Hunter Was The Hunted; Now, He Is A Phillie
July 29th has been a significant day in recent Phillies history. On July 29, 2009, the Phillies acquired Cliff Lee. That same day in 2010, they picked up Roy Oswalt. And this year, Hunter Pence is the big prize.
A report from Phillies Beat Writer Todd Zolecki states that Pence will be sent from the Astros to the Phillies in exchange for Class A first baseman Jonathan Singleton, Class A pitcher Jarred Cosart and two yet unnamed prospects.
The best news of the night is that neither pitcher Vance Worley or outfielder Domonic Brown were included in the deal. While the two named prospects are highly touted, the Phillies really pulled off an amazing deal without having to give up any major league talent. This is another huge score for Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr.
Pence, 28, is a lifetime .290 hitter and 2-time All-Star who combines both power and speed. Pence hit 25 home runs each year from 2008-2010 and had a career high 91 RBI’s last season. In addition, Pence cannot become a free agent until the 2014 season, putting the Phillies in control for years to come.
With the addition of Pence and also Placido Polanco returning from the DL this weekend, two moves will have to be made. My best guess is that Brown will be sent back to Triple-A to work on his game. The second casualty could be John Mayberry Jr.
While the playoffs and the World Series are promised to no one, the addition of Pence certainly does improve the Phillies’ chances.
And in case you missed it amidst all the excitement, there was actually a game tonight. The Phillies beat the Pirates by a score of 10-3 with Roy Halladay pitching seven one-hit innings. Andrew Carpenter allowed three runs in the eighth.
The offensive highlights included Chase Utley coming up just a double short of hitting for the cycle. His 3-run homer in the second inning put the Phillies far ahead very early.
Shane Victorino also came close to hitting for the cycle, but missed out on the home run. Jimmy Rollins smacked a 2-run homer in the seventh, but sadly for Victorino, he was not allowed to share the homer and help out his buddy Shane.
Oddly enough, Rollins hit that home run off pitcher Jason Grilli, who until a week ago was in the Phillies minor league system. The Pirates picked him up after the Phillies released him on July 20, 2011.
This is now set up to be a very exciting weekend for the Phillies. When Pence will be in the line-up probably depends on how soon he can get here from Houston. Add Polanco back into the line-up and the Phillies are set up nicely for a strong run to the playoffs.
Game two with the Pirates is Saturday night at 7:05pm; Cliff Lee will pitch.
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