http://www.yardbarker.com/content/player/839 Recent articles about Jayson Werth en-us All you people out there telling me that the Phillies have one of the best offenses in the league and have no need for Matt Holliday (.343 AVG, 17 HR, 60 RBI, 60 R, 13 SB), I want you to look me in the eye (figuratively of course) and tell me you still think that. I agree with you that this is one of the best offenses in the league, on paper. A team composed of reigning MVP Jimmy Rollins (career* .277 AVG, 16HR, 62 RBI, 96 R, 35 SB), former MVP and Rookie of the Year Ryan Howard (.279 AVG, 42 HR, 97 RBI, 83 R)*, this year's MVP front runner Chase Utley (.299 AVG, 21 HR, 83 RBI, 85 R, 11 SB)*, and Pat Burrell (.260 AVG, 29 HR, 96 RBI, 75 R)* should be leading the league in offense, and somehow, this team still does. Despite having an awful almost two months of baseball, the Phillies are still second in the National League in runs scored, behind Chicago. To show you just how Jekyll and Hyde this offense has been this year, let's look at the numbers. Since June 1st, the Phillies have scored 181 runs. They have given up 182. Now let's take out the game against the St. Louis Cardinals on June 13th in which the Phillies won 20-2. With that game out, the Phillies have scored 161 runs and given up 180. That figure says a couple things. First off, they were really good in the beginning of this year. In April and May they scored 302 runs and only gave up 236. That is the run differential of a playoff team. Second, the fact that they are still the second highest run scoring team in the NL also shows just how weak the NL is this year. You can't say it's the pitching, because the Phillies have given up less runs in June and July then they did the first two months. Granted July isn't over yet, but even the Phils will be hard pressed to give up more than 50 runs in one week. This team just is not hitting. They aren't hitting with runners on base, with runners in scoring position, with no runners on. They aren't hitting. During the month of July, Utley has two home runs and five RBIs; Rollins hasn't had a home run since June 16th, and has seven RBIs this month; Geoff Jenkins has 16 hits since June 1st, with six of them coming in the first six days of that month; Jason Werth has six RBIs in July and Pedro Feliz has seven. The team's Jekyll and Hyde nature was never more evident then this past series with the Mets. The Phillies were the Kings of the Come From Behind Win last year and they showed that Never Say Die attitude on Tuesday when they scored six runs in the 9th inning to beat the Mets 8-6. After getting manhandled by Johan Santana through the first eight innings, this team showed an incredible amount of character (which they have lacked for the better part of the past two months) and grit and did not give up. Then they dropped the ball and let the momentum gained from that inning fade off and played like garbage the next two days. Despite a rocky outing by Brett Myers on Wednesday, the game was still tied at three coming into the sixth inning. The Phillies were very much in a position to win when the bullpen gave up three runs and you could just see the air go out of this team. They just laid down and conceded. Thursday the Phillies absolutely blew a beautiful gem thrown by Jamie Moyer and once again made the erratic Oliver Perez look like a Cy Young Award winner. Moyer went seven strong innings giving up only one run. J.C. Romero came into the 8th inning and gave up two runs. Romero has unequivocally been the Phillies best reliever this season aside from closer Brad Lidge. He has also pitched more innings than any other reliever and it is starting to show. Romero gave up a total of six runs in all of April, May and June. He has given up five so far in July, which is still remarkable and I am not dumping on him at all. But he needs some help; he needs another lefty in the bullpen that cane take on some of the situational responsibilities. This was the biggest series of the season and the Phillies blew it, despite having the biggest inning of the year. They had the momentum; they had first place; and I still believe they have a better team. The Phillies have just been way too inconsistent this season and the Mets have gelled together since the firing of manager Willie Randolph. This is going to be a very tough road over the remaining 60 or so games, but I still think the Phillies can pull it out. They have to start this weekend against the Atlanta Braves. * When calculating the career stats, I took out the player's first season and this season, as neither were full seasons. Fri, 25 Jul 2008 10:47:01 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/295456 