GDT 6/23/19 Miami Marlins (Yamamoto) @ Philadelphia Phillies (De Los Santos)

[HopeSpringsEternal]

Kingery continues to struggle with his throws from 3B.

[kikutaro]

Granderson

Offensive Substitution: Pinch-hitter Curtis Granderson replaces Jarlin Garcia.
Called strike (90.3 mph four-seam fastball)
Swinging strike (91.8 mph two-seam fastball)
In play, out(s) (82.9 mph curveball)
124 ft ground ball (exit speed: 85 mph, launch angle: 0°)

Curtis Granderson grounds into a double play, second baseman Cesar Hernandez to third baseman Scott Kingery to first baseman Rhys Hoskins. Bryan Holaday out at 2nd. Curtis Granderson out at 1st.

[kikutaro]

Rojas

Ball (83.1 mph changeup)
Ball (91.5 mph two-seam fastball)
Ball (91.4 mph two-seam fastball)
Ball (90.7 mph two-seam fastball)

Miguel Rojas walks.

[kikutaro]

Ramirez, H

Ball (89.8 mph two-seam fastball)
Called strike (90.8 mph two-seam fastball)
Foul (87.4 mph cutter)
Pickoff Attempt 1B
In play, no out (92.4 mph two-seam fastball)
53 ft ground ball (exit speed: 99 mph, launch angle: -7°)

Harold Ramirez singles on a ground ball to shortstop Jean Segura, deflected by pitcher Jose Alvarez. Miguel Rojas to 2nd.

[julio]

Kingery continues to struggle with his throws from 3B.

He's a second baseman.

Chase Utley was an All-Star second baseman, a borderline Hall-of-Famer. He couldn't handle third base.

Scott Kingery is playing wherever management wants him to play - because they have another second baseman who has been pretty good, who would be even worse defensively if moved all over the field than Kingery has been. That's not a failing on Kingery's part. If they don't think Franco is an acceptable solution at third, then management needs to get a third baseman. And while "waiting for Bohm" may be a shorter-term proposition that we all thought three months ago, it's not going to help much in 2019.

[kikutaro]

Cooper

Mound Visit.
Called strike (91.6 mph two-seam fastball)
Foul (81.4 mph changeup)
Ball (82.5 mph changeup)
Swinging strike (92.7 mph four-seam fastball)

Garrett Cooper strikes out swinging.

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Miami Marlins	1	2	1	0	2	0	0	0		6	15	0
Philadelphia Phillies	2	0	0	0	0	0	0			2	2	1

---

Current Batters

Miami Marlins

Hitters	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K	HR	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS
Miguel Rojas SS	4	1	2	0	1	2	0	.275	.338	.333	.671
Harold Ramirez LF	4	1	1	0	1	0	0	.310	.342	.408	.750
Garrett Cooper 1B	5	1	3	1	0	1	1	.324	.395	.518	.913
Brian Anderson 3B	4	1	1	1	0	0	1	.251	.335	.410	.745
Starlin Castro 2B	4	0	3	1	0	1	0	.239	.269	.322	.591
Cesar Puello RF	2	1	1	0	2	0	0	.345	.471	.564	1.035
JT Riddle CF	3	1	2	2	1	0	1	.209	.250	.429	.679
Bryan Holaday C	4	0	2	0	0	0	0	.290	.405	.516	.921
Jordan Yamamoto P	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000	.000	.000	.000
Yadiel Rivera PH	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	.053	.053	.053	.106
Jarlin Garcia P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000	.000	.000	.000
Curtis Granderson PH	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	.182	.271	.354	.625

Philadelphia Phillies

Hitters	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K	HR	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS
Bryce Harper RF	1	1	0	0	2	0	0	.246	.362	.459	.821
Rhys Hoskins 1B	2	1	0	0	1	1	0	.270	.399	.522	.921
Scott Kingery 3B	2	0	0	0	1	1	0	.329	.373	.629	1.002
Jay Bruce LF	3	0	0	0	0	1	0	.229	.290	.556	.846
Jean Segura SS	3	0	1	2	0	1	0	.269	.318	.432	.750
Cesar Hernandez 2B	3	0	1	0	0	1	0	.272	.328	.424	.752
Andrew Knapp C	3	0	0	0	0	1	0	.164	.301	.246	.547
Enyel De Los Santos P	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	.000	.000	.000	.000
Brad Miller PH	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	.273	.347	.455	.802
Edgar Garcia P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000	.000	.000	.000
Ranger Suarez P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1.000	1.000	1.000	2.000
Maikel Franco PH	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	.204	.274	.369	.643
Jose Alvarez P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000	.000	.000	.000
Roman Quinn CF	3	0	0	0	0	1	0	.114	.205	.143	.348

Current Pitchers

Miami Marlins

Pitchers	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR	P-K	ERA
Jordan Yamamoto	5.0	2	2	2	4	7	0	99-56	0.95
Jarlin Garcia	2.0	0	0	0	0	2	0	17-13	4.19

Philadelphia Phillies

Pitchers	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR	P-K	ERA
Enyel De Los Santos	4.0	7	4	4	3	2	1	66-43	7.36
Edgar Garcia	1.0	4	2	2	0	0	2	16-12	7.27
Ranger Suarez	2.0	3	0	0	1	2	0	28-18	6.00
Jose Alvarez	1.0	1	0	0	1	1	0	18-11	3.95

[HopeSpringsEternal]

Management has also decided to make Kingery a super utility player because that’s the kind of stuff that worked for the Dodgers. When will they figure out that may not have been the best decision?

