SB Nation - Brad Lidge

MLB Trade Rumors: Joe Blanton to the Dodgers for George Sherrill?

raygu — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 18:00:16 -0000

by Matt Slocum - ASSOCIATED PRESS

about 1 month ago: Philadelphia Phillies' Joe Blanton pitches against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first inning of Game 4 of the National League Championship baseball series Monday, Oct. 19, 2009, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

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On Sunday night, AOL Fanhouse's Ed Price tweeted the following regarding the Phillies starting pitcher Joe Blanton:

To the list of Ps avail. in trade -- Halladay, Lowe, Meche, Millwood -- add Joe Blanton. He's arb-elig & #Phillies could use $ on relief.

This tweet was confirmed by some Philly sports writers on Monday. Blanton is arbitration eligible after making $5.5 million in 2009. Blanton went 12-8 with a 4.05 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP in 2009. He struck out 7.5/9 and walked 2.7/9 resulting in a respectable 2.76 K/BB ratio. His HR/9 of 1.38 and HR/FB ratio of 13.0% was his highest since 2004, and both were well above his career averages of 0.96% and 9/0% respectively.

Blanton is good for 200+ innings every year, but I don't expect him to continue striking out as many as he did in 2009, nor do I expect him to continue giving up so many long balls.

George Sherrill is arbitration eligible and could make around $4 million in 2010. The Phillies are looking for a reliever and the Dodgers are looking for a starting pitcher. So why not deal Sherrill for Blanton straight up, as the deal would help both teams address their offseason needs. Sherrill will more than likely be cheaper than some of the alternatives on the free agent market. The Phils would swap out Blanton's arb contract for Sherrill's arb contract.

The Phillies could land a cheaper starting pitcher on the free agent market to hold the sport for pitching prospect Kyle Drabek who could be ready by mid-season, or next season at the latest. Sherrill could fill in for closer Brad Lidge should Lidge continue to ptich poorly and blow saves in 2010

Meanwhile the Dodgers have a surplus in the bullpen making Sherrill expendable. Plus, the Dodgers have a prospect or their own in the name of Josh Lindblom who almost made the team out of spring training in 2009, who is ready or very close to being ready for big league action.

Poll

Does a Joe Blanton-George Sherrill swap make sense for the Phillies and Dodgers?

Jose Valverde Rejects Arbitration Offer- Who Closes Now?

HighLeveragePerformer — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 12:00:32 -0000

by Ross D. Franklin - AP

Adios, amigo.

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The Astros and GM Ed Wade were handed a great piece of news on Monday night, as closer Jose Valverde declined arbitration choosing instead to remain a free agent. Valverde made his intent to test the market in free agency known early on, and despite the extension of an arbitration offer from the Astros, Jose has decided to take the plunge and see if he can parlay his strong recent seasons into a big money free agent contract.

Almost certainly this means the end of his tenure as the last man out the Astros 'pen. While he was certainly a positive contributor, he is a luxury that the organization cannot afford. If nothing else, we can remember Jose Valverde's as a rock of consistent, if not spectacular play, a welcome relief from the often turbulent ninths we saw from Brad Lidge. People jump all over Ed Wade and his penchant for bringing in relievers, often over cost, and rightfully so especially with a team lacking in talent like our Astros have been. At least we can say in Valverde's case that the big name reliever was as good as advertised once he got to town.

Now the question that need be answered is who will step into the vacated closer's position? Rafael Soriano, whom the Astros had reported shown interest in, has accepted the Braves' offer of arbitration, while set up man Mike Gonzalez has chosen to take the opposite route in rejecting the Braves' advances. On the Braves' front, the back end of their bullpen will be full of former and current closers, with Soriano joining Takashi Saito and Billy Wagner after the latter two recently joined Atlanta in free agency. I don't know if Braves' GM Frank Wren anticipated that Soriano would decline arbitration, but he will have a large sum of $ invested in three men who will pitch at most 190 innings combined. That's an almost Astro-like utilization of resources. To the point, Gonzalez will be an option for Ed Wade to check in on. A multi year deal would most likely be what it takes to reign in the man with the awesome windup.

