Phillies: Lazarus-like lineup resurrected for August
By Tal Venada
Bottom three:
In the six hole, Cabrera has a .224 mark with a .278 OBP, two long balls, eight RBIs and a .666 OPS since joining the Phils. But being a switch hitter makes him versatile for many spots in the lineup. And his rebound will be more in line with his first-half stats: .281, 17 long balls, 52 RBIs and an .824 OPS.
As for Williams, he’ll probably hit seventh when he cools off or Herrera heats up. Meantime, he’s averaging .311 with a .355 OBP, six bombs, 15 RBIs and an .879 OPS since mid-July’s downtime. On the other hand, Franco will offer protection by hitting behind him.
Lastly, the eight slot belongs to Franco because he proved he could produce there. Granted, the original goal had been plate discipline, but the lineup additions changed that plan. The third baseman’s second-half stats are .307 with a .333 OBP, seven long balls, 14 RBIs and an .878 OPS.
At any time, many hitters in this order can catch fire. And the lineup has flexibility and enough firepower to rest regulars and prevent fatigue. Additionally, the four bench players can step in due to injury.
Like the batting order, the rotation has many options to the starting five if a hurler suffers an injury or becomes ineffective. And the pen also has many alternatives covered in my prior article.
In the four-game split with the Red Sox, the Phillies scored 12 runs to their nine. Yeah, the red pinstripes weren’t a first-place team at that time. And while some call it playing up to the competition, which club had the target on their back? Boston!