GDT 9/28/19 Miami Marlins (Smith, Ca) @ Philadelphia Phillies (Eflin)

[kikutaro]

Granderson

Called strike (95.2 mph four-seam fastball)
Ball in dirt (89.3 mph two-seam fastball)
Swinging strike (96.5 mph four-seam fastball)
Ball (96.2 mph four-seam fastball)
Foul tip (96.2 mph four-seam fastball)

Curtis Granderson strikes out on a foul tip.

[kikutaro]

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Miami Marlins	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	2	0	3	7	2
Philadelphia Phillies	1	2	3	0	0	3	0	0		9	10	0

Final

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Miami Marlins

Hitters	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K	HR	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS
Jon Berti CF	3	1	1	0	1	0	0	.274	.350	.409	.759
Miguel Rojas SS	4	1	1	0	0	0	0	.284	.331	.379	.710
Neil Walker 1B	4	1	1	2	0	1	1	.260	.343	.391	.734
Starlin Castro 3B	3	0	1	1	1	1	0	.270	.300	.431	.731
Jorge Alfaro C	4	0	1	0	0	0	0	.262	.312	.425	.737
Isan Diaz 2B	3	0	0	0	1	1	0	.171	.259	.291	.550
Harold Ramirez RF	4	0	1	0	0	2	0	.273	.311	.415	.726
Austin Dean LF	3	0	1	0	0	0	0	.229	.265	.411	.676
Tayron Guerrero P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000	.000	.000	.000
Josh D. Smith P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000	.000	.000	.000
Martin Prado PH	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	.232	.266	.282	.548
Caleb Smith P	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	.233	.250	.279	.529
Jose Quijada P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000	.000	.000	.000
Lewis Brinson PH	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	.173	.237	.222	.459
Wei-Yin Chen P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000	.000	.000	.000
Curtis Granderson LF	2	0	0	0	0	2	0	.185	.284	.361	.645

Philadelphia Phillies

Hitters	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K	HR	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS
Cesar Hernandez 2B	4	1	1	1	1	0	1	.280	.334	.410	.744
Phil Gosselin LF	5	1	1	0	0	0	0	.266	.299	.313	.612
Bryce Harper RF	4	1	1	3	0	0	1	.259	.372	.511	.883
Rhys Hoskins 1B	3	1	0	0	1	1	0	.226	.364	.456	.820
Sean Rodriguez SS	2	2	1	0	2	1	0	.227	.344	.382	.726
Maikel Franco 3B	4	1	2	2	0	0	1	.234	.298	.411	.709
Adam Haseley CF	4	1	3	2	0	0	0	.263	.322	.392	.714
Deivy Grullon C	4	0	1	1	0	0	0	.111	.111	.222	.333
Zach Eflin P	3	1	0	0	0	1	0	.160	.160	.180	.340
Nick Pivetta P	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	.080	.115	.080	.195

Miami Marlins

Pitchers	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR	P-K	ERA
Caleb Smith (L, 10-11)	3.0	5	6	5	4	1	2	71-43	4.52
Jose Quijada	1.0	0	0	0	0	0	0	22-15	5.76
Wei-Yin Chen	2.0	3	3	0	0	2	1	27-19	6.59
Tayron Guerrero	1.0	2	0	0	1	0	0	15-9	6.26
Josh D. Smith	1.0	0	0	0	0	0	0	17-10	6.39

Philadelphia Phillies

Pitchers	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR	P-K	ERA
Zach Eflin (W, 10-13)	7.2	6	3	3	2	6	1	108-74	4.13
Nick Pivetta	1.1	1	0	0	1	2	0	24-11	5.38

[LoneStarPhan]

I just got home and saw Eflin had pitched 7 strong innings and was at 90 pitches. No reason to go back out. If your bullpen can get 2 innings done, that tells you a lot. Still a good outing, but I think they should have let him end on a high not.

I agree that at this stage of the season, there is nothing to be gained by not letting the final two innings to the bullpen. For me, Eflin pitched a strong game and the added two runs don't change that. But with only one more game, it would have been good to have one of the young relievers pitch the 8th and hopefully get a good inning as their 2019 season ender. There are several not likely to get any more game action this season.

