Saturday, April 12, 2008

April 12 -- ROLLINS STILL OUT

Another day, another game without Jimmy Rollins.

Eric Bruntlett is in the lineup again for the Phillies tonight against the Cubs. Rollins took batting practice, then retreated to the clubhouse. Haven't had an opportunity to talk to him, but Charlie Manuel hinted that Rollins may not play tomorrow either. With an off day Monday, Manuel said he thinks Rollins will be ready for the three-game series against Houston that opens Tuesday.

Talked to Bruntlett before the game about his role while Rollins is out. "I just need to play my game," he said. "I need to make the plays defensively, move guys over, get bunts down. If I try to go out there and hit the ball all over the place, that's not who I am." More from Bruntlett in tomorrow's paper.

Tonight's lineup against Cubs LHP Ted Lilly: CF Shane Victorino (.209/0/2), RF Jayson Werth (.364/0/2), 2B Chase Utley (.317/3/8), 1B Ryan Howard (.195/2/4), LF Pat Burrell (.400/4/12), 3B Pedro Feliz (.216/1/4), C Carlos Ruiz (.194/0/3), SS Eric Bruntlett (.133/0/0), LHP Cole Hamels (1-1, 1.20).

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Not sure how interested y'all are in baseball's steroids situation, but Geoff Mosher, who pinch-hit yesterday as I made my way back from New York, has some Phillies reaction to MLB's new drug policy. Hamels, for one, offered his endorsement. "Of course, because I know I'll be drug-free for all my career," he said. "It's something that might be selfish; I don't know. But if everyone has a fair advantage, it really goes down to the effort that you put out there, the talent that you're given but also the extra effort that you give in the weight room or training yourself."

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Great stat: After a July 1 game last season in New York, Pat Burrell was batting .201 with eight home runs and 32 RBIs in 214 at-bats. Since then, he's batting .312, with 28 homers and 77 RBIs in 295 at-bats. That includes his two-run homer and go-ahead RBI double last night against the Cubs.

Also, within the game story, Geoff writes about an improved outing for Brett Myers, who used his fastball more often and had a better cutter.

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Apparently, the addition of outfielder Kosuke Fukudome has changed the dynamics of the Cubs' press corps. The team now prints a version of its game notes in Japanese for the reporters who are following Fukudome.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

pat the bat!

took him 3 years to get his swing back that bowa and the phillies management took away from him. see him stroke that opposite field double last night?