The Good Phight: All Posts by Leo MorgensternSmall victories, large defeats.https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/33221/favicon.ico2022-05-22T18:29:13-04:00https://www.thegoodphight.com/authors/leo-morgenstern/rss2022-05-22T18:29:13-04:002022-05-22T18:29:13-04:00Roman’s Empire: Phillies 4, Dodgers 3
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<p>The Phillies came from behind to win in pretty unbelievable fashion.</p> <p id="mI1nYg">I’m still buzzing with excitement. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">HE'S FAST, HE'S VERY FAST⚡️ <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RingTheBell?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RingTheBell</a> <a href="https://t.co/0Sh7ND7Spw">pic.twitter.com/0Sh7ND7Spw</a></p>— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) <a href="https://twitter.com/Phillies/status/1528483646281330693?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 22, 2022</a>
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<p id="hwqbOQ">Down to their last strike in the bottom of the tenth inning, the <a href="https://www.thegoodphight.com/">Phillies</a> pulled off an incredible victory. But to understand just how incredible this victory was, we have to go all the way back to the beginning. </p>
<p id="TyZJ7Y">Zach Eflin was firing on all cylinders this afternoon. He struck out 12 batters — a career high — and allowed just four hits. Two of those hits were home runs, but they were solo home runs, so Eflin finished the day with a very respectable line of 7 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 2 BB, 12 K.</p>
<p id="1IlMnb">It was the best outing of the year for Eflin, who lowered his ERA to 3.65. </p>
<p id="IO7EG9">Only one other pitcher this season has gone at least 7 innings while striking out 12+ and allowing 2 or fewer runs: Clayton Kershaw, in his 7 perfect innings on April 13.</p>
<p id="NPoub8">Unfortunately for Eflin, the offense wasn’t giving him any support. Through the first seven innings, the Phillies managed just four hits, two of which were erased with double plays. They scored one on a Garrett Stubbs home run (the first of his career!) in the bottom of the seventh, but when Eflin left the game he was still in line for the loss. </p>
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<p id="LCU6Du">Seranthony Domínguez and José Alvarado kept things close with clean innings in the eighth and ninth, giving the Phillies the opportunity to walk things off in their final at-bats. Yet even with the top of the lineup coming up, I’m sure I wasn’t alone in expecting a loss. </p>
<p id="11h1ZI">Alec Bohm and Bryce Harper both got out to start the ninth, putting the Phillies in a bad hole. Luckily, Nick Castellanos, who had been slumping as of late, came up huge with a first-pitch double to left field. Then, the <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a> intentionally walked Kyle Schwarber to face Jean Segura. </p>
<p id="IYStmK">Segura came into the game with the tenth-highest batting average in the NL, while Schwarber came in with the fifth-highest strikeout rate in the league, so I’m really not sure what the Dodgers were thinking, but thank goodness for that intentional base on balls. With a single to left field, Segura tied the game up at two apiece.</p>
<p id="ZAnLTL">After that, J.T. Realmuto, who came in to pitch hit in the eighth and replaced Rhys Hoskins at first base, struck out and the inning was over. But the Phillies had tied things up, and with Corey Knebel coming in to pitch the tenth, it seemed like Phils had a real chance to win.</p>
<p id="X2D0LP">Unfortunately, it wouldn’t be so easy. Knebel walked Mookie Betts to start the inning, and while Garrett Stubbs made a great play to throw out the zombie runner at third base, Knebel allowed a base hit to Trea Turner on the next at-bat and Betts scored the go-ahead run. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Great heads up play by Garrett Stubbs! <a href="https://t.co/jIjA1xJRJ1">pic.twitter.com/jIjA1xJRJ1</a></p>— Brodes Media (@BrodesMedia) <a href="https://twitter.com/BrodesMedia/status/1528477107852132356?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 22, 2022</a>
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<p id="6qZcf1">Knebel finished the top of the tenth without allowing any more runs to cross the plate, but the damage was done. The Phillies already came back to tie the game in the ninth, and how often does this team have two comebacks in them? </p>
<p id="HFjlyV">While I can’t imagine many of us expected the Phillies to win at this point, things did look promising to start the inning, when Garrett Stubbs singled and zombie runner J.T. Realmuto reached third. Unfortunately, that good feeling went away almost immediately as Realmuto tried to take off for home, only to realize that third baseman Justin Turner was still holding the ball and could easily tag him out.</p>
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<p id="yHGbRR">Yes, Turner did a good job of acting like the throw from first had gone into the outfield, but Realmuto needs to know better than that. He’s a veteran, and he’s usually one of the best baserunners in the league. There’s really no excuse for messing up that badly. </p>
<p id="LnhQ6S">All of a sudden, the Phillies went from runners on first and third with no outs to just one runner at first with one out. I didn’t check the win expectancy chart for this one, but I can imagine the Phillies’ chances of winning plummeted. </p>
<p id="3HIgSV">Things looked even worse after Johan Camargo went down on strikes, and Roman Quinn stepped up to bat. I mean no disrespect to Roman Quinn, who I’ve always enjoyed watching, but he’s certainly not the guy you want coming up to bat in this situation. </p>
<p id="a6nTe7">And yet...</p>
<p id="Xl0n9z">It would turn out he was <em>exactly </em>who the Phillies needed to come up in that situation. Quinn singled, Stubbs reached third, and Quinn advanced to second on the throw. </p>
<p id="9ezYLv">Just like that, the Phillies had the tying and the winning runs in scoring position and Alec Bohm was walking to the plate. While he hasn’t been as “clutch” this year, Bohm came up big in many tough spots during his rookie season, and he has one of the highest batting averages on the team. He’s one of the better options the Phillies have when all the team needs is a base hit. </p>
<p id="dGCrvh">With two strikes, Bohm swung at a slider from Dodgers reliever Evan Phillips. He didn’t hit it very hard, and it looked like all was lost as Bohm sprinted towards first base in hopes of beating second baseman Max Muncy’s throw. </p>
<p id="fLrHnY">But the throw never came. </p>
<p id="ZyNlG0">The softly hit ground ball went through Muncy’s legs, and Stubbs scored easily from third. The game was tied. As Muncy turned around to grab the ball that had stopped right behind him, Roman Quinn was already rounding third. Muncy made a good throw to the plate, but Quinn slid underneath the tag from catcher Austin Barnes. </p>
<p id="l6bPhx">Roman Quinn was safe, and the Phillies won the ballgame. <em><strong>The Phillies won the ballgame!</strong></em></p>
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<p id="pFalUX">How many other players in baseball could score from second base on a bumbled infield ground ball like that? Maybe five? Ten at the most. It’s safe to say, if anyone else had been the runner at second base, the Phillies might not have won this game. </p>
<p id="FbjIvI">The offense was once again very frustrating for most of the day, but they got the job done when it mattered most. Nick Castellanos and Jean Segura came up big in the bottom of the ninth, while Garrett Stubbs and Roman Quinn won the game in the bottom of the tenth.</p>
<p id="s6UIki">Had Muncy not made an error on that final play, the Phillies would have lost the game, but so what? Winning a baseball game is all about outplaying your opponent. Today, the Phillies outplayed the Dodgers, plain and simple.</p>
