Game chat: Phils try to capture all 3 in Milwaukee

Cole Hamels (3-2, 4.53) and the 22-13 Phillies set their sights on the sweep against Conestoga High product Dave Bush (1-3, 4.24) and the Brewers tonight at 8:05 on ESPN Sunday Night Baseball. Paul Hoover and Wilson Valdez remain in the lineup. Carlos Ruiz is reportedly getting an extra day and could be good to go when the Phillies return home tomorrow. Before the game, the Phils made a surprise announcement that Jimmy Rollins is heading home from Clearwater, and pending the outcome of a quick physical, could be activated from the disabled list tomorrow. [Jump to the newest comments]

Comments

[Old Phan]

what's the latest news on Chooch?

[GTown_Dave]

Old Phan: "Ruiz said he's ready to go but Phillies are giving him an extra day of rest. He caught a bullpen and felt no pain.

(Matt Gelb via Twitter)

[Old Phan]

Thanks, G

[Old Phan]

Another Vic fail as a leadoff guy. Oh, wait..

[GTown_Dave]

I'm gonna miss Vic in the leadoff spot. He's red hot, & faster than Rollins. I'm just hoping Jimmy doesn't have a long readjustment period.

[Doohickey]

Another frigging blackout. Kiss my ass, Bud Selig.

[bay_area_phan]

Whatever else you could say about Hamels, his control has always been among the best in baseball. This year, though, he just can't seem to throw strikes.

[CJ]

You know... that Wilson Valdez has been red hot... but it won't matter. Stupid Charlie will plug Rollins right back into the starting lineup.

[GTown_Dave]

b_a_p: It's not a lack of control, it's bad luck.

[CJ]

Gonna miss that Paul Hoover. He's burning hot right now... but I'm sure ol' Cholly will simply plug Ruiz right back behind the plate when he's healthy.

[Timothy Malcolm]

That was a really, really good swing by Hamels. Maybe he's decided he simply converting to the infield.

[Old Phan]

CJ, are you comparing Vic to Hoover and Valdez?

[f4f]

so, what happens when/if rollins is activated tomorrow? does valdez get sent down or does castro go on the DL? i just don't understand the phils - its like they just aren't comfortable unless they have a short bench. what the f*ck is going on with castro? they just going to have an unavailable player sitting on the bench indefinitely? its ridiculous.

[Hope SE]

f4f: Castro is available, per Cholly in the pre-game, I believe.

[AFish]

f4f: Castro appeared on Monday, so he can't be that unavailable. However, in light of Valdez's start today, I wouldn't be surprised if they DL Castro to give him more time to heal.

[Brian G]

So was it Barry Bonds that f'ed up Ryan Howard?

[dlhunter]

@Brian G

No, the blank check contract extension did.

[Old Phan]

Intentionally walking Hoover. That's something you don't see everyday.

[bake]

Is there a word for a ground-rule double bandbox?

[CJ]

Old Phan: Yes... you figured me out. Valdez and Hoover = Vic.

Perhaps my point is that J-Roll had posted a sparkling 391/516/739 with an OPS+ of 226 before getting injured and that maybe it's not such a bad thing that he goes back into the lead off spot where he was flourishing.

Or maybe we should listen to all the Beerleaguer geniuses... after all, we know how effective conventional wisdom is around here.

[bay_area_phan]

That was only the 2nd intentional walk of Hoover's career.

[Dukes]

BAP - I'm surprised it was even his second!

Is it just me or has Howard been pretty dissapointing on both sides of the ball since he signed that contract?

[Old Phan]

Worst thing Howard is doing is not hitting HRs.

[Hope SE]

bake: I don't know what the word is, but Miller Park is a ground-rule double bandbox, and it has cost the Phils runs today and yesterday.

[Doohickey]

Does Chase have someplace he needs to be after the game?

[Doohickey]

It's just you, Dukes.

[clout]

Re: Lineups from the last thread. There are old school guys like Dusty Baker and Charlie Manuel and there are new school guys like Tony LaRussa.

For Baker and Manuel newfangled stuff like OBP is not a consideration when drawing up a lineup.

For guys like LaRussa, a lineup is the product of numerous computer programs.

Ludwick would never in a million years bat 2nd in a Manuel or Baker lineup nor would the pitcher hit 8th. And a guy with a career OBP of .330 would never lead off a LaRussa lineup.

And the bottom line difference is maybe 1 or 2 wins a year, if that.

[Dukes]

Doohicky = ass

[Old Phan]

6-0 Flyers.

[Old Phan]

Make that Hoover's third IBB.

[bay_area_phan]

Hoover is having a day to tell his grandchildren about: 2 intentional BBs, a double & a runner caught stealing.

