Yardbarker: Cole Hamels

Phillies - Braves Series Preview

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 12:47:40 -0500

After two lousy series against the Florida Marlins and the New York Mets, both division rivals competing with the Phillies for first place in the National League East, the Phils hope to turn things around against the Atlanta Braves in a weekend series starting Friday. The current NL East standings have the Mets in first place, with the Phillies one game behind them in second. The Marlins are one game back of the Phils, with the Braves 6.5 games out and the Washington Nationals completely out of the mix at 17 games back. Despite a month and a half of really lousy baseball, the Phillies find themselves still in the thick of things and in a great position to take the division. One team they have not struggled against this season is Atlanta, sweeping them in each of the last two series, both at Turner Field. The Phillies look to turn their recent fortunes around and keep their hot streak against the Braves going this Friday as Kyle Kendrick(8-4, 4.87) takes the mound against Jair Jurrjens (9-5, 3.22). Jurrjens is coming off a tough outing against the lowly Nationals on Sunday in which he gave up five earned runs in 6 1/3 innings. Despite a impressive record of 9-5, Jurrjens has lost two of his last three starts, including an outing against the Phils on July 3. Unfortunately for the Phillies, Kendrick is coming off an even worse outing against the Marlins on Saturday. The sophomore right hander gave up seven earned runs in 4 /13 innings, including three home runs. Nevertheless, the Phillies tend to win with Kendrick on the mound, going 14-6 in his 20 outings this season, the best record on the staff. Kendrick has also had success against the Braves, as he is 3-0 all time with a 4.13 ERA. Saturday's matchup is a battle of the lefties, as Phillies' ace Cole Hamels (9-6, 3.11) faces off against Jo-Jo Reyes (3-9, 4.95). Reyes is 0-5 with an 7.65 ERA in his last five starts and has given up nine runs against the Phillies in two starts this season. Hamels, on the other hand, is coming off yet another gem that was wasted by the floundering Phillies' offense. Despite going eight innings and giving up only two runs on Sunday against the Marlins, the Phils were unable to pull out a win, scoring a meager two runs themselves. Hamels continues to prove why he is the unquestioned ace of this staff. Newly acquired Joe Blanton (5-12, 5.08) makes his second start for the Phillies on Sunday against Jorge Campillo (5-4, 2.83). Campillo has been a pleasant surprise for the Braves this season, and has arguably been their best pitcher. Despite his success so far this season, Campillo is 0-1 with a 5.27 ERA in four games against the Phillies this season, including two starts. Blanton got a no decision in his debut with the Phillies and while most people have complained that his first outing was a bust, Blanton really didn't pitch all that poorly. He certainly didn't pitch great, surrendering five runs in six innings, but he gave up a few untimely walks and left two breaking balls up that resulted in home runs, and that was the ballgame. Blanton will look to rebound and capitalize on the positives from his debut Sunday. This is a huge series for the Phillies, although not quite as big as the two they just went through. Lucky for the Phils, the Mets face the St. Louis Cardinals this weekend, and the Marlins square off with the National League leading Chicago Cubs, so the chances are that both teams will lose at least one game. If the Phillies can take the series and win at least two of three against the Braves, they will still be in a good position coming into their day off on Monday, perhaps even back in first place. It's a cheap way to make it back on top, but at this point, I think we can all agree we'll take what we can get.

Who's Unluckier: Hamels or Santana?

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 05:38:15 -0500

Last night, the Phillies outsmarted the Mets and scored six runs in the top of the ninth inning against the New York Mets bullpen, which squandered an eight-inning, two-run performance from Johan Santana. Phillies fans know what that looks like. Twice this season, the Phillies were shut out despite Cole Hamels pitching at least seven innings and giving up two earned runs or less: April 2 against the Washington Nationals, and July 8 against the St. Louis Cardinals. That got me to thinking: Who is more unlucky, Cole Hamels or Johan Santana?

