SB Nation - Ben Francisco

The Wrong Focus: Why the Phillies Should Focus on Offense Off the Bench

David S. Cohen — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:40:19 -0000

Ruben Amaro Jr. is reportedly so content with the offense that Ben Francisco and Greg Dobbs can provide off the bench next year that he thinks that the Phillies should focus on defense with their other bench positions. Here's the Inquirer's introductory take on the matter:

The Phillies will emphasize defense when working to improve their bench this off-season, general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said yesterday.

While the team would love to add part-time players who can hit for batting average and power, they will "err on getting defense over offense," Amaro said.

Amaro is wrong here for two reasons that can be encapsulated with the following numbers: .630 and .447.

First, Amaro is wrong because the Phillies as a team had an awful .186/.284/.346 triple slash line and .630 OPS last year when pinch hitting. That .630 OPS was 12th in the NL. Their .186 batting average when pinch hitting was 15th in the NL. This is awful production from the bench, especially given that the bench usually comes into play in important game situations.

Second, the Phillies were 8-16 in interleague play last year (when you add in the World Series) and have a .447 overall winning record against the AL since interleague play has begun (including World Series appearances). As was quite clear in the World Series, the Phillies suffered with the DH at Yankee Stadium and Hideki Matsui being the main pinch hit threat at Citizens Bank Park. With a bench that's weak offensively, the Phillies will not eliminate their NL East disadvantage in interleague play or give themselves more options if they reach the World Series again.

Both of these reasons indicate the Amaro is foolish to emphasize defense over offense in his quest to fill out the bench this off-season.

But, there is one possible way that I could be less angry with this decision. In filling the third base spot, as PhillyFriar has noted over the past week, there are players available by free agency or trade who might be offensive assets but defensive liabilities. If Amaro were to pursue one of those players, it might be worth backing him up with a more defense-oriented infielder who can sub for the new third baseman when appropriate.

However, even this possibility would explain just one position. Even if that were to come to pass, the Phillies need more offense off the bench. Focusing on defense is wrong.

Three Up, Three Down: Reasons The Phillies Will Win (or Lose) Tonight

David S. Cohen — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:03:43 -0000

The Phillies faced their first elimination game in two years on Monday night and prevailed. Can they do it again tonight? Here are three reasons they will, and three reasons they won't:

The Good

1) Road Warriors. The Phillies were tied with the Angels for the best road team in baseball this year. The Phillies went 48-33, with a +70 run differential away from CBP this year. The Phillies have played five games at Yankee Stadium so far this year, and have outscored the Yankees 22-15. Their record at Yankee Stadium is 3-2 in those five games, but the two losses were incredibly close, one coming on a Brad Lidge blown save and another despite Pedro Martinez's gem last week.

2) Rested and ready. Despite some criticism, Charlie Manuel's decision to keep his pitchers on normal rest could pay off huge. Pedro Martinez, on 5 days rest, is going up against Andy Pettitte, on 3 days rest. Martinez has always been at his best when he's on regular 4 or 5 day rest. When he gets too much rest, 6 days or more, his game suffers. Batters hit him better (a .070 jump in OPS on his career, about a .200 jump this year) and he gives up more runs (his ERA jumps about 1.00 on his career, about 3.00 this year). Martinez is in his sweet spot going on 5 days rest. On the other hand, Pettitte will be challenged on 3 days rest. For his career, Pettitte is only slightly worse on 3 days rest compared to regular rest. But, here's the rub -- he hasn't pitched on 3 days rest since 2006, when he was 34. The body works differently at 37.

3) Righty power. The Phillies right-handed hitters can demolish Pettitte. Even though Pettitte had a small reverse platoon split this year (.730 OPS for lefties, .717 for righties) and just a very small platoon split for his career (.728 OPS for righties, .711 for lefties), the Phillies righties have demolished Pettitte in the past. It's all on the small to miniscule sample size end of the spectrum, but the results have been great. Including the post-season, Jayson Werth has a .188/.188/750 line with 3 home runs in 16 plate appearances, Pedro Feliz has a .300/.462/.400 line in 13 plate appearances, Ben Francisco has a .400/.500/.400 line in 6 plate appearances, and Carlos Ruiz has a .500/.667/1.250 line in 6 plate appearances. The Phillies' switch hitters have not done well but have held their own against Pettitte, with Shane Victorino posting a .375/.333/.375 line in 9 plate appearances and Jimmy Rollins a .250/.286/.400 line in 21 plate appearances.

The Bad

1) Hometown heroes. The Yankees had the best home record in baseball, at 57-24. Since July 1, the Yankees are even better, with a 35-10 record at home. They'll be returning to their home crowd with a chance to win their first World Series at home since 1999. For most franchises, that's not that long of a time between opportunities. For Yankees fans, that's three lifetimes.

2) Lefty troubles. It's been well documented how poorly the Phillies' lefties not named Chase Utley have performed this Series. It gets worse when you look at how they've performed historically against Pettitte. Ryan Howard and Chase Utley have a combined 2 singles, 8 strikeouts, and 1 walk against him in 23 career plate appearances. Raul Ibanez has been better, but not much. Thanks to playing most of his career in the AL, he has 25 plate appearances against Pettitte, in which he's put up a .250/.280/.417 line with 1 home run, 7 strikeouts, and no walks.

3) DH. Shane Victorino will be a game time decision tonight. If he's not able to make it because of his sore finger, the Phils will be forced to play Francisco in center, keep Ibanez in left, and DH either Eric Bruntlett or Matt Stairs. Bruntlett has had a truly awful year this year, and Stairs has been a non-existent hitter since July 1 (.082/.274/.245 line for the last three months of the season). They are a combined 0 for 10 lifetime against Pettitte. With the DH adding Hideki Matsui to the Yankees' lineup, if the Phillies counter with Bruntlett or Stairs, they're in big trouble.

The Outcome

With six hours to go until game time, these are the important factors that could influence this game. All in all, I think Pettitte's short rest combined with the righty dominance the Phillies have shown over him will win the day, and we'll see a Game 7 battle tomorrow night. Here's hoping....

2009 World Series Game Three Recap -- Yankees 8, Phillies 5

WholeCamels — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 04:47:11 -0000

The Phils lose their first post-season game to a lefty over the past two years and go down 2-1 to the Yankees. Three story lines to tonight:

1) Tonight was Cole Hamels' season in a nutshell. He pitched great for three innings yet couldn't get out of the fifth thanks to a combination of bad luck and not being able to put hitters away on two strike counts. Alex Rodriguez's home run, which followed a Mark Texeira walk in which he came back from a 1-2 count (with help from the home plate ump), was the shortest a home run could be at CBP (and needed the aid of instant replay). Nick Swisher's double was just fair. Andy Pettitte's RBI single was a true bloop. Derek Jeter's single could have been caught by Shane Victorino. Only Johnny Damon's double was hit hard. Yet Cole gives up 5 earned in 4.3 innings.

2) The Phillies' offensive lefties were no-shows tonight. On the other hand (literally), the righties were dominant. If the lefties could have put anything on the board tonight, the game would have been much closer.