[kikutaro]

Harper

Pitching Change: Tayron Guerrero replaces Jarlin Garcia, batting 9th.
In play, no out (99.7 mph four-seam fastball)
176 ft ground ball (exit speed: 76 mph, launch angle: -5°)

Bryce Harper singles on a ground ball to left fielder Harold Ramirez.

[kikutaro]

Hoskins

Ball (100.3 mph four-seam fastball)
Ball (98.6 mph four-seam fastball)
Ball (97.5 mph four-seam fastball)
Ball (98.6 mph four-seam fastball)

Rhys Hoskins walks. Bryce Harper to 2nd.

[zambonir]

Well as they always say you can't fire 25 players. But I think it's mostly the players. Give me three or four good ones to replace all the holes and Kapler might be managing a first place club again. A starter to slot in ahead of Arrieta (and erase all the lousy #5s), a reliever to replace Robertson or Neshek, an OF and a better bench bat. If you can't do that or if it's not worth the price or if the core players aren't as good as they hoped it's not gonna matter who the manager or hitting coach is (just like when they fired Charlie). The need for "energy" or "fire" is largely perception, or chicken/egg. When you're hitting and your pitchers perform you have energy.

I realize many teams do a better job of overcoming injuries and maybe that is on Kapler and Klentak. But streaks and bad luck really are part of the game. The sequence of events since Klentak acquired Bruce really do defy belief.

[julio]

Management has also decided to make Kingery a super utility player because that’s the kind of stuff that worked for the Dodgers. When will they figure out that may not have been the best decision?

The thing is, you can't "make" a player something he's not. It's not unreasonable to experiment - to try to find out if a Scott Kingery can be a "super utility player." But you have to have a reasonable expectation that your experiment - like any experiment - may return a "null hypothesis" - e.g., it might not work. You have to be prepared to recognize and accept that it doesn't work.

You can try to pound a square peg into a round hole, and it might just fit. But if if doesn't fit, continuing to hammer on it (especially if you're pounding with your forehead!) is a really bad idea.

The Phillies have two second basemen. One is 29, and will be a FA after the 2020 season. The other is 25, is signed (with options) through 2026, and is arguably a better player now. They don't have a starting third baseman. This doesn't seem to me to be an insoluble situation.

[allentown]

Scott Kingery is playing wherever management wants him to play - because they have another second baseman who has been pretty good, who would be even worse defensively if moved all over the field than Kingery has been. That's not a failing on Kingery's part. If they don't think Franco is an acceptable solution at third, then management needs to get a third baseman. And while "waiting for Bohm" may be a shorter-term proposition that we all thought three months ago, it's not going to help much in 2019.

This is the second season the Phillies have basically ordered Kingery to embarrass himself by playing out of position. He doesn't have the arm to play 3B. That was known when he was drafted; it was known when he was in the minors; TPTB are impeding his development. He is a good 2B. This is a big beef I have with Phillies management.

[kikutaro]

Kingery

Mound Visit.
Ball (87.5 mph slider)
Called strike (99.2 mph four-seam fastball)
Ball (97.9 mph four-seam fastball)
In play, out(s) (98.6 mph four-seam fastball)
128 ft ground ball (exit speed: 85 mph, launch angle: -7°)

Scott Kingery grounds into a double play, shortstop Miguel Rojas to second baseman Starlin Castro to first baseman Garrett Cooper. Bryce Harper to 3rd. Rhys Hoskins out at 2nd. Scott Kingery out at 1st.

[zambonir]

Why do we think it's a bad decision? He's having a great season in that role, and is able to get tons of ABs in that role. If he was our 2B, who's our 3B? Our CF when Quinn gets hurt again? And does benching or trading Hernandez really make the 2019 team better? Can we acquire a CF or 3B who is actually better than Hernandez, even?

[LoneStarPhan]

I certainly don’t know what they need to do, but clearly, something is wrong.

Last year, they had a tremendous meltdown that they did not come out of. This season, the meltdown is coming two months sooner. They seem unable to do much well at this point of the season. They are middle of the pack in pitching and solid bottom third in hitting. They are about to be swept by the last place team in the division and are about to complete a 22 game run with 6 wins. The Marlins hold on last place is no longer a sure thing.

What to do? I have no idea.