Open Letter To Pat Gillick: Bring Holliday To Philly

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 20:33:29 -0500

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

The Ugly Week Ahead

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 20:13:01 -0500

As the Phillies run out of South Florida with their tail between their legs, they head to New York in a first place tie with the Mets, and the surging Marlins only half-a-game behind them. Not exactly where you thought the Phillies would be when just five weeks ago they found themselves four games up on the Marlins and seven in front of the Mets. Unfortunately reality has set in for the Phillies, and they've found themselves in a month-long tailspin. Unlike the woes of last season, it's not just the pitching. In fact, outside of Adam Eaton and Brett Myers, the pitching has been good. The problem with the Phillies is the offense and leadership, or lack there of. The Phillies should have buried the Marlins this past weekend, but were only able to manage 11 runs in the series, including only two yesterday, wasting another brilliant effort by Cole Hamels. When it comes to the offense it isn't that the Phillies aren't hitting, they're not having too much trouble getting on base. They're just not able to come through with a hit when runners are on base (they stranded a total of 25 runners on base over the weekend). Even when they are getting the opportunities, they're not capitalizing or hustling. Unfortunately, yesterday's game should have never seen extra innings. If Jimmy Rollins actually ran the bases when Shane Victorino hit a bloop down the left field line in the seventh, he would have easily scored but he figured the ball would go foul, so he only ended up on third. He didn't see a need to actually run the bases (good to see his benching did some good), because if it's foul, it's wasted energy. Instead it's a wasted performance. The Phillies have become a team that's chock full of talent, but have no leadership. Without leadership, the offense is going to the plate without a plan, thinking of how they can be a hero instead of how they can win a ball game. Their frustrations are beginning to show, and they're taking it to the press. Pat Burrell vented to the Inquirer about his displeasure about being benched late in close ball games. Charlie Manuel also went to the Inquirer to rip the offense, and Rollins will talk to anyone who will listen. Unfortunately it's Rollin's comments that stick out in my head. "He's pretty much right, but we'll get out of it," Rollins said. "We don't get concerned until late. Coaches do that now. We go play." Rollins, referring to Manuel's comments about the offense, really shows what this team is about. Lack of concern, and a lackadaisical attitude. This team really believes because they've played well down the stretch the past couple years, there's no need to worry. They had the same attitude in 2005 & 2006, when they finished one and three games (respectively) out of the Wild Card. It's sort of amazing how winning the division last season erased Jimmy's memory. Someone in the clubhouse getting this team to focus on playing winning baseball could go a long way. In 1976, Pete Rose, then a member of the Cincinnati Reds commented to Joe Morgan about the Phillies. "That team's got a lot of talent. All they need is a leader." As Phillies fans know, they got that leader in Rose, and he led the Phillies to their only World Championship. That's what the Phillies need right now. Don't get me wrong, they could use a shakeup in the lineup. While some thought the failed deal for Matt Holliday and Brian Fuentes would require the Phillies giving up too much, I disagree. It would have given them a player with the tools to win a World Championship (both on the field and in the locker room); something this city sorely needs. I don't see many more moves being made by the Phillies before the trading deadline. At least move that would mean something. In saying that, my feeling is it's going to get worse before it gets better. The Phils are getting ready to take on a Mets team that has had pitching struggles since the All-Star break, but has still found ways to win, in splitting a four game series with the Reds. Even though they are having their own obsticles, they have something the Phillies lack. Hunger. I wouldn't be surprised if the Phillies find themselves in third place when they take the field Friday against the Braves. The Phillies need a wake-up call. Maybe third place is what it is.

Monday: Manuel sounds off on situational hitting

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 09:57:00 -0500

Phillies manager Charlie Manuel rips into his struggling offense after a 3-2 loss in Florida. Read between the lines and the message is clear: Too many hitters are doing their own thing. Following the game, a disgruntled Manual had this to say about a lineup that wasted yet another gem by Cole Hamels: "We get pitching like that, we've got to win. Our situational hitting is absolutely terrible. Absolutely off the chart, really. It's going to be hard for us...

Anger Management, Phillies Style

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 08:31:47 -0500

After another loss to the Florida Marlins courtesy a Jorge Cantu walk-off bases loaded single, three Phillies expressed emotions, all of it anger.

