23 Atlanta Braves (Morton, C) @ Philadelphia Phillies (Walker, T)

zambonir 2023-09-11 21:43:29 UTC #141

I'm also hard-pressed to blame the offense that scored 8 runs and came back twice either, but it seems we can blame the 5-9 hitters a bit too.

Funny how nobody wondered why Castro didn't get a look in Game 1 either.

andyb 2023-09-11 21:43:46 UTC #142

Makes sense. I do also want Sosa playing 3-4 times a week somewhere. His bat might be important in the postseason and he is the key backup at 3 positions (4 if you count Bohm shifting to 1B occasionally). Playing Sosa semi-regularly is more important than playing Rojas or Pache semi-regularly.

LoneStarPhan 2023-09-12 03:07:50 UTC #143

A tough game to lose after coming up with the big home run to tie in the bottom of the ninth. Another one of those loses that feels like one we should have won.

Pitching is always a concern. Sanchez and Suarez had strong starts their last time out. Walker and Lorenzen not so much. Who will be pitching well by October? Remains to be seen. As for the bullpen, same thing. Someone might get hot and carry the pen or they might collapse.

8 runs this game is a good night for the offense. Coming from behind again, is a good indicator of a team that doesn't give up.

A transaction was made, evidently between games:

Date Transaction
09/11/23 Philadelphia Phillies optioned RHP Andrew Bellatti to Lehigh Valley IronPigs.
09/11/23 Philadelphia Phillies recalled RHP Yunior Marte from Lehigh Valley IronPigs

Philsmania 2023-09-12 14:01:11 UTC #144

I wouldn't go so far as to compare Walker to Adam Eaton but I wonder if we bought a free agent lemon in him.

zambonir 2023-09-12 14:23:24 UTC #145

Well no you definitely wouldn't say that about someone who has put up 2.3 WAR and a 15-5 record. He was signed to be the 4th starter, with the hope that Painter might be the #5 and pass him. He's already earned his contract for the year. Not his fault that Nola's been worse (in terms of the big stats) and Suarez isn't durable so we wish he could pitch like a sure thing playoff starter.

Keeping Eflin might have been better but looked risky at the time. Keeping Gibson wouldn't have been (he came back down to earth). The money is just what you pay if you choose to go after a free agent for a depth role.

David_Criss 2023-09-12 14:33:44 UTC #146

Keeping Hector Neris would have done wonders, too.

zambonir 2023-09-12 14:40:58 UTC #147

Well, no way to know if what Hector has done in Houston would have happened here. He certainly would have been better than everyone they tried to replace him with initially last year. And probably better than Soto but Soto is still much younger and cheaper.

bkox 2023-09-12 14:52:22 UTC #148

Neris is still pretty cheap.. hes making $500K more than Strahm and $2M less than Kimbrel.

zambonir 2023-09-12 15:24:22 UTC #149

For sure, as a free agent late-inning reliever he is cheap. But exactly, I believe if Neris was here one of Strahm or Kimbrel wouldn't be. But if they were, Neris would be expensive compared to Soto.

Right now you'd rather have Hector than Seranthony as your third-best reliever but nobody would have thought that two years ago, even when Seranthony was still hurt.

We can always bring him back next year.

LoneStarPhan 2023-09-12 23:36:09 UTC #150

But next year might be a down year for him. Relievers are notorious for up and down years.

Philsmania 2023-09-12 23:59:57 UTC #151

Neris's issue was always they he was good most of the season, except when he had his annual mid-season crisis of confidence for 2-3 weeks.

zambonir 2023-09-13 00:08:00 UTC #152

Well, I was kind of kidding but also, while his numbers are especially striking this year he's also been lucky it seems (really high FIP, WHIP is higher than he had for us in 2019). The reality is he's been good for five straight seasons even though there were a lot of bad stretches (2020 was the worst of them, but, SSS with the short season and he didn't allow a single home run). Hector was never the problem, his role - and/or the lack of other good relievers on his team - was. His durability stands in contrast with most other relievers, even if he was also streaky.