Welcome Back? Phillies 7, Yankees 1

by dajafi on Jun 17, 2010 10:46 PM EDT

Another one for the "Baseball is a funny game" file: super-ace Roy Halladay gets smacked around for six runs in Tuesday's series opening loss to the Yankees, then desiccated Jamie Moyer stymies the defending world champs to the tune of two runs over eight innings, and definition-of-sixth-starter Kyle Kendrick goes him one better by holding the AL East co-leaders to one run over seven as the Phillies take a series in the Bronx.

To be fair, Kendrick has turned in more than a couple performances this season suggesting he might be more than we thought he was. He's dominated the Braves twice already this season, albeit in Phillies losses, and won gems against the Cardinals, Pirates and Marlins. But this was the Yankees, a lefty-heavy lineup that has paced the majors in runs scored--and he shut them down too. The 25 year old allowed just four hits and two walks, striking out three in his 110 pitches. The one inning he got into trouble was the sixth, when with two outs, Mark Teixeira walked, and Alex Rodriguez and Robinson Cano followed with singles to score him. But Kendrick escaped further trouble when Placido Polanco made one of the finer catches you'll see this season, laying out on top of the tarp beyond the third base bag to reach into the stands and snag a Nick Swisher foul pop to end the inning.

That catch preserved a 3-1 lead that the Phils had built on a Ryan Howard RBI single in the fourth and a Shane Victorino two-run homer in the fifth against Andy Pettitte, the veteran lefty who beat them twice in the 2009 World Series and has gotten off to one of the best starts in his fine career. Victorino, who had snapped a long 0-fer with a three-run triple in Wednesday's 6-3 win, was 2 for 3 with two walks and two runs scored tonight. Carlos Ruiz joined him in getting off the schneid, snapping a 23 at-bat hitless drought with two doubles in his last two at-bats. The second one kicked off a four-run ninth inning that put the game out of reach, and represented the third inning in which the Phils cracked the scoreboard. Maybe three doesn't sound like a lot of innings in which to score... but tonight's win represented just the second time in the last 23 games the Phils have put up runs in at least three.

So... maybe we're done with this awful thing? Please?

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So BaseBa’al is pleased, yes? Heavens to Murgatroid, I hope so, because I don’t have any more money for booze right now. I’m moving next week and times is tough.

"Tortorella’s got it all wrong ... Gaborik shouldn’t be messing with our skilled player." -Peter Luukko

by doubleh on Jun 17, 2010 10:56 PM EDT reply actions

KK looked real good …. what happens when Happ comes back?

by sowhatifitisasportste on Jun 17, 2010 11:02 PM EDT reply actions

IDK— but I almost feel like he is this year’s version of Happ— he is making the best argument he could possibly make for why he deserves to stay in the rotation. At this point, I feel he has earned the right to stay, at least until and unless cupcakes shows me something (and I am talking more than one game) that says that he is something close
to the pitcher he was last year. I understand that cupcakes makes more money but I am
pretty sure that Moyer made more than Happ last year, and the Phillies were still able to look at the two of them and see that at the time, Happ was the better pitcher. Right now, Kendrick in my opinion has earned the right to stay.

by dannijd on Jun 17, 2010 11:17 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

Happ has been better in both the minors and the majors than Kendrick. Happ deserves the spot more than Kendrick.

by phatj on Jun 18, 2010 11:42 AM EDT up reply actions

I don’t think anyone is trying to make an argument for Kendrick > Happ….. However I think the evedince is mounting that at least at this point in the season Kendrick > Blanton. Now he may still be banged up, he may be a month or 2 behind the power curve due the injury he sufferd earlyer in the year – if that’s the case – Then maby it’s in the phillz best intrest to send Blanton to a Personal traner for a month or 2 to build up his strength and get his form back (no pun intended).

by sowhatifitisasportste on Jun 18, 2010 12:21 PM EDT up reply actions

Are you saying round’s not a form?

;)

Honor is no substitute for victory.

by The Dark on Jun 18, 2010 12:32 PM EDT up reply actions

The crazy thing to me is that sandwiched between 13 runs over 18 innings was 8 and 2/3 innings of hitless baseball.

