Call it a hunch. Or, maybe, it's merely speculation. But I suspect the Phillies are at least mulling sending struggling LHP Matt Smith (left) to triple-A Ottawa to work out his control problems.Before yesterday's game, Smith told me and a few other beat writers that he was as unhappy as anybody about his performance last week. In three outings, Smith faced eight batters and retired only one. He gave up two hits and walked five. Particularly alarming were Smith's failures against left-handed hitters. As the lone lefty in the Phillies' bullpen, his biggest responsibility is getting out lefties. But Smith walked the Mets' Shawn Green on April 17, the Nationals' Chris Snelling on April 18 and the Reds' Josh Hamilton on April 20. It appeared Smith was turning a corner last Sunday in Cincinnati when he struck out Hamilton. But, then, he walked Adam Dunn. And, in the seventh inning tonight, Smith walked the Nationals' Austin Kearns, lefty-swinging Ryan Church and D'Angelo Jimenez and needed to be bailed out by Geoff Geary.
For the season, Smith has walked 11 batters in four innings. He has an 11.25 ERA in nine appearances and has retired only five of the last 16 batters he has faced. Of the 11 lefties he has faed, Smith has walked six and allowed two hits. Meanwhile, lefty Fabio Castro had allowed one run in his first 7-1/3 innings for Ottawa before giving up two runs in an inning Tuesday night at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
"His command is not good," manager Charlie Manuel said tonight of Smith. "He's had a good chance to come in and face some lefties. With his command, he's having a hard time right now."
Speaking of Ottawa, good story on Chris Coste in the Wilkes-Barre Times Leader.
Quick turnaround for tomorrow's 3:05 game. I'll check in before batting practice.
4 comments:
Hey Scott,
You do a great job. I really enjoy reading this blog.
As far as Chris Coste goes, I read the article you posted and have also read some of the other articles including the two that were posted on philly.com a few weeks back.
I have to say that Coste did a nice job and all last year. But, I can't help seeing all of his complaining and whining as a guy who acts like he's owed something. He was a part time player last year and the reason people were high on him last year is because the expectations were low because he had no experience in the bigs. The Phillies are much better going with the younger Carlos Ruiz, who handles the bat pretty well, and they have a veteran with big league experience in Barajas.
I keep reading where Coste says "signing Barajas and Werth really sealed my fate" and he basically alludes to the fact that he thinks he is getting shafted. On the grand scale, the guy has done nothing. He showed a few flashes last year but he is a 34 year old career minor leaguer. Additionally, if he is getting shafted by being in the minors why can't he hit down there? He's currently hitting .225 and last year when he got sent down after spring training he hit .179. But yet he thinks he's owed something?
Say what you will about Coste, but when Nunez and Werth both K'd looking like they were blind last night it'd be nice to have his semi-clutch bat off the bench. Good thing this game wasn't tight.
And Bourn's triple aside, he really belongs in AAA. I would've given Costie the spot based on what he did last year alone, and say it was his to lose.
Matt: coste may have done 'nothing' in his career, but its to no fault of his own. his entire career int he minors he's basically hit over 300 with decent slugging ability. in every stop in every farm system he was basically blocked by another player on the big league team. he deserved the spot over barajas. has barajas even got a hit yet this year? other than that fluke infield single?
oh, and coste was the guy that all the pitchers would come back to the dugout raving about how they loved pitching to coste. bad karma for the phils!
And regarding Michael Bourn, I'd be remiss if I didn't point out that Scott said Bourn belongs in AAA during spring ball. You we're right.
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