Saint Utley hath returneth, and in honor of the occasion, the Phils field one of the more heavenly lineups of the season.
Notes: Charlie Manuel splits the lefties, kinda, and goes Rollins, Utley, Polanco, Howard, Ibanez, Ruiz, Brown, Mayberry. Utley hit second nine times last season. … You might remember the Reds from such exciting sweeps as the exhilarating four-game sweep in July of 2010 to complete a late surge into the All-Star break, then the Division Series sweep of October, when the Phillies' staff erased Joey Votto and the Reds offense from the equation. ... Cole Hamels (5-2, 2.92) starts tonight and has terrific career numbers against the Reds (6-0, 1.07 ERA). Hamels shutout the Reds in Game 3 of the NLDS to complete the quick sweep. … Elsewhere, Jose Contreras pitches a rehab in Lehigh Valley tonight … The Phillies signed former Rockies right-hander Juan Morillo to a minor league contract last week, per Baseball America's transaction page. The Dominican 27-year-old spent last season pitching with Rakuten of Japan. He appeared in nine games with the Rockies and Twins between 2006-09. He's primarily a Triple-A reliever.
To be clear: EVERYONE on Beerleaguer should have sent Sardinha. If clout were here, he'd say Sammy made the right choice because Beerleaguer conventional wisdom is always wrong.
Posted by: CJ | Monday, May 23, 2011 at 04:45 PM
*****ALERT*****
Please be advised that we expect multiple sightings of
The Saint Utley Sycophant Club
both at the ballpark and here on Beer*Leaguer.
Posted by: awh | Monday, May 23, 2011 at 04:45 PM
@Hugh -- I was at the game yesterday... it seemed to me the RF Moreland? held the ball AFTER he saw Dane stopped. And then Fired a strong throw in...
it seemed to get the crowd around me a little agitated as the throw seemed to come in extremely late making it seem like he would have scored.
at any rate. Dane would have been dead to rights.
Posted by: HammRadio | Monday, May 23, 2011 at 04:46 PM
I really like this line-up...which probably means a perfect game for Arroyo.
Posted by: Andy | Monday, May 23, 2011 at 04:48 PM
That line up is almost inspiring!
Posted by: Scotch Man | Monday, May 23, 2011 at 04:48 PM
Thanks HmmRadio - I don't think hte guy was saying he held the ball before Sardinha stopped and i didn't see that on the replay. it's always hard to judge on teh TV replays and, i think you're probably right - he would have been out with a good throw but, i would have sent him with two outs. Fielder has to make the throw and catcher has to hold on to the ball for hte out.
Posted by: Hugh Mulcahy | Monday, May 23, 2011 at 04:48 PM
LOL @ Andy
Posted by: Scotch Man | Monday, May 23, 2011 at 04:49 PM
Gelb suggests if Contreras outing goes well (and not necessarily with results, but with velocity, etc.), he'll be activated. So Herndon goes back down?
Posted by: CJ | Monday, May 23, 2011 at 04:49 PM
CJ: Nope. Gload. Dude has no power. Can't pitch, either.
Posted by: GTown_Dave | Monday, May 23, 2011 at 04:52 PM
CJ, yep, Herndon is the logical guy.
____________________________________________________________
I just looked up Juan Morillo on b-r.com.
Looks like he K's a lot of batters, but also walks a TON.
Posted by: awh | Monday, May 23, 2011 at 04:52 PM
Yeah, I actually am very much in favor of this lineup. Switching Uts/Polly or having Ruiz in the 8-hole are minor nuances.
To me, the big change is the inclusion of Utley and Brown, regardless of where they hit. Once we start getting some hits, maybe we can talk about "tweaks" to maximize run production, but I just want to see some base runners first.
Posted by: Willard Preacher | Monday, May 23, 2011 at 04:55 PM
Chase Utley will actively be hurting this team in a little over two hours.
Just wanted to get that in.
Also, second opinion for Blanton = buh-bye, Joe.
Posted by: Scott | Monday, May 23, 2011 at 04:56 PM
Actually, compared to what we have been seeing, the lineup IS inspiring to me. I know a number of these guys have been in pretty deep funks, but on paper at least, the Phils are fielding a linup which should not have any virtually automatic outs or GIDP. Time for the bats to break loose!
Posted by: Bob | Monday, May 23, 2011 at 04:56 PM
Scott: Well done... feels like it's been awhile since someone actively hurt this team.
Posted by: CJ | Monday, May 23, 2011 at 04:57 PM
Uh oh. The Reds have lost 5 straight.
Decent teams usually don't lose that many in a row. that means they could be due for a good series.
Posted by: awh | Monday, May 23, 2011 at 04:57 PM
awh- I must not have gotten my daily groupthink talking points. Are we supposed to be hating on Chase?
Posted by: Jbird | Monday, May 23, 2011 at 04:58 PM
@Hugh --
and you are right... I would have sent him as well. And I reined in my vitriol because Polly was up... alas.
I'm still bitter about falling asleep on the Squeeze attempt twice in the same weekend against the same team...
Both the Dugout and the players on the field are culpable.
I don't know how many squeezes happened this year against us. But I feel every home game its occurred, i've been there in the last 2 years. (at the game fri and sunday).
Warning. I'll be there on Thursday.
Expect a Squeeze.
Posted by: HammRadio | Monday, May 23, 2011 at 04:58 PM
@Bob -- Here's the first inning Play By Play.
Rollins Pop Up to Right Field.
Utley Draws Walk.
Polanco 6-4-3.
