Philadelphia Phillies storyline: Hired guns, friends and foes

Beyond the centerfield gate, there is youth, inexperience and Jonathan Papelbon for the Philadelphia Phillies. What role has he played in their growth?

TAL’S HANDY CAPS

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Check out: Philadelphia Phillies storyline: Expectations 1 year after

CAP-SIZE HINDSIGHT: 2-1 Outcome

TYPE	PLAYER	REASON
The Crystal Champagne Toast	Cliff Lee	Four-Star Performance
The Penthouse	Cliff Lee Jimmy Rollins	Worked Out Of A Runner-At-3rd One-Out Jam In The 2nd Fired 7 3-Hit Innings An RBI Single To Tie The Score At 1 In The 8th
The Kangaroo Courthouse	Ty Wigginton	Thrown Out Rounding 3rd To End The 2nd
The Whitehouse	Cliff Lee	Reached his 200th K In The 5th

J-Roll Ties The Game At 1 In The 8th With An RBI Single

NITECAP INSIGHT

The March Battle:

Recently, the green hurlers in the ‘pen have been, for the most part, successful. A few reasons are MLB coaching and the other pitchers’ tips, while watching the aces work didn’t hurt anything either. However, it may be Cinco Ocho who has had the biggest influence on them. He strongly desired the postseason, but he needed them to secure the outs from the starter until the 9th. The turnaround in the relief corps was a very pleasant surprise, but something happened for that emergence. Was it Papelbon?

Ty Wigginton Is Caught At 3rd To End The 2nd

I have isolated their recent performances in the table below, and each one found a measure of success. The first five filled frames from the 6th to the 8th, B.J. Rosenberg was a fit for the long-man slot, and Jake Diekman was best as a lefty specialist. Plus, Michael Schwimer was solid before he had health issues. There are also 2 relievers who will return in the spring: Mike Stutes and David Herndon. Stutes was outstanding for his first 2 months, but was 50-50 after the league caught up with him. Herndon was streaky with good and bad appearances, which put his overall numbers in the middle.

There are 7 chairs in the bullpen with 5 still open. Paps and Antonio Bastardo are locked in. A veteran free agent would take one of those seats. There are 10 hurlers for those remaining 4 spots. At this point, Phillippe Aumont, Jeremy Horst, Josh Lindblom and Schwimer have shown the most. It will be a very competitive camp next February.

RELIEVER	ERA	SINCE	GAMES
LHP Antonio Bastardo	0.64	Aug. 24	18 Total	14 Good	2 Okay	2 Bad
RHP Phillippe Aumont	3.68	Aug. 23	18 *	11	4	3
LHP Jeremy Horst	1.15	June 28	32 *	21	6	5
RHP Josh Lindblom	2.84	Aug. 29	15	10	0	5
RHP Justin De Fratus	3.38	Sept. 3	13 *	08	3	2
RHP B.J. Rosenberg	0.64	Sept. 4	08	08	0	0
LHP Jake Diekman	1.50	Sept. 4	09	05	3	1

NOTE: Games from a specific date are split into good, okay or bad results in the above table.

Doc Works At The Bank On September 22 Against The Braves

PRECAP PITCH

Doc Halladay:

This is probably a 6-inning stint to end the season on a high note for him. He has faced the Fish three times in both venues (2 home) with this log: 2-1, a 3.98 ERA, 20.1 total, 18 hits, 9 all-earned runs, 5 passed and 16 fanned.

	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

Ricky Nolasco Dials Up A 4-Seam Fastball On September 23 In Queens

Ricky Nolasco:

He has worked 6.2 frames plus in 13 of 30 efforts with 8 clunkers. Against the Phils for 2 outings at both parks (1 each), his ledger reads: 2-0, a 3.86 ERA, 14 complete, 14 hits, 6 all-earned runs, 2 BB and 11 whiffs.

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

STATS APOCALYPTIC HORSEMEN CLIFF LEE
CLIFF'S LINE: 6 INN, 8 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 7 K & 109 DARTS

ACE	W - L	ERA	INN+	CONV	CG - SO	BAD	INN	ER	BB - IBB	SO
Total	34 - 23	3.48	6.1	59 of 86	2 - 2	12	582.2	225	114 -2	557
Hamels	17 - 06	3.05	6.2	21 of 31	2 - 2	03	215.1	073	050 - 2	218
Lee	06 - 09	3.16	6.1	23 of 30	0 - 0	02	211.0	074	028 - 0	207
Halladay	11 - 08	4.49	7.0	15 of 25	0 - 0	07	156.1	078	036- 0	132

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