[kikutaro]

Bruce

Swinging strike (88.3 mph slider)
In play, run(s) (87.6 mph slider)
344 ft fly ball (exit speed: 100 mph, launch angle: 40°)

Jay Bruce out on a sacrifice fly to center fielder JT Riddle. Bryce Harper scores.

Miami Marlins 6 - Philadelphia Phillies 3

[julio]

Can we acquire a CF or 3B who is actually better than Hernandez, even?

At this point, it could be difficult. The choice they made that is proving to be a mistake, IMHO, was in waiting this past winter, hoping that Franco would be OK at third base for another season. This may have been because they (at least some of them) wanted Machado instead of Harper, and by the time that played out, any hope of obtaining a better 3B in the off-season was gone. But regardless, their complement of players doesn't map all that well to the eight positions on the field. They need to address that.

[kikutaro]

Segura

Ball (89.7 mph slider)
Wild pitch by pitcher Tayron Guerrero. Scott Kingery to 2nd.
In play, out(s) (100.4 mph four-seam fastball)
148 ft ground ball (exit speed: 96 mph, launch angle: -15°)

Jean Segura grounds out, shortstop Miguel Rojas to first baseman Garrett Cooper.

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Miami Marlins	1	2	1	0	2	0	0	0		6	15	0
Philadelphia Phillies	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	1		3	3	1

---

Current Batters

Miami Marlins

Hitters	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K	HR	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS
Miguel Rojas SS	4	1	2	0	1	2	0	.275	.338	.333	.671
Harold Ramirez LF	4	1	1	0	1	0	0	.310	.342	.408	.750
Garrett Cooper 1B	5	1	3	1	0	1	1	.324	.395	.518	.913
Brian Anderson 3B	4	1	1	1	0	0	1	.251	.335	.410	.745
Starlin Castro 2B	4	0	3	1	0	1	0	.239	.269	.322	.591
Cesar Puello RF	2	1	1	0	2	0	0	.345	.471	.564	1.035
JT Riddle CF	3	1	2	2	1	0	1	.209	.250	.429	.679
Bryan Holaday C	4	0	2	0	0	0	0	.290	.405	.516	.921
Jordan Yamamoto P	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000	.000	.000	.000
Yadiel Rivera PH	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	.053	.053	.053	.106
Jarlin Garcia P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000	.000	.000	.000
Curtis Granderson PH	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	.182	.271	.354	.625
Tayron Guerrero P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000	.000	.000	.000

Philadelphia Phillies

Hitters	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K	HR	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS
Bryce Harper RF	2	2	1	0	2	0	0	.248	.364	.461	.825
Rhys Hoskins 1B	2	1	0	0	2	1	0	.270	.401	.522	.923
Scott Kingery 3B	3	0	0	0	1	1	0	.326	.370	.625	.995
Jay Bruce LF	3	0	0	1	0	1	0	.229	.289	.556	.845
Jean Segura SS	4	0	1	2	0	1	0	.268	.317	.430	.747
Cesar Hernandez 2B	3	0	1	0	0	1	0	.272	.328	.424	.752
Andrew Knapp C	3	0	0	0	0	1	0	.164	.301	.246	.547
Enyel De Los Santos P	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	.000	.000	.000	.000
Brad Miller PH	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	.273	.347	.455	.802
Edgar Garcia P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000	.000	.000	.000
Ranger Suarez P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1.000	1.000	1.000	2.000
Maikel Franco PH	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	.204	.274	.369	.643
Jose Alvarez P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000	.000	.000	.000
Roman Quinn CF	3	0	0	0	0	1	0	.114	.205	.143	.348

Current Pitchers

Miami Marlins

Pitchers	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR	P-K	ERA
Jordan Yamamoto	5.0	2	2	2	4	7	0	99-56	0.95
Jarlin Garcia	2.0	0	0	0	0	2	0	17-13	4.19
Tayron Guerrero	1.0	1	1	1	1	0	0	13-6	3.86

Philadelphia Phillies

Pitchers	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR	P-K	ERA
Enyel De Los Santos	4.0	7	4	4	3	2	1	66-43	7.36
Edgar Garcia	1.0	4	2	2	0	0	2	16-12	7.27
Ranger Suarez	2.0	3	0	0	1	2	0	28-18	6.00
Jose Alvarez	1.0	1	0	0	1	1	0	18-11	3.95

[zambonir]

They really blew it on Moustakas two times. I think once they signed Harper and got Realmuto they just figured they could carry Franco. Also they didn't have enough $ to address it by then.

The front office was certainly not alone in believing Franco had turned a corner. Plenty of folks here also thought so, and were so impressed by his April that they kept wondering why he was hitting eighth.

[HopeSpringsEternal]

Why do we think it's a bad decision?

I’m big on good defense; not sure Phillies management agrees with me on that. Kingery has done a remarkable job improving his hitting this year in spite of continuing to be challenged to play all over the field. Kudos to him for being able to do that. But I believe that his defense has cost us some runs (in CF, and to a lesser degree at 3B); not sure if he has cost us some games as a result, but it’s possible.