Game chat: Rollins will wait another day

Poor weather conditions have forced Jimmy Rollins from the lineup once again as the Phillies try to capture the East in rainy Washington. Roy Halladay and Jordan Zimmerman are scheduled.

Halladay in September: Roy Halladay has typically been dominant as the baseball calendar nears its end. In September and October, he's sporting a 2.77 career ERA, lower than that of any other individual month, with a record of 27-11. But in 2010, Doc is experiencing a rare slump. While he continues to win games (4-0 this September), Halladay’s numbers this month are strikingly inferior to his numbers in June, July or August. His 4.55 ERA is more than a point higher than during any other month, and his innings per start (6.9) and K/BB ratio (5.75) are both worse than his season norms.

Lineups: Victorino CF, Polanco 3B, Utley 2B, Howard 1B, Werth RF, Ibanez LF, Ruiz C, Valdez SS. The Nationals go Espinosa 2B, Bernadina CF, Desmond SS, Dunn 1B, Morse RF, Harris LF, Rodriguez C, Gonzalez 3B. Note the absence of Ryan Zimmerman.

[Jump to the newest comments]

Comments

[Scott]

Good idea to keep Rollins up on the shelf with the rain. Hopefully we won't end up seeing the Bruntlett graphic tonight...

[Fatalotti]

The ideal scenario for Doc would be for a rainout tonight. Since this is likely his last serious work before the postseason, if he pitches tomorrow (because of a rainout), and then starts game 1 of the NLDS on October 6th, then he will have 6 days of rest going into tomorrow's game, and 7 days of rest going into the NLDS.

If the game goes on as planned tonight, he'll be pitching on 5 days rest, and then there's 8 days until game 1 of the NLDS.

It just seems more evenly spaced if he weren't able to pitch tonight, but pitched tomorrow.

But they'll try to get this game started tonight, so it doesn't matter.

[rauls grandpa]

Ken Burns' Tenth Inning starts tomorrow night and those of us lucky enough to get WLVT(?) 39 can watch both parts in consecutive nights. 12 and 23 and showing them a week apart

[goody]

I win last post again. I don't know how to copy and paste, so back up to play the game.

[GTown_Dave]

Good move sitting Rollins tonight. I hear the forecast called for a 100% chance of swinging at the first f*cking pitch & making a weak out.

[Old Phan]

At least if Rollins did that he wouldn't get injured running the bases.

[GBrettfan]

I hope for Call Me Ishmael's sake that the game gets played tonight. Or that he can go to it tomorrow if it ends up getting rained out tonight.

[BloodStripes]

During September the Phils have been playing baseball like they have walked through the sunny gates and the NL East is theirs for eternity.

[GBrettfan]

GTown, tell me your negativity is a talisman and that, secretly, you're pretty happy to have a 4th postseason opportunity.

[phillyinnyc]

hope the weather holds up f 5 inn w/o any injuries

[Willard Preacher]

I don't think GTown is poo-pooing an opportunity at the postseason (I follow him on Twitter, so I have a decent idea that he's actually pretty excited about it).

I think what he's trying to say is that Jimmy Rollins' return isn't on the top of his "must get done" list right now.

One would think that sustained time on the bench watching the game of baseball would have helped James Calvin realize the importance in taking a few pitches, especially as one is trying to work his way back into the game. Yet, we got more of the same frustrating first pitch swing we've seen for a very long time now.

[rauls grandpa]

Nationals is a terrible name for a national league team. When is this next ownership group that is supposed to give it a permanent name and location going to step in?

[Jack]

I'm pretty sure the Nationals' team name refers to its location in the, um, nations' capital.

I hope though that I'm missing the implied irony here with Raul's Grandpa. If so, congrats on a nice character. I think we need some more characters on here.

[Fatalotti]

I'd like nothing more than a game that goes 5 innings with the Phillies leading, and then the game gets called after 5.

[Willard Preacher]

@Jack - "I think we need some more characters on here."

In name (I've seen Cholly's Gut and we have our beloved Bedrosian's Beard), or in "gimmick," in which case we have clout.

[LwrSlwrGeorge]

Ryan Zimmerman has bee out for the past 4 (?) games. Might be done for the season.