<p id="6oTSE7">Moreover, not only did they outplay the Dodgers today, but the Phillies have now officially won the season series against the best team in the National League. Taking 4 of 7 from the Dodgers is a real accomplishment. And while the Phillies’ schedule doesn’t get much easier over the next couple weeks, the hardest challenge is now out of the way. </p>
<p id="ixQ6dJ">Zach Eflin was fun to watch over the first seven innings, and the offense made it exciting at the very end. At times, this game may have been hard to watch, but I think most of us will end up looking back on today as one of the most important victories of the season.</p>
https://www.thegoodphight.com/2022/5/22/23137125/romans-empire-phillies-4-dodgers-3Leo Morgenstern2022-05-21T00:09:04-04:002022-05-21T00:09:04-04:00No Harper? No point: Dodgers 4, Phillies 1
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<p>As the Phillies lose 4-1, they drop to 1-4 without Bryce Harper in the lineup. </p> <p id="K1Rv7r">Apparently the <a href="https://www.thegoodphight.com/">Phillies</a> bats have decided they can’t win without Bryce Harper, so they aren’t even going to try. </p>
<p id="MPFlZu">Since Harper received his platelet-rich plasma injection on Sunday, the Phillies have lost 4 of 5. They have scored just eight runs across those five games. They are hitting just .202.</p>
<p id="o6G5wT">Tonight’s loss was not quite as pathetic as the two times the Phillies were shut out by the Padres, since the Phillies were facing Julio Urías and the excellent <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a> bullpen, and because they did manage to score one run. That being said, it was still very, very frustrating. </p>
<p id="glJAom">The top three hitters in the lineup (Rhys Hoskins, Alec Bohm, and Nick Castellanos) went 0-for-11. The bottom of the lineup performed much better, with 7 hits in 23 at-bats — including three doubles — but it wasn’t enough to make up for the top three batters coming up short. </p>
<p id="VN1LZQ">On a positive note, it seems like Kyle Schwarber is heating up again, which is a very welcome sign. After struggling mightily for several games, he started to pick things up in the final two games of the Padres series. Tonight, he hit two excellent doubles, one of which led to the Phillies only run in the ninth inning.</p>
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<p id="kBu0lh">On the pitching side of things, Ranger Suárez struggled, but the bullpen really picked him up, throwing six scoreless innings in relief. Nick Nelson and James Norwood threw two innings apiece, getting the job done against the toughest lineup in baseball. </p>
<p id="lLIAMs">Suárez did not look good, throwing 84 pitches in just 3 innings, but after he pitched so well in L.A. last week, I’m not ready to get worried about him quite yet. Yes, he struggled, but he didn’t let the game get out of hand, and he managed to strike out Mookie Betts, Trea Turner, Justin Turner, Cody Bellinger, and Chris Taylor. Five strikeouts in three innings is good stuff, especially against hitters of that caliber. </p>
<p id="603u46">That being said, he’ll have to pitch better than this going forward. The Phillies bullpen isn’t going to be capable of delivering six scoreless innings on a regular basis.</p>
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<p id="e3XgK3">The Phillies have been hard to watch this week. There’s really not much more to say than that. But as bad as they get, we’re all going to keep tuning in, so all we can do is hope that Bryce Harper returns to the lineup tomorrow and Aaron Nola continues to pitch as well as he has. Fingers crossed.</p>
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https://www.thegoodphight.com/2022/5/21/23133373/no-harper-no-point-dodgers-4-phillies-1Leo Morgenstern2022-05-16T18:03:55-04:002022-05-16T18:03:55-04:00Bryce Harper is swinging more than ever — and it’s working
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<p>Phillies superstar Bryce Harper has significantly changed his approach at the plate this year. So far, it’s looking good. </p> <p id="S1Xt4u">Bryce Harper’s walk rate probably isn’t top of mind for you right now. </p>
<p id="vAf7eI">Harper has been one of the best hitters in baseball this year, and he’s been especially productive since the start of May. On the season, he leads National League hitters in runs scored, home runs, doubles, extra-base hits, total bases, and slugging percentage. </p>
<p id="bQ3RTg">Harper has even been a serious threat on the basepaths — his six stolen bases are just two behind league leaders Harrison Bader and Tommy Edman. </p>
<p id="DbDeVp">In other words, Bryce Harper is still producing, despite career-low walk numbers. He’s still getting on base at a rate 15% higher than league average, and no one in baseball has scored more often than he has. He’s doing his job, even if he’s going about it in a new way. His surprisingly low walk rate has not been a problem. </p>
<p id="1ELlgA">If you are looking for a problem, the thing to focus on is <a href="https://www.thegoodphight.com/2022/5/12/23069791/report-bryce-harper-has-torn-ucl">Harper’s UCL tear</a>. It clearly hasn’t affected his swing, but if it gets worse and requires surgery, the MV3 could be out of commission for a prolonged period of time. </p>
<p id="uYl5dZ">All that to say, Bryce Harper’s walk rate is far from a major concern. Harper is playing at an elite level, and if you need to be concerned about something, it should be his UCL. </p>
<p id="54HktE">Nevertheless, Harper’s walk rate is still worth talking about. It’s unusual to see a ten-year MLB veteran in the prime of his career make such a significant change to his approach, especially coming off an MVP-winning season. </p>
<h2 id="XAcT61">Bryce Harper Is Walking at Half His Career Rate</h2>
<p id="RodJ8D">Harper’s 7.5% walk rate this season is just half of his career average. It is the lowest walk rate he’s put up in any 34-game span since his injury-shortened 2014 season.</p>
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<p id="d8sGvk">However, he did have a 34-game stretch with a 7.6% BB% in June/July 2021, and another one with an 8.1% BB% in May/June 2018. This isn’t entirely unprecedented for Harper, but it remains highly unusual. </p>
<p id="q98kpM">So what has Harper been doing differently this year? His strikeout rate is in line with his career average, so he must be putting the ball in play much more often than he usually does.</p>
<p id="cSn6ma">Indeed, that has been the case. Harper is swinging a lot more than he has in past years. He has swung at 55.5% of pitches this year, a career high. The only other season in which he had a swing rate higher than 50% was 2014. The last time he had a swing rate this high in any 34-game span was April 2015, during his first MVP season.</p>
<p id="ihnQ7J">His career swing rate is 47.2%, which is right around league average. A 55.5% swing rate means he has already swung at 45 more pitches than he normally would. If he keeps this up for a full season, he’d be swinging at 200-250 more pitches than before.</p>
<p id="AxOfms">Harper’s contact rate, on the other hand, is relatively close to his career average. So, since he has swung at about 45 more pitches than usual, and because he is making contact at a 71.5% rate, Bryce Harper has already made contact with about 32 more pitches than he might have in the past.</p>
<p id="7hAsao">Harper is sacrificing walks for balls in play this year. And as all can clearly see, it’s been a successful tactic so far.</p>
<h2 id="6cUE4T">Harper’s Approach Is Working</h2>
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<p id="jyvOhg">Bryce Harper is hitting .305 with his highest OPS+ and wRC+ since 2015. Despite the low walk rate, he has been every bit as productive as he was last season.</p>
