Game chat: Myers, Phillies try to get back on track

The Phillies are 4-11 in games started by Brett Myers (3-8, 5.58). They try to snap a three-game losing streak tonight against left-hander Joe Saunders (10-3, 3.06) and the Angels. First pitch is 7:05.

Comments

[bigmyc]

I'm sure that Myers can see the writing on the wall of what this start means to him and the team in general....but the question is; "can he actually read it?"

He needs to flat out get it done. No more BS. If he gets hit up, which will probably happen, he needs to keep on keeping on...keep things to a manageable level. If he can't do that, he needs to be DL'd.

[vegas]

Utley is getting his mutch needed break.

[NEPhilliesPhan]

So if Myers gets completely blown out tonight...do you think he goes on the DL with some previously undiagnosed arm issue?

If not that, can they at least skip him in the rotation next time round?

[Bedrosian's Bedard]

If he tanks again, he's gotta go somewhere: DL, bullpen, trade.

[NEPhilliesPhan]

I recommend the DL, call up Happ for 2 starts and let him "rehab" in AAA till he gets his head straight. I wouldn't send him to the bullpen because deep down I think that's what he wants to happen.

[NEPhilliesPhan]

JA Happ this June: 3 GS, 2-1, 18.2 IP, 18 H, 8 ER, 4 BB, 19 SO, 3.86 ERA, .257 BAA.

He’s in a groove right now, pitching well against good competition in AAA…if Myers is horrible again, he’s worth looking at. Even if he gave us replacement level numbers, that would be a good step up on Myers right now.

[flipper]

Listening to Mitch Williams in WIP, I'm thinking it's time for Myers to add a little "chin music" to his repertoire. He can't be much worse than he's been so far, why not loosen up the batters a bit?

[NEPhilliesPhan]

Myers can barely hit the strikezone...I know I'd be terrified as a hitter if he started throwing at batters. Him getting ejected for beaning someone in the 1st inning might be the best thing he could do for the club.

[flipper]

Given the way he's started games this year, it might not be a bad idea to keep hitting batters till he gets thrown out of the game.

[NEPhilliesPhan]

Myers 1st Inning: 9 HR allowed, .368 avg against.

[NEPhilliesPhan]

Well he got through the first...it should be all downhill from here. Of course he's always good at home so this means absolutely nothing.

[SVC]

yeah!!! he got through the first

[NEPhilliesPhan]

2 innings down for Meatball...now if they can just put a few runs on the board we'll have a shot.

[AFish]

These TMac interviews continue to be horrible. Will they every stop?

[mikeB]

just noticed coste batting ahead of feliz.. is this new or have i just not noticed it recently?

probably just fallout from utley not being in?

[NEPhilliesPhan]

fallout from Utley most likely...

[AFish]

I don't think Coste has ever batted in front of Feliz.

[NEPhilliesPhan]

A catcher out of the 8-hole...perhaps Charlie had a stroke.

[NEPhilliesPhan]

That's 3 down...

[NEPhilliesPhan]

Great offense my ass...

[Chris]

Vlad, at it again.

[NEPhilliesPhan]

Funny I was just about to say how good Brett had been...

[NEPhilliesPhan]

The key is how will Meatball react to the HR...

[naylman]

Quality at bat from Burrell, haven't seen many of them lately.

[NEPhilliesPhan]

Best Phillies AB of the night by Burrell there...8 pitches ending in a hit...way to wear him down Pat!

[Dull]

When does Howard get his week off?

[NEPhilliesPhan]

I hate Ryan Howard.

[NEPhilliesPhan]

I thought the whole point of Jayson Werth was he was good against lefties...

[NEPhilliesPhan]

Well that was a statement inning by Brett...struck out the side.

[mikeB]

great outing by myers thru 5. here's hoping he can keep it close for a while til utley can bang out a slump-ending, pinch-hit, 2-RBI double later.

[NEPhilliesPhan]

Wow...way to make Saunders work...3 pitches to get the final 2 outs.

[NEPhilliesPhan]

Well, Brett (for once) is giving them a chance...our vaunted offense just needs to show up.

[NEPhilliesPhan]

That was now the best AB of the night for the Phillies...and by the pitcher...Saunders should be on the ropes here.

[naylman]

Jimmy? Are you serious? Really?

