vs. PHILLIES, 8/13

[HowAboutThat]

14 minutes ago, MurphDogg said:

Going to have to dip into the minors for relievers and/or play Hess or Akin in a close game at some point.

Really don’t know why Hess is still here.

[HOF19]

Nice inning Mr. Fry !

[SteveA]

1 minute ago, Ruzious said:

Why don't they use Akin out of the pen to eat some innings and save the pen?  I know it's high pressure for a rookie, but I'm afraid they're over-working the pen.  

Still might.   Givens, Castro, and Sulser have pitched 2 days in a row and are very unlikely to go today when we KNOW we have a lead to protect in the late innings tomorrow as well.

Armstrong went more than 1 inning yesterday so he's unlikely.

Philips and Fry have pitched today.

So that leaves Lakins (pitched last night so if he goes tonight he's probably not available tomorrow), Scott, Akin, and Hess for the 8th and the 9th.   I get the feeling Hyde will only use Hess in blowouts, otherwise he is saved in case the game goes into multiple extra innings and we might need length.

So maybe he tries to go with Akin for the last 2?   WIth Scott and Lakins in reserve in case things go really badly?   

[allquixotic]

I feel like the Phils are playing the way the O's have from 2017-2019. We're on the opposite side of the ball now, with the scrappy team that finds a way to scrape some runs together and makes it work with their pitching. This is so encouraging.

[Ruzious]

First time I watched Fry and actually had confidence in him.  I guess that means he's got confidence.  

[SteveA]

1 minute ago, Philip said:

Really don’t know why Hess is still here.

Can't imagine he'll last too long.

We have Means coming back at some point, which will bump someone who can pitch multiple innings to the pen (LeBlanc or Eshelman), making Hess even more redundant.

We have Lopez being added to the roster at some point unless they try to pass him through waivers and send him to Bowie.

We could have Harvey back at some point.

If Hess survives all those pitchers being added to the roster...I'd be shocked.

[allquixotic]

5 minutes ago, ArtVanDelay said:

What are the odds that Brandon Hyde is actually a good manager?

Not saying he is or isn’t but it’s an interesting topic since he’s always been thought of as the “rebuild manager”.

I’m not sure the manager even matters all that much.

Honestly, if he's making a team of reclamation projects into a successful team and thereby increasing the perceived value of our team (whether the players are part of our "long-term" solution or not), he's doing EXACTLY the job he should be doing as a "rebuild manager". 

A rebuild manager's job shouldn't be to intentionally tank the team into the cellar. Their job is to whip a bad team into shape. Any role he has in this reflects extremely positively on him.

[eddie83]

2 minutes ago, SteveA said:

Still might.   Givens, Castro, and Sulser have pitched 2 days in a row and are very unlikely to go today when we KNOW we have a lead to protect in the late innings tomorrow as well.

Armstrong went more than 1 inning yesterday so he's unlikely.

Philips and Fry have pitched today.

So that leaves Lakins (pitched last night so if he goes tonight he's probably not available tomorrow), Scott, Akin, and Hess for the 8th and the 9th.   I get the feeling Hyde will only use Hess in blowouts, otherwise he is saved in case the game goes into multiple extra innings and we might need length.

So maybe he tries to go with Akin for the last 2?   WIth Scott and Lakins in reserve in case things go really badly?   

Armstrong only threw 18 pitches. Could be available 

[Morgan423]

1 minute ago, allquixotic said:

I feel like the Phils are playing the way the O's have from 2017-2019. We're on the opposite side of the ball now, with the scrappy team that finds a way to scrape some runs together and makes it work with their pitching. This is so encouraging.

I get the feeling.  They even have that one superstar player who can't win it on his own.

[eddie83]

Let’s get a bunch more and let Hess pitch 

[weams]

16 minutes ago, eddie83 said:

Glove first SS is a DH.  What a team. 

 

[eddie83]

Put in Valezquez now. 

[allquixotic]

With two guys on, no outs, a gassed (and overall bad) bullpen, and the O's up by 4 runs in the 8th, you have to think Girardi is putting in a "give-in" arm here. Someone who will stand out there on the mound and throw BP pitches -- 50, 60, how ever many it takes -- until the O's make 6 outs. 

We could see a LOT of fireworks here, folks. To the tune of 8 or 9 runs or more.

[weams]

Just now, eddie83 said:

Put in Valezquez now. 

It won't be very much longer that he's there at all. Got another guy for left field in my mind. 

[Frobby]

Here’s where I love the three batter minimum rule.    No nonsense from Joe Girardi.    One change and now he’s gotta live with it.