[bay_area_phan]

Cole, Cole, Cole . . . it's a 2-0 count. Take the damn pitch.

[Doohickey]

Cole might've been able to help his own cause there by taking ball 3.

[Old Phan]

Think he swung through a take sign? If not, why wasn't he given a take sign in the first place?

[bay_area_phan]

I don't think Pedro Feliz makes that play.

[Spitz]

And neither does Dobbs it's safe to say.

Phils need to blow this one open this innings. Still a patented Hamels bad inning from losing this game.

[thephaithful]

bap: disagree, that was a slow chopper that any 3B with good reaction makes. Anything not hit hard Polanco has gobbled up so far this year, but anything hit hard almost always finds its way thru.

not sure if thats something he can improve with more reps or maybe just something you have/don't have. hopefully the former, but his bat has more than covered up for that.

[Matt]

Here we go.

[Malcolm]

Oh look, Cole Hamels is pitching again. Thank God. I was wondering where he was.

[GTown_Dave]

Stepped away for a few innings; returned just in time to see Buttercup unravel. Wonderful.

[thephaithful]

hmm -does Hamels go back out fo the 7th?

I think I would.

[bay_area_phan]

Hard to fault Hamels for a 6-inning, 2-run performance. Blame some bad luck on offense, coupled with a lack of timely hitting. Unfortunately, though, this game has now entered "This feels like a loss" territory.

[twitter.com/jtramsay]

Did Paul Hoover ever think he'd be so intimidating that he'd be walked intentionally twice in a game?

[GTown_Dave]

I don't like the idea of bringing Hamels back out for the 7th, but if it's a choice between that or Romero I'll take the former.

[EastFallowfield]

Let's see, team that has scored the most runs in the league has 2 runs in 6 innings vs a pitcher (which is, of course, a 3.00 ERA). Time to call that pitcher names and fret.

[philwynk]

They've got Romero up in the bullpen.

Channeling b_a_p, this feels like a loss.

[GBrettfan]

I know it's not true, but bringing JC in always makes me feel like we're conceding the game. Does it have that effect on anyone else?

[bay_area_phan]

Yep, this is a loss. If 14 men reach base, you've got to score more than 3 runs.

Not that I have any faith in Romero, but Cole ought to be done. He's at 106 pitches.

[AFish]

What is the Phillies record in "This feels like a loss" games? Has to be over .600, right?

[Bruce Ruffin]

106 pitches in 6 innings. Well. BTW, "Buttercup" works for this guy -- nice call, GTown Dave.

W/O Happ, we might have a 2 1/2 pitcher rotation...

[bake]

I don't buy the idea that a ground-rule double can cost a team a run. That's what was hit. If the batter hadn't hit a GRD, who knows what he would have hit instead. Maybe just a pop-up or something.

[Old Phan]

giving up 2 runs is NOT a meltdown. Sorry.

[vegas]

JC is playing on borrowed time. If the Phils weren't wining games or if it was the end of July, the JC experiment would be over.

[MG]

Interesting move to bring Durbin in but I like it.

[bay_area_phan]

bake: That's funny logic. It was a ground-rule double because it bounced over the fence. If it hadn't bounced over the fence, it would have still been a double, only the runner on 1st would have scored.

I guess using Hamels turned out to be the right move after all. It got us out of a JC Romero appearance, so I can't complain.

[BobbyD]

Is it really a disaster for a starting pitcher to give up his first 2 runs in the 6th? Hate, hate, hate.

[vegas]

Charlie is actively managing the pitching staff tonight.

[PhillyJoe]

I totally agree... the brewers intimidating bullpen, the brewers incredible home record, the complete inability of the phillies to ever score runs, the fact that the phillies are notorious for just plain-old giving up late in games and the fact that the phillies currently have the lead. All those things make this feel like a loss.

[GTown_Dave]

Old Phan: It was a mini-meltdown. He was one strike away from getting out of the inning, & gave up 2 HR. Overall, though, that was a very nice outing for Cole. I'm impressed. The abject terror I felt watching Romero warming in the pen only makes me appreciate it more.

[Bruce Ruffin]

Was the '08 Hamels a mirage? No #2 starter -- aka Hamels -- routinely gets gassed after 6 innings. Time to move on?

[Klaus]

"106 pitches in 6 innings."

In baseball, games are decided by the number of pitches thrown.

[MG]

C'mon Durbin. Just focus on getting this weak hitter out. Let Weeks steal 2nd if necessary.

[Old Phan]

"Is it really a disaster for a starting pitcher to give up his first 2 runs in the 6th? "
If it's Cole, yes. Anyone else, no.

[MG]

Good. Didn't want to see Braun with 1st and 3rd there.

