Reliever Roulette: Cardinals 6, Phillies 3

by WholeCamels on May 3, 2010 11:02 PM EDT

Another close game, another game blown wide open by bullpen blundering. Tonight, the culprit was Nelson Figueroa, who gave up a bases clearing double to David Freese in the top of the seventh inning that made the score 5-1. A single by Colby Rasmus made the score 6-1, and despite solo home runs by Jayson Werth in the seventh, and Chase Utley in the ninth, the Phillies were unable to make up the deficit, falling to the Cardinals by a score of 6-3.

Cardinals started Jamie Garcia was sharp, surrendering just one run on three hits and four walks in six innings pitched. The lefty stymied the heart of the Phillies order, including Ryan Howard, who finished the night 0-for-4 with three strikeouts.

The game wasn't without its encouraging points. First and foremost, Joe Blanton's first start of the season was a solid success. The box score belies how well he pitched; his location was very good and his breaking stuff was sharp. In the seventh inning, likely fatigued, he started elevating pitches, leading to a couple of hard hit balls, including a pinch hit homer by Nick Stavinoha that broke a 1-1 tie.

Second, a strong ninth inning from Brad Lidge. Lidge touched 94 MPH with his fastball, and his slider was sharp. Although he surrendered a hard-hit double to Matt Holliday, it was his only baserunner allowed. With all the bullpen tragedies of the past couple of weeks, a quality Brad Lidge would be a godsend.

Phillies manager Charlie Manuel was ejected in the fifth inning for arguing on a bunk call of interference on Joe Blanton, who was attempting to reach first on a poorly executed bunt and bumped into Skip Schumaker, who was covering the bag. The throw was wide and Blanton remained in the baseline.

There were also two unusual delays to the game -- first, an official review of a possible home run ball by Chase Utley in the bottom of the first. The review showed that the ball went just foul, but was one of a few well-hit balls by Utley on the night. Second, a spectator ran onto the field and got taken down by a taser. Yes really.

With the New York Mets falling 3-2 in 11 innings to the Reds, the Phillies maintain a half-game lead on first place in the NL East.

via www.fangraphs.com

Tweet Comment 44 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Around SB Nation

Washington Nationals' Bryce Harper Steals Home After Purpose Pitch By Philadelphia Phillies' Cole Hamels.

May 2012 from Federal Baseball - 59 comments

Series Preview #10: Arizona Diamondbacks vs. St. Louis Cardinals

May 2012 from AZ Snake Pit - 16 comments

Washington Nationals' Jayson Werth Has Surgery On Wrist, Could Miss 12 Weeks According To MLB.com's Bill Ladson.

May 2012 from Federal Baseball - 62 comments

Five For Five: A Mets/Phillies Series Preview With Whole Camels Of The Good Phight

May 2012 from Amazin' Avenue - 26 comments

Cardinals 9, D'Backs 6. AND YOU GET A HOMER, AND YOU GET A HOMER, AND YOU...

May 2012 from AZ Snake Pit - 54 comments

Comments

Where the hell was David Herndon? I don’t care that he’s given up an absurd number of trickler hits… he gets approximately 800% ground balls. Gah.

by phatj on May 3, 2010 11:04 PM EDT reply actions

After reading this in the comments section of Philly.com David Herdon decided to leave baseball because he couldn’t handle the pressure of living up to the following

The real reason Lee couldn’t stay was because Roy" FrontRunner" Halladay didn’t want a proven commodity challenging him for his #1 pitching spot. Cliff Lee has less time than Halladay and actually has PLAYOFF WINS and 2 WORLD SERIES WINS. Have you noticed how Halladay hid in a closet after that last loss? The man has been out of sight for awhile now huh? Cliff Lee was always accessible which is why Roy "FrontRunner" Halladay probaly couldn’t handle being second fiddle to a better proven player. Doesn’t matter anyway because in a year or two David Herndon is going to take that #1 spot. David Herndon is a leader much in the shape of Kevin Kolb and nothing like the wannabe’s like McNabb

Lifted from a comment posted by Cormican in Philly Friar’s recent fanshot about the Lakewood Prospects. I never read the comment sections from sport pages. But this just- well I never thought people – this is like meth-head conspiracy shit. If it fake then it’s brillant. Either way, it’s quality entertainment.

by j reed on May 4, 2010 12:08 AM EDT up reply actions

just to be clear Cormican didn’t say that, just quoted it

by j reed on May 4, 2010 12:17 AM EDT up reply actions

Thanks for clarifying that.

by Cormican on May 4, 2010 1:47 PM EDT up reply actions

People like this are allowed to vote. Scary.

by FuquaManuel on May 4, 2010 12:28 AM EDT up reply actions

well, unless he has a meth conviction. in which case he probably can’t.

but i get your point

by Steve J on May 4, 2010 1:06 AM EDT up reply actions

They’re also allowed to breed

by jemagee on May 4, 2010 10:38 AM EDT up reply actions

I’m pretty sure history indicates it ain’t fake.

by jemagee on May 4, 2010 10:38 AM EDT up reply actions

Love the photo caption. That guy looks like he’s thinking, “Oh crap, this isn’t as fun as I thought it would be.”

