Skip to main content

Swept in Houston


Have you heard that Ed Wade, Chris Coste, Mike Bourn and Jason Michaels just beat the Phillies in four straight games? I am stunned that I have to write about this.

Charlie Manuel said it best on Sunday when he told the media, "We had a bad series, and that’s saying it lightly, I guess. They outplayed us. They deserved to win. We keep playing like that it’s going to be tough for us to win [many more games]. We did almost everything we could do to lose."

There are certainly different ways to take a series sweep like this. The Phillies could be displaying their inconsistencies and showing they aren't a lock for the NLCS or even the playoffs. On the other hand, the Phillies still own a 6 game lead in their division, and this series in Houston shouldn't discredit the season the Phillies have had thus far.

This time last season, the Phillies were trailing in both the division and the wild card standings. Heading into the 2nd weekend of September 2008, the Phils were 3 1/2 games behind the Metropolitans and 4 games behind the Brewers. The Phillies swept the Brewers in a four game series at home, following a 4-5 start to the month.

The Phillies now look forward with their next 10 games against the Nationals and Metropolitans. Those two teams are 43 and 13 games under .500, respectively. It shouldn't be too much trouble for the NL East leaders to bounce back.

Slump is a term that could easily be applied to the Phils' struggles as of late. Entering Sunday's game, the Phils still led the National League in runs per game, with an average over 5, but in the past 11 games, they've only scored 23 runs total (2.09 runs per game). It has been over two weeks since the Phillies actually scored 5 or more runs in a game.

The Phillies have injured pitchers on the disabled list (JC Romero, Clay Condrey), but even the active pitchers are banged up. "Jay" Happ missed his start with a strained oblique on Monday, Ryan Madson is missing time with the same issue, and Brad Lidge needs rest with a blister on his pitching hand.


Uplifting stat of the day...Jamie Moyer has a 1.86 ERA in four appearances since he was removed from the starting rotation, after his August 9th start.

---------------------------

Hey, follow PhoulBallz.com on Twitter HERE!

BallHype: hype it up!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Jersey Shore clinches playoff berth on final day of regular season

Ottto Kemp, image- Jay Floyd With an extra-inning victory over first-half division champions Hudson Valley on Sunday, the Class A Advanced Jersey Shore BlueClaws clinched the team's first playoff appearance since 2018, winning the second-half division title. Key performers in the BlueClaws' clincher were righty hurler Jason Ruffcorn, who threw three innings of relief to earn the victory and third baseman Otto Kemp, notched three hits, a walk, two stolen bases and plated the game winning run in the 11th inning on a sacrifice fly.  On top of that, Kemp, who turned 24-years-old on Saturday, made an absolute game-saving defensive play to help the club hold their lead in the bottom of the 11th frame. One of Jersey Shore's most consistent performers all season long has been right-handed reliever Cam Wynne.  The Phillies' 20th round draft pick in 2021 out of Nebraska.  In 34 appearances, one start, the 24-year-old tallied a 1-1 record with one save, a 2.44 ERA and a .190 batti

PhoulBallz Interview: BlueClaws OF Justin Crawford

Justin Crawford w/ junior reporter Evan At the age of 19, outfielder Justin Crawford has played his way into the conversation of being considered as one of baseball's top prospects. The son of four-time MLB All-Star Carl Crawford, Justin has looked every bit as impressive as his position as the 17th overall draft selection last year would have most fans thinking he should be.  He opened the season with Class A Clearwater where, in 69 games, he notched a .344/.399/.478 slash line.  And since mid-August when he was promoted to Class A Advanced Jersey Shore, the younger Crawford has posted a .300/.364/.440 line.  He's also stolen 44 bases in 52 attempts overall. And while the BlueClaws enter the final week of the regular season 1/2 game out of first place in their division, I spoke with Justin Crawford about the team's hopes of making the postseason for the first time since 2018. I also asked Justin about the similarities and differences between his skillset and his father'

RHP Pipkin headed to AFL after hot August

After completing what was easily the best month of his career, righty hurler Dominic Pipkin is ready to face the tough competition of the prominent Arizona Fall Leage.   Pipkin, who was the Phillies' 9th round draft selection in 2018, has had moderate success in his five years as a pro, posting a 4.93 ERA, a 7.6 K/9 mark and a .260 batting average against mostly at the lower levels on the minors. After missing time this year with an unspecified ailment, the six-foot-four 170-pounder proved to be healthy as he dominated AA competition in nine appearances with the Reading Fightin Phils during August.  Pipkin's impressive production resulted in a 1-0 record with a save and a 0.96 ERA while striking out eight and walking three in 9 1/3 innings. The California native says his efforts to improve have helped him touch 100 MPH on the radar gun, while his fastball velocity is mostly around 96 MPH.   Pipkin's arsenal includes that improved fastball as well as a slider while his curve