<p id="8i1kf8">His .337 BABIP (batting average on balls in play) is a little bit higher than his career average of .320, which suggests his batting average might not stay quite this high. However, Harper has maintained a BABIP that high over a full season before. His BABIP last year was .359, and he is hitting the ball just as well this year. His Statcast expected batting average (xBA) and slugging percentage (xSLG) are even higher than they were last season, and his 51.5% HardHit rate is the best of his career.</p>
<p id="oCu3S5">As long as Harper continues to hit the ball this well, he is more than capable of maintaining a .337 BABIP long term. His sprint speed is well above average, and that’s another helpful factor in maintaining a high BABIP.</p>
<h2 id="RwXXIv">Why Is Harper Swinging More Often?</h2>
<p id="5pbTgK">Bryce Harper’s new approach at the plate is working, so I’m not here to question his decision making. Still, I can’t help but wonder why he changed his approach after such a strong 2021 season. </p>
<p id="klwqlU">One rational explanation would be that Harper is trying to put more balls in play this year because he’s hitting as part of a stronger lineup. When a hitter comes up to bat with runners on base, his goal should be to help those runners score. It’s hard to drive runners in with a walk.</p>
<p id="EPefZg">If Bryce Harper were indeed coming up to bat with runners on base more often, it would make perfect sense to put the ball in play more often.</p>
<p id="AngvI4">The thing is, Harper actually hasn’t been coming up to bat with runners on or with runners in scoring position any more often than he was before. </p>
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<p id="ozeYuV">So Harper has not had any more runners to drive in than usual. With that in mind, and with Nick Castellanos hitting behind Harper all year, you might think Bryce would actually be more inclined to walk this season. There’s less pressure on him to be the major run producer in the lineup, and if he gets on base, he can count on Castellanos to drive him in. </p>
<p id="o6gPbP">Yet, from the end of the <a href="https://www.thegoodphight.com/">Phillies</a> first home stand this season until their West Coast road trip last week, Harper walked just 3 times in 22 games. The Phillies went 9-13 in that time. In many of those games, the Phillies just needed baserunners, but Harper posted a meager on-base percentage of .290.</p>
<p id="6QGCD9">Harper was still a productive hitter in that span, posting an .831 OPS and 128 wRC+. His power made up for his low OBP, and I certainly don’t mean to blame him for the Phillies’ struggles in that stretch.</p>
<p id="e9iQ3x">All I am trying to say is that I do not think Harper’s free swinging at the plate has anything to do with the newly fortified Phillies lineup. If that were the case, we would expect to see him walk more often when it is in the team’s best interest. </p>
<p id="5wmdg3">Instead, I think the explanation for Harper’s new approach is simpler than that: he tried it, and it’s been working.</p>
<p id="NkRDZ1">Harper seems to have decided he can be a more productive player by taking fewer pitches and swinging more often. As of right now, he’s achieved the desired results. He’s off to an incredible start, and his expected stats suggest he might get even better. </p>
<p id="uA28B5">It’s still too early in the season to know if this approach will last, but enough time has passed to identify a clear pattern. Bryce Harper is swinging like never before, and so far, it’s working. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">He is absolutely on FIRE <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RingTheBell?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RingTheBell</a> <a href="https://t.co/Phtq33Q6CQ">pic.twitter.com/Phtq33Q6CQ</a></p>— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) <a href="https://twitter.com/Phillies/status/1525671113639985152?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 15, 2022</a>
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https://www.thegoodphight.com/2022/5/16/23070220/bryce-harper-phillies-swinging-more-than-ever-its-workingLeo Morgenstern2022-05-16T09:00:00-04:002022-05-16T09:00:00-04:00Dodger Ball: A True Underdog Story
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<p>The Phillies took three of four from the Dodgers and it feels good. </p> <p id="Ca9RMg"><em>After a good night’s sleep to get over yesterday’s blown save, I’d like to take a minute to celebrate this past series. There will be no hard-hitting analysis here, just six hundred words (and a few photos) of pure happiness. </em></p>
<p id="1eTdLu">Over the past four days, the <a href="https://www.thegoodphight.com/">Phillies</a> won three out of four games against the best team in the National League, and perhaps the most talented team in baseball. </p>
<p id="fYpsXs">They scored 33 runs in those four games, for an average of 8.25 runs per game. They outscored the <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a> 33 to 25. </p>
<p id="sJ1Nrg">Every position player on the roster got a hit. Every position player on the roster scored a run.</p>
<p id="5DPN7V">Bryce Harper led the charge, smacking 8 hits in just 12 at-bats. He drove in 8 runs and scored 5. He had 7 extra base hits, including 3 home runs. He may have <a href="https://www.thegoodphight.com/2022/5/12/23069791/report-bryce-harper-has-torn-ucl">a partial tear in his UCL</a>, but he can still be one of the most fearsome hitters in baseball.</p>
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<p id="xHk2C5">The Phillies now have a +18 run differential. That’s better than the Padres, the Braves, the Rays, the Red Sox, the Blue Jays, and every team in the AL Central. </p>
<p id="1sDk7H">They have a .750 team OPS, the highest in baseball. They rank second in the National League in home runs, runs scored, RBI, stolen bases, and batting average. </p>
<p id="vsIR0A">Their position players are third in the National League in FanGraphs WAR, behind only the Mets and the Cardinals. </p>
<p id="8p4r1U">Oh, and did I mention the Phillies won three out of four against the Dodgers? <em>The Dodgers!</em></p>
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<cite>Photo by Harry How/Getty Images</cite>
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<p id="f12nfp">No, it wasn’t all sunshine and dingers this weekend. The Phillies allowed 25 runs in 4 games (6.25 runs per game) and that’s not good, even against LA. The bullpen was shaky throughout the series, and bad defense reared it’s ugly head on occasion (as always). </p>
<p id="r5shUs">But when the Phillies are winning, it’s hard to care about all that. </p>
<p id="gMTEsN">The Phillies have lost series to the likes of the Marlins, the Rockies, and the Rangers this year. Many fans watched those losses pile up and began to lose hope. It’s really hard to watch your team lose winnable game after winnable game. </p>
<p id="4Cbp26">Then the Phillies went and won 3 out of 4 against the Dodgers — and in convincing fashion too. The Phillies were a lot more than just watchable this weekend. They were exciting.</p>
<p id="1dsUra">This team may drive you up the wall sometimes. I’ve been there. This weekend, however, the Phillies reminded us why we do this in the first place.</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="Philadelphia Phillies v Los Angeles Dodgers" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/9j7BTP8NybJwoLj1aAJsTjW45qM=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23470460/1397420777.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Harry How/Getty Images</cite>
</figure>
<p id="5sf75q">Over the past four days, the Phillies proved they can compete with the best of the best. Three wins is all it takes to win a first-round postseason series, and the Phillies just demonstrated they can do that against the toughest possible competition. </p>
