Lots to discuss about the Phillies’ weekend, so I thought I’d do an odds and ends piece instead of 5 separate articles.
Cliff Lee remained winless this season after dropping his second game of the season to the Red Sox yesterday afternoon. Lee entered yesterday’s game with an 0-1 record but a 1.95 ERA. Lee had pitched relatively well, and certainly well enough to win a few of his starts, but various offensive woes and bullpen meltdowns kept him out of the win column. Yesterday, however, Lee didn’t have his stuff early, giving up 5 runs in the first 3 innings.
Placido Polanco has sat out since fouling a ball off of his left knee in Wednesday’s game against the Cubs. The knee, according to Polanco is not the issue. The pain is because when he fouled the ball off, he also mildly sprained his ankle. Polanco was able to pinch hit on Saturday but has remained sidelined with the injury. He was hoping to return to the lineup tonight (Monday) as the Phillies begin a 3 game set against the Nationals, but no word has come on whether Polanco will play or not.
Vance Worley is on the disabled list and has bone chips in his right arm. Who diagnosed the injury? The team doctor? No. Cole Hamels did. Hamels, battled through the same issue last season and had offseason surgery to remove the chips. Worley apparently approached Hamels and asked some questions, and Hamels said he thought they young righty had bone chips. Sure enough, Worley does. He is eligible to come off of the DL on May 27. Aside from rest, no other course of action has been called for.
The Washington Nationals are in town for the first time this season and the first time since Cole Hamels plunked Bryce Harper with a pitch. That resulted in Hamels being suspended for 5 games and Nats’ GM being fined for comments made about Hamels. There is a burgeoning rivalry here, but with the Phillies in last place at 21-21, it’s hard to get too worked up about it. Jayson Werth is out indefinitely for the Nats recovering from a fractured wrist sustained during the Phillies’ visit to DC a couple of weeks ago. Werth commented at the time that he wanted to personally “see to it that those people never walk down Broad Street in celebration again” because he alleged that some Phillies fans cheered when he injured his wrist.
Doc Halladay (4-3, 3.22 ERA) will be in the mound tonight for the Phillies to take on Washington’s Gio Gonzalez (5-1, 2.22 ERA). The Phillies are 5 games behind the 1st place Braves, while Washington is 2nd in the division, trailing Atlanta by 1.5.Similar Posts:
- Cole Hamels Makes Bold Statement in Phillies’ Win
- Is There More to Hamels’ Beaning of Harper?
- Phillies Have Golden Opportunity to Gain Ground in East
- Giroux, JVR Among Flyers Requiring Surgeries
- UPDATE – Is Vance Worley DL Bound?
