Bleacher Report - Articles by Todd Tranausky

Philadelphia-San Diego: Battle of Bullpens Decides Battle of Aces

Todd Tranausky — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 18:15:46 -0400

The Philadelphia Phillies defeated the San Diego Padres, 7-4 in the opener of a six game homestand. Cole Hamels got the win and evened his record at 3-3. Greg Maddux was denied his 350^th career win for the second consecutive outing, after allowing three runs in six and one third innings pitched.

The Phils jumped out to an early 1-0 lead when Eric Bruntlett scored on a Ryan Howard single to left-center field. Bruntlett walked in the first as he gained a reprieve from the number eight position in the batting order to hit second against the veteran Maddux.

Bruntlett also had a hand in the Phillies second run of the game.

The shortstop singled home Jayson Werth in the third inning, after Werth tripled down the right field line. Werth’s run extended the Phils lead to 2-0.

Scott Hairston cut the Phils lead in half with a solo home run to left with two outs in the fifth, and was the only chink in Hamels’ armor until the eighth. Hairston led off the eighth with a double to center and moved to third on Josh Bard’s ground out to second. After walking pinch hitter Tony Clark, Hamels was lifted in favor of JC Romero. Romero had stranded only two of the seven runners he inherited so far this season.

With Hamels gone, the two aces had both departed and the game came down to a battle of the bullpens. The Phils trio of Romero, Tom Gordon, and Ryan Madson proved superior to the Padres trio of Cla Meredith, Glendon Rusch, and Kevin Cameron.

Gordon came on after Romero walked Brian Giles, the only batter he faced, to put runners at the corners with two outs. The Padres second run scored when Hairston crossed the plate on a RBI groundout off the bat of former Phillie Tadahito Iguchi.

The Phils added four runs in the bottom half of the eighth on four hits, including three doubles, and a walk. The bottom third of the Phillies batting order accounted for four RBI’s of the Phillies seven runs. Pedro Feliz, Carlos Ruiz, and pinch-hitter Greg Dobbs all contributed run scoring hits in the four run eighth to extend the Phils lead. The Phils offense feasted upon a Padres bullpen that is ranked last in the National League in ERA.

Ryan Madson allowed a two run home run to Hairston in the bottom of the ninth to trim the Phillies lead to 7-4, but that was as close as the Padres would get. Hairston contributed three runs batted in and three runs scored to the losing cause for San Diego.

Notes:

The Phillies activated Shane Victorino from the 15-Disabled List before the game. Victorino came in as a pinch-hitter for Geoff Jenkins in the eighth inning and flied out to left. To make room for Victorino, T.J. Bohn was optioned back to Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

In other player news, the Phils claimed Oscar Robles off waivers from the Padres and assigned him to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Robles is a 31-year old infielder who made his major league debut back in 2005 with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Robles appeared in 24 games with San Diego last season.

Phillies-Pirates: Kyle Kendrick Leads Philadelphia to Series Win over Pittsburgh

Todd Tranausky — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 17:48:08 -0400

The Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates 8-4 on Saturday night to win the series and continue their impressive 5-1 road trip that culminates on Sunday afternoon. Kyle Kendrick got the win, pitching seven plus innings. Matt Morris took the loss for the Pirates , allowing six runs in one and two thirds innings of work.

Morris threw 49 pitches to get out of the first inning, after getting into trouble after getting two outs in the inning. After Morris retired Jayson Werth and Greg Dobbs top start the game, the next seven hitters reached base against Morris, en route to five Phillies runs.

Morris struggled again in the second, allowing three of the first five hitters to reach base before Pittsburgh manager John Russell lifted him in favor of Phil Dumatrait. Dumatrait pitched well until he started to tire in the sixth Werth doubled home Eric Bruntlett with the Phillies seventh run. Werth would score on Pedro Feliz’s double to right center and make it an 8-2 Phille lead.

The Phillies improved on Friday night’s performance when they failed to add on after amassing a 6-0 lead. On Saturday night, the Phillies offense continued to add on against a tiring Dumatrait in the sixth after going silent once Morris was lifted in the second. This allowed to the Phils to have a fairly comfortable ride in the later innings when the Pirates mounted rallies against a tiring Kendrick with the key components in their bullpen unavailable.

Kendrick pitched well with a lead and keep the Pirates off the board in every inning when his teammates gave him a bigger lead. Kendrick also put together streaks of nine and seven consecutive batter retired, respectively, at various points in the game. This showcased his ability to pitch with a lead and take control of the game. These attributes were what he showcased in his rookie season last year and will serve him and the Phillies well in years to come.

The Phils try and close out a successful road trip with a sweep of the Pirates in tomorrow’s series finale against the Pirates. After an off day Monday, Philadelphia starts a six game home stand on Tuesday against the Padres and Giants as their dominance against teams from teams outside the National League East continues in the season’s first month.

Phillies-Brewers: Charlie Manuel's Lack of Bullpen Strategy Leads to Loss

Todd Tranausky — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 18:30:25 -0400

The Phillies three game wining streak came to an end with a 5-4 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday night. Mitch Stetter got the win in relief for the Brewers, and Derrick Turnbow pitched a scoreless ninth to notch his first save. Cole Hamels took the loss and fell to 2-3 on the season.

Hamels allowed three runs in the first inning before retiring the next ten hitters in a row. Rickie Weeks led off for the Brewers with a double down the left field line. Weeks scored when the next hitter, Gabe Kapler, singled to left and gave the Brew Crew an early 1-0 lead. Two batters later, Prince Fielder hit a launched a two run home run to centerfield to complete the early rally against Hamels.

Chase Utley cut the Brewers lead to 3-1 with his tenth home run of the year. One night after having his five game consecutive home run streak snapped in Colorado, he started another one with a long bomb to centerfield off Milwaukee starter Dave Bush.

Bush came into the game with an 0-3 record and a 7.02ERA, but pitched well allowing four runs in his six plus innings of work. Greg Dobbs tied the game in the fifth with a two run home run off Bush, the second the right-hander allowed in the game.

Charlie Manuel sent Hamels back out to pitch the eighth inning after amassing 110 pitches, and this is when the ace of the Phillies staff faltered. Ryan Braun led off the eighth with a double and scored when Fielder launched his second home run of the game and gave the Brewers a 5-4 lead.

Manuel had a full complement of relievers rested and available out of the bullpen to close out the final two innings with a 4-3 lead, but instead left Hamels in an inning too long and his team suffered because of it. Hamels had given the Phils seven strong innings and thrown 110 pitches in the third week of April. It was clearly time to turn it over to a rested and ready bullpen, but Manuel failed to pull the trigger.

The Phillies bullpen has the lowest ERA in the National League, and Manuel was afraid to pull the trigger. Manuel’s bullpen management must improve as this is at least the second game Manuel’s lack of baseball acumen has cost the Phils. These errors can not be tolerated and Manuel must be held accountable for his missteps.

