Phillies Nation

Gameday: Phillies (58-42) At Giants (56-46)

Posted by Amanda Orr, Fri, July 31, 2009 09:40 PM

Philadelphia Phillies (58-42) at San Francisco Giants (56-46)

Cliff Lee (7-9, 3.14 ERA) vs. Ryan Sadowski (2-3, 4.81 ERA)

Time: 10:05 p.m at AT&T Park
Weather: Partly Cloudy and Windy, 60
TV:Comcast Sportsnet
Twitter: Phillies Nation

Tonight’s the night Cliff Lee will be making his much anticipated Phillies debut.  He’ll also try to halt the Phillies two game skid.

The reigning American League Cy Young winner is having a terrific season with a 3.14 earned run average and 1.30 WHIP in 152 innings with the Tribe.  He had a 7-9 record, but lacked run support.  The Phillies failed to support their pitchers over the last two games.  They’ve only scored two runs in last two games, very uncharacteristic for the Phillies.

Ryan Sadowski started his Major League career by throwing 13 consevutive scoreless innings.  Since, he has allowed 13 earned runs in the last 11.1 innings he has pitched.  However, he has pitched well at AT&T Park.  His ERA at home is 1.50 in 12 innings.

Your Gameday Beer- Konigshoeven Blond Trappist Ale
Tonight’s beer kicks off our European tour and comes from the De Koningshoeven Brewery, a Dutch Trappist brewery. It is the only producer of Trappist beer outside of Belgium. Run inside an abbey, the monks get the water for the beer from five 200-metre deep wells on the grounds. La Trappe Blond is one of their many offerings. This Pale Ale is bitter and sweet like fruit candy, but less sweet by comparison to the more popular Leffe Blonde. – By Brian

GO PHILLIES!

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Expectations High as Lee Makes Debut

Posted by Pat Gallen, Fri, July 31, 2009 05:01 PM

Tonight is the night.  Tonight, we begin the Cliff Lee Experiment at AT&T Park in San Francisco, as the Phillies new hurler takes the mound.

His debut appearance comes with a litany of expectations, with the most significant placing Lee as the catalyst for another shot at a title.  So, basically, no pressure.

Ah, but there is. Lee’s presence alone makes this Phillies team the one to beat in the National League, and evens the playing field with the Yankees, Red Sox, and others in the American League.

Starting at 10:15 p.m., Lee will face off against Ryan Sadowski, the owner of five career starts.  The new number 34 will be placed on a pedestal, fairly or unfairly, from now until the Phillies run ends.

The 30-year old was brought here to solidify the rotation that had been in need of a workhorse to sit at the top with Cole Hamels.  Expectations will be immense out of the chute, and there is no doubt we will all be keeping a keen eye on him.  But, from now until the Phillies run ends, we will also be keeping tabs on the horse that got away; Roy Halladay.  The comparisons will be never-ending; especially for those who believed the right move to make was the one with Toronto.

To everyone out there: what will make Lee’s final two months a success?  Is a winning record enough?  How about becoming this year’s C.C. Sabathia?  Or does it all come down to Lee-ding the charge to another pennant, and ultimately, another ring?

Sit back and enjoy watching the reigning Cy Young winner toss his first game in red pinstripes.  It’s exciting when you realize that the Phillies not only made perhaps the biggest splash of the trade deadline (when was the last time they lay that claim), but are also in a stunning position for a repeat.  Enjoy.

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Around the Minors

Posted by Ben Seal, Fri, July 31, 2009 01:32 PM

Here’s a look at the action around the Phillies minor league system from last night. Check in starting Monday for Phillies Nation’s own rankings of the Phils’ farmhands.

Lehigh Valley – In an interesting turn of events, two guys playing for the Iron Pigs just a few nights ago were in the visitor’s dugout yesterday. Jason Donald and Lou Marson each played their first game for the Columbus Clippers, the Indians’ triple-A squad. Donald and Marson each singled in 3 at-bats to help Columbus win, 5-4 in 10 innings. Drew Carpenter pitched very well, allowing one run in 5 innings and striking out 4, but did not stick around long enough for a decision. First baseman Andy Tracy hit a two-run homer and Michael Taylor went 2-for-5 with a double, bumping his average to .255 with the Iron Pigs.

