Disappointing end to Phillies' 10-game home stand. After sweeping the Pirates four games, the Phils faced two solid cubs- Arizona and Atlanta, and lost 2 of 3 to both. They are now 16-11, tied for second place with thee Braves, 1 1/2 games behind first place New York.
- I'm sick of pitcher Vince Valasquez. He is frustrating as hell. He has a big arm but still doesn't know how to pitch. The trade that brought him to Philadelphia, for reliever Ken Giles, looks like a bust for the Phils. Valasquez needs to go to the bullpen or Lehigh Valley.
- Zach Eflin pitches Tuesday in Miami. Hopefully Eflin sticks this time. Because of injuries, Valasquez will stay in the rotation. He needs to step up along with other young arms.
- Atlanta will be a force to be reckoned with this season and down the road. I like their offense. Their line-up has been put together nicely, with table-setters at the top ( Inciarte, Albie) and power in the middle ( Freeman). Plus why is it that the Braves can bring up their young kids at an early age ( Budding star Ronald Acuna Jr is only 20-years-old) yet the Phillies don't bring their young prospects up much later? Anyway, Atlanta has one of the best farm systems in the majors. If they get any sort of pitching they will be in contention this summer and beyond.
- There is always one team every year that is a thorn in the side. For years the Phillies couldn't beat the Mets. Now they are only 3-6 against the Braves, already playing half of their games vs Atlanta.
- With J.P. Crawford out several weeks with an arm strain, Scott Kingery will play most of the time at shortstop. Let's see if his bat comes alive since he now has a steady, daily position. Crawford's injury may be a blessing in disguise. If Kingery does well at short, maybe Crawford could become the utility guy.
- Carlos Santana needs to get-going. He is bringing down the offense. he walks but that's about it. A major disappointment so far. Why continue to hit him 2nd in the batting order? Hit him 6th or lower until he gets hot. The Braves have both speed and power at the top of their line-up. A good 1-2 punch for the Phillies to lead-off would be Hernandez and Kingery, a nice combo of speed and power
.Regardless, Santana needs to hit lower and spend some time on the bench, allowing Hoskins to play first base. I agree that Santana will eventually hit, and he can't get out of his slump by sitting in the dugout. The organization is going to want him playing to prove the free-agent signing wasn't a major mistake.
- Odubel Herrera has gotten off to a hot start this year, reaching base in 29 straight games and making outstanding catches in center field. He is on pace to make the All-Star game for the second time. Even so, he doesn't always hustle on the bases, as he jogged to first base yesterday on a ground ball. Let's see if Kapler shows some guts and benches Herrera for a game to send a message. Herrera will never change. You either have to accept his faults of bring lazy or trade him.He is both fun and irritating to watch everyday.
- The Phillies have the second most errors in baseball. They miss the steady, sure-handed glove and leadership of Freddie Galvis. Crawford alone has five so early in the season. The club has always prided itself on fielding and fundamentals, but both were lacking, even in spring training.
- The Sixers are in Boston tonight for Game 1 of their playoff series. I love all the memories and film clips of the past Philly-Boston hated rivalry, especially the titanic battles between Dr. J. and Larry Bird in the 80s.I like the Sixers in six. They need to split in Beantown before returning home on Saturday night for a wild Game 3 against the dreaded Celtics.
- Looking back over the weekend, how great was the draft? Dallas flopped hosting the event, the birds jumped ahead of the Cowboys to snatch a tight end, and David Akers became an instant Eagle icon by trashing Cowboy fans in their own town.
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