Phillies-Rockies: Brett Myers Struggles as Philadelphia Sweeps Colorado

Todd Tranausky — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 18:57:20 -0400

The Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Colorado Rockies, 8-6. Ryan Madson pitched the eighth to notch the win, while Brad Lidge nailed down a perfect ninth for his fourth save. Manny Corpas took the loss, allowing three runs in the ninth inning to give the Phillies the come from behind victory.

Brett Myers received a no decision after allowing all six of the Rockies runs over his seven innings of work. After a solid outing his last time out, Myers repeated his early season struggles on Tuesday night. The Rockies had at least one runner in scoring position in every inning except the sixth off the enigmatic right-hander.

Myers was also unable to keep the Rockies off the scoreboard in the half-innings that followed after his teammates scored. After the Phillies offense put runs on the board in the third, fourth, and seventh innings, Myers was unable to put together a shut down inning and keep the Rockies off the scoreboard.

The offense was able to get Myers off the hook with a three-run ninth inning rally, but Myers must pitch better if this team is to realize its post season aspirations. Myers has been put into a leadership position by virtue of Charlie Manuel appointing him the ace of the staff. On most nights allowing six earned runs over seven innings will not keep your team in the game, and an ace is expected to give his team a chance to win every time he takes the mound. Through the first three weeks, Myers has failed to do that.

Jason Werth’s solo homer to left in the seventh inning tied the game at four and seemed to reinvigorate the Phillies’ bench. Pedro Feliz doubled with one out in the eighth and scored on a pinch hit single by Greg Dobbs. That run made it a 6-5 Colorado lead after Myers allowed a two run homer to Garrett Atkins in the bottom of the seventh.

The Phils hung the third blown save of the season on Corpas in the ninth inning. After So Taguchi and Chase Utley reached base with singles, Rockies manager Clint Hurdle chose to intentionally walk Ryan Howard with one out. Pat Burrell followed with a three-run double to left-center that plated Taguchi, Utley, and Howard to give the Phils the 8-6 victory.

Utley went 2-for-5 in the game, with a single and double. That snapped his streak of consecutive games with a home run at five.

Notes:

The Phillies swept their first season of the season, and won their third series of the year. All three series wins have come against teams outside the National League East.

The Phillies open another quick two game series on Wednesday night in Milwaukee against the Brewers. Ben Sheets was supposed to start game one of the series for the Brewers, but he has been scratched due to injury. The Brewers starter for the series opener is unknown at this time.

Phillies' Win Lifts Them Back to .500

Todd Tranausky — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 18:20:03 -0400

The Phillies defeated the Colorado Rockies 9-5 to start the first game of their seven game road trip with a victory. Rudy Seanez picked up the win in relief, and Taylor Buchholtz took the loss for Colorado.

For the second consecutive game, the late innings proved difficult for the Rockies as the Phils put up five runs over the game’s final two innings. Buchholtz retired the first two hitters before Ryan Howard and Pat Burrell hist back to back singles to right. After walking Pedro Feliz to load the bases, Buchholtz was lifted for Brian Fuentes. Fuentes allowed a single that scored Howard and Burrell to the first batter he faced, Carlos Ruiz, before getting out of the inning.

The Phillies tacked on three more runs in the ninth against Micah Bowie. Bowie allowed the first three hitters to reach base with a single, hit batter, and double. All three scored when T.J. Bohn doubled down the left field line and gave the Phils a 9-5 lead. Bohn was recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Sunday when Jimmy Rollins was placed on the 15-day Disabled List.

Chase Utley continued his torrid home run pace, hittting a solo home run in the sixth inning. It was Utley's sixth homer in the last five games and his fifth consecutive game with home run.

The Phillies needed five run s over the last two innings because of a poor outing from starter Kyle Kendrick. The young right-hander allowed five runs in his five innings pitched. Kendrick gave up two home runs that accounted for all five runs, but was in constant trouble.

Despite only allowing the three-run homer to Yorvit Torrealba in the second and a two run homer to Garrett Atkins in the fifth, Kendrick allowed base runners in every inning. The Rockies had runners in scoring position in every inning but the first against Kendrick, but failed to convert as they left five runners on base over the first five innings.

Kendrick needs to start pitching well consistently, and be a middle of the rotation question mark for manager Charlie Manuel and his teammates. Kendrick looms large as Manuel seeks to not overwork his bullpen throughout the season. Kendrick can either be a pitcher who can provide the Phillies with a tough five or six innings, or he can be a guy who lasts two innings. He needs to be consistent with his command in order to be the former. Consistent command will allow him to rekindle the success he experienced last year, while inconsistency will make him this year’s version of Adam Eaton from last season.

In baseball, inconsistency leads to mediocrity and this team has been consistently inconsistent through the first 20 games. Not surprisingly, they are 10-10, and have failed to break the .500 mark every time they have reached it over the first month.

It will be interesting to see what happens when the Phillies take the field on Tuesday night as they seek to climb above .500. Will they sink back into a chasm or rise to the occasion?

Only time will tell.

Houston-Phildelphia: Valverde Bypassed As Jose Astros Nail Down Win Over Phils

Todd Tranausky — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 18:10:03 -0400

The Houston Astros defeated the Phillies, 2-1 in the middle game of the three game series between the teams. Roy Oswalt pitched masterfully over eight innings to get the win, while Kyle Kendrick took the loss despite allowing only two runs over his seven innings of work. Doug Brocail pitched a scoreless ninth to notch his first save of the season.

Michael Bourn accounted for both Astros runs in his return to Philadelphia after being traded to Houston in the off-season. Bourn led off the game with an infield single and scored three batters later when Carlos Lee doubled to the left field corner and gave the Astros an early 1-0 lead.

The Phils tied the game up at one in the bottom half of the first. Jayson Werth led off the Phils first with a single to center and scored on Ryan Howard’s single to center later in the inning to knot the game at one.

Bourn wasn’t finished, though.

The speedy centerfielder launched a two out homerun off the foul pole down the right field line to give the Astros a 2-1 lead in the top of the fifth inning that Roy Oswalt and a pair of relievers made stand up.

Oswalt had struggled for the Astros in his first two outings, allowing 13 earned runs in ten and two-thirds innings of work. The thin right-hander showed no signs of those struggles against the Phils, allowing a paltry five hits and one run over seven innings of work to notch his first win of the season.

Kendrick also pitched well, despite allowing the two runs. Kendrick was never really in any concerted trouble during his seven innings and looked like he had finally discovered last year’s success in 2008.

This outing was very different from Kendrick’s first two outings, and especially his last outing where he lasted only two and one third innings, because he had definitive command of both his fastball and curveball. He was able to throw both at any point in the count wherever he wanted. That type of command will be crucial to his continued success and Phillies fans can hope that Kendrick can maintain that command for another five months.

