Game chat: Phillies empty the bench for finale

Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Jayson Werth, Raul Ibanez and Carlos Ruiz get the night off as Joe Blanton and the Phillies finish up with the Nationals. Mike Sweeney, Ben Francisco, Paul Hoover, Greg Dobbs and John Mayberry are called into starting duty. Site note: Light posting until tomorrow as I we gear up for the postseason. Why not? Everyone else is sitting out. [Jump to the newest comments]

Comments

[Tony]

i love seeing lineups like this, it means we won it already, and its pretty awesome seeing people you never really see

[Tray]

Seeing Brown would be awesome; seeing Mayberry and Hoover isn't.

[sifl]

Probably best they're not at home this week, or else their sell-out streak might have been at risk.

[Tony]

Tray, i agree, should see brown out there

[Tony]

is anyone elses broadcast in spanish?

[Fatalotti]

SF is pitching Lincecum on 3 days rest tonight. Should the Padres force the season to go until the last day of the season, he'll be pitching the last game of the season on 3 days rest as well.

If that's the case, there's no way he's pitching game 1 of the NLDS, obviously. If the Phils face the Giants in the NLDS, that's obviously to their advantage.

But, even if the Phils don't face the Giants in the NLDS, and the Giants make it through to the NLCS, their rotation may be out of whack, and also Lincecum may be tired.

Ah, the advantages of getting the extra rest.

[philwynk]

My only concern about the rest is that the Phils might just come into the NLDS as cold as yesterday's lunch. But I'm putting the whine before the horse, so I'll just shuffle that concern into a corner somewhere and enjoy the next few days of rest.

[Lincoln Hawkes]

***is anyone elses broadcast in spanish?***

Que?

[CJ]

philwynk: "My only concern about the rest is that the Phils might just come into the NLDS as cold as yesterday's lunch."

Beerleaguer isn't happy unless its worrying about something. Just a couple days ago, folks were worrying about being too "hot" going into the playoffs.

[philwynk]

Heh... Blanton just pitched a 5-pitch first inning.

Complete game here we come! (Think I'm premature, a little?)

[philwynk]

"Beerleaguer isn't happy unless its worrying about something."

Oh, you betcha. I was throwing some tasty fodder toward the depressive hogs, so to speak.

[philwynk]

Sweeney!! Awesome shot.

[sifl]

Lincoln: Just curious what you thought was hypocritical about my post on reactions to Heather in the last thread.

[philwynk]

Fransisco!! Alternate universe time.

[Lincoln Hawkes]

Shame Sweeney has no power.

[Tony]

yea, i have the normal comcast broadcast but the spanish baseball anouncers, was entertaining for the HRs

but its like that on HD and nonHD CSN

[bay_area_phan]

When I saw this lineup, my immediate thought was, "Why even bother watching if Cholly's just mailing this game in?" Turns out maybe this is the lineup we should have been using all year long.

[bay_area_phan]

Other than Dobbs, that is.

[Philly Phil]

This team (our backups) are better than Washington. Good to dust them off just in case we need them. Remember we'll need a dh for the world series. Go Phillies!

[Willard Preacher]

Tonight we find out if the Nationals really are any better than a team of scrubs. After 1 inning, it doesn't look that way.

[Lincoln Hawkes]

Sifl, the general nature of all "I'm going to criticize you for criticizing person_X" posts, which later in that same post I pointed out most all of BL, including myself, is guilty of. The same finger can be pointed at me for my response to CJ, and I acknowledge that.

That said, I'm somewhat over the last thread. I'm much more interested in which unlikely Phillie will be the next to hit a HR. I claim 3-run shot for Oswalt.

[kaybe]

Yea, we have a spanish broadcast too. Anyone know why?

[Willard Preacher]

I know it's not in the official lineup, so I'm just hoping like hell that Cholly hasn't given Mick Billmeyer a few nights off. He needs to stay sharp out there.

I won't argue, however, if he's just back in the clubhouse watching the Padres, Giants and Reds games.

[NEPP]

Rollins and Valdez at the top of the lineup...between them, they'll probably see 10 pitches tonight.

~only half serious~

[DH Phils]

That Greg Dobbs can really play third base. Good thing, considering his .184 average.

[Tray]

What chance, should the match-ups pan out that way, would you give the Braves of beating the Giants? The Giants offense is very susceptible to getting shut down completely for a few games.

[bay_area_phan]

Last time out, Blanton finally got his ERA under the dreaded 5.00 mark. Next on his agenda: getting it below KK's 4.76 mark.

[cut_fastball]

Feeling better about the LOOGY thing after Bastardo's dominant inning last night. He might be the last piece of a very nearly perfect 1000-piece puzzle. I wonder if he's got the demeanor to do that in front of a playoff/ WS game with a televised 12 share?

[Rob in NC]

I think we see close to our regular lineup the first two in Atl, then this type of lineup on Sunday.

[Gsl]

I am enjoying the Spanish broadcast even though I have no idea what they are saying. It is far superior to the English broadcast when the announcers have no idea what they are saying.