Sure is a funny game.

by FuquaManuel on Jun 17, 2010 11:05 PM EDT reply actions

The Mathieson Effect

Phillies are 1-0 with him on the Active Roster.

/enthusiastic small sample siz’d

by Romero on Jun 17, 2010 11:13 PM EDT reply actions

BaseBa'al

and 2-0 since conjuring up BaseBa’al.

/enthusiastic larger sample siz’d

by Romero on Jun 17, 2010 11:15 PM EDT up reply actions

He’s so good, he doesn’t even need to touch the ball to win us games!

by FuquaManuel on Jun 17, 2010 11:20 PM EDT up reply actions

Not that I'm superstitious but

Phillies are 1-0 since I changed my password on my work computer. Did the same thing last year on July 1st and the rest, as they say, was history.
Silly, I know, but it’s amazing how many ballplayers have their rituals and superstitions, so it’s only fair that the fans should, too.

by phillyinportland on Jun 18, 2010 12:27 AM EDT up reply actions

HAHA! My password at work was “phillies” and it expired on the 12th of this month, since then they are 3-1 lol

by JKennedy on Jun 18, 2010 9:27 AM EDT up reply actions

The good Kendrick showed up tonight

Amazing how Jekyll and Hyde he’s been.

by David S. Cohen on Jun 17, 2010 11:21 PM EDT reply actions

Out of all that sound and fury comes Kendrick’s last 9 starts:

49.2 IP, 47 H, 18 ER, 3 HR, 12 BB, 22 K; 4-1, 3.26 ERA

Maybe it signifies…something?

by Romero on Jun 17, 2010 11:35 PM EDT up reply actions

I think it says decent, lower half of the rotation starter. It may also say lucky, but my baseball statistics skills are still highly developmental.

by dannijd on Jun 17, 2010 11:46 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

Well right now, it says #3-4-5 starter.

When Happ comes back, Cupcake Joe should go into spot starting and long relief until he gets his frosting back. Kendrick has definitely earned a starting slot, though.

by Phrozen on Jun 18, 2010 12:56 AM EDT up reply actions

Earned it for the time being, that is.

by Phrozen on Jun 18, 2010 1:03 AM EDT up reply actions

That is how I feel too.

by dannijd on Jun 18, 2010 1:07 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions

Kyle Kendrick

Still does not impress me enough to even think of him replacing anyone in the rotation once Happ comes back.

"I remember being three and I wanted to be a baseball player, that's all I ever really wanted to be. That and Spider Man." -Raul Ibanez

by Jose and the Contrarians on Jun 17, 2010 11:29 PM EDT reply actions

So you would rather have cupcakes (the way that he is pitching right now, not based on how he was last year) than Kendrick??? I understand that in the long run, you may be right, and Blanton may (once they diagnose and fix whatever is going on that has regressed him from decent and consistent to this) in the long run be better. But what is your argument for keeping Blanton (who has yet to have a game where he gave up less than four runs and sending Kendrick to the ’pen or the minors? What, based on current performance, am I missing!

by dannijd on Jun 17, 2010 11:45 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

Strikeout rate. Kendrick still isnt showing swing and miss stuff, which is the best predictor of success going forward. He’s starting to figure out how to work against lefties, which could be the difference between a future as a #4 or #5 and a quad-A type.

But Blanton has shown he can be more than that… if he’s healthy and right. He started slowly last year too, then was great for three months. I’m not ready to conclude he isn’t that guy anymore

by dajafi on Jun 18, 2010 12:01 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions 1 recs

rec’d for correctness.

by FuquaManuel on Jun 18, 2010 12:25 AM EDT up reply actions

Yup. And it’s not like Kendrick makes up for it with a through-the-roof ground ball rate either (it was at 44.5% heading into tonight). All you really need to do is look at his xFIP to see the real story: 4.86, career 4.83. I’m finally come to peace with him as our 6th starter (especially considering the Phillies trot out a defense that still qualifies as above-average), but once Happ is 100%, KK has to be the guy to make way.

by PhillyFriar on Jun 18, 2010 12:31 AM EDT up reply actions

I think it depends on Blanton. If he continues to pitch as poorly as he has, then he’s got to be hurt. I don’t think we move Blanton to the pen under any circumstances, but we’d have to take a long hard look at whether he’s physically OK. Maybe have Rich Dubee put him under a hot lamp and beat a confession out of him.