3) Charlie Manuel's managing when the game was still tight was awful. Pinch-hitting Eric Bruntlett in the sixth with a man on first, down by only 2, and Pettitte over 100 pitches was inexcusable. Ben Francisco was the obvious choice. If not him, any right-handed hitter in the stands would be better than Bruntlett. Then, in the top of the seventh, with Chad Durbin struggling, Manuel had no one warming in the bullpen and was forced to let Durbin close out the inning. Of course, Durbin gave up a run putting the game that much further out of reach. The Bruntlett pinch hit appearance and Durbin full inning were turning points.

Yet, as bad as tonight felt, we're only down 1 game. Joe Blanton faces CC Sabathia Sunday night to even the series. Let's go Phils!

World Series Batting Order Optimizer: Philadelpha Phillies

devil_fingers — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:44:19 -0000

More photos » by Kathy Willens - AP

Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Chase Utley, right, arrives at Penn Station with his wife, Jen. He's leading off up the escalator, so I don't see why he can't lead off at a baseball game as part of the World series. Note the relatively modest use of product in his hair. Maybe playing the Yankees in New York brings it out of him.

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Game One of the 2009 World Series ended with the Phillies (mainly Cliff Le) dominating the Yankees in a complete game. The batting order for the Yankees didn't quite match what I recommended for them yesterday, but we hardly expected that, did we? The Phillies have some very good hitters, although not quite as good overall as the Yankees. There is a definiitely dividing line between the really good hitters (Utley, Howard, Werth) and the others. (But it's worth keeping in mind, well-known-on-line-"sabermetric"-analyst-who-shall-go-nameless, that most of the less skilled Philadelphia hitters justify their playing because of their excellent defense. Also, stop using VORP.) The heavily-left-leaning nature of the core of the Phillies offense also poses a challenge. But hey, there's the easy way, and then there's the cowboy way... And it's nice not to have a lousy lineup to optimize. So here we go, it's late and I want to get this done before the World Series ends.

I'll leave out the usual incredibly long methodological preface that is on the other posts (again, see yesterday's post if you want to read it all). And definitely make sure you look it over before you complain about something. Keep in mind that these projections aren't mine, they're the 2010 Bill James projections. Yes, they're a bit goofy (particularly for the Phillies), but they're the only completely set I have at the moment. They get the job done well enough. Before we get started adjusting for platoons and everything, here are the unadjusted Phillies projections. I've calculated the wOBA myself, and the baserunning (EqHAR from BP) and double-play rate projections are also crude homemade projections.

Player	Pos		wOBA	AVG	OBP	SLG	ISO	EqHAR	SBr	GDPr
Carlos Ruiz	C	R	.332	.260	.344	.408	.148	0.2	-0.4	-1.8
Ryan Howard	1B	L	.399	.278	.372	.575	.297	-1.5	0.1	1.3
Chase Utley	2B	L	.380	.290	.384	.513	.223	1.6	1.4	2.0
Jimmy Rollins	SS	S	.332	.271	.328	.438	.167	0.9	2.2	-0.1
Pedro Feliz	3B	R	.304	.253	.296	.400	.147	-1.0	0.0	-0.6
Raul Ibanez	DH	L	.349	.270	.340	.467	.197	0.1	-0.3	0.5
Shane Victorino	CF	S	.333	.283	.343	.418	.135	0.8	0.8	1.4
Jason Werth	RF	R	.371	.269	.369	.490	.221	0.3	1.2	1.9
Ben Francisco	LF	R	.337	.269	.339	.438	.169	1.1	0.3	-0.8

And away we go...

Optimized Phillies batting order vs. RHP w/DH
Player	Pos		wOBA	AVG	OBP	SLG	ISO	EqHAR	SBr	GDPr
Chase Utley	2B	L	.390	.290	.393	.513	.223	1.6	1.4	2.0
Shane Victorino	CF	S	.333	.283	.343	.418	.135	0.8	0.8	1.4
Raul Ibanez	DH	L	.358	.270	.348	.467	.197	0.1	-0.3	0.5
Jason Werth	RF	R	.365	.269	.362	.490	.221	0.3	1.2	1.9
Ryan Howard	1B	L	.410	.278	.381	.575	.297	-1.5	0.1	1.3
Jimmy Rollins	SS	S	.332	.271	.328	.438	.167	0.9	2.2	-0.1
Ben Francisco	LF	R	.332	.269	.333	.438	.169	1.1	0.3	-0.8
Carlos Ruiz	C	R	.327	.260	.338	.408	.148	0.2	-0.4	-1.8
Pedro Feliz	3B	R	.299	.253	.291	.400	.147	-1.0	0.0	-0.6

[NB: The italicized columns are adjusted/regressed appropriatelly for league-average platoon splits.]

Comments: I'm sure you've noticed a crazy thing in there. But I stand by hitting Francisco in front of Ruiz. Of, what, it's not that? Utley hitting first seems crazy? Well, this whole thing is crazy. You want the best guys hitting #1, #2, and #4. However, as with other teams, all the Phillies best hitters vs. RHP are lefties, and you want to avoid stacking them so that the opposition can't leveraeg a lefty-reliever against them, as the Yankees did with Damaso Marte vs. Utley and Howard last night (obviously, it didn't decide the game). Also note that Chase Utley is good at everything. Maybe it will take a 2 HR performance against the Yankees in the World Serie for people to notice what a badass this guy has been and continues to be. He plays second base. He's one of the best (and possibly the best) defenders at that position in the majors, even after his offseason hip surgery. He's a great hitter. He's got a total greaseball hairdo. You knew all that. Did you also know that he stole 23 bases in the 2009 regular season without getting caught? Oh, he's also one of the best baserunners in the league overall, #2 in EqBRR between powerless speedsters like Michael Bourn and Rajai Davis this past season. Oh, and of all the players I ran the numbers on this past season, he is the best at avoiding the double play. Not bad for a guy who, to listen to some commentators, is a pretty good "sidekick" for Ryan Howard. Dude is so underrated he's raised some interesting questions. I'd say he's about as underrated as Carlos Beltran, except that Beltran gets more play (being in New York and one of Joe Posnanski's favorites doesn't hurt) and Utley has been the better player the last 4-5 season. Someone asked me last night on Twitter what it would take for Utley to finally win the NL MVP. I guess we'll see when Albert Pujols signs with the Royals in a couple of seasons... Anyway, where was I? Oh yeah. If I didn't worry so much about handedness, I'd probably hit Werth #1, then Utley-Ibanez-Howard or something. But I do worry about it. Hitting Chutley first minimizes his GDP skills and power, but since we ended up putting Victorino second because of handedness issues and Ibanez isn't as powerful as Werth and Howard, it does take advantage of Utley's skill on the bases. Werth has enough power to do well at cleanup and enough OBP to tackle the #4 spots frequent leadoff opportunities. Since neither he nor Ibanez are as good on the bases as Utley and VIctorino, having Howard behind them makes sense. Again, Howard #5 seems low, but #5 should be better than #3, and I needed to separate the lefties. Rollins offense has obviously declined, but he's not horrible, and #6 is a good spot for a guy who can steal bases in front of the weak hitters behind him who have trouble moving him over themselves.

