Charlie has really worked this pitching staff so far this season. With that “normal dead-arm” that Cole Hamels is dealing with right now, it could be a sign that maybe it’s time to stop letting the pitchers eat so many innings. The three aces of the team, Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, and Cole Hamels all sit above the 170 innings pitched mark. Halladay leads the National League with 175 2/3 innings pitched, while Lee and Hamels are both at 172. I know that these guys are professionals and should be able to tough anything out, but it’s August and there’s just 44 games left in the season. We can’t be stretching them out before the post season. Little Roy is another story, he has only compiled 77 1/3 innings pitched thus far.
Roy Oswalt (4-7, 3.84 ERA) will be making his second start since being placed on the DL back on June 23, with a bulging disc. Taking on the Nationals in game two of three, he will be looking to put his last start where it belongs, in the past. Last Sunday, his first start back, he took the hill against the Giants. He struggled with his command and let the ball hit the bat. In 6 innings, he allowed a career high 12 hits, while allowing 3 earned runs, walking 2 and striking out 4. That loss was the Phillies’ only loss on their 10-game road trip. There’s always hope that Oswalt can find a resurgence on the bump. He is a career 5-4, 3.12 ERA vs the Nats and the Phillies have always had success against them at Citizens Bank Park.
Opposing Oswalt will be the Nats’ lefty John Lannan (8-7, 3.56 ERA), who is coming off a no-decision against Colorado in which he threw 7 strong innings, allowing 6 hits, 1 earned run, and 4 walks. The lefty is now considered Washington’s ace after Jason Marquis was traded to Arizona. He is probably one of the Phillies’ most hit opponents. In 14 career starts against the Fightins he has a record of 1-10, with a 5.96 ERA. He did, however, earn his first career win against them back on June 1, yielding just 4 hits, 1 unearned run, through 5.1 innings pitched.
The Phillies, and their hot streak, were haulted for a moment last night in their 4-2 loss. Cole Hamels, who left the game after 5 innings last night says he’s going into the “dead arm zone”, a time period in which a lot of pitchers go through during the season.
Hamels says he is not very concerned. ”It’s that part of the year. You get fatigued a little bit and you just have to battle through it and move onto the next game,” Hamels said. ”It’s just one of those times of the year where you are traveling, pitching a lot of innings and things kind of mound.”
Charlie Manuel slightly disagreed with Cole. ”There’s concern there, I guess,” Manuel said. “By the same time, he was definitely having a tough night.”
Whatever the circumstances are, it appears the starters might need to get a little rest as the season nears its end and the Phillies prepare for fall baseball. One option could be to to convert the normally five-man rotation to a six-man rotation to alleviate the strain on the pitching staff. Of course that would mean Kendrick gets a start from time to time. Gulp.
First Pitch @ 7:05 PM ET!
Tonight’s Lineup vs Nats
1. J Roll SS
2. Victorino CF
3. Chutts 2B
4. Rhyno 1B
5. Pence RF
6. Ibanez LF
7. Chooch C
8. Valdez 3B
9. Oswalt P.
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