Game chat: Phillies try to put it together at Petco

The Phillies carry a 22-4 lifetime mark at Petco Park into a key series with the Padres. First pitch is 10:05 with right-handers Vance Worley and Joe Wieland scheduled. The Phillies go with Pierre LF, Polanco 2B, Rollins SS, Pence RF, Victorino CF, Mayberry 1B, Ruiz C, Galvis 2B. Earlier, we examined the struggles of several role players, like Ty Wigginton and Jim Thome. All the while, core members, like three-hole hitter Jimmy Rollins, hasn't produced at a high enough level, either. Rollins is hitting for decent average (.286), but he has one extra-base hit - a double - which has driven down his OPS (.620). [Jump to the newest comments]

Comments

[Hugh Mulcahy]

Somebodies in this lineup have to go on a tear soon. They just have to.

[Fatalotti]

mainerob, thanks for the kind words, and I do apologize for snapping last night. It sometimes happens to me after a seriously frustrating loss. :)

Good luck with the election!

[GBrettFan]

I loved Old Phan's puns! That's what's been missing this season.

(I also loved Scott's moving Cliff Lee head. Always made me smile and I've missed it for a few seasons now.)

[lorecore]

Phils are a measely -115 @ San Diego (o/u 6.5) where they've been very succesful and are facing a rookie coming off a poor debut(prospect in Mike Adams deal last year).

Not a good sign, thought they'd be closer to -130.

[Hugh Mulcahy]

The other poster I miss is Kool Earl. His absence is acute at this stage in the BL season. "Grab your sac and drink some Jack"

[Hugh Mulcahy]

Early trend to watch - 3 NL East teams are tied for NL lead in stolen bases after two weeks (PHI, ATL, MIA)

[lorecore]

no king of the bop reminiscing?

[Hugh Mulcahy]

Of course, 2 of Pierre's steals don't count. Also, no longer a tie as J. Heyward just stole his 5th bag.

[GTown_Dave]

Holy Crap! Pierre worked a BB! :-o

[bay_area_phan]

Watch them get no runs out of this

[clout]

Is it true that Rube has been monitoring Howard's progress by sticking his finger in the wound?

[GTown_Dave]

After last night one run feels like ten. I'll take it.

[Hugh Mulcahy]

Plenty of good seats in S.D.

[GBrettFan]

It's nice to know there are some pitchers we can hit, like a 22-yr. old making his 2nd ML start who didn't do well in his first outing.

[Raul's grandpa]

Will Schweitzer is too busy with the ACLU to post here.

[Hugh Mulcahy]

Jesus, Polanco might as well be using a Hoveround.

[GBrettFan]

Come on, Mayberry.

[gobaystars!]

I take it nobody pulled a Schmidty on the way to SD? Dissapointing.

[GBrettFan]

And we hit against. Lincecum, and against Baumgarner (although we couldn't score against the latter).

I'd like to see a few more runs here.

[Hugh Mulcahy]

Shi'ite

[bay_area_phan]

"After last night one run feels like ten. I'll take it."

It won't feel like 10 if they squander this.

[NEPP]

Mayberry should have driven that ball hard the other way...instead he just weakly popped out.

Totally fvcked up at the plate right now.

[GBrettFan]

We really should have had more runs that inning.

[NEPP]

Our offense sucks.

[GTown_Dave]

Wow. That sucked.

[bay_area_phan]

In it's own way, that was even more spectacularly pathetic than anything which happened last night.

[phatti]

Can't believe we only got one run there.

Ok, maybe I can believe it.

[bay_area_phan]

Its. Not it's.

[GTown_Dave]

b_a_p: You're correct. The glory was extremely fleeting.

[Fatalotti]

Got caught up doing something, and forgot that the game started. Turn it on with the bases loaded, a run on the board, and 1 out. Seemed exciting. Two quick weak outs squashed any illusions I had that the Phillies might have a good offensive start tot the game.

[Hor E Bell]

clout: that made me laugh out loud

[Fatalotti]

Nice stuff by Worley out of the chute.

[Fatalotti]

Lee who?

[bay_area_phan]

Nice inning. Maybe Worley will have a good game and forever put to rest the notion that only Schneider can catch him.

[GBrettFan]

Oh, wow, I hadn't taken note of that. Chooch is catching Worley!

On the little sidebar I see the headline "Curtis Granderson hits three homers in first four innings". Wow. About 180 degrees different from anyone on the Phillies right now.

