Game chat: Phils, Nats ready for a watershed moment

The division-leading Nationals are ready to take franchise saviors Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper out for a spin against their long-time suppressors.

Beerleaguer: And so it begins, the next step in this budding baseball rivalry. And if the Nationals had it their way, a changing of the guard atop the division. Tonight, the aging, vulnerable rulers of the National League East face their young, cocky challengers in their first meeting of 2012, beginning with April Pitcher of the Month Stephen Strasburg (2-0, 1.13). There's rarely been a meeting between these two franchises that has inspired less confidence than this one. Kyle Kendrick, who has been shaky, opposes Strasburg, who will be followed in this series by Gio Gonzalez, of a 1.82 ERA, and Jordan Zimmerman, of a 1.89.

Meanwhile, 19-year-old Bryce Harper has already graduated to the middle of the Nationals' lineup and has delivered four extra-base hits, all doubles, since last week's promotion. Conversely, the middle of the Phillies' lineup, Chase Utley and Ryan Howard, are rehabbing without a timetable as the Phils continue to patch up the pieces.

And while the Nationals carry much excitement and momentum into this series, the Phils are on better footing than they were out West, having taken two-of-three in Atlanta and distancing themselves from the great unwashed in terms of offensive production. Among their NL peers, they're eighth in runs and 11th in OPS (.662) - and those are significantly higher numbers than tonight's adversaries.

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Comments

[can_of_corn]

Schwim didn't lose this, just like Sanches didn't lose it the other night. It was the sh$&&ty coaching decision to keep Pap "just in case" Crap

[Bill]

A complete waste of $50 million if Pap is only used when the Phils are up 3 runs.

[bay_area_phan]

I'm not going to excuse Cholly/Mackanin's non-use of Papelbon tonight. As always, it's stupid beyond description. But, at the same time, one scoreless inning from the bullpen would not have helped them win on a night when they managed but 6 hits and completely shut it down after the 5th inning.

[GBrettfan]

I agree with MG that it was asking too much of Schwimer to come in for a 3rd inning and expect him to succeed. Feel kinda bad for the kid. A bit.

(Bataan Death March - good choice of words, MG.)

[Marc H]

The person who compared this season to the 1984 season made a valid comparison. That was a whole summer of games like this.

These games are getting tough to take night in and night out.

[mainerob]

Now, how about those two blown calls that prevented a win in nine!!!!

[GBrettfan]

Why did the coaches/Charlie take out Ruiz? I didn't get that.

[Iceman]

They scored a run after the fifth. It was erased by the umpires. They got jobbed.

Still, the manager, whoever he was tonight, just decided that he didn't care about winning the game and left Schwimmer out there to get murdered. It's a complete joke. I am just turning off tie games after the 8th inning from now on and will no longer care what happens. Just like our manager(s).

[Pblunts]

Iceman, Beerleaguer needs a "like" button. So sick of watching awful managing. To G Town's point, the non- use of Pappelbon in these type of games is absurd. You can't use him every time, but the mindset of not using him in tie games like this- what, in case there MIGHT be a save opportunity the next day- is ridiculous.

[cut_fastball]

Iceman -- No fair calling out others on negativity (hell, I agree!!). Regardless, despite the brilliant pitching, the moronic managing and offensive impotence does make this look like a 78-win season.

Anytime KK hands you the lead with Strasburg on the mound and you engineer a way to lose... there are no words.

[Marc H]

Was the Lombardozzi ground ball single that started the Nats 11th catch-able?

[mainerob]

No, extremely bad and disrespectful choice of words, MG and GBrettfan. I normally enjoy your posts and viewpoints, but in this case, you two are dishonoring one of the worst atrocities in the history of humankind and it was perpetrated against US, British and other Allied soldiers.

As much as this and recent losses piss me off, I will never use that kind of analogy. This is our entertainment and it should never be equated to atrocities such as this.

[let's eat]

this was a winnable game... there are lots of fingers to point at..at this point--why bother

it maybe the only winnable game in the series - with GG on the hill tomorrow and zimmmmmmmermannnn on the hill Sunday

[MG]

mainerob - Its a baseball blog. Yes I realize what I was referring to. No big deal.

[MG]

Ugly game all around. Poor fielding by both teams with really 6-7 plays that could have been ruled errors, couple of base running blunders by both teams, and terrible umpiring sans West.

[GTown_Dave]

And just because we all know damn well it's gonna come up sooner or later (clout), Kyle pitched a decent game. He didn't earn the "LG", but I'll take results over aesthetics any day. Kendrick did as much as he could for as long as he was asked, & that ought to have been enough.

[Raul's grandpa]

This is the institutional failure of the team and they all appear to have "bought in" to the way they are playing. Nobody complains, no errant tweets or leaks. Everybody may be pissed off with losing like this or how they use the bullpen or manage the order but nobody appears to be in the position to complain. Maybe they like Charlie too much or realize they suck but it is not triggering anything. They win, they lose, no biggie. You can't expect Shwimmer to make what is in essence a quality start until the offense kicks in. Bleh.