Reading – The R-Phils blanked the Portland Sea Dogs, 2-0, behind a stellar effort from Vance Worley, who pitched six innings of shutout ball. Worley allowed just 3 hits and 2 walks while striking out 3 to pick up the win and move his record to 7-8. Scott Mathieson pitched two innings of perfect relief in his first appearance at double-A this season. He retired all 6 in order, finishing off his last batter with a strikeout. Recently demoted Sergio Escalona pitched a spotless 9^th, striking out a pair to earn the save. Jeremy Slayden was 2-for-4 with a solo homer to provide all the offensive Reading needed, and Quintin Berry stole his 38^th base of the season.

Clearwater – Righthander Darren Byrd put up his third straight start without allowing a run, this time going 8 innings of scoreless ball. He allowed 4 hits and 2 walks while striking out 6 to earn his third win in a row and move his record to 4-3. Byrd has not allowed a run in his last 19 innings. Shortstop Freddy Galvis knocked a two-run single to back Byrd in the Threshers 2-0 win.

Williamsport – In the first game of a doubleheader against Batavia, Matthew Way struck out 11 in 6 innings, though he took the loss. Way allowed 2 runs (one earned) on 5 hits. His ERA sits at 1.67 through 8 starts (37.2 innings) with the Crosscutters.

Williamsport won the second game, 4-0, behind 6 shutout innings from Josh Zeid, including 9 strikeouts. First baseman Francisco Murillo’s three-run blast provided plenty of offense.

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Savery Promoted to AAA

Posted by Amanda Orr, Fri, July 31, 2009 12:43 PM

The official IronPigs twitter reports that Joe Savery was promoted from Double-A Reading to Triple-A Lehigh Valley today.

With Reading, the 23 year old  was 12-4 with a 4.41 earned run average in 112.1 innings.  He allowed 1.46 walks and hits per innings pitched.

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The Dip: Brett Myers: The Return of the Native

Posted by The Dipsy, Fri, July 31, 2009 09:30 AM

This is The Dip, a weekly column penned by our own commenter, The Dipsy. Agree or disagree with what he says? Tell us by visiting our contact page.

Amongst all the hubbub surrounding the Cliff Lee acquisition, the Phils find themselves sitting on a potential treasure trove of arms to employ for the stretch run to the pennant (it used to be called “pennant”, I’m not sure what its called now). While J.P. Ricciardi cleans out his desk Saturday morning, victim of what l call a “Ruben Sandwich,” Charlie Manuel will be sitting in a locker room somewhere trying to think of a way to fit six, soon to be seven, and not long after that, eight (!) pitchers into his starting rotation. That eighth pitcher will almost assuredly be Brett Myers, showing up late to the party, but there nevertheless.

If things go as The Dipsy predicts (in honor of Ricky Henderson’s induction into the Hall of Fame, I am referring to myself in the third person), Happ will go to the bullpen (a shame), Lopez will be traded for a minimal return and Martinez and Moyer will be your No. 4 and 5 starters, not necessarily in that order. Easy enough, I guess, until Myers is done his rehab stints and shows up at Citizens Bank Park pronouncing himself cured and ready to pitch. And that talented right arm has to go someplace.

In 2008, Myers was one of the best starters in baseball after he came back from his electroshock therapy in Reading. He went long into games, moved his fastball in the zone, and his curveball bit and didn’t hang. In short, he was great, and the Phils would not have reached the World Series without him. The season prior, Myers was unexpectedly thrust into the role of closer and thrived with 21 saves while averaging more than 10.5 strikeouts per nine innings. The guy has shown he can close.

What happens when Myers returns will hinge on what happens with Martinez. If Martinez can’t hack it, Myers slides into his spot and Martinez goes to the pen. If Martinez is pitching reasonably well, he will serve as the righty starter to balance out the rotation, and Myers will pitch in relief. Then it becomes interesting. I would love to see the “Bridge to Lidge” include Myers flashing his old form and effectively holding things down anywhere from the sixth to eighth innings, with the switch over to J.C. Romero as needed, then right into Ryan Madson. Then Lidge in the 9th.