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/295456 July 22, 2008 Pat Gillick, Senior Vice President & General Manager Philadelphia Phillies Citizens Bank Park One Citizens Bank Way Philadelphia, PA 19148-5249 Dear Mr. Gillick, With the recent trade for Joe Blanton from the Oakland Athletics, it has become apparent that the Phillies are not going to acquire an "A List" starting pitcher. I understand that the Phillies just did not have the prospects to get the deal done with the Cleveland Indians for CC Sabathia, and it seems that the Seattle Mariners' asking price for Erik Bedard is just too steep. Rich Harden is obviously no longer available as he was recently traded to the Chicago Cubs, although I do not understand why he is not a Phillie right now considering the Athletics received better prospects for Blanton than Harden. Regardless of why the Phillies were unable to land Harden, it is now irrelevant. What is important now is that we focus on the deals that can be made, and that means Matt Holliday and Brian Fuentes. It has been widely reported that the Colorado Rockies are interested in dealing the pair to the Phillies for centerfielder Shane Victorino, top pitching prospect Carlos Carrasco, catching prospect Lou Marson, and pitcher JA Happ. That certainly seems like a lot to give up, and it is. With Victorino, the Phillies would be losing a quality defensive centerfielder, as well as a switch hitter with some serious speed. Victorino, despite not having as good a season as we all would like, is still a very versatile player that can lead off, hit second, or deeper in the lineup when needed. Most people balk at the idea of trading away a catching prospect because Chris Coste is already in his mid 30's and Carlos Ruiz has been an all around disappointment. This is not an area of serious concern, however, as one of the Phillies' other big prospects is Jason Donald, also a catcher. The Phillies can afford to trade away Marson. Happ was good in his brief stint in the majors this season, but has also had his share of ups and downs. He is a promising young pitcher, but is the type of player you have to give up to get players the quality of Holliday and Fuentes. The obvious big chip here is Carrasco. I can understand your reluctance to part with the top pitching prospect in the organization, especially since there is not a lot of pitching depth in the minors, or the major league club for that matter. Carrasco, however, is the key to the deal. By trading him you lose a lot, but you also stand to gain a lot. Rather than dwell on Carrasco and what the Phillies lose by trading him, I'd rather focus on what they gain by acquiring Holliday and Fuentes. Let us begin with Brian Fuentes. For starters, Fuentes provides the Phillies with that much needed second left arm in the bullpen. As the only left hander in the pen, J.C. Romero is relied upon more than is probably healthy. Fuentes will be able to carry some of that load and take the pressure off Romero. Likewise, with 101 career saves, Fuentes can step in and get a save once or twice a week to give some time off to all star closer Brad Lidge. He would also take the pressure off of Tom Gordon as the 8th inning set up man. Fuentes is arguably more important to the Phillies right now than Holliday. That's not to say that Matt Holliday wouldn't be a huge acquisition for the Phils. As you already know, Holliday is batting .338 this year with 17 home runs and 58 RBIs. Add on top of that 13 stolen bases and you have one of the most complete players in the major leagues. Holliday has hit over 30 home runs in each of the last two seasons and is well on his way to eclipse that mark again this season. The most impressive aspect to Holliday's game is his ability to hit for average despite being one of the premiere power hitters in the league, hitting above .300 in every season of his career except his rookie year in 2004, when he hit a paltry .290. Since it is apparent, as I said before, that the Phillies are not going to be able to land that ace starting pitcher, then you need to position this team to outhit their opponents. This team currently has the type of pitching that will at the very least keep them in every game. With the addition of Holliday, it would give you a starting lineup that looks like an all star roster. Here's an example of what a Phillies' batting order could look like: SS Jimmy Rollins 2b Chase Utley RF Matt Holliday 1B Ryan Howard LF Pat Burrell CF Jason Werth 3B Pedro Feliz C Chris Coste P Cole Hamels Mr. Gillick, I think that that lineup speaks for itself. This is the year that the Phillies have to go for it as the National League is the weakest