GAME RECAP: Phillies Blank Padres 3-0
Phillies right-hander Charlie Morton had his sinker sinking beautifully
Tuesday night at Citizens Bank Park. Morton allowed just three hits in 6 2/3 scoreless innings in a 3-0 victory over the Padres. The
first eight games of the season have been a struggle for the Phillies' offense
and bullpen, but the rotation continues to pitch well. It entered the night
with the best WAR (1.2) of any rotation in baseball. "I feel like we're
going to be in every game with our starting pitching," Phillies manager
Pete Mackanin said. "And the way the bullpen seems to be shaping up, we're
pretty pleased with the way it looks." Padres left-hander Robbie Erlin allowed just three hits and one run in six innings to take the loss. He allowed the only
run in the sixth, when Odubel Herrera hit a two-out triple to score Tyler Goeddel.
Other than that, Erlin was extremely effective working ahead in counts, as he
threw 16 first-pitch strikes to the 21 hitters he faced, including 11 straight
at one point. "You always want to start off, be the aggressor per se --
work ahead, stay ahead," Erlin said. "When you can do that, it makes
things a little bit easier." A throwing error from second baseman Cory Spangenberg with one out in the eighth inning
allowed the Phillies to score two insurance runs.
PHILS PHACTS:
- The Phillies'
bullpen had a 12.66 ERA (15 earned runs in 10 2/3 innings) through its
first four games, but it has pitched 10 2/3 scoreless innings in its last
four. That includes 2 1/3 scoreless innings in relief of Morton as Jeanmar
Gomez picked
up his third save in three opportunities. Mackanin said he is not ready to
officially name Gomez the closer, saying he doesn't want to jinx him. "I
think the uncertainty of roles had something to do with it," he said
about the bullpen's early struggles. "Nobody stepped up during Spring
Training and rose above the pack. I think everybody felt a lot of pressure
to impress. Now they've kind of got their confidence back."
- Goeddel, whom
the Phillies selected with the first pick in the Rule 5 Draft, picked up
the first hit of his big league career in the
sixth inning, when he singled to left field. It led to the first run of
the game, when Goeddel scored on Herrera's two-out triple into the
right-field corner. "It felt like it had been a year since my last
hit, so to finally do it, I'm happy about it," Goeddel said.
- "Not yet, not yet. I'll think about it, if they tell me to
pick a song, maybe I'll try one." -- Gomez, on picking a closer's song. (The
Phillies played House of Pain's "Jump Around" as he entered the
game in the ninth.)
- Carlos Ruiz caught Upton Jr. stealing in the seventh inning. Ruiz threw out
just six runners attempting to steal in 52 attempts last season. His 88.5
stolen-base percentage ranked 27th out of 28 qualified catchers last
season. Ruiz has thrown out 1-of-2 base stealers this year.
- With the
bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the eighth inning, Phillies
third baseman Maikel Franco hit into what appeared to be an
inning-ending double play. But Spangenberg sailed his throw wide of first,
and the ball was jarred loose out of the glove of Brett Wallace,
allowing two runs to score. Padres manager Andy Green challenged the play,
saying Herrera had slid illegally into second base, but replay confirmed
the call on the field. After the game, Spangenberg was quick to note that
the slide had no effect on his poor throw, saying, "I just messed
up." Green himself acknowledged that he was taking a chance, given
the situation in the game and the uncertainty around how the new slide
rule will be called. "Until we get a handle on how it's being
enforced fully, it doesn't hurt to ask for it in that situation,"
Green said. "We have to get a full understanding of how it's going to
be enforced. When our team has the opportunity to challenge in that
instance, I think it's wise to take that opportunity."
NEXT
GAME:
Neither Phillies starter Jerad Eickhoff nor his Padres
counterpart, Colin Rea, has had the luxury of starting in front of his home
crowd so far this season. For Eickhoff, that chance comes Wednesday in the
third game of a four-game set at Citizens Bank Park. Rea will have to tough it
out at least one more start. Although the Padres have found more success on the
road -- 3-2 compared to 0-3 at Petco Park -- Rea was roughed up in his first
start of the season at hitter-friendly Coors Field. He lasted just 3 2/3
innings and allowed five runs, though the offense picked up the slack en route
to a 13-6 slugfest win.
