Blue Jays Bats Bounce Back

YESTERDAY IN POSTSEASON PLAY:

In one of the biggest slugfests of the post season, the Blue Jays bats prevailed pulling them within one game of the Royals in the ALCS. Of course, it helps that Johnny Cueto returned to his post trade mediocrity. And we can only wonder what the game would have been like had the umpire focused on the job at hand rather than throwing a hissy fit toward the end of the game. I am curious to see if the power display will continue in game 4 or if the bats will once again slumber amidst their indulgent hangover.  

Blue Jays Blast Royals 11-8

The Blue Jays showed once again why they should never be written off in the postseason, as the league's top offense erupted in an 11-8 victory over the Royals in Game 3 of the American League Championship Series on Monday night at Rogers Centre. Troy Tulowitzki, Josh Donaldson and Ryan Goins each homered as Toronto cut its deficit in the best-of-seven ALCS series to 2-1, with Game 4 scheduled for this afternoon. It was the third time in Blue Jays history they scored at least 10 runs in a postseason game. "We desperately needed that breakout," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. "You look at how the game finished up, those runs really came in handy. It wasn't an easy game, even though we had a big lead." The Royals' loss snapped their nine-game ALCS winning streak. The record is 10, held by the Orioles, who had three straight 3-0 sweeps in 1969, '70 and '71 and won Game 1 of the '73 ALCS, when it was a best-of-five series. Toronto is the fifth team to face a pair of 2-0 deficits in the same postseason, and two of the previous four came back to win both (1981 Dodgers, National League Division Series, World Series; and the 1985 Royals, ALCS, World Series). Tulowitzki led the way for the Blue Jays with a 2-for-4 night that included the home run and three RBIs, but he was ejected by home-plate umpire John Hirschbeck as the team warmed up for the top of the eighth for arguing a called third strike the last half-inning. Goins, whose memorable seventh-inning mishap jump-started Kansas City's game-turning rally in Toronto's Game 2 loss Saturday, redeemed himself with two hits, three RBIs and some slick defense. Donaldson and Edwin Encarnacion also had two hits, and every member of the Blue Jays' starting lineup reached base at least once. It was the highest offensive output during the postseason for Toronto, which scored in double digits a franchise-record 26 times this season. Kansas City's Johnny Cueto had a chance to give his team a commanding lead in the series, but instead he became the first starting pitcher in postseason history to allow eight or more runs while recording six outs or fewer. He pitched a scoreless first inning, but the right-hander surrendered three in the second and then was not able to record an out in the third. Cueto allowed six hits and walked four with two strikeouts in the sixth start of his postseason career. "The mound in the bullpen was higher than the real one," Cueto said through interpreter Pedro Grifol. "And I couldn't get my pitches down. It's no excuse. They just beat me." Right-hander Marcus Stroman picked up the win for the Blue Jays, even though he wasn't in top form. Stroman surrendered a lot of hard contact early, but he survived one run in the first and another run in the third before Toronto's offense gave him some breathing room. The 24-year-old induced 48 swings, but only three were of the swing-and-miss variety. He was charged with four runs on 11 hits and one walk over 6 1/3 innings before handing things over to the bullpen. Kansas City rallied for four runs in the ninth inning, but it was too little, too late. Kendrys Morales hit a two-run homer, while Lorenzo Cain added a sacrifice fly and Eric Hosmer had an RBI single. Prior to the ninth, the Royals went 2-for-9 with runners in scoring position and stranded eight men on base. "It shows you that we never quit," Hosmer said. "But it was just too big a hole. We know our pitchers won't have another game like that, so we're fine. It's 2-1, and we'll come back tomorrow."

POSTSEASON PREDICTIONS: Read my post from October 6^th to see how many I have gotten wrong!

