Game chat: So, John Lannan, we meet again

Coming off a Tuesday night pounding at the hands of the Nationals, the Phillies look to get back on track this afternoon in a matchup against John Lannan, a lefty who probably sees red pinstripes in his sleep.

Against the other 29 teams in baseball, Lannan is 30-33 with a respectable 3.86 ERA. In 13 career starts against the Phillies, however, he is 0-10 with a 6.44 ERA. The Phils have beaten the southpaw twice this season. Meanwhile, Roy Oswalt takes the mound for the Phillies, looking for his first win since coming off the DL. In three starts since returning to the club, he has given up just three earned runs in 18 innings.

Reason for concern?: Whether it's due to age, injury or other reasons, Oswalt's strikeouts are way down this year. He has just eight in his last four starts (totalling 21 innings) and is averaging 5.8 per nine innings on the season. By comparison, last season he was at 8.2 K / 9 IP and his career number is 7.4 per nine.

Milestone pending: With 13 RBIs in his last 13 games, Raul Ibanez is one RBI shy of 1,000 for his career.

Lineup: Placido Polanco, who led off five times for the Phils last season, is back atop the order today. J-Roll has the day off. The lineup looks like this: Polanco 5, Mayberry 8, Utley 4, Howard 3, Francisco 9, Ibanez 7, Ruiz 2, Valdez 6, Oswalt 1. [Jump to the newest comments]

Comments

[Jack]

For the first time all season, the Phillies have relinquished their top spot in the "runs allowed" category. The Braves have now allowed fewer runs on the season than the Phils.

[Hugh Mulcahy]

Is Victorino definitely back on Friday? It will be nice to finally see the projected opening day lineup on the field for once.

[EastFallowfield]

The Braves are almost done playing the Padres, and they've been benching Uggla, so of course they have allowed fewer runs of late.

[Little Ollie]

Does the projected opening day lineup include Dom Brown?

[Hugh Mulcahy]

Mine does, Ollie.

[Ollie Brown]

If Lannan plunks ANYONE, bring in Exxon to take care of bidness.

[Little Ollie]

Mine too.

[rauls grandpa]

If I see nothing out of the game today, I want to see Morse or Espinoza get drilled in the ribs or thigh if Lannon gets that ball within 8 inches of any of the Phillies.

Little Ollie or whoever mentioned Martinez as an insurance policy.
Martinez = one of those "barely legal" policies they offer on commercials during Maury and the Jerry Springer Show.

[SLO Phan]

Well, this feels like a loss. An opposing player is in the game day thread pic.

[Ray Fosse]

I didn't go back and read the game thread from last night, but was there any mention of Espinosa screaming as he rounded the bases after his 3 run shot last night. I have no idea what he was saying but that kind of crap usually gets you one in the ribs. Anybody else notice that? At the very least he should be the candidate for retaliation after Lannan drills a couple of our guys as he inevitably will.

[RK]

Given Lannan's history I would keep Utley and Howard out--this guy is a menace--and although I do not believe in deliberate plunking I do beleive in three strikes and you are done. He has twice caused serious problems for Utley and once for Howard. If anyone and especially Utley gets plunked today someone needs to take care of this guy.

[Anonymous]

After Lannan cripples one of our players, what's the over/under on Wheeler saying something like, "Lannan didn't want to do that at all. He's just fighting off some control issues. You have to feel bad for the guy. This is just a weird game."

[Steve]

"I have no idea what he was saying but that kind of crap usually gets you one in the ribs"

Not against the Phils...

[rauls grandpa]

I love when Wheel's says that or "He's down by 3 and he just let up another homer, you know he didn't want to do that." Oh really, I know a competitive athlete who gets embarassed over and over again by the same team and same guys doesn't harbor any animosity?

[bay_area_phan]

Notable by his recent absence from Beerleaguer: clout.

A family trip to DisneyWorld? Traveling on a humanitarian relief effort in tornado-ravaged Joplin? Finishing up a scholarly article on experimental methods in neurosurgery? Serving a 30-day county jail sentence for disorderly conduct? Inquiring minds wonder.