Astros Manager Cecil Cooper opted to not bring Jose Valverde into the game in a save situation after Valverde blew a save in Tuesday night’s series opener. Brocail came on and pitched a scoreless ninth to nail down the victory for the Astros as Valverde looked on, arms crossed, from the Astros bullpen in centerfield.

Philadelphia Phillies: Minor League Notebook for April 13

Todd Tranausky — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 18:21:02 -0400

The Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs snapped an 11-game losing streak to start the season and notched the first victory in franchise history with a 3-1 win over the Richmond Braves. Brennan King was responsible for most of the offense, going 1-for-3 with a double, a run scored, and a run batted in. Ron Chiavacci got the win, throwing six shutout innings.

The Harrisburg Senators defeated the Reading Phillies, 8-2 on Monday night. Shane Youman contributed an inning of relief and allowed three earned runs, increasing his ERA to 9.53. Bradley Harman went 0-for-3 with a run batted in. Harman is hitting .171 in the first two weeks of the season.

The Clearwater Threshers were idle on Monday night before they open a three game series in Fort Myers on Tuesday.

The Lakewood BlueClaws lost to the Lake County Captains, 5-4 in 10 innings. Joe Naughton went 1-for4 with a walk and his hitting .286 on the season. Joseph Rocchio took the loss and fell to 0-2 after allowing the winning run to score in the tenth in his one and one-third innings of relief.

Phillies' Minor League Notebook: Sunday, April 12th

Todd Tranausky — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 18:41:11 -0400

Three of the four Philadelphia Phillies' minor league affiliates won on Sunday, but the Iron Pigs fell to 0-11 to start the season.

The Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs lost, 6-2, to the Richmond Braves Sunday afternoon.

OF Mike Spidale was promoted to the Iron Pigs from Double-A Reading before the game to replace Chris Snelling. Snelling was recalled to Philadelphia after Shane Victorino was injured on Saturday night.

Spidale went 0-for-3 in his International League debut as the Iron Pigs lead-off hitter.

The Reading Phillies defeated the Altoona Curve on Sunday by a score of 7-3. Carlos Carrasco put together another solid outing, allowing two earned runs over six innings of work. Justin Pope continued to pitch well out of the R-Phils' bullpen, pitching a perfect ninth inning.

Jake Blalock was promoted to Reading from Single-A Clearwater to replace the promoted Spidale on the 24-man roster.

The Clearwater Threshers defeated the Lakeland Tigers, 5-0, on Sunday afternoon. Joe Savery received the win, pitching eight innings of shutout baseball. Carlos Leon sparked the Threshers from the lead-off spot, going 2-for 4 with two runs scored and three runs batted in.

The Lakewood BlueClaws defeated the Delmarva Shorebirds, 7-4, in 11 innings. Dennis Winn appeared in his second game for the BlueClaws, going 1-for-3 with a double and two runs batted in.

Jared Simon continued his strong start to the year, receiving the win after giving up one run in three-and-a-third innings pitched.

Phillies Miss Opportunities in Loss to Cubs; Shane Victorino out Indefinitely

Todd Tranausky — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 18:12:50 -0400

The Chicago Cubs defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 6-5 in 10 innings Sunday. Kerry Wood got the win in relief for the Cubs, and Bob Howry notched his first save. Rudy Seanez took the loss after allowing an unearned run in extra innings.

The winning run scored when Chase Utley threw a would-be double play ball into the Phillies' dugout, allowing the runner to score from third.

Utley was trying to complete a ground ball double play off the bat of pinch-hitter Carlos Zambrano that would have ended the top of the 10th.

Utley reached second base in the bottom half of the inning on a long double off the top of the right field wall, but was stranded.

For the second time in a week, the Phils were the victims of an umpire's bad call. This time, third base umpire Adrian Johnson incorrectly called a Mark DeRosa sixth-inning shot down the left field line a home run when it clearly crossed the foul pole in foul territory.

Pat Burrell and Charlie Manuel argued vehemently and Johnson eventually ejected Manuel.

Replays vindicated Manuel’s argument.

Just like earlier in the week, however, the umpire didn’t have to be the determining factor in the game. The Phils had chances to make Johnson’s call moot, but failed to take advantage.

In the second inning, the Phils had the bases loaded without hitting a ball out of the infield, but failed to score off Cubs starter Jason Marquis.

The Phils also had the bases loaded in the first inning with one out and only put one run across. They had the lead-off runner reach base in the eighth and ninth innings, but failed to capitalize off the Cubs' bullpen.

This team needs to make sure it converts opportunities in games like this one as it was a golden opportunity to make up ground lost over the first two weeks of the season.

The Phillies did win their first series of the year this weekend, which hopefully will propel them forward heading into a series against the Houston Astros starting Tuesday night.

Notes

Reigning National League MVP Jimmy Rollins sat out the entire series against the Cubs, but has yet to be placed on the disabled list. It is rumored that he will be back in the lineup after Monday’s off-day when the Phils open a series against the Astros at Citizens Bank Park.

One player who will not be in the lineup when the Phils take the field Tuesday is OF Shane Victorino. Victorino was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a right calf strain after Saturday night’s game.

Chris Snelling was recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley and pinch hit in the eighth inning of Sunday's game.

Phillies-Cubs: Why Can't Every Night Be Like Tonight?

Todd Tranausky — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 21:04:40 -0400

The Phillies defeated the Chicago Cubs 7-1 in front of a sellout crowd of 45,072 at Citizens Bank Park. Cole Hamels got his second win of the season, throwing seven shutout innings. Ted Lilly took the loss, failing to make it out of the fifth inning for the third straight time.

The Phillies displayed excellent pitching and defense, with enough timely offense. The team put together its first complete, seamless game of the season and showed what can happen when every facet plays up to its potential.

Even the enigmatic Eric Bruntlett made a contribution, with a nice diving catch of a soft line drive in the fifth inning off the bat of Mark DeRosa to keep the lead-off runner off base.

Bruntlett has played the last four games for the injured Jimmy Rollins, who is listed as day-to-day. Rollins suffered a left ankle sprain in Tuesday’s game against the Mets, and has made only pinch-hitting appearances since the injury.

Hamels set the tone with by retiring the first seven Cubs he faced. He allowed only one hit in seven flawless innings, firmly establishing himself as the Phillies’ staff ace. Hamels came into the game with a 1.20 ERA and lowered that to 0.82.

Hamels is fifth in the National League in ERA through his first three starts. While it's still early in the season, the hard-throwing left-hander has make sure his name is included in early discussion of Cy Young candidates.

The Phils' offense took advantage of a struggling Lilly, who came into the game with a 9.72 ERA. After a leadoff walk to Pat Burrell in the second, Pedro Feliz hit a long home run to left center to give the Phils an early 2-0 lead.

Ryan Howard hit his third home run of the season in the fifth, a two-run blast that gave the Phils a 5-0 lead and spelled the end of Lilly’s night.

