The Phils are at risk of getting swept by the Cincinnati Reds tonight because of a questionable decision by Charlie Manuel to stay with Phillippe Aumont in the resumption of yesterday’s game.
Aumont was called into the game last night to pitch the bottom of the 9th inning with the score tied a 0-0. After play was suspended, he was chosen to start that half inning once again late Wednesday afternoon.
The right-hander has never started a game in the major leagues. In fact, the last time he was a starter, even though this wasn’t an official start, was in 2010 when he started 11 games for AA-Reading, going 1-6 with a 7.43 ERA.
Aumont threw his first pitch Wednesday at approximately 5:31 p.m. and his last at roughly 5:41 p.m. with the Reds winning 1-0.
Zack Cozart led off with a single, followed by a Joey Votto walk (Aumont has now walked a batter in every appearance this season), then Brandon Phillips reached on a rare error from Ben Revere, and Jay Bruce singled in Cozart for the game-winning run.
Aumont threw 19 pitches, only nine of which were for strikes. He never recorded an out.
Forget the scenario that last night Manuel should’ve gone with Mike Adams. Even with the fact that pulling Aumont before today’s resumption would’ve lost him for potential extra innings, starting with the 24-year-old righty was a definite mistake.
I’m not saying he should’ve put a member of the rotation in today’s version of the bottom of the 9th, but I feel Manuel should’ve at least considered Adams, Chad Durbin or Jeremy Horst – someone with a little more experience.
Sitting at two games under .500 with the possibility of getting swept by the Reds, Manuel is leading this team to yet another slow April start.
Dave Uram is a producer and remote engineer at SportsRadio 94 WIP in Philadelphia. He is also a news anchor and sports broadcaster at 1490-AM WBCB in Levittown, Pa. You can follow him on Twitter @DaveUram88.
Phils are hurting, losing Record against Teams with Winning Records
4 game Series upcoming versus the SL Cards and Pirates
They continue to not hit and score 2 Runs a game, then it’s ‘s all over
Trade Doc back to the Blue Jays,
Trade Utley out to the Dodgers,
Look to trade 3B M Young to an AL Team
Waive/Realease/Demote Relief Pitchers Valdes, Horst & Durbin
And call up some Younf Pkayers from the Farm System
This 2013 Phils will struggle to win 82-85 Games at most and will not make the 2013 Post-Season as constructed..
No surprise here! Thank you drive through please!
beep beep honk honk
Manuel’s managerial incompetence at making calls like those noted is no mystery. It’s not like he’s only started being a boob in 2013. The difference is the team.
For whatever reason, his Appalachian goofball shtick doesn’t work on these guys. It did with a somewhat different group of players – but it’s worn out. This team has no life, no spark, no drive, no energy. They’re going through the paces and don’t seem to care. THAT is new in 2013. And that is Manuel’s big failing.
The other big problem is, despite the pre-whining about fans unfairly picking on Ryan Howard vs Utley, the fact is that Utley is producing in 2013 and Howard has been totally useless. Howard’s on a pace to drive in 54 runs this year (5 RBI in 15 games).
For the talk-show host losers who want to whine about the unfairness against Howard, I will add that Utley is on a pace for 120 RBIs. Of course, neither of these numbers will likely be the end of year tallies, but bottom line is that Howard is in another of his deep holes. Hell, Greg Dobbs has one more RBI than Howard in one less game (6 RBIs in 14 games) hitting cleanup for the Marlins – how good can your team be when your cleanup hitter is AWOL half the time?
Going with Aumont terrible decision, that was a swing game the phillies needed, the players needed, they gave up on Charlie in the second game, they walked through it as if to say f you Charlie, why didn’t you give us a chance to pull one out, it was obvious that Aumont is a project, a firecracker arm, but no composure, and that one game last night needed a composed pitcher, he could have gone with lee for an inning, who I believe was scheduled to throw a side pen
Charlie is a good man, but that game last night was a terrible move by him and may be the precursor to his firing
Manuel will be fired at the end of this upcoming 8 Game Home-Stand..
GM Amaro has been waiting for his chance to get rid of Manuel and replace him
with “Golden-Child” Ryne Sandberg.. The Time is very close to pull the trigger and I believe Ownership has now given him the green light to do so and lets see how the Teams plays these next 8 Games versus the Cards/Pirates for the Season is about to get away from them and it’s still only April.. Good Grief..
When is the true culprit, of the construction & destruction of this horrid, putrid team, going to be held responsible?!? Booben is the 1, who should be the 1st to get axed, not Charlie. But, as we know, the lame duck Manager, gets whacked 1st. He won us a WS, not Booben, the inept, imbecile, GM!
reuben amaro jr messed this team up!! Pat gillick come back quick fast and a hurry
So Charlie used his high priced 8th inning pitcher and what happened last night? Dude blew the game. Where is your outrage now? Isn’t this Charlie’s fault somehow? At some point, the players need to take responsibility for not performing.
If you were the owner or ownership group of this team, would you be happy with these results considering that you have $180 million payroll?
No way Amaro should keep his job.