CURRENT POSTSEASON PICTURE:

National League Championship Series

New York leads series 2-0

Game 3: Tuesday, October 20, at 8:00 PM

American League Championship Series

Kansas City leads series 2-1

Game 4: Tuesday, October 20, at 4:00 PM

PHILS PHACTS:

Phillies Cut Four – Domonic Brown's time with the Phillies is up. The Phillies outrighted Brown from their 40-man roster on Monday, effectively ending his nine-year career with the organization. Brown, 28, made the 2013 National League All-Star team, three years after he had been considered one of the top prospects in baseball, but he had struggled since. Brown had a .650 OPS from the 2013 All-Star break through this season, which ranked 289th out of 339 qualified hitters in baseball, and 16th lowest among 133 outfielders. That, combined with the emergence of other outfielders in the system and his second year of salary-arbitration eligibility, made his departure a certainty. Brown has the right to decline an assignment to the Minor Leagues and become a free agent, which is expected. "It just didn't work out," Phillies interim general manager Scott Proefrock said. "We've decided we've got players who deserve the playing time more than Domonic does." The Phillies also outrighted prospects Tommy Joseph and Kelly Dugan and outfielder Brian Bogusevic. The Phillies acquired Joseph in July 2012 from the Giants in the Hunter Pence trade, but concussions derailed a promising catching career. Joseph, who remains under the Phillies' control next season, moved to first base this year, and the Phillies remain hopeful he can produce enough offensively to become an option at first base in the future. "There's an opportunity here, if he can swing the bat and play the position," Proefrock said. "We don't really have a first baseman at the upper levels." Dugan, the Phillies' top pick in the 2009 Draft, had been saddled with injuries and was passed on the depth chart by other outfielders. He can become a Minor League free agent five days after the World Series. Bogusevic, like Brown, can immediately become a free agent. Brown's exodus is the most notable of the Phillies' latest roster purge. Just a few years ago, the Phillies believed they had a superstar in the making in the 20th-round selection in the 2006 Draft. But other than a strong first half in 2013, Brown never lived up to the hype. He was ranked No. 4 among all prospects in 2011. Two of the three players ranked ahead of him were the Angels' Mike Trout (No. 1) and the Nationals' Bryce Harper (No. 3). Monday's announcement follows another two weeks ago when they outrighted right-hander Justin De Fratus, infielder Chase d'Arnaud, outfielder Jordan Danks, catcher Erik Kratz and left-handers Adam Loewen and Ken Roberts. Right-hander Jonathan Pettibone also was outrighted after being activated from the 60-day disabled list.

The Search Continues – Phillies president Andy MacPhail is keeping quiet about his search for the Phillies' next general manager, but he is making progress. MacPhail has said it would be ambitious to hire somebody before the Phillies' organizational meetings, which begin next Monday, but the idea that an announcement could come next week should not be dismissed. Sources have told MLB.com that the Phillies have interviewed the following candidates: Angels assistant general manager Matt Klentak, Royals assistant general manager J.J. Picollo, Cardinals director of player personnel Matt Slater and former Marlins general manager Larry Beinfest. CBSSports.com reported Indians vice president of player personnel Ross Atkins also has interviewed. It is likely MacPhail has interviewed others. MLB.com identified Klentak in June as a favorite to replace former general manager Ruben Amaro Jr., when reports first surfaced about MacPhail's arrival. MacPhail hired Klentak as director of baseball operations in Baltimore in March 2008, making him one of the youngest executives in baseball. Klentak worked with MacPhail in scouting, player development, contract negotiations and the construction of the 40-man roster. Klentak also handled much of the Angels' heavy lifting when Jerry Dipoto resigned as Angels GM on July 1. Klentak, 34, graduated from Dartmouth with an economics degree in 2002. There have been reports Picollo is the front runner, although an ESPN.com report Monday disputed that. Picollo has played a role in the Royals' resurgence as one of the top teams in the American League, despite working with a small-market payroll. The Royals won the AL pennant in 2014, and entering Monday, they need two more victories in this year's AL Championship Series to play in their second consecutive World Series. Picollo also grew up in Cherry Hill, N.J., which means he has more than cursory knowledge of the Philadelphia area, its fans and media. Despite reports, sources have said that MLB vice president of baseball operations Kim Ng and former Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington are not among MacPhail's top list of candidates.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies finally put an end to the season finishing in last place in the NL East with a record of 63-99. Given the departures, aging stars, injuries, and bipolar performances tis season, this has ended up being one of the worst seasons in franchise history! However, there are some former Phillies still making headlines in the playoffs this year.

