Zeroville: Marlins 1, Phillies 0

by dajafi on May 30, 2010 3:56 PM EDT

Without a perfect game to divert attention, the Phillies' miserable offensive ineptitude was back on center stage Sunday afternoon in South Florida as the team was shut out for the fifth time in eight games by Marlins starter Anibal Sanchez and three relievers. (And were it not for Cameron Maybin's misplay last night, who knows; maybe it would be six of eight, and Roy Halladay's perfection a historical footnote when he left after nine or ten innings.) The Phils managed just four hits, two by Shane Victorino, as they fell to 2-4 on a road trip that continues tomorrow in Atlanta--where the Braves pitchers must be getting that funny feeling just thinking about what they're about to enjoy.

Jamie Moyer was today's hard-luck loser, allowing just one run in six very strong innings of work. While Moyer's run of ridiculous dominance against the Marlins seems to come to a definitive end--today was his fourth straight loss to Florida, dating back to last season--he was more than good enough to deserve career win number 264 today, holding the Fish to just four hits and two walks. The run scored with two outs in the sixth, when Phillie-killer Ronnie Paulino guessed right on a full-count fastball and hooked it between Ryan Howard and Chase Utley to score Hanley Ramirez from second. I'll admit to commenting "game over" at that point; if you watched, you know why. David Herndon worked two solid innings of relief to keep the game theoretically close.

To be fair, Sanchez was legitimately good--better than Mike Pelfrey when he shut out the Phils, probably at least comparable to the other three recent blankings (all of which exercises in misery I was fortunate enough to see little or none of). He allowed just three hits and three walks, two intentional to Ryan Howard, in 6 2/3 innings. Jayson Werth had one of the worst games of his career, twice striking out after Howard got free passes and looking at a called third from Clay Hensley with two out and men at the corners in the eighth inning to complete his golden sombrero. Leo Nunez worked a scoreless ninth--admittedly, against Ben Francisco, Juan Castro and pinch-hitter Raul Ibanez, but still--to earn the save.

With the Braves tied at home against Pittsburgh, the Phils will go to Atlanta with an NL East lead of either a half game or a game and a half. Perhaps the expected return of Placido Polanco to the lineup will help; otherwise, Jimmy Rollins evidently is jogging again. Get well soon, guy.

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Werth may not be commanding too much of a free agent contract at the end of the year if he keeps hitting like this. May have to take a hometown discount. Why can’t this team hit? The intential walks to Ryan Howard baffle me. It is almost like teams are laughing at the Phils saying even if we put people on base for free you can’t get them in. It is quite embarassing as a fan to see that. Still won the series 2-1 though. Pitching has been really good lately too. Will the hitting ever return? Maybe the start of a new week will help.

by PhilsForever on May 30, 2010 4:38 PM EDT reply actions

The intentional walks to Howard with 2 out are completely understandable, particularly if somebody is on base in front of him— he connects the right way, particularly with a runner on second or third, it could be runs… With Werth striking out as much as he has in the past couple of weeks, I take the bet that I can strike him out… The risk benefit is so high that even my hatred of intentional walks (because I feel they are a touch dishonest) would not keep me from doing it in a tight game.

What is more curious to me is Werth’s hitting feels like it has fallen off of a cliff. I am starting to wonder if something is wrong— is he hurt and hiding it, or something else???? I know that some of this may be regression to the mean, but it is just shocking and troubling to see his hitting fall off the cliff.

I think we are going to need large numbers of pairs of plate discipline pants and base running undies because I think we are incapable of hitting well any more.

by dannijd on May 30, 2010 10:41 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

somehow seems unpossible that a 1-0 Moyer-pitched game in the FLA sunshine would be the result. What putritude this offense is now.

by Wet Luzinski on May 30, 2010 4:46 PM EDT reply actions

Victorino: 2-4, SO, 2B
Utley: 1-3, BB
Howard, 0-2, BB, IBB

Those are all perfectly good lines. The only guy who did poorly and is actually supposed to be playing is Werth.

by Spoilt Victorian Child on May 30, 2010 4:49 PM EDT reply actions

And the fact that he played disappointingly with runners on just made it more frustrating— we kept having hope…

by dannijd on May 31, 2010 10:32 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions

Sat down and watched Halladay’s entire start last night when this one ended, so I at least feel a bit better.

I really don’t know if there’s anything Charlie can do at this point. He’s had a team meeting, he’s shaken up the lineup, he’s given days off for guys to clear their heads… at some point, they’re just going to have to start hitting. I know that’s not really a solution to the problem, but what else can you do?

by PhillyFriar on May 30, 2010 4:58 PM EDT reply actions

I agree.