The Cubs got their only offense off Ryan Madson in the eighth when Ryan Theriot scored on an Alfonso Soriano single to cut the Phils lead to 5-1. That was as close as the Cubs would get.

The Phils added two more runs in the bottom half of the eighth against Bob Howry, who has also struggled for the Cubs in the early part of April. Carlos Ruiz led off with a single and scored on a double to the right field corner off the bat of So Taguchi.

Taguchi scored two batters later on a Jayson Werth double to make it 7-1 and cap the scoring.

Hamels set the early tone for the game, and the Phils' offense took advantage of a struggling Cubs starter. Hamels was able to pitch effectively with a lead, and the offense added to it throughout the game. The Phils showed a glimpse tonight of how good they can be when they put it all together for nine innings.

The victory brought the Phils back to .500 on the season at 6-6 and should give them momentum as they head in to Sunday’s series finale.

If they can carry that momentum past Sunday after an inconsistent start, they could challenge for the National League East crown again.

Phillies Minor League Notebook for Friday April 11

Todd Tranausky — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 18:51:51 -0400

The Clearwater Threshers of the Florida State League brought home the only win for the Phillies' minor league affiliates on Friday night.

The Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs lost their home opener at Coca-Cola Park, 6-0. The game was the first minor league game played in Lehigh Valley in four decades, but the Iron Pigs were unable to mark the occasion with a victory as the team fell to 0-9 to start the season. J.D. Durbin (0-2) turned in his second poor outing of the season, allowing four earned runs in five innings of work.

The Reading Phillies lost their home opener to the Altoona Curve by a score of 8-4. Two R-Phils outfielders, Javon Moran and Greg Golson, are having vastly different starts to the season. Moran went 0-for-5 against the Curve and is hitting .121 for the season, while Golson went 1-for-4 with a double and run scored and owns a .323 batting average.

The Clearwater Threshers beat the Lakeland Tigers, 1-0, in front of a sparse crowd of 1,881 at Bright House Networks Field. Antonio Bastardo put together his second masterful outing in a row, this time pitching five innings of shutout baseball while striking out 10 Tigers. Bastardo has a 0.90 ERA through two starts.

The Lakewood BlueClaws lost to the Delmarva Shorebirds by a score of 3-1 on Friday night. The top two hitters in the BlueClaws batting order went a combined 0-for-7 in the game, making hard for their offense to get in any kind of a rhythm. Domenic Brown, the leadoff hitter, for Lakewood went 0-for-3 in the game despite a .324 average for the season

Brett Myers Pitches Well in Win Against Cubs; Can Improve Focus to Become Ace of Staff

Todd Tranausky — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 18:31:28 -0400

The Phillies broke their two game winning streak with a 5-3 victory over the Chicago Cubs to open a nine game homestand at Citizens Bank Park. Brett Myers got his first win of the season, pitching eight solid innings for the Phils. Carlos Zambrano took the loss for the Cubs, allowing five earned runs in six innings. Brad Lidge pitched a scoreless ninth for his second save as a Phille.

The Cubs jumped out to a 2-0 lead early when Derek Lee and Aramis Ramirez hit back to back homeruns with two outs in the first. Myers retired 12 of the next 13 hitters he faced before Alfonso Soriano hit a solo homerun to lead off the sixth inning and tie the game at three.

Before the Soriano home run, Pat Burrell launched a two run homer deep into the left-field seats to tie the game at two. Burrell is hitting over .400 in the first week of his contract season. Burrell is due to be

The following inning Shane Victorino walked and then scored on a Greg Dobbs double that gave the Phils their short-lived 3-2 lead.

Myers established himself as a stopper in the Phils rotation with this outing, but he is not the ace of the staff. He was able to stop the Phils two game losing streak and rest the Phils bullpen by pitching eight innings, but he also failed to the things that are required of an ace in a Major League rotation.

After Myers got two quick outs to start the game, he allowed back to back homeruns to put his team in an early hole before they ever stepped in the dugout. When the aces of staffs pitch and they have two outs in an inning, they know how to finish off the inning and make sure their team has the momentum. Myers failed to do that.

In the sixth inning, after his teammates pegged him to a 3-2 lead Myers needed to protect that lead. Instead, the first batter he faces, Soriano, takes him deep to retie the game. Aces of staffs shut down the opposition after their teammates get them the lead, especially in the inning right after they are handed a lead.

Instead, Myers gave the Cubs back the momentum and gave his team and emotional letdown, by failing to keep the Cubs off the scoreboard. Aces of staffs don’t do that.

Myers needs to work on bearing down at the beginning and end of innings to become a better pitcher and get to the level of a staff ace on a Major League team. Myers has the talent to hold that role, but lacks the focus and commitment to always attain that level on every pitch or every outing.

Cole Hamels has established himself as the team ace and Myers should not let himself think that he is still the leader of this pitching staff. Myers had opportunities on the field to win that role and he failed to do it. Hamels has remained calm and collected, even after taking a loss in his first start of the year when his teammates were kept off the scoreboard against the Nationals.

Philadelphia Phillies-New York Mets: Phils Mistakes Lead to Controversial Ending

Todd Tranausky — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 18:26:58 -0400

The New York Mets defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 4-3 in 12 innings at Shea Stadium to win the series after losing the opener.

Jorge Sosa got the win for the Mets, pitching to one batter in the top of the 12th.Tom Gordon took the loss for the Phillies.

Once again, the game came down to missed offensive opportunities.

The Phillies were 0-for-12 with runners in scoring position. This includes opportunities in the seventh and eighth innings when the first three runners reach base before the Phils were retired in order.

The Phils left 13 runners on base against a struggling Mets bullpen.

Eaton gave the team his second consecutive strong start, giving up three runs over six innings. The bullpen pitched well, giving the Phils five shutout innings, before Reyes scored on an Angel Pagan game-winning single to center.

It probably was six shutout innings for the Phillies bullpen as television replays showed conclusive visual evidence that Chris Coste applied the tag before Reyes touched the plate.

With that said, the Phils should have won the game before that point and not put the umpire in a position to decide the outcome.

Eric Bruntlett is playing shortstop while reigning National League MVP Jimmy Rollins heals from a left ankle sprain suffered in Tuesday’s series opener.

Bruntlett went 0-for-6 over the last two games, leaving seven runners on base. He also committed two errors that contributed to the Mets’ six-run third inning on Wednesday night. On Thursday, he failed to get a key sacrifice bunt down in the seventh inning.

If Bruntlett is going to be the starting shortstop he must improve his level of play.

Despite getting tagged with the loss in the 12th inning, Gordon looked sharp in an outing for the first time all season. If he can consistently have the type of command he showed in Thursday’s finale, he may have turned the corner in his early season struggles.

