Philadelphia Phillies storyline: Red-pinstripe alert

Domonic Brown provided half the runs for the Philadelphia Phillies in their contest yesterday, but now there are 7 battles at the Bank against the organizations with the 2 best NL records. Cincinnati just went 8-3 against the Cubs and the Metropolitans, will they see the Phils as easy pickings? Washington has gone 13-4–versus the Fish, ‘Stros, D-backs, Giants and Mets– since winning only 1 of 3 at home against Cholley’s boys. Will they have something to prove? And how are the hometown 9 taking series against mostly contenders with this offense?

TAL’S HANDY CAPS

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Check out: Philadelphia Phillies storyline: Radar guns and Cy Youngs

CAP-SIZE HINDSIGHT: 8-0 Triumph

TYPE	PLAYER	REASON
The Crystal Champagne Toast	Chase Utley	Four-Star Performance
The Penthouse	Pete Orr Chase Utley Dom Brown Chooch Ruiz	* Smoked A 2-RBI Gap Double To Close Within 1 Run In The 2nd During His 1 For 2 Game Stroked A 2-Run Single To Tie It Up At 4 In The 5th During His 2 For 4 Night With A SB, A BB & 3 RBI A 2-Out RBI Triple To Take A 5-4 Advantage In The 5th Smacked A 2-Run Double To Open A 7-4 Lead In The 7th During His 2 For 5 Evening
The Workhouse	Home SP	* A 39-Pitch 2nd Inning
The Leather Warehouse	1B Darin Ruf	Made A Spectacular Over-The-Shoulder Catch Of A Foul In The 5th
The Fun House Of Mirrors	Home RF The Defense	Takes 1st On A SO WP & 2nd After A Throw (E2) To The Bag In The 8th A SO WP With The Bags Full & A DP Tag At The Plate To End The 8th
House Call	Ryan Howard Tyler Cloyd	Season-Ending Big Toe Injury Shut Down With A Dead Arm

Above Asterisk (*) = Corresponding Play

This is an article that got buried, and I decided to publish a slightly updated version.

Dom Brown Clears The Bases With A 3-RBI Two-Bagger In The 3rd

NITECAP INSIGHT

Beastly Numbers:

Thursday night was a perfect illustration of what is broken. It involved a third-base error and the 8th-frame setup that could not get 1 out. Freddy Galvis is the remedy for the hot corner, and Cholley Manuel needs a place to play him. This squad requires 1 solid and 1 secondary reliever for the abyss that swallows up victories. Plus, The stats below reveal a lack of right-handed power in the 6 hole, which could come from a free-agent outfielder.

Dom Limps Home In The 3rd

It makes a huge difference when you consider that the red pinstripes have won 7 of 10 matchups, and split one at 3.9 runs per over 34 battles. They have 19 triumphs during that span. Against playoff-hopeful teams, they are 10-11 but have taken 4 of 7 sets, averaging 3.2 runs. This has been accomplished with a mid-season spring training for Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Doc Halladay. Plus, they traded Shane Victorino, Hunter Pence and Joe Blanton, while they sat Juan Pierre.

The 2nd half is also a time when the in-it clubs play harder and raise their intensity level. Looking ahead to the next campaign, the locals have four of their sticks with a catcher, a first baseman, a second sacker and a shortstop. They also have an improved Brown in right to go with a platoon of Pierre and John Mayberry Jr. at the other warning-track corner. Rube Amaro can fill 2 endgame bullpen spots and 1 right-handed power bat for the fly-ball patrol without obliterating the budget.

	PLAYER	AVG.	HR	RBI	AB	H	BB - 1BB	SB - CS
1 - SH	SS Jimmy Rollins	.194	6	11	134	26	14 - 0	6 - 0
2 - LH	LF Juan Pierre	.303	0	03	066	20	04 - 0	9 - 1
3 - LH	2B Chase Utley	.250	6	18	116	29	22 - 3	3 - 1
4 - LH	1B Ryan Howard	.246	7	21	118	29	11 - 0	0 - 0
5 - RH	C Chooch Ruiz	.268	1	12	056	15	00 - 0	0 - 0
6 - LH	RF Dom Brown	.269	0	08	067	18	08 - 0	0 - 0
7 - RH	CF John Mayberry Jr.	.236	4	05	089	21	07 - 0	0 - 0
8 - LH	OF Nate Schierholtz	.219	1	02	032	07	03 - 0	0 - 0

Doc Hurls A Dart On August 15 In Miami

PRECAP PITCH

Doc Halladay:

He is 2-2 with a 3.46 ERA after being reactivated. For his last 3 performances, however, his line is: 2-1, a 1.64 August ERA, 22 complete, 11 hits, 4 all-earned runs, 2 walks and 20 whiffs.

	STARTER	RECORD	TM	STARTER	RECORD	DAY & TIME
3	LHP Cliff Lee	06-08, 3.12 ERA	@ Nats	RHP Edwin Jackson	09-11, 4.13 ERA	Wednesday, Day

Mike Leake Rocks Back On August 15 At Home Against The Mets

Mike Leake:

He is 3-3 with a 3.13 away ERA, which is 2.27 lower on the road. He has worked 6.1 innings or more in 11 of 23 appearances with 7 clunkers.

DELIVERY = PITCHER’S 2012	DEFINITION OF SEASON
Over The Top	Excellent
3-Quarter Sidearm	Good
Sidearm	Above Average
Short Arm	Approximately Average
Submarine	Below Average

Starters’ photos, not described otherwise, are in the 1st inning.

Quality number of the pitcher: 1 – 5

Slot on his club: 1 – 5

Ranking is 1 to 5 & 15 for the less adventurous.

*** = Approximately equal to after plus-and-minus computation

HURLER	Doc Halladay	Ricky Nolasco
NUMBER	A One	A Five
CLUB SLOT	One	Three
FOR 2012	Short Arm	Short Arm
'12 RANKING	4th of 5 Categories	4th of 5 Categories
LAST START	Eephus Pitch	Split Finger
LAST HIGH OR LOW	13th of 15 Categories	4th of 15 Categories

	PITCH	INN	ER - R- H		PITCH	INN	ER
1	Gyroball	9 (CG)	0 - 0 - 3	10	Screwball	6	4
2	Fastball	9 (CG)	0 - 0	11	Knuckleball	5	3
3	Cutter	9 (CG)	3	12	Forkball	0 - 4.2	Monstrosity
4	Split Finger	7	2	13	Eephus Pitch	0 - 2.2	Disaster
5	Curveball	7	3	14	*Palm Ball	Ejected
6	Sinker	6.1	3	15	*Spit Ball	**Ejected+
7	Slider	6	2		*Breaking Ball	Injured
8	Changeup	6	3		*Fosh	Rain Interrupted
9	Slurve	5	2		*Knuckle Curve	Pitch Count
	** = Suspended				* = A 2nd Pitch Also

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