Phillies keep chucking shutouts (v3.0)
Posted by Andy on September 2, 2011
The Phillies are up to 19 shutouts, tops in the majors this year.
That puts them on pace for 23 this season, which would be the highest single-season team total since the 1998 Braves put up 23 themselves. The last team to have more was the 1992 Braves with 24, as well as the 1988 Dodgers.
Of those 3 previous teams I mentioned, all went to at least the NLCS, with the '88 Dodgers winning the World Series. The 2011 Phillies are a pretty good bet to make at least the NLCS.
September 2nd, 2011 at 9:59 am
Lee 5.
Other starters 0.
Pretty good starts.
Pretty good bullpen.
Pretty good odds of NLCS, at least.
I'm with you, Andy.
As sure as sure can be.
September 2nd, 2011 at 10:04 am
Four pitchers with 100+ innings during starts and a sub-3 ERA.
Whew.
September 2nd, 2011 at 10:06 am
Pick your poison.
September 2nd, 2011 at 10:10 am
Philadelphia also leads the league in CGSHOs with 5 --all thrown by Cliff Lee.
September 2nd, 2011 at 10:12 am
They lead the league, but not MLB, in CGSHO. The Rangers have 6, and the Angels and Rays each have 5 like the Phillies.
September 2nd, 2011 at 10:14 am
So, 14 times the 'pen received a donut from their starter that the relief corps upheld.
September 2nd, 2011 at 10:30 am
"A pretty good bet to at least make the playoffs"
Is that what they call an understatement?
The modern Phillies rank {in my opinion} right up with the 1890s Baltimore Orioles, the Murderer's Row Yankees of '27 and The Big Red Machine as the most complete teams ever.
September 2nd, 2011 at 10:34 am
I said NLCS, not playoffs.
September 2nd, 2011 at 10:47 am
24-0 when starter pitched 5+ shutout innings.
September 2nd, 2011 at 11:20 am
@Frank #7: I'd say that's going a bit too far. The Phillies of 2011 have great pitching, but only an above-average offense (which at time seems mediocre). They are first in the NL by a solid margin in runs allowed per game but only fourth in runs scored per game. In 2010 they were second in runs scored and fourth in runs allowed. In 2009 they scored the most runs but were 5th in runs allowed. In 2008 they won a championship with the third best offense and pitching (the Cubs, who had the best offense and second best pitching, lost the NLDS in three straight to the Dodgers). So while the Phillies have consistently been good-to-great on both sides of the game, they don't quite seem to be only the same level as the 1927 Yankees, who scored 6.3 R/G (second place: PHA, 5.43) and only allowed 3.9 (second place: CHW 4.63) or the 1939 Yankees, who scored a half a run more and allowed .89 runs less per game than any other team in the AL. I'll give you the Big Red Machine comparison, since the Reds teams of 1972-76 were among the top 4 in runs scored and runs allowed every year in the period, but never led the league in both. In my opinion, this Phillies dynasty will need another title before they are really compared to the best teams in history.
September 2nd, 2011 at 11:29 am
OT: Worley is now 11-2 over his career. Is that the best start ever to a career? If not, he might be closing in on a record.
September 2nd, 2011 at 11:38 am
@11, without looking I think Cal Eldred was 11-2 for the 1992 Brewers
September 2nd, 2011 at 11:48 am
Картини
Andy, why is there a link at the beginning of the post to the self-portrait of a Bulgarian painter? This has to be your most obscure "hidden comment" yet.
September 2nd, 2011 at 11:52 am
It's hidden in the HTML right? There has been an issue with some weird spam hacking. I know Sean is working on it.
September 2nd, 2011 at 12:01 pm
It's not hidden. On my screen the first line of the post reads as follows:
КартиниThe Phillies are up to 19 shutouts, tops in the majors this year. (The Cyrillic word and "tops in the majors" both form hyperlinks.)
I really did figure that the first link was not intentional on your part. Good luck with the spam issue! Just to be on the safe side, though, I'll be looking for connections between the Phillies and Bulgaria, art, icons, painting, etc. (-;þ
September 2nd, 2011 at 12:15 pm
@11, @12 - best start by a pitcher:
Fernando Mania! - in 1981 Valenzuela won his first eight starts, he was 10-0 lifetime at that point
September 2nd, 2011 at 12:54 pm
Картини made it to the RSS feed as well. Not a bad self portrait of Kartini from 2009 (Catalog №26).
September 2nd, 2011 at 1:00 pm
It was a spam hack. Sean is aware.
September 2nd, 2011 at 1:05 pm
Not a bad self portrait of Kartini from 2009 (Catalog №26)
I think "Картини" is just the Bulgarian word for "paintings." I'd give the artist's name if the link was supposed to be here, but clearly it's not.
