Phils Offense Comes up Short in Loss to Padres

13 May

 

By Chris Murray

For the Chris Murray Report

In Saturday’s 2-1 loss to the San Diego Padres at Citizen’s Bank Park, Roy Halladay had another outstanding performance. He struck out 10 and allowed two runs on seven hits in seven innings of work. He pitched well, but for the fifth time, Halladay  walked  away without the win.

That’s because the Phillies offense once again failed to live up to its end of the bargain and produce runs. Playing against a San Diego squad that is quite frankly not a good team at all, the Phillies certainly stunk up the joint in the worst way and had plenty of chances to put one in the win column.

The Phillies only run came in the second inning on an RBI double from second baseman Freddy Galvis that scored John Mayberry Jr., who also reached on a double.

The Phillies were 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position and they left 12 men on base. On a night that it looked like the Padres were looking to give the game to them, the Phillies found a way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory at just about every important juncture of the game.

With the bases loaded and two outs in the fifth inning and Padres starting pitcher Edinson Volquez struggling with his command, Phillies first baseman Ty Wigginton inexplicably swung at the first pitch and hit a harmless flyball to right field to end the inning. The approach to that at-bat did not sit well with Phillies manager Charlie Manuel.

“But you gotta remember one thing the pitcher’s in trouble,” Manuel said. “That’s what we talk about strike zones and when the pitcher is in trouble and you’re hitting with the bases loaded with say nobody out or one out and things like that, you can definitely get a good ball to hit.

“That’s when the zone becomes smaller. He has to bring the ball over the plate. It takes a lot of patience. It’s easier for me to talk about, it’s hard to do. He’s got to throw the ball over the plate. I’m going to get something to hit and it’s going to be what I want to hit. When you don’t do that, you stand a good chance of making an out, striking out and not hitting the ball good.”

One of the players who didn’t deliver when there were runners in scoring position was Hunter Pence, who had two chances to come through for the Phillies when the game was on the line. With the bases loaded and one out in the seventh, Pence hit a harmless fly ball to second baseman Orlando Hudson and Wigginton grounded out on force play at second to end the inning.

With Jimmy Rollins on third with the tying-run in the bottom of ninth, Pence struck out to end the game. After the game, a visibly frustrated Pence said he had no answers for his own or the team’s struggles in those potentially game-changing situations.

“Getting runners in with one out and runners on third,” Pence said. “That’s the thing, especially me that I’m generally pretty confident in. Today I got my pitch and it’s just not happening right now. I don’t know what it is. … I feel like I’m a better hitter than I’m hitting. I gotta keep pushing and we have to come back tomorrow and win.”

For all the talk of blaming the Phillies hitting woes on the absence of Ryan Howard and Chase Utley, this was the same team that prided themselves on getting the job, whether it was hitting or clutch pitching, no matter who was out with injuries.

But throughout this season guys like Pence, Jimmy Rollins, Placido Polanco and Shane Victorino have gone through their times when they weren’t hitting as well as they should. At some point of this season, those guys need to be on the same page when it comes to their approach to hitting and coming up big when they have runners in scoring position.

The stark reality for the Phillies is that Howard and Utley aren’t coming through that door to rescue the Phillies struggling offense anytime soon. Even when those two big guns come back, it will not be in a blaze of glory because it make take a while for both players to be a 100 percent. When Howard and Utley finish doing their tour of rehab assignments, the rest of lineup has to hit well enough so that teams won’t be so quick to pitcher around their big hitters.

Of course, the person that fans will feel bad for is Halladay (3-3), who consistently does his best to keep the Phillies in the game. What beat Halladay was a sacrifice fly in the seventh inning by pinch-hitter Jesus Guzman that was caught by Pence in foul territory. When Pence’s throw arrived at the plate, it look Cameron Maybin was going to be tagged out by Phils catcher Carlos Ruiz, but he managed to slide under the tag.

It was that kind of a night for Halladay, who saw his team blow several scoring chances in the late innings.

