Here’s a look at my column I write for PhilaPhans.com.
I’m posting it here so you can check it out, but if you want to read this in the future, I have a new addition every Monday morning on PhilaPhans. Consider popping over to PhilaPhans and even becoming a member. I’m usually hanging around in the Game Day Thread during Phillies games. Come join in!
The Phillies Weekly Report
By The Phanatic Addict
It was another 4-2 week for the Phillies. Two more series wins. One against theMarlins, and one against the hotAtlanta Braves. The series win over the Braves sure felt good with them right on the Phillies tail, and the 14-1 pounding we handed them made it that much better. .666 Baseball is nothing to be sorry about.
I do worry a little about the Phillies second half schedule. They played plenty of teams with losing records in the first half, and a lot of their second half games are on the road. The Phillies are 34-15 (.693) at home, but just 23-19 (.547) away from Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies have recently been known as a second half club, but it would be nice not to have to
The Offense – The Phillies offense showed up for five out of their six games this week. I can’t explain what happened on Saturday, but we do have to give a little bit of credit to Tommy Hanson, who pitched well. Cliff Lee managed to hit a homer off him, why didn’t anyone else? A head scratcher indeed.
As much as I see everyone complaining about how bad this offense is, the Phillies scored 39 runs this week. Yes, 28 of them came in two games but we scored these runs off of some pretty good pitchers.
The biggest blow to the team was losing Shane Victorino after it appeared tat he would be coming back pretty quick. Shane should return as soon as he is eligible when the Phillies face the Cubs next week.
Starting Pitching – Heading into the All-Star break things are looking really good. Sure, We’d like to have Oswalt up and pitching well, but the guys that are here are pitching like studs. The Phillies have three of their starters heading to the All-Star game in Arizona. It is the first time in the last 25 years that a team has had three pitchers with more then 9 wins, and ERA’s below 3.00 at the break.
I’m sure that Cole Hamels enjoyed the 28 runs of support that he got this week. It’s probably more then he got in 2010.
The Pen – I’m excited to see that Ryan Madson is closer to making his return. Antonio Bastardo has been just brilliant in his turn as the closer for the Phillies, but the possibility that Madson could be back next weekend is really big for the bullpen.
Brad Lidge has had some rehab appearances this week in his road back, and all have been rather positive. I’ll take a healthy Lidge over Andrew Carpenter any day.
Two straight scoreless appearances for Juan Perez have earned him the right to hang around a little longer in my book. He’s made the Braves hitters look just silly on Friday night, and you can never have enough lefties in your pen.
The Bench – This bench seems to become more important to the success of the Phillies every single game. With Shane Victorino, and Placido Polanco on the shelf the bench players have stepped onto the field and have almost flawlessly filled in.
Michael Martinez turned in seven hits in his last five games. Not to mention four runs, four RBI and a couple of really great catches. John Mayberry Jr. has also been really great in his last few starts. Six hits, Seven RBI, and three runs score. His three doubles on Sunday are proof that he may just have the tools to be considered for a starting job, if not at least as a platoon player in 2012.
Managers- I’d say that my only surprise of the week from the managers would be their decision to pull Kyle Kendrick out of a game that he was winning after just five innings. They turned the ball over to the bullpen and the game was over. The Phillies committed three errors in this game which cost them, and Kyle was the scapegoat.
After a 14 run game, you want to get right back out on the field and keep playing, but let’s be real. This team needs some rest. With the injured players we have sitting, and Chase Utley’s knee problems I think that a four day rest is just fine and dandy.
Again, the Phillies ended this week with two more series victories, and you can’t ask for too much more then that.
On a personal note, I’ve kept this a little shorter then usual, but with a wild work week, and a new addition to our family, I’m pretty spent. Congratulations to my sister and her husband on the birth of their new daughter. Welcome to the family Erin.
If you have time stop by my blog The Phanatic Addict, and I’ll see you in the forums.
Tags: Brad Lidge, Braves, Chase Utley, Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels, Domonic Brown, Giants, Halladay, Hamels, Kendrick, Lee, Marlins, Mets, Nationals, Oswalt, PhilaPhans, Phillies, Polanco, Red Sox, Ruben Amaro Jr, Ryan Howard, Spring Training, Yankees
With their second straight loss to the Braves yesterday the Phillies have almost certainly sealed the fate of some of their teammates. They have had their chances, but yesterday’s game was filled with poor at-bats, and uninspired play from a team that needs to be giving it their all.
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