KTE - Phillies, April 29, 30, & 31

[Frayed Knot]

First of all, yeah I know April doesn't have a 31st; whaddya think I'm stupid? (don't answer that) - just trying to see who was paying attention.


OK, we all know the Phillies well enough at this point: 1st place in the East, 5.5 games ahead of us; 1/2 game behind Colorado for the best record in the NL, lots of convicted felons in their fan base - and we all know that everyone who doesn't live near Philadelphia hates Philadelphia. The people who live near to the city of course hate it even more.

What the team is surviving on these days is pitching much more so than hitting as they're allowing runs at a rate below everyone save for Atlanta.
Meanwhile, their once-vaunted offense is barely average at this point, which considering that park they play in kinda means they're starting to suck.
They're just above league average (and just below us) in Runs Scored while actually slightly below average in OBA & SlgA. Less Utley and more candles on the birthday cakes are the likely cause of that.


From the first series (also in Philly) - aka games 4, 5 & 6 of your NYM season:

Game 1 - Mets 7 Phils 1
Hamels didn�t survive the 3rd; Young went 5+; we didn�t hit their pen much but ours was good too.
At that point we were 3-1. We had peaked ... but alas too soon. And isn't that always the case (am I right ladies?)

Game 2 - Phils 10 - Mets 7
Pelfrey faced 16 batters and retired 6 of them.
This was the game where we got into a ridiculous 7-0 hole by the 3rd, only to tie it up by the 5th (off Blanton) and then have Blaine Boyer give it back.
So then we gave Blaine Boyer back.

Game 3 -- Phils 11 - Mets 0
Niese sucked & Halladay cruised. The good news is that it was all over in 2:24


This series:
Friday 7:05 - Pelfrey v Vance Worley
Worley - no known relation to Jo Ann - is a 23 y/o RHer just called up for this game to replace Joe �15 days with an elbow injury� Blanton, and by saying 'elbow injury' I think they simply mis-spelled 'eating disorder'.
Worley appeared in 5 ML games last season (2 starts) including a scoreless inning of relief against the Mets during a who-cares game in late September.
If we smack him around enough maybe it'll be the end of his career and he'll wind up trading lines with Henry Gibson on the joke wall.

Saturday 1:10 - Niese v Halladay - FOX Network. No word on whether Joe Buck will do the game of if he's going to spend the weekend going over the draft results so he can actually get the pronunciations of all the players correct when football resumes in 9 months or so.
We all know what Halladay (3-1; 2.41; 1.018 WHiP) is about - usually real good as he has been in 4 of his 5 starts so far this season. Did get smacked around by the Brew Crew a bit.

Sunday 8:10 - Young v Lee - ESPN
Cliff Lee (2-2; 4.18; WHiP) has been less the steady performer the Phils thought they were getting and more erratic instead. IOW, think less Geddy Lee and more Robert E. and we all know how Bobby's career ended.
Has one CG shut-out but has given up at least 3 runs in each of his other four outings.
The Mets have faced Lee only once in his career. It was during his first stint with the Phils and he gave up no earned runs in a 6-2 Phils win in August 2009 when Bobby Parnell was the opposing starter.


Lineup - again, not a lot of surprises here:

1B - Ryan Howard -- You know him, he's kind of tough to miss. Big dude, widest nose in MLB. Hitting well so far this season -- .293/.352/.522; 4 HRs
2B - Mostly former NYM Wilson Valdez these days in Chase Utley�s absence -- Hitting .234/.279/.281 are the kind of stats that makes Rey Ordonez say; "Hey dude, you know you really kind of suck"
SS - Jimmy Rollins -- Hit his 1st HR yesterday. Joins Derek Jeter in the �SS who shouldn�t be leading off anymore but how do their managers tell them that� club. .271/.346/.354
3B - Placido Polanco -- What has this now 35 y/o guy been drinking? (.389/.448/.516). The video game version of Placido Polanco doesn't hit this well even on the easiest setting!
LF - Usually Raul Ibanez but he�s been so bad this season (.169/.250/.229) that we�re more likely to see the likes of Ben Francisco or John Mayberry Jr.
As expected, that Ibanez contract looked good in the beginning but everyone knew it was going to suck in the end.
CF - Shane Victorino -- Gots his slugging shoes on this month (.289/.343/.505) as 11 of his 28 hits are for extra bases
RF - whichever of Mayberry/Francisco doesn�t play LF, or maybe Ross Gload. Rookie prospect Domonic Brown is just starting rehab and won�t be back this weekend.
C - Carlos Ruiz is "day to day" (aren't we all?) with back stiffness, so we may see more of Brian Schneider than Philly fans will be comfortable with. Schneider is 2-for-23 so far this season, both hits are HRs (sounds like he should be on the Yanx).