 

Manuel’s Motivational Speech Jump Starts Phillies in Win over San Diego

12 May

By Chris Murray

For the Chris Murray Report

After an explosive tongue lashing urging the team to play better  by manager Charlie Manuel earlier this week after three straight losses to the New York Mets in which they blew leads in the late innings, the Phillies (15-18) came into tonight’s game against the San Diego Padres hoping the manager’s harsh words would light the spark to a victory.

“He was real mad,” said catcher Carlos Ruiz.

Apparently, the manager’s motivational speech was the tonic they needed to get a win for at least one night.

Ruiz and leftfielder John Mayberry Jr. led the charge for the Phillies offense in a 7-3 win over the Padres (11-21) Friday night in front of a sellout crowd at Citizen’s Bank Park. Both Ruiz and Mayberry hit two-run homers and drove in three runs apiece to break a three-game losing streak.

“Charlie’s pep talk kinda really hit home,” Mayberry said. “It’s a sense of urgency and we had to pick it up. I think you kinda saw that today. This could be a big momentum shift for us. Vance (Worley) pitched great. To be able to tack on a few runs at the end was huge as well.”

Worley had a solid, but not necessarily stellar effort in getting a much needed win for the Phillies. In six innings of work, three runs on six hits with nine strikeouts and just two walks.

“There were some good innings, some bad innings and it happens,” Worley said. “I just have to find a way not to have the bad innings.

But perhaps the most telling story from the mound was that the bullpen actually held onto the lead in the late innings, something they haven’t done in their last three games.

The combination of Antonio Bastardo and Chad Qualls allowed just one and zero runs while striking out five over the final three innings of the game. Manuel said Bastardo had better command of his pitches.

“(Bastardo) pitched better tonight,” Manuel said. “He was high with some of his pitches, but at the same time, he threw better. It looked like the ball was getting up on them. They were having a hard hitting the ball hard on him. His problem has been his command, he gets the ball up a lot. When he’s good, he’s down in the strike zone. Also, he’s got some more velocity.”

Bastardo said for him and Qualls it came to making some adjustments and hanging in there.

“I was a little bit inconsistent,” Bastardo said. “But I had to get the ball down. I had to take my ball out of the glove early.”

The Phillies got on the board in their half of the second inning with a two-out, two-run homer by John Mayberry Jr. The Phillies were able to give Mayberry an opportunity because Ruiz reached on an infield when he beat out shortstop Andy Parrino’s throw to first.

San Diego would tie the game in the top of the fourth inning on RBI singles by-3 first baseman Yonder Alonso and Jesus Guzman.

The Phils would untie it in the fifth on a two-run homer by Ruiz to give the Phillies a 4-2 lead. The Padres cut the deficit to 4-3 in the top of the sixth on a solo homer to right by Alonso that hit the Budweiser beer sign.

“I gave up a bomb on a pitch I didn’t think he’d swing at and if he did it wouldn’t be a good pitch to swing at,” Worley said. “He beat me.”

But the Phillies got that run back in their half of the sixth inning with a one-out RBI double by Freddy Galvis that scored Mayberry, who reached on a fielder’s choice.

An RBI singles by Ruiz and Mayberry in the bottom of the seventh helped to put the game away for the Phillies.

Fight or Retire: What’s Next for Bernard Hopkins After Loss to Chad Dawson

3 May

Bernard Hopkins shares a laugh with the media during the post-fight press conference after his loss by majority decision to Chad Dawson last Saturday in Atlantic City. Photo by Webster Riddick.

By Chris Murray

For the Sunday Sun and the Chris Murray Report

ATLANTIC CITY—Coming into his fight last Saturday against Chad Dawson, 47-year-old Bernard Hopkins boldly declared that he was better than the fighters of this current generation.

Unfortunately, he wasn’t better than the 29-year-old Dawson last weekend. It wasn’t even close, prompting many reporters sitting at ringside to say it’s time for Hopkins to retire from the ring.

On the scorecards, Dawson won a majority decision to win the World Boxing Council light heavyweight title.. Two of the three judges—Richard Flaherty and Steven Weisfeld had the fight 117-111. Judge Luis Rivera actually scored the fight even, which led many ring observers to wondering what fight he was watching. The Chris Murray Report scored the fight 118-110.

