The Nationals' bullpen pitched five shutout innings to outlast the Phillies in a 4-3 defeat Friday night. The Phils should have plated a go-ahead run in the seventh, but Carlos Ruiz’s ball down the left-field line was ruled foul. Shane Victorino was also ruled out stealing third during Ruiz's at bat when he should have been called safe.
Beerleaguer: The bullpen is beginning to bump out the offense among the issues we're bitching about the most. The game marks the second time in three games the bullpen has surrendered late leads in extra innings. The offense shut it down after Strasburg, but they also didn't receive the shut-down innings they needed from the bullpen, including a key run surrendered in the sixth as Joe Savery and Jose Contreras let one by. Michael Schwimer got hung out to dry in the 11th, taking the loss in his third inning of work. Friday marked another occasion when Jonathan Papelbon remained seated as a win turn into a loss.
My policy this year is, if the Phils don't score in the 10th, on the road, go to bed.
Posted by: Best Season Ever | Saturday, May 05, 2012 at 06:46 AM
I just woke up, is Schwimer still in the game? Take him out already! Can't you see you're killing him?!?
Posted by: Matt | Saturday, May 05, 2012 at 06:56 AM
Wow - Heath Bell blew another one. Watched him blow it in the ninth Wednesday in San Francisco. He really looks brutal. Fat, jerky ...
Posted by: J. Weitzel | Saturday, May 05, 2012 at 07:01 AM
I like aggressive play, but should Victorino have been stealing in that situation?
Posted by: Marc H | Saturday, May 05, 2012 at 07:57 AM
The quote from Charlie yesterday should have been met with an entire barrage of questioning what he's "supposed to" do and not do. What a complete load of crap.
Posted by: lorecore | Saturday, May 05, 2012 at 08:10 AM
Tip of hte cap to Cowboy Joe West. Found a new way to screw us - don't show up for work.
Posted by: Hugh Mulcahy | Saturday, May 05, 2012 at 08:41 AM
Can't blame this on Swim. Everyone knew he was out of gas in the 11th.He wasn't going to pitch the 12th so why not bring in someone when he got in trouble?
OH RIGHT IF YOU GET 50 MIL TO CLOSE YOU CAN'T PITCH UNLESS YOUR TEAM IS AHEAD.
Guess we had to save Sanchez for tonight.It's only a couple of hours from LV and Reading. They could easily have someone there for tonight.
Some people in this organization need to get their head out otheir (---) before it's too late.
Posted by: jr | Saturday, May 05, 2012 at 08:56 AM
Victorino stealing third with our hottest hitter up. This team just doesn't get it. Its just pure vanity by Victorino.
Posted by: JRide | Saturday, May 05, 2012 at 09:19 AM
I don't get the Victorino criticism. You steal third with one out, if you can. He did. Ump just blew it.
Posted by: Hugh Mulcahy | Saturday, May 05, 2012 at 09:32 AM
The Papelbon stuff is overblown, at least for this game. He probably should have been in in the 11th just because he needs teh damn work. Still, they can't win a game in extras without a run and they couldn't buy one for most of this game, just like the others where Papelbon collected splinters. Since it's only one game, I'll give Mackanin the benefit of the doubt and say he would have used Papelbon in the 12th and 13th, he was just waiting to take Schwimmer out for a PH in the top of the 12th.
Posted by: Hugh Mulcahy | Saturday, May 05, 2012 at 09:35 AM
You can make an argument that not using Papelbon in the ninth or tenth innings was appropriate, since the team was on the road. I'm fine with that.
But when Schwimmer was out of gas in the 11th, the fact is that there was another pitcher available. This notion that the bullpen was empty so it was sink or Schwim is completely false. The coaching staff would rather give up than use Papelbon even if he's the only pitcher available.
So from now on in extra inning games, I'm turning the TV off. Why should I care if they don't?
Posted by: Iceman | Saturday, May 05, 2012 at 09:39 AM
vic has every right to steal third with 1 out and the game tied.the coaching staff better get their act together with the handling of the pen too. they're killin us here. why couldn't KK go one more inning? and why burn two pitchers in an inning? they toasted sanchez in atlanta and schwimmer last night! what a bunch of bozos' charlie is an a$$ as a game manager.
Posted by: Ryne Duren | Saturday, May 05, 2012 at 09:53 AM
I didn't have a problem with shelving Kendrick after 5. He got through the first 3-4 innings despite getting hit hard, repeatedly. How many double plays, caught stealings and baserunning boo boos can you get in one game? Sometimes, you fold your hand and cash in your chips.
Posted by: Hugh Mulcahy | Saturday, May 05, 2012 at 09:58 AM
They wouldn't give Grilli a chance,now what does Diekman have to do to get a shot?
Posted by: jr | Saturday, May 05, 2012 at 10:04 AM
Michael Taylor hitting .347/.390/.547 in Trip A (small sample of course) and will start tonight in LF for the A's.
Be funny if he turned out to be a better MLB player than Dom Brown.
Posted by: clout | Friday, May 04, 2012 at 06:23 PM"
Taylor was 0-3 with a K. David Price was on the hill for the Rays, and pitched 8 innings of 1-run baseball. He also struck out 11 other guys, including Cespedes twice.
