‘Pigs Win Championship Opener

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Paging Ruben Amaro…Brandon Moss is making you look silly as John Bowker continues his quest for his first hit for the Phils.  Moss is tearing the cover off the ball, leading the ‘Pigs to yet another playoff win with his three run homer this evening, giving Lehigh Valley a 1-0 lead in the International League Championship series against Columbus.  Moss, in leading the ‘Pigs to their 5-2 win, has now homered in three of the ‘Pigs four post season games.  The series continues tomorrow in Columbus before returning to Lehigh Valley for the final three games.

Moss’s shot to dead center field set the tone for Lehigh Valley as they took a three run lead in the first inning.  A leadoff double by Erik Kratz paid off in another run in the 2nd, as Kratz scored on a Scott Podesednik grounder giving Lehigh Valley a 4-0 lead.  Starter Scott Mathieson was cruising along for the ‘Pigs until the fifth, when three Columbus hits led to two Columbus runs.  Mathieson left having gone 5 innings, giving up 2 runs on five hits. He walked two and struck out two.

The Lehigh Valley bullpen (Savery, Aumont, DeFratus) did their typically exceptional job throwing four shutout innings.   An insurance run was added in the 9th, when Cody Overbeck crushed a homer to make it 5-2 Lehigh Valley, before Justin Defratus threw a nail biting, yet scoreless ninth to earn another post season save.

Notes: Nate Bump (5-9) takes the mound in Game Two tomorrow, with Dave Bush pitching game three as the series returns to Allentown on Thursday.

—Joe Savery made it 14 out of 15 scoreless outings with his two critical shutout innings tonight.  September callup?

–Both Scott Podsednik and Freddy Galvis had two hits for Lehigh Valley tonight.

–Brandon Moss is hitting .375 with 3HR and 7 RBI in 4 post season games.

63 thoughts on “‘Pigs Win Championship Opener”

  1. In Bowker’s defense, he’s had four at bats since August 31st.

    Nice win for the Iron Pigs. Glad to see Joe Savery and Freddy Galvis have a nice night each.

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      1. He has had four at bats. In a month. Against major league pitching. What do you expect him to do? Hit 4 home runs?

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          1. I’ve seen him foul a couple balls off. His lack of timing isn’t his fault and his lack of playing time isn’t Charlie’s fault.

            My point was that he hasn’t gotten enough at bats or playing time to determine whether Ruben made a mistake or not.

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            1. Ok. I understand ur point. Mine was that he had to do SOMETHING during the chances he was given. 4 Ks in 4 ABs with nary a fojl ball doesn’t ring of success.

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  2. Pigs Rollin’ ….. looked like a tight strike zone for De Fratus. Nonetheless, good to see him pitch himself out of a jam. Bullpen has been lights out

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  3. The big club is going into a hitting funk (the last 3 games) so Moss may be needed to add some punch. Although the big club is only scoring on HRs. Aumont has been shaky in the playoffs. (3 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 4K, 3 BB, 2 WP). It’s good to see him have a run-less outing. Relax big guy and have some fun.

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  4. Going on what we have seen and Bowker’s history, Ruben did outsmart himself. Moss would of been sweet.
    Even the Riz would of fit instead of Bowker and might of done something to build some trade value.
    Damn Galvis got lucky again. 🙂 Savery should be even stronger next year. I wonder if he can spend the winter hitting somewhere. Aumont is proving his worth.

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    1. If Savery continues to throw low 90s, his future is clearly in the bullpen. That’s his path to the majors now, little good in wasting his time hitting.

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    2. “Outsmart himself?” It’s not like Bowker’s going to be on the playoff roster. It’s an extra bat on the major league team while he can keep Iron Pigs down for the IL playoffs. I’d rather Moss be helping win the Governors’ Cup than get four meaningless September ABs on the big league team.

      Savery was extremely mediocre as a hitter this season (.758 OPS at three levels) and has been light’s out in the bullpen. I have no idea why you want him hitting.

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  5. As far as Moss/Bowker, Bowker has 4 pinch hit appearances. Hardly a sample worth getting excited about. I maintain that Bowker is a better option than Moss because Bowker’s batting average will translate better to the majors than Moss’ power/strikeouts. And that Bowker struggled previously in the majors shouldn’t be an issue because so did Moss.

    But here’s a larger issue with Moss’ production this season:
    Home: 326/402/589
    Away: 222/333/425

    200+ at bats for each. I bring this up because Moss is a left handed pull hitter and Lehigh Valley has a short porch in right field. Given what Moss has done in the past, I do believe that he would not hit anywhere near this level in the majors. Which is a shame because he really is one of the nicest guys in the minors.

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  6. I’m always amused by the amount attention and anguish that is afforded the 26th-30th man on the team. It doesn’t matter if Bowker or Moss get a few token at-bats late in September after the season is clinched because neither guy is going to be on a playoff roster.

    I also doubt that Moss was going to give the regular line-up some extra “punch” or that they need it based on 3-games. Besides, the only way Moss helps is be replacing Either Pence, Mayberry, or Ibanez in the everyday lineup. No thanks on all three.