it's been in year. The only contenders this year are the Cubs, Milwaukee Brewers, St. Louis Cardinals, New York Mets, and by default the Arizona Diamondbacks. That's not a list of teams that are going to make the playoffs; that's a list of teams that are any good in addition to the Phillies. The Phillies need to put themselves into a position to make it to the World Series this year and not worry about four or five years from now. With the aforementioned lineup, and the number of talented pitchers eligible for free agency this coming off season (including Sabathia and Ben Sheets), the Phillies can put themselves in a position to win and compete for the World Series for at least three more years. That is why you need to pull the trigger on this deal and bring Matt Holliday and Brian Fuentes to Philadelphia. Sincerely, Jonathan Atwood HSP Senior Writer Tue, 22 Jul 2008 20:33:29 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/294074 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/294074 Game summary: The Phils were able to get just enough key hits, including Shane Victorino's game-tying, two-run triple in the 8th, and Jayson Werth's game-winning RBI single in the 12th, in last night's 6-5 win over Arizona. Ryan Howard hit his Major League-leading 28th home run. The Phils used seven pitchers to seal the deal. The Phils and D-Back are at it again this afternoon at 3:55. Elsewhere, the Mets knocked off the Rockies 2-1 for their seventh-straight win, and... Sat, 12 Jul 2008 08:44:23 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/289456 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/289456 The best pefomers of the day in no particular order. -SP Roy Halladay: strikes out eight en route to a two hit shutout against the Yankees -2B Damion Easley: had game winning home run in the 8th to win Mets 7th in a row -SP Chris Volstad: pitched 8 shutout innings in firls ML start for the Marlins -OF Jayson Werth: game winning RBI in the 12th inning to beat the D-Backs -2B Ronnie Belliard: had two HR and 5 RBI in a 10-0 win against the Astros Sat, 12 Jul 2008 06:51:54 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/289443 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/289443 What more could you ask for? Ryan Howard homered. Shane Victorino pulled back a homer to save a run and later tripled in a pair of runs to send the game to extra innings. And, of course, the Phillies won on a Jayson Werth single in the 12th inning. Great win for the Phils! Click the link for all the game highlights! Sat, 12 Jul 2008 01:35:27 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/289405 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/289405 Screaming Sports' Andrew Thibodeau breaks out the MLB Waiver Wire and runs downs a list of five potential fantasy studs. If you're looking for that extra edge this week and beyond, then this gem is for you. Tue, 08 Jul 2008 06:40:11 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/287175 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/287175 There's plenty to discuss on a busy Monday morning. Here's a synopsis. Game summary: The Phillies lost to the Mets 4-2 in 12 innings in a game that included a 2 hour and 50 minute rain delay. The Phils needed a miracle two-out, two-run Jayson Werth home run off Billy Wagner in the bottom of the ninth to get it that far, but in the end, it all boiled down to two things. First, Oliver Perez was very good. Second,... Mon, 07 Jul 2008 14:35:42 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/286800 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/286800 It's no secret Charlie Manuel is frustrated. The Phillies are on a six-game skid, hitting .170 collectively. If you've watched the past six games, a .170 team average actually seems a bit high. They're chasing bad pitches, not advancing runners, striking out a ton, and overall playing the poorest they have all season. Wed, 25 Jun 2008 19:37:02 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/282407 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/282407 Do Phils have stuff to acquire pitching? By Jim Salisbury Inquirer Staff Writer The Phillies are well into their annual midseason quest to land a starting pitcher. C.C. Sabathia, Greg Maddux, Roy Oswalt and Erik Bedard are some of the names being tossed around. Any of them could help. Teams, however, just don't push a button and make a deal. No-trade clauses must be waived. Salaries must be fit into payroll structures. The hope of winning now must be weighed against the risk of mortgaging potential stars. First and foremost, though, a team seeking a commodity must have the wherewithal to acquire it. There lies the