The power play is still f**king clown shoes

Everybody...HIT SOMEBODY! ~ the Chicago Rush are back!

by HappyHuman on May 3, 2010 11:14 PM EDT reply actions

I agree, the look of “well, this certainly isn’t going as planned.” is priceless.

by Cormican on May 4, 2010 1:49 PM EDT up reply actions

Let's hope the Philly PD

has some juice left for some Eagle fans.

by Putnan Prince on May 4, 2010 3:16 PM EDT up reply actions

Would have been a better photo if he was holding a real gun.

by FuquaManuel on May 3, 2010 11:32 PM EDT reply actions

i won’t lie – as irrational as it was:

the incredibly intense look of this photo was pretty accurate in depicting the gusto with which that guy went at apprehending the non-streaking streaker. thus, the first thought that popped into my head is “is that guy really threatening him with a gun?” though that may have been from the black Gallagher discussion earlier. quickly dismissed, and then, as of course i was compelled to do, i started shouting “don’t tase me, bro!” at the top of my lungs.

by Steve J on May 4, 2010 1:12 AM EDT up reply actions

this…photo…is… AWESOME

by Wet Luzinski on May 4, 2010 1:38 PM EDT up reply actions

I’m really perplexed why Mackanin, or Manuel from the clubhouse, or whoever was in charge, went to Figueroa in that big spot. He’s a mopup guy; quantity, not quality.

This team can’t give away games right now.

by dajafi on May 3, 2010 11:36 PM EDT via mobile reply actions

Dubee threw Figgy out there cuz now he’s burned him for the spot start over KK. A good way to cover his fat ass if Kendrick implodes and people ask why he didn’t use Figgy. I don’t know if Figgy’s the guy to make 4 or 5 consecutive starts in Happ’s absence how ever long that will be but certainly 1 or 2 starts is more than acceptable

by j reed on May 3, 2010 11:39 PM EDT up reply actions

that’s my "i really think dubee is lost conspiracy theory’’ It’s been brewing for two or three years now.

by j reed on May 3, 2010 11:41 PM EDT up reply actions

I agree.

by FuquaManuel on May 3, 2010 11:51 PM EDT up reply actions

I said the same thing in the game thread.

I understand why Figueroa began the 7th warming up, but once it became clear that it was a high leverage spot, someone else — anyone else — would’ve been a better option. Ideally, that’s a spot for David Herndon, as phatj noted above.

by PhillyFriar on May 4, 2010 7:42 AM EDT up reply actions

That’s what I was wondering. I can’t understand why you would put your long man in a high leverage situation, then ask him to get only 4 outs. I’m OK with taking Cupcakes out since it was his first start, but I think he could have gotten out of the inning without giving up further damage.

by zfg on May 4, 2010 8:00 AM EDT up reply actions

I’m actually OK with Mackanin using Figueroa, though it’s certainly not who I would have chosen. What I don’t understand is why Blanton was even in there to start the seventh. He was in his first start of the year after injury rehab, and had gone only five innings (67 pitches) in his last rehab start in AA. Mackanin asked too much of Joe, and the loss was mainly his fault.

by taco pal on May 4, 2010 10:18 AM EDT up reply actions

Leaving him in after the HR was the big error. He clearly had lost something and was running on fumes, no shame in making a change there.

by Cormican on May 4, 2010 1:52 PM EDT up reply actions

That guy gave security a real “run for their money”, if you will, as we constantly weaved and dodged. He looked like a vintage Brian Westbrook highlight, then they tasered his ass.

"My grandmom's favorite grandson, ask my grandmom" --Rone

by layout ultimate on May 3, 2010 11:37 PM EDT reply actions

Totally.

