Game chat: Phillies start short set with visiting Astros

Preview: The Phillies have treated the Astros like their own personal farm system the last two seasons, but today, only a half game separates them in the standings. The two sides begin a two-game series Monday at Citizens Bank Park. First pitch is 7:05. The Phillies go Rollins SS, Pierre LF, Victorino CF, Pence RF, Ruiz C, Polanco 3B, Mayberry 1B, Galvis 2B, Blanton P. Placido Polanco, who is having a good month, needs a hit to reach 2,000 in his career. Juan Pierre is hitting .364 with runners in scoring position and is a .444/.500/.481 hitter since May 3. Joe Blanton has terrific career numbers at home, and against the National League Central, so if the Phils can play between the raindrops, the odds are on their side to emerge with a 'W'.

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Comments

[Willard Preacher]

I'm oddly fixated on Joe Blanton starts of late. Hope the big guy keeps up the recent success. I'm pulling for him.

[GBrettFan]

I'm pulling like mad for every Phillies starter, because the BP scares me!

[Andy]

I'm pulling nose hairs because it's more fun than watching the Phils hit these days.

[GBrettFan]

LOL, Andy!

Per Salisbury tweet: Papelbon said he is available tonight. Slipped on mound Sun and tweaked his back, but he said he's ready to go.

I hope he really is ok. W/o him, it's just the Crap To Crap.

[NEPP]

The bullpen has gone from suck to blow.

[Meyer]

Hopefully the mound stays dry tonight. I'm stocking up for a 6 hour game.

[Scotch Man]

Has all the makings of an rain delayed, extra inning classic that ends in the wee small hours. With a loss of course.

[MG]

Love the Phils tonight at -165 for several reasons.

Astros have been a lousy road team, Blanton is at home, and Harrell is the definition of a marginal starter who has struggled to find command.

Problem is the damn rain. Only because of that I am staying away from this game.

[NEPP]

***Problem is the damn rain. Only because of that I am staying away from this game. ***

And that is why you can safely call yourself just a gambler instead of a degenerate gambler.

A degenerate would bet anyway.

[MG]

No complaints on that lineup either. Its arguably the best the Phils can trot out there right now especially with Nix on the DL & Wigginton turning back into a pumpkin.

[MG]

NEPP - True although all gamblers are degenerates to a degree. I just bet on thing that has some relatively decent odds to win.

[J.R. King]

I'm not a JMJ fan, but he's been hitting the ball hard recently.

[MG]

Mayberry has hit a bit more this month so far especially the last week or so:

May: .281/.333/.438 in 32 ABs & 3 XBHs

JRoll just continues to scuffle along.

May: .222/.263/.315 in 54 ABs & 3 XBHs

[awh, Founder - JRoll in the 6-hole Club]

"Hopefully the mound stays dry tonight. I'm stocking up for a 6 hour game."

Meyer, somehow, I think if you, me and ScotchMan ever watch a game together we might go through an awful lot of your stock!

[clout]

Polly in the 6 hole sounds like the lineup optimizer with a virus.

[MG]

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/broadcaster-rankings-tv-comments-and-questions/

Phils #26. Doesn't surprise me but without knowing some of the demographics of the survey respondents this is just Internet fan-boy stuff.

I still would argue that Sarge/TMac when they are would be among the top #10 worst TV broadcasters in MLB and probably top #5.

Not surprised the Dodgers were #1 but that is just because of adulation for Vin Scully. He misses an awful lot nowadays and Lyons never did much for me a color analyst on Fox. Tended to be amateurish and kind of a buffoon at times.

Agree on Mets and Giants. I would readily choose both of their TV crews commentary and mute the Phils for a broadcast. Already done that a few times this year.

[clout]

I'm gonna go out on a limb and disagree with BL posters who say Pierre is a .351 hitter and J-Roll is a .230 hitter, even though that's what today's stats say.

