Manager Gabe Kapler must be a lucky guy. Doe he play the lottery or go to the casinos? If not, he should. He was really lucky this weekend in Milwaukee. Kapler made several questionable calls that somehow, someway turned out OK as the Phillies won of 2 of 3 games over the brewers, who have the best record in the National League.
On Saturday, Kapler took a dominant Zach Eflin out of the game in the 6th inning of a close game. He pitched reliable reliever Sirantohny Dominguez as a set-up guy, not as a closer, in each game. He boxed himself in on Sunday,and was forced to sue Jake Thompson, just recalled from Lehigh Valley, to get the final out vs the always- dangerous Christian Yelich ( Yelich crushed the first pitch from Thompson to dead center field, where Odubel Herrera made a nice catch to save the game).
With a five-run lead in the 9th inning on Sunday, Kapler stuck with the shaky Hector Neris, who promptly gave up four runs before being lifted for Thompson. Neris is a waste who should be released ( Dylan Cozens should be an extra bat/outfielder off the bench, not a ridiculous 13th pitcher off the staff like Neris).
What's so hard about pitching Dominguez one inning, not two? In the 9th inning, not the 7th inning? And, as a closer, not as a set-up guy? If/when Pat Neshek comes off the DL and finally pitches a game, he should be the set-up man and Dominguez the closer. Stop playing Russian Roulette with the bullpen! I've seen enough of losers like Neris, Morgan, Ramos, Rios and Garcia. They couldn't do it before. Why does Kapler feel they can suddenly close now?
Despite all of this confusion, the Phillies are in third place, only a 1/2 game behind Washington ( who they play seven time sin the next two weeks), and still 4 games behind division-leading Atlanta, 5 games above .500.
All of this analytical nonsense is coming from the front office, specifically GM Matt Klentak, who is directing Kapler's unorthodox moves. The next few weeks will tell if the team will be buyers or sellers at the trade deadline in late July. Buyers could nab a Cole Hamels and a lefty reliever. Sellers would be embarrassing and mean the end for Santana, Franco and maybe even Hernandez.Sellers would also mean Klentak should be fired at the end of the season.
Hopefully Hoskins and Herrera are slowly coming out of their hitting funks. Franco is in desperation mode to save his Phillies career at third base, especially with potential free agent Manny Machado looming. With the hotter weather on tap, will the bats get hotter too?
Defensively the Phils are still poor, and will remain poor until players stop playing out of position in the field. Look forward to more lapses on defense, as in order to get guys into their natural positions ( Kingery to second base, Hoskins to first base, etc...) trades need to be made, and they will take time.
The pitching will be boosted by reinforcements such as Hamels and Neshek, so I think the pitching will continue to be strong. As long as you've got good pitching, the club should be in it til September.
- I'll be at Citizens Bank Park tonight as the Phils open a three-game series against the always-tough St. Louis Cardinals. Nick Pivetta goes for the Fightins. I saw Pivetta pitch brilliantly in Baltimore over a month ago. It's my first time at the ballpark this season so I'll be anxious to see all the new changes. It will be a hot and steamy night, maybe good for the bats?
- Iv'e got a bad feeling that the Sixers will get shut-out this summer in the free agency market. Will LeBron go to LA, along with George and Leonard? Will the Sixers, who are still searching for a permanent general manager, have to resort to Plan B-type players? They have been planning for this summer along time. Anything less than a true game-changing player to supplement their young core will be disappointing.
- Glen & Ray on WIP Sports Radio brought up an interesting topic this weekend: why is attendance down 6% so far this baseball season? I have my own theories:
* Slow pace. Games take 3-4 hours to finish anymore. Millennials don't want to spend all that time watching boring baseball. Not in this day and age where everything needs to be fast, quick, and easy. Don't think! Back in the day old-school baseball fans cherished a 1-0 pitcher's duel, rehashing the nooks and crannies of every game, even after the game was over. Not anymore. Baseball could be a pretty dry sport, especially compared to the non-stop action of basketball or hockey. The many instant replays and stops in the game don't make it any easier to watch.
* Expense. Only so many dollars to spend on entertainment. Whereas before it was cheap to see a ballgame- a few bucks for a ticket, concessions and parking were reasonable, now it costs a few hundred dollars to see a game in person, especially if you have a family. Movies, amusement parks, vacation- all vie for the summer dollars. Baseball just isn't high on the list of priorities anymore.
* Convenience. It's much easier to turn a ballgame on at home taking advantage of your wide-screen TV, then battle the weather, traffic, parking and all that goes into actually being at the stadium for several hours. Before it was a treat to see a major league baseball game, something to look forward to each summer, outside on a bright, sunny day or a crisp, cool spring or fall evening. Now, so-called fans crash at home then go to bed.
* Other sports. As mentioned, other sports offer more action and more bang for your buck. Pro Football offers tail-gating and partying, fantasy football and betting on games. It's once-a-week and it's an event, rather than an everyday thing like baseball.
* Too noisy. It's true. Going to a game is noisy. They drown you out with music and noise, even during play ( as in basketball). The scoreboards tell you when to cheer. The other fans around you may be noisy, or rude, or obnoxious fans of the visiting team. Too much glitz sometimes at sporting events.
* No superstars. Mike Trout, one of the best baseball in any generation, is a draw, but I see their point with this one. There is no Sandy Koufax or Willie Mays.
- It's Monday, so it's time to look at the standings...
- The Yankees and Red Sox are in a virtual tie in American League East. Nice to have the old rivalry back. They should both win 100 games.
- The world champion Astros are a game and a half ahead of surprising Seattle in AL West. The Angels have faded, and the Rangers and A's are non-factors.
- Meanwhile, the Indians are ahead in AL Central. Surprising Detroit lurks only a few games behind, with Minnesota not far off the pace. I can only imagine the American League playoffs this fall, with Houston, Boston, new York and Cleveland battling it out.
- Milwaukee and the Cubs keep going back and forth in National League Central. Ever- dangerous St. Louis looms only 4 games off the pace. Don't count out Pittsburgh either.Like last year, this race should go down to the wire as well.
- No surprise that Arizona leads NL West, after briefly relinquishing the lead to Colorado. The Dodgers, favorites to win the west and return to the World Series, are a mere 1 1/2 games behind, after falling as much as 9 1/2 behind earlier in the spring. San Francisco isn't far off. The Rockies have faded after their initial surge.
- The National League may not have the power teams like the American League has, but the nL playoffs should be interesting, especially if a young team like the braves is involved. Somehow, Washington is going to be involved. This may be Bryce Harper's last season with the nationals, and he will want to have a big post-season before he hits the free agent market.
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