The much younger Dawson just consistently beat Hopkins to the punch. It was a night when Hopkins truly looked like a 40-something fighter whose reflexes just could not keep up with a younger faster fighter. He did not consistently put his punches together and was always on the defensive. There were moments where he threw some decent punches, but for the most part, all Hopkins really did in this fight was wrestle and grab.

“He can’t mount an offensive attack, he can’t put three and four punches together because he loses balance,” said legendary trainer and

HBO boxing analyst Emmanuel Steward. “He gets one shot and his balance is gone.”

CompuBox numbers also suggested the fight was one-sided in Dawson favor as well. The Connecticut native connected on 151 punches to Hopkins 106. Dawson also had a higher connect percentage at 35 percent while Hopkins hitting on 26 percent of his blows.

After this fight, most veteran ring observers said Hopkins dismal perforrmance in this fight means that it might be time for the North Philly native to finally hang up the gloves for good.

“In Bernard’s case, it shouldn’t be hard because he’s got the money and he’s had a lot of hurrahs, but a lot of it’s ego,” Steward said. “I think Bernard should quit and this was not an embarrassing loss. This is the last one after that it’s going to be down. I can’t see him beating all of those guys out there. It’s amazing he’s never been cut up, never been beaten up. It’s amazing what he’s accomplished, but he should quit.”

At the post-fight press conference, Hopkins said that he was going to examine his options. On one hand, he said there are good fights out there for him and there are some good young up and coming fighters he would like to mentor to young and upcoming fighters through his work with Golden Boy Promotions.

“I don’t feel like I embarrassed myself, I don’t feel like, ‘wow that guy really looked old last night. Y’all seen a 47-year-old fight his a– off with a young strong worthy champion and so we’ll what it is,” Hopkins said. “But right now, I feel good. Do I feel like I’ve been in a fight? Yes, I’m 47 my other shoulder is aching and I’m going to rest up and take care of myself.

“At the end of the day, it has to be something that’s going to be motivational or moving to me. Right now I can’t tell your either or. I’m proud of everything I’ve done.”

Hopkins gave Dawson credit for his victory in the ring over him and made it clear that he was not going to change his mind later or claim that the judges made a bad decision.

“At the end of the day, you have opinions of scorecards and if it goes the distance you have a panel, you threw this many punches and I’m voting this way or that way,” Hopkins said. “I’m not here to say that I got robbed, I’m not here to say I should have won …You won’t hear me say in any newspaper or magazine different than I said at this press conference…I’m going to let [Dawson] and his family enjoy this championship.”

Even with folks calling for Hopkins retirement, Dawson said it was one of the toughest fights of his career. He said Hopkins had the energy of a younger fighter and actually helped to raise his game to another level.

“It was difficult, it was definitely difficult keeping my composure,” Dawson said. “He’s a very, very intelligent fighter in the ring. I think he can beat any other young fighter because he’s intelligent, he knows the ring, he knows when to punch. He doesn’t waste any energy in the ring.”

Phils offense Held to Just Two Hits in Loss to the Cubs

30 Apr

By Chris Murray

For the Chris Murray Report and the Philadelphia Sunday Sun.

When the day started, there were 45,550 fans at Citizen’s Bank Park hoping the Phillies would beat the Chicago Cubs in the finale of their three-game series.

But by the end of the eigthth inning, the ball park was half-filled when fans saw that their team was in five-run role and had just one hit off Cubs starter Matt Garza. Suffice it to say that there were more hits on the scoreboard’s “Bongo Cam,” than tanything the Phillies could muster in nine innings.

Sunday’s 5-1 loss to the Cubs is just another game in which fans are marking their calendars to the day that Ryan Howard and Chase Utley will return to the starting lineup. The Philllies finished the day with just one run off two hits.

The only run of the game for the Phillies came when Cubs closer Carlos Marmol walked TyWigginton with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth.

It was Garza that put the real mojo on the Philllies bats today allowing just one hit—a bloop single by shortstiop Jimmy Rollins in the first inning— with 10 strike outs in seven innings of work on the mound.

“As a matter fact we didn’t hit the ball hard,” Phillies manager Charlie Manuel. “Garza had a lot to with it, but at the same time our hitting is inconsistent and we’ve got to more consistent. I expect us to hit the ball and score every night. You have to to hit some balls in the game and consistently move the ball around a little bit at the major league level to win games.