[RSB]

The weak first-pitch outs by Rollins are way past old. That was your game five years ago, Jimmy. Come on.

[strange]

That was a refreshing at-bat by Myers. Doing well on the mound and at the plate.

Maybe the Daily News and the Inquirer just need to rip into him every 5 days for the rest of the season...

[NEPhilliesPhan]

More and more Jimmy's performance last year is looking to be a fluke year for him. He's pretty much reverted to his 2005/2006 form. It's not unusual for players to have one great year where everything just goes right and then never repeat that level of success.

[NEPhilliesPhan]

So that Vlad Guerrero just loves playing the Phillies...damn.

[J. Weitzel]

RSB took the words right out of my mouth with Rollins. He's been nothing close to the '07 version. Not that I expected a repeat MVP, but I definitely expected more.

I see Vlad play about five times a year. Nobody wows me more than him. Man can he mash.

[RSB]

It's looking like the Vladimir Guerrero series. No surprise there.

[J. Weitzel]

At least this loss, er, game is flying right on by. Could be a new low for game comments this season.

[KidCarnivore]

It's tough to comment on this game...quality pitching (for the most part) from Myers, piss-poor offense. Sad.

[Dave X]

Bret gets impaled

[mikeB]

this team is just not ready for primetime.

don't think theres anything that can be done about it either. we just have to get used to it and lower our expectations.

[curt]

Oakland arguably has the best pitching staff around. It could be a week until we see another run.

[J. Weitzel]

Anyone else longing for the scrappy, hard-nosed days when the Phillies trailed in the standings?

[curt]

That's all it took to get one.

[NEPhilliesPhan]

The Phillies just don't show up against any even halfway decent pitcher.

[J. Weitzel]

Bout time. Nice hit, Werth.

[naylman]

Vlad 2- Werth 1

[NEPhilliesPhan]

About damn time Jayson.

[birds]

Curt: Werth disagrees

[naylman]

Two out rally time! Oh wait.... Feliz is up.

[curt]

If anyone has figured out how Cholly decides who's catching, let me know.

[J. Weitzel]

Yeah, Feliz! Big hit, baby!

[SVC]

Finally, a 2 out clutch hit

[NEPhilliesPhan]

Who's that wearing Feliz's uniform...sure as hell can't be him.

[J. Weitzel]

FUUUUUUUUUUDDDDGGGEEEE!

[PhilsPhan]

Feliz got lucky and so did the Phils

[SVC]

put utley game, I have had enough of Bruntlet's one pitch at bats

[NEPhilliesPhan]

Way to kill the rally Eric.

[KidCarnivore]

I hope that doesn't kill us the way Bruntlett's screw-up did last Sunday.

[RSB]

The bi-weekly event where Feliz actually does something useful.

But how come he doesn't score there? I'm listening to the audio feed, so I don't have a visual frame of reference. But if Bruntlett thought he could take second, didn't it have to have been hit well enough to score the run?

[naylman]

I don't know why but this has Ryan Howard walk-off HR written all over it.

[naylman]

RSB: Feliz took a hard turn at 3rd and Bruntlett must of saw him and thought he was going home, still, mental mistake by Bruntlett.

[J. Weitzel]

Feliz got held up at the last minute at third. Throw got cut off because it was way off line from Sarge Jr. Bruntlett got caught in between going for second. Out by ten feet. If Feliz had any speed whatsoever, Smith probably sends him.

[SVC]

If Bruntlet does not get out, then Myers would not be pitching the eight inning and would not ....

[RSB]

Sounds like one of those plays where the trail runner tries to get the throw cut off so that the run can score - except that the runner wasn't actually sent.

Anyway, so much for that - Myers gets his quota of 3 homers in after all.

[J. Weitzel]

That's unbelievable. Completely unbelievable.

[strange]

Three straight hits - maybe it's time to pull myers? Just a hint, cholly.

[naylman]

Myers imploded. He simply. just. imploded.

[Jonesman]

That is so frustrating. Good reason not to wait until the 7th to score any runs.

[J. Weitzel]

I'm the last one to make excuses for Myers, but that last one is a total shame. Pretty decent changeup to a non-HR threat. Cholly was right on the verge of taking him out anyway. I really thought momentum had swung in their direction. The Gods are making them pay for their early fortunes.

