Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Posted: 9:35 p.m.Updated: 11:23 p.m.
By John R. Finger
CSNPhilly.com
Stop us if youve heard this one before
OK, dont. After all, when it comes to the Phillies slumbering offense, weve been there, done that. In fact, these days more trees have been sacrificed to print out stories about the Phils moribund offense than the bats turned to kindling.
How tough has offense been to come by? Try this outthe Phillies have pounded out just five hits or fewer in their last five games. That even includes Wednesday nights 2-1 victory over the Colorado Rockies at the Bank where the Phillies pulled off the five-or-fewer feat for the first time since July of 1969.
The Phillies went 1-4 during that stretch back on the eve of Woodstock, but struggled to go 63-99 that season. This time around folks are expecting the team to win approximately 99 games and win the NL East for the fifth year in a row. In other words, it might not be how well a team hits as much as it is how they use those hits.
On Wednesday night, the Phillies used those hits economically.
MLB
Wilson Valdez, hitting out of the No. 8 spot, was the offensive star according to manager Charlie Manuel. In going 2 for 3 with a run and an RBI, Valdez had a hand in all of the teams runs. Meanwhile, the Nos. 6, 7 and 8 hitters in the Phils order accounted for five of the six base runners they had against Rockies pitcher, Jorge de la Rosa.
The top five spots in the batting order went 1 for 15 with two sacrifices.
Solid pitching or not, thats enough to make a manager worried.
Worried? Concerned is a better word, Manuel said. Im concerned about it, but at the same time with the pitching we have we keep working, we keep chipping away and we want to improve our offense. Were going to have to. Thats the way I look at it. Its a long season and you stay with it and grind it out. Were going to get it done, thats how I look at it.
So far there hasnt been anything that happened in the recent past to discredit Manuels contention that his hitters will hit. After all, last season the Phillies went on a mid-July swoon where they dropped six of eight games on the road in Chicago and St. Louis that led to the firing of hitting coach Milt Thompson only to close the season 49-19 to sew up the best record in baseball.
However, eventually the well of good fortune has to dry up at some point. Heading into Wednesday nights game the Phillies were 10th in the league in runs scored, ninth in homers and eighth in batting average and on-base percentage. At the same time, they have the best record in the National League at 26-16.
Could it be the Phils hitters are waiting for a run or two and the pitching staff to nail it down?
Manuel says not, simply because pride and statistics make a guy want to hit well.
I havent sensed that, but once they look over their own stats, that will kick it in, Manuel explained. Baseball players, nowadays, are stats conscientious. Thats why you dont see baseball played the way it used to be from a fundamentals standpoint.
I havent sensed that, but if they do they will come around eventually and kick it in gear.
Still, the hitters are 8 for their last 48 with runners in scoring position (.167), but are 12-8 in games decided by two runs or fewer. Thats pitching and defense.
Wednesday night that was Cole Hamels.
Hamels improved to 5-2 and lowered his ERA to 2.92 by scattering five hits with that one run through eight innings. He picked up eight more strikeouts and has 64 of them in 61 23 innings this season, but also he says he knew in the back of my mind that I have to go deep into the game.
Certainly it wasnt that far back in his mind seeing how well the offense has been going lately, but even Hamels needed help. He got it when rightfielder John Mayberry gunned out Alfredo Amezaga attempting to go from first to third on a single by Carlos Gonzalez in the first inning with one out, and again when catcher Carlos Ruiz threw out Ryan Spilborghs on a steal attempt to end the second. That play came in the beginning of a stretch where Hamels retired 14 hitters in a row until Gonzalez doubled in the seventh.
You dont like to lose that many games in a row and we have good pitchers so were going to have to go out and stop the bleeding. Thats what its going to have to take, Hamels said of ending the Phils four-game losing streak without much hitting support. I dont try to go out and try to do more. I just go out and try to win games.
The Phillies finish up the short, two-game series with the Rockies on Thursday when Joe Blanton (1-2, 5.50) takes on righthander Jhoulys Chacin (4-2, 2.89). Last time out Blanton lasted just five innings in last Saturdays 5-3 loss to the Braves in Atlanta. Meanwhile, in two career regular-season starts against the Rockies, Blanton is 1-0 with a 5.23 ERA with five strikeouts and five walks in 10 13 innings.
Chacin has faced the Phillies three times during his three-season big league career with just one start. In eight career innings, the righty has allowed just one earned run with seven strikeouts.
E-mail John R. Finger at jfinger@comcastsportsnet.com