They seem to do that a lot for some reason.Warren will probably look like Warren Spahn tonight vs the Phillies.
2024 Phillies Thread
- Thread starter Tom McAndrew
- Start date
Yes it is a strategy to pitch around top hitters, but with a 2 run lead MAKE them beat you. Be wise in certain situations but what happened there is not competitiveness imho, regardless of whether it worked for the Mets in their last series with the Yankees or not. It's like the illustrious Prevent Defense in football...
'I like our ballclub': Phils set for stretch run after Deadline moves
PHILADELPHIA -- Dave Dombrowski knows the Phillies have not played well recently, but he still loves his team. He thinks the four trades they made leading up to Tuesday’s Trade Deadline made them better. Less than an hour before Tuesday’s 6 p.m. ET Trade Deadline, the Phillies acquired White Sox
www.mlb.com
Nice to have Rojas pinch run for Casty in the bottom of the 9th!
Strahm did a nice job to get ahead of Chisholm. But to give up the 3-run HR on a 1-2 count is not something you expect from a good reliever.
Also maddening is the anemic hitting. Harper has been in the tank last 6 games and Turner has an awful swing.
People have asked me what is going on down there. First, it’s a long season and every team goes through peaks and valleys. What I see-
1- You heard how they hate to lose more than they enjoy winning. With the stretch they had steamrolling people, I question if they lost even an inch of their edge. It’s tough to maintain the mental sharpness when you are killing people night after night.
2- Ignoring injuries, the concern of manufacturing runs is always there. They seem to score on HR’s and that’s a tough way to play when you face better pitching in the playoffs. Last night, I was beside myself in extras. They were incapable of advancing the runner to third on their first AB in extras. You HAVE to advance the runner. The one Yankee guy just put his bat on the ball to the right side. I understand that you can advance runners by raking but in that part of the game, you HAVE to advance the runner.
3- I remain interested in how they manage their pitchers. We were all giddy about the starters, but you have to wonder if the innings these guys were on needed to be addressed. It’s such a balance but managing workload while not burning out the pen is a critical issue for this year and beyond. Nobody should be surprised at Ranger. He basically reached the innings he threw last year by this year’s AS break. Nola and Wheels have thrown a lot of innings and Sanchez is going into deep water as well. If the goal is to peak in Sept/Oct, this point bears watching for this year and beyond.
What can be done? I think I’d like to see them run a bit more. Get the defense to move their feet a bit and maybe you hit some balls through a hole and get a boost. Hit And Run? Nobody does it but it sure would be interesting to see it tried. Lineup changes? The only guy I thought might be interesting before the year was Stott at the top of the order. But he has had struggles the whole year. That ain’t happening.
Stay the course!
1- You heard how they hate to lose more than they enjoy winning. With the stretch they had steamrolling people, I question if they lost even an inch of their edge. It’s tough to maintain the mental sharpness when you are killing people night after night.
2- Ignoring injuries, the concern of manufacturing runs is always there. They seem to score on HR’s and that’s a tough way to play when you face better pitching in the playoffs. Last night, I was beside myself in extras. They were incapable of advancing the runner to third on their first AB in extras. You HAVE to advance the runner. The one Yankee guy just put his bat on the ball to the right side. I understand that you can advance runners by raking but in that part of the game, you HAVE to advance the runner.
3- I remain interested in how they manage their pitchers. We were all giddy about the starters, but you have to wonder if the innings these guys were on needed to be addressed. It’s such a balance but managing workload while not burning out the pen is a critical issue for this year and beyond. Nobody should be surprised at Ranger. He basically reached the innings he threw last year by this year’s AS break. Nola and Wheels have thrown a lot of innings and Sanchez is going into deep water as well. If the goal is to peak in Sept/Oct, this point bears watching for this year and beyond.
What can be done? I think I’d like to see them run a bit more. Get the defense to move their feet a bit and maybe you hit some balls through a hole and get a boost. Hit And Run? Nobody does it but it sure would be interesting to see it tried. Lineup changes? The only guy I thought might be interesting before the year was Stott at the top of the order. But he has had struggles the whole year. That ain’t happening.
Stay the course!
Big picture ... look at the big picture. As a football game is not won or lost in the 1st quarter, a baseball game is not won or lost in the top of the 1st inning.
The Fightins are battling back, and it's now 4-3, Yankees, after 5. Lots of at bats, pitches, and outs left in this game.