While all of this this sounds great In theory, it can’t work unless Lidge has it together. As of now he does not. And he has a history a “crisises in confidence.” If September comes with Myers pitching well and Lidge struggling, and we all hope that won’t happen, I would expect Manuel to dispense with the “I’ll stick with my horse” or “I’ll dance with girl that brung me” crap and make the switch to Myers. Playoff baseball is no place to wait for a guy to find his stuff. Myers runs to pressure. And he needs a contract next year. I think he’ll be primed. We want Brett Myers to pitch well. We all want Brad Lidge to pitch well. But most of all, we want the best guy on the mound to close games.

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Defense Doesn’t Help Lopez’s Cause

Posted by Amanda Orr, Fri, July 31, 2009 01:50 AM

Rodrigo Lopez most likely made his last start as a Phillie.  Not because he didn’t pitch well, but because of new additions to the Phillies rotation.  If he had pitched well, the Phillies may have considered Lopez differently, but he could not handle his own pressure.  Also, poor defense did not factor in well.

Lopez allowed seven runs, three earned, in four innings.  In the first, the Phillies had a 1-0 lead, but the Giants went ahead 2-1 in the bottom half of the inning.  Jayson Werth misjudged a line drive, and that opened the gates.

In the fourth inning, Pedro Feliz made a throwing error which led to two runs.  At the last second, Feliz decided to go for the force out at second base instead of the easy play at first.  Assuming Feliz was throwing to first, Chase Utley was off the bag and the ball tipped his glove, scooting to right field.

Pablo Sandoval must have been very unhappy with Charlie Manuel’s All Star selections.  He showed Manuel what he missed.  He went 2-for-4 with a home run and four runs batted in.

The Phillies weren’t able to provide any offense other than Ryan Howard’s RBI double and Utley’s solo homer. Sanchez threw a pitch that sailed over Utley’s head. Utely clearly had a problem with it and stared him down.  On the next pitch he called time before he homered down the right field line.

The Phillies were 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position.  The three fielding errors didn’t help either in the 7-2 loss.

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Gameday: Phillies (58-41) At Giants (55-46)

Posted by Amanda Orr, Thu, July 30, 2009 09:37 PM

Philadelphia Phillies at San Francisco Giants

Rodrigo Lopez (3-0, 3.09 ERA) vs.
Jonathan Sanchez (3-9, 4.92 ERA)

Time: 10:05 p.m at AT&T Park
Weather: Mostly Cloudy, 58
TV: Comcast Sportsnet
Twitter: Phillies Nation

The Phillies open up a four game series against the San Francisco Giants. The Giants are a better team than in previous years.  They are well over .500 and lead the National League Wild Card by a half game.

This is most likely Rodrigo Lopez’s last start because of the additions of Cliff Lee and Pedro Martinez.  A great outing would make a tough decision for the Phils.  He is pitching for his job so he has not choice but to step it up.

Jonathan Sanchez threw a no-hitter against the San Diego Padres on July 10, but he barely became a starter.  Moved from the rotation to the bullpen, he found himself back in the rotation due to injuries.  Other than the no-no, Sanchez has struggled with an ERA close to 5.

Shane Victorino will  not be in the lineup due to a knee contusion.  Tonight’s lineup: Rollins (SS)/ Utley (2B)/ Werth (RF)/Howard (1B)/ Ibanez (LF)/ Francisco (CF)/ Feliz (3B)/ Ruiz (C)/ Lopez (P)

Your Gameday Beer – Guinness
I don’t need to tell you about Guinness. I’m sure you’re familar with its dark creamy goodness and fun fluffy head. This stout is one to savor, not the least of which because you have to wait those extra 2 minutes for the bartender to finish the pour. Since a Guinness is a meal in itself, skip the dinner and have some chocolate ice cream.  – By Brian

GO PHILLIES!

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Mayberry, Register, Optioned to AAA

Posted by Amanda Orr, Thu, July 30, 2009 06:39 PM

Comcast Sportsnet reported that John Mayberry Jr. and Steven Register were optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley, making room for Cliff Lee and Ben Francisco.

Mayberry hit .167 with three home runs in 30 at-bats.  Register allowed one run in two innings out of the Phillies bullpen.

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Amaro’s Top 10 As GM

Posted by Amanda Orr, Thu, July 30, 2009 04:30 PM

When the Philadelphia Phillies named Ruben Amaro Jr. as their General Manager, I had my doubts. The Stanford graduate has proved me wrong and has made some terrific moves in the eight months he has be GM. The Lee trade was the icing on the cake.

