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BY SCOTT LAUBER
ATLANTA -- OK, when it comes to the Phillies' starting rotation, this much we know: Cole Hamels will pitch tonight, followed by J.A. Happ tomorrow.
But Friday night remains a mystery.
Talked to assistant GM Benny Looper before last night's game, and he said the Phils are "pretty close" to deciding on a starter for the opener of a three-game July 4 weekend series against the free-falling Mets at the Bank. Looper said the front office and coaching staff have held several conference calls over the past few days to weigh their options at Lehigh Valley, putting an emphasis on recent performance and overall experience, and the candidates have been narrowed to three right-handers.
Carlos Carrasco: He has the least experience (21 career Class AAA starts, none in the majors) but the best stuff. And in his last two starts, the 22-year-old has allowed two runs in 13-1/3 innings. Every major-league pitcher gets their first start sometime? His time may be now.
Drew Carpenter: Unimpressive in a May 16 spot start in Washington (five runs on eight hits in 4-1/3 innings), the 24-year-old is 6-1 with a 1.50 ERA at Lehigh Valley ever since. It doesn't get much better.
Rodrigo Lopez: Once upon a time, he was a hard-throwing, 15-game winner for the Orioles. At age 33, he's lose some zip on his fastball, Looper said. He's 3-0 with a 0.86 ERA in his last three starts at Lehigh Valley, but unlike Carrasco and Carpenter, he can't be sent back to the minors without clearing waivers, a lack of contract flexibility that may work against him.
One thing is certain: With Antonio Bastardo on the disabled list and restricted from throwing for at least two weeks because of a left posterior shoulder strain, and the trade market still ice cold, whichever pitcher the Phillies choose will make at least two starts before the All-Star break and perhaps more during the season’s second half.
"I wouldn't consider this a spot start," Looper said. "It's a performance business, and if he performs, he's got a chance to stay there for a while. A lot of factors come involved -- do we make a trade, do we not make a trade, does somebody else get hurt? But I wouldn't term it a one-start thing."
OK, you make the call: Who should start Friday night?
BY SCOTT LAUBER
ATLANTA -- A few notes before Jimmy Rollins takes his highly anticipated first swing here tonight:
1. Raul Ibanez has left the team to begin working out with Class AA Reading. It's possible, Charlie Manuel said, that Ibanez could play in a game for Reading tomorrow. Assistant GM Benny Looper, who is on this trip with the team, said Ibanez likely needs 10-12 at-bats in the minors before he's ready to play. So, it's unlikely that Ibanez will be back by Friday night's game against the Mets, but a weekend return isn't entirely out of the question. Of course, the Phillies won't rush Ibanez either, and groin injuries can be tricky. If he needs a few extra days to make sure he's OK, he'll get them.
2. As we Tweeted earlier today, J.A. Happ will start here Thursday night on his regular rest. Jamie Moyer could start on normal rest Friday night, but the Phillies "most likely" will give him an extra day and start him Saturday. That means they'll need a starter for Friday night. ...
3. ... which brings us to the ongoing storyline of who that starter might be. Looper said the Phillies are "pretty close to making a decision." Carlos Carrasco and Drew Carpenter remain the frontrunners, but it's possible they could opt for veteran Rodrigo Lopez, a solid starter for the Orioles once upon a time. Lopez has one thing working against him: He's out of minor-league options, so if the Phillies choose to send him back to Lehigh Valley, he'd be exposed to waivers. Carpenter and Carrasco can be shuttled between the majors and minors without that risk. Looper said Antonio Bastardo will be shut down from throwing for at least three weeks, so the Phillies aren't considering Friday night's game a spot start. That said, I think they may bring Carrasco here and let him make a few starts. If he pitches well, who knows, maybe it will make it less urgent for them to trade for a starter. If he doesn't, well, he'll just go back to the minors and get more seasoning. Regardless, we may know something more definitive tomorrow.