[clout]

I'll go even further out on that limb and say that Joe Blanton isn't one of the best pitchers in the NL.

[clout]

MG: What criteria go into the rankings? The problem here is that the radio team of LA & Franzke is among the best in baseball. The TV team is at rock bottom.

I wonder if any other team has such a huge gap between TV and radio?

[lorecore]

I'm with MG on the Phils, and i'll even go further and say i love the over 8 as well.

[gobaystars!]

That charisma analysis correlation is a red flag despite what the author says. I have my doubts about this survery. Still, Phills TV guys are awful. The whole set up on TV is bad. Too many promos, Gregg Murphy in the stands, awful guys in the booth. Scrap everything and keep Sarge.

[Fatalotti]

Polly is good at defense.

[MG]

Clout - They are going to do radio next and it was just for TV broadcasters only.

I didn't see how they defined Charisma and Analysis concepts. Does say they have an .88 correlation and gives an explanation on why (people don't care and don't seperate the two). That might be the case or it just be a conceptual definition fail and poor design. Not sure.

It also looks from the way the data clusters that they should have used a 7 or even 10-point scale instead of just a 5-point scale. Lots of overall ratings clustering.

[Fatalotti]

Two balls crushed, two outs. Thank you BAbip fairy.

[MG]

Polanco's been really hot lately.

[SLO Phan]

8 pitches. Praying for the rain to come.

[Fatalotti]

3 balls hit hard, 3 outs. F@#k you BAbip fairy!

[awh, Founder - JRoll in the 6-hole Club]

Franzke and LA are the best radio team I've heard - head and shoulders above some of the others.

The Yankees radio team is abominable (that Susan 'whatsername' should be muzzled). The Bosox' is better, but can be stilted and boring. The Mets radio crew is actually listenable.

Unfortunately, for a team in the 5th largest market, the Phillies inflict TBag on their loyal fans. I've never been a Wheels hater, and I'm agnostic about Sarge, but TBag is the always-ever-present sound that makes me want to turn the set off.

I actually dislike TBag so much that sometimes I'll change channels for half an inning just to take a break.

[awh, Founder - JRoll in the 6-hole Club]

Fatti, I'm OK with the hard hit balls, but it seems to me that when you face a pitcher with command issues, maybe, jsut maybe, you should work the count and run up the number of pitches.

[MG]

Yeah TMac the 'new parts' and they 'have to gel.'

That really matters that much what happens on the field.

[awh, Founder - JRoll in the 6-hole Club]

MG, TBag is just awful. AWFUL.

Piss-poor.

Dear Dave Montgomery:

You have put a mediocre product on the field this year. At the very least, you could rid us of this horrible excuse for a broadcaster.

[awh, Founder - JRoll in the 6-hole Club]

I'll bet Pence wings first pitch.

[MG]

Blanton hasn't been particularly sharp but it helps this Astros' team has almost no power.

Blanton can actually make some mistakes against them especially with his fastball.

[awh, Founder - JRoll in the 6-hole Club]

Happily wrong.

[awh, Founder - JRoll in the 6-hole Club]

Freddy makes that play.

[MG]

Ugh.

[Fatalotti]

That double play couldn't have been easier. It probably would have landed on second base if Altuve didn't catch it.

[awh, Founder - JRoll in the 6-hole Club]

Polly walks.....and ice starts to form in hell.

[MG]

Harrell's sinker is going to eat Mayberry up tonight.

[awh, Founder - JRoll in the 6-hole Club]

MG, I predict he leaves on up to RFD.

[awh, Founder - JRoll in the 6-hole Club]

There it was and he missed it.

[MG]

No surprise. Mayberry has been just had awful AB after awful AB vs RHP.

Now 9-46 with a .468 OPS in 46 ABs.

[Fatalotti]

Easiest trivia question they've ever had. Obviously Hunter Pence.

[MG]

Harrell is just a sinker/fastball guy who has had moderate control at best.

