A couple of quick points this Saturday evening. Michael Schwimer earned his first save at the AA level pitching a 1-2-3 ninth against Portland in the 4-1 Reading victory. Mike Cisco got the start and pitched well, giving up 1 run over his 6 innings of work. After struggling in consecutive appearances, BJ Rosenberg has received consecutive nights off with Escalona getting the save last night and Schwimer following up this evening.
Down in Clearwater, JC Romero made his second rehab appearance and pitched a scoreless inning giving up a hit, and struck out two. Brad Lidge followed Romero and was hit around, giving up 4 runs on 3 hits, and also walked a batter before being removed in the second inning.
Phuture Phillies 
Good to see Schwimer get the save tonight. You’re right, it was a good pitching performance all around.
The minor league veterans are carrying this team through the first 3 games (Spidale, Mahar, Pinckney).
Galvis, Brown, and Gillies have started out slow, with Gillies picking it up with a 2/5 night tonight.
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Gregg’s been doing game recaps for a lot of the high minors team. I think he’s just really reporting the game. If he give an extra tip of the cap to Schwimer, so be it. He’s a contributor to the site, and he deserves it.
I think a lot of the people on this site are very fair and objective. I think they’ll be the first to criticize him if he struggles this year.
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When Schwimer struggles, as he did at times in the AFL it will be pointed out(as it was). When he succeeds, that will be pointed out as well, and I will be pleased for him.
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Any reports on Lidge’s velocity? Is he still sitting 87-88?
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I would say that this Brad Lidge thing is getting worrisome but, truthfully, if Brad Lidge doesn’t pitch an inning this year, we’ll still be fine, particularly if Romero comes back at full strength, which is looking increasingly likely. But I’m still rooting for Brad, he seems like a decent guy and he took last year’s beatings like a man.
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not sure what the excitement over Lidge is. This was his first throwing in months (in a game).
He was removed because he was on a pitch count.
Let’s not panic … yet.
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I just hope that if Lidge struggles again, the org. has the good sense to bench him. That was truly frustrating to watch a failing pitcher continually placed into high leverage situations. And placing him on the mound with two outs and huge leads in clinching games kind of felt like the Special Olympics.
Minorfan, we can compromise. The next time any commenter wins or saves a minor league game, they can get an entry as well.
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Really, following a contributor to the site like Schwimer is a real pleasure. Keep your grousing to yourself, minorfan. Honestly, it looks a lot like trolling.
Congrats to Schwim; keep it up!
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CLW- If D’Arby Myers is not injured in some way he seems to have slid down the pecking order. Derrick Mitchell started in RF (with 2 hits) Susdorf in LF (so not a platoon thing) and Kennelly the DH. Still no hits for Kennelly with some Strikeouts. Naughton 2for3 with 2 doubles. Wonder where the Phillies will place the 2 Catchers they recently signed? Projecting the experience out , I say one might be LO-A or HI-A and the other HI-A or AA. Maybe the 2 Catchers here may be affected, or they could move Kennelly to OF or IF, and one of the other position players might go. Which brings it back to D’Arby Myers.
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D’Arby Myers is probably thinking about selling insurance with Moose Mattair.
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I’d say the two catchers are probably backups/insurance. You always want to have extra catchers laying around the org. somewhere.
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How does it sound to bring Romero up and send Nelson Figueroa down and turn him into a starter in case Moyer or Kendrick falters. I would really rather not have to send down Bastardo for him, and you all know that I wouldn’t get rid of Herdon.
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You cant send Fig down without exposing him to waivers where you likely lose him. That said, losing Fig is not the worst thing that could happen.
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Fig hasn’t been that impressive so far, but I am pretty sure he is the longman on the team.
But I would like a starting option outside of Moyer AND Kendrick. I mean, we have Joe Blanton, but he’s not ready.
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Marfis,
who r the 2 catchers phillies recently signed, how old are they??
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Lidge may be on a pitch count, but if in 2/3 of an in ning you face 7 guys there is no way to psin that…
LCP=Lidge cant pitch
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Unrelated to the Phils, but Stephen Strasburg’s minor league debut is streaming on MLB.com. Just another example of how possible it is to stream minor league games right now, it’s just that nobody wants to.
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Yeah that dude we all really respect your baseball instincts on judging ones play after their first game
That Dude Says:
April 9, 2010 at 12:33 PM
GCP=gose cant play
hows he playing now?
TDIAI=That Dude is an idiot
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Another win for Reading. Flande pitched a gem, but Rosenberg stunk up the joint yet again (What the hell is his deal this year?)
Stutes with the save. Bozied with a huge game (2/2, 2B, HR, 5 RBI’s). Maybe LHV and Reading should swap their organizational guys.
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Bozied has no business in AA. He has hit at AAA for years.
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I think AA and AAA both get paid the same, right? If so, Bozied probably doesn’t care. He knows he’s not going to be in the majors.
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actually I was juding him based on last yr’s numbers and my own eyes….hey, id LOVE to be wrong, but i dont see it.
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Must have had a slow stadium gun in Reading today. Flande’ s fastball sat at 84-85. Guess his change up was around 80. Hard to tell. Broke off a few good sliders to the lefthanded hitter, For some reason Portland’ hitters could not square up on him. He hit 86 and 87 only once each over six innings of work and had only one K. They kept putting his pitches into play but the balls were not hit hard. Rosenberg’s fast ball was at 88 and the way it was hit it looked like BP out there in his one inning of work. Had a nice slider but did not use it enough. Stutes finally hit the 90’s with a strike out on a 91 mph fastball in the eight. But his fastball sat in the high 80’s on fly ball outs in the 9th.
Hitting wise Freddy Galvis had a nice stroke going hitting the ball to right from the left side with three straight hits including a line drive double on a one hopper off the right field wall in the 5th. He scored on Bozied’s double in the 3rd and his three run homer in the 7th. Galvis was flawless in the field.
Another note of interest was Dallas Green in a seat behind home plate and not missing a pitch the entire game
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These descriptions of Galvis are consistent with my impressions of him at the plate this spring. He did not look overmatched or weak – the contrary, he looked strong and decisive at the plate with solid swing. Not the overmatched weakling described to many of us in prior years.
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Catchers are Jeff Lanning , around 23, and LH hitting James Skelton , around 24 , a former rule 5 draftee. Neither has hit much lately, maybe that’s why they were released by their former teams. I figure Lanning for LO-A or HI-A and Skelton for HI-A or AA. A little more in the transactions thread.
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Just an FYI that Lidge had already thrown in at least one game prior and I think more. I saw him throw against Pittsburgh AAA on 3/18 and he struggled. Unless, of course, you meant other than Spring Training.
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Rosenberg placed on the DL per Brian Seltzer tweet.
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