Is Phillies Pitching Ready for the Postseason?
Philadelphia Phillies reliever/closer Ryan Madson struggled last night. Is it because the Phillies have underused their bullpen?
It’s always the thing that you least expect that comes back and bites you. No one expected the Philadelphia Phillies to be out hit by the San Francisco Giants in last year’s NLCS, but that is what happened, and the weak-hitting Giants went on to win the World Series with a ragtag bunch of players. As this magical 2011 MLB season got underway for the Phillies, no one questioned the Phillies starting pitching, but the team did face big questions about what would become of their bullpen?
Having a starting rotation that boasts 4 of the top pitchers in baseball, and a #5 that could be a #3 anywhere else in baseball would put any team in the driver’s seat of their division. The Phillies bullpen, on the other hand, was made up of a mix of known commodities and some unknowns this year. Jose Contreras, who had performed very well the year before was inked to a new contract and expected to play a key role as the team’s new fill in closer. JC Romero had also been signed to a new 1 year deal. Danys Baez was back, for better or worse. Antonio Bastardo was looking to make an impact after flirting with Major Leagues for a couple of seasons, and Brad Lidge was an unknown because of an injury. Ryan Madson was going to be setting up in the 8th as he had been doing for quite some time.
Things change over the course of a long and winding season. Baez and Romero are no longer Phillies. Contreras wound up getting hurt, and is somewhat of a question mark for the rest of this season. Bastardo has beco me one of the best young relievers in baseball, and Michael Stutes has become a solid bullpen piece. Brad Lidge made his way back after the All Star Break and has pitched well enough to be a help to the Phillies in whatever capacity he has appeared in. Ryan Madson, despite a stint on the DL, has moved into and has not relinquished the closer’s role.
Last night Ryan Madson gave up 6 runs in the bottom of the 9th, including a walk off, game-winning grand slam to Ryan Zimmerman. 6 runs. Outrageous. Those 6 runs almost doubled Madson’s season total. The bullpen in general has been solid for the Phillies this year, but with Charlie Manuel’s penchant for letting his starters finish and this amazing starting staff’s ability to close their own games, the bullpen may not be as sharp as they could be. As the season begins to wind down, will this bullpen be ready for the postseason? Will their starters still have their arms attached after being relied on so heavily this season?
There’s a fine line between overusing and underusing a bullpen. If you rely too heavily on a bullpen, you run the risk of having tired arms come October and November. Not using them could leave your relief corps having to shake off the rust. The Phillies bullpen has pitched 314 innings this season which is 3rd least in all of baseball. The bullpen is 21-11 with a 3.44 ERA, which ranks 10th in baseball and 6th in the NL, with 37 saves and 4 blown saves. By contrast, the vaunted Phillies starting rotation has pitched more innings than any other NL rotation (803.2). They also have the best ERA of any rotation in baseball at 2.98. And more complete games (15). And they are tied for the most shutouts in baseball (15).
As regular season games begins to mean less and the postseason begins to loom largely on the horizon for the Phillies, it might behoove Charlie Manuel to get his starters some rest and his bullpen some more work. The last thing the Phillies need to is to be upside down when this postseason of promise begins. Is it possible that with all of the attention the Phillies starting rotation gets that the bullpen has been taken for granted? When this season ends, the Phillies can not afford to let the thing they least expect to come back and bite them. The prize is too big, and it could mean the difference between a World Series Championship or a disappointing postseason.
