• March 28, 2024

Notes From The Phillies’ 6-2 Loss To Washington

kkpitchingThe Philadelphia Phillies had their two-game winning streak snapped on Wednesday night, falling to the Washington Nationals 6-2. Their record drops to 35-38.

  • Kyle Kendrick brought his A-game to the ballpark tonight. Kendrick pitched 7.2 innings, allowing just one run on two hits and a walk. The righty worked quickly throughout the night, and didn’t have many long at bats. By the time his night was complete, the starter had only thrown 92 pitches.
  • Kendrick’s only run came on a two-out single from Jayson Werth in the seventh inning.
  • The Phillies did all of their offensive damage in the first inning, scoring two runs on a home run from Michael Young. After that, the bats shut down. The team didn’t get a hit until extra innings, and only worked four walks after the first inning. Washington starter Gio Gonzalez really had the lineup under control the rest of the night, striking out 11 batters in his seven innings of work.
  • Michael Young’s homer was his third of the year, and he now has 17 RBI’s for the season. Young has begun to give the team a little more power as of late. He’s got five doubles, a triple, and a home run in his last eight games.
  • Ryan Howard went 0-4 with four strikeouts, but he did manage to work a couple of long at-bats.
  • Domonic Brown also went 0-4 with three strikeouts. He popped out with two runners on in the bottom of the ninth. Its now been 10 games since Brown has hit a home run.
  • Antonio Bastardo replaced Kendrick in the eighth inning, and got the final out. Charlie Manuel brought Bastardo in to get a favorable matchup against pinch-hitter Chad Tracy, but then Washington countered by pulling Tracy back and replacing him with righty Chris Marrero.
  • Carlos Ruiz went 1-4, with a single in the 10th.
  • Jonathan Papelbon entered his third consecutive game, and for the second time in the series blew a one-run lead, allowing an RBI single to Jayson Werth.
  • Mike Adams did a good job pitching out of trouble in the 10th. Adams gave up a double to Kurt Suzuki, and then allowed him to advance to third on a wild pitch with one out. However, the veteran was able to bear down and pick up the final two outs to keep the game tied.
  • Mike Stutes gave Washington the lead in the 11th. Stutes loaded the bases with one out, and then gave up a grand slam to Ian Desmond.

Final Thoughts

Charlie Manuel cost the Phillies this game. I thought Manuel was overmanaging by putting Bastardo in against Chad Tracy. Washington didn’t have any runners on base, and although Tracy had burned Papelbon for a home run the other night, he was hitting just .152 on the season and Kendrick was pitching lights-out with only 92 pitches.

With Kendrick pitching as well as he was, Manuel had a chance to get through the game without going to his bullpen at all. He could have avoided going to Papelbon for a third straight game, and perhaps could have avoided extra innings.

Kyle Kendrick hadn’t been pitching that well over his last couple of starts, but he eased the concerns of many tonight with his great performance. I’m starting to trust Kendrick. Those are words that I’ve been very hesitant to say all season, but its time to really give him his due. Ever since the end of last season, he’s been a reliable starting pitcher. His stuff is never going to be overwhelming, and there will be games like his start at Colorado where he gets hit around. But at this point, I think he’s shown enough consistency that I can confidently say I feel good about him as the team’s third starter.

In years past, Kendrick would have let a situation like the Colorado game shake his confidence and allow it to carry over into future starts. But now he appears to be at a point in his career where he’s learned to have a short memory and shake off bad outings.

Denny Basens

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E-money
E-money
June 20, 2013 7:37 am

I blame Galvis as well. They bring him in as a defensive replacement in the 9th, and he proceeds to make a terrible throw to first that handcuffed Papelbon on what should have been an out. He also swung at 3 of the worst pitches I’ve ever seen in the 10th. The kid stinks.

haveacigar
haveacigar
June 20, 2013 8:33 am

‘Charlie brought bastardo in for a favorable match up’
‘Charlie lost the game by over managing when he brought in bastardo’
Which is it?

jakedog
jakedog
June 20, 2013 8:37 am

Blaming Charlie? That’s a reach, if papelbon does his job it’s a sweep, and e money, even with a good throw he’s safe at first.

Charle managed text book but his bull pen, closer didn’t deliver

jakedog
jakedog
June 20, 2013 8:55 am

Check that, saw video, would have been out

paulman
paulman
June 20, 2013 10:24 am

A Tough Loss indeed.. Papelbon did not get the job done, plain and simple..
Have to put out of their minds and now go beat the Mets

bugsyhawk
bugsyhawk
June 20, 2013 11:06 am

Denny you are ridiculous. Papelbon has got to close that game out. Charlie has nothing to do with the blown save. You are reaching big time here.

Which do you guys prefer: Crapelbon or Papelboner?

frankdialogue
June 20, 2013 7:26 pm

Well, what can we say here?…A few things…

One of our posters likes to use the term ‘gas can’…A baseball player can be a gas can by nature, or he can get into streaks where he plays like a gas can.

Ryan Howard has been playing like a gas can all year, IMHO…Now, if Howard is hurt he needs to be placed on the DL and get his problems sorted out…What better time to bring up Darrin Ruff, let him play at his natural position, and just let him swing the bat and see what he can do over a 15 or 30 day period?…Does this make sense?…I thought so.

Rollins and Utley, well, they have played OK, but OK isn’t good enough for highly payed ‘core players’…Each case is a bit different: Utley does what a good hitter should: work the opposing pitcher…So, at least for this season, I wouldn’t throw Utley into the ‘dustbin of Phillies history’, but while he’s on the DL I want to see Galvis or Hernandez at 2B…Leave Mike Martinez with the Iron Pigs.

Rollins, this guy will never change: Swing at the first or second pitch, pop it up…Until he decides to work a pitcher, let Galvis play SS…At least Galvis brings a fresher attitude.

Dominic Brown seems to be squeezing the bat a little too tight…He has gotten away from working the pitcher like a dog, but he should be OK: A lttle extra BP with the Phils two hitting coaches would be a good idea.

Kendrick has been the Phillies third most consistent starter since 2008, behind Halladay & Hamels, and pitched good yesterday…Again, the Phillies didn’t hit.

The Phillies have basically gotten comfortable with losing, and this is the bigger problem…The solution?…Change…I’ve suggested a few possibilities…I know that Charlie’s not going anyplace, not now anyway, but a new, younger and maybe more aggressive voice from the dugout is sure needed right now.

Baseball is a funny game…

haveacigar
haveacigar
June 20, 2013 8:08 pm

Galvis over Rollins.? What? Put down the bong my man

mhenski
mhenski
June 20, 2013 8:49 pm
Reply to  haveacigar

agreed haveacigar. i kinda stopped reading after i read howard is a gas can. never heard that reference to anyone but a pitcher