[Jack]

Cliff Lee was yelling at Werth from the mound also in the first inning. Guys talk all the time out there. No big deal.

People on this board think every little thing means someone should get drilled, or start a brawl. Personally, I'd rather keep guys off the bases and win games. Apparently the Phillies feel that way as well.

[SLO Phan]

BAP: No, working on his Drexel MBA application.

[MG]

Lannan hits a Phils' player in the first 3 innings. It won't be because of his lack of control either.

[Jack]

MG: I'll take that bet.

Anyway, the Phils get hit all the time. Utley leads the league in HBP every year, and Polanco is above-average as well. They have guys who crowd the plate. It happens. Seriously, hitting Utley is something EVERY pitcher has done. He gets hit all the time. He does it on purpose.

[Ray Fosse]

Jack: Lee and Werth were teamates and possibly friends. I know guys say stuff all the time. Hell if Rollins hadn't been chattering with Phillips last week we would have suffered a heartbreaking loss instead of winning a thriller. But running around the bases after hitting one out and screaming at the top of your lungs is showing up the pitcher. That's usually not something that is let slide. I don't advocate bean ball wars either but some stuff usually draws retaliation is all I am saying. And after all of Lannan's headhunting over the years, I don't ever recall any retaliation and that's one of the few instances where I think it would be warranted.

[CJ]

While passing the Phils in fewest runs allowed for the first time this season, the Braves have also managed to score a whopping 42 runs over their last 15 games. That's an average of just 2.8 R/G.

They've also gone 20 straight games without winning by more than 2 runs.

I supposed they'd be concerned about a CF giving them a line of 238/332/341 and a SS giving them a line of 268/298/388 if they didn't have a 2B giving them 178/246/322.

And to completely blow your mind, I present the lines of Jason Heyward and Ben Francisco. You get to decide which is which.

214/317/407
227/333/390

That it's that close is pretty scary if you're a Braves fan.

[NEPP]

Drexel must love that advertisement...I've accidentally clicked on it probably 50-60 times in the last few weeks during game chats.

[aksmith]

Rollins gets a game off when he would be hitting from his better side. Seems like it would have been smarter to sit him against Marquis, against whom his numbers have stunk. Don't know what he does against Lannan. But he's a better righthanded hitter than a lefthanded hitter.

And I'm getting more than a little tired of Charlie sitting Brown against lefties. His bat is one of the offensive bright spots lately. I think it's past time to baby him at this point, especially for the great Benny Fran.

[Dukes]

Speaking of Wheels, I've listened to D-Backs and Marlins games over the past two days and it really opened my eyes to just how bad Phillies broadcasts are. Wheels just takes himself too seriously.

[rauls grandpa]

I must strongly endorse the Drexel Online programs. I am working on my second grad degree there and not only is it pretty affordable (as grad programs go), the profs are not the dregs I have found in other online programs I have previously taken elsewhere. As a matter of fact, I have found the students and faculty in the classes I have taken at Drexel to be a very intellectual bunch who have geniune interest in the material. I cannot say the same for the classes I have taken at the college in North Philly or the one next door to Drexel.
I am proud to be a Dragon!

[Scotch Man]

Feels like a loss today. Just have this feeling Lannan's due to win one. Of course, I'm all kinds of negative from last night still.

[Fatalotti]

Polly gets on. Some serious speed on the bases to lead off the game.

[Anonymous]

My favorite Wheeler moment had to be when McCarthy broke out a pretty obvious Star Wars reference only to be greeted by chirping crickets.

Tom: Uh, you know, from Star Wars.

Wheels: Star...Wars? I've heard of it, I think. Maybe.

Tom: What? Are you serious?

Wheeler takes himself so seriously because he's never done anything else in his life other than analyze baseball (and front office politicking). He probably wouldn't even have a TV if baseball wasn't on it.