rub for the Phillies. Their farm system is thin in the kind of high-upside, almost-major-league-ready talent that other clubs desire when in a selling mode. So, the Phils may have to include a big-league player in a package for a pitcher. The outfield is the one area where the Phils have depth. It's also where they have a young, inexpensive, productive player that other teams have coveted for a couple of years: Shane Victorino. "I know I could be a chip," the 27-year-old outfielder said. "My name has come up ever since I had that good year in triple A [in 2005], and I understand this year it might be different because the farm system is not the deepest. "In some ways, it's a compliment when you hear other teams might want you. But rumors are rumors, and I can't worry about it. I really don't want to leave this team. I love the chemistry and the guys." Victorino could be attractive because he is under control for three more seasons. He will be eligible for salary arbitration for the first time this winter. Outfielder Jayson Werth, who can't be a free agent until after 2009, could also be a trade chip. "Obviously, when you look at the team, the only depth is in the outfield," he said. "If that's what they're looking to do to make the team better, I understand. This game is a business. "I just want to play. Wherever I'm given an opportunity, I'll be giving 100 percent." Werth acknowledged the team's need for another pitcher. "The pitching is doing great, but if you want to get to the next level and win a World Series, that's usually what teams do," he said. "It wouldn't be surprising. Last year, we got Lohse." Righthander Kyle Lohse, who arrived from Cincinnati in a July 30 deal, proved to be one of the best midseason acquisitions by any team in 2007. He made 11 starts for the Phils, and the team won nine. The Phils could look to make another midlevel pitching acquisition, such as Lohse. Why? There are two reasons: (1) They have had good success going that route with Lohse and Jamie Moyer in 2006, and (2) They might not have enough advanced prospects in their system to get a top pitcher such as Sabathia, last year's Cy Young Award winner in the American League. That doesn't mean the Phils don't covet Sabathia. He could be the piece that helps them get to the World Series. However, he also could be the piece that helps get the Los Angeles Dodgers, Boston, the New York Yankees, the Chicago Cubs or Milwaukee to the Series. The Dodgers, Red Sox and Yankees all have deeper farm systems than the Phillies, and the Cubs, who haven't won a World Series in 100 years, might be willing to empty the cupboard for Sabathia, especially with ace Carlos Zambrano suffering a recent shoulder strain. Any team that pursues Sabathia must be cognizant that he will be a two-month rental. He is due to be a free agent at the end of the season and will seek a multiyear deal in the neighborhood of $120 million. Only a contract extension in that range would keep him off the market. The Phillie most teams want is double A pitcher Carlos Carrasco. The Phils would surely have to surrender him, and possibly Victorino, in a deal for Sabathia. Would they do it? Only team officials know. "We have to balance going for it now versus the future," assistant general manager Mike Arbuckle said. "We have to keep in mind that this is not a club that is all-or-nothing this year. We have to be careful about absolutely wiping out the best young players in the system to do it now. That is not to say we don't want to win now and won't move good players if we feel the deal is right. It's just something we're looking at carefully." Phils officials said Carrasco, a 21-year-old righthander, was close to being ready to contribute in the majors. Catcher Lou Marson, also at double A, is drawing attention from other clubs. Dealing him would be a tough call given the state of catching in the system. He projects as a No. 1 catcher and could be in Philadelphia in a year or so. Outfielder Greg Golson, currently sidelined by a wrist injury, and second baseman Adrian Cardenas might be the Phils' top minor-league trade chips, at least among advanced prospects. Cardenas swings a good bat but is blocked by Chase Utley, and a move to the outfield could be in his future. The Phils might be more open to moving prospects if they got back a pitcher they could control beyond this season. Bedard, the Seattle lefty, who won't be a free agent until after 2009, fits that description, as does Oakland's Rich Harden. Houston's Roy Oswalt, who is signed through 2011 but at a cost of $47 million, could be worth watching. The Astros had a high-ranking scout in Philadelphia on Sunday. While a rental player might not be totally to the Phils' liking, they could take a run at Maddux, who will be owed about $3.3 million at the July 31 trade deadline. Maddux would not carry an exorbitant price tag. However, he has a no-trade clause, and it remains to be seen if he'd waive it to come to the East Coast. Maybe playing privileges at Pine Valley would help. