Phillies Squander Chances, Blow Win
Posted by Tim Malcolm, Sat, June 06, 2009 01:40 AM
Losing in the bottom of the ninth, with two outs, with nobody on and two outs, will always hurt. Always. But consider that the Phillies should’ve defeated the Dodgers soundly, and whisper it to yourself: “Don’t get upset.”
The Phillies lost to the Dodgers, 4-3, despite leading 3-2 with two outs and two strikes in the ninth. Jamie Moyer pitched a beautiful game, polishing seven innings while inducing myriad ground balls and edgy fly balls. The Dodgers simply had no answer for him. And when he left, JC Romero gutted through a tense eighth inning unscathed.
But Brad Lidge — as has been the case many times this season — allowed the trouble. Though he took out the first two hitters easily, he let up a single, then a walk. A ground ball by Russell Martin should’ve ended the game, but the always-reliable Pedro Feliz booted the ball. Then a first-pitch rope by Andre Ethier ended the contest.
It shouldn’t have ended that way; then again, the Phillies deserved that loss.
The offense left 26 men on base, and no man was a greater failure to the cause than Jimmy Rollins. Yet again. The “leadoff” hitter lifted four balls into the air, grounded one more, and squandered two rallies that amounted to less than hills of beans. He was horrible. Truly horrible.
Elsewhere, Raul Ibanez left five on the pond and Ryan Howard kept four on the paths, among many others. The Phillies should’ve beaten Los Angeles starter Eric Milton into submission; instead, they laughably kept it close. This wasn’t Lidge’s loss. This wasn’t even Feliz’s loss. This was everybody’s loss.
Well, everyone except Moyer, who was sparkling in defeat. But a loss like this will pin blame on all, recenter the focus, and hopefully spur a new winning streak. It’s up to Joe Blanton to re-guide the ship tomorrow afternoon. You can’t get upset about that.
53 Responses to “Phillies Squander Chances, Blow Win”
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June 6th, 2009 at 1:44 am
i feel like the phillies should have won this game more than any other game in awhile, geez sick to my stomach right now way to blow the winning streak in style
June 6th, 2009 at 1:44 am
Ugh 1:30 and I’m too fired up to sleep. Thanks Phils not named Moyer.
June 6th, 2009 at 1:45 am
Feliz plays great defesne all year then misses the easiest grounder of his life
June 6th, 2009 at 1:47 am
This one really hurts….. hopefully this lose doesn’t linger. Maybe it’s a good thing tomorrow is a day game and the dodger killer may also return to the lineup (Victornio)
I understand Charlie doesn’t want to hit Rollins down in the order (7 or
but I don’t get why he never ever hits him 2 when Victorino is rolling…..try it once please!!!
June 6th, 2009 at 1:48 am
that should be an “8″ I don’t know how that face got there
June 6th, 2009 at 1:50 am
That one was definitely on Lidge. He cannot control that fastball!!!
He needs to go down to AAA to get his head on straight.
June 6th, 2009 at 1:50 am
8 ) makes
June 6th, 2009 at 1:50 am
without the space
poor Phillies
June 6th, 2009 at 1:58 am
Bob—- Know way is tonight souly on Lidge, Tim got in write in his game summary. Way to many runners left on (cough cough Rollins) and bad plays by Brunlett and Pedro had a HUGE part to do with it
June 6th, 2009 at 2:05 am
Seriously Bob if you think tonight’s loss is Lidge’s fault you don’t watch nearly enough baseball. Sure, he made it closer than he had to but he got the game ending grounder and Pedro couldn’t make it happen. This is a team loss, as Tim said. There is no way around it. Dobbs should have knocked in an extra run, among others. Jimmy is also a major problem tonight. I also can barely sleep with that loss, and its a tough loss to end a winning streak but, hey, Moyer was awesome and if he keeps pitching like this we will be a tremendous team for the rest of the year. Let’s go get em tomorrow.
