- Saturday's snow-out will allow the
Phillies to go with J.A. Happ in Sunday's Game 3 against the Rockies.
Happ was knocked out of Thursday's Game 2 after taking a comebacker off
the right shin, but appears to be good to go. With the inclusion of
Happ, the Phillies would presumably start Cliff Lee in Game 4 and Cole
Hamels in Game 5. If things go according to plan, Jayson Stark of ESPN
reports that the Phillies would be the first team to start five left-handers in a five-game division series. The Mariners started four (Randy Johnson, Jamie Moyer and Jeff Fassero) against the Orioles in 1997.
- They'll have to survive Saturday's Game 3 first, but manager Tony LaRussa said Chris Carpenter will start on short rest in a probable Game 4 against the Dodgers on Sunday. Carpenter yielded four runs over five innings in a 5-3 loss in Wednesday's Game 1. The Cardinals had considered John Smoltz or Kyle Lohse for Game 4, but the early deficit has changed LaRussa's mind. If it happens, Carpenter, who missed large parts of two seasons following Tommy John surgery, would be starting on three days rest for the first time in his major league career.
- While former Nationals skipper Manny Acta acknowledged his interest in the Astros' managerial vacancy on Friday night, it appears Jim Fregosi is also being considered for the job. Fregosi, 67, hasn't managed in the majors since 2000 with the Blue Jays. He is 1,028-1,095 lifetime, making one World Series appearance with the Phillies in 1993. Of course, current Astros general manager Ed Wade was also the general manager of that team. While Fregosi is highly-regarded for his handling of veteran players, it's hardly an inspiring choice for a team that has failed to make a postseason appearance since losing in the World Series in 2005.
- And finally, Memories of Kevin Malone points out that those with postseason inexperience (Randy Wolf, Cliff Lee, Adam Wainwright, Brian Duensing and Clayton Kershaw) have outperformed those who have been there before (Chris Carpenter, Cole Hamels, C.C. Sabathia, John Lackey, Aaron Cook, Jon Lester, Ubaldo Jimenez). This is a small sample-size, to be sure, but it goes back to what Jim Leyland always says: Take talent over experience.
- They'll have to survive Saturday's Game 3 first, but manager Tony LaRussa said Chris Carpenter will start on short rest in a probable Game 4 against the Dodgers on Sunday. Carpenter yielded four runs over five innings in a 5-3 loss in Wednesday's Game 1. The Cardinals had considered John Smoltz or Kyle Lohse for Game 4, but the early deficit has changed LaRussa's mind. If it happens, Carpenter, who missed large parts of two seasons following Tommy John surgery, would be starting on three days rest for the first time in his major league career.
- While former Nationals skipper Manny Acta acknowledged his interest in the Astros' managerial vacancy on Friday night, it appears Jim Fregosi is also being considered for the job. Fregosi, 67, hasn't managed in the majors since 2000 with the Blue Jays. He is 1,028-1,095 lifetime, making one World Series appearance with the Phillies in 1993. Of course, current Astros general manager Ed Wade was also the general manager of that team. While Fregosi is highly-regarded for his handling of veteran players, it's hardly an inspiring choice for a team that has failed to make a postseason appearance since losing in the World Series in 2005.
- And finally, Memories of Kevin Malone points out that those with postseason inexperience (Randy Wolf, Cliff Lee, Adam Wainwright, Brian Duensing and Clayton Kershaw) have outperformed those who have been there before (Chris Carpenter, Cole Hamels, C.C. Sabathia, John Lackey, Aaron Cook, Jon Lester, Ubaldo Jimenez). This is a small sample-size, to be sure, but it goes back to what Jim Leyland always says: Take talent over experience.
