Phillies Recap: September 10, 2009

Washington Nationals 8, Philadelphia Phillies 7

W - Hernandez (8-10), L - Blanton (9-7), S - Villone (1)

In what was a very peculiar game, the Phillies showed a great deal of heart. However, Joe Blanton was hit very hard by the Nationals early on and the Phillies' offense could not dig all the way out of the hole they had. Livan Hernandez did a very serviceable job for the Nats and they prevailed to avoid a sweep by a final score of 8-7.

Joe Blanton actually looked very sharp early on. He had a few pitches working and managed to retire the Nationals quickly in the first few innings. However, trouble found Blanton in the third, fourth, and fifth innings. The finishing blow was dealt by rookie Ian Desmond, who hit his first major league home run, a three-run shot. Blanton went 4.1 innings, allowing eight earned runs on seven hits and four walks. The Phillies bullpen came in and did a good job keep the Nationals off the board after that point, but by then, the game was too far gone.

The Nationals got the start they wanted from Livan Hernandez. Hernandez pitched into the eighth inning, and despite allowing an early pair of runs, settled down to pick up a win for the Nats. On the night, Hernandez went 7.1 innings, giving up just two earned runs on six hits. He walked one and struck out two. The Phillies offense came alive in the ninth inning, rallying for five runs, behind Matt Stairs' first hit in 31 at-bats, with a grand slam. However, they came up just short, as the lead was just out of reach.

This loss was a difficult one, though the Phillies did finally show some signs of life. Losing to the Nationals is not how the Phillies wanted to end a road trip in which they went 2-5. They also lost a game in the standings to the Marlins and their lead now stands at five games. The Phillies' magic number remains at 19. The good that can be taken out of this game is the offensive resurgence. Granted most of it came on the Stairs slam, the Phillies showed some of their trademark heart that has seemed to be missing for several months. They will now return home to take on the Mets and look to turn things around.

An Idea Out of Left Field

With both Raul Ibanez and Matt Stairs struggling right now, the Phillies need to get both on track for the post-season push and beyond. Ibanez, their All-Star left fielder, is the everyday starter and has had a severe power outage since the break. In order to provide the necessary punch and protection for the middle of their order, the Phillies need Raul to get back on track, hitting the ball hard. On the flip side, Matt Stairs is their pinch-hitting extraordinaire, who provides left-handed power off the bench. Without his imposing threat, the Phillies' bench is average at best.

The ways and reasons these two players have struggled since the middle of the season are complete different. Raul Ibanez had a groin problem that forced him to the disabled list. Since that time, he has not hit many balls hard and produced very few runs. Let's take a look at his production from both halves of the season:

Pre-All-Star Break: 64 G, 289 PA, .309 BA, 22 HR, 60 RBI

Post-All-Star Break: 39 G, 156 PA, .220 BA, 5 HR, 19 RBI

Clearly, Ibanez's power outage is cause for some concern. But what is the actual cause? Almost without a doubt, it is his timing, which has suffered due to his inability to pick up pitches out of the pitcher's hand. With this trouble in timing, Ibanez could potentially be compounding his problems by trying to compensate for the lack of vision with some bad mechanical habits at the plate.

But the problem with Matt Stairs has been much different than Ibanez. Stairs has been adjusting to his new role as a full-time pinch hitter all season. To his credit, he has embraced the role and welcomed it. When he was first acquired by the Phillies a year ago, he said that he would pinch hit everyday if he could. Lately, Stairs has had a number of such opportunities with no success:

Pre-All-Star Break: 56 G, 9 GS, 76 PA, .283 BA, 4 HR, 13 RBI

Post-All-Star Break: 23 G, 3 GS, 31 PA, .000 BA, 0 HR, 0 RBI

This is probably the most black-and-white split you will see among major leaguers. Stairs has been hitless since the All-Star Break and has no hits in his last 27 at bats. There is nothing mechanically wrong with Stairs, though, as his approach always has been and always will be to hit home runs. With that big upper-cut swing of his, all Stairs really needs is repetition against big league pitching.

On to the joint solution to get Ibanez and Stairs back on track, simultaneously. After the Giants series this week, in which two tough lefties will pitch (and Ben Francisco will likely get two starts), bench Ibanez for a series. Starting Stairs for four games against the Astros will likely get Stairs about 15-20 plate appearances, which should help him get the repetitions he needs. Meanwhile, Ibanez can clear his head, spend more time watching film and taking extended batting practice, and get a break from the game.

