Roy Halladay started against his former team, the Toronto Blue Jays this afternoon. He pitched two strong innings, allowing no runs, two hits, one walk and one strikeout. He departed the game with a 3-0 lead, thanks mostly to a Carlos Ruiz two-run double.
The pitching schedule is set until Sunday. Here it is:
Tuesday vs. Tigers: Cliff Lee, Kyle Kendrick, Eddie Bonine, Dan Meyer, Danys Baez and Mike Zagurski.
Wednesday vs. Orioles: Roy Oswalt, Vance Worley, Brian Bass, Justin De Fratus, David Herndon and Brad Lidge.
Wednesday vs Blue Jays "B Game": Drew Naylor, Ryan Feierabend, Jose Contreras, Ryan Madson and J.C Romero.
Thursday @ Red Sox: Cole Hamels, Scott Mathieson, Brian Schlitter, Michael Stutes, Juan Perez and Michael Schwimer.
Friday @ Pirates: Joe Blanton, Baez, Meyer, Andrew Carpenter, Zagurski and Antonio Bastardo.
Saturday vs Pirates: Halladay, J.C. Ramirez, Madson, Contreras and Lidge.
Sunday @ Tigers: Kendrick, Herndon, Stutes, Perez, Schlitter and Schwimer.
Sunday vs. Rays: Lee, Bonine, Romero, Mathieson and De Fratus.
Hamels has the toughest assignments thus far, making his first two starts against the Yankees and the Red Sox on the road, meaning Boston will likely field their regular lineup as New York did on Saturday.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Francisco impressive early
We're just two games into the spring schedule, but Ben Francisco may have already emerged as the favorite in right field.
After dropping the second half of a home-and-home with the New York Yankees yesterday 7-3, the Phillies are 1-1. But there were some bright spots in the defeat.
Francisco went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run and an RBI double, driving in all three of the Phillies' runs. In his debut the debut before, Francisco went 1-for-1 with a triple, walk and a run scored. He's batting .600 in the early going, while Domonic Brown is still seeking his first hit of the spring. Brown went 0-for-3 with three strikeouts yesterday.
Joe Blanton was very impressive in his first outing. Pitching three strong innings, Blanton allowed no runs, no hits, one walk and struck out one.
Brad Lidge did not have a strong debut. He allowed a solo home run to the first batter he faced, and then hit the next. He pitched out of the jam though, without surrendering another hit.
Roy Halladay will make his spring debut today against his former team, the Toronto Blue Jays. Toronto is 0-2 thus far.
After dropping the second half of a home-and-home with the New York Yankees yesterday 7-3, the Phillies are 1-1. But there were some bright spots in the defeat.
Francisco went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run and an RBI double, driving in all three of the Phillies' runs. In his debut the debut before, Francisco went 1-for-1 with a triple, walk and a run scored. He's batting .600 in the early going, while Domonic Brown is still seeking his first hit of the spring. Brown went 0-for-3 with three strikeouts yesterday.
Joe Blanton was very impressive in his first outing. Pitching three strong innings, Blanton allowed no runs, no hits, one walk and struck out one.
Brad Lidge did not have a strong debut. He allowed a solo home run to the first batter he faced, and then hit the next. He pitched out of the jam though, without surrendering another hit.
Roy Halladay will make his spring debut today against his former team, the Toronto Blue Jays. Toronto is 0-2 thus far.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Phils vs Yanks Round 2, Utley has tendinitis
The Phillies and Yankees are less than an hour away from their second consecutive match-up to kick off the spring schedule. Here's the Phils' lineup:
1. Jimmy Rollins, SS
2. Shane Victorino, CF
3. Raul Ibanez, LF
4. Ryan Howard, 1B
5. Placido Polanco, 3B
6. Domonic Brown, RF
7. Ben Francisco, DH
8. Carlos Ruiz, C
9. Wilson Valdez, 2B
The five hole is a strange place to put Polanco in the lineup. Everyone in the lineup, with the exception of Valdez, is more likely to hit for power. Polanco is obviously at his best when hitting second, but it's the second game of spring so I may be over-analyzing a bit.
Chase Utley had an MRI which revealed tendinitis in his right knee; just another in the long line of problems preventing Utley from playing at 100%. He'll certainly miss some more time this spring, but the team remains hopeful he'll be ready to go on opening day.
1. Jimmy Rollins, SS
2. Shane Victorino, CF
3. Raul Ibanez, LF
4. Ryan Howard, 1B
5. Placido Polanco, 3B
6. Domonic Brown, RF
7. Ben Francisco, DH
8. Carlos Ruiz, C
9. Wilson Valdez, 2B
The five hole is a strange place to put Polanco in the lineup. Everyone in the lineup, with the exception of Valdez, is more likely to hit for power. Polanco is obviously at his best when hitting second, but it's the second game of spring so I may be over-analyzing a bit.