Here are his top 10 moves since becoming the Phillies GM:

10 ) Acquired John Mayberry Jr. from Texas in exchange for Greg Golson.

Time will tell about this speed for power deal. Mayberry has minimal playing time, but Mayberry is more likely to put up the better offensive numbers in the future, while Golson tallies the steals.

9 ) Released So Taguchi.

Two days after becoming the GM, Amaro made his first move. Taguchi batted .220 and had a .580 OPS while with the World Champion Phillies in 2008. The Chicago Cubs signed Taguchi to a minor league contract, but hasn’t played in the majors since.

8 ) Signed Pedro Martinez.

Time will tell for this move, but it’s not a bad deal on paper. The Phillies get a former Cy Young winner, and cheaper than expected. It’s only one year, so it can’t hurt.

7 ) Avoided arbitration with Shane Victorino, Chad Durbin, Ryan Madson and Joe Blanton.

Amaro didn’t overpay any of them after each of them had a phenomenal 2008 season. Victorino: 1 year, $3.125M; Durbin: 1 year, $1.365; Madson: 3 year, $12 million; Blanton: 1 year, $1.475.

6 ) Released Adam Eaton.

This is self-explanatory.

5 ) Signed Ryan Howard to a 3-year deal.

Many believed Howard would go through arbitration every year, receiving more money each year until he reached free agency and offered Alex Rodriguez type money. This deal was a safe bet, eating out Howard’s arbitration years. The contract is $54 million.

4 ) Signed Chan Ho Park.

Park was signed to a one year $2.5 million contract. Park earned his way into the rotation, but struggled. However, since joining the bullpen, Park is 2-1 with a 2.67 ERA. Opponents are batting .222 against him.

3 ) Signed Cole Hamels to a three year deal.

The reigning NLCS and World Series MVP was signed cheap; only $20.5 million for the course of three years. Hamels is having an off year, but he is still the Phillies ace and has showed signs of rebounding.

2 ) Signed Raul Ibanez.

Pat Burrell who? Ibanez is batting .305 with 26 home runs and 74 RBI. He has a 1.009 on-base plus slugging percentage.

1 ) Traded Lou Marson, Jason Donald, Carlos Carrasco, and Jason Knapp to Cleveland Indians for Cliff Lee and Ben Francisco.

This is a steal. The Phillies get the reigning Cy Young winner, plus a much need right-handed bat. The best prospects, Kyle Drabek, Dominic Brown, Michael Taylor and J.A Happ were not part of the deal, which is huge for the club’s future.

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Win an Autographed Game Ticket from Jamie Moyer’s 250th Win

Posted by Brian Michael, Thu, July 30, 2009 12:35 PM

Phillies Nation is teaming up with the Moyer Foundation to offer Phillies fans a great way to help an even better cause.  A small donation will put you in the running to win:

* An autographed Raul Ibanez baseball and a World Series hat and Rally Towel

* An autographed Jamie Moyer 250th win game ticket and a World Series t-shirt

* The chance to ask Jamie Moyer a baseball question! The top three people with the most entries will be able to ask Jamie a question which will be posted with his response on Phillies Nation.

Entries cost $10 and you can enter as many times as you want – 100% of your donation will go directly to helping kids. A winner will be chosen on August 10th.

Click here to make your donation for a chance to win one of these awesome Phillies prizes. Help kids in distress and win big!!

The Moyer Foundation was established in 2000 by one of our favorite Phillies pitchers – Jamie Moyer and his wife Karen. The Foundation has raised more than $17 million to support over 170 different organizations in Philadelphia and across the country. The Moyer Foundation’s mission is to offer encouragement, comfort and support to children enduring a time of profound distress – whether physical, emotional, or financial and to provide opportunities for enhancing overall wellness, stability and quality of life. 100% of personal and dedicated donations go directly back to the children and programs funded by The Moyer Foundation.

In addition to providing grants, The Foundation created and funds several key initiatives and community partnerships including the largest and furthest reaching – Camp Erin. Camp Erin is a free bereavement camp designed for children ages 6-17 who have experienced the death of a family member or friend. It is a weekend-long camp experience filled with traditional, fun, outdoor activities combined with grief education and emotional support. Bereavement professionals, licensed counselors and trained volunteers lead age appropriate groups through clinical bereavement activities such as art therapy, journaling, planned discussions and remembrance ceremonies. These activities give grieving youth the opportunity to process and validate their feelings while interacting with peers also dealing with loss.

