• March 29, 2024

Despite Giving Up Five Runs, Kendrick Pleased With His Performance

In baseball, a quality start is typically recognized when a pitcher goes at least six innings and gives up no more than three earned runs. Not many major league pitchers would be proud of themselves after a game in which they gave up five runs in the first inning. Most professional pitchers would be disappointed with themselves for putting their team into such a deep hole early in the game.

But Phillies’ starter Kyle Kendrick doesn’t see things that way.

“Gave us a chance to win,” Kendrick said after the game. “Pitched deep in the game. They needed me to pitch deep in the game, I did that. We were in the game, had a chance to win the game. Yeah, you never want to give up runs, but I was happy with myself to go deep like that and give us a chance.”

Kendrick is clearly the type of person who sees the glass as half-full instead of half-empty.

While its good that Kendrick is maintaining a positive attitude despite his 2-8 record and his 5.35 ERA, he can’t be satisfied with himself solely because he was able to pitch deep into the ballgame. The Phillies needed a much better performance than they got from the starter on Thursday.

Kendrick needs to understand that every game for the Phillies is critical from here on out. He can’t be ok with putting his team in a 5-0 hole in the first inning of a game, so long as he’s able to last seven innings.

Its about quality, not quantity. What good is a seven inning performance if the starting pitcher gives up such a high number of runs and forces his team into an uphill battle for the rest of the game?

Kendrick needs have to much higher standards for himself. Though he’s had an up and down big league career, he’s shown in the past that he’s capable of being a much more effective starter than he’s been this season. Just a year ago he went 5-4 with a 3.14 ERA in 15 starts, and made a significant contribution to the team that recorded a franchise-record 102 wins.

Unless Kendrick (and some of his teammates) develop a much stronger mentality, and expect a lot more from themselves, it will be very difficult for the Phillies to force their way back into the playoff picture.

 

Denny Basens

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DCar
DCar
June 29, 2012 2:03 am

How did he give the team a chance to win, with giving up a 5 spot, in the 1st inning. That’s the problem with this team, with this blase blase, self entitled, attitude, thinking they are better than they are & that they can just turn on & off a switch. Please trade these stiffs already! This position-less bum, should have been traded 2 years ago, along with Fat Joe! He is a $#!t starter, & a worse reliever. I’m sick of the lot of them!!!

jott1972
jott1972
June 29, 2012 7:26 am

To think he did well clearly states kendrick is a moron and sucks

paulman
paulman
June 29, 2012 11:19 am

Time to start clearing house as I indicated a couple weeks back..
Players are too comformtable, the bar that used to be set high has now fallen and too many players are going thru motions. Where’s the passion, the energy, the Phitin’s Spirit that used to surround this Club and Organization.. They will blame injuries and probably get a pass from the local media and most fans, but this Team had some serious issues well before the injury bug hit them like old age, too many big contracts, terrible bullpen, no power and a Manager not built for small ball like their roster is..

mhenski
mhenski
June 29, 2012 11:28 am

Mr. Hollow Numbers Bobby Abreau I mean Hunter Pence (.192 w/RISP) should be the first to go and this guy will probably actually get you a return.

paulman
paulman
June 29, 2012 11:55 am

Pence has struggled this year with RISP, I believe it’s more being placed in the 3rd/4 Spot due to Utley/Howard where he is probably a more natural #2 or #5 Hitter abd is putting some added pressure on himself to be a big run producer in their absence.. I think over he’s 5-6 Year Career, he’s been a steady .285-.290 Hitter with 20-25 Hr’s and 85 RBI’s about every year… I would not look to move him.. Victorino is the one who has peaked and is starting to slide a little bit and could get some good value in return since he’s a Gold Glove CF and can steal you 25 Bases… And to Shane’s defense, he’s been moved all over this line-up which has probably messed him up too from his natural #2 Spot to #3/#4/#5/#6..

jakedog
jakedog
June 29, 2012 12:48 pm

Kyle Kendrick is a nice fellow, but not a big league pitcher, pure and simple, he is what is era says he is and the phillies should designate him for assignment as well and bring up from the pigs tyler cloyd who is 8-1 with a 2.11 era at aaa

DCar
DCar
June 30, 2012 8:54 am

jake, that just makes too much sense. That’s why it won’t happen. He should have been up here, during the week, when they wasted the Savior’s return (sarcasm), by pitching all relievers.

bugsyhawk
bugsyhawk
July 1, 2012 3:43 pm

Thome gone and Heyman is reporting that the Phils have started to inquire as to what they can get for Hamels.

