Game chat: Phils open three-game set in Cleveland

Cole Hamels will try to become the National League’s first 10-game winner when the Phillies open a three-game series against the Cleveland Indians tonight at Jacobs Field. Game time is 7:05 p.m. Hamels (9.2, 3.47 ERA) leads the league in wins, strikeouts (104) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (4.52). Left-hander Cliff Lee (3-4, 6.04 ERA) has struggled since starting the season on the disabled list. He has never faced the Phillies.

Comments

[Matt P]

Good news--Travis Hafner is sitting again tonight. Hamels probably would have blown through him with the way he's been struggling, but it's good to see he won't be given the opportunity to snap out of it tonight.

[GM-Carson]

I just read a rumor that the Phils may be interested in obtaining Giants starter Matt Morris. He's signed through '08 and has an option for '09. He's a solid #3 starter. It'll probably take a lot to get him though. I'd be willing to do a package of Michael Bourn and a pitching prospect (Kyle Kendrick possibly).

Lee is a hittable lefty, need to make him pay early and often.

RSB, you've really come to the dark side in regards to your opinion of Charlie Manuel. You used to make excuses for him and say it wasn't his fault and stuff like that, but now his mistakes are so bad that you can't turn a blind eye anymore. *I'm not trying to dis you, I'm paying you a compliment, even though it doesn't really sound like it.

[bay_area_phan]

Morris is having a good year but he doesn't excite me too much. But I'd give them any two players in our minor league system except Carrasco & Cardenas if they'd give us Noah Lowery.

[bsg]

This may have been posted already but a good article yesterday about the up&down phils from http://cbs.sportsline.com/mlb/story/..... wagner says he's actually scared about the phils?....... and i don't know if i agree about the gillick comment......but there are some good stats about how the season has gone.

[phila fan in dc]

Smith suspended for three games beginning tonight, Ruiz for 1.

So let's see if the Fightin's don't run better today.

[RSB]

I can't imagine the Phils have what it takes to get Matt Morris. Unless they want to throw in huge duffel bags of cash and maybe a few Victorino figurines.

Carson, I'll never be as down on Manuel as you are. Yesterday, however, seemed to me a case in point where his poor feel for game situations possibly cost the Phillies a ballgame. I don't think it happens as blatantly as that very often, and he isn't the only guy in the bigs who can mishandle strategy. I don't want to sound like an apologist for the guy, because I've never thought he was a credible manager, but to me he's way the hell down on the list of reasons why the team doesn't win.

[MG]

That AB by Howard was just awful. He looks totally lost against LHP this year. Can't really recall a good AB Howard has had recently against a LHP.

[phila fan in dc]

I like the Tribe's announcers, but don't they know that Cole isn't afraid of anything?

Then again, this first inning isn't great.

[RSB]

Howard shoots himself in the foot by going after the first pitch, which he had no chance to do anything with. He has to wait for a pitch to hit. Lee can bury a LH hitter with offspeed stuff ahead in the count. If the first or second pitches are balls, just let them go. Over and over, he does the same thing.

[attytood will]

Why do I suspect this game is going to be a microcosm of everything that's been bad about the 2007 season? Just a bad feeling about this one.

[RSB]

Bad play by Victorino. You keep the ball in front there, and the run doesn't score. Yeah, this one isn't off to a hot start, is it.

[attytood will]

I guess this is Hamels' new thing, giving up two runs in the 1st inning every time. Like a golfer's handicap or something. Except this ain't the White Sox.

[phila fan in dc]

A nominee for understatement of the year: the Tribe announcer with "For a corner infielder he (Nunez) doesn't have much pop."

[curt]

That bad feeling should be pretty familiar by now -- its called a lefty on the mound. Meaning that there are only 3 guys in our lineup who can be expected to hit their weight tonight.

Throw in a superior lineup on the other side, and the odds are bad.

[bay_area_phan]

If they can't win this game, they are almost certain to be swept.

[joe]

barajas is a TERRIBLE signal caller.

[MG]

If that HR stays fair, this game is over. I was actually looking to listening to the whole game while working.

[curt]

Here's a tough question: is Helms playing 1B because Cholly wanted to get his glove in there, or because he was just too embarrassed to make him the "Designated Hitter"?

[bay_area_phan]

Not to beat this point into the ground, but how the hell do we know Dobbs can't hit left-handers if he has never been given a chance to do so? We know for a fact that Nunez, Helms, Werth & Burrell can't hit ANYONE, so there's really no downside to giving Dobbs a few starts against lefties.