    I’m guessing Utley’s return will have a bigger impact.

    But back to the actual point of the post, congrats to the Pigs for keeping their late season run going.

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    1. I disagree with you. I think the Phils are planning on carrying a 2nd lefthanded pinch hitter in the playoffs since all the closers are right handed. Bowker is in the lead but Moss might get a look while Brown is a wild card. I could see the team leaving Martinez off the playoff roster, assuming Valdez is healthy.

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      1. Not sure why they would need extra LH pinch-hitter in the playoffs since their line-up is heavily left-handed and they have Gload & Schneider off the bench from the left side.

        But if they do want another option, I expect that Orr would be the front-runner for the job.

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  7. Though Domo Brown had only the one hit as a DH, he did have some good ABs. Apparently going opposite field with his approach at the plate, with his one hit and two of his outs to the leftside.

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  8. The IronPig fantaics on this website seem to get a litltle too attached to their guys, if you know what I mean. It seems like the people that regularly attend their games overvalue the career minor league guys just a tad too much. I guess that will happen when you attend alot of games, maybe you lose focus on what you are really watching.

    The amount of puffery and angst from some of the IronPigs fans over promoting Mathieson, Moss, Kratz, and even Thompson (all guys that would affect the fortunes of the big club less than Herndon, Martinez, and Bowker combined) just shows that IronPigs fans lose their perspective sometimes.

    I try to be a realist when it comes to career minor leaguers and their chance in actually helping the Phillies. ULTIMATELY THERE IS A REASON THEY ARE CAREER MINOR LEAGUERS AT 30 YEARS OLD. i know mathieson and moss are younger than that, but there is a reason they havent made it. ANd its not because they were “never given a chance” or because “the phillies werent fair to them”.

    This is baseball. its a mans game. the best players will make it. Teams want to win in the majors. the phillies arent keeping herndon over mathieson because they charlie manuel wants to screw scott mathieson. they didnt trade for john bowker because of something brandon moss did off the field to make them not want to give him a chaance. they traded for bowker because they believe he gives them a better chance to win than moss. bottomline

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      1. Not exactly but I thought he was getting there. Like I said there are exceptions. But Mayberry took advantage of the 2nd chance he got this year. Thats what its all about.

        Also,

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  9. Is it guaranteed that Mini Mart is given a spot on the roster in the postseason? Are Moss, Brown, Orr, or Bowker better more useful options?

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    1. If wilson valdez is healthy, I can see valdez and orr on the postseason roster. Martinez has been awful lately.

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    2. No. I think its far from that actually. Orr is a better pinch hitter and he has just as much speed. Martinez can’t even bunt properly. All he does is give you decent defense, but lately it’s been apparent he doesn’t have much going on up stairs. He’s really lackadaisical out there.

      In my opinion, the bench would be Gload, Orr, Fransisco, Mayberry/Ibanez, and Schnieder with the other spot being up in the air.

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      1. The Phils will probably have 11 pitchers and 6 bench guys
        SP-you know
        BP – Worley, Kendrick, Madson, Bastardo, Lidge, Stutes, and guessing Herndon
        bench – Schneider, Mayberry, Gload, Francisco, Valdez, and final option between Orr and Martinez.. They could have both later in if (when) they make the World Series) and go with 10 pitchers. We definately need another lefty bat and I’m leaning towards Orr. Would like to see Moss somehow get added.

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        1. If KK is the long guy what the hell does Herndon due. If we have to use both we are in serious trouble. Martinez has lost it .184 post and even worse the last two months. I did
          advocate doing whatever it took to get Bonifacio or Cardenas but some don’t realize the importance of all 25 on a modern roster. Maybe next year we can obtain or make a quality util, (Silk purse/sow’s ear fantasy)

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          1. I was the only person supporting you on Bonifacio, and, to give you (and I guess myself to some extent) credit, he continued to play well all season. I think he’d make a great utility guy, especially for a team like the Phillies with older (and somewhat injury prone) players at SS, 2B, and 3B.

            But given how cheap his salary is, and the fact that he is a regular for Florida, not utility, don’t you think that the cost in prospects (if they are willing to deal him at all) would be prohibitive? He is under team control for 3 more years, and will almost certainly remain a bargain for quite some time. Why would Florida trade him?

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            1. At the time he wasn’t quite a regular. You know they don’t like to pay anyone in Florida.
              They would trade him if we made a great offer or would at the time. He went north when MM was going south. The As would trade Cardenas for a price. He would fit also.

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          2. We probably wouldn’t use either too much. I’m expecting at least 7 innings from the top 3 starters and 6 innings from Oswalt. I’m guessing you will see a lot of Madson, Bastardo, Lidge, and Worley. Stutes and Kendrick would be next to get some innings. Then Herndon. You figure the way the Phils starters are set their BP might not even see 20 innings combined in 3 series of games. Hey you never know if you have an extra inning game in the playoffs. There are no other arms ready for the playoffs. Not Schwimer.

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          3. Why yes, I’ve seen the light and now underdstand the importance of that 25th man. I mean, if the Phillies had a guy like Bonifacio or Cardenas, they would be on pace to win something like 107-108 games rather than their current 105!!!