It was certainly good to score some runs tonight. I hope we can have another strong game tomorrow to close out the season with a wining record.

[mdougherty12]

I just got home and saw Eflin had pitched 7 strong innings and was at 90 pitches. No reason to go back out. If your bullpen can get 2 innings done, that tells you a lot. Still a good outing, but I think they should have let him end on a high not.

I agree that at this stage of the season, there is nothing to be gained by not letting the final two innings to the bullpen. For me, Eflin pitched a strong game and the added two runs don't change that. But with only one more game, it would have been good to have one of the young relievers pitch the 8th and hopefully get a good inning as their 2019 season ender. There are several not likely to get any more game action this season.

It was certainly good to score some runs tonight. I hope we can have another strong game tomorrow to close out the season with a wining record.

Most of the relievers pitched last night, and tomorrow is a bullpen game. Anyone who’s healthy has a good chance of pitching tomorrow.

[zambonir]

I think they would have loved to let Eflin's positive season-ending note be a complete game, and you know he wanted it too. Would have tied him for the MLB lead.

He's a big boy, the fact that he got tagged for a few runs (and threw more pitches) doesn't really change how well he finished (today and overall). And because of his struggles he still didn't throw that many innings.

[Austinfan]

Eflin actually had a very good season, outside of July and I have to wonder how much of that was Young insisting on throwing more 4 seamers. And he should continue to fill out, strengthen his legs and refine his stuff. There's a lot to work with there. Throwing more changeups today, a key to his future success.

Pivetta needs to embrace the bullpen role, he's throwing 95-97 out of the pen which makes his FB harder to hit, and he just needs to work on the knuckle curve to be an effective setup man. And he has the strength to go multiple innings.

[zambonir]

What's he gonna "fill out" to, 250 pounds? And his surgery was over three years ago. There's no more recovery or "strengthening" left to do.

And if the 4-seamers were the problem than why was he good from April to June? It was only after it stopped working for him that he went to Young and asked to make the change.

Arrieta-Eflin as 4/5 next year is fine by me, but I don't think I buy either of them as a #3 (which would mean Velasquez or Smyly #5).

[Austinfan]

Not sure what is a #3? I'd say any pitcher who starts 30+ games with an ERA/FIIP around 4.00 qualifies as a solid #3 these days. And Eflin certainly can do that. So can a healthy Arrieta.

Eflin is 25 and is just coming into his own, a little more uptick is not uncommon for a guy who's just hitting the 150-160 IP level. And he has a big frame. He's not going to make a big jump, but incremental improvements can go a long way.

[zambonir]

Well, it doesn't matter whether you call a guy a #3 or a #5, I think there are two holes is all. Maybe Smyly or Velasquez hold down the last spot until Howard arrives but that approach didn't work great this year and it didn't work great when Lively and Eflin were originally the #5s last year either.

[Austinfan]

Smyly is more akin to Lively, Eflin is a young pitcher putting it together, he had two extended runs of excellent pitching, with a black hole of July inbetween. His strong finish wasn't a fluke.

Smyly is definitely worth bringing back on an incentive laden deal, that's how you build depth, stockpile arms and hope a few emerge. If the Phillies were coming off a 90+ win season, it might be time to roll the dice on a mega-deal for Cole, but he's not going to make them a winner (no pitcher does that), but he could put a winner over the top. This offseason I'd just focus on adding arms, and hope you get lucky and land someone else's Morton (veteran who bounces back).

Hopefully Klentak has learned his lesson on veteran RPs, either go big (get the best without too much mileage) or go home, that is, guys at minimum cost provided as much value as Hunter or Neshek or Robertson.

[zambonir]

Well, as usual, we know what you would do, and we know what the Phillies will actually do. Today Zolecki speculated Eflin will be the only one back (along with Nola and Arrieta). Certainly they are going to get one big name, whether it's Cole or the other Cole or the free agents in between.

If they don't get Gerrit Cole they're probably going to pay big $ for a position player.

Can't sit out the bullpen market entirely either, just need to be a little less unlucky and a little smarter. Any 1 or 2 of those vets would have been fine; having four was a problem. And we're at the point where Neris is a vet too (though still cheap).