Chase Utley had an MRI which revealed tendinitis in his right knee; just another in the long line of problems preventing Utley from playing at 100%. He'll certainly miss some more time this spring, but the team remains hopeful he'll be ready to go on opening day.
Phils win spring opener 5-4, Blanton to debut today
Strong debut for the Phillies yesterday, who beat the Yankees 5-4 at George M. Steinbrenner field. Cole Hamels looked strong in his first outing, allowing one hit, one unearned run and one walk with two strikeouts in two innings of work.
Ben Francisco made the biggest splash at the plate, leading off the second inning with a triple to right-center field against Yankees' starter Bartolo Colon. He later scored on a Jeff Larish double-play ground-ball. Francisco, who is competing for the starting right field position, walked in his other plate appearance.
Domonic Brown, one of Francisco's competitors, went 0-for-2 with a walk and a strikeout.
Ross Gload, also competing for time in right, started the game at DH and went 2-for-5 with an RBI.
The Phillies will host the Yankees today with Joe Blanton starting on the mound against Ivan Nova. Also scheduled to pitch for Philly: Justin Defratus, Michael Schwimer, Ryan Madson, J.C Romero and Brad Lidge.
Chase Utley is doubtful for today's game. Expect to see Jimmy Rollins get his first spring action.
Ben Francisco made the biggest splash at the plate, leading off the second inning with a triple to right-center field against Yankees' starter Bartolo Colon. He later scored on a Jeff Larish double-play ground-ball. Francisco, who is competing for the starting right field position, walked in his other plate appearance.
Domonic Brown, one of Francisco's competitors, went 0-for-2 with a walk and a strikeout.
Ross Gload, also competing for time in right, started the game at DH and went 2-for-5 with an RBI.
The Phillies will host the Yankees today with Joe Blanton starting on the mound against Ivan Nova. Also scheduled to pitch for Philly: Justin Defratus, Michael Schwimer, Ryan Madson, J.C Romero and Brad Lidge.
Chase Utley is doubtful for today's game. Expect to see Jimmy Rollins get his first spring action.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Are you ready for some baseball?
The Phillies are set to kick-off Grapefruit league action today against the Yankees. Here's your lineup:
1. Pete Orr, 2B
2. Ross Gload, DH
3. Raul Ibanez, LF
4. Ryan Howard, 1B
5. Ben Francisco, CF
6. Domonic Brown, RF
7. Jeff Larish, 3B
8. Brian Schneider, C
9. Wilson Valdez, SS
Once again, no Jimmy Rollins or Chase Utley. Charlie Manuel said Rollins was scratched because he missed the last two days of workouts. He'll be in the lineup against the Yankees tomorrow.
Utley continues to sit out with "soreness" in his legs and knees. The organization doesn't seem concerned, but Phillies fans certainly are. Utley's had difficulty staying healthy the last few seasons, and the team needs a bounce back year from him. Manuel will look to get Utley into a game this week.
Today's game is being broadcast on the MLB network and on MLB.TV. The Phillies are a featured team on MLB.TV this season. Right now, they're scheduled for 17 games to broadcast online, including both games this weekend.
1. Pete Orr, 2B
2. Ross Gload, DH
3. Raul Ibanez, LF
4. Ryan Howard, 1B
5. Ben Francisco, CF
6. Domonic Brown, RF
7. Jeff Larish, 3B
8. Brian Schneider, C
9. Wilson Valdez, SS
Once again, no Jimmy Rollins or Chase Utley. Charlie Manuel said Rollins was scratched because he missed the last two days of workouts. He'll be in the lineup against the Yankees tomorrow.
Utley continues to sit out with "soreness" in his legs and knees. The organization doesn't seem concerned, but Phillies fans certainly are. Utley's had difficulty staying healthy the last few seasons, and the team needs a bounce back year from him. Manuel will look to get Utley into a game this week.
Today's game is being broadcast on the MLB network and on MLB.TV. The Phillies are a featured team on MLB.TV this season. Right now, they're scheduled for 17 games to broadcast online, including both games this weekend.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Phils take care of FSU 8-0, prepare for Yanks
Spring games are officially underway today, but the Phillies kicked their schedule off with an exhibition match-up with the Florida State yesterday, defeating the Seminoles 8-0.
The Phillies' staff of young pitchers allowed just four hits in the shut-out, and the offense did the rest. Drew Naylor started on the hill, allowing just one hit while striking out two in two innings of work.
