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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

June 16, 2010 Posted by David | MLB, Original Content, Pedro Martinez, Philadelphia Phillies, Roy Halladay | , , | No Comments Yet

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

June 14, 2010 Posted by David | MLB, Original Content, Philadelphia Phillies, Roy Halladay | , , , | No Comments Yet

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

June 9, 2010 Posted by David | Cole Hamels, MLB, Original Content, Pedro Martinez, Philadelphia Phillies, Roy Halladay | , , | No Comments Yet

   

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