• March 19, 2024

Notes From The Phillies’ 8-3 Loss To Chicago

burnThe Philadelphia Phillies had their two-game winning streak snapped on Sunday afternoon. Their record drops to 3-3.

  • A.J. Burnett had a rough start, allowing eight runs (four earned) over 5.2 innings. Burnett gave up five hits and six walks.
  • Burnett had a terrible sequence in the first inning. He walked the first batter he faced, and then gave up a triple to Ryan Kalish. He issued another free pass to Anthony Rizzo, and allowed a sacrifice fly to Nate Schierholtz. The veteran allowed a third walk to Luis Valbuena, and then got tagged by Starlin Castro for an RBI double.
  • Burnett managed to throw four scoreless innings after the first, but ran into trouble again in the fifth inning. Burnett loaded the bases with two walks and a single, and nearly gave up a grand slam to Valbuena, but the wind was able to knock the ball down at the warning track.
  • Burnett finished with one more bad inning in the sixth. A fielding error by Ben Revere allowed Ryan Sweeney to reach third to start the inning, and Burnett hit a batter before allowing an RBI single and a double.
  • The Phillies struggled to come through offensively. They allowed a scoring opportunity to go by in the first inning, with Ryan Howard and Marlon Byrd failing to come through with two runners on.
  • Cody Ache failed to come through with the bases loaded in the fourth inning, grounding out.
  • The team finally broke through for a run in the fifth inning when Chase Utley drove in a run with a groundout. The Phillies had a chance to add more, but Ryan Howard followed Utley by lining into a double-play.
  • The Phillies had one final opportunity in the ninth inning. With the bases loaded with one out, Jimmy Rollins drove in a run with a groundout, but that was all that the they were able to muster. Ben Revere would score on a wild pitch, but Ryan Howard recorded the final out to end the threat.
  • The team went just 1-15 with runners in scoring position.
  • Ryan Howard finished 0-5 with six men left on base.
  • Brad Lincoln relieved Burnett in the sixth, making his first appearance of the year. He allowed an inherited run to score.
  • Jeff Manship pitched two scoreless innings in mop-up duty.

Final Thoughts

The Phillies were a couple of timely hits away from making this game much more interesting.

A.J. Burnett looked awful at times today, but he did settle in after the first inning, and gave the offense an opportunity to get back into the game. While they were able to get a couple of runners on during several different innings, they just weren’t able to put it all together and finish the job to get some big innings of their own.

They still managed to take two of three from the Cubs, and its hard for any team to go on the road and sweep another club, so this is a pretty forgivable loss.

 

Denny Basens

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paulman
paulman
April 7, 2014 7:01 am

A 3-3 Start opening up versus an injury riddled Rangers Club
And then the lowly Cubs on the road is a decent Start
They had a bad game Sunday, but have been in every other Game and
This is probably what we can expect for most of the Season
Now let’s see how they play at Home over the next week.

IzzellJenkins
IzzellJenkins
April 7, 2014 8:23 am
Reply to  paulman

Do we officially right off Howard by mid season?

How do you like Choochs spot in the lineup now?

haveacigar
haveacigar
April 7, 2014 8:45 am
Reply to  IzzellJenkins

why would you right howard off… he is hitting well and he typically is red hot in august and sept!

IzzellJenkins
IzzellJenkins
April 7, 2014 9:46 am
Reply to  haveacigar

Cig

IMO 1b and LF are the positions where you can bring in young talent that can mash. Howard is an albatross at 1b with that contract, his overall production now, and his lack of defense.

Do you think hes a 30-35+ homer guy anymore?

haveacigar
haveacigar
April 7, 2014 9:57 am
Reply to  IzzellJenkins

you cannot bring in soemone at first…. you are paying him 25$ he will hit 35 hr there is absolutely zero reason to think otherwise. their left fielder is 26 and hit over 20 hr last year so i don’t understand the premise

IzzellJenkins
IzzellJenkins
April 7, 2014 11:31 am
Reply to  haveacigar

I was saying LF and 1B in general. I am fine with LF although im not sold on Dominic Brown.

However I disagree with you on Howard. I think hes a DH at best and I see 260-270 avg around 30 homer guy at best.

haveacigar
haveacigar
April 7, 2014 11:55 am
Reply to  IzzellJenkins

um yes he is better suited at DH… but the phils play in the national league.
33 hr and 105 rbi …

DonP
DonP
April 7, 2014 9:18 am

drink the koolaid suckers

haveacigar
haveacigar
April 7, 2014 9:33 am
Reply to  DonP

koolaid? WTF are you talking about? hey i guess lucky for you that you don’t have to watch a minute of baseball this year!

DonP
DonP
April 7, 2014 10:09 am

I read your post and you r clueless what u say , what u think and what u know u dont know which way is up fool lmao

haveacigar
haveacigar
April 7, 2014 10:14 am
Reply to  DonP

incredibley vague statement there pal…i said there is no reason to think howard won’t hit 30-35 and they have a 26 yr. old left fielder who hit 27 hr… what part of that doesn’t your negative retard mind get?

DonP
DonP
April 7, 2014 10:11 am

Must be crack in that cigar

DonP
DonP
April 7, 2014 11:28 am

everyone here knows u have no idea what the hell u r saying are u watching the players on this team perform howard is 1-15 guys on base, ashe swinging at balls in dirt and striking out, u sound and think ridiculous there is alot of reasons y he wont hit 30-35 hrs ARENT U WATCHING HIM AT BAT IDIOT!

haveacigar
haveacigar
April 7, 2014 11:56 am
Reply to  DonP

every at so far this year i believe…
asche swung at balls in the dirt? wow first player in major league history…. i saw jeter the other day swing at one in the dirt….
what reason would you say howard won’t hit 30-35 hr?