I think it's now safe to say the Phillies should pull the plug on Kyle "bleeping" Kendrick. He's absolutely killing this team. His ERA has risin like google stock during the second half of the season as he is now taking that nosedive that so many (including myself) predicted would happen this season. He's been garbage in recent starts, but with last night's disaster he was the pitching equivalent of Chernobyl.
Face it, he did a nice job last year, but it was smoke and mirrors. He gave up way too many hits, struck out far too few batters, and was getting away with it due to groundball outs last year.
Turn to this season and he's walking far more batters and giving up an alarming number of hits. In 121 innings last year he had just 25 walks. Compare that to this season where he has 55 in 149 innings. And, he's given up 20 homeruns.
Sure, he's an easy target, but he represents something that has held this team back for years and that's a failure to evaluate pitching talent. Behind Hamels and Myers this is the best the Phillies have managed to bring up from their farm system and it's pathetic that they have this maelstrom to deal with everytime he steps foot on the mound. He has now been annhilated four times in his past six starts. It's time for the front office to put J.A. Happ out there in his place or go with a four-man rotation the rest of the way. And, since a four-man rotation isn't an option (because Hamels has already pitched too many innings) they have to let the kid pitch.
Of course, they're trying to be careful with how much they pitch Happ so he doesn't get to arbitration quicker. Again, this goes back to the ownership. And, we've already beaten that horse to death a hundred thousand times over the years.
When the Phillies do blow their shot at winning the division (and they aren't winning the division because the Mets are pretty much unbeatable)---we can pin it on the ownership's unwillingness to add any significant names at the deadline and poor scouting by the braintrust serving under one Mike Arbuckle.
Hopefully Chuck Lamar, the new director of pro scouting will turn things around. Because if they had the players to get C.C. Sabathia or Matt Holliday we wouldn't be worried about Kyle Kendrick burying this team. And, I believe he will, for he has a great track record from his days in Tampa Bay---look at that team now with minor leaguers that he scouted.
Better days might be ahead, just not this year.
Even though I don't think they'll make it to see October, if they hope to do so they need to pull the plug on Kendrick ASAP.
The Phils will take on the Marlins again today at 4:05. Brett Myers goes up against Ricky Nolasco.
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