Of course, LaTroy Hawkins is an option, but he has been sought after by more than just the Astros. If anything, I would expect Ed Wade to amp up his charge to sign Hawk to a one year contract for 2010. If I had to place a wager, I believe he will be re-signed and given the opportunity to be our closer. Without great strikeout stuff, Hawkins will have to overcome his lack of a killer fastball to get hitters out. Our budget may necessitate this more than anything else.

Kevin Gregg, Brandon Lyon and Fernando Rodney are out there, and I hope the Astros do nothing more than kick their tires and pass. J.J. Putz, however, would be an interesting sign, and could probably be had on the cheap after coming off injury and poor performance.

The Astros were given a gift last night. Who knows what can be done with it. A free agent starting pitcher and/or an affordable third base option are more realistic than last week, in terms of ability of the Astros to sign a player or two. In the long term, Bobby Heck has produced a solid draft class from 2009, and if Valverde as expected does not re-sign with the club, two draft choices will come his way. All in all, a good night for the Astros. The next couple days could be even better as a result.

MLB Trade Rumors: Phillies Shopping Shane Victorino??

raygu — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 17:30:13 -0000

More photos » by Julie Jacobson - ASSOCIATED PRESS

about 1 month ago: Philadelphia Phillies' Shane Victorino, right, is congratulated by Jimmy Rollins after scoring on a two run RBI single by Raul Ibanez during the eighth inning of Game 1 of the Major League Baseball World Series against the New York Yankees Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2009, in New York. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)

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I was trading emails with my brother and a few friends yesterday, and one of my friends who listens to alot of Philadelphia talk radio said he heard that the Phillies may be quietly shopping Shane Victorino. I was shocked to hear that one, and none of the big rumors guys have yet to throw that one out there. It will be interesting to see if the Phillies would actually mess with a lineup that went to the World Series two years in a row.

So, why would the Phillies want to deal Victorino? I think there are several reasons. One is they have Michael Taylor and Domonic Brown in AAA and AA respectively, who are probably amongst the top 20-25 prospects in the game right now. Secondly, if the Phillies are serious about signing Cliff Lee long-term, then they need to move some salary to afford Lee. Victorino is up for arbitration again this year, after making $3+ million last year. That number could double in 2010 and beyond.

Factor in that the Phillies have two more years of Raul Ibanez and the $20 million left on his contract, and Jayson Werth is a free agent at the end of the 2010 season, and the Phillies have some decisions to make with their outfielders. The contracts that Ryan Howard ($19 million in 2010), Chase Utley ($15 million in 2010), Jimmy Rollins ($7.5 million in 2010) and recently signed Placido Polanco (~$6 million in 2010), the Phillies infield is making almost $48 million in 2010. Add in what Cole Hamel, Brad Lidge, Cliff Lee, Jamey Moyer and others are making, and the Phillies may want to consider dealing some salary where they have depth in the minors.

Who could have interest in Victorino? Well, the Toronto Blue Jays would certainly be interested in him if the Phillies are serious about dealing for ace starter Roy Halladay. Other teams would include the Braves, Marlins and Mets who all need an outfielder, but I am sure the Phillies wouldn't deal Victorino within their own division. The Cardinals would jump at the chance to trade for Victorino and make him their leadoff hitter. He could play right field with Ryan Ludwick moving over to left field. A package of pitching prospects could entice the Phillies. The Cubs are also looking for a centerfielder. Victorino could also lead off for the Cubs.

Poll

Should the Phillies deal Shane Victorino to make room for Michael Taylor or Domonic Brown?

Did Philadelphia Give Placido Polanco Too Much? Yes.

Satchel Price — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 19:24:47 -0000

More photos » by Charles Rex Arbogast - AP

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This morning, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reported that the Philadelphia Phillies are close to signing Placido Polanco, who previously played his primary position of second base with the team earlier in the decade, to a three-year, $18M deal to replace Pedro Feliz as the team's everyday third baseman.

While the Raul Ibanez deal has worked out well for the Phillies thus far, it appears that the Phillies have continued their pattern of slightly overpaying veterans as they did with Ibanez, Jamie Moyer and Brad Lidge. While Polanco got an MVP vote this year, it's likely that the Phillies have overpaid slightly for some very underwhelming offensive performances from the hot corner. While Polanco has had some nice offensive seasons in his career, he's hit over .330 twice, he doesn't walk much, has practically no power, and his value on the basepaths is minimal.

