4/28/12 Chicago Cubs 2, Philadelphia Phillies 5

Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA
Game 2 of 4

Cubs fans, it’s time for some counseling…Randy Wells just might not be “the guy.”

Many were shocked, but most were not surprised when Wells didn’t make the Opening Day roster and instead was shuttled to AAA. The adage goes “you can’t have too much pitching,” and the adage has inspired many to write volumes about it. The fact of the matter is, the Cubs had quite a few options and they exercised what could be considered one of many potential scenarios, more than a handful of which don’t include Randy Wells starting in Chicago this season. When Ryan Dempster went on the DL (hey, he’s getting old, this is going to happen) I was just as hopeful that Randy’s return to the Cubs would be an opportunity for Randy to prove that he’s still in the running to be “the guy” he was in 2009 and 2010, with a combined ERA of 3.70, 1.343 WHIP and 117 ERA+ with 2.28 SO/BB. Setting hope aside for the moment…he’s not “the guy.” I’m starting to believe, as much as I don’t want to, that he probably never will be.

Wells looks sharp for three innings, more or less the entire batting order. His trademark sinker and “surprise” slider elicits 2 line outs, 2 groundouts, 3 swinging strikeouts, 2 pop ups, one BB and one HB. In the 4th, Wells is in trouble with a lead-off double by Hunter Pence, walks Jim Thome, and at that point, ball after ball starts hitting the dirt and the Phillies have officially got his number. Wells faces 8 batters, allows 3 hits, walks three, and is lifted when 4 runners cross the plate and Welington Castillo is tired of looking at dusty baseballs.

3 cheers for the Cubs bullpen, who keep the rest of the game close and only allow a solo HR by the amazing Carlos Ruiz* but the damage is done and Wells’ 4th keeps the Phils ahead of the Cubs for the rest of the game.

(*) – Of course, Ruiz should be heralded more as an excellent Catcher, and I’m not saying he isn’t, but here’s my vote to elevate him to a higher status of regard…Ruiz takes a Bryan LaHair foul ball right in the spot on his knee where the ‘backstop armour’ doesn’t cover well and rolls on the ground in pain for what seems like several minutes. Just as Len and Bob are speculating on whether or not they’ll see Ruiz behind the dish for the rest of the game, he shows up for his lead-off AB in the bottom of the 6th and demonstrates his physical well-being by taking a 2-2 fastball by Michael Bowden over the left center field wall. Yes, Carlos Ruiz is just fine!!

The question now for the Cubs is certainly not “how will Wells do for the team in 2012,” but probably more like “can we flip this guy by All-Star break?” Dempster will be back soon, Wells will more than likely return to AAA, and perhaps the next DL call-up will be Travis Wood…perhaps not, this could be a case of “small sample size” and Wells may be able to get himself out of his pitching funk yet. But this fan is no longer on that bandwagon, now I have to believe that Randy’s done what he can for the Cubs, and that someone else is going to have to be offered the chance to be “that guy” for the Cubs.

That being said, I owe Joe Blanton an apology.

Remember last year when the Phillies had the “best rotation in baseball,” and some of us chuckled snarkily to ourselves when Halladay, Oswalt, Lee, and Hamels were followed by Blanton? You don’t? I was one of those chucklers. Tonight, Joe pitched 7.1 innings of amazing baseball…he is really damn good, and I’m more embarrassed that I ever laughed at him than I am to admit I was really wrong about him in the first place. Setting 2011 aside, Joe Blanton is doing better this season than he ever has before, and maybe this game is another “small sample size” demonstration of his talent, but all the same, he made Randy Wells and the Cubs look a little bit also-ran.

All that aside...my goodness, Michael Bowden looks great!!!

Go CUBS!

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10/2/11 St Louis Cardinals 5, Philadelphia Phillies 4

Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA
NLDS Game 2

Allen Craig…he does it again!


Another postseason classic pitching match-up ensues; Cliff Lee versus Chris Carpenter at Citizens Bank Park: The CLASH of the TITANS!



The Phillies took game 1, and just like that the Cardinals’ win expectancy yielded a few percentage points when facing “the greatest rotation in history”…or so they say. Lee hangs in for 6 innings, fanning 9 batters, and outlasts a seemingly struggling Carpenter who leaves the game after three mushy innings (5H, 4ER, 3BB, 2K). It seems as if LaRussa is playing the tournament baseball game so soon in the NLDS; many ask “why?” but so few understand…there is no need to wait any longer, the Cardinals are still on a roll. TLR intends to keep it that way.

The majority of the Phillies’ damage to the Cardinals erupts in the very first inning, an exhaustive combination of patient plate discipline and timely hitting (in the first inning!) where 3 runs scored on 3 hits. Another run scores in the 2nd, and after 3 innings the Phils are up by four and the Cards are still scoreless.

The Cardinals find their teeth in the 4th, and do so immediately. After Lance Berkman’s full-count walk and David Freese is called out on strikes, Yadier Molina, Ryan Theriot, and John Jay open up a can of hot sauce and tag Lee for 3 runs on 4 hits, leaving 1 behind as Jay is thrown out at home on a 7-2 flyball by Rafael Furcal. We already know Carpenter is done when Nick Punto bats in his spot (and strikes out); LaRussa summons Fernando Salas to the mound and the game is on.

Salas handles the Phils with 3 groundouts, Lee returns in the 5th to strike out two and get Berkman to pop out but in the 6th, Theriot doubles and is brought home by another John Jay spray single. The inning ends with the score tied, and Lee at 101 pitches. The Cardinals take the lead in the 7th when Allen Craig belts a husky triple on a fly ball to CF and Albert Pujols’ go-ahead RBI single scores Craig easily. He does it again, Berkman reaches on a bloop single to RF, and Lee leaves the game after 110 pitches and 5 ER.

Of interesting note during this frame is Pujols’ exceptional attempt at a productive out, Freese’s dribbler bounces near the mound; with Pujols at 3rd and Placido Polanco recovering the ball, Pujols induces a 5-2 Fielder’s Choice rundown that allows sneaky Lance Berkman to advance from 1st to 3rd without a throw. Pujols claps joyously as he is tagged out by Carlos Ruiz and Berkman is standing on the bag, now in scoring position with only 1 out, and 2 men on base. This prompts an intentional walk to Molina, and the stage is perfectly set…until Theriot ends this crafty exercise by grounding into a 6-4-3 DP. You can’t knock Prince Albert for trying!

LaRussa brings on the bullpen now, as if he is negotiating a sinister chess match…well, he is. Marc Rzepczynski hits Chase Utley to start the 8th, and Hunter Pence hits a sure-fire double-play ball to Furcal. There are no easy outs; Utley masterfully breaks up the DP by uprooting Theriot at second. However, the Phillies are unable to score; TLR summons 2 more pitchers to face the next 2 batters with 1 on and 1 out and the shut down is executed.

The Phillies can’t touch Jason Motte, brought in for a 4-out Save, and the Cardinals slide their way into a win.

The attendance of 46,575 sets a Citizens Bank Park attendance record.

Series tied 1-1



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