[bay_area_phan]

It's funny. On the one hand, our sweep of the Braves effectively ended the divisional race and has, therefore, made these recent games a lot less interesting to me. On the other hand, our sweep of the Braves has done absolutely nothing to mitigate the level of disgust that I feel as I watch the Phillies' offense continually put up zeroes in these otherwise uninteresting games.

[Fatalotti]

Lately, it seems like Roy's pitches have almost had too much movement. They just fly out of the zone. Nice defense so far this inning.

[Fatalotti]

Doc's got good velocity tonight.

[LwrSlwrGeorge]

ADs on MLB Gameday are annoying. Think I'll turn on the tv and watch the Natinals broad cast. Great! A night with Rob "Whiner" Carpenter! (Shudder)

[aksmith]

Yes, he has good velocity. But his location is bad. he's getting away with it so far, but it's the same problem he's been having all month. A good hitting team will skewer these pitches. And most umps will not call the high strike like that strike three.

[BloodStripes]

Sweet taters!!

[Fatalotti]

I wonder if Doc is fighting an injury. He's had back to back starts with an extra day's rest. He should be fairly well rested.

Let's hope he'll be on his A game come playoff time.

[bay_area_phan]

Well, that mitigated my disgust at least a little bit.

[NEPP]

Wow...really misplayed that one.

[Fatalotti]

Opposite field hitting is awesome.

[aksmith]

Any company with the words "New" and "York" in its name, advertising on Phillies games can jump up their own arses as far as I'm concerned. I will never buy their product.

[NEPP]

Chooch is saving himself for October.

[curt]

Nats TV: "Nobody works the count like the Phillies."

[Kutztown Fan]

But ak, don't you want to be safe and secure?

[aksmith]

Wilson Valdez is apparently allergic to the words "ball four."

[aksmith]

Kutz? Safe and secure with NY life? I'd rather die first.

[Kutztown Fan]

LOL

[rauls grandpa]

No irony implied. It is a bad name, it is like moving the White Sox to Washington and calling them the American League Americans.
I cannot quote the whole story to you but I worked with investors in NY and PR in the early 2000's and was with a group who met with some equity people looking into finding a new home for the Expos or Devil Rays. Eventually the Expos people couldn't take anymore. The story the Expos and Selig sold to everybody was that the NL was to buy the team and relocate the team under the collective buying power of all NL teams and make it a profitable, competitive team in less than five years. The promoted story was that this group was temporary and the Nationals was a place holder name until it found a permanent home.

[NEPP]

They should have just revived the Senators...(yeah yeah, I know the Rangers are technically them but it could have been like Cleveland in the NFL.)

[gobaystars!]

"Any company with the words "New" and "York" in its name, advertising on Phillies games can jump up their own arses as far as I'm concerned. I will never buy their product."

It reminds me of a scene in 24 Hour Party People when they are selling off Factory Records and Tony Wilson balks at a deal with London Records. "What's wrong with London Records?" "Well, the name for starters!" I love that attitude.

[NEPP]

Doc looks sharp so far.

[Spitz]

Nationals is a bad name because the nickname is the Nats. Who wants to be a Nat? Kind of like if our team was called the Philadelphia Pusillanimous.

[aksmith]

The Philadelphia Lice. Philadelphia Bed Bugs? Both better than the Nats. And both names have the bonus of already being in use to describe the Phillies around the league. Nice.

[GBrettfan]

Glad to hear GTown is excited about the postseason, and thank you, Willard Preacher, for pointing out what I now realize is a reference to Jimmy specifically. I thought it was a prediction for the whole team.

And I realize that I am also prone to fretting about all that can and often does go wrong, but I've just felt content today, pleased to know that going to the postseason is a reality, and not wanting to dwell on the negatives. Plenty of time for me to worry about them, as I'm sure I will.

[GBrettfan]

Did others hear Franzke's humor about Dunn? He said "13 errors at first base this year. And that's on the balls that he gets to."

[pb]

my playoff roster

10 pithers
H2O plus Joe
brad
ryan
chad
jose
jc
bastardo

lineup 8
vic
polly
uts
ryno
jw
raul
chooch
valdez/jrol

bench 7
jrol/valez
sweeney
gload
schieder
brown
fransico
hoover-- carrying hoover enables you to use schieder as a pincher hitter rather than a dobbs

25 man

[Kutztown Fan]

Mike Schmidt is 61?!?

