Game chat: You know what ...

... here's the dang lineup: Pierre, LF; Orr, 2B; Rollins, SS; Pence, RF; Victorino, CF; Wigginton, 3B; Nix, 1B; Schneider, C; Worley, P. Hunter Pence, who reportedly couldn't raise his arm over his head Monday, is back in the lineup following a precautionary MRI, claiming that he feels fine and is a "fast healer." You know, like Wolverine. Pete Orr has the privelege of hitting second. He has more extra-base hits than one-hole hitter Juan Pierre, two-hole fixture Placido Polanco, and as many as three-hole hitter Jimmy Rollins. So why not? Freddy Galvis sits. He's 1-for-his-last-11 plate appearances. Wigginton, on the other hand, has been a pleasant surprise offensively. He's hitting .308/.378/.436. I'm ready for some 9:40 p.m. Phillies-Diamondbacks, Tuesday night in April magic. Are you? [Jump to the newest comments]

Comments

[Scotch Man]

Definitely a win tonight. Write it down.

[fumphis]

The biggest question I can see going into this game is how likely it is that Pence will end up needing a brutally long DL stint as a result of this idiocy.

[awh]

Mayberry just had a 2-hit game and hit the ball very hard a third time.

I'm surprised Charlie didn't start him again tonight in LF, especially for defensive purposes, even with a RHP on the mound.

Gotta find out whether he can sustain the success.

[MG]

Starting Orr tonight vs a finesse RHP like Collmenter? Fine.

Hitting him #2? Puzzling.

Reasoning by Cholly literally is 'Polanco is out, Orr is in and will hit #2' Why not hit Vic #2, Wigginton #5, Orr #7? If he doesn't want so many LH hitters at the end of the lineup, simply put Nix #5, Wigginton #6.

This lineup stinks. It doesn't help when Cholly makes it even more challenging with a less than ideal lineup.

[Hugh Mulcahy]

I love the wolverine standard being established to separate the men from the [insert culturally sensitive comparison].

[MG]

awh - Nix is a good matchup tonight vs. a finesse RHP like Collmenter. It's a solid call.

fumphis - Pretty much. Almost guaranteed the MRI didn't show any structural damage, that Pence is still hurt to some degree though & risks aggravating the injury further, and Pence is playing tough guy telling them he is ready to play in his effort to help the team.

[awh]

I woulda done this if I 'had' to put Schneider in the lineup:

Rollins SS
RFD 1B
Vic CF
Pence RF
Nix LF
Wiggy 3B
Orr 2B
Schneider C
Worley

[awh]

MG,it's possible Pence has a mild sprain which improves if he doesn't use the shoulder.

The risk is aggravating it and making it much worse.

[Easedel]

Mayberry could have gone 4 for 4 with 4 grandslams and would still be sitting. Look how long it took Chollie to put him in last year more over Ibanez

[GTown_Dave]

Ryan Zimmerman's out for DC? What is it w/ shoulders this week? And does he, too, possess Wolverine-like powers of healing?

[Fatalotti]

I know I wrote a few posts last year claiming that Jair Jurjjens would come back to Earth after his start and All Star selection.

I had no idea that he'd crater down to Earth, crash into a volcano, and get petrified in the volcanic rock. Braves demoted him to AAA.

[Fatalotti]

Also, Worley may have a legitimate claim to being a more dangerous hitter than 2-3 of our regulars.

[goody]

don't agree with awh. PA is a mid-atlantic state, not part of the northeast.

[Dreamer]

goody, I have never heard of PA not being considered part of the NE. Mid-atlantic start in MD.

[Dreamer]

"starts"

[Dreamer]

although according to wikipedia, PA is both in the northeast and mid-atlantic. now I'm confused.

[Luis]

I may watch this one for shi* and giggles. Heres one and i actually believe this. Orr does most everything fundamentally right the guy just doesnt have the talent. The few AB i have seen him take, he fouls off swings when he has 2 strikes to try and foul off. He is positioned where he is suppose to be and backups plays where and when he suppose to etc. Also i can tell he is trying. U can tell when someone is trying versus just going through the motions. Especially since iam that guy that likes to go through the motions.

[Fatalotti]

Man, if Darvish can improve his command, he'll be really good. He has some really great offspeed stuff, and he can pump the fastball up around 95-97.

He just made Teixera look foolish on that last AB.

[goody]

Dreamer: You can probably divide PA into northern and southern halves for that.

[Fatalotti]

And he just made Swisher look bad on 3 straight curveballs. Then he got Raul on the grounder-to-2nd special.

[GTown_Dave]

The thing which I find most striking about Pete Orr is that he appears to be a fast runner ... but then, looking back, I can't seem to remember him beating out a close play at any base. Ever.

