Tagged: Reds
Phillies Drop Finale Against Reds
The Phillies had won 3 games in a row coming into today’s game. That streak ended with a horrible effort against the Reds, who beat the Phillies by a score of 4-9. Just about everything went wrong, including pitching and defense.
Before the game, spirits seems high with players smiling and even an appearance by Darren Daulton, who has been battling brain cancer.
It all went downhill after Adam Morgan took the mound. One example of just how bad he was happened in the 4th inning. He loaded the bases as the opposing pitcher, who has no hits this year, stepped up to the plate. Morgan proceeded to walk him on 4 pitches to bring a run in. Shortly after that, Eugenio Suarez hit a 3-run homer.
The defense was equally pitiful. There were 2 “official” errors in the game, but Maikel Franco missed a few balls at 3rd base that would normally not have gotten past him and Tyler Goeddel bobbled a ball in left field. It was just sloppy all around.
And of course, this offense has not been setting the world on fire, but today was especially bad. In the first 5 innings alone, the Phillies went 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position. They also left 16 men on base total.
And don’t even get me started with Reds 1st baseman Joey Votto! Several times, he motioned that he may toss a baseball to the fans and then smirked as he chose not to. Even if the fake-out was meant for the adults, some of those fans were children who you can bet didn’t get the joke. Well, he got what was coming to him; no hits in the series and 3 strikeouts today. And that was the highlight of the day 😉
Here is the full Photo Album from the game.
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Photos by Jenn Zambri
Bullpen Woes Ruin Opening Day
The Phillies took a 2 – 1 lead into the 8th inning against the Reds yesterday in their first game of the season. And then, the wheels fell off. Much criticism has been heaped onto the Phillies bullpen this offseason. While most of the team looks promising, this is going to be a sore spot.
Of course, the rest of the team was not setting the world on fire, either. With only 6 hits in the game, including a 2-run Freddy Galvis homer, the Phillies offense was mostly silent. And the defense started off badly with a huge error from veteran Ryan Howard in the 1st inning which led to an early run for the Reds. Howard also did not have a hit in the game and left 3 men on base.
But while Howard should be elected to the Opening Day Wall of Shame, he was beat out by David Hernandez for the title. Hernandez allowed 3 runs in the 8th inning on a hit and 2 walks, sinking the Phillies ship for good. He did not record a single out. James Russell was not much better, allowing 2 more runs. In all, the bullpen 8th inning follies ended in a 6 – 2 win for the Reds.
The real shame of this is that Jeremy Hellickson pitched a heck of a game. I am still not sure why he was pulled after only 6 innings and 70 pitches. Manager Pete Mackanin could have let him go one more inning and put Jeanmar Gomez in for the 8th inning. The 9th inning may still have been a mess, but at least with only 3 outs left, he would have had more wiggle room to mix and match pitchers. But that is only my humble opinion.
The Phillies are off today and will try again on Wednesday; game time is 7:10pm and Aaron Nola will pitch.
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Photos by Jenn Zambri
Giles Gets a Win on His Giveaway Day
Today I wondered if the following scenario has ever happened in baseball before: A middle relief pitcher gets a game win on the same day that a tee shirt with his name, number and face on it is given away to fans. That is what occurred today in a 6-4 Phillies win over the San Francisco Giants for reliever Ken Giles. Giles pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings, striking out 3 Giants to keep the Phillies in line for the victory.
Sean O’Sullivan started the game and actually, despite his struggles, did fairly well. He allowed 3 runs in 6 innings for a quality start and also helped at the plate with a sacrifice bunt. The Phanatic tried to help out before the game by squatting on top of Giants players, but the molestation turned out to be unnecessary. Although, the Phanatic gets an A for effort.
The Phillies actually found some offense today, which was a nice change. After hitting a grand slam last night, Jeff Francour followed that up with a 2-run pinch-hit triple today. Both Maikel Franco and Odubel Hererra hit solo homers. And Cody Asche also collected 2 RBI in the game.
Once Giles got the Phillies through the 7th and 8th innings, Jonathan Papelbon came in for the save. After he committed an error to extend the inning and gave up 1 unearned run, Papelbon did finally shut the door on the Giants to salvage one game in this series.