June 6th, 2009 at 2:07 am
Jimmy needs to hit in the 8 spot…. this shouldn’t even be up for debate. Right now it’s the equivalent of having your pitcher leading off. Jimmy hasn’t done a damn thing since July last year. I think it’s about time to admit this is more than a slump. I’d honestly rather have Meyers (if he was healthy) batting with the bases loaded than Rollins if we’re playing anyone but the Nats.
He just blows in the most profound way
June 6th, 2009 at 2:08 am
ARE YOU EFFING KIDDING ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!???????????????????????????
June 6th, 2009 at 2:10 am
J-Roll should be batting 9th at this point. When pitchers face him all they see is “EASY OUT”.
June 6th, 2009 at 2:50 am
None of this is Lidge, well, very little. If we want to assess blame on him – ok – he should have buried three pitches in the dirt to get Ethier to swing and miss. He never would have been in it had Feliz made the play. In addition, the 1 for 14 RISP was the culprit. Lidge was put in a bad spot. Now, he needs to realize it was not his fault and ignore the blown save and loss. It is over and tomorrow is a new day for him. In addition, The Dodgers do this a lot. Broxton is 6-0, so that is 6 games they won in the 9th inning. While I blame all the Phillies not on the pitching staff, this Dodgers team is too good to strand 11 people score 3 runs. Let’s face it, if you let the Dodgers have opportunity, they’ll win.
I do agree about J-Roll. His defense is too valuable to bench him, but bat him 8th actually. I am a firm believer that your worst hitter should be 8th, not 9th as most managers bat their pitcher. The 9th place is almost a secondary leadoff type hitter – hence why the AL 9th place hitters are generally contact hitters and the 7th and 8th place hitters are your defensive guys. Here is my lineup if I were Charlie:
Victorino – CF
Utley – 2B
Ibanez – LF
Howard – RF
Feliz – 3B
Ruiz – C
Pitcher
Rollins – SS
Mayberry – RF (platooned with Werth – send down Taschner for a bit by default)
I know it is screwy, but the 7th and 8th hitters are the weakest.
June 6th, 2009 at 2:52 am
Ok, I said my piece, I am going to go clean my kitchen now. I am too fired up to sleep.
June 6th, 2009 at 3:12 am
You guys are all forgetting that Lidge is paid to come into spots like this–1 run lead in a tight game–and PERFORM. Forget the fact that the Phils squandered a billion runners on base. That is definitely a huge part of why they SHOUDN’T HAVE won. However, that is not the reason that they lost.
Remember–Lidge came in with a 1 run lead. Not a huge lead, but his job description is as the CLOSER. Someone to come into a close (1-3 run) game and finish the job.
The Feliz error–definitely a huge part of the loss. Remember though, Lidge put HIMSELF in a bad position with the other two guys on base with two outs. He threw a meatball to Ethier in a crucial situation and he crushed it.
If you want to give Feliz half of the blame here, I’ll buy that. However, there is a reason Lidge has FIVE blown saves this season–he is not locating his fastball. That was clearly evident tonight.
June 6th, 2009 at 3:24 am
While I agree, Lidge should have been able to close tonight out. The blame should not be on him alone. Our offense in clutch situations is what lost this game tonight. This game could have been, and should have been a blow out.
How can anyone say Lidge should be sent down? Yeah his role is to close the game out, and we got spolied because he was PERFECT last year. Other great closers have blown saves this year, but he had an off night. And after what he did last year, I’m not pinning tonight’s loss on him. Seriously, get a grip Bob. From what you’re saying, that Brad is paid to close these games out, you could make the argument that Jimmy, Raul, etc. are paid to get RISP in to score, and neither did that tonight, you wanna send half the team down? Because according to your argument with Lidge, you half to send half the team down based on the poor hitting tonight with RISP. We had an off night. This game wasn’t lost in the 9th. We just have to get over the fact that MULTIPLE players didn’t perform in ways they are paid to, and hope that they will get back on track and do better tomorrow.
It’s a long season, we are going to lose a game now and then!
June 6th, 2009 at 3:42 am
MP – well said with a good name… We will win some we shuold have lost here and there, and that is baseball for you. Good analysis my friend.