Optimized Phillies batting order vs. RHP, no DH
Player	Pos		wOBA	AVG	OBP	SLG	ISO	EqHAR	SBr	GDPr
Chase Utley	2B	L	.390	.290	.393	.513	.223	1.6	1.4	2.0
Shane Victorino	CF	S	.333	.283	.343	.418	.135	0.8	0.8	1.4
Raul Ibanez	LF	L	.358	.270	.348	.467	.197	0.1	-0.3	0.5
Jason Werth	RF	R	.365	.269	.362	.490	.221	0.3	1.2	1.9
Ryan Howard	1B	L	.410	.278	.381	.575	.297	-1.5	0.1	1.3
Jimmy Rollins	SS	S	.332	.271	.328	.438	.167	0.9	2.2	-0.1
Carlos Ruiz	C	R	.327	.260	.338	.408	.148	0.2	-0.4	-1.8
Pitcher
Pedro Feliz	3B	R	.299	.253	.291	.400	.147	-1.0	0.0	-0.6

[NB: The italicized columns are adjusted/regressed appropriatelly for league-average platoon splits.]

Comments: Not much to add here. Remember that I could go either way on the pitcher thing... even a good-hitting pitcher is still usually worse than Pedro Feliz vs. RHP, although it's closer than you'd like. Basically I just took out Fransisco and put in the pitcher and moved Ruiz (not a bad hitter for a catcher) up. But let's talk about Rollins: He's not as good as he was (or he wasn't as good as we thought, depending on where you estimate his true talent in 2005-8 relative to now), but certain analysts have said that Rollins isn't the star he's made out to be. I don't know how you measure "starness," and I'll admit that I find JRoll's cockiness enjoyable. Still, just not being as good as Derek Jeter doesn't mean a player isn't good (and not that Jeter's the best SS in baseball, he's just an interesting comparison given the WS matchup). Moreover, how far is Rollins from Jeter, really? Sure, this season Jeter's about 5 wins better. But check it: FanGraphs has Jeter at about 26 WAR 2005-2009. Rollins is at a bit over 23 in the same period. That's pretty close to equal. Yes, it's true to say that Rollins is miscast as a leadoff hitter, but that doesn't mean he isn't (or hasn't been) an outstanding player, or even a star. It's weird how short- (and/or "narrow-") sighted people can be. Oh,. and one more thing on Utley power being "wasted" at leadoff: despite hitting #3, both his home runs last night were solo shots. Against a demonstration that batting order doesn't give as much control as we'd think, and why sometimes it's just better to give a good hitter (potentially) extra opportunities by moving him up than hoping he'll come up with runners on. And again OBP issues aside, putting guys like Rollins and Victorino in front of power hitters like Utley, Howard, and Werth neutralizes their speed, since they don't need to steal to get into position for these guys very often, and the power dimension of the good hitters also means that their advancement skills aren't leveraged properly, either -- Ryan Howard doesn't hit many singles that need a guy to book it from first to third.

Optimized Phillies batting order vs. LHP w/DH
Player	Pos		wOBA	AVG	OBP	SLG	ISO	EqHAR	SBr	GDPr
Jason Werth	RF	R	.389	.269	.389	.490	.221	0.3	1.2	1.9
Chase Utley	2B	L	.360	.290	.366	.513	.223	1.6	1.4	2.0
Ben Francisco	LF	R	.353	.269	.357	.438	.169	1.1	0.3	-0.8
Ryan Howard	1B	L	.378	.278	.354	.575	.297	-1.5	0.1	1.3
Carlos Ruiz	C	R	.348	.260	.362	.408	.148	0.3	0.7	-1.8
Shane Victorino	CF	S	.333	.283	.343	.418	.135	0.8	0.8	1.4
Jimmy Rollins	SS	S	.332	.271	.328	.438	.167	0.9	2.2	-0.1
Raul Ibanez	DH	L	.331	.270	.324	.467	.197	0.1	-0.3	0.5
Pedro Feliz	3B	R	.319	.253	.312	.400	.147	-1.0	0.0	-0.6

[NB: The italicized columns are adjusted/regressed appropriatelly for league-average platoon splits.]

Comments: This seems a bit backward to me, too. Howard hitting cleanup vs. LHP but not RHP? Again, it's a function of a) getting the best hitters on top and alternating R/L guys, and b) a true estimate of platoon splits, as covered recently regarding Howard by MGL and more generally in my Book-inspired Platoon Splits Project (which I need to come back to after the season when I have the time to see how I did). Werth is projected to be the best hitter vs. LHP, so hitting him cleanup might have made sense, but then that mean putting Howard #2 or #1 in front of a relatively low-power RHH like Ben Francisco or Carlos Ruiz, and if there's one thing Howard doesn't do well, it's run the bases. I went back and forth on Utley vs. Werth in the #1 and #2 spots, but finally settled on Werth leading off because this puts Utley (the superior basestealer and baserunner) closer to the less powerful hitters like Francisco and Ruiz (and without estimating them specifically, Utley's platoon splits at a glance are pretty small). When all else fails, give the best hitters the most PAs. Ibanez projects as terrible vs. LHP according to these methods, but having Victorino and Rollins #6 and #7 (they could go in either order, really) gives good basestealers in front of him and the bad-even-with-the-platoon advantage Feliz, which, as I've noted many times, is a better use of their stealing abililty than putting them in front of Utley and Howard.

Optimized Phillies batting order vs. LHP, no DH
Player	Pos		wOBA	AVG	OBP	SLG	ISO	EqHAR	SBr	GDPr
Jason Werth	RF	R	.389	.269	.389	.490	.221	0.3	1.2	1.9
Chase Utley	2B	L	.360	.290	.366	.513	.223	1.6	1.4	2.0
Shane Victorino	CF	S	.333	.283	.343	.418	.135	0.8	0.8	1.4
Ryan Howard	1B	L	.378	.278	.354	.575	.297	-1.5	0.1	1.3
Carlos Ruiz	C	R	.348	.260	.362	.408	.148	0.3	0.7	-1.8
Jimmy Rollins	SS	S	.332	.271	.328	.438	.167	0.9	2.2	-0.1
Raul Ibanez	LF	L	.331	.270	.324	.467	.197	0.1	-0.3	0.5
Pitcher
Pedro Feliz	3B	R	.319	.253	.312	.400	.147	-1.0	0.0	-0.6

[NB: The italicized columns are adjusted/regressed appropriatelly for league-average platoon splits.]