The Phillies head to Cincinnati next for a 3-game series with the Reds.
Here is the full Photo Album from today’s game.
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Photos by Jenn Zambri
Bye Bye Byrd-ie
The deconstruction of the Phillies continues as they have now shipped Marlon Byrd to the Reds in exchange for minor league pitcher Ben Lively. The Phillies will pay part of Byrd’s $8 million salary to complete the deal, but no specifics were given. While Byrd struck out a lot last year, he was one of the few power bats in the lineup, hitting 25 homers and collecting 85 RBI. However, at 37 years of age, the Phillies figured getting younger in the outfield was a good move.
Lively, 22, went 13-7 with a 3.04 ERA between class A and AA ball last season. He was also named the Reds’ minor league player of the year. So it does appear this was a good move for the Phillies, although the payoff is probably years away as Lively continues working in the minors.
This move also means we will have at least one more year of Domonic Brown to endure. In my opinion, the Phillies should have traded him years ago when he was actually worth something. The only thing he has proved over the last several seasons is that he is inconsistent at the plate and a defensive liability in the outfield. In fact, the Sporting News ranked him as the worst left fielder in all of baseball last year. Well, at least he came first in something 😉
The Phillies, however, may not be done moving pieces around. There are still many, many Cole Hamels rumors and certainly, a lot of room for improvement. Now, if only some team would get really desperate and take Ryan Howard off their hands. That is my New Year’s wish. I should probably make another, more likely wish, right?
Oh well! Happy New Year, everyone!
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Byrd photo by Jenn Zambri
Phillies Offense Comes Alive Against the Reds
After a very long dry spell where the Phillies were shut-out in 4 out of 10 games, the Phillies offense finally woke up this weekend against the Reds. On Saturday, they pounded the Reds by a score of 12-1 and Cole Hamels finally got win #100 of his career. Then on Sunday, it was an 8-3 win that sent fans home happy.
Cliff Lee had an interesting outing, ultimately pitching 6.2 innings and allowing 2 runs. After he walked the first batter of the game and gave up 2 runs in the 1st inning, it was obvious we were in for a battle.
But immediately, the Phillies got those 2 runs back. Jimmy Rollins and Will Nieves went deep with back-to-back homers to start the game in the Phillies half of the 1st.
The game remained tied until the 5th inning when Lee took matters into his own hands offensively, leading off the inning with a single. Rollins moved him over the second after Todd Frazier bobbled the ball at third and failed to throw Lee out. Then Nieves dropped a sac bunt to move them over and Chase Utley knocked in Lee with a ground out to first.
And the hits kept coming. Marlon Byrd hit a solo homer in the 6th and then Cody Asche smacked a 3-run homer in the 8th to give the Phillies ample breathing room with an 8-2 lead. Byrd, Asche and Nieves each had 2 hits in the game and Rollins and Ryan Howard each walked twice. It was a full team effort at the plate.
It was also the Phanatic’s annual birthday bash on Sunday, which added to the festive vibe with the powered-up offense, 4 home runs and 2 wins in a row! Add a bunch of silly mascots, the Zooperstars and some dude who paints with his hands, and it was a real party.
The Phillies are off tomorrow for the Phillies Phestival. After that, they travel to Miami for a short 3-game series and then back home again.
In the meantime, here is the full Photo Album from the game and birthday celebration.
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Photos by Jenn Zambri Photography
Angels Turn Into Devils in Philly
I like the Angels. They have a nice name, a kid from Jersey and Albert Pujols. They seem cool. But could they PLEASE stay out of Philadelphia? Because it wasn’t an angel that came to town; to the Phillies, it was the devil.
And the devil beat the crap out of them 2 days in a row. By the time Tuesday’s game was over, I was certain supernatural forces had to be in play. Because poor Cody Asche was tossed into the fire and brimstone where he committed 3 ridiculous errors and did not have a single productive at-bat in the game. Surely the devil must have cursed him.