June 6th, 2009 at 3:45 am
Bob – if we were not 1 for 14 RISP I would agree 100% with you. I stated where I think Lidge went wrong, but it was AFTER the error. Ok, we could make an argument on the walk too, but I agree to NOT give Loney anything to hit. The hit though, was a good pitch. You are right, we bring him on for tight spots, but this is one of those situations where a lot of crap went wrong and it was a lot of people not named Moyer or Lidge.
June 6th, 2009 at 3:53 am
Yes!MP, MPs are awesome!
But seriously, anyone getting on Lidge: I was there the night he blew the first save after last year and everyone NEEDS to remember this: anyone can blow a save, but nobody can do what Brad Lidge did last year.
June 6th, 2009 at 7:42 am
horrible game, we should have won 27-4. Rollins is about as productive as I would be as a leadoff hitter at the major league level. Nobody can hit a fly ball with less than 2 out, and all 4 runs the DodgerDogs scored should not have happened. Juan Pierre was thrown out as second but called safe, Bruntlett dropped the ball in right field, and the 9th inning debacle.
June 6th, 2009 at 7:54 am
MP….K-Rod 15 for 15 thus far…he IS on his way
June 6th, 2009 at 8:07 am
As much as I hate to say it this is one we have to just take on the chin, at 11 games over .500 the team can’t get hung up on individual losses or we saw last year how a mid-season lead can evaporate…
June 6th, 2009 at 8:23 am
Pedro Feliz is on the team for defense. He already has two games this year that he single handedly lost with his crappy defense.
June 6th, 2009 at 8:24 am
This is all Feliz’ fault. He should be sent down.
June 6th, 2009 at 8:26 am
Every player has a bad day defensively, Feliz is still money at third.
June 6th, 2009 at 8:47 am
If Victorino is back in lineup he has to bat lead off and Jimmy in the seventh spot. They are going to soon start walking our pitchers to get to Jimmy.
June 6th, 2009 at 9:10 am
I have been thinking about this Jimmy Rollins thing and I think he needs to be dealt with for not hitting. I agree with Mike above and I say move him down in the lineup. I also say maybe he should be put on the bench a few games and maybe he’ll start hitting (I know this is not an option…). If I remember right, the last time Charlie moved him down in the lineup, he started showing us why he belongs up top. It’s not punishment, it’s strategy.
Everyone has come around, except Jimmy and he needs to wipe that smile off his face while he is hanging out in the dugout.
SendThemDown: Are you crazy? Feliz is a gem on third base and you want him sent down for bobbling one play? Sorry, but we would not have needed the play if the Phillies (as a whole) would have brought in more of the 26 LOB
June 6th, 2009 at 9:57 am
Listen guys heres the deal. Yes Rollins is horrible this year. Move him out of the number one hole. Yes, Pedro who is great at third booted it. Lidge does not scare me at all. When the brought in Broxton, he scares me. He shut our big hitters down in the 9th. He is a closer. Lidge can’t strike anyone out. He had Blake out and did not close the deal. On all three hitters. End of discussion….
June 6th, 2009 at 10:15 am
[...] for a moment. Instead, why don’t we point the blame at that vaunted Phillies offense? The offense left 26 men on base including five and four by Raul Ibanez and Ryan Howard respectively. Brad Lidge did not lose this game. The inability of the Phillies offense to capitalize on [...]
June 6th, 2009 at 10:21 am
HaHa Brad Lidge
June 6th, 2009 at 10:31 am
I get the they left all these runners on base last night, and Peter Happy made a big error, as well as Bruntlet, not an error but should have been an out. But if you watch this game, with the exception of Rolins(who hit one line drive Pierre ran down) Most of the outs with RISP where hit hard and not bad at bats, just at people, sometimes that happens. It is one loss, and it really does not matter how you lose, win as a team lose as a team. We are what 7 wins in last 10 games, can we not jump off bridges because the Phillies lose a game. Just come back tonight and win on for JB, and Peter Happy, and Bruntlett,(who by the way had 3? hits last night. Move on and win today.