Comments: Yes, I do think (at least according to the James projections), that without the DH the Phillies shold be platooning Francisco and Ibanez, and that's without even taking defense and baserunning into account. But we aren't here to dispute who should be in the lineup, just how it should be ordered.This is prety much the same, except that without Francisco, I ended having to put Victorino in the #3 spot. I picked him over Ruize because a) the #5 hitter should be better than #3, and b) Ruiz has a problem with GDPs, and Victorino is good at avoiding them. Morever, Werth and (especially) Utley's skill on the bases can help Victorino out despite his lack of power, and Howard's skills are diminished vs. LHP, so Victorino's basestealing isn't as wasted. Rollins could arguably switch with Ruiz here, if you wanted to leverage his basestealing a bit more, but I like it the way it is.

So there it is. I know this I've made some controversial suggestions as far as batting order goes. Maybe I'm too dogmatic about splitting up lefties, but that's what I've gone with. It's fun to see the different ways of thinking about it, at least I hope it is for you guys. These things are a lot of work, but a lot of fun, so I hope people get a bit of entertainment out of it and aren't just irritated.

I can't wait to see Manuel lead off Utley tonight!

Player Origins of the 2009 Philadelphia Phillies

John Sickels — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 19:03:13 -0000

More photos » by Tom Mihalek - AP

Philadelphia Phillies infielder Jimmy Rollins, drafted in the second round in 1996.(AP Photo/Tom Mihalek)

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Philadelphia Phillies: Player Origins

Here are the player development origins of the 2009 National League Champion Philadelphia Phillies.

PITCHERS:

Antonio Bastardo, LHP: Signed by the Phillies as a free agent out of the Dominican Republic in 2005.

Joe Blanton, RHP: Drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the first round in 2002, from the University of Kentucky. Acquired by the Phillies in a trade with Oakland in July 2008.

Chad Durbin, RHP: Drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the third round in 1996, from high school in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The Phillies signed him as a free agent in December 2007.

Scott Eyre, RHP: Drafted by the Texas Rangers in the ninth round in 1991, from the Junior College of Southern Idaho. The Phillies acquired him in a trade with the Cubs in August 2008.

Cole Hamels, LHP: Drafted by the Phillies in the first round in 2002, out of high school in San Diego, California.

J.A. Happ, LHP: Drafted by the Phillies in the third round in 2004, from Northwestern University.

Cliff Lee, LHP: Drafted by the Montreal Expos in the fourth round in 2000, from the University of Arkansas. Acquired in a trade with the Indians this summer.

Brad Lidge, RHP: Drafted by the Houston Astros in the first round in 1998, from the University of Notre Dame. Acquired in a trade with the Astros in November 2007.

Ryan Madson, RHP: Drafted by the Phillies in the ninth round in 1998, out of high school in Moreno Valley, California.

Pedro Martinez, RHP: Signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers as a free agent from the Dominican Republic in 1988. The Phillies signed him as a free agent this year.

Chan Ho Park, RHP: Signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers as a free agent from South Korea in 1994. The Phillies signed him as a free agent.

POSITION PLAYERS

Paul Bako, C: Drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the fifth round in 1993, out of the University of Southwestern Louisiana. The Phillies signed him as a free agent this year.

Eric Bruntlett, INF: Drafted by the Houston Astros in the ninth round in 2000, out of Stanford University. The Phillies got him in a trade with Houston in 2007.

Miguel Cairo, INF: Signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers as a free agent out of Venezuela in 1990. Signed by the Phillies as a free agent in 2009.

Greg Dobbs, INF: Signed by the Seattle Mariners as an undrafted free agent from the University of Oklahoma in 2001. The Phillies claimed him on waivers in 2007.

Pedro Feliz, 3B: Signed by the San Francisco Giants as a free agent from the Dominican Republic in 1994. The Phillies signed him as a free agent in 2008.

Ben Francisco, OF: Drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the fifth round in 2002 from UCLA. The Phillies acquired him in a trade this summer with the Indians.

Ryan Howard, 1B: Drafted by the Phillies in the fifth round in 2001, from Southwest Missouri State University (now known as Missouri State University).

Raul Ibanez, OF: Drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 36^th round in 1992, from Miami-Dade Community College-South. The Phillies signed him as a free agent last winter.

Jimmy Rollins, SS: Drafted by the Phillies in the second round in 1996, out of high school in Alameda, California.

Carlos Ruiz, C: Signed by the Phillies as a free agent in 1998, out of Panama.

Matt Stairs, OF: Signed by the Montreal Expos as an undrafted free agent in 1989, out of high school in Canada. The Phillies acquired him in a trade with the Blue Jays in 2008.

Chase Utley, 2B: Drafted by the Phillies in the first round in 2000, out of UCLA.

Shane Victorino, OF: Drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the sixth round in 1999, out of high school in Wailuku, Hawaii.. Selected in the 2005 Rule 5 draft.

Jayson Werth, OF: Drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the first round in 1997, out of high school in Chatham, Illinois. Signed as a free agent by the Phillies in 2006.

ACQUISTIONS:

Via Trades/Waivers: Blanton, Eyre, Lee, Lidge, Bruntlett,. Dobbs, Francisco, Stairs.

Phillies Farm System Products: Bastardo, Hamels, Happ, Madson, Howard, Rollins, Ruiz, Utley.

Free Agents: Durbin, Martinez, Park, Bako, Cairo, Feliz, Ibanez, Werth.

Rule 5: Victorino.

ORIGINS

Drafted from North American high schools: Durbin (3^rd), Hamels (1^st), Madson (9^th), Rollins (2^nd), Victorino (9^th), Werth (1^st).

Drafted from junior colleges: Eyre (9^th), Ibanez (36^th)

Drafted from four-year colleges: Blanton (1^st); Happ (3^rd), Lee (4^th), Lidge (1^st), Bako (5^th), Bruntlett (9^th), Francisco (5^th), Howard (5^th), Utley (1^st)

Undrafted free agents from North America: Dobbs, Stairs

Latin Free Agents: Bastardo, Martinez, Cairo, Feliz, Ruiz

Asian Free Agents: Park

As you can see, the Phillies built their team through a variety of sources. Once the American League winner is determined, we'll analyze their roster and compare the two.

NLDS Preview: Offense and Defense

Poseidon's Fist — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 21:00:29 -0000

More photos » by Tom Mihalek - AP

Throw a two-strike pitch out of the zone to Howard, and you'll probably get a strikeout.

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Welcome to Part 2 of 3 of the NLDS Preview, where I'll scout the Phillies in painstaking detail. RockiesMagicNumber will finish up the preview tonight or tomorrow morning with details on the pitching in the series.

The Bats: A

So you learned this morning that Citizens Bank Park, while a hitters park, is not nearly as big of an advantage as you might think. That in part is why I won't discredit the Phillies awesome offensive production, giving them their bats the lone A in the National League. Here are their rankings:

	Stat	NL Rank
Avg	.258	9th
Runs	820	1st
HR	224	1st
OBP	.334	8th
SLG	.447	1st
wOBA	.340	1st
OPS+	102	1st

Philadelphia's offensive numbers perfectly reflect their CBP's park factors. They are a home-run hitting team shy on singles. So either the park factor is right, the Phillies have fielded a team tailored to their park or a combination of the two. Either way, this is the best offense in the National League.