He posted a .285/.331/.396 line (.321 wOBA) in Detroit last season, although his BABIP was below his career norm. The biggest issue that I take with the signing is that the Phillies would be signing an above-average defensive second baseman with a slightly below-average bat to play third base. Polanco has a career UZR/150 of 10.0 at second base with a substantial sample size, and while you can't necessarily expect him to be worth 10 runs defensively next season, he's certainly one of the best defenders at second base in the game. The Phillies clearly expect that to translate to second base, where he's actually got a pretty solid statistical track record as well, with the +9.9 UZR/150 in 2426.2 innings at the position.

The Phillies are clearly attempting to replace Feliz's defensive value while going in a different direction offensively. Certainly, adding one of the better contact hitters in the game should help an offense that can get streaky at times, but it seems that the Phillies are giving a pretty large deal to a guy who's shown pretty clear offensive limitations, especially for a corner infielder. If Polanco can continue to be a plus defender at third, then he should come close to giving the Phillies full value, but he hasn't played third base since 2005, and he hasn't played it reguarly since 2002, so it's questionable if he's still capable of replicating that kind of defensive performance.

For a guaranteed $18M, it seems that the Phillies could have done better, looking at defensive sure-things like Beltre and Crede, who both offer significant power potential, who probably would've costed less, although the Phillies likely were sick of the all-or-nothing approach that Pedro Feliz, along with the aforementioned two, would provide. With Howard, Lee, Werth, Hamels, Blanton, Victorino, Madson and Rollins (essentially the entire core with the exception of Utley) all reaching free agency by the end of 2011, it seems odd to want to pay Polanco $6M in 2012 to play third base, although they should presumably have significant payroll flexibility by then unless they give big deal to Lee and Werth next offseason.

Phillies Top 10 Stories of 2009: No. 8 -- What the Hell Happened to Brad Lidge?

David S. Cohen — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 15:23:40 -0000

More photos » by Tom Mihalek - AP

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From perfection to perdition. From the best to the all-time worst. From a season of unending highs to a season of incessant lows.

And yet that doesn't even begin to describe how bad this past season was for Brad Lidge. The Phillies' vaunted closer, who was literally (not figuratively) perfect in 2008, literally (not figuratively) posted the worst relief season of all time in 2009.

There are way too many ways to demonstrate the horror that was Brad Lidge's season, but here are just a few for your enjoyment:

Lidge pitched in the 9th inning in 62 games and gave up 48 runs and 99 base runners.
Lidge's OPS against with men on base was 1.025 and with men in scoring position was 1.017.
He had a -4.54 win probability added. Compare that to his +5.37 last year.
As is obvious given how poorly he pitched, compared to 2008, he walked more batters, struck out less, gave up more hits, allowed more home runs, had a higher BABIP, and left fewer men on base.

Basically, there was nothing good about 2009 for Brad Lidge. Even his slight resurgence in the playoffs was ruined by his blowing Game 4 of the World Series after the Phillies had tied it up in the 8th and looked to finally have some momentum against the Yankees.

Unlike 2008 when the Phillies won the World Series in large part because of Brad Lidge, in 2009 the Phillies made it as far as they did despite Brad Lidge.

And yet we've got him for another 2 years at $11.5M each year with a $12.5M club option (with $1.5M buyout) in 2012. So the Phillies have to hope Lidge can turn it around and be somewhere closer to 2008 and nowhere near 2009.

Early projections are favorable. Bill James projects Lidge to have a drastic turnaround in 2010 to a 3.40 ERA and 1.32 WHIP. And ZIPS isn't as favorable, but still sees a rebound to a 4.29 ERA.

Phillies fans have to believe that there's some truth in the James' and ZIPS' forecasts if for no other reason than that dead cats bounce. Because another year like 2009 will tear out our hearts and darken our souls. And we just can't take that again from this silly game of baseball.

The Astros most impressive performances in 2009: The hitters

DyingQuail — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:57:54 -0000

More photos » by Henny Ray Abrams - AP

Not the guy you're expecting to see with a post about "most impressive batting performance."

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This idea struck sometime in late August as I was watching, most likely, another Astros loss. I thought it would be a good idea so I randomly threw it onto Things for today.