<p id="qSrY3v">The next time the Phillies go through a bad stretch and lose a slew of games to an inferior team (I regret to inform you that it <em>will </em>happen), I’m going to remember this series. I’m going to remember that the 2022 Phillies are capable of great things. And while those future losses are still going to stink, I really do think they’re going to be a lot more tolerable now that we have this series to look back on. </p>
<p id="N44tr5">The 2022 Phillies are a good team. The 2022 Phillies are capable of winning ballgames against even the strongest opponents. The 2022 Phillies are going to really compete this season.</p>
<p id="FC3KBa">Call me a fool, but I, for one, cannot wait to see what the 2022 Phillies have in store. </p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="Philadelphia Phillies v Los Angeles Dodgers" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/bDq8JLLNLLpYC0qqpfCXQJ0HpTU=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23470452/1397287999.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Harry How/Getty Images</cite>
</figure>
<p id="WxcKrE"></p>
https://www.thegoodphight.com/2022/5/16/23074531/dodger-ball-a-true-underdog-storyLeo Morgenstern2022-05-13T02:28:37-04:002022-05-13T02:28:37-04:00LAte night: Phillies 9, Dodgers 7
<figure>
<img alt="Philadelphia Phillies v Los Angeles Dodgers" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/XaMy5rQI_rYWQgHMGXd21vP0lc0=/0x0:4671x3114/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/70864207/1396965696.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The Phillies came out victorious after a real nail-biter against the best team in the National League.</p> <p id="RszJu2">Things never come easy with this baseball team, do they?</p>
<p id="rN3ETn">The Phillies got off to a great start in Los Angeles, and it looked for a moment like this might be a comfortable win. </p>
<p id="dTWLNl">Yeah, right.</p>
<p id="Qwikza">Bryce Harper put the Phillies on the board in the first inning with a laser beam home run to right field. Earlier this afternoon, <a href="https://twitter.com/byalexcoffey/status/1524889370959876096?s=20&t=c8MQoeD_uEodGsfVIqB8hA">Alex Coffey of<em> The Philadelphia Inquirer </em>reported that Harper has been diagnosed with a partially torn UCL</a>. He won’t play the field for at least several more weeks, but clearly the injury isn’t affecting his swing. </p>
<div id="39aPLg"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"><iframe src="https://streamable.com/m/tyler-anderson-in-play-run-s-to-bryce-harper" style="top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" allow="encrypted-media;"></iframe></div></div>
<p id="zwxwlq">In the second inning, after Kyle Schwarber knocked in Jean Segura with an RBI single, Johan Camargo made it 4-0 with a two-run home run to left. Camargo has proven to be a great signing so far, hitting competently and playing excellent infield defense.</p>
<p id="FuTNVH">The Phillies added another run in the fourth, thanks to some excellent baserunning from Segura, who tagged up and scored on a shallow fly ball to right. </p>
<div id="pdYfy8"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"><iframe src="https://streamable.com/m/tyler-anderson-in-play-run-s-to-johan-camargo-g71vbg" style="top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" allow="encrypted-media;"></iframe></div></div>
<p id="5pa0zF">Then, in the fifth, the Phillies added yet another run when Alec Bohm hit the first triple of his major league career and Bryce Harper drove him in with a double, his second extra-base hit of the game. </p>
<div id="IV7H6t"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"><iframe src="https://streamable.com/m/tyler-anderson-in-play-run-s-to-bryce-harper-kt4f4b" style="top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" allow="encrypted-media;"></iframe></div></div>
<p id="9f99qD">The sixth inning brought <em>yet another </em>run, when J.T. Realmuto led off with a triple and Schwarber brought in him with a sac fly. It really seemed like the Phillies were firing on all cylinders. </p>
<p id="zRuU0G">Meanwhile, Zack Wheeler was cruising through the first five innings, his only mistake coming on a high fastball to Cody Bellinger in the third inning, which Bellinger crushed for a solo home run.</p>
<div id="qBc6k7"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"><iframe src="https://streamable.com/m/zack-wheeler-k-s-seven" style="top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" allow="encrypted-media;"></iframe></div></div>
<p id="WTEkX7">Things started to get a little dicey in the bottom of the sixth, when Will Smith doubled down the third base line, driving in two. However, Brad Hand came in to relieve Zack Wheeler and got out of the inning without allowing any more runs. </p>
<p id="jDpb0t">With Jeurys Familia presumably unavailable after pitching in the last two games against the Mariners, Joe Girardi would be relying on Hand, Seranthony Domínguez, José Alvarado, and Corey Knebel to finish what Wheeler starter.</p>
<p id="iUFWY5">Domínguez did his part and pitched a clean seventh inning. Heading into the eighth, the Phillies were still comfortably ahead, 7-3. </p>
<p id="Z75152">That’s when the wheels fell off. </p>
<p id="5kpUVT">With one walk, four singles, and a double, Alvarado loaded the bases and then allowed three runs to score — including the game-tying seventh run. Finally, after seven batters (and what felt like 100 pitches), Girardi lifted Alvarado in favor of Andrew Bellatti, who finished off the inning and ultimately earned himself the win. </p>
<p id="JEUe8o">Clearly, it wasn’t in the plan for Bellatti to pitch in this game, but nevertheless he came in and did what Alvarado couldn’t.</p>
<p id="HtX1Gp">Thankfully, the Phillies didn’t run out of steam in the ninth this time, as we’ve seen them do many times before. Odúbel Herrera, pinch hitting for Roman Quinn, laid down an strong bunt to reach base, representing the winning run. Then Rhys Hoskins reached on an infield single, Alec Bohm walked, and all of a sudden the bases were loaded and Bryce Harper was up to bat. </p>
<p id="ohX0Cd">The reigning National League MVP coming to bat with the bases loaded in the ninth inning of a tie ballgame against the best team in the National League is the perfect set-up for a memorable, dramatic moment. Instead, what we got was a run-scoring wild pitch from Dodgers reliever Daniel Hudson.</p>
<div id="FKHq3N"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"><iframe src="https://streamable.com/m/daniel-hudson-ball-to-bryce-harper-3ikw8p" style="top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" allow="encrypted-media;"></iframe></div></div>
<p id="7gYe56">It may not be the most exciting way to take the lead, but a run is a run — especially in a moment like this. </p>
<p id="j1TuGv">Bryce Harper drove in an insurance run with a sacrifice fly, and the Phillies had a two-run lead heading into the bottom of the ninth. Corey Knebel was warmed up and ready to come in and finish off the 9-7 game. </p>
<p id="89M4g2">…but we’re not done quite yet. Remember how I said things never come easy with this baseball team?</p>
<p id="oNCCtZ">Knebel — perhaps nervous facing his former team for the first time — allowed the first three batters he faced to reach base, loading the bases with no outs. That’s exactly what Jose Alvarado did to start the eighth, and if you’ll recall, things didn’t go so smoothly for the Phillies that time around. </p>
<p id="sGuI5j">However, this time, the Dodgers weren’t able to capitalize. Knebel induced three straight fly ball outs to end the game and earn the save. </p>
<div id="FhzcoR"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"><iframe src="https://streamable.com/m/chris-taylor-flies-out-to-center-fielder-odubel-herrera-gere1p" style="top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" allow="encrypted-media;"></iframe></div></div>