Kyle Kendrick allowed three runs, two of them earned ,and seven strikeouts in six innings of work. A bad throw on a pick-off led to one of those runs in the third inning He struggled in the beginning, but he got better as the game moved forward. Unfortunately, the Phillies offense just could not get anything going.

“I just try to give us a chance to win the game,” Kendrick said.

Inside the Phillies clubhouse , the silence was about as deafening as the silence of their bats today. Trying to find answers to the lack of consistency at the plate has also become somewhat annoying to the players when they’re asked about it on a daily basis by reporters.

“For every team I’ve been on these questions are nothing new,, you go through it every year,” said Phillies outfielder Juan Pierre, who was 0-for-3 in the loss to the Cubs. “I think that the guys have been through it enough that you can’t panic.”

Phillies rightfielder Hunter Pence said he believes that it’s a matter of time before the Phillies will become consistent on the offensive end.

“It’s going to take for a few of us to get hot and it’s going to happen,” Pence said. “[Shane] Victorino is going to get better than what he’s doing, I’m going to get better than what I’m doing. It’s a thing where you continue to come out ready to play everyday and continue to go with the process. There’s no panic, it’s a long season. Once we get a few those of bats hot and with our pitching and I think we’ll be alright.”

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The Ultimate Warrior: Brian Dawkins Left Everything on the Field and Then Some

26 Apr

Dawkins, who retired last Monday, was one of the league's hardest hitters.

By Chris Murray

For the Sunday Sun and the Chris Murray Report

When Brian Dawkins left the Eagles after the 2008 season, he took with him the high-octane passion with which he played the game. And since his departure, the Birds defense has lacked his fire and his ability to be enforcer in the Eagles secondary.

Dawkins, who played the last few years with the Denver Broncos, announced his retirement from the game via Twitter last week. While he hadn’t work the Midnight Green for a while, anyone who plays free safety for the Eagles in the future will no doubt be measured by how Dawkins approached and played the game. He was one of the game’s hardest hitters who left everything out on the field.

Dawkins will be honored by the Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on Sept. 30 during a nationally-televised Sunday Night game against the New York Giants.

Sources say that Dawkins will retire as an Eagle. And for a guy who played the game with emotion, it is fitting that he retires in the place where he hyped to a fever pitch during pre-game introductions.

“One of the things that I’ve been blessed with or cursed with is I played with all of my emotions on my sleeve and you can kind of read me pretty easily by the way I’m feeling on game day,” Dawkins said in a conference call with reporters.

“I purposely try and go out and do my best to make sure my coaches, teammates, and fans know that I gave it my all on the football field. With me playing as long as I did in Philadelphia, I heard what they said. I didn’t just hear it, I heard and listened to what they said. I felt the pain they had from past failures and the way they are treated sometimes in the media. I heard those things, and I took it to heart and I understood them.”

During his 13 years in an Eagles uniform, Dawkins was a five-time All-Pro selection, went to the Pro Bowl seven times and is the franchise leader in games played with 183 as well as the team’s all-time career leader in interceptions. He averaged nearly 100 tackles per year.

But even beyond his numbers, Dawkins was considered one of the most dominant safeties of his era. His work ethic was unparalleled and consistent, according to his former coach, Eagles head coach Andy Reid.

“Brian always put in the extra hours it took to become the star player that he was. And he transferred all of that and more onto the field on Sundays,” Eagles head coach Andy Reid said in a statement. “He poured everything he could into doing whatever was best for his teammates and this organization. He was the unquestioned leader of our defense. He will go down as one of the greatest Eagles of all-time and I have no doubt we’ll be celebrating his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.”

When they honor him in September, I hope the ceremony will be one where they retire his jersey in the way they retired Chuck Bednarik’s. I don’t think any player can wear Number 20 again. Dawkins’ shoes, and his jersey, are simply too big for anyone to fill. The ability to play football at Dawkins’ level for the length of time in which he did it is too much to ask of anyone.