As handicapped as this lineup is right now, good chance he shuts down them down over 6 IP tonight to a 1 R or less.

[MG]

Not a bad idea by Galvis there. Johnson sucks defensively but that just wasn't a very good bunt by Galvis down the line. Johnson was also playing in.

Something Galvis really needs to work. Even adding several bunt base hits a year would help his numbers a bit.

[MG]

I know the bullpen numbers are terrible but they still have Papelbon back there & a good chance that they can put a starter out there every night who can give them 7 solid IP.

This starting lineup & bench especially with Nix out/Wigginton ailing sucks. Phils are scoring more runs this month but man it is tough to watch this lineup on a nightly basis.

[MG]

Hahaha. Lee tagged up to 2nd on a pop fly ball to LF. What a rag arm Pierre has.

[awh, Founder - JRoll in the 6-hole Club]

MG, they're tough to watch becuase they're inconsistent from PA to PA. For instance, one of the hitters will have a great AB and look like he has it all together, and then look like he just got promoted from low-A ball the next time you see him.

[NEPP]

The upside with the rain is that we turn this into a bullpen game and that is automatically advantage Phillies.

Right?

[Willard Preacher]

MG, the shocking thing to me wasn't that someone tagged up from first on a ball to Pierre, but that LEE (someone who's never found his name in the same sentence as "quick") tagged up on Pierre. Very definition of a rag arm.

[awh, Founder - JRoll in the 6-hole Club]

BTW, MG, if itcomes down to a battle of the bullpens, Astros have a huge advantage.

Their bullpen has a 2.70 ERA and 1.180 WHIP in 100 IP.

[Willard Preacher]

We might get a chance to see what the Iron Pigs 'pen pitchers have though.

At least we have the optimism of not yet having been let down by them...

[awh, Founder - JRoll in the 6-hole Club]

MG, we have 2 reasons to call him "Pop Gun" Pierre: His bat and his arm.

[NEPP]

***Astros have a huge advantage.***

I dont see how. A couple of our guys havent let up a run all season...at the MLB level.

[MG]

Willard Preacher - Its sad/funny to hear Sarge blather on about how Lee is a professional hitter, really consistent, blah blah.

He doesn't remotely do any work before a series begins & a team comes into town. No f@cking clue the first game of a series especially on a team that the Phils haven't played because he simply does ZERO prep.

[Willard Preacher]

MG, essentially, he's the anti-Utley. It's a shame.

Life ain't fair.

[Fatalotti]

Replacement level pitcher with major control problems shutting down the Phillies through the first 4 innings. Raise your hands if you saw this one coming.

Come on, don't be shy.

[awh, Founder - JRoll in the 6-hole Club]

Right down the middle to Pence and he takes it.

[MG]

Willard - I don't mind Sarge when he actually decides to talk about what is going on & do some analysis. He does know hitting.

He just talks in cliches a lot, jabbers on including over the action & even over TMac at times, and does zero prep work on the opposing team.

[NEPP]

This game is flying by.

[SLO Phan]

Come on rain...The Phils will never get a run off this second coming of Cy Young.

[MG]

Unannounced starter tomorrow for the Astros (or Starter X as I will call him) has to love his chances tomorrow against this lineup.

[MG]

Blanton's had a really good sinker/cutter combo tonight especially the last few innings.

Offense need to give him something.

[NEPP]

If somebody can score a run, this game might be over by 9pm.

[NEPP]

Nice effort Polly.

[MG]

C'mon Freddy!

[awh, Founder - JRoll in the 6-hole Club]

I thought that was a hit by RFD, but Lowrie did a nice job getting there. But thank goodness for sticky fingers.

[awh, Founder - JRoll in the 6-hole Club]

FREDDY!

[MG]

Nice job Freddy.

[GBrettFan]

Is it just me, or does it seem like Galvis is more clutch than anyone else in this lineup outside of Chooch?

[MG]

Good AB by Freddy. Knew that he wanted to look for a fastball that AB and lay off the sinker. Solid approach & a nice swing.

