ALLENTOWN, Pa. -- Kris Benson's timing couldn't be worse.If Benson hadn't suffered another bout of biceps tendinitis in early June, he may have started pitching in the Phillies' farm system three weeks sooner. And when Brett Myers consented on July 1 to take a confidence-restoring trip to the minors, it may have been Benson, not J.A. Happ, who was called up to take Myers' place.
Instead, Benson didn't begin pitching until mid-June. And he didn't begin pitching well until July 26, when he made the first of five consecutive solid starts at triple-A Lehigh Valley. The latest came last night at Coca Cola Park when he went seven innings, allowed three earned runs and didn't walk a batter against Buffalo. Over his last five starts, Benson is 1-1 with a 2.45 ERA. He has thrown 97 pitches in each of his last two starts, and he has completed seven innings in three of his last four.
But just as Benson appears ready to return to the majors, the Phillies' rotation suddenly has stabilized, Kyle Kendrick's clunker last night in LA notwithstanding. In the 12 previous games, Cole Hamels, newly acquired Joe Blanton, Myers, Jamie Moyer and Kendrick had combined for a 2.35 ERA and 10 quality starts.
"I might've missed my opportunity when it presented itself at the All-Star break," Benson said last night. "But I definitely need to get my shot this year. I need to get my feet wet up there. We've got only about three more weeks here, and I don't think it'll do me any good to just stay here. I'm only going to get better and stronger."
A team official told me recently that Benson likely will get a September call-up. Benson's minor-league contract cost the Phils only $100,000, but they'd like to get a gauge on whether he can help their rotation next year. Barring injury, though, it's doubtful they will give Benson a start in the midst of a pennant race. And Benson told me last night that he doesn't believe he'd be effective as a reliever because of how long it takes him to get loose.
How would you use Benson? Would you trust him enough to give him a few starts down the stretch? If so, whose spot would you want to see him take?
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Pat Gillick admitted the Phillies inquired about trading for Manny Ramirez. But, as best I could tell, the Phils were far more serious about trading for Casey Blake, who wound up in LA because the Indians preferred the Dodgers' package of minor leaguers (triple-A right-hander Jon Meloan and single-A catcher Carlos Santana) to anything the Phillies offered. And, wouldn't you know it, Blake's two-run homer last night was every bit as big as Manny's two-run double.
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Chad Durbin will throw out the first pitch before next Monday night's Blue Rocks game at Frawley Stadium. And, as we mentioned in this space last week, Durbin and fellow former Blue Rocks pitcher Jake Chapman will hold a showcase for high school players at Frawley on Aug. 25 from 8-11 a.m. and 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Click here for more info. Durbin went 10-7 with a 2.92 ERA in 26 starts for the Rocks in 1998.
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Larry Bowa wants to hear from you. He is scheduled to host an online chat at 5 p.m. today on the Dodgers' Web site. Click here to join in.
2 comments:
Scott, can you get some quotes from pat from tonights miserable loss. stupid substitutions killed us tonight.
Jamie: Thanks, as always, for the note. Clearly, it's reasonable to question Charlie Manuel's constant decisions to replace slow-footed Burrell when the Phillies have a lead in the late innings, especially since Taguchi has not proven to be a particularly good defensive outfielder. And we can certainly have that discussion.
But I don't think substituting for Burrell cost the Phillies the game last night. Yes, Burrell is tied for the NL-lead with 11 assists. But Taguchi's throw from left field wasn't the reason the Phillies lost. The Phillies got one hit after the third inning. To me, that was why they lost.
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