Kuzul

No true ace willfully gives up the ball with a game on the line.  As a fan, you admire this, but sometimes, you still have a hard time trusting them.  Maybe the closer should be called you think.

But when Roy says he’s got it under control, you just have to trust him, no matter how bad things might look.  Halladay has earned the right to be his own closer.

I learned this last night in the ninth inning as the Phillies played the Nationals.  Through the first eight innings, Halladay was on cruise control, allowing only two hits and shutting out Washington.  Although he had thrown nearly 100 pitches, things seemed to be in control.

That was about to change as Rick Ankiel led off with a double.  Jayson Werth followed with a single.  Just like that, Halladay was in his first jam of the night as the tying run came to the plate.  The bullpen came to life.  Surely, Charlie would be out on the mound to congratulate Roy on a game well pitched, and put the ball in the hand of closer Jose Contreras. 

But Manuel stayed in the dugout.

Halladay struck out the next hitter, Adam LaRoche, but the next two batters singled, driving in two runs and putting the tying run on second. 

Now, Manuel came running out of the dugout. 

The announcers assured those of us viewing at home that when Charlie runs out of the dugout he is not ready to make a pitching change.  The game seemed to be slipping away, a loss in a game like this could wreck the rest of the week and kill a team’s momentum, especially following a loss the night before. 

Surely Charlie must realize Halladay was done, I thought.  The 100-plus pitches having taken their toll, Halladay simply would not be able to finish what he had started, no matter how badly he wanted to.

Halladay, however, did not see things my way.  He assured his manager and teammates that he had things under control and would protect the Phillies lead, which was now perilously close to slipping away.

As Manuel walked back to the dugout, without taking his ace with him, I implored him to reconsider. He did not and Halladay stayed in the game.

What followed was some of the most focused, clutch pitching that I have ever seen in the ninth inning of a game.  The Nationals called for pinch hitter extraordinaire Matt Stairs to the plate, the same Matt Stairs who became a Phillies folk hero for his late game heroics.  I had a bad feeling about this matchup.  Stairs could end the game with one swing.  Given a fastball middle-in, Stairs would send the Nationals home winners.

Halladay simply fired three straight fastballs on the outside corner.  Stairs didn’t even move the bat from his shoulder.  I had never seen a hitter so overmatched at the plate.  Pudge Rodriguez followed.  The game now seemed safe.  Again, Halladay disposed of the hitter with three pitches.  The last a filthy curveball on the outside that buckled Rodriguez.

With this performance, Halladay has, in my opinion, earned the right to dictate whether or not he will stay in the game.  The way he bore down in crunch time was incredible.  To strike out the final two hitters on six pitches, with the tying run in scoring position, shows that Halladay is a true ace.

Charlie Manuel obviously knew better than to take the ball from Roy Halladay.  Next time I see Halladay in a jam in the ninth inning, I will know better as well.

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Sam LeCure turned in the best start of his young career last night, allowing just one run on one hit over six innings. He walked two, struck out eight and left the game with the Reds leading 2-1. However, LeCure would not pick up the win because Nick Masset allowed the Padres to tie it in the eighth.

Cincinnati would come back to win the game thanks to a six-run rally in the 11th, all coming with two outs.

The point that I want to focus on here is the importance of Ryan Hanigan and the obviously strong connection LeCure has with his catcher.

If a pitcher is going to miss the strike zone, he needs to miss down. He needs to trust that the catcher will keep the ball from going to the backstop. This means the catcher has to be prepared to block balls in the dirt, something that Hanigan did repeatedly last night.

Blocking pitches is something that can be seen at the stadium or on television. Even though it is a very under-appreciated part of the game for many fans, it is still a visual occurrence. There is still so much more that goes into a successful pitching performance. Anyone that has been behind the dish knows that there is a lot more to calling a game.

“Hani does such a good job of making me feel like the game is slowing down. He feels like I need to take my time sometimes, so he’ll take a little longer giving the sign,” LeCure said. “I feel really comfortable with him back there.”

The pitcher’s mound can be a very lonely place. It is easy to get rattled, especially for a young pitcher like LeCure. Something so easy like taking a few extra seconds to hang the sign allows the pitcher to take a few extra breaths and calm down. Each pitch needs to have a purpose and the pitcher needs to remember that.

Last night, LeCure and Hanigan seemed to remember it just fine.

Are you in Reds Country?