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A Look at What the Phillies Gave Up

Posted by Ben Seal, Thu, July 30, 2009 11:46 AM

The rumors began flying weeks ago. If the Phillies were going to pick up a frontline starter at the trade deadline it would ravage the farm system, picking off all the top prospects in one fell swoop and leaving the club’s future uncertain. While it did take a quartet of minor leaguers to bring Cliff Lee and Ben Francisco into the fold yesterday, it wasn’t exactly the four players that had the Delaware Valley split on whether a trade was necessary. Top pitching prospect Kyle Drabek will still be wearing red pinstripes in the near future. Top position prospect Dominic Brown can still look forward to a career in the Phillies outfield, as can the man with the monster stats, Michael Taylor. And J.A. Happ, the potential NL Rookie of the Year, still has a comfortable spot in the rotation – at least for now.

So what did the Phillies give up to acquire the reigning AL Cy Young winner? According to Baseball America, they sent their 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th and 10^th-ranked prospects to the Midwest. The package they gave up is considerable, primarily because three of those players – Carlos Carrasco, Lou Marson and Jason Donald – were playing at triple-A Lehigh Valley, just a call-up away from joining the big club. But the actual impact on the Phils minor league system is not as big as it might seem. Here’s a look at what Philly is losing with each of these prospects.

Carlos Carrasco, RHP – At age 22, it is still far too early to say whether Carrasco is a disappointment, but it is fair to say that his progression through the ranks was not smooth. He boasted the best fastball and changeup in the system, two pitches that made Cole Hamels a World Series MVP. There was plenty to like about the stuff Carrasco brought onto the mound for each of his starts. But with that fantastic arm came a lack of composure, the one characteristic that almost always defines quality major league pitchers. He was infamous in the minors for letting one bad pitch snowball into a disastrous inning, allowing his great ability to get lost in the fray. Though he made three trips to the Futures Game before this year, Carrasco’s performance with the Iron Pigs was inconsistent. He left Lehigh Valley with a 6-9 record and a 5.18 ERA.

There is plenty of reason to believe that Carrasco will settle down, mature as a pitcher and harness his skills. If he can, he could very well be a solid No. 3 or No. 4 starter with a slightly higher ceiling. But after 5 years of ups and downs in the Phillies organization, he became expendable when a consistent ace came calling.

Lou Marson, C – There will always be high demand around baseball for a catcher that can hit the ball, and Marson was just that. Last season he hit .314 in a full season at double-A Reading and in his first taste of triple-A this year he was hitting .294 in 63 games. Marson even showed glimmers of his offensive prowess in brief call-ups to Philadelphia, hitting .286 in 21 AB. Defensively he was more than capable, earning praise from scouts and coaches alike for his ability behind the plate. It was very likely that he would be competing with Carlos Ruiz to be the starting catcher for the Phillies on Opening Day 2010. But while Marson was a prized prospect, rated No. 3 by Baseball America, projecting his talent to the major league level was not easy. In 1609 career AB in the minors he hit just 26 home runs and slugged just .388. He also did not have much doubles power, which often translates into home run power once a player reaches his physical peak.

It looked like Marson would be a light-hitting major league catcher with a decent average and little to no pop. He could have competed with Ruiz, but not necessarily stolen the job away from the Phils’ current catcher. The Phillies need not worry about losing their top catching prospect, as Travis d’Arnaud is rising through the system. At age 20 in single-A Lakewood he has already slugged 12 homers and 56 RBI with a .419 slugging percentage. Many scouts had him rated as the best catcher in the system even with Marson still involved. By the time d’Arnaud is ready, the Phillies might be glad they don’t have Marson blocking his path to the bigs.

Jason Donald, SS – For many reasons, Donald was the easiest of these four prospects to let slip away. There was no need for his services at shortstop in the immediate future, with mainstay Jimmy Rollins still dazzling with his glove even when his bat goes silent. Donald was a bit old for a prospect at 24, meaning he has likely gone through almost all of his development already. He is a smooth fielder at short, but had no experience shifting over to third base where the Phillies could have used him. This season has been a difficult one for Donald, after missing time due to injury and struggling with just a .236 average. Scouts have raved about his overall game, saying that he profiles as a starter for several years in the majors with good offensive potential.