[curt]

bay -- you missed the 1 guy in the lineup least likely to get a hit tonight.

[phila fan in dc]

Well, at least we're not making Lee look like the second coming of Cy Young, but come on...

[Mike Cunningham]

10 years ago... stealing 3rd up 5-0 would get the next hitter a ball on your chin.

[The Reverend]

I feel like a fight tonight.

[Crazy Jon]

How come the Phillies make every opposing team's marginal left-handed starting pitcher look like the next coming of Steve Carlton?

[Crazy Jon]

Figures - losing 6-0, he hits one.
Where was the contact in the 1st inning with runners at the corners and one out?
It's almost like watching Abreu again...

[phila fan in dc]

I almost bet my buddy that there would be a line like Crazy Jon's on Beerleaguer after Ryan's home run.

[Steve Jeltz]

I'm not super-shocked by tonight's game. Hamels was due for a downer and Cliff Lee isn't the stiff some of you are making him out to be. His numbers are bad this year but two seasons ago he went 18-5 and finished 4th in the Cy Young voting.

He's not Randy Johnson, but he's not Matt Beech either.

[joe]

wouldn't it be nice to have rosario healthy to plunk someone?

[curt]

Cholly threw the towel in pretty early on this one tonight.

[curt]

KC's record of 17 is in danger.

[madubbs]

Geoff Geary STINKS, please someone let manuel know, i don't think he got the memo

[curt]

I see Cleveland's got an anonymous lefty lined up for us tomorrow.

[clout]

Sanches might be qualified to pitch, down 8 runs.

[clout]

I take that back.

[curt]

Good news in St.L. though, flawed team & lots of injuries on top of that. But I'm sure they can find a couple of lefties in their system to hold us to 4 or less.

[clout]

Sanches might be better as your 10-runs-down guy. Only 8 runs down is a tough spot for him.

[curt]

Pretty decent pitcher to mop up.

[curt]

Dobbs had his shot at a lefty...

[RSB]

Sorry to see I was prescient about Hamels being due for a bad outing. I still think the Phils will win one of the next two.

Bad break when Victorino had the great AB against Lee with the bases loaded and 2 out in the 5gh. He ripped a shot that Martinez leaped and speared; it would have scored 2, with 2 more in scoring position and Utley up. That was the ballgame.

This showed up on Phillies.com today:

"Borowski agreed to a two-year, $9 million deal -- with a club option for a third year -- in November, pending a physical with the Phillies. When an MRI on his right shoulder showed what Borowski described as a "pre-existing condition" he called a full thickness tear, the Phillies grew concerned and backed out of the deal. They returned with a one-year offer, but Borowski had already eliminated them from consideration.

Despite one-year offers that steadily increased, the 36-year-old Borowski eventually chose the Indians' one-year deal at $4 million, with a $4 million team option for 2008 (or a $250,000 buyout). He didn't appreciate how the Phillies handled his situation, and believes the Phils leaked his medical reports.

"The next day, they came back with another offer," Borowski said. "Then everybody knew that same day that I supposedly failed my physical when it was supposed to be hush-hush. There were a lot of funny things. ... That's why I think it worked out for the best. You don't want to be involved in stuff like that...I had my choice and I didn't want to go there."

Way to go. Blithering incompetents who run this goddamn team.

[curt]

rsb - kinda late by the 5th (but it was a great AB by Vic). It would have been a different game though, if Howard or Rowand had picked up those runs in the 1st.

[Steve Jeltz]

They should make that a regular feature on Phillies.com: "Players who didn't want to sign here and their reasons why."

[bay_area_phan]

All things considered, I think this ranks as the Phillies' worst performance of the year.

[Steve Jeltz]

Phils look like poop tonight, Mets win, Braves 4 outs from winning. Boo.

[Pblunts]

Funny thing about Borowski is that they took Kenny Williams' word that everything was fine with Garcia. The fundamental difference (in management's mind) was that they were making a trade as opposed to signing a free agent. I mean, really, what the hell is the difference? That has the potential to go down as one of the top 5 worse trades in team history.

[clout]

Anyone notice J-Mike's line tonight? Homer, single, walk and 3 runs scored. Who'd Gillick get in that trade for him again? Um, nevermind.