From the Mouth of Charlie Manuel & Others

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 06:32:12 -0500

Philadelphia Phillies skipper Charlie Manuel dropped some nice quotes following yesterday's sickening extra inning 1-run low scoring loss to the Marlins. Here's one of the quotes- "We're not hitting the baseball. Our situational hitting is absolutely terrible. Off the chart, really. The guys might be trying too hard, and it seems like when you remind them to make sure you get [the runner] over, all of a sudden, they don't do it." To read the full article that includes 2 more quotes from Manuel, 1 apiece from Hamels and Rollins, and a breakdown of how the Phils lose click on the URL.

Game chat: Phillies, Fish finish up in Florida

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 11:26:38 -0500

The Phillies turn to Cole Hamels (9-6, 3.15) this afternoon when they go for the series win against Josh Johnson (0-0, 5.40) and the Marlins. It's getting late in July and these are starting to become must-win games. This would be a crucial win on the road versus a tough division rival. This is every bit as important as Tuesday's series in New York. It's why the ace of your staff is so important. Following yesterday's sloppy loss, Hamels has...

Phillies Week in Retrospect

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 07:50:15 -0500

Back from my vacation to discuss the Phillies news of the past week a bit browner, heavier, and tired. First on the agenda... 1. The All-Star Game: Brad Lidge's unnecessary pitchers, Chase Utley's performance, and Pat Burrell and Cole Hamels snubs. 2. The Joe Blanton Deal: will he help? 3. Ryan Howard: Mendoza Watch is over, now going for double crown (hr and rbi title). 4. Jamie Moyer: re-up him now for 1 year 5 mil, dude is a legend! 5. Happ/Myers/Eaton: what the hell is going on with this JA Happ, Brett Myers, and Adam Eaton clusterf**k?! 6. Nationally Televised Games: the Phils seems to crap the bed when the spotlight is on them. 7. The Stark Truth: The Most Overrated and Underrated Players in Baseball History- #1 overrated player in Phils history...Bobby Abreu. For full breakdown of each thing listed above, click on URL and visit my blog.

Blah On Blanton

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 21:14:26 -0500

The Phillies made a move yesterday, trading 3 minor league prospects to the Oakland A's for right handed starting pitcher Joe Blanton. While I am happy the team made a move for an arm, I am not so happy about the guy they go after. The Phillies needed a top of the rotation horse much [...]