[Klaus]

Fun with syllogisms:

1) Meltdowns are unique to Cole Hamels.
2) A meltdown is giving up one or more run.

conclusion:

3) Every other pitcher in baseball has a 0.00 ERA.

[bake]

BAP-- Okay, but it bounced over the fence because it was hit to that spot with that spin on it at that velocity under those field conditions. To say that cost them a run is the same as saying that not hitting 22 home runs last inning cost them 22 runs.

[Dukes]

"Charlie is actively managing the pitching staff tonight."

Funny how if Hamels gave up a run when he came back out for the 7th Manuel would be getting blamed for poor management of the pitching staff.

[GBrettfan]

Cole did fine - He did a great job of keeping us in the game, kept the runs down, kept the HRs solo shots - But he's still searching for dominance. He threw a lot of pitches for 6 innings, too many to be considered dominant.

[Bruce Ruffin]

"I like Ike..." er, um, the old King Cole. Just sayin'.

[Dukes]

both those balls were inside.

[GTown_Dave]

Baez is warming in the pen. The Phils need more runs.

[GBrettfan]

I did not know until I read the sidebar of "Beat Tweets" that Jose Contreras is nicknamed the Big Truck.

[MG]

I don't understand the ying (Hamels sucked) or the yang (Hamels was great). GBrettfan was right. It was a good start but he got a little gassed in the 6th.

Liked Cholly's move to pull Hamels there because Hamels does get prone to giving up HRs when he gets gassed.

[Dukes]

wow, gameday has those 2 strikes to hoover even more inside than they looked on tv.

[MG]

Why didn't Cholly double switch there with Durbin if he knew he was going to PH for him in the top of the 8th?

[GTown_Dave]

Whatever it takes, Dude.

[MG]

Tough pitch to block but I bet Chooch would have kept that in front of him to end the inning.

Cheap insurance run but a run is a run.

[Matt]

Boy, talk about having no game plan at the plate with Utley and Howard.

[MG]

Macha must stare down at the bullpen and wonder where the answers are at. Total fail this series.

[GTown_Dave]

MG: We should gift Romero to him.

[philwynk]

Looking less like a loss now (guess I'm not b_a_p after all)... but I have to tell you, Ryan Howard is ticking me off these days. Yeah, I know, he's usually weak early on, but still, he's ticking me off.

[GBrettfan]

I think Howard checked his swing on Strike 2. But I didn't expect a hit from him there, facing a breaking ball pitcher.

[BloodStripes]

Baez = Brewers runs

[JK]

Two runs in 6.2 innings is, what, a 2.70 ERA? Hamels was perfectly fine. Not great, but that's a perfectly serviceable outing. I remember people earlier complaining about Hamels going out every time expecting to pitch a no-hitter, but it seems like Beerleaguer posters have exactly the same attitude.

[Matt]

That's how you flip a ball, Howard.

[MG]

Castro doesn't make that pivot & strong throw there. Nice play by Valdez.

[GBrettfan]

I know that ball was hit hard, but I like our chances of fielding better with Jimmy out there. Looking forward to having him back in the game.

Oooh, nice place by Chase there! Baez needed that.

[BloodStripes]

Killer double play. Yes Phils!!!

[GTown_Dave]

Valdez now knows what a squirrel feels like right before it gets hit by a semi.

[GBrettfan]

(I posted a play late, but I was referring to the liner that Baez ducked and Valdez couldn't snag.)

[Old Phan]

Is the Gnome on the Brewers? Oh, wait, that's Corey Hart.

[Matt]

Nice play, Valdez.

[GBrettfan]

So Valdez would make two pretty good plays as I'm denigrating his worth.

[GTown_Dave]

A couple of sketchy defensive plays followed by a couple of beautiful defensive plays. Never a dull moment ...

[Bruce Ruffin]

'Nuff "pithy" sayings. However, with the Phillies' first basemen - and $138mm - it gets late early.

[The Truth Injection]

Wilson Valdez with two great plays there to get them out. The turn at second was a lot harder then it looked and he got the double play.

The play deep in the hole on Hart (not a slow guy) was great. The throw looked like something Rollins would uncork.

[tax accountant]

winning baseball= great defense and a great leadoff hitter

[MG]

Two plays that were outs that inning because of Valdez strong & accurate arm.

Castro might have softer hands but Valdez has a much stronger arm & a bit more range it looks like.

Neither guys are pretty similiar offensively but Valdez just brings a bit more to the table defensively & a bit more speed.

[BloodStripes]

Through the meat of the order. Looking good for Jose Consaveus.

[philwynk]

Great defense by the Phils, there. I couldn't be happier to be being proved wrong.