[Fatalotti]

I really hate watching Lannan pitch. It's like watching the Frankenstain monster pitch. So rigid and ungraceful.

[Jack]

Ugh, Mayberry.

[NEPP]

I wouldn't call what Wheels does as "analyzing" baseball. Repeating basic "facts" about the game ad nauseum and stating the obvious is more like it.

[CJ]

Does the Phillies staff lead the league in hits allowed on broken bats?

[bay_area_phan]

What a great start.

[Ray Fosse]

CJ: They must.

[Fatalotti]

12 strikes, 0 balls, 1 run.

Weird.

[Fatalotti]

14 strikes, 0 balls, 1 run, 0 strikeouts.

Even weirder.

[conshy matt]

clout is probably on his way to pittsburgh to watch kendrick pitch on saturday.

[curt]

Nat broadcaster: "BTW, JW on a pace for 30 rbis this month." lol

[CJ]

For the second time... a Phillies pitcher has gotten through the first inning without throwing a ball.

How many other pitchers have done that this year I wonder?

[jr]

Speaking of Wheels.why don't the Phils pitchers get a scouting report from him? If they did they would never throw pitches that result in base hits.Also,Did Mayberries DP get him a ticket to Lehigh?

[Jack]

I thought it was impossible for Werth to have a base hit with a guy in scoring position?

[Anonymous]

Repeating basic "facts" about the game ad nauseum and stating the obvious is more like it.

Good point. Wheeler takes no risks, which is a requirement in analysis, even when it would just be saying what we're all thinking anyway.

McCarthy makes it even worse. "Do you send the runner, Wheels? Well, do ya?" Then Wheeler gets all uncomfortable because someone asked him a question and you can't be neutral when someone asks you a yes or no question. But he tries anyway,

P.S. when do we get a game where the pitchers don't give up run(s) early?

[bay_area_phan]

How would one AB get someone a ticket to Lehigh?

[conshy matt]

jr, we haven't had a mini mart sighting in a while. i'm thinking he FINALLY is the odd man out, not mayberry.

[Chris Wheeler]

You guys can suck my crank. I know more than baseball.
I aced the "Marple-Newtown" category in the Pennsylvania Bowl in 1966.

[NEPP]

No, but Mini-Mart's "versatility" did...

[conshy matt]

nice hustle by the big piece!

[No-Doubles Defense]

I also like when the summer heat arrives, so Wheels can no longer say, when a ball is hit to the track, "Man, when it gets hotter around here, that ball would be way out!"

[Fatalotti]

Well, you guys are all aware that Mini-Mart has a versatility factor of 7, and a versatility+ of 110, which is above average, so obviously they're going to keep him.

[MS69]

Nice helmet to the chin

[Jack]

1st and 2nd, no outs. Chances we score here?

[CJ]

David Hale tweets an encouaging observation:

Since coming off the DL, Oswalt had thrown 87 fastballs in 3 starts and had 1 swing-and-miss. Today he's thrown 11 & has 3 whiffs.

[Fatalotti]

Lannan almost hit Ibanez there. He's getting ready...

[conshy matt]

fat, but his scrappiness is still only in the low 30's. it takes some years (and reputation) to raise that to the 100 level. and it helps to be white.

[Anonymous]

How much is Mini-Mart's versatility factor of 7 above replacement? B-Ref says -0.4 and Fangraphs says +1.2. How can there be so much of a difference?

[Jack]

Dom has to sit, but Raul gets to play everyday against lefties. Nice.

[bay_area_phan]

Ibanez is batting .000/.000/.000 for the month.

[conshy matt]

BAP, start of another cold streak?

[Fatalotti]

Wheels with some great pseudopsychology.

If you score on Lannan, he'll go all sourpuss and start throwing BP. If you let him off the hook here, he'll pitch like Cy Young, as he'll have renewed confidence in his abilities.

[No-Doubles Defense]

How do the Phillies always face Hernandez-Marquis-Lannan when they play the Nationals? Do the Nats have two other starters?

[Fatalotti]

We faced Jordan Zimmerman this year.