[RSB]

10 more losses 'til the magic 10,000...if the Phillies had any sense of humor, they'd have a big countdown number on the outfield fence and a huge bust from the past would change the number after each defeat. Think of the possibilities. Giles, of course, would change it from one to zero.

[mm]

I hate this team more and more everyday.

I wrote a long comment and deleted it. I'm too lethargic to even complain about them.

I'm tired of hearing its a long season.

Between the Phils, the Cubs, and the whitesox, that is one phrase i am sick and tired of hearing.

(I am not a cubs fan, a little bit of a sox fan..but i live in chicago so thats what i get)

[kells]

Pblunts-great post regarding the Garcia trade. Seizmore is a great player in center. Bottom line-Phills failed to convert in the 1rst & 5th innings w/ 1 out & men on 1rst & 3rd.
Hamels will rebound-although i would like him to develop a cutter to right handers. but Indians have a great lineup. Welcome to the American leauge Cole.
I know Steve Carlton is a quiet/private guy but the Phils should figure a way to bring him back to the organization in some capacity ala Mike Schmitt in Spring Training. How great would it be to see Carlton showing Hamels his nasty slider?
Terrible loss tonight-Phills need to rebound tomorrow & score a ton of runs for the rook.

From CBSSPORTSLINE.COM(asking a scout)

• The Phillies were just sandbagging with an all-too-predictable slow start, again, and they still have what it takes to race back, overtake the New York Mets and bag the NL East title.

"Don't ask me," one long-time NL scout says. "I can't figure those guys out."

[RSB]

"i would like him to develop a cutter to right handers."

Kells, absolutely. Hamels needs this pitch. When he gets hurt, it's almost always with that fastball out over the plate. He needs a pitch to come inside with.

[Ben Keeler]

I had the misfourtane of being there tonight. The Indians made all the plays, the Phils made none. Two bad plays in the field really hurt - 1st inning (Vic's dive at that ball instead of playing it on the hop) and Helms just standing there watching that groundball in the 2nd. Hamels didnt have it regardless tonight.

I look for Burrell back in left (or at least DHing) tomorrow with Howard at first. The DH actually hurts the Phillies, because they have to throw one more garbage automatic out like Helms or Werthless out there in the lineup.

There were a ton of Philly fans there, but you wouldnt have known since we had such little to cheer about.

Oh yeah, Geary is still awful. Hopefully he will be unavilable tomorrow.

[MG]

Keeler - Geary had a good April but he has been awful for about 2 months now. Have to say I would rather see Madson, Alfonseca, and maybe even Yoel in the game at this point instead of Geary.

[GM-Carson]

Thoughts & Observations:

*I know some fans are happy with the Phils, because they've played winning baseball since that horrendous start to the season. I on the other hand am not content with just playing winning baseball. I want smart baseball, consistent baseball, and that all leads to winning. I'm tired of losing games that should be won (althought we totally got outplayed last night).

*Abe Nunez is weak. The man's swing is ugly, I call it the flail-and-bail. That approach works for an Ichiro or Chone Figgins, but Nunez isn't fast. He's a groundball double play waiting to happen. And why the hell is he always hacking at the first pitch?

*Ryan Howard is a disappointment this season. I wasn't expecting #'s like '06, but he's bad this year. Sure you can tell me his OPS is around .900, and that he's getting walks and still popping the ball, but I point to his horrible strikeout every 3rd plate appearance and crappy batting average, wondering how many more runs this team would score if Howard made more contact that would lead to some singles, doubles, or even sacrifice flies.

*Wes Helms sucks. I was right, whoever said he did't was wrong.

*Gas-Can Geary is back to igniting fires, 5.06 era on the season and a 11.12 era in June. One of our thought to be reliable relievers sucks this season.

*Cole is still awesome in my book, but his homeruns surrendered are almost cause for alarm (MLB leading 17).

*Pat Burrell is awful!

*Charlie Manuel is not mentally fit to manage.

*Jayson Werth has one of the longest slowest swings I've ever seen.

*The Phils seem to give up 10+ runs a lot.

*The 1st inning set the tone for the ballgame last night. Top of the 1st runners on 1st and 3rd with one out Ryan Howard k's (of course he does) and we do not score. Bottom of the 1st Tribe scores 2, end of story, game over.

[Ben Keeler]

MG, yes Geary was solid early on - and he was about the only when back then. He is pitching really bad right now, and all the names you listed are better options.