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- according to ESPN Insider: Victorino could help Phils land starter According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, Shane Victorino could be a key chip for the Phillies in their effort to acquire a front-of-the-rotation starting pitcher. Victorino would be an attractive piece to teams looking to sell at the deadline because he is under control for three more seasons and will be arbitration eligible for the first time this winter. Jayson Werth, Carlos Carrasco, Lou Marson, Greg Golson and Adrian Cardenas are some of the other players in the organization who could be used in a package for a starter. However, the decision to gut the farm system in an attempt to win the World Series this season is not an easy one, and only team officials know for sure what direction the club is leaning. AND Fuentes continues to draw interest Brian Fuentes | Rockies | Interested: Phillies? Athletics? Mets? Red Sox? Yankees? According to the Denver Post, several major league sources have confirmed that the Phillies and A's have now joined the Mets, Red Sox and Yankees as teams interested in the left-handed closer. Tue, 24 Jun 2008 16:42:22 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/281871 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/281871 Is it just me or do the Phillies seem to always find a way to come crashing down and erase any good vibes fans are feeling about the team? I know it's only a 2 game losing streak, but those 2 games have been to the Phils' biggest competitor- the Florida Marlins. Let's take a look at what good has been erased over the past two days. Good- Cole Hamels striking out 13 Marlins over 8 innings while giving up only 2 runs via 3 hits and 1 walk to drop his era to 3.27. Erased- Tom Gordon and his inability to get outs. The Phils tied the game in the top of the 9th to watch Gordon implode in the bottom of the 9th by catering the Marlins fans (all 3 of them) to a walk-off granny by stumpy Dan Uggla. Good- Chase Utley supplying the offense for the Phils by knocking in both runs last night upping his season total to 58. Erased- Carlos Ruiz grounding into two double plays last night to see his batting average fall to .221 and OPS to a minor league demotion worthy .601. Good- Ryan Howard coming out of his season long slump to see his average "up" to .214 entering Tuesday's game. Erased- Ryan Howard going 0-7 with 3 k's in the first two games of this series to dismiss any rumors of an emergence from the depths of ineptitude, shoving him right back down towards that dreaded .200 mark (.208). Good- Evening the score at 2-2 in the 9th off of Marlins' closer Kevin Gregg because of his sloppiness and having the bases loaded with 2 outs with one of our most patient batters stepping to the plate in the form of Jayson Werth. Erased- Jayson Werth attempting to bunt his way on. Seriously? The bases were loaded, Gregg walked 2 men and hitter a batter in the inning and Werth bunts at the first pitch...that deserves a verbal thrashing. Good- Sweeping the Braves in Atlanta reaching 13 games over .500 and owning a 4 game lead on the Marlins heading into Tuesday night's game. Erased- Losing the first 2 games of the series and watching the NL East division lead dwindle to 2 games. Grand Pappy Moyer please save this series for the Phils and continue your lifetime dominance over them (8 games started, 8 wins, 3.51 era, 1.09 whip). Thu, 12 Jun 2008 06:17:01 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/277126 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/277126 Thank goodness I didn't push the power button on the remote when Chris Coste hit what should have been the game ending pop-up, because I would have missed one helluva finish to the game. Braves second baseman Kelly Johnson drops the ball allowing Eric Bruntlett to score, but did throw Pedro Feliz out at the plate, thus ending the top of the 9th with the score tied 2-2. Tom Gordon worked a scoreless frame in the bottom of the 9th, then magic-maker Shane Victorino stole the show in the 10th. Chris Snelling doubles, Jimmy Rollins sacrifice bunts, Vic triples (2nd of the game), Chase Utley doubles...Phils up 4-2. Then in the bottom of the 10th Brad Lidge surrenders what looks to be a game-tying single, but Vic guns the 2nd runner down at home plate