Posted by: HammRadio | Monday, May 23, 2011 at 05:00 PM
Here's hoping Brown de-Browns tonight.
Posted by: Bake McBride was Here | Monday, May 23, 2011 at 05:00 PM
If you've noticed, after 46 games, the Phils are only having problems so far winning games in which they are shutout or they score just one run. We've had 10 of those games so far, and we are 0-10.
In games in which the Phils score at least two runs, they are a remarkable 28-8 for a .778 winning percentage.
Though there are a lot of games remaining to be played, the FO strategy of stacking up on top-flight starting pitching and sacrificing some offense is working very well so far.
Although it's painful at times to watch the offense, if this is what a championship team looks like, so be it.
Our primary concern should be keeping our SPs healthy. After all, the Phils have achieved these results without their best every-day player and with other guys banged up.
Posted by: derekcarstairs | Monday, May 23, 2011 at 05:01 PM
I object to the fact that guy with 4th best batting average in tonights lineup is left out of the post...
Posted by: PhillyJoe | Monday, May 23, 2011 at 05:02 PM
That 4-game series against the Reds last year likely changed the season for the Phils. The sweep included:
1) 4-3 victory in 12 innings
2) 6 run bottom of the 9th, 9-7 win in 10 innings
3) 1-0 victory in 11 innings
4) 1-0 victory in 9 innings
Each of those games could have gone the other way. We were 43-40 going into this series and could have been close to .500 or under coming out.
The momentum didn't carry over after the AS break (lost 6 of 7), but had that 4-game series gone the other way, we may have been sellers on about July 21st or so.
Posted by: CJ | Monday, May 23, 2011 at 05:02 PM
hope the insurance is paid up on Joey Bagodonuts contract insurance.
Posted by: Jbird | Monday, May 23, 2011 at 05:02 PM
As derekcarstairs points out, the magic number is 2.
If the Phils score at least 2 runs the rest of the way, we'll win 118 games* this year.
*We won't really win 118 games if we score at least 2 runs in every game the rest of this way, but it's a true testament to our pitching staff how we'll we've done when scoring at least 2 runs so far this year.
Posted by: CJ | Monday, May 23, 2011 at 05:04 PM
Finally the lineup we wanted. Thank you whoever you are. I just hope it produces because this does not look like a lineup CM would create.
Posted by: RK | Monday, May 23, 2011 at 05:05 PM
side benefit of not resigning werth - we can now free to sign players with hot wives. bring on mrs. pods!
Posted by: conshy matt | Monday, May 23, 2011 at 05:07 PM
HammRadio,
Don't be messing with my serenity. Give us hopeless optimists another two hours before reality intrudes.
And by the way, is that Rollins popup on the first or second pitch?
Posted by: Bob | Monday, May 23, 2011 at 05:08 PM
Phillies beat reporters just tweeted that Charlie put the players names into an online lineup optimizer tool and this is the lineup it produced.
Posted by: CJ | Monday, May 23, 2011 at 05:09 PM
that last thread was hilarious, btw. will, no name, and TA need their own nickname.
Posted by: conshy matt | Monday, May 23, 2011 at 05:09 PM
Bob: More likely on the 2nd pitch. J-Roll has great career numbers when he swings at the first pitch.
Posted by: CJ | Monday, May 23, 2011 at 05:10 PM
The real question is, how many pitches will they see in the first inning? I'm feeling generous, so I say around 12 pitches.
Posted by: SLO Phan | Monday, May 23, 2011 at 05:11 PM
Yo, new game chat thread.
Posted by: CJ | Monday, May 23, 2011 at 05:12 PM
"The prevailing excuse for last year, when he failed to impress in his MLB debut (yet got a standing ovation for simply appearing at the plate!) was that Cholly wasn't giving him enough at-bats. Then the explanation for his horrendous performance in the Winter Leagues was that he had the flu. Then his terrible hitting in Spring Training 2011 was all caused by his altered swing (never mind his old swing didn't work either). I will be curious to see what the new excuse is."
--------------------------------------------
AT - You can't discount the primary argument on BL for promoting Brown, which is to say that the Phillies outfield is so pitiful that a rookie whose stance allows him to be struck out on three high fastballs can be no worse than what we've got. Suddenly, they forget their "career norm" mantra and expect that Ibanez and Francisco are washed up and without hope. But we're the ones who supposedly root for failure.
If Brown produces at a respectable level in 2011, I'll be the first to offer a personal apology to each of you, but I have very little faith in a guy who still wasn't sure how to stand at the plate as of spring. If I had to place a bet on someone on the farm actually contributing, my money goes on Tyson before Brown.
Posted by: Will Schweitzer | Monday, May 23, 2011 at 05:14 PM
rollins' popup goes to left. can't get around on 86mph fb.
Posted by: wes covington | Monday, May 23, 2011 at 05:22 PM
CJ~ From the last thread. Thanks for the rtid-bit on Orr. I had not seen that he was sent down.
Posted by: DPatrone | Monday, May 23, 2011 at 05:23 PM
You just signed an over-the-hill player to a AAA contract and you call him Scotty Pods??? You sound like a damn fool!
Posted by: whitey | Monday, May 23, 2011 at 05:54 PM
I'm looking at KK sitting by himself in the bullpen and wondering why in the world he's still on the 25-man roster. In fact, if KK, why not the most forgotten Phillies prospect at AAA, Andrew Carpenter? It's obvious he's no longer a consideration for promotion, but I would have put my money on him over KK as a legitimate prospect. He still does miss more bats than the estimable KK.
Posted by: mainerob | Monday, May 23, 2011 at 09:32 PM