The devil also apparently cursed the entire Phillies offense who scored only 3 runs on 9 hits in 2 games combined. Wednesday was a 0-3 shut out that you very well could have napped through. The good news is that 4 guys in the bullpen pitched 4 scoreless innings. But that is also kind of bad news. Because WHY can they not accomplish the same feat when the team is tied or has a lead? Just saying…
So Phillies fans, welcome to hell. This team is in LAST place and showing NO signs of improvement. Now that Mike Trout has left town, I am willing to bet you will be able to hear crickets at the ballpark this weekend when the Phils play the Reds.
The Phillies have yet another day off today to wallow in their misery. They will resume play Friday night at 7:05pm.
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Dramatic Walk-Off Win Gives Phillies a Series Win
I returned from my trip to the Galapagos Islands this weekend just in time to attend today’s Phillies – Reds game. But before we get to that, check out what my little friend the Phanatic was up to on our trip to his homeland. He visited 5 different islands, some beaches and even a distant relative, the Marine Iguana:
Yes, the Phanatic and I had a lovely vacation where we swam with sharks, rays, turtles and fish and wandered the land with giant tortoises. It was amazing!
I had to catch up on my Phillies news when I returned and it appears much has happened. Roy Halladay is having surgery (yikes!), the Phils signed hot-head Carlos Zambrano to a minor league deal (double-yikes!), Raul Valdes became the first regular bullpen guy to get sent down to the minors (more may be coming), Mike Adams has a bad back (oh my…), Tyler Cloyd started a game, Kyle Kendrick returned to earth in a loss yesterday after an amazing start to the season….and oh yeah, the offense still sucks. Did I miss anything?
All that drama aside, the Phillies did manage to pull out a win today, which based on the first 7 ½ innings, did not look likely. Jonathan Pettibone was very solid again, only allowing 2 runs, and the defense backed him up.
But once again the offense was asleep and the feeling of dread grew deeper when Carlos Ruiz was pulled from the game with a strained hamstring.
Finally, the Phillies scratched out a run in the 8th, thanks to Ben Revere legging out a base hit. Revere led the team with 3 hits today. Then in the 9th, it appeared as if the Phils were going down in flames, despite getting the first runner of the inning on base against flame-thrower Aroldis Chapman. Because as soon as Cliff Lee came in to pinch run for Delmon Young, he got picked off at first. Ugh.
But when Erik Kratz smacked a home run to tie the game, the tide turned quickly. Freddy Galvis was up next and hit a line-drive homer just over the left field wall for the walk-off win! It was the first time Chapman gave up more than one homer in a game…ever. Go figure.
So even after a 0-10 pounding on Saturday, the Phillies still walked away with the series win and, hopefully, some momentum going into Miami tomorrow. Game time is 7:10pm.
And here is the Photo Album from today’s win.
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Photos by Jenn Zambri Photography
The Phillies Offense Has Sprung a Leake
In 2012, the Phillies faced Reds pitcher Mike Leake twice and destroyed him to the tune of 13 runs. He had an overall ERA against the Phils of 17.55. Ouch. But last night, this team sprung Leake from his Phillies prison, allowing him to mow them down one hitter after another.
Ah, sweet freedom for Mr. Leake. He must be quite relieved this morning.
On the exact opposite side, the Phillies probably got little sleep due to nightmares. Some people have nightmares about standing naked in a crowd. The Phillies are probably having nightmares about standing at home plate without a bat. They may as well have been standing there without one if they were never going to use it.
And that pretty much describes this entire 6-game road trip which went down in flames after getting swept in 3-games by the Reds. They scored only 10 runs in all 6 games and came away with just 2 wins, both against the Marlins.
Granted, it is very, very early in the season. The Phillies have time to make up ground, however, these are very serious issues. At some point, one has to question whether or not this team is capable of more. But we will not really know until we see the whole team together as it was meant to be; that means when Carlos Ruiz returns and we also finally see what Delmon Young has to offer. Ruiz cannot return due to suspension until April 28th. And Young is still on the DL, although he has been participating in extended Spring Training games.
To make matters worse, Domonic Brown left the game early with a sore back; he will have an MRI today. And John Lannan, who got pounded for 6 runs in 1.2 innings last night, complained of a sore knee after the game. His status is unknown.
Do not be surprised if manager Charlie Manual decides to shake up the line-up tonight against the Cardinals. And say a prayer that Cole Hamels can get his first win of the season; although, he may need a little offense to get that done. *Sigh.*
Game time is 7:05pm.