Let's look at Charlie Manuel's lineup, which is about as stable as you will find, as six players have played at least 155 games:

Player	Avg	HR	RBI	OBP	SLG	wOBA	OPS+
Jimmy Rollins - SS	.250	21	77	.296	.423	.316	85
Shane Victorino - CF	.292	10	62	.358	.445	.354	109
Chase Utley - 2B	.282	31	93	.397	.508	.402	135
Ryan Howard - 1B	.279	45	141	.360	.571	.393	139
Raul Ibanez - LF	.272	34	93	.347	.552	.379	130
Jayson Werth - RF	.268	36	99	.373	.506	.382	127
Pedro Feliz - 3B	.266	12	82	.308	.386	.302	80
Carlos Ruiz - C	.255	9	43	.355	.425	.337	103

A glance at the first five, and it's easy to understand why it would be such a big boost for Franklin Morales to get his head on straight.

Bench:*
IF: RH Eric Bruntlett (.171, 0, 7), RH Miguel Cairo (.267, 1, 2), LH Greg Dobbs (.247, 5, 20)
OF: RH Ben Francisco (.257, 15, 46), LH Matt Stairs (.194, 5, 17)
C: LH Paul Bako (.224, 3, 9)
*At the time of writing, playoff rosters had not yet been announced, so the bench composition is an educated guess.

The Gloves: A-

This Beyond the Boxscore article points to the Phillies as being the clearcut best NL playoff team defensively. Indeed, they rank 5th in MLB and 2nd in the NL in UZR/150, yet they have made 76 errors, second least in MLB.

Take the jump to a detailed look at Philadelphia's lineup.

LINEUP

1. Jimmy Rollins

#11 / Short Stop / Philadelphia Phillies

Height: 5-8

Weight: 175

Bats: B

Throws: R

Born: Nov 27, 1978

	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
2009 - Jimmy Rollins	155	672	100	168	43	5	21	77	44	70	31	8	.250	.296	.423

Comment: Rollins followed his disappointing 2008 campaign with three straight sub-.700 OPS months in 2009. The low point was a .167/.206/.292 June. However, he turned it around in a big way in July, throwing a more familiar .313/.385/.539 July. Since that month, he has maintained a better level of play than the first half, but he has sloped off as the second half has worn on.

Strengths: In spite of his terrible average, J-Roll is still a legitimate power threat, is very difficult to strike out and is just two shy of the MLB lead in stolen bases among shortstops. He seems to have lost a little bit of range defensively, but he did make a career-low six errors at shortstop, and he is coming off of two straight gold gloves.

Weaknesses: Rollins is ill-suited for the leadoff role with that OBP below .300. Not surprisingly, he doesn't walk much. He hit just .230 as a RHB.

2. Shane Victorino

#8 / Center Field / Philadelphia Phillies

Height: 5-9

Weight: 180

Bats: B

Throws: R

Born: Nov 30, 1980

	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
2009 - Shane Victorino	156	620	102	181	39	13	10	62	60	71	25	8	.292	.358	.445

Comment: In some regards, Victorino had his best season of his career this year. He didn't deserve the All-Star selection he received, though he did himself well by having his best month in July. He faded down the stretch though, posting just a .650 OPS in Sept/Oct.

Strengths: According to Fangraphs, he has done more damage hitting fastballs than any NL OF sans Justin Upton. He doesn't steal a lot of bases, though he will be a threat to do so. Fangraphs doesn't like his defense, but he earned a Gold Glove last season, and this year's Fangraphs values are incongruent with recent years. He's a good fielder.

Weaknesses: He tends to struggle against finesse pitchers like Aaron Cook and can have issues hitting the change-up. Victorino is better from the left-side of the plate.

3. Chase Utley

#26 / Second Base / Philadelphia Phillies

Height: 6-1

Weight: 200

Bats: L

Throws: R

Born: Dec 17, 1978

	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
2009 - Chase Utley	156	571	112	161	28	4	31	93	88	110	23	0	.282	.397	.508

Comment: Utley is no contest the best hitting second baseman in the game today, as he should collect his fourth consecutive Silver Slugger this year. He can thank Albert Pujols for robbing him of MVP Awards

Strengths: On top of all his ridiculous offensive numbers, he leads all NL 2B in fielding value. He has never had difficulty turning on fastballs, and he has shown the best plate discipline of his career, walking more and laying off pitches outside of the zone more. He actually performs slightly better against left-handed pitchers too. Note: this would be a good place to bring in your better RH reliever over playing the platoon splits.

Weaknesses: Is he tired? His.193/.290/.325 line since September 1 is truly pitcher-like. For some reason, he seems to have difficulty hitting in a count with three balls.

4. Ryan Howard

#6 / First Base / Philadelphia Phillies

Height: 6-4

Weight: 260

Bats: L

Throws: L

Born: Nov 19, 1979

	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
2009 - Ryan Howard	160	616	105	172	37	4	45	141	75	186	8	1	.279	.360	.571

Comment: Ryan Howard is a scary man to see digging into the batter's box. He had a solid second half and finished the regular season strong, posting a .303 average even since September 1.

Strengths: The imposing run producer finished the year 3rd in MLB in HR, 1st in RBI and 5th in slugging percentage. He is just an elite slugger who can change a whole game and series by seeing one bad pitch. Despite his giant frame, he has managed to be a decent defensive first baseman.

Weaknesses: As we all know, Howard is prone to the strikeout. He has cut his K-rate to a career low, but it's still over 30%. Howard has struck out in half his PA's that have reached two strikes, in part due to the fact that he is the worst hitter in the league at making contact on pitches out of the zone. He also exhibits a nasty platoon split, hitting just .207/.298/.365 against LHP.

5. Raul Ibanez

#29 / Left Field / Philadelphia Phillies

Height: 6-2

Weight: 225

Bats: L

Throws: R

Born: Jun 02, 1972

	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
2009 - Raul Ibanez	134	500	93	136	32	3	34	93	56	119	4	0	.272	.347	.552

Comment: Ibanez made me look like a genius in May when he helped put my fantasy team at the forefront of my division. He had a stellar All-Star first half, when he hit .309/.367/.649. However, he came down to earth in a big way in the second half, hitting a paltry .232/.326/.448.

Strengths: The veteran actually hits left-handers better than right-handers, so ignore the platoon splits here too. He has positive values against every pitch he's seen, so there's not one pitch that can get him out. Even with his second half struggles, he's sixth among NL outfielders in runs created.

Weaknesses: Maybe it's the short porch, but the former Mariner has graded out well defensively from UZR after years of being one of the worst defensive outfielders in the game. He'll go fishing on about a quarter of the pitches outside the zone, only making contact with half of them, which might explain his suddenly high K rate.

