The Phillies scored just two runs while dropping a three-game set to the Los Angeles Dodgers last weekend. The lack of offense is particularly disappointing when the club gets good outings from the starting pitchers.
Bruce Chen took a shutout into the ninth inning on Saturday only to see the game get away (1-0) when Vincente Padilla gave up an RBI single in the 10th. The 23-year-old hurler has been a beacon of light on this team since his arrival on July 12 in the Andy Ashby trade.
The Panamanian, who is of Chinese descent, pitched parts of three seasons with the Atlanta Braves and had an 8-2 career record when he first suited up in red pinstripes. Since then, he has been a model of consistency and has opened a few eyes in the organization.
"I think all of us like what we've seen of him so far," said Dallas Green, whose job as a senior adviser to general manager Ed Wade is to evaluate talent.
"What I see in him is his command of all of his pitches. I think he's got the stuff to be an outstanding pitcher. He's shown me three good pitches, and I like the way he goes after the hitters. He's kept us in almost every game that he's pitched, so you can't say enough good things about him. I think he's just what we were looking for in a pitcher for the future."
Considering the facts that Ashby was having a bad year and had no plans to re-sign with the Phillies, Chen has turned out to be a bargain. Atlanta may have needed a veteran starter for the stretch run, but they gave up a pitcher with a lot of potential, even if they didn't know where to put him.
"In 1998, the Braves used me as a starter because (Denny) Neagle went down in the last month of the season," explained Chen. "They expected me to be the fifth starter in 1999, but I didn't do a good job in spring training, so they used me as a reliever and spot starter last year. This year, they used me out of the bullpen. I pitched well — I was 4-0 with a 2.50 ERA — but they were using me as a long man, and I'd only get to pitch maybe once a week."
One would think that he would welcome a trade at that point, but Chen had mixed emotions.
"I was kind of hurt at first because I was with the organization for seven years," he said. "I felt that I had done everything that they wanted me to do, and I gave one-hundred percent every time out. I felt that I had given everything and received nothing in return.
"But then when I came to Philadelphia, the Phillies gave me an opportunity to pitch every five days, which is something the Braves didn't give me."
In 10 starts, Chen is 2-2 with a 3.37 ERA, and his strikeouts-to-walks ratio is phenomenal — nearly three-to-one (57-to-20). He seems to be getting better and gaining more confidence each time out.
"Every time you pitch well, you gain more confidence," he said, "but just to know that you're going to get the ball every five days means that everything isn't going to depend on one outing. In Atlanta, I felt that if I didn't pitch well, I wouldn't pitch again for a week or I might get sent down (to the minor leagues). Here, if I don't pitch well, I try to learn from it and pitch better the next time. It's not like I'm pitching to stay in the big leagues. I'm pitching to win."
The pitcher seems to have found his niche here, and he likes his new home.
"I'm very happy to be here in Philadelphia," Chen said. "The opportunity that the Phillies have given me is a tremendous break for my career, and I think we have a good core of young talent. I think we can help the team get to the playoffs next year."
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