[curt]

Once upon a time the Phils were known to come from behind late...

[Inside/Outside the Parker]

Well, it is only one start, but if that Brett Myers shows up for the rest of the season, then this is in ok shape.

[J. Weitzel]

I'll take this outing from Myers any day. Give him credit. He's the latest to rise to the challenge. Vlad is one thing, but that banjo hitter got lucky there.

[naylman]

Jason, the Aybar at-bat is true but Myers had 2 outs, no one on. Hard hit single, home run, near home run that went for a double. It's just a classic Myers meltdown.

[curt]

Yes, if Myers can follow this up next week our chances just got a lot better.

[Inside/Outside the Parker]

Except for Vlad and the last two hitters, Myers put up a very good game. I think that is important even if this doesn't go in the W column.

I guess the debate is whether and when Cholly should have yanked him. But I do agree with Cholly's decision to leave him in. you can't pull a guy that had pitched that well and would be in line for the W. Plus it would have allowed Cholly not to have to waste Romero. Oh well, best laid plans...

[Dull]

Great shut down inning from the ACE.

[curt]

Now it's time for the top of the order to demonstrate that they have a pulse.

[J. Weitzel]

4-2 is all they need with this bullpen.

[Inside/Outside the Parker]

If Myers can pitch that well (not gonna see Vladdy every day. Plus he is pretty much white hot right now) for the rest of the season and they acquire another good starter, then the Phils could be a legit playoff threat.

OTOH: If Myers from the last few starts shows up for the rest of the season, they have a snowball's chance in hell.

What in the hell are Rollins and Vic doing?

[Jack]

So, presumably, and this is wishful thinking, you use Utley in Feliz's spot if you get a couple of guys on, and then put Bruntlett at 3rd and Utley at 2nd if you tie it?

Not that any of that is gonna matter against K-Rod.

[J. Weitzel]

Time for Burrell to rock it like it's May 2008.

[Inside/Outside the Parker]

Um, Burrell walk and Howard K???

[Inside/Outside the Parker]

Ok, now that Rollins choke job looks really bad.

[bay_area_phan]

I'm not willing to be so charitable to Myers. When Jamie Moyer gets bashed around all game long, but somehow ends up with a pitching line of 6 IP, 2 runs allowed, we all say, "He got hit hard and got a little lucky, but the bottom line is that he got it done." Tonight we have the converse situation. Myers was sharp all night long but, when the dust settled, he had still managed to allow 3 homeruns and 4 runs, and stands to lose his 7th decision in the last 8. Applying the same standard we apply to Moyer, the bottom line is that Myers didn't get it done.

[J. Weitzel]

Time for Howard to win back the city. Camman!

[naylman]

C'mon Howard. One swing of the bat. You can do this.

[Inside/Outside the Parker]

Ryan could completely redeem his season with this at bat.

[bay_area_phan]

I'm gonna go out on a giant limb and predict a Howard strikeout.

[KidCarnivore]

Is there any superstar more unreliable?

[Inside/Outside the Parker]

Bad K, but not as bad as J-Rolls. That called K on the fastball was really ridiculous, but still a bad K.

[RSB]

Wow, BAP. You must be a regular psychic.

[bay_area_phan]

Kid: Au contraire. He's the most reliable strikeout in baseball history.

[naylman]

Bruntlett at SS, Dobbs at 1B, keep Werth in over Jenkins tomorrow. I'm sick and tired of terrible, terrible, unproductive, not looking like you have a plan in the world up there, at bats from Jimmy Rollins, Ryan Howard and Geoff Jenkins.

[NEPhilliesPhan]

The thing with Myers is this: He always does well at home...this game means absolutely nothing. He still gave up 3 HRs and he did his usual thing at home...next road start will tell us how he really is.

[Inside/Outside the Parker]

I'm not defending Howard on that K, but when you get calls on the outside of the plate like that, it makes things very difficult on the hitter. Nonetheless, I think you still have to take that curveball. Then again I have never hit 50 HR.

[J. Weitzel]

BAP: You're not giving Beerleaguers enough credit to identify a good outing when they see one. For the most part, this was a positive night from a pitcher that needed it.

The other problem with your analogy is that Moyer would probably get about three more runs of support than Myers and earn the W. Myers hasn't been the issue tonight, it's the offense again.