The Phillies Problematic Pitching

The Philadelphia Phillies have been struggling mightily so far this season and a lot of the blame can be put onto their starting rotation. The rotation was supposed to be one of the bright spots this year after a surprising run deep into the playoffs last year. With the likes of Cole Hamels, Jamie Moyer and Joe Blanton the team was supposed to lead the NL playoff race and become quite dominant as well under young stars such as Chase Utley. This has not happened and the Phillies pitching has been amongst the worst in the league so far in 2009, and there doesn’t seem to be an quick remedy in sight.

Joe Blanton has the sixth worst ERA in the entire league and the entire rotation has the worst ERA in baseball with an inflated 6.35. Pitchers Jamie Moyer and Chan Ho Park would also rank among the league's worst if they met the minimum inning requirements, but the truth is that they haven’t lasted long enough in games to qualify. Moyer's ERA is stuck at 8.15 and Park's ERA is hovering just over 7. The fact remains that unless these guys start to step up and improve, the Phillies will not be able to make the run to the playoffs that they had hoped for.

Manager Charlie Manuel says that he has discussed options when it comes to the rotation but there are no easy answers. The options on the farm and in the bullpen are very limited. In many ways the team is just left hoping that these veterans can somehow find their game and start leading the team like they were supposed to. The one change that may come about is the move to bring young left hander J.A Happ into the rotation and take out Chan Ho Park. This is expected to happen this week sometime after Park was only able to last 1 and one third of an inning in his last start on Sunday. Happ is 2-0 on the season so far with an ERA of 2.49 in 12 games. Manuel is cautious about bringing Happ into the starting rotation though, because he has been such a dominant force in the bullpen and that is where they need him. Problem is, that aside from Happ there is nothing else and no other answers for this struggling team.

Of course Cole Hamels and Bretty Myers have not been pitching as well as they can, but they are fixtures in the starting rotation. Moyer would be the pitcher on the outside looking in so far but he does not pitch well out of the bullpen and was just signed to a lucrative two year deal. The team just has to sit back and hope that the crafty veteran can find his way, same goes for Joe Blanton. Unless some of these guys start to come around, the team will fall out of the playoff race before mid season. And if they keep struggling, there are no solutions available to make the team any better. The team is what it is and they just have to hope that things start to get better. It is a tough spot for any team or manager, but with a weak farm system, such is life.