[Hugh Mulcahy]

PA is both a northeastern state and a mid-atlantic state with more of the state being the latter. Basically, the 'east coast', which figuratively ends somewhere between Assateague and Virginia Beach. It also has Pittsburgh, which considers itself an east coast city, but which is really the Gateway to the Midwest (in addition to being the biggest city in Appalachia and, the Crown Jewel of the Rust Belt).

[Dreamer]

Thanks to Hugh and goody for the clarification...Beerleaguer: Come for the baseball discussions, stay for the the geography lessons

[Luis]

I hear that G-town. I think he is quick but i dont think he possesses that type of speed.

[awh]

Link on the right says Dontrelle is filing a grievance against the O's.

[MG]

People are carping about Mayberry not playing against a finesse RHP who has a really good changeup (the one offspeed pitch that Mayberry really struggles to hit)?

Ridiculous. Its a bad matchup and starting Nix is an easy call tonight.

[awh]

MG, carping? WTF is carping? And do you even read what other people post?

(BTW, I find it hillarious that you, of all people, accuse oters here of carping.)

[goody]

Dreamer: I come for the baseball and the laughs, but you can get a well rounded education on here on everything from legal opinions to scrapple.

[NEPP]

Another night, another quality start for 49 years young Jamie Moyer.

6 IP, 1 ER, ND.

[awh]

NEPP, it appears Moyer can still pitch, no?

[MG]

awh - "Mayberry could have gone 4 for 4 with 4 grandslams and would still be sitting. Look how long it took Chollie to put him in last year more over Ibanez"

The numbers and matchup favors Nix pretty strongly tonight. That's all.

[NEPP]

Looks like it, awh.

[NEPP]

Its hard to argue against starting Pierre in LF when he's basically the only guy on the team currently hitting.

[GBrettFan]

What is Pierre thinking about, running against a catcher with a good arm? He seems to have a knack for running himself into outs.

[GTown_Dave]

My dislike of Juan Pierre grows stronger by the moment.

[bay_area_phan]

No comment, other than "no comment."

[NEPP]

But then he does something like that and makes you want to drive him off into the Pine Barrens and leave him for dead.

[phatti]

Anybody remember the scene in Major League on Opening Day when Willie Mays Hayes gets a single to start the season, and Uecker says something like "maybe it's a good omen" and then Hayes immediately gets picked off.

I kinda just felt like that.

[DH Phils]

Yet another Phillies half-inning with less clock-time than the commercial break.

[Scott]

The only real question in my mind was whether he'd get picked off, or caught stealing. There were no other options.

[bay_area_phan]

"The only real question in my mind was whether he'd get picked off, or caught stealing. There were no other options."

Yep. The second he reached base, I told myself, "He's going to try stealing and get caught by a mile."

[NEPP]

8 pitches.

There is zero chance UC will stop starting Pierre. His speed is laughable at this point. Every single SB attempt this year as been either super close for a questionable safe call or he's out by 5 feet.

[MG]

Trying to steal against one of the best throwing catchers in MLB. Ugh.

Juan Pierre Intangibles Rating - Low.

[bay_area_phan]

The good news, however, is that we've assembled the best defense that money can buy for Worley tonight.

[Hugh Mulcahy]

Rollins will snap out of his 3 for 30 funk. Pierre will never be a base stealer again. This guy is 3 for 5, officially, with a pickoff that should make him 3 for 6. In reality, he was out two other times. It's pathetic watching him run. Guy has to pick his spots alot more judiciously.

[MG]

3 SB, 2 CS (1 pickoff) for Pierre.

As Red Foreman would say, 'You dumba$$.'

[NEPP]

I guess that whole "Ruiz is allowed to catch Worley" thing in SD was a fluke.

[bay_area_phan]

"Juan Pierre Intangibles Rating - Low."

Juan Pierre's intangibles are so bad they're actually tangibly bad.

[Fatalotti]

Probably the most valuable thing Orr will do all day.

[phatti]

Schneider has to start some games, so they may as well be games Worley pitches when there's a righthander pitching for the other team, right?

Of course, it would be better if Schneider wasn't on the team, but he is.

[NEPP]

The Phillies should look around at all the empty seats so they will be prepared for what CBP will look like in September if they keep playing like this.

[MG]

phatti - Exactly. Schneider needs to start at some point & if Worley likes working him so be it. Good a time as any to start him especially with a RHP on the mound.

[NEPP]

Remember last year when a bunch of people said we should trade Hamels for Upton and we made fun of them?

Hmm...

[phatti]

I really don't remember Pence always going after that high fastball last year. Is this a new, unwelcome development, or am I just forgetting things?

[Fatalotti]

Ho hum.

Crappy lineup is crappy.

[NEPP]

Sometimes you just have to tip your cap when you face a Cy Young quality pitcher like Collmenter.

Nothing you can do.

