Miami Marlins at Philadelphia Phillies Afterthoughts 4/9/12

Image courtesy of Tim Shaffer

Citizens Bank Park was oozing with electricity today as the Phillies came home for the first time this season to face the Miami Marlins. Even though the Phillies haven’t gotten off to the best start, losing their opening series at Pittsburgh to the Pirates, expectations were still high with Ace #3, Cole Hamels, on the mound. But those expectations quickly lowered, as Hamels gave the Marlins an early lead in their 6-2 victory.

Omar Infante ended the day 2-for-4 with two solo homeruns in the fifth and seventh innings. He has three homeruns in two games, a hot start for a player who hasn’t hit more than eight homeruns in a season since 2005.

 

Miami got off to a hot start in the first, with singles by Jose Reyes and Emilio Bonifacio to start the game. Only Reyes scored, but the first inning lead was one the Marlins would never relinquish. Anibal Sanchez gave up two runs in the seventh, but those were his only mistakes, pitching a strong 6 1/3 innings. The Marlins scored a run in four straight innings from the fourth to the seventh and they did it without star rightfielder Giancarlo Stanton, who was a late scratch in today’s game.

Hamels got through 5 1/3 innings giving up four runs, three of them earned. It wasn’t a bad game for Cole, who also had nine strikeouts, but it was one where a few mistakes cost him.

“Games aren’t gonna go your way every single time, but unfortunately you have to make the best of it,” Hamels said.

He was also charged for an error on a bunt by Bonifacio when he threw the ball to first base and no one was covering, an error that should’ve went to either first baseman John Mayberry Jr. or second baseman Freddy Galvis.

Jonathan Papelbon came into the game in the ninth inning and gave up a solo shot to leadoff hitter Austin Kearns, a hit that resulted in a chorus of boos aimed towards Papelbon from the Phillies faithful. It really didn’t matter, and it wasn’t necessary for him to get booed in the situation, but if he was going to come into today’s game, down 5-2, what was the problem with him coming into yesterday’s tie game? Or Saturday’s? If the Phillies want to play him only in save situations, do that, but if not, don’t put him into a game where his team’s trailing and not expect to be questioned why they didn’t play him when he could’ve been much more useful.

Philadelphia couldn’t get a baserunner with less than two outs until the seventh, when Shane Victorino and Mayberry led off the inning with singles and they scored their two runs on an RBI double by Galvis. Many have been critical of Galvis’ bat early on, but his first career MLB hit could not have come at a better time. Jimmy Rollins had two hits for the Phils, but both came with two outs. Hunter Pence had a hit with two outs as well. Those were the Phillies’ six hits all game.

The offense is now becoming somewhat of a problem. People are upset and, like I said yesterday, it is still early, but this is not what’s to be expected of the Phillies offense. Without Howard and Utley, it’s going to be tough, these last four games have shown that, but the team needs to find out how to score runs without them because they only have six earned runs in the first four games. They got help from an error by Pittsburgh yesterday to get their final two runs, and today they couldn’t even get on base with less than two outs barring one inning.

So far, it’s been the same story, different game for the Phils. They have Roy Halladay going on Wednesday against Josh Johnson, a pitching duel that will likely not see many runs. The Phillies offense will have to step up, though, to ensure that they have a chance at winning these games. Hamels wasn’t great today, but the offense was worse. But as worried as some might be, it’s still too early to take anything that’s went on this season as a sign of what’s to come.

“When you don’t score the runs you want to score and you’re 1-3 with the team that we have, [things are definitely] going to be said,” remarked Victorino. “But it’s four games into the season. I’m not gonna sit here and worry about it.”

Listen to Vic, Phillies fans. It’s really something that, while frustrating, is nothing to worry about. If these problems are still there at the end of the month, then maybe it’ll be time to worry. But right now, it’d probably be best  to just wait and see what happens.