Oswalt Arrives
The Phillies have acquired Roy Oswalt from the Houston Astros for J.A. Happ and a few prospects. The move came just a few days before the MLB trade deadline. Oswalt, 32, decided to waive his no-trade clause to allow the deal to go through. Seeing as how Happ is a young arm, and Oswalt’s best days are behind him, this is clearly a win-now move.
However, many question why the Phillies got rid of Cliff Lee. At the time, they got some prospects for him. However, those prospects are not at the level of what they gave up for Oswalt. So essentially, they downgraded in prospects, as well as pitching. Regardless, this was a pretty necessary move and it really moves the Phillies back into Wild Card contention. It was a good move now, but the Phillies may regret not keeping Lee.
Ryan Howard Makes #3 of the Best First Basemen of 2010
First Base is the strongest offensive position by far in 2010. Three out of the five players that were on the list in early June have made it back this time around. The number one first basemen may also be MVP this season.
3. Ryan Howard, Philadelphia Phillies: Ryan Howard had a hot June and July to move himself onto the top five list at number three. Howard is hitting .302 with 22 home runs and 78 RBI’s. I think the Phillies who are currently in second place in the NL East, will come back and take the division away from the Braves. The Phillies biggest problem has been injuries and lack of offense. Howard, after starting off real slow has turned things on and is now on fire. The rest of his team should follow his lead because with their talent they should easily take the division. Instead they will have to hope that they can make up for lost time and barely beat out the Braves in September.
Click here to read the full article – By Eric Heyer of Sports Fan Blog Network
Momentum
The Philadelphia Phillies need a reason to be optimistic. They have optimism now, after completing a four-game sweep of the Cincinnati Reds. The Reds had a team record of 49-37 going into the series as division leaders. After these four wins, the Phillies have a record of 47-40, still finding themselves 4.5 games out of first place in the National League East. While the Phillies won four games straight, there is still some room for panic.
For the most part, the pitching can be credited with why the Phillies took this series. The last two victorious were both 1-0 wins. So while the pitching heavily stepped up, the batting still looked pretty miserable. And with Utley and Polanco still on the disabled list, that will not get any better.
With the trade deadline approaching, the Phillies need to make a move. There is no point in acquiring a pitcher if the team cannot score runs. Adding a bat to the lineup should be a higher priority on Ruben Amaro’s list.
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Pedro Returning?
In 2009, the Philadelphia Phillies signed Pedro Martinez to strengthen their starting rotation. One year later, history could repeat itself. Philadelphia has had some discussions with Martinez and his agent about making a return to a team that is desperate to help. Unfortunately, Pedro won’t bring a big bat with him, as the Phillies could use those.
But outside of Roy Halladay, the pitching has been shaky. With Happ on the DL, it forces Philadelphia to use Kyle Kendrick, Jamie Moyer, and Joe Blanton as starters. All have extremely high ERA’s.
Realistically, Martinez would not be pitching within the next month. It is not a guarantee that he will sign, but he will want work, and the Phillies will be looking to hire.
by David at the Sports Fan Blog Network</a
Phillies vs. AL East
After battling the AL East in the last two World Series’, the Phillies find themselves in familiar territory. This past weekend, Philadelphia did not fair too well when they visited Fenway Park to take on the Red Sox. Although they won the last game, they got outmatched in every way possible the first two times.
Now, Phillies find themselves visiting the Yankees for the second straight spring. Philadelphia is looking to partially avenge their previous World Series loss to New York. On Tuesday, two of the MLB’s best go at it as Roy Halladay and C.C. Sabathia both take the mound. After that, the Phillies are stuck with Kyle Kendrick and Joe Blanton pitching.
One thing is for sure; there will be a lot of home runs hit. That is, if Philadelphia’s lineup decides to show up.
by David at the Sports Fan Blog Network
Pitching Problem
The Philadelphia Phillies have been struggling as of late, and many people will pin it on their batting. Statistics don’t lie; aside from Tuesday night, their batting has been pathetically bad as of late. But overall, it is the starting pitching that may ultimately let the team down.
