff" than lieber, was taking notes.

[Alby]

All the donuts tonight were on the scoreboard -- nine of them.

[Billy Mac]

Just noticed Phils are now tops in NL in runs scored -- topping the Mets.

[MG]

Went for a hike after work and listened to the radio on the drive home. Shocked to hear that Lieber pitched a shutout. If he had gone 7 innings and gave up 3 or 4 runs, I would have been more than satisfied. The way this offense is hitting they just need the starter to keep them in the game.

All the fat jokes aside, I am really don't understand how Lieber has looked so good lately. He hasn't strung together 3 quality starts this year and he looked awful in his first few starts after coming back from the groin injury. Thought for sure after the Florida game debacle the Phils would have to write off Lieber until next year. Go figure.

[RickSchuBlues]

Lieber is more like the homeless person's Greg Maddux.

(But with all due respect!)

How do the Mets feel, getting shut out by a guy with an ERA over 5? Is Randolph getting slightly more concerned now? They look awfully dead-assed, kind of like the Phils did the last time they played NY at home. A hungrier team fresh off the momentum of a wild-card victory may have an advantage over a coasting team like the Mets, who don't look quite so world-class these days. After three duds in a row, I'd be lighting a few fires under my team if I were Willie.

[seth.]

I don't know. I see a lot of homeless people on the bus. Most are too crazy (read: drunk) to know who or what Greg Maddux is.
I wish we had someone named Dickie Thon on this incarnation of the Phillies.

[Drama Queen]

Seth- funny you brought Dickie Thon up, because he will be the subject of my Phillies Phlashback Phriday on my blog.

4 game sweet of the Mets would be awesome!

[Tony]

Where are all those Mets trolls that were here earlier in the year? Awful quiet in here.

Wright has been invisible since the All Star break, Beltran is 5 for his last 25, Delgado sucks, and they have Michael Tucker and Endy Chavez playing left and right field. Not to mention their 3 best starters are over 35, and your #1 is hurt heading into September. I'd be worried if I was a Met fan. Reyes is a stud though, most improved player in the National league IMO.

[Tony]

Something that may interest only me:

Jose Reyes is on pace for 30+ doubles, 21 triples, and 20 HR's. The last, and only, player to have 20+ in all three was George Brett in 1979.

[clout]

What we're seeing with the Mets is what happens when a team has a 12 game lead with 6 weeks to go. They think they can coast, then turn it back on for the playoffs. If they're not careful they will be one and done.

[Lake Fred]

I am sweetly shocked by Lieber's complete game shutout. No more fat jokes from me for awhile. Lieber now leads the Phillies staff with two complete games. He had been tied with Floyd's rain shortened 5-inning complete game shutout earlier in the season. He's now tied with Floyd for team lead in shutouts with one.

With MLBs recent love affair with relief pitching, the CG stat is an endangered species. Earlier, we were ragging on Dallas Green's paltry pitching record as a player, yet, in his miserable career, he only started 46 games, but completed 12! That's over 25%. He even pitched two shutouts!

I also (I'm shocked!) agree with Clout's assessment of the Mets. One and done for them would make my season!

[Drama Queen]

Oh we can still make fat jokes about Lieber, but let's make sure we give him his props too.

[SamDracula]

I've always liked Lieber. He did win 16 for them last year but it's like after 1/2 a bad season, he's referred to as a joke by many here. He works quick, throws a ton of first pitch strikes, and isn't as heavy as he's portrayed. What a battery last night!

[Jon]

Being at that game, all I can say is wow! This team looks like a legit wildcard contender. Imagine if we opened up the post-season against these Muts! Anyway, that was probably the best game Lieber has pitched in a Phillies uniform. Also, Victorino is doing a helluva job out in rightfield. Coste was clutch once again, and look out, Burrell actually busted his ass home on a shallow line-out to center! I can't wait to see the finale today! With the momentum this team has going, I believe that Mathieson has a shot. Let's go Phils!

[kdon]

I may be wrong Jon, but I don't think two teams from the same division can play in the first round.

If the Phils make the WC, they'd likely run into the pale blue juggernaut from LA.

[JKFriz]

Oh, what the hell. Let's suspend disbelief for a moment here: the Phillies are playing better than any other wild-card contender, and after this week I can almost believe that a rotation of Hamels, Myers, Wolf, and Lieber is capable of winning in the playoffs. There, I said it.

I still think Gillick has a lower success rate as a GM than Abraham Nunez does at the plate, but the Phils are prime candidates for what Bill Simmons calls the "Patrick Ewing Theory" - your franchise player leaves the team, and everyone else starts playing out of their minds. So, what the hell. I like this team.

[Bob D]

Forget the Wild Card, just win the next 18 games and win the division :>)

[voice of reason]

Another point to consider for the dwindling numbers of non-believers:
43 games to go, with only 4 against teams with winning records!

[Drama Queen]

We're surging...keep it going Phils!

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