<p id="CBesO2">It wasn’t always fun, and it certainly wasn’t easy, but a win is a win, especially against a team like the Dodgers. Other than some questionable bullpen management from Joe Girardi and a poor performance from Alvarado, the Phillies played some good baseball last night. Let’s hope they can keep it going.</p>
<p id="DOQuIJ"></p>
https://www.thegoodphight.com/2022/5/13/23069402/late-night-phillies-9-dodgers-7Leo Morgenstern2022-05-11T13:17:55-04:002022-05-11T13:17:55-04:00The Rhys Hoskins defense
<figure>
<img alt="Texas Rangers v Philadelphia Phillies" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/VzY5zYmCZoOeGCsI1tcOSZdT4MM=/0x0:4500x3000/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/70857262/1395455026.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>No, not that kind of defense. </p> <p id="sbNZHS">Is Rhys Hoskins starting to heat up?</p>
<p id="LZpS8n">Over the last three days, the <a href="https://www.thegoodphight.com/">Phillies</a> first baseman is 5-for-13, with a double and two home runs. In those three games, he raised his batting average from .187 to .212, and his OPS from .633 to .716.</p>
<p id="QqOCei">That’s a big improvement, and the fact that Hoskins was able to make such a big improvement in just three games serves as a good reminder that it’s still very early in the season. However, big improvement or not, a .212 batting average and .716 OPS aren’t exactly inspiring numbers. </p>
<p id="8Hfvd3">As I sit down to write this, Hoskins has a .303 on-base percentage and a .413 slugging percentage. Neither of those stats are particularly impressive either. </p>
<p id="KjKOgz">But here’s the thing: the league average OBP this season is .307, while the league average SLG is .371. League average OPS, therefore, is just .678. </p>
<p id="l3Ha5g">That’s a huge drop from previous years. In 2021, the league average OPS through May 10th (not including pitchers) was .714. In 2019, it was .748. The year before that, it was .735.</p>
<p id="JnmjOY">This is why statistics like OPS+ and wRC+ are more important this year than ever. These stats are scaled so that 100 is always league average. While a .716 OPS looks mediocre, OPS+ tells us that it’s actually above average this year. </p>
<p id="VSXKSZ">So, as hard as it is to believe, Rhys Hoskins has been a better-than-average hitter so far in 2022.</p>
<p id="hPz4f1">It’s hard to believe the hitter we watched go 3-for-31 in eight games from April 27 to May 7 is having a decent offensive season. He struck out eleven times and had just two extra base hits during that stretch. His OPS fell from .761 to .633. It’s hard to believe that guy has been better than the average MLB hitter.</p>
<p id="54l8RJ">Yet because offense is so deflated across the league, and because Hoskins got out to good start over his first 18 games, and because that slump — as bad as it was — was only eight games long, his overall numbers (107 OPS+, 105 wRC+) actually aren’t so bad. </p>
<p id="BuM3hh">Now with that out of the way...</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="Philadelphia Phillies v Seattle Mariners" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/3asp6Du9QlvXZogDdJnxpkcu-NI=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23453517/1396569409.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images</cite>
</figure>
<p id="e0FGGs">Rhys Hoskins needs to be more than a “decent hitter”. He’s a first baseman, and the offensive bar is higher at first base than any other position. He also doesn’t do himself any favors with his glove or his baserunning, so he really needs to hit in order to justify his place in the starting lineup. Most importantly, Hoskins was expected to be a major contributor at the top of one of the best offensive lineups in baseball. He hasn’t lived up to those expectations so far. </p>
<p id="vfql3p">So, while Hoskins hasn’t been nearly as bad so far as you might have thought, he’s still been a bit of a disappointment. He needs to be better going forward. Thankfully, his past three games aren’t the only indication that he will figure things out. </p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="z3o3ib">
<p id="OcEs3X">Rhys Hoskins has been a streaky hitter throughout his career. That’s not exactly news.</p>
<p id="Pwuv7Y">When he’s hitting well, he’s one of the best hitters in baseball — if not <em>the best</em>. Last year, from the beginning of July until his season-ending injury in August, Hoskins hit .323/.439/.785 with 10 home runs and a 210 wRC+ in 29 games. Those are Barry Bonds-like numbers.</p>
<p id="vh2QPp">When he’s hitting poorly, however, he’s one of the worst hitters in baseball. In September 2019, one of the worst months of his career, Hoskins hit just .170/.274/.350. His OPS was .624 and his wRC+ was a meager 59. </p>
<p id="Plj1aq">If Hoskins looks like Barry Bonds when he’s hot, then he looks like Tommy Bond when he’s cold. (Tommy Bond, of course, was a pitcher from the 1800s who hit .238/.247/.276 in his professional career.)</p>
<p id="aXmkvj">It’s not ideal, but this is just the kind of player Rhys Hoskins is. The only consistent thing about him is his inconsistency. When he’s in a funk, it’s hard to watch. But at least we know he’ll snap out of it, because he always has before.</p>
<p id="5ekRS2">The below graph shows Hoskins’ wRC+ and OPS in every eight-game stretch of his career. As you can see, he’s had many, many slumps just as bad as his most recent one, but he always, always finds his way out of them eventually. </p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/UMXfSmvV8D01lLJ3-kIjR14xh2A=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23453303/5103D72A_817F_463C_ADE1_8ADF90A0887F.jpeg">
<cite>FanGraphs</cite>
<figcaption>via FanGraphs</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="5FRaWa">The other important takeaway from this graph is the dotted line, which represents his average OPS throughout his career. The line is around the .850 mark (.854 to be exact), which is comfortably above-average. </p>
<p id="Cdkl0h">Even removing his 2017 season (the best of his career, and one he hasn’t been able to replicate since) his career numbers are still strong: .839 OPS and 122 wRC+.</p>
<p id="BIrtUK">Hoskins may have a lot of highs and a lot of lows, but this graph shows the highs have always outweighed the lows. He has finished every season of his career with above-average offensive numbers. </p>
<p id="oUHsQF">For proof that the highs outweigh the lows, we can look to Win Probability Added (WPA). WPA measures “<a href="https://library.fangraphs.com/misc/wpa/">the change in Win Expectancy<strong> </strong>from one plate appearance to the next and credits or debits the player based on how much their action increased their team’s odds of winning.</a>”</p>
<p id="0IIEPK">Hoskins has amassed a 40.96 negative WPA throughout his career, and 45.57 positive WPA. Overall, that means his actions have increased the Phillies’ chances of winning more often than they have decreased the Phillies’ chances of winning. In other words, the good has outweighed the bad.</p>
<div id="YE6ukq"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"><iframe src="https://streamable.com/m/rhys-hoskins-homers-2-on-a-fly-ball-to-left-center-field-fqd8lk" style="top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" allow="encrypted-media;"></iframe></div></div>
<p id="sgPvc6">It’s easy to feel like the cold streaks are hurting the team more than the hot streaks are helping, but this number shows that’s not really the case. Production is production, whether it comes steadily or in bunches. </p>
<p id="O8Q0uj">To further explain this concept, we can imagine two different pitchers who finish with the exact same, above-average stats. Let’s say a 4.00 ERA in 175 innings pitched.</p>
<p id="6TTAEB">One pitcher got those stats by consistently pitching at an above-average level in every single appearance. Because of that, his team can be expected to have won more than half the games he started.</p>