PHILS PHACTS:
Adjusting The Lineup – Pete
Mackanin's options are severely limited, but he knew he had to make a move. He
dropped Freddy Galvis out of the leadoff spot for Tuesday
night's game against the Padres at Citizens Bank Park. Mackanin replaced Galvis
with Cesar Hernandez,
who is probably Mackanin's only legitimate option to hit there anyway.
Ruf Start To The Season – One
game after Phillies manager Pete Mackanin firmed his commitment to the platoon
of Ryan Howard and Darin Ruf at first base, Howard's name was
penciled in against Padres left-hander Robbie Erlin. That's
not Mackanin wavering. Ruf injured his left shoulder diving for a ball on
Monday against the Padres after he pinch-hit for Howard in the sixth and
replaced him at first base. Ruf didn't start Tuesday while he awaits a medical
opinion, but Mackanin doesn't believe it's anything serious. He said Ruf is
available to pinch-hit, but he wasn't needed in the Phillies' 3-0 victory. Ruf is day to
day. Ruf and Howard's strong platoon splits give the Phillies hope for
production at first base. Ruf posted a 1.107 OPS against left-handers last
season, while Howard had similar success against righties, with an .802 mark. Howard
against left-handers is a different story, though, with just a .418 OPS in 100
at-bats against them in 2015. He entered the game hitless in three at-bats vs.
Erlin.
Morton Bounces Back – Charlie Morton's
sinker has always been his moneymaker, but he needed to change his look against
left-handed hitters. So he showed his curveball a bit more Tuesday in a 3-0 victory over the Padres at Citizens Bank Park,
where he threw 6 2/3 scoreless innings. "I didn't know we were divulging
secrets," Morton said. Phillies pitching coach Bob McClure recommended
Morton throw his curveball more against lefties because Morton had become too
predictable against them with his sinker. Left-handed hitters hit .394 against
the pitch last season, according to Baseball Savant. "That's absurd,"
Morton said. The curveball worked well as Morton allowed three hits, four walks
and struck out seven. He struck out Cory
Spangenberg on
a curveball in the first and got Alexi
Amarista and Jon
Jay to
ground out on curveballs in the fifth. "It kind of gives me some wiggle
room if I throw my curveball," Morton said. "If I can throw it for
strikes, that gets them off my fastball." Morton is the latest Phillies
starter to pitch well. The Phillies' rotation entered the night with a 1.2 WAR,
which was the best in baseball. It ranked first in strikeout-to-walk ratio
(5.38) and second in strikeouts (43), opponent batting average (.195), opponent
on-base percentage (.241) and WHIP (0.92). "I feel like we're going to be
in every game with our starting pitching," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin
said. Yes, it is just eight games. True, it is a very small sample size. Nevertheless,
the rotation's 2.87 ERA is an encouraging beginning. Remember the Phillies'
rotation from last season? It finished with a 5.23 ERA, which was 29th in
baseball. Ten pitchers not named Cole
Hamels, Aaron
Nola, Jerad
Eickhoff and
Adam Morgan had a combined 6.19 ERA in 106 starts. "I'm really excited,
not just for the team, but for the organization as a whole," Morton said.
"There are some guys in Triple-A that are great. I think the future is
really bright for the Phillies, but also just going forward for this year,
having a starting rotation that can go out there and have some really effective
innings. "Granted, we're not very deep into the season at all, but it's a
really exciting group for me to sit there and watch."