Roy Halladay has been stellar, with eight wins, five complete games, and a low ERA of 2.08. There is nothing to critique about it, as he has been easily worth the investment.
To the surprise of some, Cole Hamels is not doing too badly this season. His numbers are fair, but what sticks out is the fact that he has let up 13 home runs in 12 starts. And just like in his last start, he pitched beautifully, and then proceeded to let up multiple home runs. When the Phillies send Hamels out on the mound, nobody knows which Hamels they are going to get. There is the Hamels who was the World Series MVP, and there is the Hamels who wanted last season to be over.
Like Hamels, 47-year-old Jamie Moyer has an ERA of 3.98. Moyer got off to a terrible month of April. But after posting a 3.66 ERA in May and a 2.00 ERA in his only June start, Moyer looks to be on the rise. But at Moyer’s age, injury and endurance will always be a risk. While he is playing well right now, who knows how reliable he will be in a few months.
Despite being above .500, Kyle Kendrick has been far from stellar so far. Opponents are batting .277 against him, which is not exactly something to brag about for Kendrick. He has walked 19 batters, next to just 27 strikeouts. Nobody is asking for him to be good. But being mediocre would be a start.
Lastly is the debacle that so far is Joe Blanton’s 2010 season. With a 1-4 record, nothing seems to be going right for Blanton. He loses control early, and certainly does not regain it. His 6.07 ERA makes him look like he should not even be in the majors. This is clearly not the Joe Blanton that the Phillies signed up for, and it is not the Joe Blanton that the Phillies are used to. A trip to the minors, or back to the DL would probably be best at this point.
The Phillies are underachieving so far, but it is only June, and there should not be too much worry. They are still a dangerous team, and could all catch fire at any given time. The batting has been struggling, but will absolutely come around. However, the starting pitching, aside from Halladay, could take a turn for the worse. Another phone call to Pedro Martinez could be in order. Or maybe Ruben Amaro can come up with another good trade as the season goes along. But whatever happens, this starting rotation is not looking too sharp. The rotation has come a long way since Robert Person and Brandon Duckworth, but it is not what it needs to be if the Phillies want to add another World Series Championship to their resume.
by David at the Sports Fan Blog Network
Phillies Offense Continues To Sputter
Tuesday night, the Philadelphia Phillies lost for the eighth time in ten games. While the National League favorites struggles are surprising enough, the fact that it is mostly due to their offense is shocking. Over the past two years, the Phillies offense has been a juggernaut. The club led the NL in runs in 2009 and were third in that category in 2008. This year, the Phillies rank eleventh in runs scored in the National League as they have seen the Braves move ahead of them in the standings in the NL East. Over the past ten games, the Phillies have scored just 13 runs and have been shut out five times.
While I expect the Phillies offense to get on track because that lineup is just too talented, there has to be a little concern in Philadelphia. Jimmy Rollins has been unable to stay healthy this year and they have not gotten much production from his replacement Juan Castro. If the Phillies are going to make a third straight trip to the World Series this fall, they must get a healthy and productive Jimmy Rollins back into the lineup. He is the catalyst for that offense and sets the table for Ryan Howard and Chase Utley.
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‘Whiz Kid’ Roberts dies at 83
Robin Roberts, the Hall of Fame pitcher who led the Philadelphia Phillies to the 1950 National League pennant as part of the famed “Whiz Kids,” has died. He was 83.
Roberts died Thursday morning at his Temple Terrace, Fla., home of natural causes, the Phillies announced, citing Roberts’ son Jim.
The right-hander was the most productive pitcher in the National League in the first half of the 1950s, topping the league in wins from 1952 to 1955, innings pitched from ‘51 to ‘55 and complete games from ‘52 to ‘56.
He won 286 games and put together six consecutive 20-win seasons. Roberts had 45 career shutouts, 2,357 strikeouts and a lifetime ERA of 3.41. He pitched 305 complete games, but also holds the dubious distinction of giving up more home runs than any other Major League pitcher.
Click here to read the full article – By Associated Press of ESPN.com
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