Phillies Spoil Final Shea Opener for Mets

Todd Tranausky — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 18:53:56 -0400

The New York Mets lost their Home Opener to the Phillies, 5-2 in front of over 56,000 fans at the final opener in Shea Stadium. Jamie Moyer got his first win of the season, giving up two runs over six innings.

Scott Schoenweis was saddled with a blown save and the loss as he allowed three runs in one third of an inning out of the bullpen. Tom Gordon pitched a perfect ninth to nail down his first save of the year.

The win was the ninth consecutive for the Phillies against the Mets, and their first in eight opening day games at Shea. Moyer pitched well and the Phils offense rallied back in the seventh and eighth innings to make a winner of the veteran lefty.

Reigning National League MVP and Shea Stadium Fan favorite Jimmy Rollins went 2-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored. He got the Phils rally in the seventh inning started with a one out single to left that led to a three-run Phillies outburst. That gave the Phils a 3-2 lead, that they would not relinquish the rest of the way.

Rollins had to leave the game in the middle of the eighth inning after scoring the team’s final run of the game. Rollins was in the dugout for several minutes before heading to the clubhouse, with what is being called a left ankle sprain. He is listed as day-to-day.

The injury happened as Rollins was retreating to second base on a series of step-off moves by Mets reliever Aaron Heilman. It appeared that Rollins stopped suddenly when he got to the bag and turned over on the ankle, though the exact point when the injury occurred is unknown.

The Phillies will need production from the other eight positions in the batting order if Rollins misses any significant time. This includes the number eight spot, that has been split between Carlos Ruiz and Chris Coste.

The number eight hitter in a National League lineup is crucial; they must get on base anyway possible when there are two outs in an inning to turn the lineup over and get the pitcher spot out of the way for the next inning. This allows a team to start the next inning with their lead-off man , instead of the pitcher’s spot.

Ruiz and Coste are a combined 0-for-10 in those situations through the season’s first eight games. They must do a better of job of getting on base and turning the lineup to help contribute to generating additional offensive opportunities for their team.

Chad Durbin was hit hard in the seventh in relief of Moyer, but was able to escape the inning unscathed, as was the trio of Phillies relievers who saw action. Gordon pitched the ninth because Brad Lidge was unavailable after pitching back to back days at the end of the Reds series.

Phillies Minor League Notebook and Big League Notes

Todd Tranausky — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 19:13:54 -0400

The Reading Phillies defeated the Bowie Baysox 6-3 in 10 innings at Prince George’s Stadium in Bowie, MD.RHP Carlos Carrasco, widely considered to be the Phillies best pitching prospect, allowed one run in five innings of work in his first start of the season. Justin Pope notched his second save in as many opportunities.

The Clearwater Threshers completed Sunday’s suspended game against the Lakeland Tigers before Monday’s regularly scheduled contest. The Threshers lost to the Tigers 6-5 as Jacob Blalock continued his slow start at the plate, going 1-for-5. Blalock is hitting .167 through the season’s first four games.

The Threshers won Monday’s regularly scheduled game, 3-2. The game was shortened to seven innings since the completion of Sunday’s game was played before it. John Urick, a player acquired in the Bobby Abreu trade with the Yankees, went 1-for-3 in the game and is hitting .353 on the season.

The Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs continued their opening week road trip with a 9-3 loss to the Pawtucket Red Sox. The Iron Pigs fell to 0-5 on the season and are still looking for the franchise’s first win. Jason Jaramillo may be starting to come out of his season-long slump as he went 1-for-4 with a run scored. Even with the effort, the catching prospect is hitting .143 on the young season.

The Lakewood BlueClaws were off on Monday night with a limited schedule of games being played in the South Atlantic League.

Notes:

The Phils begin a three-game series in Shea Stadium against the Mets on Tuesday afternoon in the Mets Home Opener. The Phils return home on Friday to start a nine-game home stand against the Chicago Cubs.

Pitching matchups for the Mets series have LHP Jamie Moyer facing LHP Oliver Perez on Tuesday, with RHP Kyle Kendrick dueling with RHP Mike Pelfrey on Wednesday, while RHP Adam Eaton goes against RHP John Maine in Thursday’s series finale.

Phillies-Reds: Philadelphia Earns Series Split with Cincinnati

Todd Tranausky — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 18:49:01 -0400

The Phillies defeated the Cincinnati Reds 5-3 to earn a split of the four game series. Cole Hamels(1-1) notched the win, while Brad Lidge notched his first save as a Phillie in a white knuckle ninth inning. Bronson Arroyo took the loss for the Reds, allowing five earned runs in five and two thirds innings of work.

The Phillies scored early and often after Jimmy Rollins led off the game with his second homerun of the season to put the Phils up 1-0. After a double by Ryan Howard, Burrell followed with the first of two home runs on the day. This gave Hamels and the Phils a 3-0 lead before the left-hander ever took the mound, and would be all he would need.

The Phils didn’t score any runs for their ace left-hander in his season opening start against the Washington Nationals on Wednesday night. Hamels came into the game with a 1.13 ERA on the strength of his first outing, and he gave the Phils another strong showing on getaway day in Cincinnati. Hamels allowed only two runs and five hits over his seven innings of work.

Pat Burrell and Geoff Jenkins hit back to back homeruns in the third inning to extend the Phils lead to 5-2, but that was the end of the Phils offense. Good teams tend to add on to leads as the game goes along to keep the other team from gaining momentum and thinking they have an opportunity to win late in the game. The Phillies had runners in scoring position in the fifth, sixth, and eighth innings with less than two outs, but were unable to plate any more runs against the Reds bullpen.

These missed opportunities loomed large in the bottom of the ninth after Lidge loaded the bases and put the tying run in scoring position with a wild pitch during his wild ninth inning. Had Lidge not held on, the Phillies offense would have had questions to answer about their hitting with runners in scoring position since that hitting well in those situations is a hallmark of good teams.

With the current bullpen situation, the Phillies offense needs to take advantage of their opportunities to tack on more runs against an opponent. This team can never be sure when those extra runs might be needed if one of their bullpen pitchers has a poor outing.

Cincinnati-Philadelphia: Phillies' Poor Pitching Responsible for Loss

Todd Tranausky — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 12:38:30 -0400

The Phillies lost to the Cincinnati Reds 8-2 on Sunday afternoon at the Great American Ballpark.

Edinson Volquez got the win for the Reds, while Brett Myers was tagged with the loss.

Myers lacked his command and velocity, never getting into a rhythm. After allowing a single to Jeff Keppinger, Ken Griffey, Jr. followed with a long home run to right field, giving the Reds a 2-0 lead.

It was Griffey's 594th career home run and his 100th with the Reds.

The Reds never looked back after taking the early lead.

Keppinger led off the third inning with a home run of his own to extend the Reds' lead to 3-0.

Myers gave up a one-out walk in the fourth to Paul Bako in the fourth before Corey Patterson doubled to right center to extend the lead some more.