The Phillies jumped on starter Tyler Everett in the first inning, scoring four runs on five hits and one walk, highlighted by a Ryan Howard two-run double. Brian Schneider also doubled for the Phillies' only extra base hits.
Michael Stutes also impressed on the mound for the Phils. He pitched one perfect inning, striking out the side.
Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins sat out against FSU. Utley has "soreness" and Charlie Manuel said if he doesn't play this weekend, he'll get into a game next week.
The Phillies open their Grapefruit League schedule tomorrow against the Yankees at 1:05 on the MLB Network. Cole Hamels gets the start against Bartolo Colon.
The Phillies' staff of young pitchers allowed just four hits in the shut-out, and the offense did the rest. Drew Naylor started on the hill, allowing just one hit while striking out two in two innings of work.
The Phillies jumped on starter Tyler Everett in the first inning, scoring four runs on five hits and one walk, highlighted by a Ryan Howard two-run double. Brian Schneider also doubled for the Phillies' only extra base hits.
Michael Stutes also impressed on the mound for the Phils. He pitched one perfect inning, striking out the side.
Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins sat out against FSU. Utley has "soreness" and Charlie Manuel said if he doesn't play this weekend, he'll get into a game next week.
The Phillies open their Grapefruit League schedule tomorrow against the Yankees at 1:05 on the MLB Network. Cole Hamels gets the start against Bartolo Colon.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
MLB Network's Top Ten: Left Field
Let's not beat around the bush. It's rather surprising to see Raul Ibanez make the top ten list. He barely cracked the list, coming in at number ten, but it's still a surprising choice. Here's the list:
10- Raul Ibanez, PHILLIES
9- Carlos Lee, Houston Astros
8- Jason Bay, New York Mets
7- Martin Prado, Atlanta Braves
6- Delmon Young, Minnesota Twins
5- Matt Holliday, St. Louis Cardinals
4- Carl Crawford, Boston Red Sox
3- Carlos Gonzalez, Colorado Rockies
2- Josh Hamilton, Texas Rangers
1- Ryan Bruan, Milwaukee Brewers
Ibanez is clearly in the down swing of his career and will play in what should be his last year with the Phillies in 2011. After joining in the Phils in 2009, Ibanez jumped out to a red hot, MVP caliber start. After an injury caused him to miss time, 'Rauuuuuul' was never the same after returning to the lineup. He struggled most of the remainder of the season and into the playoffs. He still managed to hit a career high 34 home runs, but his average fell to .272, his lowest since 2000. Last year was the opposite for Ibanez; after getting off to a very slow start, he bounced back to have a solid second half of the season. He still hit only 16 homers though, with a .275 average. Offensively, Ibanez was the 14th ranked left fielder in baseball last season. While not a bad fielder, he's rather slow in the outfield as well. His numbers can't be expected to improve in 2011, and 16 home runs with a .275 average are not indicative of a top ten outfielder.
The top five at this position is absolutely stacked. Any of the top three could easily be switched into the top spot. Bruan has been one of the best outfielders in baseball since he stepped into the league in 2007. His numbers last year, (.304, 25 homers, 103 RBI) were down from his previous season (.320, 32, 114). Still, Braun hasn't had a bad year in the big leagues and is a major threat every time he steps to the plate.
Hamilton bounced back from a tough 2009, in which he hit .268 with 10 home runs and 54 RBI during an injury riddled season, in a big way. He had career highs in average (.359), home runs (32), OBP (.411), slugging percentage (.633), OPS (1.044) and doubles (40). He also drove in 100 runs and scored 95 while capturing his first MVP award. Those numbers speak for themselves, Hamiltion is a beast.
Gonzalez had a tremendous breakout season for Colorado in 2010. Entering the season, he'd amassed just 580 career at bats over two seasons. Gonzo's 587 at bats in 2010 broke his total for his career while he set new career highs in just about every category during a tremendous season. He hit .336 with 34 home runs, 117 RBI, 34 doubles, nine triples, 26 stolen bases and 111 runs scored. Gonzalez finished third in the NL MVP race, coming in behind just Joey Votto and Albert Pujols. While Gonzalez and Hamilton will have a hard time repeating those staggering averages, they should be ranked just ahead of Braun on the list because of what they were able to accomplish last year.
Crawford joins a Red Sox team that made a huge splash during the off-season, acquiring star studded talent in the likes of Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez. Crawford is the definition of a five-tool player. It will be interesting to see how Crawford acclimates to Boston in the first season of his career away from Tampa Bay, but being such a dynamic talent, Crawford isn't likely to be fazed. He's a career .296 hitter, he just missed his first 20 home run season last year with 19, and is one season removed from stealing 60 bases. He's also a tremendous outfielder and the combination of Crawford and Jacoby Ellsbury should cover every inch of left and center field. If Crawford stays healthy, there's an excellent chance that he'll break his previous high 110 runs scored with that loaded lineup in Boston.
