If you had said to nearly any Phillies fan -- particularly after Gavin Floyd's Friday failure* -- that the Phillies would win two pitching duels in a row from the Braves, he/she would have retorted something to the effect of, "that's crazy-talk".
But that is just what happened on Saturday and Sunday.
On Saturday, Jon "No H" Lieber outlasted John "With an H" Smoltz on the way to a 2-1 Phillies victory. But who would be the Player of the Game? Lieber who allowed only one run in 8 innings, using only 75 pitches, 55 for strikes? Or would it be Chase Utley, who had what turned out to be the game winning RBI in the sixth and the game saving catch in the ninth?
Either way, the victory set the stage for last night's pitching duel between Brett Myers and Mike Hampton. Both pitchers performed magnificently, and honestly, it was a shame that one had to end up on the losing side [conversely, as I listened to the Marlins/Mets contest on Saturday on XM Radio while travelling, I couldn't help but think, "there should be a way both of these teams can lose"].
Returning to the "if someone said to you"-game, if someone had said, "eventually, the game will be decided by one team's inability to field two bunts in a row," nearly everyone would have thought, "Phillies". But no, Atlanta closer Danny Kolb's inability to field bunts from Jimmy Rollins and Kenny Loften were instrumental in Atlanta's downfall.
If the weekend taught us anything about the NL East (besides the fact that Kolb is not another one of Atlanta's great fielding pitchers), it's that it is going to be one great division to watch this summer.
Stay tuned.
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Gavin Floyd should not go to the bullpen, he should go to Scranton, where he can get regular work, continuing his preparation to become a full-time major league starter.
Over the winter, readers may recall that I advocated for Floyd to start the year in the bullpen. But, that was only in conjunction with Madson being moved to the rotation. With Madson already in the bullpen, I just do not see how Floyd will get enough work to stay sharp and stretched out for spot starts.
Others have advocated trades in order to free up room in the rotation. I disagree with that notion as well. In my opinion, all of the Phillies trading chips should be saved until at least June, when we can really determine what the team's strengths and weaknesses are, and therefore get the team something that it really needs, and not David Weathers (who I am sure Ed Wade must covet on some level).
So, Balls, Sticks, & Stuff readers, which do you believe to be more valuable, infrequent work in a major-league bullpen or frequent regular starts at the AAA level? Or, do you think a trade is needed?
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Of course, if we talk MLB into letting Pat Burrell throw bottle caps, the Phillies can trade all of their starters...Was anyone else amazed at that clip on last night's ESPN broadcast?
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* I watched Friday's Floyd Failure from my brother's apartment in Pennsyltucky. Our plan was to watch the top of the first inning, and then walk down the street for a six-pack** and a pizza to take back to the apartment to watch the rest of the game. After what seemed like an eternity of walked batters, and then finally the wild pitch, we could wait no longer. Talk about looking forward to an event so much only to have it let you down right from the start!
My brother has two TV's in his living room (long story), and we began with the Phillies game on the larger screen with sound, and the smaller screen, muted, showing The Fugitive. By the fifth inning, the situation was reversed. Again, as I said above, what a let down.
By the way, a free lifetime subscription to any Balls, Sticks, & Stuff reader who knew that Tom Smykowski and Janitor-Guy both had parts in The Fugitive.
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** On this occasion it was the old standby, Yuengling Lager. However, on Sunday night, The Missus and I were out to dinner with my father who was passing through on his way back to Pennsyltucky from a Myrtle Beach golf trip. We chose to go to the Captial Ale House, and I bring this up because I know some readers are interested in the finer points of beer.
Not only does the Capital Ale House feature two bars, each with a shallow ice trough stretching the entire length on which you can set your beer in order to maintain a cool temperature, but also a beer menu that goes on for pages and pages. I opted for a bottle of Old Engine Oil Reserve. Check out this description:
"An unusual name for an unusual beer! A superb, rich, full bodied beer which has been aged in Dalmore single malt whisky casks for six months. This allows the smooth chocolate flavors of the beer to mature and blend with the mellow, aromatic flavors of the whisky. A classic combination!"
Beer and whiskey in the same bottle? Brilliant!