The Pen:
Closer Brad Lidge is hurt and closer Part Deux Jose Contreras is too, so that job likely falls to Ryan Madson (10 games, 0.90 ERA)
Also pitching well is the aptly named Antonio Bastardo (10 games, 0.87 ERA)
Filling out the staff is Kyle Kendrick (long man), David Herndon (who?), Michael Stutes (who?) and Danys Baez (fat!). Long-time lefty JC Romero is on the fritz so something named Mike Zagurski looks like their current go-to guy.



These guys just lost 2 of 3 to the D'Backs so it can be done. A nice series here keeps the good vibes going.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Solid liner up the middle, FK. Gracias.

You know how some people, once they find a shirt they like, buy, like, seventy of that same shirt, in different colors?That's the Phils with iffy inning-eating righty longmen.

And forget not leading off... they've actually been hitting Rollins third.

The only things keeping them afloat offensively have been an absurdly-hot Polanco and timely big hits from Victorino and Howard.

[Edgy MD]

I realize Luis Castillo didn't thrill them, but understanding Wilson Valdez's dim hint at offensive ability last season as something to bank on rather than the ephemeral gift it was seems like a mistake.

I say that knowing he'll get about 11 hits off of us this weekend.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Didn't Ben Fransisco hit everything either to or over the wall in our first visit? Can't let these insects all over us anymore.

[bmfc1]

Nice job FK. Enjoyed the Joanne Worley reference.

For Saturday--no Joe Buck. It's Matt Vasgersian and Tim McCarver.

[seawolf17]

Worley's gonna channel Jason Jennings and throw seven innings of three-hit ball. /sigh

[Ceetar]

seawolf17 wrote: Worley's gonna channel Jason Jennings and throw seven innings of three-hit ball. /sigh

That's fine. Those 3-hits will all be home runs after walks.

[Gwreck]

Nice KTE.

Good trivia question regarding tonight's Phillies starter. How many MLBers named "Vance" can you name?

Vance Wilson
Vance Law
Dazzy Vance
umm...

[seawolf17]

Vance Horsman?

edit: Looked him up. It's Vince Horsman.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Vance Rulliniks

[Benjamin Grimm]

Mets haven't had many Vances. Other than Wilson, the only other guy I could find was Vance McHenry, who was with the Jackson Mets in 1983.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Vance Lroadway.

[seawolf17]

Vance Coleman.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Nick EVance

[Edgy MD]

Vance Lingle Mungo.

[seawolf17]

Andy Vance Lyke.

[G-Fafif]

You guys are reaching.

[metirish]

I feel I know the Phillies more and hate them all the more for it....

[Guest themetfairy]

Well done FK!

[Willets Point]

we all know that everyone who doesn't live near Philadelphia hates Philadelphia

I actually like the city of Philadelphia for what's it worth...nice art museum, nice zoo, funky South St, colonial and revolutionary history, blue-collar spirit, et al. But the Phillies must be defeated.

[metirish]

Odds of SNY showing Geno's and Pat's tonight?

1/2 on

[Ceetar]

metirish wrote: Odds of SNY showing Geno's and Pat's tonight? 1/2 on

probably better than that. it's a virtual guarantee. you can get better cheesesteak in new york anyway.

[Fman99]

Hopefully Vance Worley sucks as much as his mother Jo Ann did. I think when she was making that trademark noise of hers it was because Ruth Buzzie was rubbing her taint off camera.