Jamie Moyer, who is 6-0 with a 2.08 ERA in his
last 10 starts against
the Nats/Expos, takes the hill when the Phils open a three-game set in
Washington. He'll oppose right-hander Daniel Cabrera.
If the Phillies display some of that early
patience
today, they should come out on top. Cabrera is notoriously wild and has
led the league in walks twice with Baltimore, and there's no telling
how amped up he'll be pitching in a home opener. Nevertheless, the
Phils haven't really seen a pitcher like Cabrera yet; the Phils
sometimes struggle against those deemed "effective wild." Meanwhile,
Moyer is
hoping for better results than his last outing, a five-inning, four-run
loss to Atlanta. It was reported that rookie catcher Lou Marson
was spending some extra time going over with signals with Moyer, which
could suggest that Marson will get the call behind the plate.
Sad about Harry. But about the game, the Phillies are going to have a serious problem. If there is on trend so far this season, it's that every ump behind the plate has been calling a tighter strike zone. I'm thinking the league has been working behind the scenes to make this happen.
I didn't want to sign Moyer again, hoping against hope that Amaro would sign Lowe. But signing Moyer and overpaying him in my estimation could become a major debacle if the tighter strike zone becomes the norm.
Posted by: aksmith | Monday, April 13, 2009 at 03:52 PM
I'm down here in Lower Slower Delaware, watching the game on the Nat's TV network. It's the top of the 7th, and Howard just launched 5 rows deep into the left-of-center field seats. Was it bad taste to yell at the TV "Long drive... deep center field .... OUTTA HERE!!"??
Damn, miss you, Harry.
Posted by: George | Monday, April 13, 2009 at 05:19 PM