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The endless string of opinions and predictions after Jayson Werth departed from Philadelphia last December were finally given some answers Tuesday night. In the first meeting between the Phillies and their former right fielder, Werth and his Washington Nationals got the upper hand and bested the first place Phils, 7-4. 

Werth, who had been struggling so far this season, went 2-3 and sent one over the left field fence off Joe Blanton in the fifth. I’m sure it was a tidbit of satisfaction for Werth, who was met with a mix of boos and cheers from the Philly fans who made the trek down to D.C.

The Nats had slid Werth from second to third in the line-up to replace the injured Ryan Zimmerman and it paid immediate dividends. He looked more patient at the plate in Tuesday night’s game than he had at any time in the young season. 

Joe Blanton, the “forgotten man” in the Phillies’ starting rotation, was shaky for the second straight start, coughing up five runs in six innings of work. Joe was fine through three innings, but he ran into trouble in the fourth, giving up hits to Jerry Hairston and Wilson Ramos. This allowed the Nationals to grab the lead, and they held on in the later innings to secure the victory. 

No one is hitting the panic button because of Blanton’s struggles just yet. After all, he has the least amount of pressure on him. The fan base in Philly are so focused on the top four, Blanton can fly under the radar for now. However, if Big Joe does not produce a quality start soon, the boo birds will be calling for Kyle Kendrick before you know it. 

Ryan Howard snagged his third home run of the season, but the Phils offense never found a rhythm, despite out-hitting Washington 10 hits to nine. Shane Victorino’s five game hitting streak also came to an end tonight. 

Roy Halladay will look to stop the bleeding tomorrow night, as he faces lefty John Lannan. Werth’s knowledge of the Phils gave him the edge tonight, we’ll see if Doc has Jayson’s number Wednesday night. 

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Here’s a look at the unheralded fantasy baseball players who played well yesterday.

Texas Rangers at Detroit Tigers
Alexi Ogando, yesterday’s streaming pitcher option, gave up two hits in seven scoreless innings to improve to 2-0. He has yet to allow a run in 13 innings.

Tampa Bay Rays at Boston Red Sox
Sam Fuld went 4-for-6 with three runs, a home run and three RBI. Johnny Damon went 3-for-5 with two runs, a home run and three RBI. John Jaso went 2-for-5 with a run and three RBI. Reid Brignac went 2-for-5 with two runs and three RBI.

Colorado Rockies at New York Mets
Dexter Fowler went 1-for-4 with two runs and an RBI. Jonathan Herrera went 2-for-4 with a run and a stolen base. Seth Smith went 3-fo-4 with a stolen base. Willie Harris drove in a pair of runs.

Oakland A’s at Chicago White Sox
Kurt Suzuki went 2-for-4 with the winning home run. Mark Buehrle gave up two hits in eight scoreless innings and Dallas Braden gave up one run on five hits with seven strikeouts in six innings. Both received no-decisions. Tyson Ross struck out four in three scoreless innings for the win.

Chicago Cubs at Houston Astros
Darwin Barney went 2-for-3 with two runs and an RBI. Marlon Byrd went 2-for-5 with two RBI. Angel Sanchez hit a two-run homer.

St. Louis Cardinals at Arizona Diamondbacks
Lance Berkman went 2-for-5 with two home runs and three RBI. David Freese went 2-for-4. Melvin Mora went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Kyle McClellan gave up one run in six innings for the win.

Cleveland Indians at Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Matt LaPorta hit a three-run homer. Mitch Talbot gave up five hits in eight scoreless innings.

Cincinnati Reds at San Diego Padres
Chris Heisey hit a two-run homer. Will Venable went 2-for-3 with a run. Orlando Hudson went 2-for-4 with a run and two stolen bases. Edison Volquez gave up two runs on three hits in six innings for the win.

Los Angeles Dodgers at San Francisco Giants
Jamey Carroll went 3-for-5 with a run. Aubrey Huff went 2-for-4. Pat Burrell went 2-for-2 with a home run.

Toronto Blue Jays at Seattle Mariners
Milton Bradley went 2-for-4 with two runs, a home run and two RBI. Justin Smoak went 2-for-3 with two RBI. Michael Saunders went 2-for-4 with two runs and a stolen base. Corey Patterson went 2-for-5 with a home run and two RBI. J.P. Arcencibia went 2-for-5. Edwin Encarnacion went 3-for-4 with a run. Jayson Nix went 3-for-4 with two runs and an RBI. Jesse Litsch threw five scoreless innings, but got a no-decision.

Also check out today’s streaming pitcher option.

