When manager Charlie Manuel filed his lineup before Thursday’s game against the Cubs at Citizens Bank Park, even he had to admit that it could be a long day for the Phillies. Not only did the Phils’ skipper have three rookies fresh from Triple A penciled in, but also only four of his starters were on the Opening Day roster.
And two of those four were on the bench.
So wouldn’t you know that the Phillies went out and crushed the Cubs, 12-1, in what could have been the team’s best offensive showing all season. In topping double-digits in runs for just the third time this season, the Phillies also won a series for the first time after the All-Star break (see Instant Replay).
Who would have guessed it with the lineup Manuel used?
“We got 14 hits today, we had some homers, we hit some balls good and it might have been the best we hit all year,” Manuel said.
“That was my Chinese bandit lineup.”
MLB
Chinese bandit? An obscure reference to the 1958 LSU Tigers? Whatever it was, it ended up making sense as the Phillies scored 10 runs to knock out Cubs’ starter Jeff Samardzija in the fourth inning and had a baserunner in all but two frames.
Still, as strange as the lineup was, perhaps it was a small glimpse into the future. With Chase Utley and Dom Brown anchoring the middle of the lineup, Manuel got big performances from rookies Darin Ruf and Cody Asche, as well as the first big-league win for hard-throwing righty, Ethan Martin.
Ruf went 2 for 4 with a walk and his fifth homer of the season, while Asche went 3 for 5 and came a triple short of the cycle. Asche’s long homer to right field with two outs not only capped off a six-run fourth inning, but also was his first big-league bomb.
“It was pretty cool,” Asche said. “Just to round the bases and shake [third-base coach Ryne Sandberg’s] hand as I went past third. Being able to touch home and have Brownie smile and waiting for me. It was pretty cool.”
After something of a slow start in which he had one hit in his first 17 at-bats, Asche appears to have finally settled in. The 23-year-old third baseman had his first multi-hit game and first extra-base hit in Tuesday’s win over the Cubs and capped it off with the homer on Thursday. After going 1 for 17, Asche has five hits in his last nine at-bats with three extra-base hits.
“I think that my emotions are more under control on defense and at the plate,” Asche said. “When that happens, you can settle into who you are and just be you.”
Ruf has settled in, too. Better yet, he seems to have regained his power stroke. Though Ruf, incredibly, reached base safely in 33 straight games, he wasn’t slugging like he had been during his record-breaking season for Double A Reading in 2012 and his first September call up.
But in the last six games, Ruf has three homers and a double with two of those long balls coming in the last two games.
“It was exciting,” Manuel said about the offensive production. “Actually, we had a good day today. Our guys had some fun and hopefully this’ll carry over and we’ll get our respect back, play better, win some games.”
It’s tough to disrespect an offense that pounded the ball like the Phillies did on Thursday. Mix that with a solid pitching performance from Martin and maybe Manuel is onto something.
In just his second big-league start, the 23-year old right-hander allowed a run on four hits and three walks in five innings. Though he struggled with his command and needed 95 pitches to get through five innings, Martin showed some poise. After allowing a leadoff homer to Nate Shierholtz in the fourth, Martin walked two hitters with one out as the Cubs looked to rally.
But a couple of ground balls got Martin out of the jam and got him to the fifth. After walk and a double put runners on second and third with one out in the fifth, Martin got two popups to escape trouble.
“It’s nice to get [the first win] under my belt,” Martin said. “The first four innings were pretty decent but the last one I kind of struggled. To get the win and the way the guys hit and played defense behind me, you can’t ask for anything more.”
A first win and a first homer for two prospects as the Phillies get their first win of a series since the All-Star break -- not bad with that grab-bag lineup Manuel put out there.
Then again, maybe there will be many more games in which Asche homers and Martin wins. But this being the first time, the pair of rookies are pretty excited.
“I’m real happy for Ethan. He’s a real competitor on the mound and I love playing defense for him,” Asche said. “I’ve gotten to know him the whole year in Lehigh and the half year in Reading. He’s a guy I love to play defense behind. He’s competing and that’s his makeup. He’s going to give you his best everyday and he’s going to work hard.”
Next, the Phillies hop on a bus and roll down I-95 to Washington to open a three-game series on Friday night. The probable pitching matchups are:
Friday: John Lannan (3-4, 4.10) vs. Dan Haren (6-11, 5.14)
Saturday: Cliff Lee (10-5, 3.13) vs. Taylor Jordan (1-3, 3.76)
Sunday: Kyle Kendrick (10-8, 4.36) vs. Stephen Strasburg (5-9, 3.01).