Pitching And Homeruns = Postseason Victories

YESTERDAY IN POSTSEASON PLAY:

It was the AL’s turn on Sunday with both Texas teams heading into Monday with a one game advantage. Once again, Dallas Keuchel proved to be a prime performer for Houston continuing to add exclamation points to an already fantastic 2015 campaign. As for the Blue Jays, mid-season acquisition Troy Tulowitzki proved to be the key in preventing the sweep and breathing new life into Toronto’s postseason hopes. On Monday we find out whether the ALCS is locked in or whether these four teams will match up for a final contest.

Astros Thwart Royals 4-2

Ace lefty Dallas Keuchel turned in another fantastic effort before the home crowd, rejuvenated slugger Chris Carter bashed a home run and Minute Maid Park was rocking. It's becoming a way of life for the Astros. Keuchel held the Royals to one run in seven innings, and Carter had three hits, including his first postseason home run, to lift the Astros to a 4-2 win before a raucous crowd of 42,674 in Game 3 of the American League Division Series on Sunday afternoon.

Blue Jays Wrangle Rangers 5-1

The Blue Jays stayed alive and have renewed hope in the best-of-five American League Division Series after Troy Tulowitzki hit a three-run homer and Marco Estrada tossed 6 1/3 strong innings to prevent the Rangers' potential celebration Sunday night. Tulowitzki's first hit of the series was a huge one, and Estrada held Texas to five hits as the Blue Jays took Game 3 of the ALDS with a 5-1 victory at Globe Life Park.

POSTSEASON PREDICTIONS: Read my post from October 6^th to see how many I have gotten wrong!

CURRENT POSTSEASON PICTURE:

American League Division Series

Houston leads series 2-1

Game 4: Monday, October 12, at 1:00 PM

Texas leads series 2-1

Game 4: Monday, October 12, at 4:00 PM

National League Division Series

Chicago and St. Louis tied 1-1

Game 3: Monday, October 12, at 6:00 PM

New York and Los Angeles tied 1-1

Game 3: Monday, October 12, at 8:30 PM

PHILS PHACTS:

Ultey Suspended For LEGAL Slide – Dodgers infielder Chase Utley was suspended for Games 3 and 4 of the best-of-five National League Division Series by MLB chief baseball officer Joe Torre for his takeout slide that broke the leg of Mets shortstop Ruben Tejada in Game 2 Saturday night. Utley will appeal the discipline, according to his agent, Joel Wolfe. The decision will be held in abeyance until the appeal process is completed, but according to a source, it was unlikely that the hearing would happen before first pitch. The Dodgers issued this statement: "The Dodgers stand behind Chase Utley and his decision to appeal the suspension issued tonight by Major League Baseball. The club will have no further comment at this time." The Dodgers won Game 2, 5-2, evening their NLDS with the Mets at one game apiece. "I recognize that there has been much commentary and many questions regarding the unfortunate play in last night's game in which Ruben Tejada was injured," Torre said in a release. "As I said after the game, the determination of whether a baserunner has intentionally interfered with a player attempting to turn a double play is left to the judgment of the Umpire on the field, and that judgment call is not subject to review. I should add that determining where to draw the line between an illegal slide and a legitimate hard play is an extremely difficult call for our Umpires. "However, after thoroughly reviewing the play from all conceivable angles, I have concluded that Mr. Utley's action warrants discipline. While I sincerely believe that Mr. Utley had no intention of injuring Ruben Tejada, and was attempting to help his Club in a critical situation, I believe his slide was in violation of Official Baseball Rule 5.09 (a)(13), which is designed to protect fielders from precisely this type of rolling block that occurs away from the base. "We have been in discussions with the Players Association throughout the year regarding potential rule changes to better protect middle infielders, and we intend to continue those discussions this offseason." The rule in question states: "A batters is out when: "A preceding runner shall, in the umpire's judgment, intentionally interfere with a fielder who is attempting to catch a thrown ball or to throw a ball in an attempt to complete any play. "Comment: The objective of this rule is to penalize the offensive team for deliberate, unwarranted, unsportsmanlike action by the runner in leaving the baseline for the obvious purpose of crashing the pivot man on a double play, rather than trying to reach the base. Obviously this is an umpire's judgment play." Umpires reviewed the play and awarded Utley second base. A replay review showed that Tejada did not make contact with the second-base bag as he attempted to turn the double play, nor did Utley. The Dodgers parlayed that call into a four-run inning, taking a 5-2 lead. Had the play been interpreted differently in the moment it occurred, the seventh inning could have ended with the Mets leading, 2-1, regardless of how far up the line the runner heading to first had advanced. On FOX Sports 1 during Game 3 of the American League Division Series between the Blue Jays and Rangers in Arlington, Torre elaborated on his written decision. "I was sitting behind the first-base dugout last night," he said. "I know Chase plays very hard. From my angle it looked like a hard slide. It really wasn't until I looked at video later on that I saw how late the slide was and how he sort of followed Tejada, sliding into him. It was based on the fact that he slid very late and it appeared to me he hit Tejada and the ground about the same time. He was more targeting the player as opposed to the base. He certainly didn't want to hurt him. He was just breaking up the double play, but I just thought it was a little bit much." Wolfe, Utley's agent, was quick to announce an appeal and denounce the discipline. "A two-game suspension for a legal baseball play is outrageous and completely unacceptable," said Wolfe. "Chase did what all players are taught to do in this situation - break up the double play. We routinely see plays at second base similar to this one that have not resulted in suspensions. Chase feels terrible about Ruben Tejada's injury and everyone who knows him knows that he would never intentionally hurt anybody. We will be appealing this suspension immediately." Torre responded to Wolfe's criticism on FS1. "I can't worry about what's happened in the past," Torre said. "I'm just worried about what I saw and the fact that we're trying to have rules that will keep these players on the field. It's unfortunate. Chase Utley's a great player. He's always played hard. I've always admired that about him. Unfortunately this time his playing hard, it just happened to have a bad result." When asked about a possible rule change for runners sliding into second, Torre said: "I know you want to upend the second baseman or shortstop because he has the ball and to break up the double play, but I think we're more concerned about keeping guys on the field, so we're talking more. In fact, in the Arizona Fall League we're doing some testing on having the players go into second base as opposed to going for the infielder." The Mets issued this statement: "The New York Mets completely support the decision made by Major League Baseball to suspend Chase Utley for two games and feel this was the appropriate course of action. With this decision behind us, the team and our fans can now focus on playing winning baseball." The last time a Dodgers player was suspended in the postseason was reliever Jay Howell, who was suspended for three days after being found to have pine tar on his glove during Game 3 of the 1988 National League Championship Series against the Mets. The suspension was reduced to two days after his appeal.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies finally put an end to the season finishing in last place in the NL East with a record of 63-99. Given the departures, aging stars, injuries, and bipolar performances this season, this has ended up being one of the worst seasons in franchise history! All time, the Phillies are 1-0-0 on this day.