The idea is pretty simple, what were the top three greatest performances that players put up during the season. Because I'm saber-slanted, I'm using WPA to quantify greatest. I've spent all morning clicking through every player's play log to find their highest WPA/play in order come up with the top three in hitting and pitching. Today is about the hitters, and the results will likely surprise you.

No. 1 - Kaz Matsui on September 5th

The man on the mound, a familiar Brad Lidge. The situation, down one in the bottom of the ninth, the bases juiced with two outs. What does Kaz do? He lines a 1B right field scoring JR Towles and Jason Michaels—the tying and the winning runs.

via www.fangraphs.com

Kazuo Matsui picks up a tidy .734 WPA on that one play. That's staggering. Of course, he's aided by the fact that the leverage situation was an insane 10.78, but he came through. That graph is ridiculous. Congrats, Kaz.

No. 2 - Miguel Tejada on September 9th

Compared to Kaz's ridiculous three-quarters of a win performance just four days earlier, Tejada's performance feels a little pedestrian. The real trajedy of this day, is that Lance Berkman gets squeaked out of the top three, even though were it not for him, Tejada doesn't make the list.

After Lance doubled to put runners at 2B and 3B, the Braves IBBed Carlos Lee to bring up Tejada, with one out (this reads like a terrible decision until you remember that it's Miguel "GIDP" Tejada at the plate). The result is that Tejada sends a ground ball to CF bringing in Kaz Matusi and Berkman to put the Astros on top 2-1.

via www.fangraphs.com

Tejada walks away with .471 WPA for his troubles and the number two performance.

No. 3 - Jeff Keppinger on August 27th

Top of the ninth. None on and two out. Astros tied 3-3 with the St. Louis Cardinals. Keppinger takes Kyle McClellan deep for a HR to put the Astros on top.

via www.fangraphs.com

Incidentally, Keppinger garners .421 WPA with the HR, but most importantly: Keppinger earns the highest isolated WPA performance of the season.

Keppinger's swing was just involved he and McClellan, where as Kaz and Miggy had the table set for them. I'm not saying that because they had their situations created by the play of players in front of them that they don't deserve credit for coming through with "clutch" hits, but with Keppinger, you don't have to wonder if more credit should be shifted to the table setters.

So, in your opinion....

Poll

What was the greatest batting performance by an Astro in 2009? (the choices are cryptic because you should read the post before you vote)

9/5

15 votes

9/9

3 votes

8/27

9 votes

Other - I'll explain in the comments

2 votes

29 votes | Poll has closed

Astros' OF Michael Bourn wins National League Glove Glove

HighLeveragePerformer — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:47:19 -0000

More photos » by Paul Beaty - AP

NL Gold Glove winner Michael Bourn snags a fly ball. MB ranked 4th in UZR for all NL OFs, and 5th in UZR/150...A legitimate winner of the Gold Glove. Refreshing.

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From potential bench player, to actual ballplayer.

Out of of TCB dog house, and onto our list of bright spots.

Call it what you will, reason it however you wish, Michael Bourn proved just about every prognosticator, projection system, baseball insider, and cynic wrong with his 2009 season. At this time last year, nobody, this blog included, expected much of anything out of Mike. If he could avoid getting benched it would be a great success.

Think about that. When the Astros made their ill fated run towards the post season in 2008, Darin Erstad was getting significant time in CF because Bourn couldn't hold his own with the big leaguers. Meanwhile, Brad Lidge was mowin' 'em down in Philadelphia. Ed Wade looked the buffoon that most make him out to be.

Fast forward a season, and Wade looks quite...dare I say it...savvy. Our 26 year old centerfielder was a four win player, en route to having a bounce back season that would make Lidge himself smile. A 74 win club with the oldest roster in the game normally can't have that many positives going into an off season, and the Astros are no exception. Throughout the 162 game season however, a speedster whose roots are in Houston made us smile no matter how far away the Cardinals got in the standings.

Now there's this, confirmation of Michael Bourn's ascendancy into the class of a respectable ball player. With his first Gold Glove in just his second full season as a major leaguer, Michael doesn't need to look over his shoulder anymore, worrying that his job may be usurped at the next strike out our meek fly ball.

His game has the potential to expand even more, which is the incredible part of this story. I fully expect him to work just as hard this winter to hone his craft and return to Florida with more defined skills and an even better appreciation for what it takes to succeed in the bigs.

