The Sports Xchange
MLB Team Report – Philadelphia Phillies – INSIDE PITCH
The last thing that the Phillies need is another infielder on the disabled list.
They are already down Chase Utley and Carlos Ruiz from their everyday lineup. And with every step he takes, it is clear that Ryan Howard’s balky left knee is becoming a problem.
Howard was kept out of the Phillies batting order Sunday and only made a pinch-hitting appearance in the eighth inning because of the condition, which was first diagnosed last week during an MRI.
“His knee is sore,” Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said on Sunday. “I was giving him a day off because of his knee. It’s been sore the last couple days.”
How sore? When Kevin Frandsen — Howard’s replacement at first base — was ejected from the game in the fourth inning for arguing balls and strikes with home plate umpire Mike Winters, it was Laynce Nix that came out to play instead of Howard.
“It’s always a concern,” Howard said. “When the knee hurts, it hurts. But I’m still going to try and play.”
The Phillies had a chance to rest Howard over the next few days and keep his bat in the lineup when they travel to Fenway Park to play the Red Sox. In the American League park, the designated hitter is used.
“That’s up to Charlie,” Howard said Sunday. “I’ll look at the lineup and if he puts me as the DH, that’s what I’ll play.”
Howard played first base in the first game of the series, going 2-for-5 in a 9-3 loss.
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MLB Team Report – Philadelphia Phillies – NOTES, QUOTES
RECORD: 24-27
STREAK: 5-5
PAST 10 GAMES: Lost two
NEXT: Phillies (Cliff Lee, 5-2, 2.48) at Red Sox (Ryan Dempster, 2-5, 4.69)
PLAYER NOTES:
–RHP Tyler Cloyd, who grew up a Red Sox fan living in Nebraska, wasn’t treated very kindly by his old favorite team Monday night. Cloyd lasted just 2 1/3 innings, yielding nine hits and six runs in the 9-3 loss. He came in not having allowed a home run in 13 1/3 big-league innings this year but allowed two in the first inning.
–1B Ryan Howard, questionable for Monday night’s game with a sore left knee, was able to play and play first base (he could have DHd in the American League Park). He snapped an 0-for-10 with a sixth-inning single and had a double in the eighth to improve to just 6-for-28 lifetime at Fenway Park. After his double, which came with his team down by seven runs in the eighth inning, he was trapped off second on a grounder by Delmon Young.
–3B Michael Young, in an 0-for-17 slump entering Monday’s game, hit in some hard luck as the streak grew to 0-for-22 with an 0-for-5 night. He lined to center field, into a double play in the third and lined right back to Alfredo Aceves with two on in the fifth.
–RHP Jonathan Papelbon made his return to Fenway Monday, his first time back at a park that hosted 104 of his career saves and 17 of his wins. “It’s an absolute thrill to be here, to play at this park again and hopefully get on the mound and pitch,” he said before the game. “I think this is one of my all-time favorite mounds to pitch off of. And obviously the crowd will be intense tonight.” He didn’t know what to expect from the fans, saying, “Oh, man, you know, I don’t know. Hopefully I’ll be received well. But I will also accept the fact that I might not. But hopefully, the fans will understand that what I did here was come here and help win. That’s the only thing that I really wanted to do here. Hopefully they’ll understand that while I was here that’s all I really wanted to do, help the ball club win and we won. So hopefully they’ll recognize that. But if they don’t, I’ll understand it and I get it and I’ll welcome it with open arms.” They did — saluting him at the end of a video tribute at the end of the first inning. He waved to the fans.
–LHP Cliff Lee, who tossed a three-hit shutout at Miami in his last start, takes a three-game winning streak to the mound when he faces the Red Sox on Tuesday night. Lee is 3-0 with one no-decision in his last four starts, allowing just four runs in 31 innings. He was 0-1 against Boston last year and is just 3-5 with a 3.81 ERA lifetime against the Red Sox, 1-2 with a 4.73 at Fenway Park.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “When you really think about it, a loss is a loss. We’ll come back out tomorrow and it’s still nothing, nothing.” — Manager Charlie Manuel after a lopsided loss Monday.
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MLB Team Report – Philadelphia Phillies – ROSTER REPORT
MEDICAL WATCH:
–2B Chase Utley (grade 1 right oblique strain) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to May 21. He is expected to miss two to four weeks.
–C Carlos Ruiz (strained right hamstring) went on the 15-day disabled list May 21. He is expected to be out three to four weeks.
–RHP Roy Halladay (torn rotator cuff, strained labrum, bone spur in right shoulder) went on the 15-day disabled list May 6, and he was transferred to the 60-day DL on May 24. He underwent shoulder surgery May 15.
–LHP John Lannan (strained quad tendon in left knee) went on the 15-day disabled list on April 16. He threw a bullpen session on May 18. He might begin a rehab assignment in late May.
ROTATION:
LHP Cole Hamels
LHP Cliff Lee
RHP Kyle Kendrick
RHP Jonathan Pettibone
RHP Tyler Cloyd
BULLPEN:
RHP Jonathan Papelbon (closer)
RHP Mike Adams
RHP Chad Durbin
LHP Antonio Bastardo
LHP Jeremy Horst
RHP Justin De Fratus
RHP Michael Stutes
CATCHERS:
Erik Kratz
Humberto Quintero
INFIELDERS:
1B Ryan Howard
2B Freddy Galvis
SS Jimmy Rollins
3B Michael Young
INF Kevin Frandsen
INF Michael Martinez
OUTFIELDERS:
LF Domonic Brown
CF Ben Revere
RF Delmon Young
OF John Mayberry
OF Laynce Nix
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