[DH Phils]

If the Nationals management and MLB are secretly planning behind-the-scenes to move the team, they really convinced everyone with the new stadium. Seems like overkill to me.

[Tray]

I didn't know the Rangers were really the Senators.

[Fatalotti]

DH Phils, sounds like the kind of plan Peter Griffin would hatch up.

[NEPP]

Well, technically they're the Rangers and the Twins...depending on which iteration you're referring to.

The first Senators team moved to Minnesota and became the Twins, the second one moved to Texas and became the Rangers.

[Kutztown Fan]

Why wouldn't you take KK on the postseason roster as a possible long man?

[Willard Preacher]

Maybe we could make an argument to merge the Nats and the Fish?

[aksmith]

Tray - Can't swear to this, but I think the Rangers are actually the remnant of the second incarnation of the Washington Senators. I believe the Minnesota Twins also started out as the Washington Senators before moving to Minny Soda.

[aksmith]

OOps. NEPP beat me to the history of the Nats.

[Call me Ishmael]

Thanks for the kind words GBrett. It's cold here everyone, and their PA guy is no Dan Baker, let me tell you.

[Tray]

By the way, one Marc Rzepcynski has just struck out - swinging - the last five Yankees he's faced. Granderson, Cervelli, Jeter, Swisher, Teixeira. And a few batters before that, he struck out A-Rod and Cano swinging back to back.

[Fatalotti]

I love double plays.

[Spitz]

Zoleki tweets that the Phils can clinch the best record in the NL tonight. Can someone explain how that works since the Giants are #2 and they are off?

[Willard Preacher]

"Why wouldn't you take KK on the postseason roster as a possible long man?"

If we need KK as a long man, I'd assume it effectively meant the end of the road for one of H2O for the season.

I'll be shocked if we see more than an inning or two in the NLDS from one of Durbin or Contreras, let alone need a long man.

Then again, after Hamels outing yesterday....

[NEPP]

Halladay is really on his game tonight. Great to see.

[Tray]

I don't think it does work, Spitz. Well, not in terms of actual record - maybe in terms of tiebreakers. We'd improve to 94-63, while the Giants, if they went undefeated the rest of the way, would win 94 games. If we lost all our games after tonight and they won all of theirs, we'd be tied. There must be a tiebreaker in our advantage.

[aksmith]

Halladay seems to have his sink back. Didn't look promising in the first inning.

And I think the Phils can clinch home field by tying for best record because they have the tie breaker with all the other teams by winning the season series'.

[Fatalotti]

I love watching Pat Burrell runnign out to Brett Myers on the mound there. One of the greatest moments for a Phillies fan.

[NEPP]

He's hitting his spots and his pitches look sharp again. The extra rest is helping.

[Spitz]

Thats what I thought Tray, and I also thought that the Giants held the tiebreaker against the Phils. I know the Phillies lost 2 out of 3 in SF. Can't remember what happened in Philly, and too lazy to look it up.

[bay_area_phan]

The Padres could also win 94 if they win the rest of their games. I believe the first tie-breaker is head-to-head record. We win that against the Padres, but are 3-3 against the Giants. Not sure what the 2nd tie-breaker is but, if Zolecki is right, it must go to us.

[Spitz]

Good thing we won't face any pitchers better than John Lannan in the playoffs.

Oh wait...

[John]

I believe "Washington Nationals" was for a long time an alternative name of the (first) Senators team, and possibly the name of some nineteenth century teams in Washington as well.

I'm not sure I get this idea that the Nationals are temporary, or don't have an owner. Ted Lerner and his group bought the team from MLB over four years ago. He's a fairly prominent real estate developed in the Washington area, owns a major shopping mall out near where my parents live.

I have no idea what Raul's Granpa is going on about.

[Fatalotti]

The defense came to the park today.

[Willard Preacher]

Is Zo tweeting that we can clinch best record (which, as noted above doesn't appear to be the case), or that we can clinch home field advantage?

[curt]

Superb catch by Polanco.

[Fatalotti]

It looks like the real Halladay came to the park today, as well.

