Game chat: Phils call in cavalry to survive series

Left-hander Jeremy Horst, who came to the Phillies from the Reds in the Wilson Valdez trade, joins fellow call-up Brian Sanches in a revamped bullpen when the Philies and Pirates conclude their four-game set. First pitch is 1:05.  Horst was 2-1 with two saves and a 2.11 ERA in 26 games with the IronPigs, and since April 28, he had a 1.61 ERA with 22 strikeouts in 27.1 innings for Lehigh Valley. This is his second big-league cup of coffee after appearing in 12 games last season with the Reds. [Jump to the newest comments]

Comments

[NEPP]

Horst and Sanches are cavalry in the same sense that George Custer was...

[Willard Preacher]

If Horst/Sanches comprised my cavalry, you can be damn sure I'd have a shiny white flag prepared to wave within arms reach.

[Willard Preacher]

Oh, good, KK seems up to the task of testing out our new bullpen pieces today. Company man.

[CN]

Wow, Kendrick isn't even going to pretend like he's going to pitch well today. Straight into it.

[Joe D]

No way you can make the playoffs without series wins.

[donc]

KK in a pressure situation here. Really need him to step up. And I really need to win Powerball too. Neither will happen. I expect zip out of KK and he almost always delivers.

[Joe D]

Oh cool I can turn this off.

[Cyclic]

Bad offense beats bad pitching

[Iceman]

This feels like a loss (attributed to not having Roy Halladay).

[BobbyD]

What a joke. Can I enjoy a damn game please?

[kuvasz]

what the fu*k? kendrick is such a smack-ass loser

[can_of_corn]

This is the first time I've actually felt that the season just may be doomed. Even with the return of Chase Utley, the rest of the pieces just aren't good enough to climb the hill in the standings.

Oh my goodness, and it is only the first inning.

[GTown_Dave]

Yup. Don't let that lifetime 4.50+ ERA or 1.400+ WHIP fool ya. Kendrick's a really good pitcher.

And I don't care if he throws 200 pitches & gives up 20 runs, Kendrick NEEDS to go 5 or 6 IP today. Time to kill yourself for the team, son.

[MG]

KK has nothing again today from the get go. Another loss and KK is scheduled to start on Wed., July 4th.

If they had scheduled Lee to start Sat., KK would have only had a start last weekend and they could have skipped him in the rotation.

Clusterf@ck is the only way to describe how they set up the pitching staff this week.

[Iceman]

Get bent Kendrick. To think I almost tried to schedule work around this game.

[CN]

Good god man.

[BobbyD]

He should be forced to stay out there all day. I'm not a Kendrick hater, at least before today, but this is a bullshit performance. Taking your team out of an important game before they even bat. He's so soft.

[MG]

Imagine this will be KK's last start. Imagine Cloyd will be called up & will start next Wed in NY vs. Mets on 4th.

[Cyclic]

Gut check time for this offense.

The word "offense" is generous, with the lineup we have out there today.

[pissy pants posse]

No way you can make the playoffs without series wins.

Posted by: Joe D | Thursday, June 28, 2012 at 01:14 PM

Really??? Why is this not common knowledge? I guess Roob the moron and Charlie the dope don't know that. Thanks for setting them straight!

[CN]

One more run and Kendrick will have a shiny ERA of 6.

[awh]

Wow, I guess KK really wants to head back to the 'pen.

[GTown_Dave]

Huh. 4 IP, 5 ER ... Valdes + Savery = Kendrick.

Posted by: GTown_Dave | Wednesday, June 27, 2012 at 08:26 PM

I was half joking when I made that post yesterday. Turns out Kendrick can match the ineptitude of both Valdes & Savery in a mere 0.1 of an IP. That's impressive.

[MG]

PPP - Is it possible you can post something about the game for a change and instead of ripping other posters?

[Joe D]

Get an L screen out there for this stiff. That's dangerous!

[Iceman]

MG- exactly right. They controlled their own destiny with this one and royally screwed the pooch.

What gets me is that it is multiple people that are in on the discussions for things like this, and not one of them brought up the obvious point of getting to skip Kendrick in the rotation. Couple that with the baffling idea to pitch a bullpen game, and the FO/coaching staff look like a bunch of clowns.

[Joe D]

PPP, be more lame.

[donc]

Phew! He got out of it. That was close.

[Joe D]

Now I'm torn...do I keep it on just to listen to LA?

[NEPP]

Good God, I hope they have a shovel to clean up the mound after the massive dump KK just left.

[pissy pants posse]

PPP, be more lame.

Posted by: Joe D | Thursday, June 28, 2012 at 01:22 PM

You cannot make the playoffs unless you have wins.

[awh]

Kenrick's performance today is the classic example of coming up small.

[MG]

Iceman - Yeah it really is puzzling. Shame the Phils are likely going to go into the break at 5 or 6 games below .500.

May get Howard & Halladay back sooner after the break but the gap they have dug will be daunting.