Personally, I feel like suffering from occasional bouts of insomnia has given me a good conceptual framework to process the stunning awfulness of the Phillies offense. You do different things to try and get to sleep: shift positions, move from the bedroom to the sofa, read a bit, go back to bed, try relaxation exercises, get up again, drink warm milk, etc. Nothing works. You feel with utter crazy certainty that you’ll never fall asleep again. Then, 99 times out of 100, eventually you fall asleep.

Eventually we’ll score some runs. It’s just to be hoped that the team will still be in a decent position in terms of the race when the bats come around.

by dajafi on May 30, 2010 6:12 PM EDT up reply actions

You’re right – they will score runs again. And in bunches. They just better start soon!

by David S. Cohen on May 30, 2010 9:02 PM EDT up reply actions

Yes. I think this is a good time for a somewhat-out-of-context reference to Stein’s Law: If something cannot go on forever, it will stop.

by taco pal on May 31, 2010 11:54 AM EDT up reply actions

I hope so… But I am beginning to think that will be in August when we play the (possibly Owalt-less) Astros. I apparently am still in the bargaining stage of the grief process for this team… I made a deal with God Saturday night that I would work really hard and be nice to my evil incarnate boss if he would give me a good Phillies game Saturday night.. The kind of game that would show that things would be ok for the Phillies… I must have been a very good girl… But even a cooperative deity would not let them score… I am beginning to forget what homeruns look like (heck, I have lost a certain familiarity with the plate as anything other than a place to hit from. If a week with this few runs scored had shown up as an over/under/never event, you could have pushed the date clear out to November, and I would have taken the never. It is addiction (and moments like 10/28/08 and last night) that keeps me watching this team… And an insane hope that at some point, for reasons entirely unexplained, the team will all at once find their bats… I hope our hitting insomniacs get some rest soon.

by dannijd on May 31, 2010 10:43 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions

Amazing

When we’re worried about the pitching, the team is scoring 10+ runs a game.

When the pitching has finally solidified, the team can’t buy a run.

by MyronBales on May 30, 2010 4:59 PM EDT reply actions

Yeah, and that’s why the team’s still in first place. The entire team isn’t sucking right now.

by David S. Cohen on May 30, 2010 9:03 PM EDT up reply actions

The real question is— if we ever manage to buy a couple of rubs, will we still have good enough pitching to be able to win a 5-3, 4-2, 6-4 kind of game??? Of late, I look at Moyer’s performance last night and Hamels’s performance mast night and feel that they were squandered… They only needed 2 and 4 runs respectively, and we could not even give them that.

by dannijd on May 31, 2010 10:48 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions

Looking forward to the NL East showdown with you guys this week. Should be a fun series.

"(Jason Heyward) is like the Grim Reaper -- You know he's gonna get you, you just never know when or where."

by Scott Coleman on May 30, 2010 8:09 PM EDT reply actions

fun for you but not for Team Anemia

by j reed on May 30, 2010 8:44 PM EDT up reply actions

You guys will be just fine. The Braves lost 9 in a row just about 4 weeks ago and look where we are. Still 100+ games to go.

"(Jason Heyward) is like the Grim Reaper -- You know he's gonna get you, you just never know when or where."

by Scott Coleman on May 30, 2010 9:24 PM EDT up reply actions

Oh I know, just that

in a 162 game season you have to poke fun at yourself or else you’ll find yourself acting like Yankee/Redsox fans.

by j reed on May 30, 2010 10:13 PM EDT up reply actions

Also you might want to go to Defcon 2.5 when your hockey team scores more goals in one game than your baseball team has in 6.

by j reed on May 31, 2010 5:10 AM EDT up reply actions

Sort of like you want to go to defcon three on your football team when Monday Morning Quarterback mentions “Phils 11, Eagles 9” the day after your football team loses to the Raiders while your baseball team scores lore runs in the NLCS.

I try to tell myself that there will be runs…

by dannijd on May 31, 2010 11:40 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions

upcoming schedule

Oy…

We get Hanson, Hudson and Lowe against the Bravos, then the suddenly unhittable Padres staff for 4 games (although at least it’s at CBP and not Petco).

And then after another set with the Marlins, it’s the road trip to hell with the BoSox and the Yanks. Let us pray.

by SethC on May 31, 2010 5:38 AM EDT reply actions