[MG]

Orland Hudson is only 34? Swear he seems like he is 37 or 38 and been around forever.

[MG]

Stunned Schneider is not in the lineup. Played in a whopping 2 games and hasn't finished either one.

Not sure who is more useless on this roster right now - Schneider or Orr.

[NEPP]

Orlando Hudson...a .329 OPS is good, right?

[Andrew]

GBrett, what's a homer?

[NEPP]

***what's a homer?***

Larry Anderson.

[Hugh Mulcahy]

Anybody watching the Pads' broadcast? Dick Enberg is a disembodied voice. He actually said "there are no soft spots in this Phillies lineup."

[Fatalotti]

That 2-seamer to get Baker was gorgeous!

[NEPP]

Heard that, Hugh...shocked me.

Good work by Vance getting out of that.

[Sophist]

Worley and the strike 3 looking.

[The Perils of Thinking]

That's the kind of pitching we need from Worley... what an escape.

[Hugh Mulcahy]

Impressive recovery for Worley after two ropes.

[GBrettFan]

Andrew - good question. I think it's short for "home run", which I believe is a hit that goes so far - out of the park, even? - that the batter can actually run all the way around the bases, back to home plate. Hence the name, "home run". This would mean that at least 1 run would score with one swing of the bat. Can you imagine such a thing?

Either that, or Granderson punched some fans or some guys named Homer.

[Fatalotti]

Hugh, I agree with him. Soft spots imply some level of resistance, which is too high a compliment to pay anyone in this roster.

I'd say this lineup is simply rife with holes.

[NEPP]

***Worley and the strike 3 looking. ***

His 2-seamer must be really deceptive as he sure seems to freeze a ton of batters with it.

[Fatalotti]

That's how bereft this team is of power: they have to go back to LAST YEAR for their Cold Hard Blast of the day!

[NEPP]

When you face a perennial CY level Ace like Joe Wieland, you have to get to him early or he just shuts you down. We really blew it in the 1st.

[The Perils of Thinking]

The Coors Light Cold Hard Blast used to be contemporary and not retrospective, did it not?

[Sophist]

He got Maybin looking with a cutter too. Right at the bottom of the zone.

[MG]

Wieland looks like he is settling. Ugh. Wonder how long it will be before this dink offense actually chases a starter early in the 4th or 5th inning.

[The Perils of Thinking]

Beat me to it, Fats...

[bay_area_phan]

The score-in-the-first-and-never-score-again motif is to the Phillies as cubism was to Picasso.

[Sophist]

Or was that Headley? He got Headley looking with a slider according to Pfx.

[GTown_Dave]

I suppose the prospect of offering a Coors Light Cold Hard Truth was deemed not inspirational enough.

[Hugh Mulcahy]

cold hard reality = sobering. Can't sell beer with that approach. Or, maybe you can but, then, Coors Light isn't really beer.

[MG]

Worley been impressive early.

[The Perils of Thinking]

I will say, as frustrating as the offense is, it sure ain't bad to watch the pitchers (and particularly the starters) work their half of the inning these days.

It keeps me going.

[MG]

Galvis makes 3 plays that inning including that really hard hit ball by Hudson and just makes them so routinely.

Just assume any ball that is to the right side of the 2nd base bag or that isn't too close to the 1B bag he has a shot at.

His overall defense has been the single most impressive thing from a positional player so far this year.

[Sophist]

Is it just me or is Mayberry missing very hittable pitches?

[Fatalotti]

I love you TMac..."that's gonna be a tough play"

As the RF glides calmly and slowly under the lazy fly ball, and grabs the can of corn with absolutely no trouble whatsoever.

[MG]

Please shut up Sarge about how this isn't only the Phils. It is.

[The Perils of Thinking]

Speaking of looking at the positives: I felt proud of Mayberry for not swinging at the outside pitch before the pop-up.

Sigh.

[Hugh Mulcahy]

It's not you, Sophist. Mayberry is all kinds of screwed up. All kinds of movement in every direction but toward teh pitch is what I see.

[NEPP]

Galvis is likely the best defensive 2B in baseball...which makes sense as he was considered the best defensive SS in the minors and his range is ridiculous for 2B. The most impressive thing about him is how natural he is at a completely new position. Regardless of 2B being "easier" than SS, its still a different position and he's taken to it quite well. It really bodes well for his potential as a super utility defender at SS, 2B and 3B if he cant hang due to his bat.