Holliday flies under the radar in St. Louis thanks to Albert Pujols after being a star in Colorado, but he is a tremendous ballplayer. He's looking to return to his 2007 form, when he finished just behind Jimmy Rollins in the NL MVP voting. That season, he had 636 at bats, hit .340, 37 home runs, 137 RBI, 50 doubles and scored 120 runs. He's been very good from the Cardinals, but if he finds the stroke he had in Colorado, the National League could be in trouble.
The list rounds out which a bunch of very good players, not quite in the elite status of the top five. Prado had an excellent season last year for the Braves, while Bay and Lee are looking to bounce back from their worst season in years.
10- Raul Ibanez, PHILLIES
9- Carlos Lee, Houston Astros
8- Jason Bay, New York Mets
7- Martin Prado, Atlanta Braves
6- Delmon Young, Minnesota Twins
5- Matt Holliday, St. Louis Cardinals
4- Carl Crawford, Boston Red Sox
3- Carlos Gonzalez, Colorado Rockies
2- Josh Hamilton, Texas Rangers
1- Ryan Bruan, Milwaukee Brewers
Ibanez is clearly in the down swing of his career and will play in what should be his last year with the Phillies in 2011. After joining in the Phils in 2009, Ibanez jumped out to a red hot, MVP caliber start. After an injury caused him to miss time, 'Rauuuuuul' was never the same after returning to the lineup. He struggled most of the remainder of the season and into the playoffs. He still managed to hit a career high 34 home runs, but his average fell to .272, his lowest since 2000. Last year was the opposite for Ibanez; after getting off to a very slow start, he bounced back to have a solid second half of the season. He still hit only 16 homers though, with a .275 average. Offensively, Ibanez was the 14th ranked left fielder in baseball last season. While not a bad fielder, he's rather slow in the outfield as well. His numbers can't be expected to improve in 2011, and 16 home runs with a .275 average are not indicative of a top ten outfielder.
The top five at this position is absolutely stacked. Any of the top three could easily be switched into the top spot. Bruan has been one of the best outfielders in baseball since he stepped into the league in 2007. His numbers last year, (.304, 25 homers, 103 RBI) were down from his previous season (.320, 32, 114). Still, Braun hasn't had a bad year in the big leagues and is a major threat every time he steps to the plate.
Hamilton bounced back from a tough 2009, in which he hit .268 with 10 home runs and 54 RBI during an injury riddled season, in a big way. He had career highs in average (.359), home runs (32), OBP (.411), slugging percentage (.633), OPS (1.044) and doubles (40). He also drove in 100 runs and scored 95 while capturing his first MVP award. Those numbers speak for themselves, Hamiltion is a beast.
Gonzalez had a tremendous breakout season for Colorado in 2010. Entering the season, he'd amassed just 580 career at bats over two seasons. Gonzo's 587 at bats in 2010 broke his total for his career while he set new career highs in just about every category during a tremendous season. He hit .336 with 34 home runs, 117 RBI, 34 doubles, nine triples, 26 stolen bases and 111 runs scored. Gonzalez finished third in the NL MVP race, coming in behind just Joey Votto and Albert Pujols. While Gonzalez and Hamilton will have a hard time repeating those staggering averages, they should be ranked just ahead of Braun on the list because of what they were able to accomplish last year.
Crawford joins a Red Sox team that made a huge splash during the off-season, acquiring star studded talent in the likes of Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez. Crawford is the definition of a five-tool player. It will be interesting to see how Crawford acclimates to Boston in the first season of his career away from Tampa Bay, but being such a dynamic talent, Crawford isn't likely to be fazed. He's a career .296 hitter, he just missed his first 20 home run season last year with 19, and is one season removed from stealing 60 bases. He's also a tremendous outfielder and the combination of Crawford and Jacoby Ellsbury should cover every inch of left and center field. If Crawford stays healthy, there's an excellent chance that he'll break his previous high 110 runs scored with that loaded lineup in Boston.
Holliday flies under the radar in St. Louis thanks to Albert Pujols after being a star in Colorado, but he is a tremendous ballplayer. He's looking to return to his 2007 form, when he finished just behind Jimmy Rollins in the NL MVP voting. That season, he had 636 at bats, hit .340, 37 home runs, 137 RBI, 50 doubles and scored 120 runs. He's been very good from the Cardinals, but if he finds the stroke he had in Colorado, the National League could be in trouble.
The list rounds out which a bunch of very good players, not quite in the elite status of the top five. Prado had an excellent season last year for the Braves, while Bay and Lee are looking to bounce back from their worst season in years.
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