Congratulations to Michael Bourn. Humility seems to be his calling card, but deep down, it must be a great feeling to prove people wrong and to do so in convincing fashion. Question marks abound with the Astros, but out in center we're golden.

Phillies Looking at Fernando Rodney?

Ian Casselberry — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 19:55:13 -0000

More photos » by John Froschauer - AP

Could the Philadelphia Phillies be pointing to Fernando Rodney this offseason? And might Rodney point back at them?

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One of the biggest differences between the 2008 World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies and the 2009 runners-up was the performance of their bullpen, specifically closer Brad Lidge. In 2008, Lidge racked up 41 saves without blowing a single opportunity. It was one of the more (if not most) remarkable runs seen from a closer.

This season, however, was a far different story. Lidge blew 11 saves, the highest total in the majors. Late in the year, Charlie Manuel agonized over whether or not to replace him in the ninth inning. Lidge seemed to pull himself together in time for the postseason, but had a rather memorable meltdown in Game 4 of the World Series, giving up three runs.

And though Lidge's struggles may be attributable to bone chips in his elbow (which he's having surgically removed this week), along with a sprained knee, it appears that the Phillies want to insure themselves against their closer having another troublesome season. Jon Paul Morosi and Ken Rosenthal report on their blog from the GM Meetings that the Phillies are "showing preliminary interest" in Fernando Rodney.

Presumably, the Phillies would look at Rodney as a set-up man for Lidge. But if Lidge had problems again next season, being able to call on a pitcher who had 37 saves last year (blowing only one) might not be a bad way to go.

You'd have to think Rodney is looking for a closer job though, if for no other reason than the bigger paycheck. (Dollar, dollar bills, y'all.) And as a Type B free agent, he might be a bit more appealing to a team looking to hold onto its first-round draft pick. Rodney's made it known that he's hoping to find a three-to-four-year deal. But other teams might look at his 4.40 ERA, along with his 61 strikeouts and 41 walks in 75.2 innings, and make a lower contract offer.

Congratulations ScottAZ -- Winner of the 2009 Good Phight World Series Prediction Contest

David S. Cohen — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:46:07 -0000

The World Series is over, and the results of the 2009 Good Phight World Series Prediction Contest are in. Congratulations to ScottAZ for getting 6 points in the context. FuquaManuel tied ScottAZ, but as the rules state, I did a random drawing and ScottAZ won. I'll be contacting ScottAZ shortly about the prize.

Here are the answers to each question asked in the contest.

Cliff Lee wins: 2
Ryan Howard home runs: 1
Shane Victorino and Jimmy Rollins stolen bases (combined total): 3
Eric Bruntlett plate appearances: 1
Phillies starting pitcher innings not by Cliff Lee or Pedro Martinez: 10.3
Brett Myers innings pitched: 1
Jimmy Rollins walks: 5
Brad Lidge saves: 0
Alex Rodriguez hits with runners in scoring position: 2
Mariano Rivera runs allowed: 0
World Series outcome (victor and # of games): Yankees in 6

A couple of entries are worth noting. Sept.28.Oct.27.Dec.28.2008 had 5 points, the highest point total for an entry not guessing the correct outcome of the Series. (Both ScottAZ and FuquaManuel guessed Yankees in 6, which was worth 3 points.) And Phils 2036 World CH guessed correctly that Jimmy Rollins would have 5 walks, something I consider an absurd guess and outcome!

Thanks to all for playing. Let's do this again next October!

The 2009 World Series: The Boring One

David S. Cohen — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:00:46 -0000

We're now on our second day post-World Series, and I can't fight off this nagging feeling that the championship series I just watched was, well, pretty damn boring.

Yes, it was a World Series, and with the Phillies' long record of futility, there's really no ground for complaining when the team just makes it to the post-season, let alone to the World Series. But, in the context of a best-of-7 match for the best team in baseball, it's hard to say that this Series had much going for it.

Sure, this was the first World Series to go past 6 games since 2003. And the Yankees won their first championship in their new stadium. And Chase Utley tied the record for most home runs in a World Series. And Hideki Matsui was dominant. And Mariano Rivera was, well, Mariano Rivera. But all of those things added in with the rest of the Series just didn't add up to anything exciting or memorable.