to save the game and Phils triumph in the series opener in what is going to be just one tough game in a series of tough games. Starting with last night, the Phils are set to play 35 games before the All-Star break and every single club they face has a record of .500 or better (thanks scheduling geniuses!). That truly was a great game last night. Jamie Moyer pitched well, Tim Hudson was dominating, Phils bullpen was good, Pat Burrell and Vic threw men out at the plate, home plate umpire was getting bitched at from both dugouts, Brian McCann showed why he's one of the best young catchers in baseball...just a great game, and made all the greater because the Phils won and gained ground in the NL East (now up 3.5 on the Fish). Notes: *Bobby Cox is a fun manager to watch. He's the smartest manager I've ever had the pleasure of viewing on the diamond, and he really goes off when he thinks an ump makes a questionable call. *Jayson Werth may be activated from the DL today just in time to be slotted into the starting lineup as the Braves toss lefty Jo-Jo Reyes at us tonight. Poor Chris Snelling is likely ticketed to Lehigh Valley. Snelling has sparked two victories with pinch-hits this season, 1 against the Astros and the other being just last night. *Run differential is a stat that many use to judge the true effectiveness of a team, because it takes into a account for offensive, pitching, and defense. Through 63 games the Phils have outscored their opponents 332-260 for a run differential of 72 runs...wow! Sat, 07 Jun 2008 06:27:11 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/275540 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/275540 Wake up party people, it's Saturday and the Phils are in 1st place in the NL East. Last night they triumphed over the previous holders of the top spot in the NL East, Florida Marlins, to the tune of 12-3...nice! Screw the Marlins, screw the Braves, screw the Mets, and screw the gNats; the Phils are in 1st and 1st is where they plan to stay (of course that means they must win tonight). Brett Myers gets scored upon more in the 1st inning (7 straight games) than a female dog in heat, but after surrendering the 3 runs last night he settled in nicely to end up going 8 strong with 11 k's and earning his first victory since April 17th. Still has horrible numbers on the year, but just like Eaton, we can only hope this game made it all "click". Chase Utley continues to be Mr. Awesome. I know that's a gay nickname, but it's very fitting because the man is simply awesome. Blasted MLB leading homerun 18 last night and is currently sporting these fantabulous stats: .312 avg, 44 r, 16 dbl, 18 hr, 48 rbi, and 1.041 OPS. Like I said, Mr. Awesome. Ryan Howard has his average up to .209, and pretty soon we'll be able to replace the Mendoza Watch (in the upper right sidebar) with something like Amazing Feats of Chris Coste. Shane Victorino is riding an 11 game hit streak, but apparently he's still not a "starter" because he never got the official vote of confidence from Manuel like Werth did. There's something to be said about comfort in consistency. Although the Phils pitching staff hasn't be lights out by any standard, they have been reliable in the fact that no member of the staff has seen DL time this year or been demoted. Phils are the only team in MLB to use only 5 starting pitchers this season. The bullpen, best in MLB, has been great too, even mop-up boy Clay Condrey (considering his role and all). Quick #'s: Phils are 2nd in MLB with 305 runs (Cubs 1st). Phils are 1st in MLB with 82 longballs. Phils 1st in stolen base success rate with 85%, thank you Davey Lopes! Staff era of 3.97, would have never predicted that entering the season. Cole Hamels (5-3, 3.18) vs. Ricky Nolasco (4-3, 4.70) tonight at the Cit, 7:05. Go Phils! Sat, 31 May 2008 07:30:39 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/272711 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/272711 Jayson Werth took a big swing in Thursday's game against the Astros and now he finds himself on the 15 day disabled list. Werth swung hard and missed and in the process strained his right abdominal muscle. Werth has been held hitless in 13 at-bats since his huge 3 homer game on May 16th so the time off might do him good. Non-prospect T.J. Bohn was called up from Triple A Lehigh Valley to take Werth's place. Bohn was up earlier in the year when Shane Victorino went down and hit a mere .143 although he did hit a homer in 14 at-bats. I would expect So Taguchi to get more playing time until Werth comes back. Click the link to view the video of the swing that injured Werth. Sat, 24 May 2008 12:34:27 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/270622 