CINCINNATI -- So, until Wes Helms was traded at about 10:15 last night, the first item in the Phillies notebook in your Sunday paper was going to be about the decision not to intentionally walk Paul Bako with one out and runners in second and third in the ninth inning yesterday. Before we go any further, let me say that I agreed with that choice.
Bako is a .232 career hitter, and Reds prospect Joey Votto was on deck. Yes, Bako already had two hits in the game. And, yes, Votto grounded into a double play one inning earlier. But if I'm Chad Durbin, I'd rather take my chances with Bako, even with first base open, than pitch to Votto with the game hanging in the balance.
The problem, of course, was that Durbin fell behind Bako 2-1. He threw a pitch out of the strike zone that he didn't expect Bako would swing at. Instead, Bako laced a grounder that forced Jimmy Rollins to range to his right. And, well, you know what happened. Rollins couldn't unleash a throw to the plate, Ryan Freel scored and the game was over. 4-3, Reds.
You play manager. What would you have done in that situation?
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But there were positives yesterday, namely the performance of Adam Eaton.
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Still two more games in Cincy, but I'm already looking forward to Tuesday and the last opening day ever at Shea Stadium. I grew up about 45 minutes from New York, and mostly, my dad took me to Yankee Stadium. But Shea is a fairly historic place, too. Just not for the same reasons.
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Phillies lineup today against Reds RHP Edinson Volquez: SS Jimmy Rollins (.273/1/3), CF Shane Victorino (.158/0/2), 2B Chase Utley (.412/3/6), 1B Ryan Howard (.235/1/2), LF Pat Burrell (.375/1/5), RF Geoff Jenkins (.267/0/1), 3B Pedro Feliz (.250/0/2), C Carlos Ruiz (.167/0/1), RHP Brett Myers (0-0, 5.40 ERA).
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Enjoy your Sunday.
7 comments:
Didn't expect to be saying this so soon (if at all), but I'm glad to see Pedro back in the lineup. Dobbs was awful yesterday.
Scott, how do you feel about Victorino batting second while he's in this early-season slump? I know he had a triple yesterday, but he still looks atrocious at the plate. I just don't think there's any way to justify keeping a temporary black hole in the two-spot. His speed is great when he gets on base, but that's something he hasn't been able to do so far.
Do you think Manuel should go back to slotting Utley in the second spot and hitting Burrell third since he's batting .375 so far? Maybe Victorino would be better suited to be the seven or eight-hole until he starts seeing the ball better. Maybe he could even use a day off already.
But since I'm writing this comment about Victorino's struggles about an hour before game time, I guess this can only mean that he'll go 4-4 today and make me look like a fool.
Zach, I'm sorry, but I hope you look like a fool in a couple of hours.
I agree re: Victorino. We all know what he can potentially do on the basepaths; however, something's not clicking. He looks uncomfortable in the batter's box and each time he makes contact he's getting under the ball and popping out somewhere in the middle infield. Would like Taguchi in CF one game this week
Any one else notice the similarity between Ken Mandels' column on MLB.com and Lauber's story in the NJ today? I find it hard to believe that Mandel took a look at Lauber's column before he wwrote his own. Is the opposite true????
"doug"
For the record, Scott turned his story in around an hour before Ken posted his story to the Phillies site.
Also, they were both at the SAME GAME and talked to Myers after that game, along with the other beat writers, so it is not unusual that their stories, along with all other beat writers' stories, would be similar.
"jason"
thanks.
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