If they hadn’t tased him, I don’t think they would have caught him (and there were at least 6-8 Security in pursuit).

by Romero on May 3, 2010 11:41 PM EDT up reply actions

what ever happened to the TJ Hooker night stick throw at the back of the fleeing perp.’s knee trick

by j reed on May 3, 2010 11:44 PM EDT up reply actions

I was at the game and it was the best part of the night.

by packimop on May 4, 2010 12:30 AM EDT up reply actions

^Part of the problem

by jemagee on May 4, 2010 10:39 AM EDT up reply actions

We agree here, jemagee

http://www.thegoodphight.com

by WholeCamels on May 4, 2010 11:26 AM EDT up reply actions

I was there to

& I was on the first base side & i didn’t see him dive, it just looked like he went down hard

The Kolb Era has begun....
Kolb - a heavy medieval war club with a spiked or flanged metal head, used to crush armor - Wikipedia of course
I've been waiting my whole life for an Eagles Championship
RIP JJ

by sports00fan00 on May 4, 2010 12:03 PM EDT up reply actions

Was there tonight, actually. Completely weird moment seeing the guy get tasered — kind of a mix between disbelief and weird shock. Also, it happened during a 6-1 Cardinals lead with Figueroa on the mound, so unsurprisingly attention was pretty easily diverted. Really weird game overall.

by Trev223 on May 3, 2010 11:43 PM EDT reply actions

Weird shit seems to happen when the Cards come to town. Remember last year?

by j reed on May 3, 2010 11:47 PM EDT up reply actions

Oh yeah, the laser pointer. Jeez, forgot that was the Cards.

by Trev223 on May 3, 2010 11:50 PM EDT up reply actions

i know it didn’t happen in the park but there was also that horrible thing that went down in the parking lot. I forgot all about that until a second ago

by j reed on May 4, 2010 12:15 AM EDT up reply actions

There was also a vehicular homicide of a tourist from St. Louis by by a dirtbag who was high & blew through red light on Broad Street.

by Wet Luzinski on May 4, 2010 1:41 PM EDT up reply actions

Unreal. I had missed that story, but just pulled it up: link

I ride my bike to and from every game, and while I have a long ride up Broad Street to get home, the most terrifying part is always avoiding the drunkies finishing off their tailgate beers and then speeding out of the parking lot. Only ever been hit once there (and lightly at that), but this is just scary.

by Steve J on May 4, 2010 2:33 PM EDT up reply actions

is there an alternate route?

by j reed on May 4, 2010 4:10 PM EDT up reply actions

as was I, and that reaction was pretty much universal i think

i did appreciate ryan howard who couldn’t help but double over in laughter. all things considered… it isn’t every day you see someone tased at work. i can think of several coworkers….

by Steve J on May 4, 2010 1:09 AM EDT up reply actions

From Jimmy Himself

Rollins will be out closer to the high-end of his original 2-to-4 week estimate. “I was jogging and I actually picked up the pace and that part didn’t bother me,” Rollins said. “But when I started shuffling and then turned around to really go, that hurt. Going to the right, that doesn’t bother me. Shuffling left and turning to run, that’s when you feel it grab.”

Sounds great, Jimmy.

Hate to get my hopes down for the year but I am. This Howard contract honestly put a huge damper on my expectations for the franchise over the next 5 to 6 years.

by packimop on May 4, 2010 12:31 AM EDT reply actions

I understand the thought process of not showing people on the field on tv, but exceptions need to be made people! The tv audience suffered through the bullpen travesty too, but without the benefit of the evening’s main entertainment…

"I tried to run him over but Eli had his big boy pads on and he kind of stopped me from getting in the end zone. The next time I’ll try to jump over his head.’’ - Asante Samuel

by foos05 on May 4, 2010 5:17 AM EDT via mobile reply actions

I was flipping around the the stations and the taser incident is already gettin ESPNed every 5 effing minutes.

by j reed on May 4, 2010 6:53 AM EDT reply actions

I was really dissapointed by the interference call on Blanton. Watching on TV, I couldn’t see anything worthy of such an out. It was such a pivotal point in the game as well. That run, and having a guy on 3rd with Shane up would have been huge.

by Clyde Simmons on May 4, 2010 7:37 AM EDT reply actions

I’m beginning to think the city has a new curse, the 125 million dollar contract curse…news coming out of sixer land is getting worse by the moment – the flyers seems to have problems with the bruins and i’m sure something will go wrong with the eagles shortly

by jemagee on May 4, 2010 11:29 AM EDT reply actions

Seriously, what an unnecessary and preemptive contract negotiation. We’re going to lose our best position player in the offseason because of that contract. There’s no way in Hell that Ryan Howard gets 25mil/year for 5 years in the open market. He is so inconsistent.

by packimop on May 4, 2010 12:05 PM EDT up reply actions