June 6th, 2009 at 10:46 am
technically yes the 9th inning was lidge’s fault, but feliz is also majorly to blame if you even want to blame anyone…that ground ball to him should have been easy out 3 and phillies would have won
anyway, rollins is really annoying me…he should def get moved down in the lineup because if you look at just the last 2 games he was the reason we didnt get a lot more runs..but i have a feeling charlie wont move him
June 6th, 2009 at 11:08 am
Shag, I can’t completely agree with your statement that it doesn’t matter how you lose the game. Some losses are more disheartening than others, and for those of us that remember the ‘64 crash and burn, it was the guy stealing home in a 0-0 game, the Phils went on to lose that game 1-0, and then the next 10 games to lose the division and playoff spot. I’m not saying last night’s game was anything like that or of that magnitude, but I just don’t agree that all losses are the same.
June 6th, 2009 at 11:08 am
Has anyone seen where I put my steroids? I can’t find them. I need them if I am going to have those out of nowhere power numbers like I had in 2007.
June 6th, 2009 at 11:08 am
Yeah sure, we left men on base and Rollins was particularly bad and Pedro had a chance to end the game if he doesn’t commit the error but if Lidge doesn’t give up a hit a walk and another hit after getting the first two out, the game is over. Lidge needs to start all over again and get things straight. He should be send down to Clearwater at this point. It might help his confidence if he can get anyone out.
June 6th, 2009 at 11:19 am
Bruntlett is overmatched. He looks like that crummy little leaguer that’s always hid in right field. He catches that can of corn fly ball to right, it’s a different game. I can’t even watch the little geek.
June 6th, 2009 at 11:20 am
Pass some of what ever you are smoking over here Georgie, This team won a WFS, and what in the past 3 years has this team done to make you believe that they would let a bad loss get into their heads like that. That ‘64 team never won anything before, and Yea I heard Vince Scully talk about that thursday night also. But come on these guys have proven more than once they don’t let Sh t like that bother them, Lidge blew a big save against the Yankees, came back let them tie the game the next time out, then turned around and saved his next four games. Get off there back, it is one loss, they mostly hit the ball hard with RISP, even Rollins had one good out, Raul was robbed of an rbi, Ryan hit a shot that got run down, two other sharp line drives early on in the game. It wasn’t like they were striking out, popping up, or hitting lazy ground balls. It is one game on the road if you win today it will all be forgotten. Remember the Mets loss on one earned run. Did that effect this team, that was a bigger loss than this one.
finally I can exhale thanks for the hit Georgie
June 6th, 2009 at 11:24 am
Everyone but Moyer. My hat is off to you Tim!
June 6th, 2009 at 11:35 am
Shag, impressive that you can say all that and hold your breath at the same time. Oh, and you’re welcome-lol.
June 6th, 2009 at 11:44 am
Oh, and Shag, I didn’t hear Vin Scully say that, I just remember my dad practically losing his mind back then, I was 10, and heard some words that I never knew existed. I have heard the sad saga over and over, it is forever imbedded in my mind, along with some ugly Eagles and Flyers losses rattling around in there. I really don’t think this Phillies team would let anything like that get into their heads, just saying some losses suck alot more than others. Exhale……
June 6th, 2009 at 12:21 pm
How can Lidge not get sent down???? He has 5 blown saves! In 27 appearances! His ERA is 7.20! His WHIP is 1.87! This means he is getting about 2 guys on base every time he comes out and letting about 1 run score each innning! How is that acceptable???? To put it in perspective, he let 2 earned guys on base last night and let 2 earned runs score! So I guess he was right on his average, right?
Five blown saves is about right for a whole season. At this rate though, Lidge is projected for 15! MP, you need to get off Lidge’s jockey shorts because he is playing terrible. Yeah, the whole team minus Moyer played terrible last night, but they still put Lidge in a winning situation.
June 6th, 2009 at 12:31 pm
Sorry, 5 saves blown in 18 attempts!!