[ColonelTom]

Hopefully Savery and Qualls saved KK a seat on the bus to Lehigh Valley. He'll be on his way shortly.

[awh]

Hey! To make everyone feel really good about things, I thought I'd post a quote from an article I've linked below:

"The Dodgers, on the other hand, can afford to gamble with $40 million right now, a concept that should have free-agent-to-be Cole Hamels awfully excited."

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/06/28/dodgers-put-rest-of-mlb-on-notice-with-yasiel-puig-signing/

[NEPP]

Signing KK to a 2 year deal this off-season doesn't look so bright right now.

[can_of_corn]

After a first inning like KK's most teams would gladly feel that this is just one of those days and go happily to the bullpen. But wait....

[Joe D]

There is no doubt that Utley's presence alone has helped Kendrick.

[awh]

I love adding to the levity on this board!

[David B]

ColonelTom: Congratutlations on your promotion

[Joe D]

The biggest test Utley's knees will face will be standing out in the field for these long innings this s****y staff is going to subject him to.

[GTown_Dave]

Kendrick's not going anywhere. Stanford Genius extended him for another season at $4.5 million, remember? Bitch all you want about minor leaguers playing like minor leaguers, but when the GM's idea of major league pitching "talent" is guys like Blanton & Kendrick & Taschner & Baez & Qualls ... let's face it, the team is f*cked, anyway. At least it costs a relative pittance to see if the AA/AAA guys are any good, & Charlie doesn't feel the need to use them constantly simply because they're getting paid a lot of money.

[NEPP]

KK: 10 HR allowed in 68 IP.

[awh]

OMG, KK K'd the opposing P!

[GTown_Dave]

David B wins the thread.

[Joe D]

Taschner was a TV star though.

[Buster]

There are so many things that run through my mind when watching this garbage. One, how can a supposed sinker guy NEVER be at the knees with his pitches. Two, that change up to Alvarez was an obvious example of a guy who is not focused. That was a betting practice pitch. Three, how is it we trade away our entire minor league system for pitching and our current pitching is the worst in the national league right now. Four, how cannot iu pretend to be competing but still kendrick out there, whom is clearly overmatched. I just don't understand what they are doing.

[NEPP]

They should fire Rich Dubee...and Greg Gross....and then bring back Milt Thompson and fire him again.

[MG]

KK will be out there for 5 IP today no matter what. Imagine Dubee will follow the old British Navy slogan:

'Beatings to continue until morale improves'

[David B]

Thanks Gtown. donc put me up to it.

[GTown_Dave]

KK: 10 HR allowed in 68 IP.

He'll have to suck harder than that to top Blanton (18 HR, 98 IP). C'mon, Kyle! You can do it!

[Cyclic]

Hopefully Kendrick throws a few scoreless in a row here, so we can complain about how the offense didn't show up anyway

[awh]

NEPP, ML HR/9 average is .972.

KK's HR/9 average is 1.323.

[Joe D]

I just watched the Alvarez home run...seriously?! Does Kendrick have money on the game?

[NEPP]

KK has a 9.86 ERA since Doc went on the DL.

Way to step up, big guy!

[bay_area_phan]

Other than the 5-run 1st inning, Kendrick has looked pretty sharp in the first 2 innings.

[awh]

KK is doing his part to keep the Phillies atop the NL in K/9.

[Five-4-One]

Wow, I just got to putting the game up on my PC and holy crap.

The Phils are totally ruling the MLB transaction pages with DFA's. So at least they lead the league in something other than RISP.

[awh]

OTOH, KK is doing his part to try to get the Phillies to the bottom of the list for HR/9.

[NEPP]

Make that an 8.33 ERA now (added the 2nd inning and corrected for his 1 June start where he went 5 and gave up 2)

25 ER in 27.1 IP

[GTown_Dave]

ML HR/9 average is .972

KK's HR/9 average is 1.323

Blanton's is 1.7

Seriously, Kendrick needs to step it up, big time.

[Rich D]

Once again, another lousy Businessperson's special. The Phillies seem to play their most uninspired baseball in mid-week day games. Can we just stop scheduling these?

[bay_area_phan]

"Hopefully Kendrick throws a few scoreless in a row here, so we can complain about how the offense didn't show up anyway."

I think the pattern goes something like this:

1. Kendrick puts us in a huge 5-run hole right from the get-go.

2. The offense fights back and makes it 5-4 in the 5th inning.

3. Kendrick allows a 3-run homer to make it 8-4, before giving way to the bullpen.

4. The offense scores 3 more runs to make it 8-7.

5. The bullpen gives up 8 more runs to seal the deal.

[GTown_Dave]

6. Papelbon pitches the top of the 9th w/ the Phils down by 9 runs because he "needed the work".

[MG]

GTown Dave - You do have the record handy for BSP at CBP? I know the Phils' are under .500 since CBP opened. Just wondering what the exact number was.

One of those quirky yet meaningless stats.

