Utley homers, Oswalt goes five in Clearwater win

Chase Utley smoked a home run down the right field line in the fifth inning of the Threshers’ 7-5 victory over the Palm Beach Cardinals.

In three plate appearances, Utley notched a K, a walk and a homer. He looked comfortable running the bases and avoided a takeout slide on a double play in the field. He also rocked the hell out of the high, red socks.

Oswalt looked alright, letting across three runs on seven hits in five innings of work. His fastball appeared to be as lackluster as it was in his final start before hitting the DL – a three-inning, five-run outing against the D-Backs on April 26. Despite his seemingly average stuff, Oswalt did manage to strike out five batters in Thursday’s rehab start, while walking one.

Carlos Ruiz went 1-for-3 at the plate with a single through the left side of the infield. He will likely return to the big club tomorrow.

Comments

[lorecore]

Grassie: No Leandro love?!

[M. Grassie]

Addendum: Leandro Castro impressed with two hits, including a homer in the sixth. It's his fifth of the season.

[Fatalotti]

Can lack of FB speed just be a side effect of not having pitched in a game for a while, or is it more likely a side effect of a still lingering back issue?

[GBrettfan]

From Salisbury.
Progress Report #1: Oswalt

“He said he felt OK,” Ruiz said. “Hopefully he feels OK because we need him.”

Oswalt’s quick exit from the ballpark could be interpreted as an indication of good health. If he was hurting, he may have needed to stay to get treatment in the trainer’s room.

* * * * Progress Report #2: Chooch* * * *

Ruiz had a single and felt good behind the plate.

“No pain,” he said.

* * * * Progress Report #3: Utley * * * *

How close is he to big-league ready?

“I still think there’s a little bit more time,” he said. “I have to work my way back into that. I have to be able to play nine innings before I get up to the big leagues. We’ll take it step by step and hopefully everything will be good.”

Utley was asked if felt any pain.

“So far, so good,” he said. “Don’t jinx it.”

[BobbyD]

An NHL source on Thursday night said the league would announce later this month that the Flyers will host the New York Rangers in the Winter Classic at Citizens Bank Park on Jan. 2, 2012.

[awh]

They play hockey in Philadelphia?

[BloodStripes]

At Citizens Bank Park?

[GTown_Dave]

In Philadelphia?

[Old Phan]

On grass?

[BloodStripes]

Since when?

[zudok]

Keep Oswalt DL'd until he's right. There other guys who can navigate through five mediocre innings. Let him heal up. It's May.

[Bob]

Oswalt looked "OK" to me, a bit flat perhaps. No radar gun that I saw, but he did not appear to be exactly intimidating anyone with his velocity. He actually cracked a smile at one point when he threw a pitch that Ruiz didn't even budge his glove for which should have been strike three, but was called a ball (great double take by Ruiz as well). Hope he's all right.

I'm still holding my breath every time Chase has to do something that might put a strain on the knee, like having to stop short after running hard to second. That will probably last all season. But it sure did feel good seeing that short, compact swing of his and watching the ball rocket out of the park.

Couldn't tell much from watching Chooch, but glad to hear him report, "No pain".

My wife, now becoming a real Phils' fan after years of simply tolerating the baseball buzz in the background, asked me when Utley hit his home run, "Is it really fair for him to be playing with these guys?"

[cut_fastball]

This does not appear to be particularly encouraging:

Minor league hitters feast on Oswalt's fastball

I love Conlin; I’m surprised he didn’t catch on as a scout somewhere, as he’s an unvarnished truth teller about young and old talent. I say sit Oswalt until July if that’s what it takes to get him back to the form he flashed last year.

[dick allen 15]

Oswalt looked very pedestrian. NO life at all on his fastball. Utley looked like he never played 2nd base before and to cap the night off, D Brown didnt play @ lehigh Valley thus causing concern that he is hurt again. HOpefully someone out there can let us know whey Dom did not play last night

[Fatalotti]

Dick, reports are that he has a sprained thumb. Give Uts some time, this is about his third game in months. He'll get it back.

[Will Schweitzer]

I don't see a need to talk any more about Domonic Brown until he proves the following:

1. He can produce at the major league level.
2. He can stay healthy for a reasonable stretch of time.

Until at least one of those things happen, the hype is undeserved.

[Mike G]

Oswalt looked very pedestrian. NO life at al on his fastball. Utley looked like he never played 2nd base before and to cap the night off, D Brown didnt play @ lehigh Valley thus causing concern that he is hurt again. HOpefully someone out there can let us know whey Dom did not play last night Posted by: dick allen 15 | Friday, May 13, 2011

Let the hand wringing begin.

[lorecore]

Will: The hype is deserved.

If he was producing and healthy - there would be no need for hype.

[Will Schweitzer]

...and if my grandmother had wheels, she'd be a wagon.

[TheDreadPirate]

I'm generally not a big farm system follower. Did Brown have injury issues while he was coming up through the minors in past years?

[Meyer]

Hands off Brown. He didn't hype himself.

[basil fomeen]

If Oswalt has an injury-plagued season he very well might retire. This is why they shouldn't trade Blanton or Worley. I guess Mississippi is god's country.

[Will Schweitzer]

lorecore: Until major league stats demonstrate otherwise, he is overhyped. I really don't care what he can do in the International League anymore.

[Baron von Hayes]

Will is right - it's time to get tough with D. Brown. It is BS that he has been injured twice in these last months, and really never before. And he has never lived up to his hype, except at every single level of the minors. You call that a top-rated prospect? Bogus.