[Call me Ishmael]

Halladay pitching like he has someplace to be. I eep expecting him to induce a GB and walk off the mound before Ryno catches it.

[Spitz]

ToddZolecki The Phillies not only can clinch the NL East with a victory tonight, they can clinch the best record in the National League.

[Hugh Mulcahy]

Twenty DPs from the big bat of Valdez?

[Fatalotti]

Valdez finds new and inventive ways to ground into double plays every time he comes up.

[NEPP]

He does that alot.

[Fatalotti]

If the Phillies lose out and the Giants win out, both would be 94-68. Do we definitely have the tie breaker over the Giants?

[aksmith]

It's uncanny how Valdez can ground into double plays. But Lannan got Valdez and Halladay to hit the exact same ball. Both pitches had nice sink on them.

Hard to believe Lannan is still in this game and pitching well. He stinks, doesn't he?

[Spitz]

Phils are 3-3 against the Giants. Don't know what the second tie breaker is.

[Spitz]

aksmith, unfortunately, the phils offense stinks too

[Fatalotti]

Excuse me, if the Phillies go 1-5, and the Giants win out, they'd both be 94-68. But, according to B-R.com, the first tie breaker is head to head competition, but we are tied. The second tie breaker is intradivision record. The Giants would be 87-60 in that category, and the Phillies would be 84-60, so they'd lose that tie breaker.

The Phillies can only clinch the NL tonight if they win and the Giants lose.

[Hugh Mulcahy]

Nats accepting their fate tonight.

[aksmith]

I know Halladay appears to be throwing the ball well. But he just threw a 2-1 hanger right down Broad Street to Morse. He got very lucky there.

[Fatalotti]

Sorry, I'm all mixed up tonight. Intradivision...not intraleague...ugh.

Let me check what those records would be.

[Philadelphia Shops]

After a rainy start to another Monday it would be great to finish the day with a clinch. It would be great to see the Phillies finish the season with the best record in baseball in front of the Yankees. Go Phillies!

[Spitz]

Nice analysis Fata. Zoeleki sucks!

[bay_area_phan]

Fat: I've been trying to look it up too, & can't seem to find the answer. But I don't think intra-division record is it. I think intra-division record is the second tie-breaker only for 2 teams in the same division. It would make no sense to use that as a tie-breaker for 2 teams who are in different divisions. I suspect that perhaps intra-league record could be the next tie-breaker in this situation, but I can't find anything to confirm my suspicion.

[Fatalotti]

Spitz, I screwed up...Zolecki may still suck, but I didn't prove it yet... haha.

[Spitz]

Damn it! Todd is back in my good graces!

[rauls grandpa]

That's what I was wondering about, John. So this is the second ownership group. It was my impression that they were going to change the name with ownership.

[Call me Ishmael]

Lets Go Phillies really loud here for some reason. Vic getting robbed, two balls smoked and caught right in front of us.

[Spitz]

Lemme predict the rest of this inning for the Phils:

1. PP singles
2. Chase flies out to left
3. Howard strikes out swinging

[Call me Ishmael]

Lannan hits Chase again. Cheering for Gload to charge the mound, since Utley is more valuable.

[bay_area_phan]

I believe that now makes 19 hit batters in Lannan's career. 9 of those were Phillies.

[curt]

Ryno seems to have forgotten that it's September.

[Kutztown Fan]

I hope Ryan gets those Ks out of his system.

[Fatalotti]

Intradivision would be the second tie breakers. Right now, the Phillies are 40-26 in intra division. The Giants are 34-32. If the Phillies win tonight, the worst they can finish with their intradivisional record is 41-31. If the Giants win out, their intradivisional record will be 40-32. So yes, if the Phillies win tonight, they clinch everything.

Jayson Werth!

[curt]

Werth picks up Howard - a rare day indeed.

[BloodStripes]

Werth has come good with RISP. Thats a real clinch hit there.

[R.Billingsly]

I'm glad you were wrong Spitz.

[Old Phan]

Whew! Now I can stop worrying about the offense. Oh, wait. I haven't been worried about the offense.

[bay_area_phan]

Not only has Werth been hitting better with RISP; he has also been hitting better against left-handers. That's, arguably, just as important to this lineup's overall health.