6. Jayson Werth

#28 / Right Field / Philadelphia Phillies

Height: 6-5

Weight: 225

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: May 20, 1979

	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
2009 - Jayson Werth	159	571	98	153	26	1	36	99	91	156	20	3	.268	.373	.506

Comment: It's hard to believe Ned Coletti DFA'd this All-Star just three years ago. It may seem like he has come out of nowhere, but really, the increase in production has only come with more at-bats. His rate stats have been in this vicinity for years.

Strengths: His power has been very consistent, knocking seven dingers in each of the last four months, six in the one prior. He trails only Adam Dunn and Ryan Braun in wRAA among NL outfielders, and while his season has been uninspiring on the defensive side statistically, he is regarded as a very solid defensive outfielder. He even has 20 stolen bases.

Weaknesses: He has a decent walk rate, but a 27.2% K rate is still a little too high. Werth struggles most against RHP and power pitchers, so Ubaldo will hold the edge over him in Game 1. He leans pretty heavily to being a pull hitter - only four home runs have gone opposite field and he's hitting just .257 when going the other way.

7. Pedro Feliz

#7 / Third Base / Philadelphia Phillies

Height: 6-1

Weight: 210

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Apr 27, 1975

	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
2009 - Pedro Feliz	158	580	62	154	30	2	12	82	35	68	0	1	.266	.308	.386

Comment: Feliz is one of those hitters Rockies fans think is a lot better than he is - like Fred Lewis - due to head-to-head matchups. Among all MLB third basemen, only Emilio Bonifacio had a worse wOBA. He may see purple pinstripes and go all Hulk on us, but he's not a real threat.

Strengths: The Phillies 3B doesn't strike out much. His UZR has gone down quite a bit since joining Philly, but he's still a solid defensive third baseman. 12 HR and 82 RBI is very strong for a 7-hole hitter.

Weaknesses: Feliz struggles with anything offspeed, though it's not as if he has really punished fastballs either. Only 11 NL hitters swing at more pitches out of the zone (Barmes is one of them), one of the reasons he is one of the worst NL hitters at drawing walks. He has limped to the finish, hitting in the .225 range over the last two months.

8. Carlos Ruiz

#51 / Catcher / Philadelphia Phillies

Height: 5-10

Weight: 200

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Jan 22, 1979

	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
2009 - Carlos Ruiz	107	322	32	82	26	1	9	43	47	39	3	2	.255	.355	.425

Comment: Ruiz has improved dramatically with the bat from last year, moving from liabilty to unquestionable asset at the bottom of the lineup.

Strengths: Only one NL catcher strikes out less and only one walks more than Ruiz, who grades out as an above average MLB hitter regardless of defensive position despite a .266 BABIP. His 27% caught stealing percentage is solid, and he has committed just 3 errors, the least of any MLB catcher with 800+ innings logged. He has a decent amount of thump as well - his SLG% is just 15 points behind that of Clint Barmes.

Weaknesses: He struggles mostly against groundball pitchers, which bodes well for the Rockies, the best groundball staff in the business. Most of his offensive success comes at CBP - his road splits are .203/.296/.314

Indians manager Eric Wedge fired

Jay — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 15:42:55 -0000

The Indians have informed Eric Wedge that he willl not return as manager next season. His entire coaching staff is also being released, although one or more may be re-hired by the next manager. Wedge and the coaches will finish out the season in Boston this weekend.

Wedge has a career record of 560–568 and is the fifth longest-tenured manager in major league baseball. Clint Hurdle, who previously held the fifth slot, was fired earlier this year by the Rockies. The Indians opened the season 14–26 and more recently went through a 3–20 stretch.

Shapiro's comments from today's 1:30 p.m. press conference, courtesy of woodsmeister [followed by my comments]:

Next manager strong voice in determining staff, so staff will not be back. [Pretty standard move.]
Wedge “epitome of team player”, “exemplary leader.” [I don't doubt this, but that doesn't mean he created an environment conducive to winning or got the most out of each player.]
On why – “accountability lies across the organization.” This starts with Shapiro, extends to operations staff and players. “As we examined everything … we felt this was the right time to make a change on Eric … Arrived at decision collectively that this was the right time for a change.” [Of course, we likely won't ever know who really wanted what, among Shapiro, Antonetti, and the Dolans.]
“My reluctance is more related to my emotions, and my underlying respect for Eric.”
“Any time there is change, there is an opportunity, and we have to seize the opportunity.” [Another management fortune cookie.]
“I was hopeful that this wasn’t going to come. I was hopeful that there would be an opportunity to create a more positive environment for him to continue here.” [Coming close to saying this is a PR firing only, but maybe "positive environment" refers to the clubhouse as much as the public perception.]
“From the time we’d made the decision, Eric’s known.” [He clearly knew when Castro posted that last Q&A.]
On why fans Ohio don’t like Wedge — “He’s consistent. This is an entertainment business and maybe he’s not flamboyant enough.” [Maybe. Or maybe it's all the losing. How many managers are actually popular?]
“The goal would be to build a team that never dips too far down, that has opportunities to contend and play in the postseason as regularly as possible. I think the goal does evolve as the game evolves, and as the terrain evolves. I would hope we never go through a prolonged losing period and have consistent windows to contend.” [In a way, this was Wedge's downfall. The 2006 and 2008 clubs posted mediocre records but not out-and-out disasters. This was his first truly bad club.]
On Wedge -“He’s very consistent with the values of Northeast Ohio. He’s a blue collar worker, hard-nosed guy, extremely honest. Extremely consistent. In the end, maybe why, this isn’t entertainment, it’s business. Maybe he wasn’t flamboyant enough, kept his feelings internal. Fans want to see those, on the shirtsleeve, they want to feel the frustration, they want to feel the emotion, and Eric, to protect the players, didn’t often do that.” [Yet he still dimed out Peralta repeatedly.]
“There were tough times, when he and I bumped heads.” [Wouldn't we love to know what those were, other than cutting loose Brandon Phillips.]

And now comments from Wedge:

It was his decision to stick around the last few games. “I’d still want to finish what we started here. It would be the right thing for the players. One thing we’ve always done here is to put the players first.”
“I think it’s how you finish, not how you start.” [Unintentional humor here? Maybe if he thought it was "how you start," we wouldn't have started terribly almost every year of his tenure.]
“I’m the manager of the team. It’s my job to go out and win ballgames. You know, there's not an asterisk after that saying, it's only if you have this, that or the other. I’m a big believer in being accountable for what I do. I preach that to the players, it's the way I live my life.”
On managing a mid-market team – “It’s more challenging but it’s also more rewarding. What we came so close to doing in 07 is pretty special stuff. One thing about the Dolans – they’ve always allowed Mark and me as leaders of this organization to do what we think is best for this team.” [He hints here at an organizational issue, i.e., the manager as somewhat co-equal to the GM.]
Hasn’t given much thought to what’s next. Concerned about “finishing this thing off the right way.”
“As a manager, you have to work off the players you have. That dictates how you manage. It’s my job to work off that and win as many games as possible.”
“I was here in the beginning, I understand really rebuilding, starting from scratch. This is not that situation here in Cleveland. You need to understand that, fans need to understand that. You have a solid organization, a solid minor league system. You have a process that works, here in this market. So they’re going to be fine. You have to work off the market, the economy, what you’re able to do here. You have some young, talented baseball players that are learning every day."
"It's been a long run here, I guess as managers go. I've got a great deal of respect for the city of Cleveland and Tribe fans all over the place, and I'm a big believer in wearing the uniform with pride."