The best way to capture this sentiment is the following: over the course of the six games, there were 2 lead changes. That's it. Even worse is that both of them occurred in drabs over the course of the middle innings. Otherwise, once a team took the lead in this series, the other team never got ahead. Of course, this doesn't mean that it wasn't good baseball, but it does mean that from a fan's perspective, this isn't particularly exciting baseball.

The overall series momentum also didn't provide much excitement. The Phillies took the early 1-0 lead, but then the Yankees won 3 in a row. Had the Phillies won their second in Game 4 instead of Game 5, the Series would have taken on a new level of excitement. But, that's not what happened, and by the time the Phillies had 2 wins, the Yankees were heading home looking for one to clinch. Momentum really didn't shift, and the Series ended as it seemed it would without any real surprise.

Looking at the particulars of each game confirms this, as only Game 4 had much real excitement. Yet, even that excitement lasted only a very short period of time. Here are each of the games re-capped, along with the mostly uni-directional win probability graphs. I've also given each game an excitement ranking on a 1 to 10 scale, with 10 being Joe-Carter-Game-6-in-1993 exciting and 1 being a mid-August Pirates/Padres 6-2 snooze-fest:

Game 1: Cliff Lee dominated the Yankees, holding them to one unearned run. That's a wonderful pitching performance, but it's not high drama. Chase Utley's two home runs against CC Sabathia were exciting, but the rest of the offense was dormant until the last two innings. And, at that point, the game was pretty much over. The Yankees had no chance against Lee, and the graph below shows it. The only thing going for the game on the excitement meter was that it was Game 1, which seemed like a big deal at the time. Excitement factor: 6.

via www.fangraphs.com

Game 2: One of our two lead-change games, the Phillies took an early lead, but then Pedro Martinez slowly gave it back, one run at a time, until the Yankees had a lead that Mariano Rivera protected with a 2 inning save. The lead change was exciting, as was some good pitching from Martinez and A.J. Burnett, but the drip-drip run-scoring from the Yankees along with the certitude of the Rivera save worked against this game having much excitement to it. The steady incline of the win probably graph confirms this. Excitement factor: 4.

Game 3: Here we get out second, and last, lead change of the Series. The Phillies took an early 3-0 lead behind a dominant Cole Hamels. But then it all fell apart in the middle innings, as the Yankees outscored the Phillies 8-1 over the course of innings 4 through 8. The Phillies' feeble comeback just assured another Rivera shut-down appearance in the ninth. This game was over in the fifth, and the entire stadium knew it (and the graph confirms). Excitement factor: 3.

Game 4: This was the only high-drama game of the Series. The Phillies staged a late inning comeback against Sabathia and Joba Chamberlain, who looked great in the eighth inning until Pedro Feliz shockingly tied the game with a home run. Brad Lidge entered the ninth and looked great as well, but followed Chamberlain's pattern of not being able to put away the last batter. Lidge allowed 3 in the ninth, and another Rivera appearance assured the Yankees' third win. This is the only win probably graph with much of a jagged edge. Excitement factor: 8.

Game 5: This game was over early, as the Phillies took a big lead with Cliff Lee pitching. He wasn't as sharp as Game 1, but he was pitching well enough and the offense put up enough runs that the game was not much in doubt. The Yankees did mount a bit of a comeback and made the ninth inning tense, but it was too little, too late. That ninth inning comeback rescues this game from a 1, as the virtually flatlined win probably graph would seem to merit. Excitement factor: 4.

Game 6: This was the worst of the bunch. The only thing it had going for it was that it was Hideki Matsui's 6 RBI and that it was the last game. Otherwise, the Yankees took an early lead, the Phillies' hitters couldn't hit with men on, and everyone knew Rivera was going to come in for more than 3 outs, possibly 6. He ultimately came in for 5 outs and closed the door to finish the Series, as we all knew he would. The graph below merits a 1 on the excitement scale, but the championship win boosts this game, but only slightly as it was a complete bore. Excitement factor: 2.

The average excitement factor here is 4.5 on a 10 point scale. Of course, this is an arbitrary and subjective scale, but take a look at the fangraphs collectively and note the extreme absence of much fluctuation at all. There's no two ways about it: this was a boring series.

Of course, I'd feel completely different had the Phillies won it all . . . .