September 2nd, 2011 at 1:22 pm
Is the link gone? I have a friend who's Bulgarian.
September 2nd, 2011 at 1:23 pm
Yeah I removed it.
September 2nd, 2011 at 1:36 pm
I think the most amazing stat from those shutouts is that the Phillies are 19-0 in those games. Amazing
September 2nd, 2011 at 2:18 pm
I think any discussion of the most complete teams must include, in addition to the ones sited by Frank, the following:
1998 New York Yankees
2001 Seattle Mariners
Oakland A's of 1988-1990
1966 Baltimore Orioles
September 2nd, 2011 at 2:54 pm
@23
I agree with everything but the 2001 Mariners. Before you lash at me, yes I am aware they won an ungodly 116 games in a parity filled era but they caught guys in their career years. Bret Boone had a monster season and Jamie Moyer and co were pitching well above expectations that none would ever surpass again
September 2nd, 2011 at 3:26 pm
The Phillies are in that insane area where another LCS appearance means nothing.... (not really though - 4 straight is rare except for the Braves 91-93-95-99) that's scary stuff. Philadelphia fans should try to bottle this magic and savor it....
September 2nd, 2011 at 3:28 pm
@ Myself
The A's have 5 in a row in the 70's
September 2nd, 2011 at 3:49 pm
Aceves of the Red Sox (and previously NYY) was 21-2 or similar.
September 2nd, 2011 at 3:54 pm
@ 23
I would add the 2007 Red Sox to that list 1st in runs allowed, 4th in runs scored, lead the division every game of the year, and won the world series. Even though the Indians won more games the Red Sox were clearly the best team the whole year.
September 2nd, 2011 at 3:58 pm
@ 27
Alfredo Aceves is 23-3 for his career and was 14-1 with an ERA+ of 142 with the Yankees, can't fathom why they got rid of him, best long reliever in baseball.
September 2nd, 2011 at 4:27 pm
I don't see these Phillies as a great team. They certainly have excellent pitching, but their offense is just average. It's safe to say they are half of a great team, but that's about it.
September 2nd, 2011 at 4:43 pm
The Phillies offense has been anything but average since the All-Star break, average 5.26 runs per game. They haven't earned the 87-46 record solely on the strength of their pitching.
September 2nd, 2011 at 5:05 pm
Sixth in RS, seventh in OPS, OPS+ of 97. First in ERA, first in RA, ERA+ of 128. I think Todd's analysis is spot-on. Maybe go "slightly above average" for the offense, but that's it.
September 2nd, 2011 at 5:18 pm
Alfredo Aceves is 23-3 for his career and was 14-1 with an ERA+ of 142 with the Yankees, can't fathom why they got rid of him, best long reliever in baseball.
Because he had back problems and they were skeptical about how he'd perform. They guessed wrong and I'd love to still have him, but the Yanks haven't had any problems in long relief this season, so they haven't really missed him. (They've had 15 games in which a reliever pitched more than 2 IP, and the ERA in those relief appearances is 2.68.)
September 2nd, 2011 at 7:17 pm
@ 33
The back problems are certainly a problem but i don't think that he is such a big risk considering his contract is only worth 600K and as for his value he would be a better 5th starter than anyone the Yankees have. Not that they made a huge mistake or anything.
September 2nd, 2011 at 9:41 pm
@33, Sixth in runs scored, but fourth in runs per game, the number that really matters because the other teams have all played four more games. And the Phillies are within a tenth of a run per game of being second in the league in runs per game. Sure, I'll admit the pitching is the real strength of the Phillies, but to dismiss them as not a great team, as Todd did, is silly. The offense may not match the pitching, but it's not the weakness a lot of people will have you believe, particularly since the Pence acquisition. If you don't think 87-46 is the mark of a great team, I think you need to reevaluate your standards.
September 2nd, 2011 at 9:50 pm
My last post was in reply to 32, not 33.
September 3rd, 2011 at 12:11 am
Jim, Frank's original comment in #7 was that the Phillies ranked among the most complete teams ever, which is patently false. In what way can a team that is slightly below average in hitting (adjusted OPS of 97, 16th among 30 ML teams) be "one of the most complete teams ever"? They simply can't. Compared to the Yankees, Red Sox and Cardinals, their lineup is awful. In previous years, they had a pretty good lineup, but this year that is not the case.
September 3rd, 2011 at 9:42 am
@37, Yes, it's truly an awful lineup. It's a lineup which ranks first in the National League in runs per game since the All-Star break, and fourth in all of baseball, behind three teams who have a designated hitter for every game. Really fits the definition of an awful lineup. It's a wonder they're even in playoff contention with such a terrible lineup.