Phil Sheridan: Phillies’ Durbin among bullpen diamonds Posted on July 5th
Charlie Manuel ran through his postgame checklist, as always.
J.A. Happ starting the game? Check.
Shane Victorino ending the game? Check.
In between, the Phillies manager spoke volumes about this extraordinary game and this exceptional season with an almost offhanded eight-word comment.
“The bullpen,” Manuel said, “did a heck of a job.”
It’s funny how these things work. The last few years, there were plenty of things to say about the Phillies’ bullpen. It was frustrating, it was inconsistent, it was undermanned and overtaxed. There was little danger of Manuel or anyone else taking the guys out behind the center-field fence for granted.
Not coincidentally, Manuel took a lot of criticism over those same long seasons. How could he bring in (insert name of your favorite disaster here) in that situation? How could he leave GeoffGearyAntonioAlfonsecaJoseMesa in to face another hitter?
Manuel made a questionable pitching decision in last night’s riveting 3-2 victory over the New York Mets. The Phillies were trailing by 2-0 when he let reliever Chad Durbin lead off the bottom of the sixth inning against Mets ace Johan Santana. Durbin struck out, predictably, and the Phillies’ ensuing two-run rally was hamstrung by that free out.
The decision looked questionable right up until Durbin - one of the linchpins of this taken-for-granted bullpen - came out in the seventh and struck out the side. In all, Durbin faced seven Mets. He struck out six, starting with Carlos Beltran with the bases loaded in the fifth.
“The planets aligned,” Durbin said of the string of K’s next to his name. “I’m not that guy. Normally, I prefer they put it in play so I don’t throw as many pitches.”
Thanks to Happ and Durbin, as well as Ryan Madson and Brad Lidge, the Phillies won a game they pretty much had written off before it started. Here’s how:
With an off day this week and Brett Myers’ spot in the rotation up for grabs, the Phillies had a choice with Cole Hamels. They could have started him Thursday night in Atlanta or gone for the marquee matchup against Santana on the Fourth of July. They went with Hamels to complete the sweep against the Braves, and it paid off.
It would be a bit much to suggest the team wasn’t hoping to win the first game of this four-game series with the rival Mets. It’s more like the same performance by Hamels would be a likely win in Atlanta and just might be a loss against Santana. So take the win and then take your chances with Happ, who was making his second-ever major-league start.
He was better than anyone had a right to expect. Pitching against Santana, for a first-place team, in front of a sellout crowd? That’s big-time pressure.
“I knew I was going to have to be good,” Happ said. “I just told myself to breathe.”
For five innings, Happ gave the Phillies a chance to win. In the sixth, so did Santana. Virtually unhittable before and after that, he allowed four singles in five batters, just enough for the Phillies to tie the game and let their bullpen take over.
During the off-season, it was front-page news when the Mets acquired Santana. When the Phillies signed Durbin, it barely made the “Transactions.” Last night, they both pitched brilliantly in their very different roles.
“Durbin was fantastic,” Manuel said. “The role he plays in our bullpen is a big one.”
There had been talk that Durbin could make a spot start or two in Myers’ place. Durbin didn’t expect that - he said he wasn’t stretched out enough to be effective and it would throw the bullpen out of whack, too - but he would have done it if asked.
That has been his way this season. Do whatever’s asked.
“When the phone rings, get up,” Durbin said. “Go in when they tell you to go in.”
Durbin said he learned a valuable lesson from veteran teammate Tom Gordon.
“Whenever you come in, consider it a 2-0 count,” Durbin said. “Like you need a strike.”
Durbin has come into several recent games with the bases loaded. Last night, he faced Beltran, the switch-hitting cleanup hitter. Working a full count, Durbin threw a risky high pitch that Beltran chased to end the inning.
“If you think about the gravity of the situation,” Durbin said, “you’ll get in trouble. There is no gravity. I’ve been in that situation a couple of times this year. Each time you face it, it gets a little easier.”
Durbin made it look easy against the Mets. So did Madson. Lidge got three outs in the ninth on five pitches.
And that’s how the Phils went about winning a game they’d all but filed away as a loss.
Contact columnist Phil Sheridan at 215-854-2844 or psheridan@phillynews.com. Read his recent work at http://go.philly.com/philsheridan.