<p id="6Zulhc">The other pitcher was far less consistent. Sometimes he performed like Cy Young, and sometimes he performed like a minor leaguer. However, he performed like Cy Young more often. Because of that, his team can <em>also </em>be expected to have won more than half the games he started.</p>
<p id="CN5ffy">I find this concept is easier to understand with pitchers — because their individual performances have more of an impact on the game — but the same logic can be applied to hitters. </p>
<p id="nugRyW">An above-average hitter can be expected to help his team win more often than not. A hitter who sometimes hits like Barry Bonds and who sometimes hits like Tommy Bond — but who hits like Barry Bonds more often — can also be expected to help his team win more than half their games.</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="Portrait Of Tommy Bond" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/BJ0TqNH9TwpQO70w7QalNvitRo4=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23453523/511160780.jpg">
<figcaption>Tommy Bond</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="VQAVLB">It’s not a perfect analogy for Rhys Hoskins and his ups and downs (I’m not saying he <em>always </em>hits like Barry Bonds during his hot streaks) but it does a good job of explaining why consistency isn’t really that important in baseball. </p>
<p id="pnbS0R">Hoskins hurts the team during his cold streaks, but he helps the team during his hot streaks. By the end of the year, the help always outweighs the hurt. It’s that simple. </p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="jzX6tw">
<p id="euvEBg">Rhys Hoskins is a good baseball player. Over his last 162 games, he has 41 home runs, 102 runs scored, and 105 RBI. He’s hitting .243/.333/.522 with an .855 OPS and a 127 wRC+ (<a href="https://twitter.com/tgpschmenk/status/1523486040173912065?s=20&t=qIsO_4ZEn9wYcqYrAiOHLA">thanks to Schmenkman for alerting me to how good Hoskins has been over his last 162</a>). </p>
<p id="0DlM9Y">Those are good numbers — yes, good numbers even for a first baseman who can’t run and who struggles on defense. Even his batting average, the weakest aspect of his offensive game, is league average in that span.</p>
<div id="16Woaq"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"><iframe src="https://streamable.com/m/rhys-hoskins-homers-3-on-a-fly-ball-to-left-field-lz4w2f" style="top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" allow="encrypted-media;"></iframe></div></div>
<p id="XbHKZG">Rhys Hoskins can be frustrating to watch, and I don’t begrudge you if your aren’t a fan. For me, the joy and excitement I get out of watching his hot streaks far outweighs the frustration of watching his cold streaks, and he’s one of my favorite players. But I don’t expect everyone to feel the same way. </p>
<p id="pafZLq">What I can’t accept, however, is the argument that Rhys Hoskins isn’t a good player or that he is somehow hurting the team. Hoskins is a strong hitter, and if the Phillies do finally end their postseason drought this season, his bat will be one of the major reasons why.</p>
https://www.thegoodphight.com/2022/5/11/23065876/rhys-hoskins-defense-philliesLeo Morgenstern2022-05-09T07:00:00-04:002022-05-09T07:00:00-04:00Rise and Phight: 5/9/2022
<figure>
<img alt="New York Mets v Philadelphia Phillies - Game Two" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Ok-xBvE3e6-sBDnV2rgiAvCenHM=/0x0:3552x2368/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/70847555/1240546659.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><em>The Phillies are heading west.</em></p> <p id="XOMz5U">The <a href="https://www.thegoodphight.com/">Phillies</a> played a very Phillies doubleheader yesterday. It had a bit of everything we’ve come to expect from our beloved Phillies over the years: a strong offensive start followed by the bats going silent, mediocre relief pitching, baserunning gaffes, tons of strikeouts, and — of course — they ended up splitting the two games. What else were you expecting?</p>
<div id="pU2Rs4">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">The Phillies really need to win their upcoming three-game series against the Mariners. After that, they have a really tough schedule. 26 games against the Dodgers, Padres, Dodgers, Braves, Mets, Giants, Angels, Brewers.</p>— The Good Phight (@TheGoodPhight) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheGoodPhight/status/1523455437143609344?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 9, 2022</a>
</blockquote>
<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div>
<h2 id="ziyPfb">
<em><strong>Phillies</strong></em><em><strong> news:</strong></em>
</h2>
<ul>
<li id="r6AgRW">
<a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/zack-wheeler-zach-eflin-placed-on-covid-il-by-phillies">Zack Wheeler and Zach Eflin are both on the COVID IL</a>. Joe Girardi says they could join the team at some point in the next seven days.</li>
<li id="aEQbUf">
<a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/33874325/philadelphia-phillies-infielder-didi-gregorius-il-left-knee-sprain">Didi Gregorius is on the regular IL with a knee injury</a>. As you probably already know, Bryson Stott is back with the big league club.</li>
<li id="n6vqcE">The Phillies finally beat Max Scherzer <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/max-scherzer-s-24-start-lossless-streak-ends-vs-phillies">for the first time in a long time</a>.</li>
</ul>
<h2 id="8v44GZ"><em><strong>MLB news:</strong></em></h2>
<ul>
<li id="y1SWNY">Is MLB using <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/mets-hitting-coach-eric-chavez-suggests-mlb-is-using-different-baseballs-for-nationally-televised-games/">different baseballs for the games on national TV?</a>
</li>
<li id="DtzBRW">Back with his old team, <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/zack-greinke-succeeding-despite-low-strikeout-rate">Zack Greinke continues to amaze at 38 years old</a>.</li>
<li id="7nO1Qy"><a href="https://www.thescore.com/mlb/news/2341260">How has MLB attendance been so far?</a></li>
<li id="NEAwCW">If you haven’t already heard of the Savannah Bananas and Banana Ball, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/08/us/savannah-bananas-baseball-tiktok-cec/index.html">here’s a profile on the strangest baseball team in the country</a>.</li>
</ul>
<p id="bSHmJN"></p>
https://www.thegoodphight.com/2022/5/9/23063139/rise-and-phight-5-9-2022Leo Morgenstern2022-05-06T15:00:00-04:002022-05-06T15:00:00-04:00Figuring out how to feel about those “really good 8 innings” the Phillies played against the Mets
<figure>
<img alt="Colorado Rockies v Philadelphia Phillies" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/am3iZyQz4pWljdpzn29dbIayH1I=/0x0:4888x3259/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/70840892/1394339756.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Making sense of Joe Girardi’s comments after the toughest Phillies loss of the season.</p> <p id="NnaH51">“That’s about as hard as I’ve been through,” <a href="https://www.thegoodphight.com/">Phillies</a> manager Joe Girardi said last night, following a brutal 8-7 loss at the hands of the <a href="https://www.amazinavenue.com/">Mets</a>. “We played a really good eight innings, and it was just the top of the ninth that beat us.”</p>
<div id="blRw1o"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"><iframe src="https://streamable.com/m/joe-girardi-on-the-tough-loss-x7967" style="top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" allow="encrypted-media;"></iframe></div></div>
<p id="HgEgva">It’s hard to tell why exactly Girardi chose to mention those eight good innings. A baseball game is nine innings long, after all. One way to hear it is that Girardi mentioned the eight good innings as an explanation for why this particular loss was so awful. It’s that much more painful to lose a game when victory was already within your grasp.</p>