The First Of How Many? – Sometimes life has a way of
working itself out. Other times, it can be bittersweet. In the case of Tyler Goeddel's
first Major League hit, it falls closer to the latter. Goeddel's family
traveled with him through the Phillies' opening road trip, six games in
Cincinnati and New York. They saw his first five Major League at-bats. His
first Major League start. But no first hit. That came in the sixth inning of
Tuesday's 3-0 victory over the San Diego Padres -- without
his family on hand. It was Goeddel's hard single into left field and subsequent
baserunning on Odubel Herrera's
triple that gave the Phillies their first run of the game -- all they would
need on the back of the shutout effort led by Charlie Morton. "I'm
glad I got it out of the way," Goeddel said. "[Alexei] Ramirez had a
good effort on it. I thought he might snag it, so I was definitely happy when
it got through." Although there was no one but teammates in the ballpark
to celebrate the milestone with, that didn't stop others miles away from
congratulating Goeddel. "I'm sure they wish they were here," he said.
"I peeked at [my phone]. I haven't checked everything yet, but a lot of
texts, a lot of calls." It was somewhat fitting that Herrera, last year's
Rule 5 selection, was the man to drive home this year's Rule 5 choice. Herrera,
like Goeddel, started his first Major League season 0-for-5. But after he got
that first hit out of the way, Herrera went 27 for his next 76 (.355) and entrenched
himself as the Phillies' starting center fielder. "I felt amazing to get
that off my shoulders," Herrera said through a translator. "When I
hit my first single, my first home run, it felt awesome because you're in the
big leagues and that's what you hope for." While Herrera quickly became
the Phillies' everyday center fielder, manager Pete Mackanin said there are no
plans -- at least presently -- for Goeddel to follow directly in his footsteps.
"We're gonna bring [Goeddel] along easy," Mackanin said. "He
played Double-A last year." That, however, doesn't mean the 23-year-old
outfielder can't play himself into a starting job. Because of his superb
defense, Mackanin said, he can stomach having Goeddel in the lineup more often,
even while his bat continues to come along. As for the ball he got his first
hit with? "I don't have it yet," Goeddel said, hoping his teammates
haven't put a ransom on it.
Injury Update – Mackanin
said he expects outfielder Cody Asche to soon resume baseball activities. "According
to what I've read, he thinks he's turned the corner," Mackanin said. Asche
is flying to Philadelphia on Wednesday to be re-evaluated. The 25-year-old
outfielder missed most of Spring Training with a strained oblique. The Phillies
placed him on the 15-day DL to start the season. Asche's return should be
highly anticipated by a Phillies team struggling to find offensive production
from the corner-outfield spots. In six games before Tuesday, Tyler Goeddel, Cedric Hunter and Peter Bourjos have combined to go 6-for-47 (.128)
with just 12 total bases.
Today
In Phils History – Today marks the debut of a number of Phillies
players including a trio in 1966 that went on to have long careers in baseball
after their playing days were done. Those three are Dick Groat, Roger
Craig, and Bob Uecker all stayed in baseball while Larry Christenson left the
game long after his complete game debut on this day in 1973. However, Bo Diaz
never got the opportunity but lives on in his walk off grand slam from 1983.
And while he never donned the uniform, no one can deny the impact that Harry
Kalas had on the Phillies from the broadcast booth prior to his death on this
day in 2009. However, today is also a time to celebrate beginnings (and not
just the birthdays of Wes Chamberlain (Happy 50th) and Hunter Pence
(the big double 3)) as this was the day that the Phillies received their World
Series rings in 1981 (also the day of Steve Carlton’s 250th career
victory) and when we finally started putting the strike behind us with the first
matchup of the spring in 1995. I guess you could technically say that the
Phillies held the title of National League Champions for 2 years!
THE BEGINNING:
The
Phillies are currently 3-5 this season putting them on pace to meet most
preseason predictions. The Phillies finished the spring exceeding most
expectations compiling a record of 15-11-3 (18-11-3 if you include the
exhibition games against Reading and the University of Tampa). All time, the
Phillies are 26-25-0 on this day. I expect the Phillies to finish in the bottom
half of the division but not last in the NL East by finishing the season with a
77-85 record. Let the rebuild begin!
No comments:
Post a Comment