After pounding the Rays in game one of the series in Tampa the Fightins proceeded to get smoked in the next two by counts of 7-1 and 10-4. Tempers also started to flare a bit as reliever J.C. Romero allegedly had a physical altercation with a fan after the series finale on Thursday. Word is that the fan was taunting Romero about his “banned substance” suspension and that Romero grabbed the 25 year old fan by the neck and shoved him. The incident is now being investigated by the Tampa police department! So…..not only is the team scuffling on the field but also off it as well!
The Phillies squandered a very effective pitching performance by Joe Blanton in the Tampa series as he struck out 10 Rays in seven innings on Wednesday night. The Phillies could not solve Matt Garza of the Rays however and the bullpen got tagged for five runs in the eighth inning to make the game a blowout. In Thursday’s game the Fightins spotted rookie Antonio Bastardo with a four run first inning lead but the young lefty could not hold it and ended up departing after only 3 and 2/3 innings after giving up six runs. He actually left with a shoulder strain as well and will miss at least his next start, another injured warrior to add perhaps to the D.L. list.
On Friday night the Fightins invaded Canada to take on the Jays in hopes that a letter change in the first character of the opposition’s name would make a difference! Cole Hamels toed the rubber for the Phillies but did not pitch very effectively, Hamels was bounced after four and 2/3rds giving up four runs enroute to a 6-1 loss. Hamels was also tossed by the home plate umpire as he argued called balls and strikes on his way to the dugout, he became the first Phillie player to earn ejection this season.
After the game the skipper held a 20 minute closed door team meeting and refused to speak to the press afterwards, seems Ol’ Charlie had finally reached the break point. No one likes to get reamed but doing it in private and not in front of those outside the team is indeed the proper way, I watched an amatuer coach at a local game try to motivate his team in front of all in attendance on Friday night and indeed it was amatuerish in how it came off and in it’s effect………Charlie Manuel is a very good manager and knows how to get to his players, I am sure that his words were not pointed at individual failure but more at getting the collective heads out of the collective tails and playing smart and good baseball, that is how this team has succeeded the past two years. Recent struggles have been due to poor defense, bad baserunning, swinging at pitcher’s pitches and our pitchers not making said type pitches! Those things are correctable if heads are screwed on straight and the team has talent. This team has talent and will move forward, I still don’t believe anyone in the division is good enough to beat them, in fact even with all the recent struggles they were still in first place by 1/2 game !
Saturday perhaps was the game that shed some light at the end of the tunnell. Jayson Werth had a huge offensive game going four for four with two home runs. J.A. Happ threw a complete game shutout as the Fightins rebounded to win 10-0 over the Jays in the afternoon contest. Ryan Howard had three hits also and a couple were bloops in front of outfielders which may be a gift from the baseball gods for all the “hits” he outs on by hitting hard shots into the right side shift that most teams put on him! In any regards when the Fightins wake up on Sunday Morning they will still be in first and perhaps the meeting has restored the proper approach, we will see.
Chatter
Jimmy Rollins has sat out three consecutive games and in fact late inning defensive moves saw third sacker Pedro Feliz play shortstop for the last two innings on Saturday. Skipper Manual is hell bent to rest Rollins until he gets that swagger back and becomes the J-Roll we have come to love. It will happen but it may not take place till the Atlanta series as the skipper has indicated he may sit J-Roll again tommorrow. Outfielder Raul Ibanez is eligible to come off the D.L. this coming week as is lefty reliever Scott Eyre. Both would be welcomed additions back to the roster albeit John Mayberry Jr. has done a nice job filling in for Raul when he has played. Mayberry is a very athletic player who is much better defensively than one might expect in the outfield. He could be used as a trade chip perhaps as the July 31st trade deadline looms. The Phillies have two young very gifted outfielders in the minors behind Mayberry in Dominick Browne and Michael Taylor. Rumblings are that Browne is considered untouchable but Taylor or Mayberry could be had for the right return.
if Bastardo has to be disabled the call to the minors this time may go to 21 year old top prospect Carlos Carrasco. Carrasco started the season struggling but has won four of his last five decisions and appears to be back on track. Andrew Carpenter is also apparently throwing the ball very well and could be the choice………… fans like me are salivating over when we get to see Kyle Drabek in the red pinstripes as word is he is the next real deal, a right handed stud offset to our young ace Cole Hamels. Drabek has been clocked in the 95 to 97 range and couples it with a nasty change and curve ball apparently of the 12 to 6 variety. He is tearing up double A ball so hopes are he is not far away!
Apparently not many teams willing to talk trade just yet but that will change as the deadline gets nearer. The Cardinals are rumored to be in hot pursuit of Matt Holliday again which would give them bat protection for Mr. Albert P. The Indians are apparently unwilling to trade starter Cliff Lee but this is the same franchise that traded C.C. Sabbathia last season and most feel a good package of prospects will wedge Mr. Lee loose, the Phillies are one of the teams that are deep in minor league talent and some sort of combination offer of the likes of Jason Donald, Michael Taylor, J.A. Happ, John Mayberry, Andrew Carpenter, Sergio Escalona, etc. may indeed get it done. Time will indeed tell.
