Record since last Report Card: 4-2
Overall Record: 60-48 (2 behind Braves, 1.5 behind Giants in Wild Card)
Coming right on the heels of an 8-game winning streak, it was amazing how quickly things started to look really bleak this week. The Phils dropped the first two games to the lowly Nationals, with the second loss coming thanks to another Brad Lidge implosion, and then in the 1st inning of the next game, Ryan Howard badly turned his ankle and had to be helped off the field.
All of those things made the subsequent 4-game win streak all the more crucial. The Phils were able to keep pace with the Braves and, maybe more importantly, proved to themselves that they can win without their two best hitters in the line-up.
There were two roster moves this week. OF John Mayberry was called up to replace Howard, and the team acquired veteran 1B Mike Sweeney from the Mariners, for basically nothing. Cody Ransom was designated for assignment. It looks like Sweeney will platoon with Ross Gload at 1B for now, and he could stick around for the rest of the season (and post-season) as a pinch-hitter, if he produces at all.
This week’s grades:
Position Players: We’ve gotten used to seeing Charlie improvise with his line-ups this season, but things just started to get weird this week. Carlos Ruiz batting 6th? Ross Gload batting 3rd?? A right-side of the defense made up of Wilson Valdez, Cody Ransom, and Dom Brown? Tuesday’s game saw the normal 2 and 5 hitters, Polanco and Werth, hitting 3rd and 4th. It was as if the heart of the line-up, Utley and Howard, were just ripped out and everyone else pushed together, with a couple guys that should probably be in AAA tacked on at the end.
It wasn’t a banner week for run-scoring, but these guys certainly deserve credit for finding ways to put runs on the board without their two top guns. The hero of the week was definitely Ruiz. Not only did Chooch hit .379 (11-29) with 3 HR and 3 doubles, but he delivered hits at key times. He put the Phils ahead with a 2-out RBI single in the 9th on Saturday (only to watch Lidge blow it). His 4-hit assault on Tuesday included another 2-out RBI single. On Thursday, he stroked a two-run double to break a scoreless tie in the 6th, then delivered the game-winning home run in the 10th inning.
Polanco continued to produce, hitting .370 (10-27) and Raul Ibanez has been red-hot at the right time, hitting .474 (9-19) with a HR this week, raising his season average to .275. Ben Francisco chipped in with a nice week, hitting .375 (6-16) with a HR. The Dom Brown Watch: he was just 5-23 with no extra-base hits, but he had a nice game on Wednesday, with an RBI single and a sac fly against a tough left-hander. He also got to show off his arm for the first time, gunning down a runner at the plate with a bullet throw from right field.
On the negative side, Jimmy Rollins had a rough week, hitting .222 (6-27). He fouled a ball off his foot early in the week, and it looks like it’s still been bothering him as he wasn’t running that well in the Florida series. All in all, the offense responded well to all the tumult caused by injury. We’ll have to wait and see what they do against quality pitching when they face Johan Santana on Saturday.
Grade: B+
Starting Pitchers: It was a tale of two series for the starters this week: mediocre against Washington but excellent against Florida. This was epitomized by the newly arrived Roy Oswalt, who struggled in his Phillie debut on Friday, but was excellent in shutting down the Marlins on Thursday. Oswalt admitted after his debut that he was too “amped up” and “held the ball a little tight.” No doubt, part of that had to do with all the Phillie fans in attendance in Washington. But on Thursday he had his wicked curveball really working, and he left the game in the 7th inning, having not allowed a run, but J.C. Romero came on and allowed both inherited runners to score.
The Start of the Week goes to Mr. Halladay, who allowed 1 run, with 9 K’s, over 7 innings on Tuesday. Kyle Kendrick had his 3rd straight impressive start since being briefly demoted, giving up 2 runs in 6 innings on Wednesday. It was especially impressive because he had to warm up twice thanks to an hour rain delay at the start of the game. Hamels and Blanton were unspectacular on Saturday and Sunday.
Grade: B-
Bullpen: On Saturday, Lidge was as bad as I’ve ever seen him. Coming in with a 1-run lead, the inning went: single, sac bunt, walk, 3-run walk-off homer. Every pitch he threw was either way out of the strike zone or very hittable. I wasn’t the least bit surprised when Ryan Zimmerman crushed one to dead-center to end it. Lidge had three other save opportunities after that, and he converted all three, allowing just one hit. But he still doesn’t look very good.
We came into this season wondering if we would see the ’08 or ’09 versions of Lidge. We all expected it would be somewhere in between, and it has been, but the unfortunate truth is that he’s definitely been closer to the ’09 Lidge. People smarter than me may have come to this conclusion months ago, but I’m just now ready to admit: Lidge can’t be trusted. Of course, we have no other options to close, so we’ll just have to watch between our fingers and hope.
On the plus side, Jose Contreras and Ryan Madson have been good lately. Both had unblemished weeks and each picked up a win. Contreras has allowed just one run in his last 10 appearances, while Madson has allowed one in his last 8.
Grade: C-
Up Next: Six games at home with the Mets and Dodgers. Phils starters for the Mets series: Blanton, Hamels, Halladay.