Bottoms Up: Phillies 9, Brewers 4

dajafi — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 03:33:13 -0000

More photos » by Morry Gash - AP

2 months ago: Philadelphia Phillies' Jimmy Rollins watches his three-run home run during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2009, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Browse more photos »

It's rare that the Phillies score nine runs and register a relatively easy win when Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Jayson Werth go a combined 1 for 14. But so it went in Milwaukee Thursday night, as a tremendous performance by the bottom half of the order carried the visitors to a 9-4 win that brought them a step closer to locking up the NL East. Ben Francisco, Pedro Feliz, Paul Bako and J.A. Happ went a combined 8 for 11 through the first five innings, scoring four and driving in four.

Brewers starter Jeff Suppan brought a 6.13 career ERA against the Phillies into the game, and saw that rise after allowing eight runs (seven earned) on 12 hits and two walks in 4.1 innings. But Suppan actually kept his team close until the fifth inning, stranding seven Phillies through the first four. With the Phils ahead 2-1 and one out in the fifth, Werth reached on an Alcides Escobar error and went to second on a bloop single off the bat of Ben Francisco. Pedro Feliz followed with a single, scoring Werth on a close play; Francisco came around on a Paul Bako hit. Pitcher J.A. Happ singled in Feliz to make it 5-1. Jimmy Rollins put the cap on the six-run inning with a three-run homer to right field, his 20th of the season.

Happ showed no lingering effects from the side strain that has limited him through September, striking out five straight Brewers his first time through the lineup. He was sharp until the sixth inning, when he ran out of gas and left with two out and two on; in all, Happ worked 5.2 innings, allowing two runs on six hits and two walks while striking out seven. Chad Durbin, Tyler Walker and Chad Condrey pieced together the last ten outs, with Condrey giving up two unearned runs in the ninth.

The Phils lowered their magic number to four and increased their division lead to seven games over the idle Braves.

BANDBOX!: Phillies 9, Braves 4

dajafi — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 02:48:44 -0000

More photos » by John Bazemore - AP

Ryan Howard now has five homers this season at Turner Field--nearly a third of his 16 at Citizens Bank Park, in about twelve times as many at-bats. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

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There's perhaps no more satisfying way to shut up a particularly obnoxious opponent than to bludgeon them into silence. After listening to the Braves whining last month about ballpark size in both Atlanta and Philadelphia as the Phils won two of three in each locale, the visitors returned to Turner Field Friday night and took it by storm--with Ryan Howard again in the role of William T. Sherman. The Big Piece homered twice off Atlanta's Tim Hudson--giving him seven against the Braves in 2009--to account for the Phillies' first three runs, then watched Jimmy Rollins and Ben Francisco reach the seats in the ninth to put away what had been a close game.

On the pitching side, J.A. Happ came back from his oblique strain to get the start but lasted only three innings, surrendering one run on a Martin Prado solo homer, before leaving for "precautionary reasons." (Perhaps more worrisome was the midgame departure of catcher Carlos Ruiz with a reported wrist sprain.) Happ gave way to Kyle Kendrick, who--shades of 2007--threw four scoreless innings without recording a strikeout and allowing some long, loud outs. By the time Tyler Walker came on for the eighth, the Phils were up 5-1, thanks to a Jayson Werth two-run single in the top of the inning; the Braves got the two runs back on Brian McCann's 20th homer of the season, I think all of them against the Phillies.

With several of the Braves' bullpen regulars unavailable, Bobby Cox turned to Vladimir Nunez to work the ninth, and the Phils capitalized. Paul Bako, in for Ruiz, and Matt Stairs both walked, and Rollins followed with a homer to right. Francisco's solo shot made it 9-3, as Brad Lidge sat back down in the bullpen and the rest of us breathed a sigh of relief. Chad Durbin wrapped up, allowing a run, as the Phils won their sixth straight and cut their magic number to 9 8.

Philadelphia Phillies Sweep Washington Nationals, 4-2 in Philly. Win Season Series 15-3.

Ed Chigliak — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 03:44:59 -0000

More photos » by Matt Slocum - AP

"That guy in gray going to be sad when he opens his eyes..." -- Washington Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman pulls in a pop foul out by Philadelphia Phillies' Chase Utley in the sixth inning of a baseball game, Thursday, Sept. 17, 2009, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

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(ed. note - "Handing Philadelphia the East does not sit well with me. If the Nationals had put up any kind of a fight there might be a race in the NL East, but instead DC ends the season series with the Phillies 3-15. 3-15. The Nationals drop five of the last six games with the Phillies and are swept out of Citizens Bank Park for the second straight series...")

Lefty vs Lefty...Cole Hamels Has People Thinking...

Both starters, Cole Hamels and Ross Detwiler started with two scoreless, though Hamels dominated, throwing just 23 pitches and retiring six straight, while Detwiler gave up two hits and threw 46, 29 for strikes....Hamels retires the first twelve he faces, with Detwiler not nearly as clean but so far keeping up. 1-2-3 5th for Hamels, who strikes out two of three for 4 K’s through 5.0 scoreless. Detwiler finally fails to hold serve, walking Pedro Feliz to start the bottom of the fifth and giving up a two-out double to Jimmy Rollins to make it 1-0 Philly...Mike Morse breaks up Cole Hamels' no-no in the top of the sixth with a single to left...

Big Blow If It’s Bad...

Wil Nieves rolled a dribbler back to the mound in the third and had to take an odd step to avoid Ryan Howard who backed into Nieves’ path. Nieves pulls up lame holding the back of his knee and when the Nationals retake the field, Josh Bard’s behind the plate. If Nieves is injured the Nationals are going to have to make a quick move...(ed. note - "Later in the game it's identified as a hamstring issue...")

UPDATE: Nationals acquire C Jamie Burke from Mariners? -MLBTraderumors.com

Updates? After The JUMP...

Phillies win, 4-2.

• "Game 146: Cole Hamels is no Joe Blanton..." - by Doghouse.

• Miss The Game? The DC Faithful Were Watching...

• Check Out the SB Nation's Philadelphia Phillies Blog: The Good Phight GameThread.

For The Completists, Full Game Report After The JUMP...

Nationals now 50-96.

• Tyler Clippard’s Long Inning...

• Tyler Clippard took over for Ross Detwiler in the sixth and got the first out courtesy of Ryan Zimmerman's over-the-tarp catch of a foul ball featured in the photo above. Clippard then walked Ryan Howard...and Jayson Werth...and gave up a single to Ben Francisco to load the bases with one out and the score just 1-0 Philly. Carlos Ruiz is up next, and Detwiler walks him, throwing a wild pitch on a full-count change...2-0 Phillies. Clippard's lifted for Saul Rivera, who surrenders an RBI single to Cole Hamels...who ends up with the game winner...3-0 Philly after six...