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Photoshopping by Jenn Zambri Photography
2013 Phillies: Déjà Vu or Déjà Voodoo?
Let us examine the latest Phillies performance last night in Cinncinatti: The starting pitching was solid, the offense was mostly absent and the bullpen blew the game in the 8th inning, resulting in a loss. Sound like a familiar scenario? It should; that describes most of the 2012 season. Ugh.
Is this Déjà vu or Déjà voodoo? Has someone or something cast a sleepy spell over this team for the second consecutive year? It is like Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs in the bullpen passing the cursed apple around to the rest of the team. If the drowsy Phils are waiting for Prince Charming to deliver true love’s kiss and wake them up, they may be waiting for quite a long time…
Because if Chase Utley’s 2 run bomb to tie the game up in the 8th inning wasn’t enough to light a fire under this team, I cannot imagine what would be enough. Or how about Cliff Lee’s gutsy performance after a very weird 7th inning? He wound up only allowing 2 runs in 7 innings, which is a pretty good day.
And then there was the amazing, stupendous, brain-warping, Superman catch that Ben Revere made earlier in the game. Nearly everyone on the team starred in awe as Revere flew through the air backwards and nearly horizontal to snag this ball. He even had the presence of mind to throw the ball in to double up the runner, even after smashing face first into the ground after the catch.
Still, this team could not rally late in the game. They had only 5 hits total on the night. Both Jeremy Horst and Mike Adams struggled in the 8th, allowing 2 more runs to the Reds who had also had difficulty finding hits early in the game.
Worse, the Reds came into this game on a 5-game losing streak. The Phillies should have crushed them. Instead, they went down in flames, losing by a score of 4-2. Their offense has been on the Most Wanted list for 4 straight games now. No one seems to know where it went.
Meanwhile, the Braves still only have 1 loss (to the Phils, oddly enough) and the Fightins’ are lurking near the bottom of the NL East in 4th place. Ok, it is only April, I know…still, this team needs to WAKE UP!
Perhaps I am being a little rough on the team here. But it is easier to be angry about a silly baseball game than have to think about what a sad day it was yesterday. Although Monday was Jackie Robinson day, sadly, this was overshadowed by the tragedy in Boston earlier that day. So while I am in the mood to rant, can I just say, what is with these freaking psychopaths bombing innocent people?? I am outraged, as are the rest of the sane to mostly-sane people of the world.
My heart goes out to all the people affected by this senseless act of evil. I wish I had better words to convey my sympathies. But all I can think is sad, sad, sad… :O(
Photo courtesy of ESPN.com
Halladay Strong in Phillies Win Over the Reds
This has not been an ideal year for anyone in the Phillies organization, especially Roy Halladay. After landing on the disabled list earlier in the year, Halladay struggled to regain his usual form.
In a 6-2 win over the Reds, Halladay finally looks like he is healthy again and back on his usual game. Over 7 1/3 innings, Halladay allowed just 1 earned run and struck out 5 batters. The offense provided him with some runs to seal the deal.
The two big blasts of the day came from Erik Kratz and Chase Utley. Kratz smashed a 3-run homer in the 2nd inning and Utley added 2 more runs with another bomb in the 3rd inning. Kratz now has 9 homers in only 38 games with a slugging percentage of .611. How this guy was stuck in the minor leagues for so long is a mystery.
Another mystery, at least to certain sports talk show hosts, is John Mayberry Jr. With another multi-hit game against the Reds, Mayberry continues to hit at a torrid pace. Critics are always on him, saying he is not an everyday player. But he is showing us right now, as he did at the end of last season as well, that he is an everyday guy. Why? Because when he starts every game, like he does now, he hits.
In contrast, when the Phillies used Mayberry as a platoon guy, like they did at the start of last year and this year, he struggles. When he plays regularly, he hits. Mayberry hit .271 in July and .290 in August because, after the Shane Victorino trade, he has become a regular in the line-up. Now this is just my 2-cents, but I say let the guy play center next year. He has earned it.
And there is my rant for your Phillies off-day. Play resumes tomorrow at 7:05pm when the Rockies come to town.
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Photo by Jenn Zambri Photography
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