Firesale!

paulman
paulman
July 1, 2012 6:35 pm

I believe Victorino and Hamels are next…
Send Hamels to the LA Angels for OF/3B Trumbo and 3 other Prospects..
Trade Victorino to the Tigers,Indians, TB Rays for 2 prospects..
Next year’s Pitching Staff will be led by Doc ,Lee and Worley.. Bullpen is still a mess but Good Times for Howard returns back in 2013..

paulman
paulman
July 1, 2012 6:41 pm

I di hate to say I told you so, nut this Season was lost back in Febuary in my opinion,, No as July begins, the Team has quit, Manager Manuel is beside himself and the Fans keeprolling in.. I expect that to change by month’s end..
The Party is over, the Window is Closed and whatever other cliche you can think of (fat lady has sung) Time to rebuild for the Phil’s top Compeitiors in the NL East are young and hungry and will be batlling it out for the next 3-5 Years.. teams like the Nats,MAts & Marlins were rebuilt to handle the Phils and it’s worke.. Throw the Phils Batters a bunch of off-speed and junk pitches and they really struggle to hit.. Doc & Lee are on the backside of their Careers and will be 14-16 games Winners with 3.5 ERA’s or so.. It is what is it is.. and any true baseball fan who follow the sport saw this coming from a mile awy.. They are old,overpaid, undtradeable and not sef motivated any longer…

bugsyhawk
bugsyhawk
July 1, 2012 8:09 pm

Trumbo would hit 50 hrs at CBP.

daggolden
daggolden
July 1, 2012 9:37 pm

Its being reported that both Victorino and Hamels are being shopped. All is not lost. I would trade everyone that they can and stock pile teams best prospects. Lee, Halladay, Chooch all of them. Im sure Lee and Halladay wouldnt mind being traded to contenders. But I want teams best prospects. Then in 2 years we go shopping again. We can get the Verlander or Cecil Fileders of the world. Reload. Its not like we will all of the sudden stop spending 180 million a year. Just gotta reload. There will always be stud FA available. Run is over.

DCar
DCar
July 2, 2012 3:53 am

paul, don’t waste your breath saying, what we both have been saying for 2 years now. BTW, watch what you say, or haveacigarinhisass, will come on here, & hit you with his pom-poms, & scratch you with his Lee press on nails. Fire-sale, fire Manual & Amaro. It has to be done. This team is putrid & pathetic. With, or without injuries, this is the worst team, that we have had, since the late 90’s. They are OLD, BROKEN DOWN, BRAINLESS, HEARTLESS, TALENT-LESS, & DEVOID OF YOUNG PLAYERS. But hey, we don’t know what we are talking about, WE ARE JUST BAND WAGON FANS, & ARE JUST BEING NEGATIVE! People just can’t stand being proven wrong, & aren’t men enough to admit it. I only tell the truth, with brutal honesty, & the step-ford, blind loyalists, can’t stand it. I don’t care what they think, because, everything that I see, & say mostly, always, come to fruition. I know what I’m talking about.

DCar
DCar
July 2, 2012 3:56 am

$170M+, waste of $$$, bags of $#!T!!!!

DCar
DCar
July 2, 2012 3:57 am

DISGRACEFUL, EMBARRASSING & UNACCEPTABLE!!!!!

daggolden
daggolden
July 2, 2012 5:49 am

Im not mad at them. When they signed Cliff Lee I wet myself. When they resigned Howard I was elated. When Hunter Pence signed here I said ” ok Ill go Eat with ya Hunter. Hell, Chase was idolized and given a contract because he runs hard to first base and people worship his diminishing skills. When my team is the 2nd highest payroll in basball its hard to criticize. Did they spend on the wrong players, obviously. Theres a difference when my team spends and sucks then if they dont even try. The Flyers have been getting a free pass on the exact same thing for 40 years.

daggolden
daggolden
July 2, 2012 6:08 am

One thing Reuben got right is resigning J-Roll. He is still better than all the shortstops that have won the world series in the last 10 years. Hell if the Yankees can win with Jeter the Phils definetly can win with J-Roll. Howard injury is unfortunate but he will be back, The only bad contract is Utley. Its the pitching, which you tied up with Lee, Halladay and Hamels not coming through. The rest of the positon players like Victorino, Polanco, and Mayberry have killed this team and can be replaced with the right moves. All is not lost moving forward. Gotta move Hamels and/or Halladay and get some prospects to move forward. Then sign next big FA pitchers and bullpen help.

bugsyhawk
bugsyhawk
July 2, 2012 8:42 am

Dag- Utley has diminished skills, but you are dead wrong about his contract. When he signed his extension it was before the 2007 season when he was 28.

In 2006, here are his stats: .309, 40 2B, 32 HRs, 102 RBI and scored 132 runs. That is worth the average of 12 mil per. He went on to have 2 more monster years before his body started to break down.

I agree that he can’t do what he used to do, but don’t ever say that he got his extension because he runs hard to first. You can dislike what is happening now and the fact that he seems to get a pass when Howard gets a lot of criticism, but don’t try to edit history.

I also disagree with you about Victorino. Are you talking about this year in that he is killing this team, because I would bring up the fact that he should be batting 2nd in the lineup and not 5th. He is out of order in the lineup putting him in a situation that he doesn’t excel at in that he is expected to drive in runs. All the years that he has been successful, he has been in the 2 hole. You can shrug that off (I know you will), but I think that that has played a significant role in his struggles at the plate.

Look at his stats again and tell me how he is killing this team. Don’t forget that he is a plus OF too. He is not going to be as easy to replace as you think.

That being said, if they are not going to re-sign him or Hamels, then they should move both of them. Can’t let them walk and get nothing in return. Not when you are 9-10 games under .500 at the all star break.