GDT 7/6/18 Philadelphia Phillies (Pivetta) @ Pittsburgh Pirates (Williams, T)

[LoneStarPhan]

With the win in Pittsburgh, the Phillies start the road trip on a good note. Record now is 48-37, season high 11 over .500, and essentially in a tie with the Braves for first place in the NL East. Braves with two more games played are 49-38, .putting the Phillies ahead on percentage points, .565 to .563. Braves have lost 4 in a row while Phillies have won 5 straight.

Ten more on the road leading into the all star break.

[zambonir]

I suspect Morgan is out of options. He has not been what they hoped, but he is still probably the best lefty reliever in the system (for now). That he was even pitching tonight at that point says something about his place in the pecking order though.

[LoneStarPhan]

I am pretty sure you are correct that Morgan is out of options.

[EastFallowfield]

Wins through 85 games:
2007: 43
2008: 46
2009: 47
2010: 45
2011: 53
2018: 48

[julio]

I am pretty sure you are correct that Morgan is out of options.

That's consistent with my records - no options left entering this season.

[tom81]

Great post EF! It's amazing that so many posters are "sure" that this team can't make, let alone win the World Series, yet this shows we have a better record now than our two WS teams did at at this point of the season.

[Austinfan]

Color me still skeptical, but the upside certainly looks better than in April.

Still have to get Pivetta back on track, get the bullpen to settle in, and some of the young position players to pick up their games, especially Kingery, Altherr and Alfaro. Kingery and Knapp are coming around and Williams has steadily improved. Franco has hit better since the move to the 8 hole.

[EastFallowfield]

Stole it off somebody on Twitter. Record pales compared to 1976 and 1993, supposedly the same as 1978.

[EastFallowfield]

Don't think it was mentioned in the thread but the first PGH run a result of Odubel neglecting to wear sunglasses in a bad sun field. Between that and other shaky defense Pivetta looked worse than he might have.

[zambonir]

The pitching, especially, on the 2007 and 2008 teams was shaky compared to this club. This offense is obviously not as potent. It's still really a question of what's worth doing, and why. If the argument is that this team has already won more games than the 2007-2008 teams, that suggests a massive deadline deal isn't necessary, just little ones (as were made in those years) while you let the guys you already have continue to improve. When you''ve really slammed the window of contention open and you're trying to win a second World Series is when you deal for a Lee (who wasn't even a rental) or Machado.

If we're comparing the two eras, what if Zach Eflin is no more than Kyle Kendrick? Nothing wrong with that (and he likely has better stuff now) but did we think Kendrick was untouchable in July of 2007? Certainly that team would have had a better shot against Colorado if they'd added a bat and a better arm than Lohse.

[Austinfan]

We always knew Kendricks was doing it with smoke and mirrors, 90-91 sinker and no secondary pitches!

Eflin is for real, so are Pivetta and Velasquez in terms of talent.
Eflin has been the most consistent of the three, but all are works in progress.
What makes them "legitimate" is not just the 95 MPH FBs, but enough in terms of secondary pitches and command that they need tweaks, not makeovers, to take the next step.

The better question is what can we expect from Williams, Altherr, Kingery, Crawford, Franco, Alfaro and Knapp going forward.

[EastFallowfield]

As someone who visits old threads I agree that Kendrick wasn’t looked at as much special, but it was appreciated that he seemed more of a gamer than high priced Adam Eaton.

[LoneStarPhan]

From the Athletic's Meghan Montemurro today"

They tallied 18 hits and recorded their big-league leading third 10-walk game this year. They had only two such games from 2011-17.

As many have said here, keep getting men on base and the runs will come.