Bullpen Implodes Again As Phils Drop Third Straight
My mishaps continued today. After futzing the recording of the game yesterday, I once again missed recording the game. Right as I was getting ready to go to work, I decided to check the game time: 4:15. It would be touch and go to be home in time for the first pitch. Most likely I would not make it. I asked Gert to hit record when she got home. I called and left a reminder.
Gert called back to ask what channel the game was on. Uh oh! I quickly looked and realized it was CN8. Damn! CN8 does not come in on my television without disconnecting the cable box. It is weird and I have never figured out why. Normally, this would be no problem as Gert could record this on her set. She, however, has had a VCR malfunction recently. I’ll never purchase a dual unit again. The DVD works fine, but the heads on the VCR are screwed. I attempted to tell her how to disconnect all the wires and get it. Then I thought better of it.
I came home listening to the first inning on the radio. I watched a couple innings before we headed out for dinner. As we left the restaurant, the Phils were ahead 5-3. We attempted to get an ice cream at the new creamery, but the help there was so pathetic, we kept getting passed over as new customers came in. We left. On the way home we listened as Fultz walked in two runs. I watched the Phils load the bases in the ninth only to fall short. Sigh . . .
For the second straight day I went to MLB.com Gameday to get the data to score the game. The way this is set up, is not conducive to scoring after-the-fact. One really needs to pay attention to the pitching line. But even so, I missed that Jason Marquis pinch ran for John Mabry. That is not spelled out in the play-by-play. In the Phils’ ninth, I know the runners moved up a base. That caused the Cards to intentially walk Thome. I recall calling the play when I watched it. But my old man mind has forgotten what caused the runners to advance. It is nowhere in the recap. So the card looks as though Thome was intentially walked and the runners moved up because of that. Grrr . . .
I also remembered that editing ScoreBook is cumbersome. In the third inning, Bell was thrown out 9-3-5 as he advanced to third on a Jason Michaels single to right. I mistakenly selected he was out 9-5-3, rather than he was safe at second and then out on the advance. So, how should I edit that? Do I remove Michaels result and the last pitch and do again? Probably. But can I do that easily at the end of the game? I just left it. Minor.
Onto the game . . . The Phillies are showing signs of the same problems they have had the last couple years. The offense generates plenty of runners. Not enough score. The bullpen can’t hold leads. Eleven more runners were left on base, including the bases that were left loaded in the ninth, which is an uncomfortable trend for this team.
The Pros
Lidle pitched okay.
No glaring troubles. Michaels had a good game starting in CF. While thrown out at third on a poor baserunning play, his offense was solid and his defense as well.
Burrell continues to hit. Abreu got on and scored twice. Another sacrifice bunt today (Lidle).
Adams came in for two-thirds of an inning and shut down the Cards, as he is expected to do. That is good.
The Cons
The bullpen . . . again. Madson held the Cards in his forst inning of relief. He got into lots of trouble in his second inning. So, with a lead and the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth, it was time for Madson to hit the showers. Who would you expect to relieve him? A $550,000 pick-up or the $9 million star reliever? In a bold move, the pick-up was brought in. He promptly walked in the tieing run. Then he proceeded to walk in the go-ahead/winning run. All the while, Billy Wagner, the man for the job, sat on the bench.
This move stinks. It is the kind of move that was thought would not happen. Manuel wasn’t supposed to be the use the closer only in the ninth inning kind of a manager. That is very disappointing.
Bases loaded again and no runs. This offense is potent, but it is impotent when the bases are jammed. This is the same issue as last year.
Eleven more runners were left on base. That is 33 in four games (8.25/game average). That is far too many. Late inning strikeouts from the offense does not bode well.
Wheels
Another day of avoiding Wheels. I might be able to tolerate him for a couple innings on Saturday at this point. This is the only truly good point from today’s game.
Also blogged on this date . . .
- Obama's Bow, A Lie - 2009
- The Strange Remain - 2008
- Fred Thompson On Iran - 2007
- The Passion - 2006