[NEPP]

Wow...he destroyed that pitch.

Our AAA team kicks the crap out of the Nats!

[philwynk]

Linc Hawke, looks like you missed your bet. Mayberry. Who'da thunk?

[CJ]

And people here were worried about the Phillies offense. Still as good as ever!

[jason.tp]

Sweeney with a bomb!!!!!!

I pray Blanton pitches a shutout so Sweeney can hit the game wimming homerun.

My night is made.

[Andy]

That Chris Rock sure can hit.

[Hope SE]

HR by RFD2, after Sweeney and BenFran.

A Bler's wet dream.

[bay_area_phan]

Tray: Without Prado, their odds just got worse. Plus, they're a lousy road team & the Giants have home field advantage. Still, it's baseball; anything can happen. And the Braves do have the type of pitching that could shut the Giants down. Maybe a 40% chance that the Braves win.

Mayberry!

[GBrettfan]

The Braves are playing w/o Prado & they lost Saito, too. But they are winning-- not letting the Fish be spoilers. Still, the Giants will be favorites there.

Another HR by a bench player!

[Lincoln Hawkes]

Everybody hits, whoooohooooo

[Tray]

Cut fastball, we've seen Bastardo in the playoffs before. As I recall, the results were predictably mixed.

[NEPP]

Spanish Broadcast: GOALLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[NEPP]

If I were the Nats, I'd be embarrassed.

We put in AA guys last night and they barely pulled out a win. We're killing them with AAA guys tonight.

[Tony]

kaybe, i have no idea, but the color guy on there now is dropping some english in there

[cut_fastball]

bap -- Would KK be traded in the off-season for bench help? Or is our farm so bereft of RHP that he's actually become a vital cog in the Phil's future plans? Wow.

[Andy]

Um...I guess if Dobbs hits, everybody does indeed hit.

[Lincoln Hawkes]

Didn't Bastardo do fairly well in the playoffs last year?

[CJ]

I agree, we'll be close to normal for Friday and Saturday. On Sunday?

1B: Sweeney
2B: Bocock
SS: Valdez
3B: Dobbs
LF: Gload
CF: Francisco
RF: Mayberry Jr.
CA: Hoover
P: Worley

[bay_area_phan]

I was beginning to get enthusiastic about today's offensive performance from Sweeney, Mayberry & Francisco. But then Dobbs had to go and get a hit off the same pitcher, thereby invalidating our 3 homeruns.

[Tray]

40% seems high. My optimistic estimate would be more like 30%.

[Andy]

Having the pitcher bunt with one out and a five run lead is stupid.

[GBrettfan]

I really hope the Phils line up a bunting clinic.

[Andy]

The one actual reason to have Blanton bunting there is to practice the skill for the post-season. So I guess THAT'S okay.

[Hope SE]

It's got to be tough on JRoll right now; a regular, inspirational part of the team the last 3 years in the post-season and now struggling to try to be able to contribute. There's no joy in the JRoll joy-filled game right now.

[HammRadio]

One thing to enjoy about the playoffs. The end to these insufferable wb mason commercials.

[Andy]

The first lesson in the clinic is to have Charlie look at actuarial tables on the efficacy of bunting with one out.

[bay_area_phan]

cut: I'm no great fan of KK, but I'm not sure why we'd trade a viable No. 5 starter for a bench player. Even if KKs a No. 6 starter for us next year, I still don't see why we'd make that trade. Bench players can be gotten through free agency. There's no reason to give up a potentially useful starting pitcher to get one.

[cut_fastball]

Tray -- Just hoping the old adage about LHP being late bloomers absolutely applies to Anthony Bastardo.

[Lincoln Hawkes]

Phlwynk - Called the 3R part but not the hitter. Only half right, and not the half that really matters. Story of my life.

[Andy]

well. There goes the perfect game.

[bay_area_phan]

Tray: In baseball, I'm not sure ANY team has a 70% chance to win a 5-game series over another team. That is way too high.

[HammRadio]

Now we know what Sweeney and Howard were working on together back in 2001

[NEPP]

Bastardo has good stuff...once he learns control, he'll be a good piece to have. He's got better raw stuff than Romero for example...and better control.

[Andy]

well. There goes the shut out.

[Andy]

Joe's got a nice change tonight.

[Tray]

Are fifth starters unavailable on the free agent market? Or just a lot harder to get? How hard are they really to get? To give an example, Arizona signed Rodrigo Lopez for 650,000, and he put up an ERA+ of 84. (Kendrick's at 85.) Is that extremely unusual?

[bay_area_phan]

"He's got better raw stuff than Romero for example...and better control."

I think Ryne Duren had better control than JC Romero.

[cut_fastball]

bap -- KK's a friggen' bulldog who has appeared to learn how to forget about his losses. I like him on the team. I just wish that Doc would take him aside and show him how to add ~8 inches to his stride to home plate. He might just pick up 1 - 2 mph on his (non-existent?) fastball to get a real good change up going. On top of that sinker.