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The Braves enter their mid-week series with division rival Florida Marlins 4-6, a record that most in the baseball world would call a mild fiasco for a team that garnered such praise out of March.

After putting together a strong opening series in Washington, the Braves have gone on to lose five out of the last seven games in series against the Brewers and Phillies.

Does this early-season skid foretell of another long summer in A-Town? People are already wanting Fredi Gonzalez out, Terry Pendleton brought back as hitting coach, and Freddie Freeman sent to AAA.

Ah, Braves fans…. you never fail to show the world why patience and dignity are never found without the other.

There are some definite signs that show the Braves are not going to revert back to being a team that bobbles below and above .500 in 2011, but that they actually have the makings of a National League powerhouse.

Here are 10 positives the team has shown through the first 10 games of the season.

Begin Slideshow

Sam Fuld is a Durham, N.H. native and alumnus of Exeter Academy. On Monday night, he made his first career visit to Fenway Park as a member of the Tampa Bay Rays.

The Rays got their second win of the season by defeating the Red Sox 16-5. Fuld stood out in a game surrounded by conversation about Carl Crawford facing his former team, Johnny Damon’s return to Fenway and of course the Manny Ramirez saga.

Fuld went 4-6 with three runs and two RBI in the Rays’ win, and was a single shy of becoming the second Rays player to hit for the cycle. Fuld has continued to turn heads since his arrival in Tampa.

He was drafted in 2004 by the Chicago Cubs in the 10th round, and made his major league debut on September 5, 2007. He came to the Rays as part of the trade for pitcher Matt Garza. 

Fuld has surpassed most expectations so far.

It was expected that he would compete and have a chance for a backup outfield roster spot. After he made his first Opening Day roster this season, the sudden retirement of Manny Ramirez opened a window of opportunity that Fuld has taken full advantage of.

On April 7th he got his first start in left field. He also batted leadoff for the first time in his career.

Fuld’s speed will make him a perfect fit for the way the Rays have played under Joe Maddon. Coming into Monday night’s game against Boston, his five steals led the American League.

Fuld had three 20-steal seasons in the minors but only two steals in 98 games with the Cubs.

Along with his speed, he has shown a killer defensive instinct. Fuld may not be Carl Crawford but he has been making some sensational plays in left field for the Rays.

He made the MLB Network’s play of the week with his diving catch at the warning track Friday at U.S. Cellular Field against the Chicago White Sox. His catch came with the bases loaded and ended the fourth inning.

The Rays may not be the team they were in 2010, but with players like Sam Fuld developing they will work their way back to the top of the American League East.

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The Boston Red Sox needed a big performance from their pitching staff, and got one before a nationally televised audience Sunday night as they won their first series of the season, 2-1 over the New York Yankees.

Pitcher Josh Beckett was masterful, going eight innings, allowing two hits and striking out 10 batters. The win was the finest performance this season by any Red Sox pitcher.

It also marked the first time a Red Sox starter this season did not to allow a single run in a start.

Boston banged out 12 hits and stranded as many as 15 runners on base. Three times the Red Sox had bases loaded in the game and only once were they able to come away with anything: a two-run double by shortstop Marco Scutaro to add insurance runs to what had been a 1-0 lead most of the night.

Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon pitched a save-less ninth inning, striking out two and putting the finishing touches on a 4-0 shutout win of the Yankees.

New York was without Alex Rodriguez, who was scratched just before the game started due to flu-like symptoms. Eric Chavez, the six-time Gold Glover with the Oakland Athletics filled in and banged out one of New York’s two hits.

In the end, the Red Sox series clinching win was easily, their biggest win of the young season.

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For the first six innings of today’s game, it looked like it would come down to the last frame. Roy Oswalt and Brandon Beachy were plugging away, maneuvering in out of trouble through the early going.

However, in the top of the seventh the Philadelphia Phillies’ offense finally cracked the code. 

After allowing a leadoff double to Raul Ibanez, Beachy was pulled for reliever George Sherrill, who proceeded to load the bases before being yanked. Carlos Ruiz, who had been given the day off, came in to pinch-hit and delivered his first career grand slam off Scott Linebrink to give the Phils a 7-2 lead.

Brian Schneider, who started in place of Ruiz, also sent one over the fence earlier in the game to give his team an early 3-2 lead. 

Oswalt looked solid, scattering five hits over his six innings of work and improving to 2-0. He also got himself out of a crucial bases-loaded situation in the sixth by getting Jason Heyward to fly out to end the inning.

