Not yet.The Phillies lost two of three games against the world-champion Red Sox this week. What does it all mean? Well, as I wrote in The Paper today, the Sawx didn't have David Ortiz or Kevin Youkilis in the lineup, and the Phils didn't face either of Boston's top starters, Josh Beckett or Daisuke Matsuzaka. The Phillies won the game they were supposed to win, Monday night with Cole Hamels on the mound. But the offense went quiet in the next two games against tough lefty Jon Lester and rookie right-hander Justin Masterson.
Yeah, I know it's only June. Sooner than later, Chase Utley will snap out of the career-worst 0-for-20 slump that has surpassed his 0-for-17 funk from 2004. Utley, Jimmy Rollins, Ryan Howard, Shane Victorino and Pat Burrell someday may get hot simultaneously. And, eventually, the Phillies will figure out how to manufacture runs instead of relying on homers and doubles to score. When all of that happens, the Phillies' offense will be every bit as dangerous as Boston's, even when Manny Ramirez and Ortiz are going full steam.
But, to me, the biggest difference between the Phillies and Sawx is the pitching. When Dice-K got hurt, the Sox dipped into their farm system and called on Masterson. Lester, as good as any lefty the Phillies have faced this season, is their No. 3 starter. The Phillies, meanwhile, have Hamels and a bunch of No. 4s and 5s -- Jamie Moyer, Kyle Kendrick, Adam Eaton. Even when he's pitching well, Brett Myers may be no more than a good No. 3.
And I still don't see what the Phillies have in the minors to use as trade bait for C.C. Sabathia, Erik Bedard or Ben Sheets, likely the best pitchers on the market. Carlos Carrasco and Josh Outman aren't enough. Greg Golson? He's still in Class AA. Adrian Cardenas? Lou Marson? They aren't close to being major-league-ready.
If the Sox series teaches us anything, it's that the Phillies absolutely must strengthen their pitching. Offense is fickle. Even the most potent lineups come and go. But teams that are rich in pitching always do well.
***
Howard on Utley's slump: "Don't worry about Chase, damn it!" I agree. Utley will be fine.
Also within the notebook, the great Robin Roberts has some Hall of Fame advice for Myers: "Be yourself."
2 comments:
Scott,
I don't disagree with you totally, but I'm not sure that someone like Lou Marson isn't ready. You see team after team calling guys up from Double A, but the Phillies are incredibly conservative with prospects. Other skipping guys from low A to Double AA, they rarely jump guys by a level, unless forced to, as they were with Kendrick last year. So unless you've seen Marson play, I don't see how we can tell that he's not ready, given his gaudy numbers.
Marson can't do any worse than Ruiz. He has a cannon for an arm, too. He's NOT tradable. He'll be needed in Philly in the very near future. I can't see them trading Carrasco, either. It doesn't send the right message to the young minor league pitching prospects. With the way these minor leaguers get pitching sequences called for them, how do you know Carrasco isn't ready now? He made Dimitri Young look silly when Young was rehabbibg in the El. I wonder what Oakland would want for Justin Duscherer?
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