That potential would never be reached in Philadelphia, where applicants for middle infield positions need not apply. He could very well be up with the Indians in the near future, but fans won’t miss his services. Much like 2B Adrian Cardenas, who was shipped to the Athletics last season for Joe Blanton, two All-Star roadblocks in the Phillies’ infield made Donald expendable.

Jason Knapp, RHP – A fireballer at age 18, Knapp is the type of high-ceiling prospect that the Indians were clamoring for, hoping to hit it big years down the road. They’ll have a good chance, but projecting any pitcher’s effectiveness in three or four years is a difficult process, especially such a young pitcher. A quick breeze through Knapp’s stats with Lakewood this season make it clear why Cleveland fancied him as the best pitching prospect the Phillies could offer, even above Kyle Drabek, according to some reports. In 85.1 innings he struck out 111 batters and allowed just 63 hits. For an inexperienced pitcher with such a power arm, his 39 walks were not high at all. Somehow he left Lakewood with an ERA of 4.01 and a 2-7 record despite such impressive peripheral numbers. He checked in at 6-foot-5, 235 pounds with some more growing to do, so the dominant arm is very real.

Knapp could turn out to be a frontline starter, as his 11.5 K/9 is already elite. Or he could be sidetracked by injury along the way, as he is right now and as Kyle Drabek was in 2007. Either way, he is far from his pro debut and likely won’t be ready until the Phillies current nucleus has already dissipated.

Final Thoughts – The four players going to Cleveland all have the potential to become solid major leaguers. There is always a hefty price tag on Cy Young winners. By holding onto J.A. Happ and Kyle Drabek, the Phillies managed to keep the homegrown talent for their rotation intact. And with Taylor and Brown – and Anthony Gose – still in the system, the future of the Phils’ outfield looks very bright. They lost plenty of talent in this deal, but they could afford to. The farm system takes a hit, but not one from which it can’t bounce back quickly.

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Ben Francisco, the New Bat Off the Bench

Posted by Jason Bintliff, Thu, July 30, 2009 08:00 AM

Depending on the outcome of the 2009 season, general manager Ruben Amaro could be hailed as the wisest man to ever grace the front offices of the Phillies organization.  At the very least he will be remembered as thief extraordinaire.

The Phillies have landed their ace pitcher days before the MLB trade deadline.  Welcome to Philadelphia Cliff Lee.

Despite the multiple up to the minute rumors surrounding Roy Halladay and despite the tug of war over prospects between Amaro and Blue Jay’s GM / village idiot J.P. Ricciardi, the Phillies came away like the raccoons that terrorize your trash cans at night.

Some may argue that there is no way that this deal is better than if we obtained Halladay, but I beg to differ.

Compared to a Halladay deal, the Phillies essentially traded a bag of balls, two Wilson batting gloves, and an autographed Chase Utley bat to get the top flight pitcher. Ricciardi wanted a king’s ransom.  The Indians only wanted a jester’s day of pay. And so the deal was made with Cleveland and the Phillies gave away mid-level prospects to obtain one of the top pitchers in baseball.

Second on the list of Phillies needs was a right-handed bat off the bench. Last week Pat explained in detail why this was such an urgent matter. In short, the Phillies current bench is not producing. And this is what makes the Lee deal better than a Halladay one.

Welcome to Philadelphia Mr. Ben Francisco.

Francisco has been decent this season batting .250 with 10 bombs and 33 runs batted in and 48 runs scored this season for the Indians. His 13 stolen bases show that he carries a bit of speed on the base paths as well. This is one thing the Phillies have been lacking from their bench; and that is what makes him so versatile as an option for Charlie Manuel in the late innings.

Francisco’s hitting chart suggests that he is a pull hitter and he hits his fair share of fly balls. That bodes well for the right-hander because of Citizen’s Bank Park’s shallow left field dimensions.

