3/6 update

[davegod2]

On the hottest day of spring training, the Phillies' slow-warming bats showed signs of life in a 5-0 victory over the Minnesota Twins yesterday.

Bowa raved about the pitching of Kevin Millwood, Joe Roa, Rheal Cormier and Carlos Silva. But when it came to the offense, he was still shaking his head, even after his team snapped a five-game losing skid.

Despite getting 11 hits, including Pat Burrell's first home run of the spring - a mammoth shot to dead center - the Phillies left 13 men on base. They had the bases loaded in three innings and got only one run, on a walk to Jim Thome.

Stranding runners is a sensitive topic on this team. Last year, the Phillies led the free world in LOBs with 1,260.

Phillies pitchers held the Twins to just six hits. Millwood, the scheduled opening-day starter, allowed three. He also walked three and struck out three in his second start.

Lineup shuffle. Bowa continued to look at different lineup combinations. He batted Placido Polanco leadoff for the second day in a row and hit Bobby Abreu third and Thome fifth, with Burrell in the middle.

Bowa said he will not revisit the topic of Abreu's batting leadoff. Abreu's .409 career on-base percentage is 10th-best among active major-leaguers.

"He just doesn't want to bat leadoff," Bowa said. "There's no sense making him do something he feels uncomfortable with."

[EugeneStyles]

I can understand the problem of LOBs. The Cubs were probably second or third in the league in LOBs last year. It was pretty ridiculous.

As far as the lineup, I can't see why they'd want to bat Thome 5th. If anything, why not bat Abreu 2nd (he seems like the perfect #2 hitter, with speed and power), with Rollins 1st and Polanco 5th? I guess Polanco was leading off because Rollins is hurt, but who do they have hitting 2nd that can't be moved? David Bell?

Oh, and speaking of Rollins and Abreu... if the Phillies continue to lose into the regular season, and they continue to leave men on base, I'd expect them to start running more on the basepaths. When you're losing because you can't score, you have to start trying to manufacture runs. And that could keep Rollins' value high despite early reports that he won't be running this year.

[DieHardCubbie]

I guess Polanco was leading off because Rollins is hurt, .

Did I miss something...I didnt know Rollins was hurt

[EugeneStyles]

CBS Sportsline lists Rollins as "Leg - day to day"

Usually "day to day" in spring training isn't necessarily a bad thing. Usually it means a player is just resting some soreness. "Day to day" during the season is a terrible thing to see, but right now it's better than "out for at least two weeks".

[Bennyy22]

why is day-to-day bad in regular season?

[EugeneStyles]

Because it doesn't mean anything. You may keep a guy on your active roster for a week while his status is "day-to-day", and get no production out of him; or else you might sit him on the bench, and have him come back the next day and go 4-4 with 2 HR's and 8 RBI's. "Day-to-day" is probably the most feared phrase in fantasy baseball.[/i]