[Willard Preacher]

Yesterday Jack asked me to clarify what I meant about the Phils "screwing up the 26th man double header" rule and it having effects on more than just the double header. Yesterday's 'bullpen' start was loss #2, and today's depleted bullpen (resulting from said bullpen start) is loss #3.

Bringing back Utely (and Doc/Howard) isn't enough to save this team from it's own inept general management of the roster and in-game shortcomings.

[pissy pants posse]

You cannot make the playoffs unless you have wins.

Posted by: pissy pants posse | Thursday, June 28, 2012 at 01:25 PM

You cannot win games unless you score.

[Willard Preacher]

"You cannot win games unless you score."

The Phils scored plenty of runs yesterday. They lost.

[Cyclic]

I like this Kratz guy.

Come on, climb back in boys.

[GTown_Dave]

Congratulations, b_a_p. You must be so proud.

[MG]

"You cannot win games unless you score."

Tough to come back from 5-0 deficit without Chooch & Utley in the lineup.

[bay_area_phan]

Ok, this game is now a success.

[pissy pants posse]

Trade Ruiz while his value is at its peak. Promote Kratz!

[Joe D]

There is just no reason to rush Howard back at this point.

[scrapped]

You can't have any pudding unless you eat your meat.

[Willard Preacher]

BAP is now a step closer to his blind date with Christie Brinkley.

[JRoller]

Who is this young slugger?

[donc]

Congratulations BAP. You must be so proud. Where's my cigar?

[bay_area_phan]

BTW, if Kratz were to play well in Schneider's absence, and the Phillies were to respond by DFA'ing Schneider upon his return, my reaction would be 1 part joy, 3 parts anger. Because, the reality is, anyone who looks at Kratz's AAA track record over the last 5 years should have had no difficulty concluding that he is a far better hitter than the pathetic-beyond-words Schneider.

[johnnyd]

Is it just me or does the term "businessperson's special" in today's economy just sound gloomy...

[Cyclic]

I think the pattern goes something like this:

1. Kendrick puts us in a huge 5-run hole right from the get-go.

2. The offense fights back and makes it 5-4 in the 5th inning.

3. Kendrick allows a 3-run homer to make it 8-4, before giving way to the bullpen.

4. The offense scores 3 more runs to make it 8-7.

5. The bullpen gives up 8 more runs to seal the deal.

Posted by: bay_area_phan | Thursday, June 28, 2012 at 01:41 PM

6. Papelbon pitches the top of the 9th w/ the Phils down by 9 runs because he "needed the work".

Posted by: GTown_Dave | Thursday, June 28, 2012 at 01:44 PM

~~~~

^ this is genius (and probably will happen)

[Joe D]

How does Kyle give these runs back? Place your bets.

[Willard Preacher]

With Rube on his recent "perform or face the consequences" binge, KK and Schneider will be like the guys in Major League looking for the red tag in their lockers.

[Joe D]

lol Willard.

[DPatrone]

Qualls gone? Good. GM finally admits he made a mistake.

The game today? Typical KK. Will be 2-8, unless the "O" bails him out. Not Major League worthy.

[CN]

7. Papelbon will then not be available when the Phillies need him and the Bullpen will be unable to hold the small lead.

[Willard Preacher]

Unless I'm mistaken, Kratz now has 1 HR per 2.5 AB's this season.

[Iceman]

All right. Put me on the Kratz bandwagon.

[CN]

Following the game on gameday. Apparently Burnett put a pitch right down the middle for a ball. Huh.

[Willard Preacher]

I wonder how many more sh8tty games he has to have before TBag is DFA'd?

[Cyclic]

Okay come on let's chip away.

Come on, dumb!

[Cyclic]

All up to you, dumber!

(home run please)

[HammRadio]

"In Play Out(s): Grounds out Softly" 2012 Phillies Yearbook. On Newstands now.

[Cyclic]

Pence hasn't homered since June 2nd.

wtf

[fumphis]

Has anyone successfully used the "audio overlay" function with MLBTV to get the radio broadcast to sync with the video? I just upgraded to Premium but I don't see the option in the player.

[Joe D]

Hunter Dense coming up big again.

[bay_area_phan]

"Pence hasn't homered since June 2nd. wtf"

And, before that, he was on pace for like 37 or 38 homers, which would be way more than he has ever hit. This stuff evens out -- except for his clutch hitting which has been persistently hideous all year long.

[GTown_Dave]

MG: Here's what I've got. Unfortunately I can't seem to find my '11 Phillies Media Guide at the moment, so I'm not sure of the dates of the designated Business Person's Specials for that season (not all day games are necessarily deemed to be BPS). Anyway:

'12 1-1 (4 remaining, inc. today)

'11 Unk

'10 4-2

'09 2-4

'08 4-3

'07 1-6

'06 1-6

'05 3-4

'04 2-4

That's a record of 18-30 (.375) So, yeah. Still terrible.

[Cyclic]

fump-- Yea I think you have to install the NextDef add on though

[bullit]

Horst is a great pa dutch country name. there are a ton of them here in lancaster county.