KL: What are some of the Phillies strengths and weaknesses coming into this series?
HC: I still feel the Phillies starting rotation is their best strength. Even when one of the aces has a ‘bad’ outing, it rarely happens back-to-back and for the most part they are all reliable. But that doesn’t mean they are by any means perfect. All five starters have struggled at one time or another, the biggest offender is Joe Blanton who as of yesterday, is on the 15-day disabled list, with a medial impingement in his right elbow.
Cole Hamels’ biggest obstacle has been the lack of hitting from the offense, which unfortunately carried over from last year. However, he got great run support in his last outing on Wednesday in a 8-4 victory over the Diamondbacks.
No telling when or if Roy Oswalt will be back. Though, GM Reuben Amaro, Jr. hopes Oswalt will be back before in time for his next scheduled start.
Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee are in a league of their own. Halladay is 3-1 with a 2.41 ERA, while Lee is 2-2 with a 4.18. But I wouldn't gauge either of them by their earned run averages. They both are intimidating and can put the fear in any line up facing them. And like previously said, they rarely have bad outings and if by chance either of them have one, its pretty much a guarantee the their next outing will be an entirely different outcome. Not boding well for the next team to face either of them.
The expectations were enormously high before the season even started and yes there have been some bumps in the road, but with this rotation, even an injury or two, never count them out.
The weakness is definitely the inconsistent offense, which has shown signs of life, but can be anemic at best.
KL: The Phillies have been bitten by the injury bug this season, especially the bullpen. How has the loss of J.C. Romero, Brad Lidge, and most recently, Jose Contreras, effected this team?
HC: The injuries have become contagious.
Brad Lidge going down in spring training was unexpected but quite predictable when his velocity struggled to get out of the mid to high 80’s. But to be honest, Jose Contreras had filled in quite nicely, recording five saves. That of course was until he got injured himself.
JC Romero is definitely one of the most reliable middle relievers, especially after only giving up two runs in his last seven outings. So the loss of him, really hurts.
And now Blanton too, it’s like the entire team is becoming infected with the injury bug.
On the positive side, Ryan Madson has wanted to be the closer and has been vocal about it, so he finally gets his chance to prove what he can do. Manager Charlie Manuel prefers Madson as the 8th inning set up guy and for good reason. Madson has been great at it. But things happen and with call-ups from Triple-A, the younger guys are getting a chance to show off their stuff as well. So you never know what can happen.
KL: Despite getting excellent starting pitching, the Phillies offense has been struggling as of late. How much does this team miss Chase Utley's bat in the lineup?
HC: To say the offense has been struggling is putting it mildly. The absence of Chase Utley in the 3rd spot is a huge part of that. Shortstop Jimmy Rollins is currently batting in that spot and until recently was having a hard time adjusting. Rollins was used to being in the lead off, so whether it was psychological or something else, it taken Rollins a while to figure it out.
First baseman Ryan Howard is batting .293, but has a tendency to run hot and cold. But one thing about Howard, he can strikeout a few times in a single game but come up huge with a big hit when needed.
Center fielder Shane Victorino is thriving in the lead off position, with a .343 on base percentage. And no one on the team is hitting better than third baseman Placido Polanco, who has a .389 batting average with 37 hits and currently is on an eight game hitting streak.
But the void from Utley has been felt in many games where the Phillies have scored four or less runs. Though outfielder Ben Francisco has played decent in the spot vacated by former Phillie and current Washington National Jayson Werth, left fielder Raul Ibanez is a mess. He is a whopping 0-26 in his last eight games with an abysmal .169 batting average. Manuel has started benching Ibanez in favor of John Mayberry, Jr. Not sure what is going on with Raul, he came into the season supposedly in the best shape of his life, but he is 39 years old so maybe the age is taking its toll.
Outfielder Dominic Brown is rehabbing in Clearwater as we speak, so his return could be soon. Which would be a nice boost.
But its not just Utley’s bat that is missed, its his leadership and approach to the game. No one works harder or demands perfection like he does, which usually has a good affect on the other players. So the quicker he gets back into the lineup the better. But that is still a couple months away, if not more.To read more about the Phillies, be sure to check out Carnassale's site: View From Section 116.
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