In the field, Francisco has been near flawless for the Indians this season, committing only one error in 189 total chances. This gives Manuel another option for a defensive replacement instead of going with Brunlett. More importantly, his fielding skills in the outfield gives Manuel a viable replacement for Raul Ibanez, should his groin injury return this year. If anything, having Francisco as an option will allow for Ibanez to take a day off occasionally when the Phillies are facing a left-handed pitcher.

Will Ben Francisco represent the difference in the Phillies winning a title in 2009? The short answer is no, probably not.

What Francisco does represent is the fact that the Phillies general manager is as crafty as the 46-year old veteran who toes the rubber every fifth day. It shows that Amaro wasn’t so narrow-minded to think that a starting pitcher was the cure all for his team’s needs. Most importantly helps Amaro step out of the shadows of the general manager who handed him the reigns.

Ruben Amaro made a deadline deal in his first year as GM for the Phillies. Boy, was it a good one.

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Diamondbacks Shutout Phils

Posted by Amanda Orr, Thu, July 30, 2009 01:00 AM

The day wasn’t completely perfect. The Phillies acquired Cliff Lee from the Cleveland Indians, but dropped their series finale with the Arizona Diamondbacks, losing 4-0.

Dan Haren is supposed to be the one throwing shutouts for the D’backs. Instead, it was Cy Young– err, Yusmeiro Petit. Petit entered the game with an earned run average over seven, but limited the Phillies to four hits and one walk in six shutout innings. He struck out eight batters.

J.A Happ was tacked with his second straight loss, but it was due to a lack of run support. Happ made one mistake; it was to Justin Upton and it landed in the left field bleachers. Happ pitched six innings giving up two runs on three hits and two walks.

Scott Eyre and Tyler Walker each gave up a run out of the bullpen, but it did not matter since the Phillies’ bats were sound asleep. The Phillies left nine men on base, and were 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position.  Wednesday marked the third time the Phillies have been shutout this season, and the first time since May 6.

Shane Victorino made a fantastic diving catch, but appeared to suffer some sort of injury on the play. He later left the game with a knee contusion.

On a positive note, the Phillies won the series, two games to one. That and Cliff Lee’s jersey will be hanging in the Phillies clubhouse tomorrow.

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Gameday: Phillies (58-40) At Diamondbacks (43-58)

Posted by Amanda Orr, Wed, July 29, 2009 09:16 PM

Philadelphia Phillies (58-40) at Arizona Diamondbacks (43-58)

J.A Happ (7-1, 2.97) vs. Yusmeiro Petit (0-5, 7.68 ERA)

Time: 9:40 p.m at Chase Field
Weather: Partly Cloudy, 108
TV: Comcast Sportsnet
Twitter: Phillies Nation

It’s been a busy day for the Phillies and they haven’t even played a game yet.  They’ll attempt to sweep the Arizona Diamondbacks tonight.

J.A Happ survived the trade rumors–for now.  He is coming off his first loss of the season after allowing five earned runs against the Cardinals.  Happ has had a solid season and looks to build a new win streak tonight against a Diamondbacks’ lineup that has scored only one run off a Phillies starter.

The Phillies have a good chance to score runs off Yusmeiro Petit, who has very bad numbers. In addition, if the Diamondbacks defense continues to play poorly, the Phillies could be looking at double-digits in the runs column.

Your Gameday Beer – Sawtooth Ale
Reader Chris recommends tonight’s beer, Sawtooth Ale from the Left Hand Brewing Company in Colorado. It comes in honor of the Phillies new look rotation – chock full of lefties. This medium-bodied amber ale is well balanced with nutty, caramel flavors. It’s also a bitter, so if you’re bummer about not getting Halladay this beer is for you. Left Hand recommends pairing it with grilled salmon. – By Brian

GO PHILLIES!

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Rest easy, Nation: Lee becomes a Phillie

Posted by Pat Gallen, Wed, July 29, 2009 05:09 PM

All signs pointed toward Roy Halladay. For days and weeks, it was Roy this, and Roy that. Many a restless night was spent pondering the possibilities.  What will it take to get Doc?  Happ or Drabek?  Brown or Taylor?  Will Ruben let J.P. Ricciardi have his way?  Forget about all of that, because the Philadelphia Phillies bagged another former Cy Young Award winner instead.