After all, what is the definition of "prospect?" It means a player who is producing RIGHT NOW at the major league level, not in the future. Get with it, you pansy-8sses.

[Will Schweitzer]

Baron: Yeah, he and about a thousand other guys dominated minor league baseball. Many of those guys fail to reach the majors or reach the level of Mayberry.

You're welcome to have your boy crush, but discussing him at this point is a waste of time. We know he can hit minor league pitching. Now, until he does something else worth talking about, he's just another guy who hasn't contributed to the team in a meaningful way.

[RedBurb]

Will has been ragging on Brown since last year. Even used Brown's stats at the end of the season to do an "I told you so" about the hype. Dude, give it a break. The hype is because he is a top prospect for a team with an aging core. We as fans haven't had a top prospect like him in a few years.

[Will Schweitzer]

I'm not ragging on him. I'm ragging on all the nonsense that surrounds him. I'd be just as annoyed if you all talked about Aumont and Singleton as the next coming of Hamels and Howard.

Yeah, he's a prospect. That's it. End of discussion. Speculating on how he'll factor in at the major league level is a waste of time, because he has yet to prove that he's a major league caliber ballplayer.

[Dan in Philly]

Just read over a Phuture Phillies that Brown sprained this thumb...

[lorecore]

"Until major league stats demonstrate otherwise, he is overhyped."

So If Dom has a 30/30 year in the bigs, then am i allowed to say: "I think brown has potential at the MLB level" ?

[Dan in Philly]

So here's the scoop at philly.com (click on my name for link)

"Top prospect Domonic Brown left Wednesday's game and sat out Thursday with triple-A Lehigh Valley due to a sprained right thumb. The Phillies say the injury is "mild" and Brown will miss two to four days."

[lorecore]

"He's a prospect....Speculating on how he'll factor in at the major league level is a waste of time"

You just defined the word prospect.

[RedBurb]

Will - I'm sure you were the type of person who said "Why didn't the Phils pull the trigger on that Kip Wells for Ryan Howard trade? I mean Howard is just a prospect who has dominated in the minors and hasn't done anything at the major league level. Wells is an established starter. Pull the trigger Ed!"

[TheDreadPirate]

The Phillies should get rid of all of their scouts and just draft out of a hat from now on.

Or maybe they should draft guys based solely on the run differential of their high school teams.

[Baron von Hayes]

lorecore, now you're getting it. you have been a little slow on the uptake, but I think eventually you'll see the light. stay with it.

come to think of it, this whole board is a waste of freaking time. we have a team that has the best record in the league, but hasn't yet won the 2011 WFC. I call BS on that too. Until this team wins it all, all this "hype" and "potential" nonsense is useless. End of discussion.

[RedBurb]

And I'm not comparing Brown to Howard. Just trying to demonstrate that some people's views on prospects are downright ridiculous.

[Fatalotti]

Wait, we're not allowed to be excited about top prospects until they reach the bigs and prove to be All Stars?

Trying telling that crap to Kansas Royals fans; if that were the case, they'd just stop watching baseball altogether.

Will, I'm sorry to say, but you're dead wrong on this one. Dom Brown may be a flop, but there's nothing wrong with being excited about what his talent pool may bring to this team fro years to come.

[johnnysanz3]

Yup, injury prone, breaking his hand and spraining his thumb. Body is clearly breaking down, it's too bad. he could of been special.

[Will Schweitzer]

He may be good. He may be great. He may be a flop.

In any case, two straight years of yammering on and on about his has gotten old, especially when we are now past the time when he was expected to start contributing.

It's all been said. There's nothing left to say. Now, let's wait and see him do something so we can say something new.

(And no, RedBurb, I don't want to trade Brown, or Ramirez, or Singleton or anybody else just for the sake of acquiring a Kip Wells.)

[Baron von Hayes]

Will, a-freaking-men. Brown is 23 already. TWENTY-THREE. We have been talking about his "potential" since he was 21. I mean, COME ON!! All these star gazers on this board need to get a grip. He has already had like 35 games at AAA, what else does he need? This is the Phillies organization, not some ham-and-egger operation like Kansas City. Get him up to the big town, and get him productive. Otherwise, please drink another big glass of shutthef8ck up.

Once again, you are the voice of reason. Thank you!

[TheDreadPirate]

The Phils don't need to trade anyone to get Wells. With Oswalt looking like he's a ways away from returning I think they should make a call and see if they can get Kip off the couch.

[Bedrosian's Beard]

"In any case, two straight years of yammering on and on about his has gotten old, especially when we are now past the time when he was expected to start contributing."

Actually, the talk was he'd replace Ibanez when his contract is up, so he is/was a little ahead of the curve.

[Fatalotti]

Why can't Dom Brown be more like Chase Utley and Ryan Howard...you know, make it to the majors and start contributing before he turns 35?

[Fatalotti]

25*

[RedBurb]

I think it's funny how far apart certain fans are regarding prospects. I like Phuture Phillies but you would think every prospect is going to be an all-star the way they talk over there. Then there's others who disregard prospects to the point of absurdity. Who cares what they did in the minors, they're only prospects.

Well prospects netted the Phils Doc, Lee and Oswalt. Plus Hamels, Howard, Utley, Ruiz and Rollins were prospects also. There has to be a happy medium between the two schools of thought. Just my $.02.

[Will Schweitzer]

Baron's going for the world record for consecutive failed attempts of being funny through sarcasm.