My most vivid memory of Dawkins as an Eagle was the vicious hit he put on Atlanta Falcons tight end Alge Crumpler in the 2004 NFC Championship, a hit that led to the victory that took the Eagles to the team’s second Super Bowl in franchise history.

Another thing I liked about Dawkins is that he was a loyal teammate. In the midst of all the harsh criticism that quarterback Donovan McNabb would receive, Dawkins was always quick to defend his teammate to the news media and anyone else who came along.

Unlike Ray Lewis in Baltimore, who comes out of the tunnel doing some sort of dance, Dawkins just sprinted out of the tunnel, fist raised, bringing the crowd to a thunderous roar. Sometimes, Dawkins was so hyped for a game that not even the Eagles mascot, Swoop, was safe…

To me, Brian Dawkins was the ultimate warrior-poet. He was a fierce competitor who wore his heart on his sleeve from the first play to the last.

At 47, Bernard Hopkins says, “Maybe I’m Just Better”

18 Apr

In their first fight Oct.15 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, Chad Dawson tackles Bernard Hopkins and hurls into the canvas. The fight end as a TKO for Dawson that was later ruled a no-contest by the California State Athletic Commission.

By Chris Murray

For the Sunday Sun and the Chris Murray Report

Legendary fighter Bernard “The Executioner” Hopkins said he has no secrets for his success in recent years against younger, stronger, faster fighters like Antonio Tarver and Kelly Pavlik.

In a career that spans over 24 years and a multitude of title fights against some of the great fighers of all-time, the 47-year-old Hopkins said it has nothing to do with strategy or even his years of experience in the ring.

“Has anybody thought or just think that maybe I’m just better than the generation in the last 12 or 10 years. Maybe I’m just better. Has anybody ever thought that it ain’t the mind games. It ain’t that Bernard Hopkins got the look that he can bully a fighter before a punch is thrown. I disagree with people who say what I do is about a head game,” Hopkins said in a conference call this week with reporters.

“When you take away the person’s ability to do what you want him to do, they say it’s mental like I did something underhanded, under the table or against the rules and you flat out beat a guy because maybe I’m just better.”

Hopkins (52-5-2, 32 KOs) will get another chance to prove his greatness against the younger “Bad” Chad Dawson (30-1-0, 17 KOs) for the WBC Light-Heavyweight title on April 28 at Atlantic City’s Boardwalk.

The last fight between the two fighters had a controversial ending. In the second round of that first fight, which took place Oct. 15 at the Staples Center Los Angeles, Dawson threw Hopkins onto the canvas and separated his shouldder .

The fight ended with a TKO for Dawson that was eventually overturned and ruled a no-contest by the California State Athletic Commission. That ruling allowed Hopkins to keep his World Boxing Council light heavyweight title.

Many boxing observers thought Dawson was in control of the brief fight. Meanwhile, the 29-year-old Dawson, along with his promoter Gary Shaw, contend that Hopkins was faking and didn’t want to go through with the rest of the fight.

“I have every advantage, I’ve got the fire in my eyes and people saw that in the last fight. I really wanted to go out and I really wanted to beat Bernard Hopkins,” Dawson said. “Bernard had other plans. I keep saying this Bernard did not want to be in the ring with me that night. Maybe he undertrained and didn’t expect to see what he saw that night. Maybe he needed more time to get in shape, but I’m here and I’m for real, I’m coming to fight.”

As he usually does Hopkins is relishing the underdog role and another chance to prove Father Time wrong and boxing media pundits wrong. Every time he was supposed to look like a man in his 40s, Hopkins has found enough power to befuddle his younger opponents.

“At the end of the day, whether it’s I’m an underdog because they say I should be an underdog, I’m going to continue to show that you might have an opinion whatever, but that don’t mean you have to be right,” Hopkins said. “It’s my job to prove it come April 28th . I’ve been right more than I’ve been wrong. April 28th is the only thing that I want to say, the only I want to show and you’re going to see it when you come up and shake my hand and tell me how great I am I’m going to say thank you and go back to sleeping in my own bed, something I haven’t done in the last nine weeks.”

With each victory over younger opponents, his dogged determination to not age in the ring and a Spartan-like training regimen, Hopkins has managed to stay relevant in a sport that has few very stars that are known beyond its base of hard core fans.

