Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Oh what a relief?

The Phils posted an impressive win last night vs. the Marlins. Most impressive of all was the performance of starter Joe Blanton. All he did was throw seven scoreless innings, striking out a career-high 11 along the way.

So why am I ticked off this morning? Because Blanton was lifted after the seventh. This after he struck out five of the six batters he faced in the sixth and seventh.

Why? I have two words for you – pitch count.

It is one of those maxims of the way the game is played – and managed – today.

Blanton had not allowed a single Marlin to reach third base, but he had thrown 114 pitches and Charlie Manuel decided to go to the bullpen. Ryan Madson pitched a perfect eighth, but he also was lifted after just a single inning. He threw nine pitches.

Enter Chad Durbin as the Phils hoped to go a night without having to use struggling closer Brad Lidge. It didn’t work out that way.

Durbin got just one out while walking two and loading the bases. When he exited the Phils were suddenly clinging to a 5-3 lead. Scott Eyre faced one batter and Lidge eventually nailed down the win, and picked up a save in the process.

All I can think about is a manger striding out to the mound to tell Bob Gibson, one of the most intimidating pitchers in baseball history, perhaps in the midst of tossing a shutout, that he had done enough and that he was being lifted for a reliever. Gibson didn’t take kindly to catchers and managers offering any advice while he was pitching.

I guess it’s a new era. This is the way the game is played these days.
Complete games from pitchers are as rare as double-headers.

Rich Ashburn had it right. Hard to believe, Harry.

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