<p id="H2fnIg">The other way to interpret Girardi’s comment is as an excuse, as if he’s trying to say, “at least the Phillies were a better team for 89% of the game!” Many who interpreted his words in this way were angry, and who could blame them? Last night’s loss was as infuriating as they get, and no one wants to think about eight good innings after a disastrous ninth. </p>
<p id="NNdXiD">So if you have no interest in hearing about those eight good innings, I sympathize. I really do. But if that’s the case, I suggest you stop reading now, because... well...</p>
<p id="uUFKgU">No one wants to hear excuses from the manager or the players after a bad loss. It doesn’t serve any purpose. But as a fan and a writer, I do want to think about the positives. I <em>need </em>to think about the positives so I can stay invested in this team for the next 136 games. And it’s not like there weren’t any positives to talk about.</p>
<p id="ggGS6h">Joe Girardi was right: the Phillies were the better team for eight innings. In a single game, that doesn’t matter at all. But over the course of a long season, it absolutely matters. Teams that are capable of playing good baseball will win ballgames. Last night, the Phillies proved that they’re still capable of playing high-level, competitive baseball against their toughest division foe. </p>
<p id="d9Fg4D">It didn’t work out for them on this particular night, but if the Phillies can play that well for 8 innings in the future, they <em>are </em>going to win most of those games. </p>
<p id="AGrPuw">The offense was strong and nearly everyone in the starting lineup contributed in one way or another. Aaron Nola pitched what was arguably his best game of the season. Those are the things that need to go right in order for the Phillies to succeed in 2022. 7-run collapses in the ninth inning are rare, even for the worst teams. The Phillies are unlikely to have another loss this bad. But if Aaron Nola and the bats can keep producing like they did yesterday, the Phillies are going to win plenty more games.</p>
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<p lang="et" dir="ltr">Nasty pitch by Aaron Nola. <a href="https://t.co/LEMg3gAnpQ">pic.twitter.com/LEMg3gAnpQ</a></p>— Tim Kelly (@TimKellySports) <a href="https://twitter.com/TimKellySports/status/1522348945363636225?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 5, 2022</a>
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<p id="jiDwg2">I hated last night’s game. Yet as counterintuitive as it sounds, I’m more optimistic about the Phillies today than I was at the same time yesterday. Even though they lost in a terrible fashion, they played their best baseball since the Rockies series, and against a much better opponent too. </p>
<p id="tdEa8n">The Phillies only lost last night because of two relievers: James Norwood and Corey Knebel. Norwood is a fringe major leaguer who won’t get all that many chances to pitch for the Phillies. Corey Knebel had an uncharacteristically bad performance at a really bad time. He’s been so good this year that his ERA still sits at 3.27 after allowing 3 runs in .2 IP last night.</p>
<p id="qUmjVC">The ninth inning yesterday was rough, there’s no two ways about it. However, I still believe in Corey Knebel, and I don’t believe we’ll have to rely on James Norwood much longer. </p>
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<img alt="New York Mets v Philadelphia Phillies" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/v1642tfArxhTaP2Q7Pk3MZtNN3o=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23442852/1395661287.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images</cite>
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<p id="9UpCtx">So, while I completely understand any and all Phillies fans who have no patience for optimism right now, I’m choosing to see the good in last night’s game. It’s the only way I can keep writing about this team for five more months.</p>
<p id="i1Vg82">The offense looked good, Aaron Nola looked good, Corey Knebel won’t usually be that bad, and James Norwood shouldn’t get any more chances to be that bad. </p>
<p id="qi4dya">Last night’s game may have been the worst loss of the season, but it was also much more promising than many of the losses that came before it. I’m not giving up on this team quite yet.</p>
<p id="PEyz04"></p>
https://www.thegoodphight.com/2022/5/6/23060141/how-to-feel-about-those-really-good-8-innings-the-phillies-played-against-the-metsLeo Morgenstern2022-05-03T09:00:00-04:002022-05-03T09:00:00-04:00Ranger Suárez is making major league history with his start against the Texas Rangers
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<img alt="Colorado Rockies v Philadelphia Phillies" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/CDsTZCGi1jL_ZG8s1tAnARJDFe4=/0x711:3000x2711/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/70826491/1394197353.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>You may notice something similar about the names of Mr. Suárez and the Texas baseball team...</p> <p id="9bxsn7">How often does a player face off against a team with the same name as him?</p>
<p id="SCAc7b">Last Friday, Matt Gelb of The Athletic tweeted about a funny comment made by <a href="https://www.thegoodphight.com/">Phillies</a> starter Ranger Suárez.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Ranger Suárez is scheduled to start Tuesday's game against the Rangers. <br><br>"It's happening, man," he said. "2022. The world is crazy."</p>— Matt Gelb (@MattGelb) <a href="https://twitter.com/MattGelb/status/1520160545642582016?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 29, 2022</a>
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<p id="xAYsxL">This evening, when Ranger Suárez throws his first pitch against Texas, he’ll become the first player named Ranger to play a game against a team called the Rangers.</p>
<p id="YHvhR9">To be fair, Suárez is the only player named Ranger in MLB history, and he was bound to start against the Rangers <em>eventually. </em>Nevertheless, it’s pretty cool.</p>
<p id="liVaoh">But just how cool is it?</p>
<p id="gnu8De">Ranger starting against the Rangers got me thinking: how often does this happen? How often does a player play against a team with the same name as him? How often does a starting pitcher face off against his own name?</p>
<p id="dbcbD8">I was sure it must have happened before. Angel and Ray are pretty common names, and there have definitely been a few players named Rocky too. Nearly everyone was nicknamed Red in the first half of the twentieth century, and one dude named Cub played for a while in the 1800s. There have even been a couple guys names Marlin (in addition to two guys named Marlon, who I’m sure you’re familiar with) and one named Philly. </p>
<p id="0fKvJt">As for historical names, the Dodgers were briefly called the Robins, the Guardians were once called the Naps, and there used to be a Negro League team called the Dayton Marcos. There have certainly been baseball players named Robin, Nap, and Marco.</p>
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<img alt="1916 Brooklyn Robins" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/7XPE1hkUGMqHxowF_yunhRb07yY=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23434551/1211572648.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Transcendental Graphics/Getty Images</cite>
<figcaption>The 1916 Brooklyn Robins team photo</figcaption>
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<p id="ipAEZs">As I logged on to Baseball Reference and started researching, however, I realized this was going to be a more unique occurrence than I originally thought. </p>
<p id="nm0Org">While there have been about 200 players named Ray in MLB history, most of them played before there was actually a team called the Rays; the Tampa Bay Rays franchise didn’t exist until 1998, and they were called the Devil Rays until 2008.</p>