So, that's the latest. Enjoy the game.
BY SCOTT LAUBER
ATLANTA -- So, we've touched down in the Deep South (strange, isn't it, that the Phillies haven't been here yet this season, and it's nearly July?), and when things get started tonight at Turner Field, there will be intrigue from the very first pitch.
Jimmy Rollins will be at the plate.
Unless he has changed his mind since Sunday evening in Toronto, Charlie Manuel will write a lineup that features Rollins at the top. Rollins, of course, hasn't played since last Wednesday night at Tampa Bay. The four-game, five-day sabbatical was Manuel's idea, a seemingly last-ditch effort to shake Rollins loose from a three-month offensive funk. Rollins is hitless in 19 at-bats, 7-for-56 since June 9, and batting .211 overall in 68 games. His .254 on-base percentage isn't only the worst among regular leadoff hitters in the majors, but it's the worst among all players with enough at-bats to qualify for either league's batting title.
Clearly, the Phillies need Rollins to be better than that. Significantly better. And, it seems, they need him to do it from the leadoff spot. For all the armchair managers who have been clamoring for Manuel to drop Rollins in the lineup, Manuel has a pat answer: If not Rollins, who should lead off? Shane Victorino is the Phillies' next-best leadoff option, and with Rollins on the bench last week in Tampa and Toronto, Victorino went 2-for-15 with a .222 on-base percentage. Jayson Werth? It's a thought, sure. But Werth generally is too streaky to be a reliable table-setter, and he's the Phillies' only legitimate right-handed power threat, making him valuable in the middle of the lineup.
So, it would seem the Phillies are stuck with Rollins in the leadoff spot, for better or worse. And, after benching him for the past four games, they certainly hope it's for the better.
***
Another storyline we'll be following today: With Antonio Bastardo going on the disabled list late last night, the Phillies officially need a starter for Thursday night's game. Pitching coach Rich Dubee said last week the Phillies usually call up the pitcher/player who has been pitching/playing the best recently. According to that criteria, the choice will come down to Lehigh Valley right-handers Carlos Carrasco or Drew Carpenter. Rodrigo Lopez, who has major-league experience with the Orioles and Rockies, is also in the mix.
It's possible the Phillies won't make a decision (or announce their decision) until tomorrow, although I'm thinking (hoping) we'll know something today. So, please check back later for any updates.(Updated, 3:32 p.m.): J.A. Happ has been listed as Thursday night's starter, which means the Phillies won't use Carrasco or Carpenter or Lopez until Friday night in the opener of a three-game series against the Mets. Should know more after the Phillies' clubhouse opens to the media in about 8 minutes, so please check back or follow me on Twitter for the latest info.
***
Kyle Drabek won't get the call this week and probably won't be a candidate to pitch for the Phillies until next year. But old friend Ken Mandel has a story about Drabek in today's News Journal. It's a good read, if you're inclined to check it out.
***
I've never been a particularly vocal opponent of inter-league play. Frankly, I think it's a nice change of pace in the middle of the season to see some American League teams. But here's something to consider: The Phillies went 6-12 in inter-league play. The Rockies went 11-4. If they wind up battling for the NL wild-card spot, the Phillies faced the ultra-competitive AL East in inter-league play (Red Sox, Yankees, Rays, Blue Jays), while the Rockies played the far less difficult AL West.
