The bats REALLY come alive.
The Good: Ryan Howard is an absolute animal. 3 for 3 with 5 RBI’s is a game well played. It was good for the team because Utley had an bad game with only 2 hits (notice the sarcasm). Don’t want to congratulate Moyer too much because he had a large lead to work with, but I’m glad he got a little redemption from his last few starts with a win. Also, Gordon had another good outing. But I won’t make up my mind on him until he pitches with pressure.
The Bad: Phillies have to go up against Peavy.
5 RBI’s. I’d say that’s a mark of a pretty good game. I think it’s safe to say that Howard is back to 100%. That opposite field bomb was ridiculous. I’m very happy to see that he is doing what he is supposed to, but that is not going to be enough for them to make the playoffs. We all know the pitching sucks. And there is little chance that much can be done about it. Maybe a trade will be made for a starter or reliever, but I highly doubt anything really useful will be done. So it’s going to fall on this offense to score 12 runs every game. When you can do it in one of the few pitcher’s parks left in baseball, you feel some what confident that they can do it. It’s nice to see Howard and Utley doing what they are supposed to. And it’s nice to have Helms, Rowand, and Dobbs be a surprising lift for this team, but if they really want to play in October, this pitching staff is gonna have to do something special.
I’m almost getting annoyed at how much Burrell is walking. Not angry, just annoyed. He’s not a good enough hitter that pitchers are pitching around him. Because really, what should they fear about him: his .235 average, 45 RBI’s, or his 12 HRs? He’s walking because he can’t hit. Anyone that strikes out looking as much as he does is gonna have his share of walks. The thing I’m most annoyed about is that he isn’t getting many hits. He’s not a lead-off hitter. He’s not a bottom of the lineup guy. He’s supposed to be a run-producer, at least that’s what his $14 million contract says. He needs to be driving in more runs, not getting on base so that Helms and Ruiz can score him. Don’t get me wrong I’ll take a walk over an out any day, but I would just like a little bit more run production from him.
Well this should be an interesting game. Durbin against Peavy. I think we all know what’s probably gonna happen. But the problem after a big win like Saturday’s is that I get a sense of euphoria that the Phillies could beat any pitcher they face. Regardless of how bad they lose Sunday, the positive thing to look at is that their next two series are against Washington and Pittsburgh.
Last start: L / 6.0 / 3 ER / 6 H / 2 BB / 5 SO / New York
Last words . . . why is Scott Olsen such a punk?
About this Post
Posted on July 22, 2007 by Soss | Filed Under Baseball, Philadelphia, Phillies, Philly Sports, Professional Sports
|
Print This Article |