[CJ]

Jack: "1st and 2nd, no outs. Chances we score here?"

Really good!

[Anonymous]

Sourpuss it is!

[bay_area_phan]

The Phillies flashing their best offensive weapon: the other team's poor defense.

[Jack]

I'm following on gamecast. Bad error by Cora?

[SLO Phan]

At least Exxon didn't hit into a DP. So, I'll call that a productive at-bat for him.

[Fatalotti]

Terrible error by Cora. Should've been an inning ending double play. Instead, the Phillies score.

[conshy matt]

ball short hopped him. still should have made the play. would've been 2.

[bay_area_phan]

All errors are bad anymore. If the ball is even the slightest bit tricky, the official scorers rule it a hit.

[Jack]

Oswalt showing a much better AB than Valdez. Not all that surprising, really.

[conshy matt]

i'm wondering why someone would post under the name "anonymous".

[Fatalotti]

BAP, can we ink the other team's bad defense to a long term deal?

[SLO Phan]

Conshy: I was thinking that too! Aren't we all anonymous?

[Anonymous]

I wish Gameday would animate the batter. They do the balls and I'd think that would be harder. I also think every batter is Francisco because of how the player graphic looks.

[conshy matt]

so we know "anonymous" doesn't live in philly. first clue...

[bay_area_phan]

Fat: Their contract demands are going to be pretty extravagant.

[No-Doubles Defense]

Here comes Babe Espinosa.

[Anonymous]

i'm wondering why someone would post under the name "anonymous".

I've posted here sporadically in the past and couldn't remember what handle(s) I used. I wasn't feeling particularly creative (sober) when I first posted using this handle and kept with it because the browser puts it there for me.

[bay_area_phan]

Is there any catcher in the National League who isn't a Phillies killer?

[Bedrosian's Beard]

"i'm wondering why someone would post under the name "anonymous"."

B/c his given name is also "Will Schweizer"

[Hugh Mulcahy]

I'm following on the old game day. It still has Ruiz's picture in the upper lefthand corner, it's showing Valdez's pitch sequence on the graphic in the center, with the count unchanged from when he made his out. It still hasn't updated since Oswalt grounded out but, it does have the current info as to who's on base, batting, etc. in the little field graphic in the bottom left.

[DrAgOnZ]

Dragon 4 Lyfe

[Anonymous]

That hurts. Couldn't you have waited until I started trashing Brown during a cold streak?

[conshy matt]

BB - it's fun to actually laugh when you read someone's post. i lol'd at yours.

[Fatalotti]

Six 0-2 counts today for Oswalt, and nary a strikeout. You have to wonder why he can't really strike batters out anymore.

[TK]

WTF you walk the 8 hitter after being up 0-2??

[Fatalotti]

A STRIKEOUT!!!

[conshy matt]

i thought you couldn't just leave the name blank, but i guess i'm wrong.

which brings me to another question: do posts automatically update for people, or does everyone have to refresh the page to see new posts?

[Jack]

Well, he got a strikeout at least? Kind of.

[CJ]

Look at that... Roy gets a strike out!

[SLO Phan]

conshy: I am always refreshing.

[Fatalotti]

I have to refresh. I'm wearing the F5 button out on this site.

[Bedrosian's Beard]

"Six 0-2 counts today for Oswalt, and nary a strikeout. You have to wonder why he can't really strike batters out anymore."

He spent Spring Training hanging out with Kendrick.

[Scotch Man]

2 K's!

[Fatalotti]

Now, that's how you strike a batter out.

[conshy matt]

F5 is a new one for me. i always ckick the refresh button on the browser. i'll try that.

[CJ]

9 K/9 for Roy right now.

[Anonymous]

Ctrl-R refeshes, too, if you have an inconvenient set of F-keys (e.g. they control laptop functions unless you hit the Fn key).

[NEPP]

Does Mayberry EVER swing at the first pitch...which is inevitably a fastball down the middle?

[bay_area_phan]

Beerleaguer is about to erupt.