2024 Phillies Late Season Discussion

[flyers19rw]

I think that Nola is tipping his pitches. When there is a runner on second base, he can look into Nola's glove during the windup and see the coming pitch. If it's going to be a knuckle curve, his index finger can be seen elevated on the ball. If it's not a KC, the finger is not raised.

[zambonir]

He said he just hung both of the curve balls yesterday.

Nola was great last October after his usual September bumps. Honestly nothing to see here. Gelb wrote about them maybe flipping the playoff rotation but if they do that it's more about R/L and Sanchez's awful record pitching on the road.

Turnbull might make it back for the bullpen. Won't be a starter and wouldn't even be ready through the next couple of rotation turns anyway. He's a last-week pitcher and playoff bullpen injury replacement at best. Ironically, he might be competing with Walker for the final bullpen scrub slot.

[andyb]

Allard starting this afternoon. Assume the most likely move for the moment is Lazar because the Phillies clearly were wringing every pitch out of his arm (I felt sorry for him in his 3rd inning of work). Gilbert a possibility too. Let's hope for the best.

[zambonir]

One of the articles said it was expected to be Lazar though yeah prior to last night I would have thought Gilbert.

[zambonir]

Bohm in the line-up today.

[phillychuck]

Wow that's quicker than predicted...

[andyb]

Wow that's quicker than predicted...

2-4 last night with Lehigh Valley with a 2B and playing the entire game at 3B. Assume he just thought he was ready and he probably was staying at home anyway (though LHV was away at Scranton-WB last night).

Garcia (3rd catcher) the obvious move. Sosa will likely replace Kennedy on Tuesday.

Note also a left-handed pitcher for the Mets today. Phillies are probably happy he is ready a game earlier than expected.

[zambonir]

Sosa.

I think he was supposed to play today originally. And now he still will. I agree the opportunity to have him against a LHP was also hard to resist (and both Marsh and Stott are sitting today).

[Austinfan]

They were both in the Lehigh lineup last night.

[zambonir]

Right and they were supposed to be today as well. Sosa still is.

And yes Garcia DFAed.

[andyb]

Sosa is not eligible till Tuesday. Injury back dated from 9/7. Bohm of course was immediately eligible and played well.

[Callison]

He said he just hung both of the curve balls yesterday.

Could be just another way of saying "fatigue."

If I were Rob, Nola would sit out his next start.

But the Phils will likely just choose to believe that Nola had another bad day, which is just his level of inconsistency and everybody is going to live with it.

[zambonir]

There is a thing called "recency bias." Nola pitched like a Cy Young candidate for four starts before the two duds. It's all normal ups and downs even given his history in September. And the team has plenty of data about his pitches (velocity, break, shape, execution) to assess whether it is fatigue (as well as more knowledge than us about whether it would help). In 2019 they tried giving him an extra day's rest between September starts and it didn't help at all, even though his career data says it does.

Plus - while I'm in the camp that says the season is already all but over, nothing to worry about - what are we going to do, give Walker or Tyler Phillips one of Nola's starts?

[RolenRules]

Orioles Designate Cole Irvin, Nick Maton For Assignment

Maybe grab Cole Irvin?

[zambonir]

Probably no better or worse than Allard at this point.

[bkeich]

Orioles Designate Cole Irvin, Nick Maton For Assignment

Maybe grab Cole Irvin?

I would certainly give a long thought to Maton also if we have a 40 spot. He was once our best bench player not that long ago, my guess is if no one else contacts him he would be willing to take a “in case something happens to our bench guys” spot.

[zambonir]

It was kind of long ago, and it was more of a small sample than him actually being our best bench player. Could just as easily find Dalton Guthrie or Luke Williams.

As it is, Kennedy is about to be out of a job, and Wilson (who is really still an IF) is no sure thing to stick (depending on Hays), and Clemens is probably better.

[andyb]

Irvin has a 7.09 ERA and 993 OPS against since July. He is not better than what we have, at least at the moment.

[owaistabish]

Brewers are going to be such a dangerous out. About to sweep dBacks. Offense is extremely dangerous - probably better than Dodgers.

[zambonir]

They're good, they don't seem that scary. We already swept them at home and they are still only 6-6 in September (that game today is not over). Yelich's out for the year and Rhys has not had a good season (in addition to his usual lack of defensive value as he's mostly played 1B). Mets have had a better second-half record than them (and us). All three teams are good (literally the three highest-scoring offenses and three best teams in the NL).

I'm more worried about winning games like today in October.