***
Finally, any trip to Atlanta wouldn't be complete without a trip to the Vortex, home of the best Buffalo burgers and tater tots I've ever had. Hoping to make it over there sometime this week. Meanwhile, here's your Phillies-Braves preview:
PHILLIES (39-34) at BRAVES (35-40)
Tonight, 7:10: RHP Joe Blanton (4-4, 5.06) vs. RHP Derek Lowe (7-6, 4.53)
Tomorrow, 7:10: LHP Cole Hamels (4-4, 4.44) vs. RHP Jair Jurrjens (5-6, 2.93)
Thursday, 7:10: TBA vs. RHP Javier Vazquez (5-7, 3.04)
Hot: Phillies RF Jayson Werth is 9-for-19 (.474) with three homers, five RBIs and a .593 on-base percentage over the last six games; Phillies 2B Chase Utley is batting .333 (18-for-54) in his last 14 games; Braves SS Yunel Escobar is 10-for-28 (.357) with three runs and four RBIs over his last six games; Braves LF Garret Anderson is batting .385 (15-for-39) with eight RBIs in his last 10 games.
Not: Phillies SS Jimmy Rollins, hitless in 19 at-bats and 7-for-56 since June 9, will return to the leadoff spot tonight after a four-game benching; Phillies 3B Pedro Feliz is 7-for-37 (.149) with three RBIs in his last 12 games; Braves 3B Chipper Jones has one hit in his last 13 at-bats; Braves RF Jeff Francoeur has one home run in his last 80 at-bats.
BY SCOTT LAUBER
TORONTO -- So, here we sit, at Gate 160 in the US Airways terminal at Pearson International Airport. Having cleared customs and made it through security, there's nothing left to do but watch the sun rise, await a boarding call, and well, since I'll be traveling for most of the morning, give y'all a new blog post to start your week. Here at Philled In, we're all about customer service.
Anyway, we could rehash yesterday's game, including Brad Lidge's white-knuckle save -- hey, at least it was a save, right? -- and Charlie Manuel's postgame announcement that Jimmy Rollins will start, and bat leadoff, tomorrow night in Atlanta. (For more on that, please click here.) Instead, we're going to look ahead, three days into the future, and talk about Thursday night, when the Phillies will need a starting pitcher for the series finale against the Braves at Turner Field.
Who will it be?
A few days ago, after Antonio Bastardo strained his left shoulder during a start at Tampa Bay, we ran down a few of the many possibilities at Class AAA Lehigh Valley. But Rodrigo Lopez threw 90 pitches last night, likely taking him out of consideration, and Gustavo Chacin is listed as tonight's starter against Norfolk. That leaves Kyle Kendrick, Drew Carpenter and touted right-hander Carlos Carrasco (right, AP photo). About the only things Phillies pitching coach Rich Dubee will say on the matter are a) a decision hasn't been made yet and b) call-ups often come down to which pitcher is throwing the best.
Let's take a look, then, at the candidates' recent starts:
Kendrick: 2-3, 4.56 ERA, 53.1 IP, 54 H, 15 BB, 28 K in last 10 starts
Carpenter: 6-1, 1.50 ERA, 54 IP, 51 H, 11 BB, 38 K in last 8 starts
Carrasco: 4-2, 3.67 ERA, 44.2 IP, 37 H, 14 BB, 40 K in last 7 starts
In his last three starts, Carrasco has allowed six earned runs in 19-2/3 innings and has held opponents to two runs or fewer in five of his last seven starts. Thus, it's a safe bet that the Phillies will call on either Carpenter or Carrasco. They saw Carpenter last month, in a spot start in Washington, and he wasn't overly impressive (4.1 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 3 BB, 4 K). They haven't seen Carrasco since spring training, when he was impressive at times and raw at others.
So, while I travel today, pretend you're Manuel and Dubee, enjoying your off-day in Atlanta and likely discussing what to do about Thursday. Which starter would you pick?
BY SCOTT LAUBER
Pardon me, but I'm having flashbacks to June 10, 2007. I was in Kansas City that day, talking to then-assistant GM Mike Arbuckle about which pitcher from the Phillies' farm system -- J.D. Durbin, Zack Segovia, or some unknown kid from double-A named Kyle Kendrick -- would make a spot start the following week in place of injured Freddy Garcia. Yeah, it seems like just yesterday.
Well, here we are.