            And come playoff time, no doubt that 25th man will become even more important when they decide that Rollins, Utley, or Polanco need a rest in game 3.

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            2. I would argue that the 26th man is actually more important than the 25th.

              In the 2009 WS, the Phillies 25th man (Eric Bruntlett) got 1 at-bat, a flyout in the 6th inning of game 3 with the Phillies trailing by 3-runs with 2 outs & bases empty.

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  10. Obviously there are exceptions to the rule like Chris Coste or Clay Condrey, etc., but in most cases, there are reasons these guys are career minor leaguers and yes some of them could probably hold their own in the majors for a short period of time but they have to give the phillies a reason WHY they should take a chance on a 32 year old backup catcher with minimal major experience (like Kratz) over a guy like Schneider.

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    1. The fact that there are exceptions is the point. Some of us look forward to the call-ups. We like to see a guy get his cup of coffee and see what he might do with the opportunity. I honestly get tired of seeing Mini Mart at the plate. Me personally Frandsen is a guy I’d like to see for a few weeks and I’m under no illusion he’s the next coming of Mayberry but is it possible he can give you more than MM?

      Not to mention things that make no sense like why don’t we have an added lefty in our pen right now if Bastardo is tired?

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    2. Usually there are more than a few players in AAA who could hold their own. I have no doubt that Erik Kratz could hold his own as a backup catcher. The problem is that there are more players than available bench spots.

      Coste from my vantage was a guy who hit better when he wasn’t playing catcher every day. But his bat wasn’t good enough for a corner, so he could only be a bench player. But he busted his ass and never gave up. (And I’m talking about taking a front office job with an indy team to stay in baseball.)

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    3. Value wise, Kratz would probably be about the same as Schneider. But if you could save 2 million on the backup catcher position and not give up a lot in terms of on the field play, why wouldn’t you?

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      1. Don’t think you would save $2m in the exchange since Kratz has to get paid as well but I agree with the underlying point that replacing Schneider with a cheaper/younger version that will produce similar #’s only makes sense

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        1. If you release Schneider you might be able to keep another prospect out of the year 5 draft. Then add Kratz in the spring.

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    2. Actually, his season is really a salute to him in many ways. First, it is a salute to his courage to go from pitching to hitting and take significant demotions to give himself a chance to catch on as a hitter. When you’re a former first round pick as a pitcher that can’t be easy. Second, it is a salute to his work ethic and foresight that he kept pitching on the side in case the hitting did not work out. When the hitting did not pan out, his arm was already in good shape – he didn’t need a 4 week training period. He was ready to roll.

      Good for him. He seems like a good guy and he is going to be a major league pitcher of some sort.

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  12. Actually, Gregg, if the Phillies do have any interest in using Moss in the postseason, he will be much better off playing regularly in the International League playoffs than sitting on the bench for the Phillies and batting once or twice a week for the entire month of Sepember.

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  14. There is a lot of talk about using Brandon Moss in the playoffs. To be on the postseason roster, don’t you have to be in the Majors by August 31st?

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    1. No. If they add Harold Garcia to the 60 Day DL, they can put Moss (or any position player) on the post season roster.

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      1. That accrues MLB service time for Garcia, if they do that. Not saying that rules it out, just an item to consider.

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      2. I think for this to be true, Garcia would’ve had to have been placed on the 60-day DL prior to August 31st. I don’t think they can just place him on the 60-day DL now to replace him with somebody else.

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  15. Congrats but I can’t wait for this series to be over and the callups to get to Philly. Now is the time they need to give people a rest not the last week of the season.

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    1. If the Pigs win their series with two more wins, they’ll still have one more game against the winner of the other AAA league.

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      1. I don’t think the Phillies will let that discourage call-ups. For one thing, they only need one starter for that game. Second, it’s in Albuquerque so no need to worry about upsetting the Lehigh Valley fans. (And though that may seem like a minor thing, the fan support there is unbelievable.) For one game that’s essentially an exhibition, the ‘Pigs can go without a couple players.

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  17. Apparently Domonic Brown IS going to be called up, according to Charlie. Hopefully the playoffs end soon, I want to see some of these players.

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  18. Zagurski killing Lehigh Valley tonight. He has allowed 2 inherited and 2 runs of his own after coming in with a 1-0 lead in the 8th.

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  19. I hope the Iron Pigs are playing just one game at a time and concentrating on their mission. They will need all their skill and concentration, great pitching, timely hitting, and a little luck to beat Columbus. Go Pigs!

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  20. I know that Brian Schneider is Vance Worley’s personal catcher, but the man is hitting .164!!!!! I cannot believe that he is better than Erik Kratz.

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  22. Bastardo hasn’t been the same since he pitched three days in a row. Doesn’t anyone have Cholly’s ear.

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    1. He appears to have run out of gas, and maybe he has a is tired/dead arm. He has appeared in more games then he ever has before, in one year—-60, though his 55 innings are less then some previous years in the minors, wereas one year he had 96 iP.

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