[MG]

Sophist - Been doing that since the start of spring. Desperately need him to start hitting and giving them a little pop.

This is ridiculous. Wieland looks like he has decent stuff but he is just mowing them down. Ugh.

Padres score 3 runs tonight and they win. Hope Worley can give the Phils 7 strong.

[GTown_Dave]

"My thought is to be aggressive, work the count ..."

-Sarge

[NEPP]

Mayberry is visibly slumping...which I actually take as sort of a positive. Its not like he's locked in and struggling, he's just out of sorts. Hopefully he can figure it out and get back into a groove and start hammering the ball again.

I know that sounds strange but I'm actually slightly positive about it hopefully being just a normal slump.

[Fatalotti]

Worley looks really good tonight. They might need him to be as dominant as Lee was last night to win tonight.

[Hugh Mulcahy]

uncanny with that 2 seamer

[MG]

Beautiful fastball. No chance except to foul that off.

[The Perils of Thinking]

Wow. I thought Sarge was hard to listen to about baseball until I heard his opinions on environmental awareness.

[Connie Mack]

Chris Wheeler turns 67 this August. Maybe the Phillies will throw him a great retirement party. Hell, give him his own bobble head. The hair can be attached with velcro; just like his. Here is a game that will help you get through the next broadcast. "The Chris Wheeler Drinking Game"

http://www.crossingbroad.com/2011/03/introducing-the-chris-wheeler-drinking-game.html

[MG]

TMac excusing making for Schneider is ridiculous.

Chooch is starting tonight because Worley had issues to work out? What you are blathering in coherently about?

Schneider f@cking sucks. That's the reason he isn't starting tonight.

Dick Enberg becomes more appealing by the half-inning.

[NEPP]

Worley's 2 seamer is a true plus pitch...and he knows how to use it effectively.

[Hugh Mulcahy]

Blatant proximity play by Galvis on that one.

[lorecore]

bap: good call on Worley needing a great start with Chooch catching. Any/every little bit of evidence to this organization that schiender is god damn pointless is a good thing.

As i'm typing this...the ump completely 180'd his strikezone with Worley this inning.

[MG]

Baker did Worley a favor there swinging first pitch after 2 BBs that inning.

[Hugh Mulcahy]

Ump seemed to shrink the outside corner for the lefties in that inning. No harm no foul, though. Worley has to be used to calls going both ways when he tries to paint so finely. Only one ball call that I thought was definitely a strike.

[Hugh Mulcahy]

A triple!!!!

Are those still legal?

[Sophist]

Well, here's Polanco's chance with a man on third.

[MG]

Pinball triple there and a little bit of an assist from Veneable.

[lorecore]

OK Charlie, you win. Polly can't score a guy from 3rd either.

[NEPP]

Pierre just earned himself another 6 weeks of starts.

[Hugh Mulcahy]

Polanco picked a bad time to hit one relatively squarely.

[NEPP]

Damnit Polly.

[MG]

Why the hell is that usher standing so closely next to Greg Murphy? How randomly do they pick the spots he is in the ballpark?

[NEPP]

Hitting with RISP? No, we dont offer that service here.

[GBrettFan]

Dammit, Jimmy.

[lorecore]

Jroll with 2 outs and 2 strikes with a man on third and Pence on deck.

TMac: Padres are probably reminding Wieland he's got a base open.

What a f'n idiot.

[MG]

:(

[limoguy]

'The Phillies carry a 22-4 lifetime mark at Petco Park into a key series with the Padres.'

In other words, if they don't play well in this series, we really do have a lot to worry about.

[DH Phils]

I think it speaks volumes about the current state of the offense that I came away from that inning pleased that Polanco hit the ball hard (having assumed he'd strand the runner).

[Sophist]

Rollins has managed a bunch of singles (14-49, 1 XBH), but had some ugly, ugly AB in RBI situations in the early going.

He's got 2 RBI and, going into tonight, is hitting .182/.308/.182 with RISP.

[Hugh Mulcahy]

barf

[johnnysanz3]

I didn't really like Pierre getting any starts...well ever, but if he keeps doing respectable, I guess I have to stop complaining sometime?

[Sophist]

Yeah, that RISP number comes with a .333 BAbip, which can only mean one thing: Ugly strikeouts. Coming into the game Rollins has struck out in 5 of his 11 AB with RISP and 6 of 19 AB with men on.