Rockies Rookie Shuts Down Floundering Phillies

GAME RECAP: Rockies Beat Phillies 4-1

Rockies right-handed pitcher Chad Bettis took a perfect game into the seventh and no-hitter into the eighth as the Rockies defeated the Phillies, 4-1, at Citizens Bank Park on Friday. Bettis (2-0), who took a shutout into the ninth inning Sunday, but gave up two runs in a win over the Giants was even more special Friday -- allowing two hits in eight scoreless innings, with seven strikeouts. For a while, he was bidding to join ex-Rockies ace Ubaldo Jimenez as the only Rockies members of the no-hit club. Jimenez threw his on the road against the Braves on April 17, 2010. Bettis finished with 66 strikes in 104 pitches. But with one out in the eighth, Phillies left fielder Cody Asche rolled a single through the shortstop hole, which was vacated in an infield shifted to the right. Carlos Ruiz singled with two down. Rockies manager Walt Weiss, who had relievers Boone Logan and Rafael Betancourt warm, visited the mound, but let Bettis finish as he fanned pinch-hitter Darin Ruf on a check-swing. Bettis had a perfect game until shortstop Troy Tulowitzki ranged to the middle for a grounder from speedy Ben Revere but had the ball kick off the heel of his glove. The play was close, but it was ruled an error. But Tulowitzki had a four-hit night and was responsible for Bettis' lead, thanks to his solo homers in the first and third innings off Phillies starter Cole Hamels (5-4), whom the Rockies barely touched otherwise in eight innings. The Rockies opened the lead on Ben Paulsen's two-run homer off Luis Garcia in the eighth. Hamels fanned nine and held the Rockies to five hits. The Phillies nearly suffered their second straight shutout, but left fielder Brandon Barnes dropped a Chase Utley fly ball against the wall and Revere scored from second. Revere had reached on a strikeout-wild pitch with John Axford on the Rockies' mound.

OTHER NOTES FROM THE DAY:

• Early in the season, Hamels was a frequent victim of the long ball. The lefty gave up seven home runs in his first 18 innings this season, but coming into Friday's start, he had only allowed one since and none in his last 34 1/3 innings pitched. That changed in the first inning with Tulowitzki's first homer. Hamels had previously dominated Tulowitzki over his career, as before Friday's contest the shortstop was just 2-for-16 versus Hamels.
• Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg was ejected in the top of the ninth inning by home-plate umpire Angel Hernandez. Sandberg was arguing a called ball on a pitch thrown by Garcia that he believed to be strike three to Nolan Arenado. The questionable nature of Arenado's check swing, or lack thereof, came because Ruf, pinch-hitting for Hamels, was rung up on a questionable check-swing to end the previous inning. Sandberg could be seen asking Hernandez, "What was the difference?," before leaving the field.
• Chase Utley and Carlos Ruiz will likely both be excited to see De La Rosa on the mound as both have seen success in their careers versus the lefty. Utley has a career cycle against De La Rosa and is a .353 hitter while Ruiz is a 6-for-11 (.545) with two doubles, one RBI, two walks and an OPS of 1.370. The only players with at least 14 plate appearances against De La Rosa who have a higher OPS than Ruiz are Ryan Braun of the Brewers and former Phillies outfielder Shane Victorino.

NEXT GAME:

Two pitchers will be facing off against relatively familiar foes Saturday, when Aaron Harang and Jorge De La Rosa start against the Rockies and Phillies respectively for the second time in less than two weeks. Harang started for the Phillies at Coors Field on May 19 and De La Rosa made a start two days later for the Rockies in the same series. Neither pitcher received a decision in those outings, but their teams won both of the games. De La Rosa has not started since his last outing versus the Phillies. He had to miss a start because of a cut on his left middle finger and it was rescheduled for Saturday. The 34-year-old is 1-2 with an ERA of 6.51, though that mark has decreased every start since it was at 31.50 after his first start this season. A pitcher who has outperformed his record this year, Harang enters Saturday with a 4-4 record, but an ERA of 1.92. That mark is sixth in the National League and eighth in MLB. He has not allowed more than two earned runs in a start this month.

PHILS PHACTS:

Asche Breaks Up No Hitter – Cody Asche had plenty of things to be nervous about in the Phillies' 4-1 loss. Yesterday, Asche was a Minor Leaguer. Last month, he was a third baseman. And a few hours ago, he and his teammates were in danger of combining to tally zero hits over nine innings. But none of this troubled Asche. He came up to the plate in the eighth inning with a zero burning a hole in the Phillies' hit column. He stood in the batter's box and slapped a ball to the opposite field into the shift-vacated shortstop slot, breaking up Rockies pitcher Chad Bettis' no-hitter after 7 1/3 innings. When asked after the game whether or not he felt jitters batting with all the pressure on him and his teammates to break up the no-hitter, Asche answered quite succinctly. "No," Asche said. "Not one bit." This sentiment stayed consistent with what he had said before the game. Despite all the talk that centered around the difficulty of the transition from third base to left field, Asche said he wasn't nervous to play his first Major League game as an outfielder. And though he sort of reneged on that after the game by saying he did feel a little anxious during his first few at-bats, he said he collected himself and felt comfortable. "I was a little jittery maybe the first hitter or so," he said. "But once I got some sweat going, I got some balls hit in the air that I could see. It's baseball." Only one ball was hit in play in Asche's direction -- a sinking line drive off the bat of DJ LeMahieu -- and he played it cleanly to execute the out. As for his hit, Asche said it was able to happen because he was actively trying to punish the Rockies for shifting on him, saying this was easily the most drastic shift he had personally encountered all season. Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said this wasn't just true of Asche, but of his team as a whole. "That's the most shift I've seen on our whole lineup," Sandberg said. "I think even [on] Freddy Galvis [the Rockies] had a modified shift. They were playing some odds there and some drastic defense." However, that shift played straight into the plans of Asche. "I was trying to [hit the ball the other way] all night," he said. "I just did it the last time. A shift like that can't go unnoticed."

Welcome Back – Two weeks after sending him down to Triple-A, the Phillies have recalled Cody Asche in advance of Friday's game against the Rockies. A third baseman before being sent to Lehigh Valley, Asche went down to the Minors to learn how to play left field. The position change came in anticipation of the callup of Maikel Franco, who has been manning third base since Asche's demotion. A corresponding move to Asche's callup has yet to be made, but a move will be made prior to tonight's 7:05 first pitch. Prior to his demotion, Asche batted .245 with an OPS of .632 in 30 games in the Majors this year. In Triple-A, he batted .295 with an OPS of .752 in 15 games.

Crawford Advances – As of Friday night, J.P. Crawford is one step closer to his future. After blazing through Class A Advanced ball, the 20-year-old shortstop prospect has been promoted to Double-A Reading, effective immediately. Crawford, who was the Phillies' first-round pick back in the 2013 MLB Draft, batted .303 in 83 games at Class A Advanced Clearwater over the past two seasons. In 20 games this season, he kicked his play into an even higher gear, batting .392 and reaching base nearly every other at-bat with an on-base percentage of .494. On the Reading roster, he will join the Phillies' first-round pick from the 2014 MLB Draft, Aaron Nola, and 2010 first-round pick, Jesse Biddle, both of whom are starting pitchers. Crawford attended Lakewood High School in Lakewood, Calif., an hour-and-a-half up the Pacific Coast from where Phillies ace Cole Hamels went to high school nearly a decade ago.

Furry Game – On May 30, 2015, the Phillies Wives are doing what they can to help save the lives of pets in need at the 3:05 p.m. game against the Colorado Rockies. Jen Utley, along with the Phillies Wives and Pennsylvania SPCA volunteers, will be at the First Base Gate Plaza to host the Save a Pet at the Park event, benefitting the PSPCA from 1:05 p.m. - 4:35 p.m., before and during the 3:05 p.m. game vs. the Colorado Rockies. Dogs and cats will be on-site available to adopt. Click here to view some of the animals available for adoption at the First Base Gate. Fans can participate in a silent auction with game-used and autographed memorabilia, purchase signed "Mystery Balls", or donate pet toys or treats and new or gently used blankets. Phillies Charities 50/50 Drawing: Tickets will be available, benefiting the PSPCA. The Phillies Wives and adoptable dogs will be on the field pre-game to help promote awareness to the cause. Since the event has been hosted, more than $230,000 has been raised for the PSCPA. For more information on the Phillies Wives in the community, visit the Phillies Wives Page. ALSO, DOGS ON THE BUDWEISER ROOFTOP! For the first time this season, dogs - along with their human owners and friends - will be watching the game from the Budweiser Rooftop as part of the Phillies' sold-out Bark in the Park Theme Night. Proceeds will also benefit the PSPCA.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies are starting the season as expected and are now near the bottom of the NL east at 19-31. Given the departures, aging stars, injuries, and performance this spring, don’t expect their competitive place in the standings to last. All time, the Phillies are 75-83-0 on this day.