Ideally, Stairs won't hurt the Phillies too much in the field, and even if he doesn't produce too much, it won't be a loss on what Ibanez is producing now. Francisco can serve as the late inning defensive replacement for Stairs, as he will also need to see some more action to stay sharp. At the same time, Ibanez can use some rest, as he prepares for his first playoff action since 2000. When Ibanez returns, hopefully he can have some things figured out. And when Stairs returns to the bench, he will hopefully be poised for his next pinch-hitting assignment.

Phillies Preview: August 18, 2009

Arizona Diamondbacks (54-65) at Philadelphia Phillies (66-49)

7:05pm - Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA

Pedro Martinez, RHP (1-0, 5.40) v. Jon Garland, RHP (6-10, 4.28)

Pedro Martinez will make his home debut for the Phillies, after winning his first start at Chicago. He will be opposed by Jon Garland, whom the Phillies beat earlier this season in Arizona. The two righties will pair off in the opener of the three-game series in Philadelphia. As usual, both pitchers will need to keep their offerings down to avoid a slugfest.

It will be interesting to see what type of reaction Pedro receives in front of his new home crowd. He has not had many appearances at Citizens Bank Park and of those, none were very successful. In his previous start against the Cubs, Martinez was marginally effective in the midst of a Phillies blow out win. Now he will face off against a Diamondbacks team that he has only minimal appearances against. The key to their lineup will be the young, rising star, Mark Reynolds, who is second in the big leagues with 38 home runs.

Martinez will face off with the Diamondbacks' Jon Garland. Despite his poor record, Garland is putting up solid numbers for Arizona this year, while throwing 149 innings. In his career against current Phillies, Garland has given up a .283 batting average over 124 plate appearances. He has also given up five career home runs to current Phils, including two each to Matt Stairs and Raul Ibanez. In what will be his first trip to Citizens Bank Park, he will really need to be on top of his game to keep the Phillies offense in check.

This will be a quick three-game set at home for the Phillies, so they will certainly look to get a quick jump on the floundering Arizona team. It's a warm, muggy evening in Philadelphia, so the ball could be flying out of the park. Look for the Phillies offense to back Pedro to make his home debut a successful one.

Phillies Preview: August 15, 2009

Philadelphia Phillies (65-48) at Atlanta Braves (60-55)

4:00pm - Turner Field, Atlanta, GA

Cole Hamels, LHP (7-7, 4.77) v. Kenshin Kawakami, RHP (5-9, 4.12)

The Phillies pulled out an important win in game one. Now, they will turn to their ace, Cole Hamels, to continue that momentum in their second of three games against the rival Braves. Last night the Phillies used the long ball and solid pitching to aid their victory. They will need more of the same this afternoon if they are to beat Kenshin Kawakami and the Braves again.

Cole Hamels has struggled on the road this season, posting an unimpressive 5.59 ERA in 10 starts. He will look to turn his fortunes around in pitcher-friendly Turned Field today. In his career, Hamels has posted average numbers against current Braves hitters, holding them to a combined .272 batting average in 203 plate appearances. Once again, the key will be to hold down the heart of the Braves order in Brian McCann and Chipper Jones, who have a combined 14 RBIs against Hamels in 54 lifetime plate appearances.

Hamels will be opposed by 34-year old rookie Kenshin Kawakami. Despite his poor record, Kawakami has been relatively effective this season. The soft-tossing righty will face the Phillies for the second time this season, after beating them 4-2 in May. In their careers, Phillies hitters are hitting .227 in 25 plate appearances. The offense will need to be much more effective in order to win tonight's game. Ryan Howard and Matt Stairs each had success against Kawakami with a pair of hits each in their first meeting.

Today the offense will need to produce and cannot rely solely on the homerun. Look for Cole Hamels to bounce back from a series of tough starts and go deep into the game, in the spacious ballpark. If the Phillies are to win this afternoon, they will need an all-around team effort. However, this is one game that the team should win.

Phillies Preview: August 13, 2009

Philadelphia Phillies (63-48) at Chicago Cubs (58-54)

2:20pm - Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL

Cliff Lee, LHP (9-9, 2.95) v. Ryan Dempster, RHP (6-5, 4.04)

The finale of the three game set will be a traditional day game at Wrigley Field. It will feature a Cliff Lee and Ryan Dempster. Lee has pitched extremely well in his first two starts for the Phillies and will be matched up against a right-handed heavy Cubs lineup. Meanwhile, Dempster pitched one of his best games of the season his last time out, limiting the Rockies to two earned runs in a 6-5 Cubs win. If the wind is blowing out, this could be a higher scoring affair than both pitchers are used to.