A deal was struck with the Cleveland Indians that will send lefty Cliff Lee, along with outfielder Ben Francisco, to Philadelphia in exchange for four minor leaguers.  Those four players are 18-year old class-A pitcher Jason Knapp, 22-year old Carlos Carrasco, catcher Lou Marson, and infielder Jason Donald.

That bounty is FAR less than what the Toronto Blue Jays coveted for their star arm, and it’s sending shockwaves through the major leagues.

After failed attempts to nail down a deal for Halladay, the Phillies grew tired of the Jays exorbitant demands and made a counter move.  By virtually stealing Lee, the Phillies now become the front-runner once again in the National League.  The price they paid was miniscule compared to what Toronto wanted, and for the time being, Ruben Amaro resembles the GM-version of Einstein.

This trade conjures up an array of emotions for Phillies fans.  On one hand, many are enthralled with the job Amaro has done in receiving a number one starter for relatively decent prospects.  It’s also a move that may put even more distance on an already impressive NL East lead. On the other, Halladay was wanted so desperately that some will still be left wondering what life could have been like with arguably the best pitcher in the game.

Obtaining Lee guarantees the Phillies nothing.  Certainly, on paper, they look mightier than their counterparts, but while Lee does make it a two-horse team at the top, there are still questions surrounding him.  Many wondered if last season was a fluke.  He won 22 games after spending much of the 2007 season in the minor leagues.  Don’t forget, he was scuffling for quite a while before he found his present form.

Lee, also, has not been as dominant as last season.  In 223.1 innings in ’08, Lee allowed just 214 hits and only 63 earned runs.  In 152 innings this year, he has given up 165 hits, and already, 53 earned runs.  Some have given the excuse that he played on a terrible Indians team.  And while that does hold true for the most part, Lee has not been nearly as sharp as a year ago.

With Roy Halladay, there are no questions to be answered.  He is THE premier arm in baseball, and that notion has become widely recognized by many in the game.  There are no worrisome traits in Halladay; he has had no minor league stints, and presents a far better track record.

But beyond the sliver of doubt comes great joy to a city that has been lucky enough to find boatloads of it recently.  Lee helps this team in a myriad of ways.

Instantly, he will stabilize a rotation that has been, at times, suspect.  Over the past few weeks, the staff has stood up and righted itself.  However, you can never have too many quality pitchers.  Cole Hamels had struggled to find his groove for the better part of the season, although he is slowly rounding back to his former MVP-self.  Jamie Moyer is up and down, and the fifth starter was a mystery, and still is at this point.

Lee is now your ace.  By taking the mounting pressure off of Hamels, it can only help the young stud become even more comfortable.  It slides the rest of the rotation into a more relaxed role as well. Everyone now knows they have one of the best to lean on every fifth day.

The acquisition of Lee also brings a collective sigh of relief from the bullpen.  Overworked in the early going, the relievers have done an admirable job treading water throughout the ’09 campaign.  In recent weeks, injuries have plagued the bullpen, so the Lee Factor comes into play here.

Since a putrid start on June 30 in which he allowed seven earned runs in three innings, Lee has posted five straight quality starts.  Sprinkled in those outings were back-to-back complete games.  He has three total CG’s on the season, not to mention five other starts of eight innings.  Lee currently leads the American League in innings pitched, something that has to make Lidge and company smile.

Sure, he is 7-9 on the season, but with the added run support he is bound to receive, plus the benefit of playing for a championship contender, look for those numbers to level out.  Some other stats that are eye opening regarding the tall left-hander: Lee averages less than two walks per nine innings, a sign that he will not give in to the hitters.  He has given up just 10 home runs on the season, a positive reinforcement when playing in Citizens Bank Park.  When facing left handed hitters, Lee has allowed only seven extra-base hits this year, with just one being of the long-ball variety.

High praise is certainly in order for Ruben Amaro and his team of scouts and front-office employees.  They made a strong push to make this ballclub as strong as possible, and while the number one guy on the board remains, there is very little to complain about after this trade.  By keeping J.A. Happ, Kyle Drabek, Dominic Brown, and/or Michael Taylor, their youthful core is still intact.

So, as you lay your head down tonight, while watching the Phillies battle the Diamondbacks, of course, it should be a little easier to rest comfortably.  No, it’s not our boy Roy, but it’s still a monumental addition.  Sleep well, my friends.  Cliff Lee is a Phillie.

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