Myers wasn’t done yet. He gave up two singles to the first two hitters in the fifth before walking the bases loaded with one out, still managing to escape unscathed.

Clay Condrey came on behind Myers and was even less effective than the starter. The first six hitters to face Condrey reached base, en route to allowing four runs. This put the game firmly out of reach at 8-1.

The old cliché about pitching and defense winning games held true today for the Phils.

The Reds did get excellent starting pitching from Volquez, and Myers was unable to keep the Reds off the scoreboard.

Condrey lacked command as well, and didn’t give his team a chance to win. He was unable to hold the Reds at bay. Cincinnati's bullpen came in and kept the Phillies' offense subdued.

Phillies Minor League Recap and Major League Notebook

Todd Tranausky — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 18:22:03 -0400

Results for the Philies minor league affiliates was mixed, with the teams even split between wins and losses in Friday night action.

The Lakewood BlueClaws fell to 0-2 with a 6-4 loss at home to the Lake County Captains. Michael Durant had a big game as the designated hitter, going 2-for-4 with a double, homerun, three runs batted in, and a run scored in the losing cause.

The Clearwater Threshers notched their first win of the season with a 4-2 victory over the Dunedin Blue Jays. Carlos Monasterios, who was one of the players acquired from the Yankees in the Bobby Abreu trade, got the win. Monasterios gave up two runs in six and one-third innings while walking one and striking out four.

The Reading Phillies defeated the Altoona Curve 2-1 at Blair County Ballpark on a chilly Friday night in western Pennsylvania. Javon Maron continued his hot start to the season, going 2-for-3 with a walk.

The Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs are still looking for their first victory, as they lost to the Scranton/Wilkes Barre Yankees 2-1 in Scranton. Jason Jaramillo continued his slow start, by going 0-for 3 with two strikeouts. The catching prospect is still looking for his first hit, having gone 0-for-6 with three strikeouts in the season’s first two games.

The Phillies will make a roster move before Saturday’s game to activate RHP Brad Lidge, who started the season on the Disabled List. RHP Clay Condrey is thought to be the odd man out in the Phillies bullpen.

Pitching match-ups for the remainder of the Reds series are: RHP Adam Eaton facing RHP Aaron Harang (1-0) on Saturday afternoon, RHP Brett Myers battles RHP Edinson Volquez on Sunday, and LHP Cole Hamels (0-1) faces off against RHP Bronson Arroyo in the series finale on Monday.

The 2008 minor league season started on Thursday night with all four Phillies affiliates in action

Phillies-Reds: Superstars Lead Philadelphia to Victory; Bullpen Questions Loom

Todd Tranausky — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 17:55:24 -0400

The Phillies defeated the Cincinnati Reds 8-4 on a rainy, cold Friday night at Great American Ballpark. Kyle Kendrick (1-0) got the win, battling through five plus innings while allowing four earned runs. Josh Fogg(0-1) took the loss for the Reds, after allowing six runs of his own in four innings of work. The top of the Phillies lineup came to life and helped spearhead the Phillies offense.

The top three spots in the Phillies batting order knocked in five of the Phillies eight runs. Reigning National League MVP Jimmy Rollins and his middle infield partner Chase Utley hit a combined .444 (4-for-9) with four runs scored and four runs batted in.

But those numbers don’t tell the whole story. Even as the duo hit close to .500 in the series opener, some of the outs the pair made were as telling as their hits.

In the fourth inning, Rollins came up with Pedro Feliz at third and Carlos Ruiz at second after Kendrick had just laid down a successful sacrifice bunt to move the runners over with one out. Instead of trying to pull the ball and drive it for a homerun, he calmly grounded the ball to the right side allowing Feliz to score and giving the Phils a 6-3 lead. This sequence came right after Cincinnati had cut the lead to 5-3 in the prior half inning.

The lazy groundball proved even more selfless considering Rollins had a single and double in his first two at-bats and he could have easily tried to do too much wanting to get a triple and continue the bid for a natural cycle. Had the Phillies not gotten that run home and stemmed the Reds momentum , the entire dynamic of the game could have changed.

Rollins came back and did the same thing in the ninth, contributing to the Phils getting an insurance run against Todd Coffey and give the team a four run lead.

Utley set the tone for the game when he hit homeruns in back to back at-bats early in the game to get the Phils out front early and to make sure they stayed there after the Reds cut into the lead in the fifth. The second-baseman didn’t stop there and had the presence of mind to hit the ball to the right side after a Shane Victorino single in the ninth to try and give the Phillies a second insurance run in the ninth.

The presence of mind and selfless at-bats of these two leaders was undoubtedly noticed by their teammates, and will help to reinforce the solid fundamentals and teamwork that are necessary for the team to achieve its goal of making the playoffs for the second straight season.

Charlie Manuel made some curious bullpen maneuvers for the second straight game as he tried to piece the final innings together. As the eighth inning started, Manuel brought in the newly acquired Rudy Seanez with a double switch. The pitchers’ spot was due to lead off the bottom half of the inning and by bringing in So Taguchi to play leftfield, Manuel was able to insert Seanez into the fifth spot in the batting order and allow him to pitch two innings without making a plate appearance. This made sense as Tom Gordon was likely unavailable after throwing 34 pitches in his outing on Thursday against Washington.

The Phillies never reached the fifth spot of their order in the top of the ninth, but Manuel chose to call on JC Romero to close out the game. Manuel used Romero needlessly in the ninth inning, in a decision that may impact how the bullpen can be used for the rest of the Reds series.

Romero has pitched in all four of the Phillies games so far, and will likely be unavailable out of the bullpen on Saturday. Ryan Madson threw 35 pitches in two innings of relief earlier in the game and will likely also be unavailable to pitch on Saturday.

The argument can be made that Manuel didn’t want to send Seanez back out for the ninth after the Phillies added the extra run in the top half of the inning since the Phils had a four run lead. Since Seanez had entered the game when it was a still a three run game, Seanez would have earned a save if he had been allowed to finish the game.

Manuel must improve in his bullpen management strategies, especially when he has a starter going on Saturday who represents the biggest question mark on the starting staff. No one is quite sure how effective Adam Eaton will be when he toes the rubber for his first outing of the season. Based on last season’s performances by Eaton, the tired bullpen will be called upon early and often.

Manuel has set up his bullpen to fail and kill all the momentum his team has gained by getting back to .500 after starting the season 0-2.

Phillies-Nationals: Fundamentals Key in Series Finale

Todd Tranausky — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 18:07:11 -0400

Baseball is centered on the knowledge and execution of fundamentals more so than any other sport.

The Phillies showed this in their 8-7, 10-inning win over the Washington Nationals on Thursday at Citizens Bank Park.

A bases loaded walk brought Jimmy Rollins home and made a winner out of Clay Condrey (1-0), who pitched a scoreless top half of the 10th. Jesus Colome (0-1) took the loss for Washington.