It was Oswalt’s second solid outing to start the season, and a prime example of why the Phillies should be able to rebound after tough losses over the course of the year. When you don’t have a weak link among your top four starters, it gives your team greater ability to limit the length of losing streaks. 

Along with Ruiz and Schneider, Shane Victorino was the other offensive star for the Phils today. Shane-O-Vic went 4-5, scored two runs and stole a base as well. 

The Atlanta Braves‘ offense came back to earth after their six-run effort last night. They put two across the plate in the third inning, but didn’t look in sync for most of the game. They gave Oswalt only one other scare, in the sixth, but didn’t show much patience at the plate. 

The series finale on Sunday will see Cole Hamels trying to rebound from his poor first outing against Derek Lowe, who has been stellar in his first two starts of the season. 

April is notoriously Hamels’ worst month, so a strong outing would make some Phillies fans breathe an early-season sigh of relief. 

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All spring, the New York Yankees showed no concern over Phil Hughes‘ lack of velocity.

Perhaps the shellacking he received on Friday at the hands of the Boston Red Sox will get their attention.

Hughes was absolutely torched by the Red Sox, giving up seven hits, six runs and two walks in just two innings of work. He only induced one swing-and-miss and, once again, his velocity was suspect.

For the second start in a row, Hughes averaged only 89 mph. If his velocity continues at this pace, it will mark the third year in a row that the velocity on his fastball has taken a dip. In 2009 his fastball was coming in at 93 mph and last year his fastball was averaging 91 mph.

Hughes clearly hasn’t figured out how to compensate for his lack of velocity and you almost have to wonder if it’s in his head.

After the game, Hughes was quoted as saying: “Obviously I know it’s not there and I’m trying to make up for it somehow, and I’m not locating the ball as well as I need to. Just a lot of issues going on right now, but nothing that I can do about it except try to work hard, get back at it and hopefully try to get back on track and figure some things out.”

Whether it’s the weather, a lack of arm strength or the fact that his pitch count last year doubled his 2009 total (1,459 to 3,007), Hughes had better figure things out quick.

In New York, the patience meter doesn’t move slowly.

You can follow The Ghost of Moonlight Graham on Twitter @ theghostofmlg

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Aaron Rowand hits game-winning single in the bottom of the 12th inning and goes 2-for-3 in Giants’ 5-4 win.

Looks like things have not changed much since last year.

The San Francisco Giants continued their victorious but torturous ways, as a sellout crowd at AT&T Park witnessed one of the greatest, yet weirdest games baseball fans will ever see.

The game featured two dramatic ninth-inning rallies with two outs and nobody on, a strike zone the size of a golf ball at one time and an SUV at another, an unlikely hero two home openers in a row, and an extra-inning dogfight where the Giants stranded a runner at third with nobody out in the bottom of the 11th inning.

If you thought that was weird, the St. Louis Cardinals moved their left fielder and put five men in the infield in that bottom of the 11th inning—and it worked when Aaron Rowand lined a smash right to third base, which was manned by left fielder Allen Craig.

The Giants achieved their 5-4 victory and broke the 4-4 tie in the bottom of the 12th inning when Rowand roped a game-winning single off the left-center field wall with the bases loaded. Coincidentally, it was just last year on the Giants’ 2010 home opener when Rowand hit an RBI infield hit in the 13th inning to beat the Braves 5-4.

“This one was a lot easier than the last one trying to leg it out,” Rowand said.

The 12th-inning rally began off Cardinals lefty Brian Tallet (0-1) when Miguel Tejada hit a one-out single to left. With two outs, Andres Torres reached on a catching error by first baseman Albert Pujols.

Cardinals manger Tony La Russa elected to walk Freddy Sanchez to load the bases for an unlikely hero. Rowand promptly silenced the naysayers by coming through in the clutch for the second home opener in a row.

“It was a lefty in that situation, so I hope they got to me,” Rowand said.

The ecstasy at AT&T Park by the end of the 12th inning was nothing of the sort back in the top of the ninth inning. With the Giants up 3-2 and Brian Wilson looking for his first save of the year, Wilson lost the 12-pitch marathon battle with Ryan Theriot, as he singled in the tying and lead runs with the bases loaded. The inning started with two quick outs.

Wilson was angry, as he walked off the mound in the top of the ninth inning. He seemed to disagree with home plate umpire Bruce Dreckman’s strike zone and began shouting at him while he was leaving the field.