Clippard: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 2 ER, 3 BB...

Dukes gets DC on the board...

After 6.1 scoreless, Cole Hamels finally gave up a run. Hamels saws off Zimmerman and Josh Willingham, but they both power singles to right and left, respectively, in front of Elijah SSSSUPER DUKESSS, who rrrrips a single through short for the Nationals' first run, scoring Zimmerman from second to make it 3-1 Philly...

Bases Loaded Fail in the seventh...

3-1 Phillies after Dukes' RBI single...DC rookie Ian Desmond walks, and it's bases loaded for tonight's first baseman Mike Morse...(ed. note - "Was something wrong with Dunn tonight? No PH? No...Okay, moving on...")...Morse flies out unproductively to right. Josh Bard, forced to come in for the injured Wil Nieves...strikes out looking to strand three...still 3-1 Philly.

A Few More Wild Pitches....

Down 3-1 after six and a half...The Nationals bring Ron Villone out when the Phillies send Raul Ibanez up to hit, and Villone gets his man, striking out Ibanez looking...then Villone walks Chase Utley...and throws a wild pitch to Ryan Howard to move Utley up...Howard's groundout moves Utley to third, Washington brings out Logan Kensing...who uncorks the second wild pitch of the inning to bring Utley in for a 3-run, 4-1 Philly lead...

Oh, Dukes scored the Nationals' second run after tripling with one out in the ninth and scoring to just make Brad Lidge think a little about an otherwise decent outing...Phillies win 4-2.

GAME REPORT:

Washington Nationals At Philadelphia Phillies. Game 146 Of 162.

Pedro Feliz grabs Justin Maxwell’s one hopper on the infield grass and throws to first to start tonight’s game. Cole Hamels drops an 0-2 change into the top of the zone to get Cristian Guzman looking. Feliz waits for Ryan Zimmerman’s grounder and the throw to first ends the top of the frame...Jimmy Rollins yanks a single to left to start Philly’s first. Josh Willingham tracks a line drive off Shane Victorino’s bat and dives to make the play. Chase Utley rips a single through second. Jimmy Rollins stops at second when Elijah Dukes fields it coming in. DC lefty Ross Detwiler throws a two-strike fastball by Ryan Howard for the second out of the inning. Jayson Werth grounds back to the mound, Detwiler tosses to Mike Morse.

Josh Willingham flies out to Ben Francisco in left. Elijah Dukes goes the other way with a line drive to right, right to Werth. Ian Desmond’s fly gets as far as the track in right center...Ben Francisco chases a high full-count fastball. Pedro Feliz rolls the second out to Morse at first. Carlos Ruiz grounds to Guzman.

Mike Morse barely connects with a roller back to Hamels. Wil Nieves grounds to the mound and injures himself taking an odd step at first. Ross Detwiler K’s looking...Bard’s behind the plate when Detwiler retakes the mound. Cole Hamels K’s swinging through a fastball. Josh Willingham catches a fly ball from Jimmy Rollins. Shane Victorino grounds out to short.

Justin Maxwell pops up foul of first for Ryan Howard. Cristian Guzman grounds to Howard at first, Hamels covers. Ryan Zimmerman rips a line drive right into a leaping Raul Ibanez’s glove, four scoreless for Hamels...Ross Detwiler gets Chase Utley swinging through a fastball. Ross Detwiler hits Ryan Howard in the hand with an 0-2 pitch. Jayson Werth powers a shattered bat single over second to put two on for Ben Francisco. Francisco grounds to third, Ryan Zimmerman steps on the bag and throws to first from his hip for the improbable DP.

Cole Hamels drops a 2-2 curve on Josh Willingham to get the thirteenth straight out of the game. Elijah Dukes flies out to center. Ian Desmond takes strike three, but doesn’t like it. 15-straight for Hamels...Pedro Feliz walks to start the bottom of the fifth inning. Carlos Ruiz grounds off Detwiler’s glove, and the lefty recovers to throw out the catcher at first. Detwiler gets Hamels swinging. Jimmy Rollins pulls a high fastball to left for an RBI double, 1-0 Phillies when Feliz scores. Shane Victorino takes a called strike three, he doesn’t like it, but he takes it.

Mike Morse sends a single screaming to left to bring an abrupt end to Hamels’ chances of a special outing. Josh Bard K’s looking and understands Victorino’s complaint. Jorge Padilla takes strike three, this time it’s a fastball inside. Justin Maxwell has to run it out after he K’s swinging over a change in the dirt....Tyler Clippard takes over for Detwiler in the sixth. Ryan Zimmerman tracks down a foul pop from Utley and leaps over the tarp to make a brilliant catch. Clippard walks Ryan Howard with one down. Werth takes the second straight walk. Ben Francisco singles to center to load the bases for Pedro Feliz. Feliz pops out to the catcher. Carlos Ruiz works the count full and takes ball four on a pitch in the dirt that gets away from Bard. 2-0 Phillies. Cole Hamels will face Saul Rivera. Hamels singles by third, 3-0 Phillies. Jimmy Rollins pops out to center to end the sixth.

Cristian Guzman leads off the seventh with a swinging K. Ryan Zimmerman drops a single over first and into short right. Josh Willingham shatters his bat singling to left to move Zim up to second. Elijah Dukes rrrrips the third straight single through short to score Zimmerman from second, 3-1 Phillies. Ian Desmond walks to load the bases. Mike Morse pops out high over right. Josh Bard takes a 2-2 change inside for a called strike three. Nationals strand three...3-1 Philly...Raul Ibanez comes out to start the Phillies’ seventh, and Jim Riggleman pulls Saul Rivera. Ron Villone vs Ibanez. Lefty vs Lefty. Ibanez takes strike three on the high inside corner. Villone walks Utley. Ryan Howard steps in. Utley takes second on a passed ball wild pitch and takes third on Ryan Howard’s groundout. Logan Kensing replaces Villone. Jayson Werth’s up when Kensing throws another wild pitch. Utley scores, 4-1. Werth lines out to short.

Alberto Gonzalez starts the eighth with a fly ball to the corner in left, Raul Ibanez leaps at the wall to make an amazing grab. Justin Maxwell hits a one-out double into the left field corner. Maxwell takes third on a groundout by Guzman. Cole Hamels throws a two-strike change by Ryan Zimmerman. 4-1 after seven and a half...Marco Estrada’s going to pitch the eighth for DC. Ben Francisco pops out to first. Pedro Feliz grounds out to Dukes in right. Carlos Ruiz chops out to Zim, and Estrada’s got a quick scoreless frame.

Brad Lidge vs Josh Willingham. Josh Willingham flies out to center. Elijah Dukes flies to deeeep center, Jayson Werth slides in for it, and almost collides with Ben Francisco as the ball drops to the ground. Desmond grounds out to short to score Dukes. 4-2 Philly. Willie Harris flies out to center to end it. Phillies win, 4-2 final.

Nationals now 50-96.