Tough 1st MLB appearance for Taylor having to face Price.
He'll be interesting to watch.
Posted by: awh | Saturday, May 05, 2012 at 10:27 AM
In his other 2 AB, Taylor hit a deep fly ball to CF and lined out to LF.
Posted by: awh | Saturday, May 05, 2012 at 10:30 AM
jr - Diekman has only started coming into his own over the past year. He will get his chance in the bullpen.
Posted by: RedBurb | Saturday, May 05, 2012 at 10:30 AM
My first post got lost in cyberspace (or was scratched) because I called Joe West an a88hole, only I typed out the word.
West is one of those idiot umpires who's not only not very good at his job, but is also a douche who thinks the fans come to watch him make calls.
A cold? That's all? What a pu88y. He should be fired or suspended.
KK deserves some credit last night for going head-to-head with Strasburg.
Also, Chooch continues to impress.
Final thoughts: The Phillies lost the game last night to an incompetent umpire crew, not the Nationals.
Looking forward to the Vanimal/Gio matchup, and want to see what Harper does when he sees Vanimal's 2-seamer.
(And I hope I didn't just jinx Vanimal.)
Posted by: awh | Saturday, May 05, 2012 at 10:53 AM
I'm no fan of Joe West, but who knows how sick he is/was. Let's go easy on the name calling.
Posted by: Bedrosian's Beard | Saturday, May 05, 2012 at 10:56 AM
I don't have as much an issue with how th ebullpen is used as I do with how the bullpen is performing.
Right now, they're collectively pitching like crap.
Let's hope Vanimal can pull a "Blanton" tonight and pitch deep into the game.
Posted by: awh | Saturday, May 05, 2012 at 10:56 AM
Also, Phillies pitchers walked 7 men in 10.2 IP last night.
That is not a good prescription for success.
Posted by: awh | Saturday, May 05, 2012 at 10:59 AM
The problem with Vic stealing third is that he knew there was no umpire at third to make the call. He should have realized that it would be tough for the umps to get a close call correct.
Posted by: AFish | Saturday, May 05, 2012 at 11:01 AM
I can't bring myself to the point that I would criticize Joe West for not showing up for work. I'm just in awe of his ability to screw us without setting foot on the field.
Posted by: Hugh Mulcahy | Saturday, May 05, 2012 at 11:02 AM
AFish - isn't that a wash? They could just as easily call him safe when he was out, by that logic.
Posted by: Hugh Mulcahy | Saturday, May 05, 2012 at 11:06 AM
BedBeard: It was Cowpie Joe West. I would say that is going easy on the name calling.
Posted by: donc | Saturday, May 05, 2012 at 11:07 AM
"The Phillies lost the game last night to an incompetent umpire crew, not the Nationals."
Not really. The ump also blew the call on that Rollins throw to home plate. That would have resulted in at least one run for the Nationals -- possibly more, since there would still have been 1 out. The umpiring was lousy but the bad calls evened out.
Posted by: bay_area_phan | Saturday, May 05, 2012 at 11:11 AM
Yeah AFish. That makes no sense. It's also a losers way of thinking.
Posted by: donc | Saturday, May 05, 2012 at 11:12 AM
Phils are now 0-4 in extra inning games. All 4 games were on the road & Papelbon appeared in none of them. The losing pitchers in the 4 games were Blanton, Bastardo, Sanches & Scwhimer. This too: in 7 extra innings this year, the offense has scored 0 runs & gotten 2 hits -- both in the Giants game.
Posted by: bay_area_phan | Saturday, May 05, 2012 at 11:18 AM
The calls "evened out" just like Rollins is a below-average defensive SS, right BAP?
Posted by: Iceman | Saturday, May 05, 2012 at 11:19 AM
Who's to say West gets those calls right?
I can't really blame Schwimer. If you ask a RP to take 3 innings, you're taking a real chance of allowing a run to score. I will say it was a nice feeling back in '08 to have Durbin, Madson, Lidge lock down the games after the 6th.
I want to know why we couldn't score against the Nats' BP. We seemed to fizzle.
Posted by: GBrettfan | Saturday, May 05, 2012 at 11:21 AM
Chooch is batting 5th today!
Posted by: GBrettfan | Saturday, May 05, 2012 at 11:24 AM
Iceman: He's an average defensive shortstop with below average range.
Posted by: bay_area_phan | Saturday, May 05, 2012 at 11:35 AM
conspiracy therory. All close pitches for Phillies batters are strikes, all close pitches for Washington batters are balls. Home plate umpire takes off cap and holds it in front of his mouth while talking to Jason Werth in lst inning of Friday's game while Ruiz is out at mound. Wonder what he was saying that he had to hide his mouth. Then all the close calls going to Washington. Just maybe the umps are tired of the Phils winning or someone else is. Just saying.
Posted by: lhv | Saturday, May 05, 2012 at 10:02 PM
I'm just in awe of his ability to screw us without setting foot on the field.
Posted by: adammarley | Sunday, May 06, 2012 at 02:15 PM