The Phillies, behind Lee, will look to build on their road momentum before heading to Atlanta. Cliff Lee has had limited experience against the Cubs and their current lineup. However, in 51 plate appearances, Lee has allowed a .256 batting average and four homers. The key matchups will be against the hot hitting Milton Bradley and the slumping Alfonso Soriano. Keeping those two off base will limit the top and bottom of the Cubs' order, respectively. If Cliff Lee can maintain the same command that has him 2-0 as a Phillie, then he should find success again.

Opposing the Phillies will be a pitcher that their hitters have substantial experience against, Ryan Dempster. More importantly, the Phillies hitters have had great success against the righty, hitting .310 in 109 career plate appearances. The scorching-hot Jimmy Rollins leads the way with a .300 average in 38 appearances against Dempster, while Matt Stairs has three career homers against him. With the offense finally waking up in a big way last night, the finale should prove to be a good opportunity to continue this.

It's hard to say how the weather will play a role in this afternoon affair. However, Cliff Lee cannot worry about that, and needs to just pitch his game. If he does that, there should be a decent level of confidence among Phillies hitters to support him. After all, you have a lineup that was basically featured in the All-Star game; it would be impossible to hold it down forever.

Phillies Preview: Rockies Series 8/4 - 8/6

Colorado Rockies (58-47) at Philadelphia Phillies (59-44)

In a rematch of the 2007 NLDS, the Phillies will host the Colorado Rockies for a three-game set at Citizens Bank Park. The two teams matched up early in the season and the Phillies took two out of three from the defending champions. Matt Stairs provided the lift in the rubber match, with a pinch-hit homerun in what would ultimately be Harry Kalas's last game.

The first place Phillies look to rebound from a disappointing road trip that saw them go 3-4 and drop three games to the playoff-hopeful San Francisco Giants. Now, the task ahead is clear for the Phillies, as they take on another surging team in the Rockies. Colorado is tied for the Wild Card lead with the Giants and are 38-18 since the start of June.

August 4, 2009

7:05pm - Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA

Jason Hammel, RHP (5-6, 4.66) v. Jamie Moyer, LHP (10-7, 5.32)

The ageless Jamie Moyer will take the mound for the Phillies against Jason Hammel in the opener of the series. Moyer will look to improve on his 1-4 lifetime record and 5.45 ERA against the Rockies. Moyer has been inconsistent this year and will look to stabilize the Phillies' skid in the first game. Hammel will make his first start against the Phillies after appearing in one career game against the Phillies in relief. A steady performance by Moyer should give the Phillies enough time to get the jump on the erratic Hammel at home.

August 5, 2009
7:05pm - Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA
Jorge De La Rosa, LHP (9-7, 4.68) v. J.A. Happ, LHP (7-2, 2.97)

J.A. Happ looks to regain the form that had some whispering his name in Rookie of the Year talks. Happ has been the Phillies' most consistent starter to this point, but has run into some bad luck in his last two starts going 0-2 with a 5.25 ERA in that time. His counterpart is a pitcher with whom many Phillies fans are familiar. Jorge De La Rosa famously started a game in Philadelphia last year when the Phillies put a 20-spot on the Rockies. In five career appearances against the Phils, De La Rosa is 0-2 with a plump 8.79 ERA. Nevertheless, the Phillies will need to be patient against this lefty to continue their success against him.

August 6, 2009
1:05pm - Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA
Aaron Cook, RHP (10-3, 3.88) v. Cliff Lee, LHP (8-9, 3.02)

The finale of the Rockies' series will be a day game and the home debut of newly acquired lefty, Cliff Lee. After Lee's complete game effort against the Giants last weekend, he is sure to receive a warm welcome at Citizens Bank Park. On the season, the big left-hander is 8-9 with a lean 3.02 ERA. He will be opposed by crafty veteran right-hander Aaron Cook. Over his eight year career with the Rockies, Cook has been tormented by the Phillies, posting a 1-4 record and an ERA of 5.91. In what looks to be a warm, sunny afternoon in Philly, both pitchers will need to keep the ball in the yard to give their teams a chance to win.