Phillies’ Test: Before and After Results
With the trade deadline on the horizon, most younger players with the Philadelphia Phillies are not moving to a contender but expecting to finish 2017 with a solid second half.
Defining Moments:
While ups and downs occur every year, many can find opportunities to improve their lot during a short interval, which will boost their confidence.
When regulars, starters and late-inning relievers have either a disappointing first half or are having difficulty in early July, the two series before and after the All-Star break are meaningful. Firstly, those players can begin their downtime on a high note for management, themselves and their fans, while it can also quiet their critics. On the other hand, the first six contests after their four-day vacation can create the momentum needed to approach the final 11 weeks. And they have a chance to finish with more respectable stats if they get off to a solid start.
If a franchise is basically out of the running for a postseason berth, healthy and reliable veterans are a source to acquire a quantity of prospects. In other words, the hope is a few will man positions for the parent club down the road. But potential trade chips must prove their injuries are behind them to attract interest from contenders.
When it comes to teams with playoff aspirations, they want a hurler to eat innings, dependable bullpen arms and reserves to complement their stars. The Phils, on the other hand, have a mixture of solid and secondary talent to close a deal. But because ’17 is a buyer’s market, the red pinstripes will probably be competing with many organizations down to the last two days of the month.
As the first fastball popped the catcher’s mitt, Cesar Hernandez took a ball to work the count. Meanwhile, Freddy Galvis timed the moundsman’s smoke in the on-deck circle, while Hernandez took mental notes of the hurler’s effectiveness. But even though he flied out to center, he tipped off his keystone partner with a few clues on the way back from the batter’s box. In the dugout, though, he demonstrated with his right hand to Maikel Franco how the last pitch moved. That’s his slider?
In the continuing adventures of Franco and Hector Neris, Franco motored past second on a teammate’s double and slid roughly into third base. Safe! But after the third sacker scored and returned to the bench, Neris quickly sat next to his friend and slapped his left knee. Ouch! Yeah, right on the just scrapped spot.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: “Everybody wants to play in the playoffs. You don’t know how good the good times were until you hit the bad times. But sometimes success is just around the corner.” – Trevor Linden
Understanding the importance of July, Jeremy Hellickson wanted to demonstrate his trade value because contenders are in the market for five-slot pitchers who can give their club a chance to win. Of course, general manager Matt Klentak will cover most of his remaining salary because postseason hopefuls who need more than one piece will have payroll space as a motivation to acquire Hellickson.
Stats for two series before and after the break:
- Hellickson: 2 Gms., 11 Inn., 5 ER and 1-0 with a 4.09 ERA.
- Nola: 3 Gms., 21 Inn., 4 ER and 1-1 with a 1.71 ERA.
- Pivetta: 3 Gms., 17 1/3 Inn., 15 ER and 1-1 with a 7.79 ERA.
Aaron Nola is atop the rotation and confidence is the driver behind his current success. But if he can remain healthy, he’ll only have difficulty if he cannot overcome adversity. On the other hand, Nick Pivetta will have dominant performances and debacles until season’s end. For instance, he has a 4.38 ERA for the two games not including his disaster in Milwaukee.
Stats for two series before and after the break:
- Neris: 6 Gms., 5 2/3 Inn., 2 ER and a 3.18 ERA with 2 Saves.
- Benoit: 7 Gms., 6 2/3 Inn., 4 ER and a 5.40 ERA.
- Garcia: 8 Gms., 9 Inn., 0 ER and a 0.00 ERA.
- No blown saves, holds and blown holds.
With franchises in the mix for serious October baseball, setup men are a priority to go deep into the playoffs. And Joaquin Benoit is an experienced arm who is worth the gamble because last year he had recorded basically a poor first half with a 5.13 ERA for the Seattle Mariners, but he bounced back with a 0.38 ERA during the stretch run for the Toronto Blue Jays.
Neris is inconsistent in high-leverage situations, and Mackanin would move him back to the eighth frame if another reliever could handle save opportunities. But Luis Garcia has limited experience past the seventh inning in one-run games; ergo, the skipper will probably ease him into tougher spots in August.
While some regulars were either on the disabled list or were producing, Odubel Herrera, Franco and Galvis had something to prove. Unlike his two teammates, however, Galvis’ opportunity was to bat near the top of the order and provide leadership for the squad. But he might end up in the seven hole if Herrera continues upping his average.
Stats for two series before and after the break:
Galvis:
- Before: 7 Gms., 27 AB, 7 H, .259, 3 HR and 6 RBI.
- After: 6 Gms., 27 AB, 7 H, .259, 0 HR and 1 RBI.
- Total: 13 Gms., 54 AB, 14 H, .259, 3 HR and 7 RBI.
Franco:
- Before: 7 Gms., 28 AB, 6 H, .214, 3 HR and 5 RBI.
- After: 6 Gms., 25 AB, 11 H, .440, 1 HR and 7 RBI.
- Total: 13 Gms., 53 AB, 17 H, .321, 4 HR and 12 RBI.
Herrera:
- Before: 7 Gms., 24 AB, 8 H, .333, 1 HR and 1 RBI.
- After: 6 Gms., 24 AB, 8 H, .333, 2 HR and 5 RBI.
- Total: 13 Gms., 48 AB, 16 H, .333, 3 HR and 6 RBI.
Among the first-half question marks, Franco produced during the four series and again earned the cleanup spot. But his longest stretch of hitting in quite a while came to an end after only a week. On the other hand, Herrera cleared his head and didn’t think about baseball during the mid-summer break. So, because he returned with the determination to reach numerical respectability, he could soon slot behind Hernandez.
NICE CATCH: “When you’re in a slump, it’s almost as if you look out at the field and it’s one big glove.” – Vance Law
Next: Phillies' Dollars and Sense
On July 2, Herrera was batting .250 but is hitting .375 since then to raise his average to .272. And when you consider the doubles-producing machine, the outfield grass covered and his league-leading bat flips, what is the only conclusion you can reach regarding Herrera? He’s a different cat.