[GTown_Dave]

If the Phils had won even 2 of those 5 games, they'd be 15-12. Relying on everyone but the only good reliever they have is really hurting this team. FREE PAPELBON!

[Lake Fred]

The bliss and good feelings from Blanton's masterpiece were washed away tonight. I guess they Schwimmed away.

[Meyer]

Umps bought into Natitude.

[Voice of Reason]

Not using papelbon the other night w an 8th inning lead was a mistake. But not using him tonight in a tie game makes sense. What if he does come in and get out of the 11th -- and then we don't score in the 12th? We no longer have Wilson Valdez.

[Meyer]

Papelbon better be ready to throw 3 innings tomorrow.

[gobaystars!]

Tired of conceding all extra inning games.

[Dreamer]

Who's this papelbon guy everyone's talking about?

[Meyer]

I suppose the baseball gods have instituted some extra inning crooked number clock when nobody was watching.

[GTown_Dave]

Gelb: Phillies bullpen has lost five games late without Papelbon pitching. Charlie: "I'm not supposed to use him. I don’t get a chance to use him. We're not supposed to use him. We’re not going to burn him out early in the season when we can’t get to him."

$50 million well spent.

[NEPP]

Papelbon is well rested at least.

That's all I've got.

[sdphillie]

Name: Jonathan Papelbon
Last Seen: Too long.

[MG]

VoR - agreed. Qualls didnt get the job done tonight and I understand why Papelbon wasn't brought into the game tonight.

[bay_area_phan]

"What if he does come in and get out of the 11th -- and then we don't score in the 12th?"

We'll never know, since we never got to play the 12th.

[Dragon]

Tough loss. Just have to win the next two.

[MG]

- Schwimer's overall line looked bad tonight but he simply ran out of gas in the 11th. He looked better tonight than the other night but he is still getting behind in the count way too often.

- Qualls pitched timidly tonight. He was nibbling the entire 8th inning trying to pitch on the outside corner.

Really miscast as a setup man. Pitches to contact & on nights like tonight where doesn't have a good feel for that sinker he is going to struggle because he only has two pitches (sinker/slider).

- 2nd game in a row where Contreras had zero command and it really hurt the Phils. 'Erratic' would be the best word to describe him so far because the Phils' have no idea what he will have when he steps on the mound.

- Normally you can't say the umpires cost the Phils the game but tonight they clearly did. Chooch's ball down the 1st base line was clearly a fair ball that went over the bag. Ditto Vic being safe at 3rd. Both were easy calls that were blown badly. Ended up costing the Phils a run both times which would have been the difference in the game.

You know when someone like Wheels starts to lose it using adjectives like 'inept' and 'horrendous' to describe the umps tonight it was really poor umpiring. Most worked up I have heard Wheels in a long time.

- That said the Phils offense went to sleep tonight after the 5th. The Nats had 13 base runners in 6 IP by the Phils' bullpen including 5 BBs. Kind of a surprise the Nats' only scored 2 runs. Phils had a total of 5 base runners in the 5 IP by the Nats' bullpen tonight including just 1 BB.

- Teams continues to waste ABs and PT on Schneider and Orr when there are better players available (Kratz and Fontenot at Lehigh).

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[Luis]

I kind of feel bad for Schwimer been left to dry twice. It seems the Phils some what abandon the small ball plan, and the few times they tried it they have failed. This team cannot rely on the long ball solely nor should they be relying on Chooch to carry them.

[Luis]

Yeah Fontenot is the savior...He'll be called up soon enough...Fontenot and Martinez tandem..I do agree they should give a shot to Kratz..For some reason i get the feeling they dont like this guy...He cant do no worse than Schneider with the bat..

[Steve]

The coaching staff is putting this team in a position to fail, which is the complete opposite of whst they are paid to do.

[kuvasz]

Perhaps using Papelbon as the Phils do is based upon wanting his arm to survive to complete his four year contract. Lidge was never the same after 2008, except the team signed him to another contract AFTER it.

[AJF]

kuvasz - The Lidge/Papelbon comparison is problematic. Lidge had a history of erratic performance even before 2008, so his checkered career since then is not a surprise. Papelbon's track record is much better.

If Papelbon can bring a WS championship to CBP in 2012, he'll be worth every penny - no matter what it takes. He could spend the following three years on the disabled list and it will still be better than hiding him away in the china cabinet for four years while he nails down the occasional 3-out save for .500 Phillies teams.

[Luis]

Didnt know Papelhead could hit as well to bring us a championship...

[Fatalotti]

So Phillies go extra inning on the road and don't use Papelbon again.

Shocker.

Can anyone still argue that this is the correct way to use your bullpen?

Look, the offense needs to score, but they are out there trying. Manuel is not even trying to help this team win. He's just managing "by the book". With that kind of robotic managing, do we even need him in the dugout? Just tell him to put out a rule book, and take a nap.

[A-Train]

I'm wondering if the game went 3 more innings...would they have run out Schwimmer to pitch each one? Every other pitcher seems to only be able to throw one inning. Why in the world would they put Schwim in a position where he had to keep pitching until the offense scored or he lost the game?