The Phillies are not in Kansas City, although Arbuckle is. Who knows where Garcia is these days, but Brett Myers is awaiting his appointment with New York hip specialist Dr. Bryan Kelly, who likley will concur with team physician Dr. Michael Ciccotti's diagnosis that the sooner Myers has surgery the faster he'll be ready to resume pitching. And the question facing GM Ruben Amaro Jr. and his inner circle today is which pitcher from the Phillies' farm system -- Carlos Carrasco, Drew Carpenter, Antonio Bastardo, or some well-known kid from triple-A named Kyle Kendrick -- will make a spot start next week in Myers' place.
In an ideal world, the Phillies would stay away from Kendrick, who hasn't made as much progress in developing his secondary pitches as they would like. But this is hardly an ideal situation, and Kendrick does have 21 wins in the big leagues over the past two seasons. If, as Rich Dubee said in spring training, Kendrick was the initial favorite to win the No. 5 starter job, shouldn't he be the favorite to pitch Tuesday night in San Diego?
Then again, Kendrick was passed over two weeks ago when Carpenter spot started in the second game of a doubleheader in Washington. And if Carpenter proved anything, it's that he wasn't quite ready. He allowed five runs and 11 base runners (eight hits, three walks) in only 4-1/3 innings and earned the victory only because the Phillies were playing the lowly Nationals and the game was shortened to six innings because of rain.
Carrasco is the Phillies' top pitching prospect, and there's no question they were hoping he'd be ready to step into a situation like this. But he's 0-6 with a 5.81 ERA at Lehigh Valley, and some insiders say he's close to being surpassed as the top prospect by Bastardo, who has a 1.89 ERA between double-A Reading and Lehigh Valley and pitched seven scoreless innings last night. Bastardo would be in line to pitch Tuesday night and could be a feasible option.
Anyway, we'll try to have some Phillies folks shed some light on all this during the day today. Meantime, please continue to weigh in with your picks: Kendrick, Carpenter, Carrasco or Bastardo? You choose.
***
(Updated, 5:04 p.m.): As I type, Myers is in New York, talking to Dr. Kelly. We're hoping to have an update before the game starts. If the Phillies have decided who will make his start Tuesday night, they aren't saying. One thing we do know: It won't be Chan Ho Park. Even now, with Myers likely headed to the operating table, Manuel believes Park will be more effective in the bullpen than the rotation. Ruben Amaro Jr. said it most likely will be someone from Lehigh Valley (our four candidates fill that description). For what it's worth, Amaro said the Phillies have no interest in 37-year-old free agent Pedro Martinez.
BY SCOTT LAUBER
Brett Myers will get a second opinion on his injured left hip. And if he doesn't like what he hears, he may even get a third. Regardless, even before it's determined that he'll need surgery, two things are immediately evident:
1. The Phillies' need to trade for a starting pitcher has become more urgent.
2. Without any days off until June 8, the Phillies will need a starting pitcher for Tuesday night's game in San Diego.
So, while I make more calls and try to pin down more details, I'll ask you this: If the Phillies call up a starter from the minors to pitch Tuesday (a more likely scenario than putting Chan Ho Park back in the rotation), which pitcher is the best choice:
a) Kyle Kendrick: 4-3, 4.25 ERA, 53 IP, 58 H, 20 BB, 34 K at Lehigh Valley
b) Drew Carpenter: 2-0, 3.61 ERA, 47.1 IP, 45 H, 19 BB, 29 K at Lehigh Valley
c) Carlos Carrasco: 0-6, 5.81 ERA, 48 IP, 57 H, 13 BB, 52 K at Lehigh Valley
d) Antonio Bastardo: 3-2, 1.89 ERA, 47.2 IP, 32 H, 10 BB, 51 K at Reading/LV
e) Vance Worley: 4-2, 2.83 ERA, 57.1 IP, 42 H, 10 BB, 42 K at Reading
BY SCOTT LAUBER