[GTown_Dave]

Gelb: "Hunter Pence's injured shoulder has not affected his ability to chase pitches out of the strike zone."

[fumphis]

DBacks announcers trying to wrap their heads around the concept of BABIP.

[NEPP]

Pence probably feels like he's the only threat in the entire lineup and he is thus pressing.

You'd think he'd be used to that after playing in Houston for so long.

[phatti]

Hey, at least we had two warning track fly balls and a just foul home run... maybe something good will happen.

[lets eat]

phatti- Pence is just trying to model his hitting after others in the Phillies lineup. ( Swing and keep on swinging).. I think he has accomplished his goal.

[Bill]

Sadly Ransom would look good on our bench.

[MG]

They get shut out tonight by Collmenter over 8 IP and it is time to waive the white flag offensively.

Only went 8 IP in 1 start last year. Did go several times 7 IP last year but only held a team scoreless twice in in 24 GS.

[joe l]

I love the new mlb.tv audio overlay function, but if it ever needs to buffer, it resets the audio feed to the television. The timing on the latest glitch was perfect as I came in just as TMac botched Wheels mlb.tv plug.

/watching on my own MacBook Proooo.

[lets eat]

ransom was on our bench once/// did we release him last year or the year before?

[GBrettFan]

Nice hit, Nix!

[Fatalotti]

Finally someone hits a rocket, over an outfielder's head, and he can't even make it past 1B. Unfortunate.

[bay_area_phan]

Nix should really be batting a lot higher than 7th. He could even bat cleanup in this lineup.

[lets eat]

nice hitting by nix, and really fleet of foot

[GTown_Dave]

And he drives one deeeeep ... for a single.

[NEPP]

Maybe start using Nix in LF vs RHP over Idiot McCaughtStealing?

[bay_area_phan]

We've actually hit the ball hard tonight, but have had some bad luck on Wigginton's foul ball, Shane's near-miss, and now this.

[GBrettFan]

Worley needs bunting lessons.

[lets eat]

well placed bunt..

[Brett]

On Collmenter: He had some really great stretches last year. That being said, he sucks.

On Pierre: Where is Davy Lopes?

On Scrapple: Ketchup. mmm

[bay_area_phan]

When Pierre is up, I actually root for him to reach base on an error -- thereby helping our scoring chances without increasing his batting average or OBP.

[NEPP]

Scrapple can taste good...if you fry it really hard and then use a bunch of ketchup.

I'm going to go buy scrapple tomorrow now as I havent had it in a good 10 years and for some reason, one of the grocery stores up in VT carries Hatfield meat and usually has scrapple.

[GTown_Dave]

I prefer horseradish on my scrapple (& eggs). Tabasco is a solid fallback.

[lets eat]

Podsednik must cringe at the thought of Pierre in the majors -- really stinging the ball and burning up the base pads.. while he's in the minors..

soon- he will eligible to be picked up by a ML club -- and then he'll probably come back to burn the Phillies

[NEPP]

Well, tabasco makes everything better.

[lets eat]

nepp - tabasco should help the phillies offense

[NEPP]

***tabasco should help the phillies offense***

Well, it could help the pitchers get a little bit more movement on their pitches.

[phatti]

Let's eat: Pods is hitting .200/.313/.200 in the minors, so not exactly tearing it up. He's 3 for 4 on stolen base attempts, so at least there's that.

[The Truth Injection]

Scrapple is great- I don't care what gets put into it. If it is made right- much like any meat- it doesn't need anything put on it.

[Fatalotti]

This Darvish start has been the best pitching performance I've watched so far this season. He is eating this Yankees lineup alive. His curveball, tailing fastball to lefties and his cutter to righties...reminds of Doc on a good night.

[Fatalotti]

Pete Orr, on-base machine.

[NEPP]

Funny story, I benched Darvish in one of my FBB leagues.

Oops.

[lets eat]

pods - was tearing it up in ST.. fwiw

[NEPP]

Clutch as always, Jimmy.

[Fatalotti]

Finally!!!

[sdphillie]

I've got that guy on my fantasy baseball team!

7 points!

[GTown_Dave]

HOME RUN PAYOFF INNING!

[phatti]

Wait, we're allowed to hit the ball over the fence? Maybe they should send a memo to the rest of the team.

[NEPP]

PENCETASTIC!!!

[lets eat]

pence!

should have been a 3 run homer - mr rollins

[HammRadio]

NIXINGTON!

[Fatalotti]

Wiggy's had a nice start to the season. He'll come back to Earth, but hopefully he can keep this up and help this stagnant offense win a couple games.

Nix is swinging a HOT BAT!!

[NEPP]

How scary is it that Wigginton has been our most consistent hitter this year?

[GTown_Dave]

HOME RUN PAYOFF INNING!!

[sdphillie]

my goodness, what gives?

not that I'm complaining...