For the first five innings, the Phillies looked more like the Bad News Bears than a Major League baseball team. The Phillies achieved this by playing poor fundamental baseball.

Philadelphia made three errors in the first two innings. Two of these errors led directly to Nationals runs, helping to put the team in a 5-0 hole before the "businessperson’s special" crowd even made it to their seats.

The Phils made a total of four errors in the game.

Good teams don’t make four errors, especially since pitching and defense win games. The Phillies will need to address the defensive shortcomings so they can be corrected.

Chris Coste put the Phillies on the board with a solo home run to lead off the third inning, cutting the Nationals lead to 5-1.

The Phillies had been shut out in the previous 13 innings, dating back to the seventh inning of Monday’s opener.

When Jamie Moyer allowed another run in the fourth, his afternoon was finished after just 73 pitches. Moyer is a ground ball pitcher, and did a good job of keeping the ball on the ground in his first start of the season.

Unfortunately, when the defense makes four errors, all on ground balls, it makes for a long day for a pitcher.

The Phillies rallied back in the sixth inning by stringing together eight consecutive singles and a hit-batsman to plate six runs and tie the game. Philadelphia ran the bases well in the sixth and displayed good situational hitting by moving runners around the bases.

Not surprisingly, when they executed the fundamentals; they had success.

Both the Phillies and Nationals missed opportunities to win the game in the later innings, but they failed to execute with runners in scoring position.

The Nationals had the bases loaded in both the eighth and ninth innings against a trio of Phillies relievers that included Ryan Madson, JC Romero, and Tom Gordon. The Nationals didn’t execute and wound up not scoring, even after Gordon allowed a one-out single in the ninth and then walked the bases loaded.

The Nationals weren’t alone, though.

The Phillies had two runners on base and a runner in scoring position from the sixth inning on, but failed to score in the seventh, eighth, or ninth against the Washington bullpen. The inability of the Phillies to execute with runners in scoring position could have cost them the game.

In the tenth, the game came down to execution of the fundamentals again.

After Rollins led off the inning with an infield single, Shane Victorino laid down a perfectly executed sacrifice bunt. When Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman came in to field the bunt and Colome failed to cover third base, Rollins alertly noticed and went from first to third on a ball that may have only rolled 45 feet from home plate.

After Chase Utley and Ryan Howard were intentionally walked, Colome couldn’t find the strike zone against Jayson Werth. Werth understood the situation, wasn’t overanxious, and calmly let Colome walk him on four pitches to force in Rollins.

Fundamentals are what put the Phillies in an early hole, allowed them to climb out of that hole, and ultimately get their first win of the season against a team that didn’t execute those same fundamentals when it mattered in the late innings.

Phillies-Nationals Notes: Seanez In, Helms Out, Cordero Still Out

Todd Tranausky — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 16:29:59 -0400

The Phillies signed 39-year old RHP Rudy Seanez before Wednesday’s game against the Nationals to help out in their beleaguered bullpen.

Seanez was released by the Dodgers at the end of spring training. Seanez is entering his 17th Major League season and has pitched with the Indians, Dodgers, and Braves during his career.

To make room for Seanez on the roster, 3B Wes Helms was designated for assignment. The Phillies now have ten days to release him, trade him, or send him to the minors.

Helms is starting his 10th Major League season after hitting .246 for the Phils last year. He played for the Braves, Brewers, and Marlins, before the Phillies signed him as a free agent prior to the 2007 season.

There are rumors the Dodgers could be interested in acquiring Helms after he likely becomes a free agent in ten days.

Nationals General Manager Jim Bowden announced that Felipe Lopez will make his first start of the season for the Nationals in Thursday’s matinee. Bowden announced that Lopez will play leftfield in the final game of the three-game series against the Phillies.

Nationals RHP Chad Cordero had a cortisone shot for shoulder tendonitis on Sunday and will be unavailable for Thursday’s game against the Phillies. Cordero will throw before the game and hopes to be ready to return to action when the Nationals open a three-game series in St. Louis against the Cardinals on Friday night. Cordero has not pitched since receiving the shot.

Thursday’s matinee will feature Phillies LHP Jamie Moyer taking on Nationals RHP Jason Bergmann. The game starts at 1:05PM.

The Phillies travel to Cincinnati, OH on Friday where they will open a four game series against the Reds. The series marks the start of a seven-game road trip that will take the Phillies to New York next week.

The Phillies expect RHP Brad Lidge to come off the Disabled List on Saturday in Cincinnati, the first day he is eligible. Lidge went on the Disabled List in spring training after catching a spike in the mound and straining a ligament in his knee.

Lidge was acquired from the Astros this past off-season and is coming off an unrelated knee surgery. RHP Clay Condrey may be sent down to make room for Lidge on the roster.

Thursday marks the opening of minor league baseball across the country. Phillies minor league affiliates in Lakewood, NJ, Clearwater, FL, Reading, PA, and the Lehigh Valley will all take the field with the hope of improving their chances of making it to Philadelphia.

Philadelphia Phillies: Falling to 0-2, Has Manuel Lost Confidence in Gordon?

Todd Tranausky — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 15:48:18 -0400

The Washington Nationals defeated the Phillies 1-0 on a chilly Wednesday night at Citizens Bank Park.

Tim Redding (1-0) got the win, tossing seven plus innings of shutout baseball.

Cole Hamels (0-1) took the hard luck loss, giving up one run in eight innings of work.

Jon Rauch got his first save with a 1-2-3 ninth inning.

The only run of the game came in the sixth inning when Ryan Zimmerman led off with a home run to right that just made it over the wall.

Zimmerman showed in that at-bat why he is the type of player a franchise can build around. The 23-year-old third baseman was 0-for-2 before the home run and got robbed by Ryan Howard on a line drive in his previous at-bat back in the third inning.

Zimmerman didn’t think about how he could have had a base hit his last time up, how cold it was, or how Hamels was pitching masterfully at the time. He simply came up to the plate with an approach and executed it by taking Hamels deep for the game’s only run.

The poise and confidence Zimmerman showcased epitomize a player who understands what it takes to be a good Major League player.

The widely heralded Phillies offense could manage only one hit against Redding and the bullpen duet of Luis Ayala and Rauch.

The top six hitters in the Phillies lineup went a combined 0-for-18 against Nationals pitching.

The Phillies lone hit was a single by Pedro Feliz in the second inning. After the Feliz single, Redding retired the next 14 Phillies he faced in order before issuing a walk to Ryan Howard in the seventh.

The late-game pitching situation for the Phillies turned into an interesting endeavor for Charlie Manuel.

As Hamels pitched through the eighth inning, Manuel had both Chad Durbin and Tom Gordon warming up in the Phillies bullpen. Gordon currently owns a 135.00 ERA after allowing five earned runs in one-third of an inning against the Nationals on Monday.