[NEPP]

I could throw LH and have better control than Romero.

Mind you, I'm RH and I have bone spurs in my left elbow.

[Lincoln Hawkes]

HopeSE - have you read Zolecki's recent article on MLB.com about Rollins? It pretty much states just the opposite. He's got a very reasoned and practical outlook on things.

[CJ]

The dislike for KK reaches new heights!

We're now dealing him for bench help!

I've heard it all...

[Andy]

If Vic swings at the first pitch he's dumb.

[Lincoln Hawkes]

NEPP - ...and a better name.

[bay_area_phan]

My Romero post was intended to be ironic, not literal. But guess what? It turned out to be literal.

Ryne Duren's career walk/9 ratio: 6.0

JC Romero's walk/9 ratio in his 3.5-year Phillies career: 6.4.

[NEPP]

KK will and should be the 5th starter next year.

To think otherwise is ridiculous. He's cheap and bareable. Worley or possibly Moyer will be the 6th starter.

[denny b.]

Just heard Verducci say on MLB Network, that the Phils will have "The Big 3" set up for 17 of the possible 19 post-season games.

Gotta like the sound of that.

[Rob in NC]

My extra innings is blacked out tonight as it is for all Nats games. So I'm watching MLB Network and they show Dunn striking out. They put up Blanton's stats and show him with an earned run. My question: How is that run earned?

[CJ]

Can't wait until the Phils non-tender that bum.

[NEPP]

He keeps this up and people will think Francisco had a good season.

[philwynk]

Hmm... seems like Ben Fransisco wants a spot on the post-season roster.

[Tony]

spanish or not, this is awesome

"rice a roni, the ben francisco treat"

[Andy]

Ben Francisco - man among boys.

[NEPP]

Is there a reason the Nats left Detwiler in that long? Seems a bit jacked up to just leave him hanging like that.

[Lincoln Hawkes]

Bizzaro-Phils.

Somebody buy them some glue-on goatees pronto.

[bay_area_phan]

I've heard of a player having a late-season reversion to career norms. I've never heard of a player reverting to career norms in one game on the second-to-last-day of September.

[Hope SE]

LH: Have not seen that article. I'll check it out. I'm observing JRoll's demeanor -- or at least my perception of it.

[cut_fastball]

CJ -- I tried to be a pitcher in the 9th grade, and would have made the team only as a pine-riding back up LF. KK has 1000% more talent than I ever had, yet as Whitey might say, some nights he "...really scuffles...".

Regardless, Kendrick has expertly played the angles, and now appears to be an integral part of what might just be the best rotation in baseball.

[Tray]

70% does seem high, but do we really see favorites being upset nearly half of the time in first round series? Take the Yankees; it always seems like you can pencil them into the ALCS if they make the playoffs.

[Willard Preacher]

"I've never heard of a player reverting to career norms in one game on the second-to-last-day of September."

Whatever the secret is, I hope he's sharing it with JRoll.

[Lincoln Hawkes]

17 H20 starts, only 11 wins needed.

Can our triumvirate of Aces pitch .650 ball? If so, we're in very good position.

[awh]

Ever notice how the Phillies' bench stinks, especially tonight.

[Willard Preacher]

"Can our triumvirate of Aces pitch .650 ball?"

.645 on the season (40-22, looking only at Oswalt starts with Philly). I think King Cole would agree, however, that lack of run support at times might drag that number down.

[bay_area_phan]

Tray: I would venture to guess that the vast majority of pitchers signed for $650K (what the D-Backs paid to RoLo) end up getting waived or spending the season at AAA. Rolo's a relative success story -- if you consider a 15-loss season and a 5+ ERA to be a success story.

I don't know how hard it is to find a passable 5th starter, but I'm pretty sure it's a lot harder, and usually a lot more expensive, than finding a passable bench player.

[CJ]

cut_fastball: Not sure what "played the angles" means... but I guess I'd say he's pitched more than well enough to earn the 5th starter job for next season, particularly at his cost.

[denny b.]

There will be a lot of first-pitch hacking, from now until the final out.

Blanton obviously just needed Hoover to catch him this year.

[Hope SE]

LH: That Zolecki article is the JRoll we all know and love. I really hope to see him in the post-season.

[NEPP]

It'd be nice to see Blanton go 7-8 innings tonight. A big lead, no more starts any time soon, no playoff starts until the NLCS at the earliest...yeah, let him go.

[Andy]

denny - Actually Blanton's pitched much better with Chooch behind the plate than Hoover. The catcher with the best ERA for Blanton was Bako. Yikes.

[NEPP]

I'm not liking Dobbs getting a multi-hit game...not helping us there.

[cut_fastball]

CJ -- He kept his $hit together after that Myers/ Manuel prank, and an ‘09 trip to LHV. All the while not ever striking out 6 batters in an outing. Hence: “bulldog”. I like him.

[Andy]

C'mon NEPP. A few more hits and he'll cross the Mendoza line. Well...maybe like a dozen. But still...