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Well, we're looking a little smarter than Kruk right now. A slump was bound to happen. Disappointing that it is right when they played the toughest part of the schedule.
It took me eleven years to get my doctorate.
Yeah, but does Sosa-Wilson-Stubbs-Rojas scare you? They couldn't wait one more day to rest JT or Turner? I know he is slumping but that lineup from 6-9 scares no one and puts too much pressure on the pitchers.
The bottom of the order has been inconsistent this season. There have been games where they generated a lot of hits and runs, but not as frequently as most fans of the Phillies would like.
JT often gets a day off when they play an afternoon game following a night game. After the knee surgery he had in June, I'm fine with giving him off today. Turner is hard to figure out. He mentioned after he returned from the hamstring injury that he wasn't 100%, and that some days were better than others. Plus, Sosa's production was above his norm when Turner was out, and the Phils have needed more offense of late. Without knowing all the details on how Turner's hammy feels, I think you can make a good case for resting him today.
The entire lineup has been inconsistent of late. Harper is in a slump. Bohm seems to be in a slump. Stott has been in a slump for more than a month, though he's shown signs of coming out of it in this homestand.
The Fightins giving up 2 runs (the Yankees 5th & 6th runs) with 2 out and nobody on in the 6th inning was not helpful. Yet here it is the bottom of the 8th, and the Fightins have scored 1 run, and have a runner on with 1 out. (And then Sosa, who you mentioned above, strikes out. smh)
ugh
9th inning. Schwarber leads off with a single. Hays just misses a HR to LF. And then Harper grounds into a double play.
If they had made better pitches to LeMahieu today, and Chisholm on Tuesday, this could have been a different series.
Oh well, it's a long season, and the Fightins are in a bit of a slump. Hopefully, they can turn things around on their road trip.
9th inning. Schwarber leads off with a single. Hays just misses a HR to LF. And then Harper grounds into a double play.
If they had made better pitches to LeMahieu today, and Chisholm on Tuesday, this could have been a different series.
Oh well, it's a long season, and the Fightins are in a bit of a slump. Hopefully, they can turn things around on their road trip.
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Pitch to LaMahieu was terrible. Hard to belive a guy batting .182 this season drove in all 6 runs. Lately seems like most of the pitchers are making one bad pitch that kills them.
agreed. And frequently the bad pitch is taking place with two strikes, which makes it even more egregious/frustrating.
Didn't LeMahieu win a battle title one year? If so, even if he's struggling in a particular season, he has the talent to take advantage of pitches that hang or catch too much of the plate.
Nah, you drink more when you’re winning.
I was able to watch the last two games. As Harper goes, the Phillies will go. Is there any consensus on Harper’s defense at 1st base? The announcers mentioned that Harper’s inexperience is noticeable. (They did not say it is a serious liability.)
Full disclosure: I don’t actively dislike Harper but I smile a little inside when he does poorly. 2019.
Apparently they thought he would not be a good "fit" for the clubhouse. Don't know what that's all about.
why would they have pursued Chisholm? He's primarily a 2nd baseman, and the Phils are quite satisfied with Stott. The Fish had played Chisholm in CF the past 2 years after they acquired Luis Arraez, who is a true 2nd baseman. The Fish traded Arraez in May, and since then Chisholm remained in CF, but was playing 2nd base a few times a week to "cut back on how much running he was doing in the OF." The Phils were looking for OF help at the trade deadline, but primarily they wanted a right-handed bat. They got that in Hays, from the Orioles. Chisholm is a left-handed bat, and entering this year there were questions about his ability to hit left-handers -- the very issue the Fightins have had this season with Marsh. Chisholm has done well against lefties this season, so in the short term that's not as much of a concern, but you always wonder if a player will revert to their norm.
Chisholm has had a great start to his career as a Yankee. Without even getting into what it would have cost the Fightins to obtain him (the Yankees gave up 2 minor leaguers and a major leaguer) or his contract situation (he's on a 1-year contract, and is arbitration (Arb 2) eligible this offseason, the biggest thing is that Chisholm did not fill a need for the Fightins.
As you said, he can play OF. They were a bat short in the OF and he is an energetic player who can spark your team. I understand your points, but if the goal was to win now, I think he would have been a good option. With that being said, I do really like Hays.
Honestly, the Phils look like a team that has hit a wall mentally and physically. I think back to back deep post season runs has caught up to them a bit. I’m not saying they won’t rebound. They are way too talented to fold, but they look spent. Topper has to find a way to spark them again.
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