Nearing the season’s quarter mark, the Phils dropped the final game of their road trip, losing to the San Francisco Giants 4-3 on a two-run home run by backup catcher Steve Holm.
It could be the weather, or Monday morning or watching my team get beaten by a 28-year-old catcher who spent last season in Double-A; in any event, I sit here, look at the Phillies 21-18 mark and realize they’ve only been okay. They haven’t dug themselves into an early April hole, which is fortunate. They're hovering, and there's nothing wrong with that after 39 games. But I look at how they’ve managed to win and see a bullpen that needed to be perfect, a rotation that may be getting lucky and an offense that isn’t producing.
The offense part should take care of itself if Ryan Howard and Shane Victorino get on track, and if a few others can show a just a little improvement over the first month. It’s the pitching that scares me. The pitching, quite frankly, could have been smoke and mirrors for a month. Jamie Moyer gets shelled Saturday and J.C. Romero, who hasn’t been the spotless pitcher everyone says he’s been, gets tagged by Holm. Even Hamels got hit around Friday night. This against a Giants’ lineup generating less than 3.5 runs coming into this series.
The front office understands there’s still work to be done. They’re looking around and shuffling prospects in hopes of uncovering another lefty to add to the mix.
To take nothing away from Arizona, the Phils have run up against a string of teams that can’t hit: San Francicso, San Diego, Colordo is struggling, Milwaukee is struggling, Pittsburgh doesn’t scare you. Now they face Atlanta, a big division opponent, where the heart of the order goes Escobar, Chipper, Teixeira, Francouer and McCann. I can barely recall the Giants' lineup besides Rowand.
This week, we'll start to see what the Phillies are truly made of.
This was a disheartening series. Watching the Phillies flail all weekend, while Rowand was tearing the cover off the ball, made me realize that we miss his bat and haven't adequately replaced it.
Posted by: bay_area_phan | Monday, May 12, 2008 at 11:11 AM
All I got to say is their bats better wake up or they could be staring at a sub-.500 record and the NL East basement at the end of the week.
Posted by: Tim from Williamsport | Monday, May 12, 2008 at 11:26 AM
Reposted from previous thread...
Looking at the schedule, the Phillies have only played 9 divisional games so far this year. By the end of the day on June 1, they will still have only played 18 (2 series with WAS and NYM and 1 each with ATL and FLA). So despite being 3 out, they have many more opportunities to play all these teams (which could be a good or bad thing). So they probably have somewhere around 63-65 games remaining in the division. They are only 3-6 in the division and 9-6 against both the Central and the West.
For the record, the Phillies were 17-19 on May 12 last year and were 7 games out in the East. Last year they played their first 9 games of the season in the division and 13 of their first 15 in the NL East. By May 12 of last year, they played 21 divisional games and were 8-13.
Posted by: BENTZ | Monday, May 12, 2008 at 11:27 AM
Let's pick up Abe Alvarez on waivers from the BoSox and put him in AAA.
Posted by: NCPhilly | Monday, May 12, 2008 at 11:38 AM
I feel the exact way about the Phils right now, they're damn lucky to actually have a winning record.
Not only do the Braves have a kick-ass lineup, they've also got 3 lefties going against us this week (Reyes, Glavine, James).
The offense really needs to step up, because that's supposed to be the pulse that makes the heart of this team beat.
Posted by: GM-Carson | Monday, May 12, 2008 at 11:53 AM
From MLBTR-
Gillick Not Opposed To In-Season Extension Talks
According to Todd Zolecki of The Philadelphia Inquirer, Phillies GM Pat Gillick is open to breaking from his own policy and negotiating in-season with the team's impending free agents. Gillick's lame-duck status may necessitate it. I never liked the "no in-season negotiation" idea. Even with the possible distraction, you can't deny the huge cost savings compared to negotiating after the season.
The two Phillies everyone's wondering about are left fielder Pat Burrell and closer Brad Lidge. Burrell, 31, has cooled off a bit after a monstrous April. He still has a 1.042 OPS. He'd probably require four years and close to $60MM, and I don't see the Phillies doing it. Lidge is a more likely possibility; the 31 year-old is unscored upon in 17 innings. Fine acquisition by Gillick, even with Geoff Geary pitching well for Houston.
**I predicted a mid-season extension for Lidge before the season started, and I think it's a good idea if the price is right- 3 year 27-30 million. I'd like to keep Burrell around too, but anything beyond 3 years is very risky, hell 3 years may be risky.
Posted by: GM-Carson | Monday, May 12, 2008 at 11:54 AM
Jason, after reading your first paragraph, I was thinking cmon man we need to give them some credit but then I read further. I agree 100% with you. This week will show what the Phils are about.
Although, they faired decent against the DBacks, in a 5 game series I venture to say the DBacks would win game 5.
Posted by: phanatics brother | Monday, May 12, 2008 at 12:13 PM
See Phillies picked up another infielder at AAA, a Mike Rouse who played 41 games at Cleveland last year.
Posted by: WAYNE | Monday, May 12, 2008 at 12:21 PM
"The offense really needs to step up, because that's supposed to be the pulse that makes the heart of this team beat." GM-Carson
Actually GM, physiologically speaking, it is the beating of one's heart that creates a pulse, not the other way around. Just trying to keep our metaphors straight.
Posted by: UD Hens | Monday, May 12, 2008 at 12:31 PM
The Phillies show indications of being an above-average team, but not by any stretch a dominant team. Nothing too surprising there. It's the bullpen, and a few isolated offensive performances, which has kept their heads above water. I actually expect that to continue. If Myers gets his doo-doo together, the rotation goes from worrisome to competent in a hurry. Howard looks like he's coming around, but the again they'll be facing three straight lefties against Atlanta. This is the time to at least finally move Burrell into the cleanup spot and drop Howard.
The Phillies did not acquit themselves well in early series against the Mets. They need 2 of 3 (and we can again expect them to be close ones) in this series to get some confidence back, for them and for us.
I'm ultimately not too worried about the Phillies. They'll be there at the end. They still look like an 85-90 win team at best, but that's also the best anyone else in the division looks like. I really can't see any one team pulling away from the pack.
Posted by: RSB | Monday, May 12, 2008 at 12:34 PM
Howard is smoking hot right now. He must be hitting about .250 on this road trip(tongue planted firmly in cheek).
Posted by: Hawk | Monday, May 12, 2008 at 01:53 PM
rsb... I agree with the moving Burrell to the four spot, but right now he also is in a little mini slump (batting .111 last week)... but then again he should fare much better against the lefties than Howard would... does anyone know how Burrell usually hits Reyes/Glavine/James? it might really be worth moving him to the 4 spot for atleast the series if he normally bats well against that trio.
Posted by: Cipper | Monday, May 12, 2008 at 05:13 PM
I disagree and happen to like Romero. But you're right that this week against Atlanta and the against Toronto, we'll see what they're made of. I hope Howard starts seeing pitches real fast...
Posted by: Mark B. | Tuesday, May 13, 2008 at 03:43 AM
Awesome post. You nailed it perfectly! The pitching scares me too. In addition to Moyer and Hamels, Brett Myers is another one that just has not gotten the job done in the rotation. This Braves series should show us a lot of where this team really is.
http://myteamrivals.typepad.com/phightin_phils_phorum
Posted by: Bill | Tuesday, May 13, 2008 at 09:22 AM