June 6th, 2009 at 12:41 pm
Lidge was hurt up to and during the period of successive blown saves, pitchers can’t just turn it on and off when health’s an issue and it takes time for a relievers body to catch up with his aggressiveness. You can’t just believe you can send guys down willy nilly just because Myers was demoted last year.
If anything Lidge should have gone to the DL earlier in the year and we’re going to pay for it at times. Can’t just turn into a pack of wolves on this guy every time he blows a save. Where’s the criticism of him not going to the DL to rehab his knee? or Charlie pitching him 4 days straight last week?
If your looking at stats then take things into perspective: Last 7 days including the blown save; 3.2IP, 3 saves, 1.09 WHIP
June 6th, 2009 at 1:58 pm
NO QUESTION…JIM WAS A STEROID FREAK. POWER IS DROPPED OFF
June 6th, 2009 at 2:00 pm
Bob – if you take that logic, we need to send down Jimmy to hit then, as well as Jayson Werth for not producing. Lidge statistically blew the save, but he did not blow the save.
Grrrumpy Miner – K-Rod is doing fine but the Mets have not had a huge need for him for the same reasons we had in LA – offense.
Lastly, this is ONE game. if you remmeber last year we blew 4 games in LA (not including NLCS of course). We already did better. We just have to go back and steal one as we have done 15 times this year and give Bradley a few Ws to even out his loss column. REMEMBER BROXTON HAS 6 WINS! This LA team is too good of a team to not get runners home. If he has 6 wins that means they won 6 games in the 9th inning (at least). Don’t blame Lidge – unless he reacts to this one. If he reacts to this one, then we have to deal with it – otherwise, let him alone.
I am going to seek permission to start my own Lidge defense website LOL
June 6th, 2009 at 2:04 pm
Roids do NOT make you a better player, they only help repair the tissues so yuo can work out harder and more frequently. J-Roll is clean, just a combination of bad breaks and not seeing each pitch. He only struck out once, which is fine, it was HOW he reacted to it. Other times he hit it in the air TO somone. Remember the movie Major League where Willie Mays hayes had to do pushups every time he hit one in the air? J-Roll should stop trying to knock it out and hit it on the ground and run it out. I bet his average would double in about a month. Put pressure on the other team’s defense and put it in play. The Mark Grace method (might I add Gracey batted over .300).
June 6th, 2009 at 2:05 pm
NJ – Little Guy and myself have been two of the biggest supporters throughout. I even stuck the #54 by my name so I would eat crow if Bradley let medown now LOL.
Seriously, I agree with your assessment.
June 6th, 2009 at 2:42 pm
M.P.–Actually, Werth had two big hits at the first game of the series, so you’re wrong about that. Plus he’s hitting .263 with 8 HR, which is right about on his career averages. Plus, we are really short on OF players right now.
Jimmy, on the other hand is killing us offensively, but he’s always a solid glove on D. We have no one who could take his place.
Lidge has none of these things going for him. He’s playing terribly, and we have guys like Madson or possibly Romero who could take his place while he gets his head on straight.
And how could you say that he did not blow that save? My sister could have hit that fastball that he threw to Ethier!
June 6th, 2009 at 4:06 pm
Good lord, sorry I’m not an ingrate like you. I get that Brad has blown 5, but I’m not gonna send a first rate closer to AAA because of a bad game. I said nothing about Werth. But no one can pin last night on Lidge alone.
And Miner, K-Rod will blow a save eventually. You don’t actually think he’ll go the whole season without one?
June 6th, 2009 at 7:15 pm
No way would I send Lidge to AAA. He couldn’t get anyone out at the level. Send him to Clearwater and him start all over again. Why do they keep rolling him out in the 9th so we can lose?!!! This is redicules. He is easily the worst pitcher in MLB!
June 6th, 2009 at 7:19 pm
Hey MP, wanna defend Lidge now? Dumb ass….
June 6th, 2009 at 11:44 pm
I wasn’t defending not blowing saves, I’m said the loss wasn’t totally on him. Today it is on Lidge. I still don’t think he should be send down, and that doesn’t make me a dumb ass