Manuel opted for Durbin, and then had JC Romero warm up in the ninth, in case Durbin needed any help.

The argument could be made that Romero was up because he was left-handed since the Nationals had a number of switch-hitters left on their bench.

On a 49-degree night, though, why would you warm up another pitcher when Gordon was likely already warm from having thrown during the eighth?

If Gordon truly is this team’s closer, he should be able to get both right-handed and left-handed hitters out. The selections of Durbin and Romero by Manuel signal that either Gordon isn’t healthy or that Manuel has lost confidence in his closer.

Manuel could have lost confidence in his closer after Gordon posted an 11.00 ERA in the spring coupled with Monday’s atrocious outing in the season opener, but only time will tell.

Either way, the Phillies fell to 0-2 and look to be off to another slow start in April.

Phillies-Nationals: Philadelphia's Deficiencies Highlighted in Opening Day Loss

Todd Tranausky — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 18:22:20 -0400

The Phillies lost their season opener 11-6 to the Washington Nationals in front of a sell-out crowd on a cold, rainy Monday at Citizens Bank Park. Saul Rivera (1-0) got the win for Washington, while Tom Gordon (0-1) took the loss for the Phillies. The Phils played well, but in the end it was pitching that turned the tide and gave the Nationals their second win in less than 24 hours.

The Phillies had multiple chances to win the game, but didn’t help their pitchers before they eventually imploded. The Phils manufactured an early 1-0 lead in the first when Jimmy Rollins scored on a Chase Utley sacrifice fly after leading off the game with a double down the left field line.

Myers battled his control for the first five innings, and never appeared comfortable. As the ace of the Phillies staff, Myers must give the team more than what he showed in the opener. Myers allowed nine baserunners in his five innings of work, and struggled the entire afternoon before finally cracking in his final inning of work. The inning started to come unraveled after Myers hit Lastings Milledge on the hand with a pitch to load the bases with one out. Ryan Zimmerman followed with a sacrifice fly that scored Matt Chico, and cut the Phillies lead in half. Nick Johnson followed with a walk to reload the bases before Austin Kearns doubled to the right centerfield gap to give the Nationals their first lead of the day at 3-2. The final run scored when Jimmy Rollins booted a routine ground ball off the bat of Paul LoDuca , allowing Johnson to score and extend the Nationals’ lead to 4-2.

They never looked back.

A half inning before, the Phillies had a chance to change the entire tenor of the game after they started the home fourth with three straight singles. The Phils failed to capitalize on the opportunity, as they scored only one run. After Pat Burrell drove in Ultley, who led off the inning with a single to center, the next three hitters failed to get the ball out of the infield. Pedro Feliz, the team’s main off-season acquisition, struck out. Jayson Werth followed with a strikeout of his own, before Carlos Ruiz popped up to second base to end the inning.

With the patchwork pitching situation this team is saddled with, they cannot afford to squander any opportunities to score runs. Washington starter Chico gave them a golden opportunity to put a big number on the scoreboard with their ace on the hill, and they failed to get the job done. Washington arrived in Philadelphia at 2:30AM after playing on Sunday night against the Braves and a big inning there could have gone a long way toward convincing the young Nationals to fold up their tents, get ready for Tuesday’s off day, and come back ready to play on Wednesday night. Instead, they gave the young team momentum and squandered a golden opportunity to start the year off with a win.

Ryan Madson came on behind Myers in the sixth and gave up a two run home run to Milledge that extended the Washington lead to 6-2. Madson’s troubles foreshadowed more bullpen woes as the game went along.

Despite their pitchers putting them in a four run hole and failing to convert on an opportunity early in the game, the Phils never gave up. That spirit is what got them to the playoffs last season and may be what they have to rely on in 2008.

The Phils got one run back in the sixth on a solo homer by Utley, but the real damage came in the seventh. Jason Werth led off the inning with a single against Washington reliever Joel Hanrahan. Carlos Ruiz doubled to left center, allowing Werth to score and cut the Nationals lead to 6-4. Hanrahan’s afternoon was over and Ray King made his second appearance in as many games. Reigning National League MVP Jimmy Rollins was the second batter King faced and hit a two-run homer to left center field to tie the game at six. Rollins accounted for half the Phillies offense as he seeks to defend his MVP crown.

With Brad Lidge starting the season on the Disabled List, Tom Gordon came on in the ninth to preserve the tie and give his offense a chance to win it in the bottom half. Milledge led off with an infield single. Two batters later, Nick Johnson doubled home Milledge to give the Nationals a 7-6 lead. Johnson took third on the throw home to try and cut down Milledge at the plate. Gordon then walked Kearns to put two on with one out. After what looked to be an attempted squeeze play, Ruiz threw down to third trying to get Johnson straying away from third base, but instead the ball went down the left field line and Johnson trotted home easily. After back to back doubles by LoDuca and Ronnie Belliard, two more runs scored to make it 10-6 Washington and Gordon’s day was over.

After Clay Condrey retired the first batter he faced on a popup fielded by Ruiz, pinch hitter Dimtri Young doubled to right, scoring Belliard and capping a five run ninth inning that gave the Nationals the 11-6 win. The Phillies bullpen performed atrociously in its first appearance of the season.

The offense cannot help this team if its bullpen, and specifically its closer, is unable to finish games and keep the other team off the scoreboard. The Phillies will go as far as their pitching will take them, and their pitching from Myers to Gordon did not give them a chance to win on Monday. Rollins and the offense did all they could do to get a win, but the pitching staff didn’t do their job.

While it is only one game in a long 162 game marathon, it raises some dangerous questions and precedents. If the pitching staff is going to be as ineffective as they were in the inaugural showing, it could be a long season for the Phils. This team needs to get consistent pitching in order to win, and with the veteran Gordon seemingly unable to hold the closer role, someone else needs to step up. Gordon was spotty in the setup and closer’s role last season and amassed an 11.00ERA during 10 Grapefruit League appearances before his implosion in the opener.

The loss to Washington is even more troubling because of how competitive the National League East is. In the NL East, where the race for the crown has come down to one game the last two seasons, you must beat the teams you are supposed to beat. Washington is one of those teams and the Phils didn’t get it done.

It remains to be seen if this loss will loom large in September.

Notes

The team's have off on Tuesday before resuming the three game series on Wednesday night at Citizens Bank Park. LHP Cole Hamels makes his 2008 debut for the Phils against RHP Tim Redding for the Nationals. The series concludes on Thursday afternoon with a 1:05PM matinee that will feature LHP Jamie Moyer for the Phils against RHP Jason Bergmann for the Nationals.

The Nationals placed OF Elijah Dukes on the 15-day Disabled List with a sore right hamstring after their Sunday night game against the Braves. RHP Chris Schroder was recalled from Triple-A Columbus to take Dukes' spot and arrived in Philadelphia in time for Monday's game.