<p id="KV6W6u">Since 2008, there have only been five MLB players named Ray. Only one of them has ever played against the Rays — Ray Olmedo, an infielder, who had one plate appearance against Tampa Bay in 2012. No player named Ray has ever started a game against the Rays. There is currently one active player named Ray — Ray Kerr — but he’s a reliever for the Padres and he’s currently in the minor leagues, so it’s rather unlikely we’ll see him starting against the Rays anytime soon.</p>
<p id="YPHqFE">The other MLB team that shares a name with many former players is the Reds. There have been many, many players named Red over the years, although there has only been one since the 1960s — Red Patterson, who started one game for the Dodgers in 2014 and never appeared in the majors again.</p>
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<img alt="Los Angeles Dodgers v Minnesota Twins" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Xve8ZsMdLZh6wwV2KlRP_07yFhY=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23434553/492474271.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images</cite>
<figcaption>Red Patterson faces the Twins in his only big league appearance.</figcaption>
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<p id="PVx9L9">However, if we’re being technical, none of those players were <em>actually </em>named Red. Red was always a nickname. Many of these guys went by Red more often than their legal name, and many of them are officially listed under the name Red on Baseball Reference. But technically, <em>technically </em>Red was still just a nickname. </p>
<p id="TAaXUk">I don’t think it’s nearly as interesting for a player whose nickname is the same as a team’s name to start against that team. Maybe I’m just being nitpicky because I don’t want to sort through the many, many, many players nicknamed Red who probably started against the Cincinnati Reds at one point or another. But I really do think it’s worth making the distinction between nicknames and actual given names for the purpose of this fun fact.</p>
<p id="3iS86M">Speaking of popular nicknames, there have been several major league players named Rocky over the years, but only four since the Colorado Rockies franchise was established in 1993. Of those four, only two were actually named Rocky, and none of them ever started a game against Colorado. </p>
<p id="azjSE6">Both players named Marlin finished their careers long before the Marlins were a baseball franchise, and both players named Marlon were position players (not that I would have included them anyway — spelling counts!)</p>
<p id="G8ssB0">Cub Stricker was a second baseman and Philly Holmes played his entire career in the Negro Leagues, so neither of them make the cut either. </p>
<p id="4hQgAK">Thus, if we’re not counting the name Red, then there is only one pitcher in major league history who has started a game against a team with the same name as him: Ángel Miranda.</p>
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<img alt="Angel Miranda" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/SolK2_Y2ykKo4UvU2cq64bPFrvk=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23434555/293013.jpg">
<figcaption>Ángel Miranda pitching for the Brewers.</figcaption>
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<p id="LwdpME">Ángel Miranda was a pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers from 1993-1997. He appeared in 116 games and started 47. In 1996, two of his starts came against the California Angels. </p>
<p id="4tPZm8">It might seem hard to believe that only one pitcher named Ángel has ever started against the Angels. After all, there have been more than two dozen MLB players named Ángel over the years. </p>
<p id="C3lpIb">However, more than half of those players were position players. Of the 12 pitchers named Ángel, one played before the Angels were a franchise. Of the remaining 11, only four ever started a game. Of those four, one played for the Angels his whole career (Ángel Moreno), one never played against the Angels (Ángel Guzmán), and one is a rookie for the Royals who has only made one start in his big league career (Ángel Zerpa). The other is Ángel Miranda.</p>
<p id="4VhgS9">Eventually, there is a good chance Ángel Zerpa could start against the Angels. But as it stands right now, Ángel Miranda is the only pitcher named Ángel to have ever started a game against the Angels baseball team.</p>
<p id="lHFHoT">Ángel Miranda. That’s it. The one pitcher to start against a team with the same name as him.</p>
<p id="teolHe"><em>And yet...</em></p>
<p id="MAhRWX">If you want to get <em>really </em>technical, you could argue that Ángel Miranda doesn’t actually have the same name as the Angels, since Miranda spells his name with an accent. Ángel is the Spanish spelling of the English word “angel”. And of course, I haven’t been considering the translations of every MLB team name in every possible language.</p>
<p id="495mD1">So if Ángel technically isn’t the same name as Angel, where does that leave us? </p>
<p id="aR5jq2">Well, when Ranger Suárez throws his first pitch tonight against the <a href="https://www.lonestarball.com/">Texas Rangers</a>, he will make Major League Baseball history as the first pitcher to ever start a game against a team with the exact same name as his given name. </p>
<p id="LmF6v9">When I first read what Suárez said to Matt Gelb (“It’s happening, man. 2022. The world is crazy.”), I must admit I thought it was a bit of an overreaction. But now that I know that is genuinely the first time such a thing has happening in 146 years of Major League Baseball? </p>
<p class="c-end-para" id="StWBNz">I completely agree with Ranger. It’s pretty crazy.</p>
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<p id="m5PZEx"></p>
https://www.thegoodphight.com/2022/5/3/23054119/ranger-suarez-making-major-league-history-start-against-texas-rangersLeo Morgenstern2022-04-29T18:08:05-04:002022-04-29T18:08:05-04:00Gamethread 4/29: Phillies at Mets
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<img alt="MLB: Colorado Rockies at Philadelphia Phillies" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/so2XgYsTvHBHq_TTwzMO2pCwOuo=/0x0:3096x2064/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/70812632/usa_today_18168957.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p><em>Can the Phillies keep the hot streak going against a division rival?</em></p> <p id="3wF0IB">It’s <a href="https://www.thegoodphight.com/">Phillies</a> versus <a href="https://www.amazinavenue.com/">Mets</a>, so it’s bound to be exciting. Both teams have been hot recently, although I suppose the Mets have been hot all season.</p>
<p id="M2ik1o">Let’s get to it.</p>
<p id="VnRWtN">Lineup for the Phillies:</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr"> Small change to the batting order, folks: <br><br>Segura 4<br>Hoskins 3<br>Harper DH<br>Castellanos 9<br>Realmuto 2<br>Schwarber 7<br>Bohm 5<br>Gregorius 6<br>Herrera 8<br><br>Nola RHP</p>— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) <a href="https://twitter.com/Phillies/status/1520136038764756993?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 29, 2022</a>
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<p id="ry4Vw9">Realmuto and Schwarber were swapped in the batting order shortly after it was first announced. I wonder why.</p>
<p id="KBb6z7">And for the Mets:</p>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Tonight’s starters. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LGM?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LGM</a> <a href="https://t.co/aoorFvKdCD">pic.twitter.com/aoorFvKdCD</a></p>— New York Mets (@Mets) <a href="https://twitter.com/Mets/status/1520113940151349248?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 29, 2022</a>
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<p id="OSgamy">Please don’t walk Brandon Nimmo tonight, Aaron Nola. Every time he runs to first on a walk a little part of me dies.</p>
<p id="WPmwrm">Time to talk. Let’s go Phils.</p>
https://www.thegoodphight.com/2022/4/29/23049356/gamethread-4-29-phillies-at-metsLeo Morgenstern