“I was a little pissed,” Wilson said. “Emotions are flying. It’s opening day. Oh well, that’s what happens.”

It appeared that the Giants’ opening day party, which included their championship flag being hoisted and set atop a pole forever at AT&T Park, was ruined by the Cardinals’ ninth-inning rally. However, the Giants returned the favor and started a two-out rally of their own, which concluded with a game-tying single to right by Pablo Sandoval.

It appeared the first baseman Pujols was out of position when Sandoval hit his hard ground ball to the right side, as he broke toward the bag as the pitch was being thrown by closer Ryan Franklin. Nonetheless, the Giants enjoyed every minute of it.

“The game was an emotional roller coaster, a great game,” said Bruce Bochy, Giants manager. “These guys fought hard. It was quite a ball game for a home opener.”

Lost in all the hoopla was a fine starting pitching performance by Giants starter Jonathan Sanchez. Although he threw a lot of pitches early, he battled through a first-inning jam and allowed just one run while striking out seven in five innings of work.

The Cardinals scored first on a Tyler Greene single in the top of the second inning. The Giants would tie the game on a third-inning home run by Miguel Tejada, his first as a Giant.

The Giants grabbed the lead on a Freddy Sanchez double in the second inning. They would tack on another run in the sixth inning on Pat Burrell’s third home run of the year, making the score 3-1.

For the most part, the Giants kept Pujols in check. The Cardinals slugger went just 1-for-6, with an RBI single in the eighth inning that cut the Giants’ lead to 3-2. Pujols’ average fell to .179 for the year.

Dan Runzler (1-0) pitched a perfect 12th inning to earn the win in relief. He was one of eight pitchers used by the Giants in the game.

Although the torture called Giants baseball continued, like last year, torture still never felt so good for the fans in San Francisco.

My Thoughts

This was just a great baseball game.

The Giants did something that all good teams need to do to be successful. That is to not quit, even when all seems lost.

When the Giants blew their 3-2 lead in the ninth inning, many teams might have felt so deflated and just rolled over—not the Giants. They roared back with a two-out rally. Rowand (2-for-3) got things started with a two-out single, and would eventually come in to score on Sandoval’s game-tying single.

Another instance where the Giants showed resiliency was after the bottom of the 11th inning. After Torres doubled and advanced on a wild pitch with nobody out, the Giants suffered a crushing blow. Victory was within reach, but the Giants stumbled.

Freddy Sanchez struck out, and then, Aaron Rowand hit a hard, low liner that the left fielder dove for and trapped at third base. La Russa moved the left fielder to third base, and it actually worked, as Torres was nailed in a rundown on the play. Mark DeRosa then struck out on some questionable pitches for the third out of the inning.

Again, the Giants could have rolled over and let the failure get into their heads. Fortunately for the Giants, this did not happen, as Runzler came out and pitched a scoreless top of the 12th, setting up the Giants’ walk-off win at the bottom of the inning.

Another thing to note: Bruce Dreckman’s strike zone was awful today. The one thing players ask for in a home plate umpire is consistency, no matter if his strike zone is high, low or wide. It seemed that early in the game, Dreckman’s zone was very tight when Sanchez was on the mound. Later on, his strike zone widened, especially during DeRosa’s 11th-inning at bat.

If the Giants are going to do this torture bit on their fans again, it should be another fun season in the wacky world of San Francisco Giants baseball.

Tidbits

The Giants are now 3-4 and have won three home openers in a row. With home runs from Burrell and Tejada, they now lead the National League in home runs with nine (tied with the Reds and Brewers).

Rowand got his second-straight walk-off hit in a Giants home opener.

Cardinals outfielder Matt Holliday says he may play this weekend after having his appendix removed just five days ago.

Pujols has hit into five double plays in seven games so far this year.

Tomorrow, Matt Cain will look for his second win of the year against the Cardinals’ Jaime Garcia. The game will start at 7:05 p.m. to accommodate the Giants’ ring ceremony.

W: D. Runzler (1-1)

L: B. Tallet (0-1)

Vinnie Cestone is a Baseball/San Francisco Giants Featured Columnist for The Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained first-hand or from official interview materials from Comcast SportsNet Bay Area.

Stats and other information came from ESPN.com and MLB.com.

This article was featured on the blog Talking Giants Baseball.

Follow me on twitter @vintalkingiants.

Questions or comments? E-mail my blog mailbag at vc4re@yahoo.com. Your questions may be answered on my blog.

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