Kendrick has surprised me this year. I don’t think he’s an affirmatively good major league pitcher or anything, but 4.86 isn’t terrible either for a fifth or sixth starter. He’s been more than minimally competent, which is more than you can say about a lot of guys (and more than I would have said about Kendrick anytime between September 2008 and April 2010).

by taco pal on Jun 18, 2010 9:07 AM EDT up reply actions

Desiccated?

by Ritty77 on Jun 17, 2010 11:53 PM EDT reply actions

by taco pal on Jun 18, 2010 5:32 PM EDT up reply actions

Here is the question

Will the mets and braves ever lose when the phillies win?!

by PhilsForever on Jun 18, 2010 12:35 AM EDT reply actions

Doesn’t seem like it… While I did not think that even getting lucky and beating the Evil Empire would bring us closer to the Mets, I had better hopes for Tampa beating Atlanta, causig a flip-flop at the top, and allowing us to inch closer to second place. I comfort myself with the fact that this is June, not September, so the time
to panic is not yet, but I hate the fact that we have relinquished control of our own destiny.

However, for at least 3 games, I can gaurantee that the Braves will not win— they will be off, as the Phillies have played 3 fewer games than Atlanta and two fewer than the Mets through today… Played right (waaaay optimistic considering the last month), this would let us pick up a game and a half on Atlanta and a game on the Mets just by winning the catch up games.

by dannijd on Jun 18, 2010 1:41 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions

Actually yes— we have 9 more games v. Atlanta (6 at home) and 12 more v. The mets (6 each)… In order for us to win, they must lose, thus it could happen!

by dannijd on Jun 18, 2010 1:46 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions

Scratch and Win - both Moyer and Kendrick struck arod.

In 1977 the DIA Art Foundation commissioned Minimalist sculptor Walter De Maria to create his visionary earth work – The Lightning Field. 400 polished stainless steel poles, 2 inches in diameter and averaging 20 feet and 7½ inches in height arranged in a 1mi. by 1km grid 7,200 ft. above sea level on a high desert plain in Quemado, New Mexico. Recognized as the one of the most significant artworks of the late 20th century.

Thinking we could take the first step in rebuilding the bench by convincing Greg Dobbs, Juan Castro, GIDPdez, and Danys Bayez for good measure to come here as representatives of the Phillies in a MLB sponsored, first ever North American Horseshoe Tossing Tournament.

by j reed on Jun 18, 2010 4:56 AM EDT reply actions

What a great night at the ballpark

Lots of Red in the house the PED’s built last night.

Great win.

Also, if you find yourself in Yankee Stadium (I don’t know, maybe in October) you needs to check out Labell’s. Can’t remember the section but it was phenomenal. 1 thing on the menu, Steak frickin sandwich. WOW! Worth $15 and the wait in line.

Again, great win.

"Call me dumb, call me stupid, whatever. I block shots."

by boknows71 on Jun 18, 2010 8:54 AM EDT reply actions

I was there last night too. Tons of Phils fans.

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by JasonB on Jun 18, 2010 11:16 AM EDT up reply actions

Found a picture. It looks like it’s spelled “Lobel’s” actually.

I was wondering if this was similar to a cheesesteak, but it looks pretty different.

by taco pal on Jun 18, 2010 11:29 AM EDT up reply actions

Yes, did spell it wrong

Nothing like a cheese steak. Lobel’s is a butcher shop in the Bronx and its pretty much sliced beef (thick) in its natural juices with some spices. Some horseradish sauce on the side.

Right below the pork italiano @ Tony Luke’s but its a close race.

"Call me dumb, call me stupid, whatever. I block shots."

by boknows71 on Jun 18, 2010 11:39 AM EDT up reply actions