Counterpoint: Howard Needs to Stay

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 06:03:47 -0500

Although Jon Atwood made some good points in Strike While the Iron is Hot. Trade Howard Now, I am of a different mindset. Trading Ryan Howard might be one of the worst things the Phillies can do. Howard is the premier power hitter in all of Major League Baseball. Players like him come once in a lifetime to a baseball franchise. The fact that he leads the National League in home runs (28), and RBIs (84), while only batting .234 is simply amazing. Speaking of his low batting average, Howard has had his struggles at the plate, but he also leads the Phillies in batting average with runners in scoring position (.333). Although he has some flaws, Howard creates runs and there's no one better in the game at doing that. Of course the big knock on Howard is his strikeouts. In fact if you take away his strikouts this season, and only factor in his at-bats when he put the ball in play, he's batting .362. Unfortunately you have to deal with strikeouts. Strikeouts come with power. Eight of the top 10 players who are on the all-time strikeout list (Reggie Jackson, Sammy Sosa, Jim Thome, Fred McGriff, Mike Schmidt, Jose Canseco, Willie Stargell, & Dave Kingman), all have at least 440 career home runs. Outside of Kingman, would you dump any of these players in their prime? I don't think so. Also to be considered when discussing any type of trade of Howard is the draw factor. Don't kid yourself, on team that consists of Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, Cole Hamels, and Pat Burrell, people are there to see Howard. Especially on the road. It's not only chicks who dig the longball; everybody digs the longball. By losing Howard, you lose money at the box office. That in-turn hurts the front office form acquiring the high-priced players needed to take the Phillies to the next level. Speaking of money, a situation was blown out of proportion this spring when Howard won his arbitration hearing, and was awarded $10 million. I never understood this fuss. Have you looked at baseball contracts lately? Tell me where you can get a former Rookie of the Year, one season removed from the MVP, and has hit a combine 105 home runs and 285 over the past two season for $10 million? If anything, he's a bargin. I know a lot of the hype surrounding it was the fact he received a $9 million dollar raise, but as much as people don't want to hear it, baseball is a business. This is nothing new. Ty Cobb held out for more money, Dizzy Dean went "on strike" (during a pennant race), and Joe DiMaggio missed spring training on a regular basis while holding out for more money. Besides, since when is a fan allowed to judge a player on their contract? I know fans tend to be harder on players with big contracts, as I'm guilty of it myself (my personal line is once Howard strikes out 200 times, he'll be getting paid $50,000 a strikeout), but is that really right? Do you look at a guy who works at Kinkos and think "For the money he's making, he should be photocopying twice as much." It's silly, and to a point, it's really not your business. Aside from money, a big factor you'd have to consider in trading Howard is who will replace him? I've heard fans come up with brilliant ideas like convert Burrell to a first baseman, and give him an extension. Let me get this straight. You want to trade possibly the greatest power hitter in Phillies history so a guy who's older than Howard and with half the power (lest not forget, he makes more money than Howard), can convert from left field and play first base? Talk about a a poorly thought out idea. Burrell at first base wouldn't even be an upgrade on defense. The logical option if Howard were to be traded would be trying to sign Mark Teixeira, but that's crazy talk. If you think for a second the Phillies, are going to shell out upwards of $20 million a season for Teixeira, you need to lay off the sauce. It's not going to happen. What the Phillies would do is bring in a player like Hank Blalock and work on converting him to first base. Talk about a downgrade. Before you trade a player of Howard's stature, you need to have someone who can replace him (IE - when the Phillies dealt Thome to the White Sox). By even considering dealing Howard at this point in the season you are taking a giant step back. You don't deal your best run producer in the middle of a pennant run. Unless you are getting equal valued superstars in return (which you won't), you're telling your fan base you are giving up on the season. If Howard were to be dealt, you wouldn't be getting the likes to Ben Sheets in return, you'd get a couple blue-chip prospects who can contribute in 2010. Howard, Utley, Rollins, Hamels, & Brad Lidge all aren't eligible for free agency until 2011. There's a core in place here in Philadelphia so this team can win for multiple seasons. By dealing Howard your messing with a good thing. While Howard could use a little more time with Milt Thompson cutting down on his strikeouts, dealing him to another team because we'll get more for him now then when he can bolt in 2011 is the wrong move. Howard needs to stay, and lead the Phillies to victory for years to come.

Actual NL Cy Young Odds

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 19:03:38 -0500

Different format for this one, since the last one was so ugly. The second column is each player's predicted Cy Young Predictor finish, and the third is their odds at Bodog.

I'm not sure how they figure Lincecum to be the favorite over Webb at this point. I know they haven't been historically bad, but the Giants' offense is still not good. Webb is already two wins ahead, and he's in a good position to add to that lead going forward. Regardless, I don't think there's value in either of those--the NL race is much tighter than the AL.

Webb and Lincecum have created some separation between themselves and the rest of the field, which shows in these odds. Hamels stands out a bit, at +1500. He's had a fantastic year thus far, with a 3.16 ERA and 126:34 K:BB in a league leading 142.2 innings. He only has nine wins, but with that lineup, that shouldn't be too much of a problem the rest of the way.

Zambrano is overvalued at +800. That's probably because his ERA (2.85) is so much lower than his QERA (4.53). His HR rate is down over 50% from last year, but his ground ball rate is only marginally higher, and his K rate is down significantly.

There is a big dropoff between Zambrano and the rest of the field. Santana still has a chance--he has a great history in the second half, for whatever that's worth--but he only has eight wins, and there are a lot of very good pitchers in front of him.

Break Work: One Sentence to Sum Up Each MLB Team

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 18:13:52 -0500

LA Angels (57-38): Pitching, Pitching, Pitching has the Angels tied for the best record in baseball.

Chicago Cubs (57-38): The Cubs are also tied for the best record, their reason though is that they never ever lose at Wrigley.

Boston (57-40): The youth pitching is once again paying off major dividends for the Sox who behind JD Drew have regained the AL East lead despite the absence of Papi.

Tampa Bay (55-39): If the Rays played all their games at the Trop they would probably be 30 games over .500.

Chicago Sox (54-40): Anybody who said that they saw Carlos Quentin having 70 rbi at the break to help the ChiSox to first place is a liar.