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/270622 Saturday through Tuesday = 4 games/9 runs. Wednesday = 1 game/12 runs. This constitutes as a breakout. Ryan Howard goes yard twice mixing in a double and climbs closer to the Mendoza Line (.195). Shane Victorino started his 3rd game in a row despite being told Jayson Werth was a "starter" and had 3 hits as well, including a homerun. Out Machine Pedro Feliz also went deep and chipped in 3 hits like Howard and Vic. Coste, Utley, and Rollins were invited to the hit-fest too, dumping 2 hits a piece. Overall, it was a well played game in all facets (defense, pitching, offense, base running) and therefore was entertaining. Jamie Moyer handled the bulk of the pitching weaving his way in and out of trouble most of the night to notch his 4th victory over 6 shutout innings; Jars of Clay Condrey finished out the contest. Pat Burrell and Jayson Werth were the only 2 regulars to not breakout, in fact they had a breakdown. Burrell's average continues to plummet (.271) and Werth hasn't had a hit since his fabled 3 homerun game (0-13 with 7 k's). It's nice to win a series, feels like it's been awhile. Now off to Houston for a 4 game set where Lidge and Bruntlett are excited to visit old friends and show that their new team is better than their old one, and Michael Bourn waits to burn the bases (20 sb) when he actually gets on base (.208 avg/.272 OB%). You make me dizzy, Running circles in my head. One of these days, I'll chase you down. Well look who's going crazy now? We're face to face my friend. Better get out. Better get out! You know you make me breakout! Make me breakout! I don't wanna look like that, I don't wanna look like that. Know you make me breakout. (Foo Fighters- Breakout) Thu, 22 May 2008 06:04:52 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/269595 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/269595 Charlie Manuel's statement to beat writer Randy Miller that "Right now, [Werth is] definitely one of our starters," left a few people scratching their heads. One of them was Shane Victorino, who said, "I was the starting everyday center fielder before I got hurt. What am I now?" The simple answer to Vic's question is "not a starter." The questions I'm asking are, "Is Jayson Werth really a starting outfielder?" and "Why is Manuel doing this?" The first question has been talked about and debated already. The consensus - probably not. I'm not going to waste time with that. The why question, however, is more interesting. He said to Randy Miller, "We're trying to win. I'm playing the guy who is doing more than he is. Hit .320 or .330 and you'll be sure to be in there. If you're hitting .235..." Fine, Manuel is going to start players that are hitting better because it gives the team a better chance to win. That makes sense. Of course, Chris Coste is hitting .324 and hasn't been named the starting catcher in place of Carlos Ruiz. Greg Dobbs is hitting .345 and isn't starting at the hot corner in place of Pedro Feliz. So Taguchi is pathetic, hitting in the .170's, yet there is no replacement in sight for him. The first baseman is hitting .187. Yet Victorino is the player singled out to officially lose his starting job. It makes me think there is more to this change than just simple stats. Also, Manuel needs to check his stats. He says "hit .320 or .330 and you'll be sure to be in there," but Werth's May batting average is .255. Victorino is hitting .257... --------------------------- Game Thoughts - I'm not going to get into how awful Brett Myers has been this year. I don't want to know why he's lost gas on his fastball. I do want to know what sort of bet he lost so he had to get that horrible tattoo on his left wrist though. Do you think he has a tramp stamp too? - Did anyone cringe when, after falling behind Howard 3-0, Tim Redding struck him out on three straight fastballs. The last one he just blew right past him. Not exactly what I want to see from our best slugger. I know he's been swinging better lately, but that was ugly. - I love the grey brick behind home plate at Nationals Park. Very sharp. - I wanted to throw my remote control through the television screen when Pedro Feliz popped out to first in the fourth inning. Twice Jenkins led off an inning with a double and twice Feliz failed miserably to advance him to third. It didn't even appear that Feliz was trying to take the ball to the right side. - Great episode of House last night. It saved me from the final three innings... Tue, 20 May 2008 05:50:23 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/268858 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/268858