A breath of fresh air has blown into Philadelphia this week. No, it’s not a Canadian air mass. It’s a system by the name of Ryne Sandberg.
The Phillies have snapped to attention at the change in leadership. The troops have rallied to play with a sense of purpose. As the old saying goes: you play for the name on the front, not the name on the back. It seems as if the team has bought into the team-concept once again, instead of playing as individuals to pad personal statistics.
Yes, this 4-1 stretch has come, primarily, against the Colorado Rockies, whose road woes during their 20-year history have been well chronicled. Nonetheless, the stretch of games at Citizens Bank Park this week, have been reminiscent of Charlie Manuel’s glory days. The Phillies have shown a spark – that never-say-die attitude that made them so formidable during those years.
The biggest plus of late, has been the reemergence of Cole Hamels as one of the elite starting pitchers in the Majors. Recently, he has been the best left-hander in baseball not named Clayton Kershaw. Hamels got off to a horrid start this season. He was 1-9 with a 4.86 ERA at the end of May. Since June 1, he has a 2.66 ERA with 11 quality starts in 14 chances. The team, however, is only 7-7 in those starts, mostly because of the anemic offense. There is hope that Hamels can sustain this success and ride the momentum into next April.
In his on-going effort to return from May shoulder surgery, Roy Halladay made his second minor-league rehab start on Tuesday. Halladay pitched six-innings for the Single-A, Lakewood Blue Claws. He had trouble commanding his pitches throughout the game. He allowed two runs (one earned) on seven hits, over six-innings of work. His fastball topped-out at 89 mph. There was a sense that he would be ready to return to the Phillies’ roster by Sunday, but that has been pushed back at least another week. Halladay will make his third minor-league rehab start for the Double-A, Reading Fightin’ Phils on Sunday. It is no secret that Phillies’ brass wants to see Halladay pitch in a Phillies uniform this September before making a decision about his future beyond the 2013 season.
The Phillies picked up outfielder Roger Bernadina off waivers from the Washington Nationals. Bernadina struggled with Washington this year, after having a solid season last year. ‘The Shark’, as he was known to Nationals’ fans, is primarily a reserve outfielder who provides stellar defense along with good speed on the base paths. Look for him as a late-inning defensive replacement, pinch runner, and spot starter. If he plays well enough, he could supplant the struggling John Mayberry as the starting center fielder in September.
The bullpen has continued to impress of late. Especially, Jake Diekman. Diekman who has always possessed a power arm, looks like he is finally learning how to pitch. If he is able to throw strikes consistently with a 95-99 mph fastball, he will bury hitters with his disappearing slider. His maturation is something to keep an eye on as the season winds down.
Rookie right-hander Jonathan Pettibone, who has been on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right shoulder, had an MRI performed on Thursday. The diagnosis is inflammation of the shoulder – more than likely ending his season. Pettibone, who pitched very well at times this season, will be in competition for a spot in the starting rotation next spring.
The recent play of the team has been encouraging. Veterans are playing with a renewed sense of pride and the youngsters are playing to prove that they belong – as well as, competing for a job in Clearwater next February.
In a season filled with dark clouds, some rays of sunshine have begun to peek through. Only time will tell how long it will take for the storm clouds to dissipate entirely.
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