Minnesota (53-42): The Twinkies have gotten solid pitching from a bunch of youngsters and should be bringing Liriano up to increase the push to the division.

St. Louis (53-43): Ludwick and Ankiel both have 20 homers getting the Cardinals to a spot where they probably shouldn't be.

Milwaukee (52-43): CC has already shown his worth in one 1 week, with him and Sheets leading the rotation the Brewers look to be in the hunt for both the Wild Card and the division.

Philadelphia (52-44): After Cole Hamels there's a big gap in the starting rotation that needs to be addressed.

Oakland (51-44): Selling off pitchers despite being 7 games above .500 seems like giving up to me.

NY Mets (51-44): A 9 game winning streak to close out the first half of the season certainly makes the future look brighter.

NY Yankees (50-45): For some reason despite having all stars at every position the Yankees get shut out a lot.

Florida (50-45): Hanley Ramirez is a golden god who can be stopped by no one.

Texas (50-46): Check that, Josh Hamilton is a platinum god who can be stopped by no one.

Detroit (47-47): Dug themselves out of a hole when their bats finally started to heat up, poised for a second half explosion.

Toronto (47-48): The Blue Jays have been terribly inconsistent despite Roy Halladay being a beast.

Arizona (47-48): Starting the NL Western theme the reason the Diamondbacks are under .500 is because they don't have any good hitters.

LA Dodgers (46-49): Rafael Furcal has been a massive kick in the junk to both my fantasy team and the Dodgers who really really really need him in the lineup to score runs.

Baltimore (45-48): Um, I really have no idea how the Orioles are only slightly below .500 this season and I'm guessing they don't either.

Cincinnati (46-50): Edinson Volquez's dominating season has been balanced out by Bronson Arroyo and Aaron Haraang's poor seasons.

Atlanta (45-50): Injuries to the starting rotation and bullpen and an inability to win on the road has plagued the Braves this year.

Pittsburgh (44-50): Snell and Gorzy were both solid last season, this year they both have ERAs well above 6.

Houston (44-51): The questionable starting rotation has not been helped by #1 starters Roy Oswalt's inconsistencies.

Kansas City (43-53): The Royals don't have the worst record in their division which has to be seen as a big positive in KC.

Cleveland (41-53): Victor Martinez and Travis Hafner were terrible disappointments this season, and that was before both got placed on the DL.

San Francisco (40-55): When Fred Lewis, Randy Winn, and Aaron Rowand are your best hitters, you know you're not going to score many runs.

Colorado (39-57): The magical run that was slaughtered by the Red Sox, has remained dead this season.

Seattle (37-58): If anything could go wrong in Seattle, it has.

San Diego (37-58): Once again, hitting is entirely optional for the fathers.

Washington (36-60): A lineup as bad as the Giants and Padres, except with no starting pitching either.

Phillies enter All-Star Break clinging to First Place

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 09:29:04 -0500

It took some late heroics, but the Phillies were able to hold on to their slim lead in the NL East heading into the All-Star break. With the Mets streaking, winning 9 straight, the Phillies have watched their NL East lead dwindle as the team played inconsistently. After a poor performance on Saturday that I had the unfortunate opportunity to see first hand, the Phillies needed a late Pat Burrell homer to get past the D-backs, 6-3, on Sunday. With the game tied 2-2 in the 8th inning, Burrell connected on a three-run shot to put the Phillies up for good. Cole Hamels had another solid outing and the Phillies are able to go into the break on a solid note, although they are only 1/2 game up on the Mets. (Click the link for highlights) So why isn't Pat Burrell in the All-Star Game??

Sunday: Phils hope to carry division lead into break

Sun, 13 Jul 2008 10:16:43 -0500

Team aces Brandon Webb and Cole Hamels square off in the series finale between the Diamondbacks and Phillies, a day after Adam Eaton's embarrassing performance. Eaton (3-8) allowed eight runs on seven hits over 3 2-3 innings, the critical damage coming at the hands of opposing pitcher Randy Johnson. Johnson's two-out, RBI double opened the door to an eight-run inning. Eaton has now allowed 16 runs on 17 hits in his last two starts, so now the Phillies are forced...