[JRide]

Right now, freddy galvis is a better offensive player than Rollins.

[GBrettFan]

Why would they walk Jimmy to pitch to Pierre? Have they not looked at stats for this year?

[MG]

Got a run and a hit with RISP that inning.

[awh, Founder - JRoll in the 6-hole Club]

GBrett, Freddy is hitting .206/.250/.382 with RISP, but he's hitting .240/.283/.400 with men on base - before tonights game.

Pop Gun displaying power with the bases loaded.

[bay_area_phan]

"Why would they walk Jimmy to pitch to Pierre?"

Probably because the pitcher was already behind 3-0 and didn't want to throw him a fastball down the middle of the plate. Seems to have been a good decision, unfortunately.

[MG]

Friend at the game tonight texted me. Said maybe 60% full at by the end of the 1st. Lots of no-shows.

[NEPP]

Galvis=MVP

[Iceman]

If Carlos Lee isn't a starter on the Phillie-killer team, he's at least the first bat off the bench.

The guy is Manny Ramirez in his prime whenever he sees red pinstripes.

[can_of_corn]

GBrett I agree about. Freddy. What I also like is that he seems to be trying to improve and is working hard. I would love to see some kind of math showing a salary to productivity ratio for the most frequent starters in the lineup. Would Freddy be first? Even Brian Schneider would probably look better than Jimmy, Vic, and Pence.

[clout]

Blanton has had superb command all season. Hope it continues.

[MG]

Blanton's had a very good outing so far. Now the tough call is how far does Cholly try to push him tonight.

[GBrettFan]

Thanks for answering my questions, guys.

Maybe I just notice Freddy's big hits because I don't expect anything from him at the plate. Just like Pence's failure to come through in the clutch is glaring to me because I expect him to produce.

[NEPP]

Carlos Lee is at least a pretty good player over his career.

[MG]

Another Pence fail.

[Iceman]

I'm sure the boos aren't helping Pence, but he deserves every bit of it.

[NEPP]

Clutch as always, Hunter.

[MG]

Pence hearing some boos there too.

No boos for Choooocchhhh!

[BobbyD]

Pence and Ruiz - what a contrast right now.

[awh, Founder - JRoll in the 6-hole Club]

Pence is in a funk. He could use a day off, I'm sure, but how can Charlie sit him?

CHOOOOOOOCH!

[The Perils of Thinking]

That's how you do it, Hunter.

[EastFallowfield]

Pence trying to catch Lee on the Phillies killer list.

[NEPP]

Chooch is just awesome.

[GBrettFan]

can_of_corn - You asked me a question earlier today, about whether Cole Hamels got a standing ovation yesterday. I am sorry that I don't know the answer - The friends I went with wanted to eat at Harry The K's, and the line was long and slow. It was easily 45 minutes before we were seated - during which time the players were announced. I can tell you that there was a big cheer when Cole's name was announced, but I didn't notice whether folks stood up.

Freddy's youth & effort are exciting. I'd love for him to develop into a decent bat. Who wouldn't?

Good for Vic & Chooch!!

[awh, Founder - JRoll in the 6-hole Club]

2nd time tonight Polly has erased Chooch at 2B.

[Fatalotti]

Mayberry with just the sterling .256 OBP. Remember how we said he couldn't be worse than Ibanez was last year.

Yeah...

[awh, Founder - JRoll in the 6-hole Club]

OK RFD! He smoked that. If it was up it would have been gone.

[NEPP]

Mayberry really seems to be coming out of it lately..which is huge.

[Iceman]

I just looked at Lee's numbers against Philly and they aren't that startling. A little bit better than his career averages. Kind of surprising.

His numbers at CBP though are very good:

.317/.330/.673 with a 1.003 OPS.

[The Perils of Thinking]

First pitcher to get pulled instead of being allowed to face the RBI threat that is Freddy Galvis?