“Any and every big name that was around his weight class in the last 20 years, he has fought and won against,” said Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions. “I think that’s what built the status he has which is a legendary status. He did make history because he beat George Foreman’s record to be the oldest champion ever. You add all things together and people are taking notice that this is a very special athlete and that’s what makes Bernard Hopkins so popular.”

But Dawson and Shaw believes it’s time for Hopkins to exit the stage.

“If it goes 12 rounds, I want to win 11`or 12 of those rounds,” Dawson said. “I’m looking to go out and beating Bernard in a great fashion that no one can say, but this or but that. I don’t want a close fight I want to beat him decisively.”

Added Shaw: “I promise you Chad Dawson will walk out of that ring victorious. He’ll have the Ring (Magazine) belt, he will have the WBC belt and I wish Bernard Hopkins a lot of luck on his entry into the (Boxing) Hall of Fame.”

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Hamels Gets Some Much-Needed Run Support in Phils Win over the Mets

15 Apr

After giving two-run homer in the first, Cole Hamels shuts down the Mets the rest of the way, finishing with 10 strikeouts.

By Chris Murray

For the CM Report

Without the firepower of slugging first baseman Ryan Howard and Chase Utley in their lineup, the Phillies formula for success will simply come down to grinding out games with good pitching and the ability to somehow manufacture with good base running and timely hitting.

On a day when Cole Hamels was mowing down batters with 10 strikeouts, the Phillies offense finally provided the other end of that equation and came away with an 8-2 win over the New York Mets in front of another sellout crowd at Citizen’s Bank Park.

After scoring just one in the first two games of this series, the Phillies (4-5) scored seven of their eight runs in the final two innings of the game to put the Mets away. With a huge 10-game West coast road trip on the horizon, the Phillies are hoping to have more than a few games where they can score runs in bunches to go along with their great pitching.

“I think all of our starting pitchers know that they’re very capable of holding the opposition if they’re throwing their type of game,” said Phils manager Charlies Manuel. “On some nights, they will give up some runs. Just like today we gave up two early, they got the lead, we hung in there and we came back, we finally had a couple of innings there where we scored runs.”

Sunday’s game against the Mets was a good example of what could happen if the scoring and pitching come together for the Phillies. Hamels started the game by giving up a two-run homer to Ike Davis. The Mets would not score again.

“Cole’s the whole reason we won today,” said Ty Wigginton, who drove in the tying run with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh. “They jumped off a 2-0 lead and he didn’t let them get anymore, he shut the door on them. Anytime, you get a pitcher out there battling like that, you want to help him out.”

After the second inning, Hamels settled down and shut down the Mets for the remainder of his time on the mound. In seven innings, the Phillies lefty allowed no runs on five hits along with the 10 strikeouts.

Hamels said he got through that first inning by not panicking and just focusing on the next batter rather than allowing things snowball out of control.

“You put it behind you,” Hamels said. “I think I’ve become pretty good at getting over it and starting back over. No matter what occurred I need to get the next guy out and I think that’s something I’ve had to learn the hard way. You just keep plugging away and if you’re able to do that and keep the intensity and the focus, you’re going to be able to pull away and have games like that.”

In recent years, Hamels has always pitched well enough to win games, but more often than naught, he hasn’t had the kind of run support to help him win games.

Up until the Phillies half of the seventh inning, it looked Hamels was going to be that hard luck loser as the Phils trailed 2-1. Singles by Jimmy Rollins and Hunter Pence put both them at first and second. A wild pitch by Mets reliever Ramon Ramirez put Rollins at third and Pence at second.

Wigginton’s sac-fly tied the game and Lanyce Nix’s double put the Phillies ahead for good. In the eighth inning, the Phillies exploded with a five-run to put the Mets away. Wigginton capped off his day with a three-run double.

“Anytime you take the field, you want to go out and contribute and help your team win a ball game,” Wigginton said. “Definitely the sac-fly even more so than the double. It’s just a matter of getting out there and getting some results.”

Notes–The Phillies activated veteran reliever Jose Contreras today and optioned pitcher Joe Savery to Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

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