Phils crush Astros; send Neshek to Colorado
PHILADELPHIA » As the nonwaiver trade deadline crept ever closer, Pat Neshek’s name was dropping ever increasingly in rumor reports around the major leagues.
The Phils’ steady short reliever had stirred interest, no doubt, with the usual contending suspects of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Washington Nationals and Boston Red Sox most often mentioned. Neshek didn’t much care where in addressing his anticipated career move, saying before Wednesday night’s 9-0 win over the Houston Astros, “I don’t think I’ll have much of a say in it.”
But he did admit, “I’m a little anxious.”
The anxiety dissapated after the game, as Neshek was told he was traded to the Colorado Rockies for three low-level minor league prospects.
According to general manager Matt Klentak, of course, those prospects all have a good chance to move up fast and far.
“We’re really excited to pull this off,” Klentak said.
In return for the 36-yearold Neshek, the Rockies signed over high-Class A shortstop shortstop Jose Gomez, 20, and low-Class A right-handed pitching prospects Alejandro Requena, 20, and J.D. Hammer, a 6-3, 215-pound power reliever. Hammer has 13 saves in 14 opportunities with a 2.36 ERA.
“He really dominated low-A this year,” Klentak said, “and recently was promoted to High-A. He has a big fastball ... a guy our scouts really like.”
Requena has started 19 games for low-A Asheville, going 8-3 with a 2.85 ERA and 97 strikeouts, earning a league All-Star nod. And Gomez is hitting .324 with 20 doubles, two triples, four home runs and 33 RBIs, along with 18 steals.
Klentak was promoting the idea that he got a haul in the trade for Neshek, but for good reason. Neshek (1.12 ERA in 43 games) didn’t allow a run in 41 of those 43 Phillies appearances, walking only five batters the whole time. He has the second-best ERA of all major league relief pitchers.
“He was a guy you could count on,” manager Pete Mackanin said. “He was reliable, you knew what to expect when he came in. He was as good as I’ve seen in a long time. He and I got along great and he really likes it here. He’s told us that. He’d like to stay here.”
He’ll be a free agent, so maybe he could come back next season. But Neshek said earlier Wednesday the anxiety of moving around was getting to him a bit.
“It’s been this way for about two months,” Neshek had said then about the trade rumors. “I’d like to get my family settled somewhere; that’s more of what’s on my mind than anything. The baseball will take care of itself.”
It’s a lot to take care of when you’re a player that bounces around a lot, as Neshek has always been.
“Some places you’ll be able to find a house, or just have to find a condo,” he said. “I don’t know. It’ll be interesting.
“Yeah, three kids and we have a couple of dogs, and my wife. But it’s going to be a logistical thing. Do we rent a car? Do we send our car back to Florida? ... “It’s all normal stuff.”
*** The Phillies got a little payback on a Houston club that had beaten them up the prior two nights. Once again, Aaron Nola looked like a standout No. 1 pitcher. He pitched six scoreless innings, scattering but four hits while striking out a career high 10 batters against just one walk.
“Nola was fantastic,” Mackanin said. “He just really mixed his pitches up. He threw a lot of breaking balls and that’s what you have to do to get those hitters out.”
Since returning from the DL Nola has turned in seven straight quality starts and has gone 5-1 with a 1.49 ERA with 60 strikeouts.
On this night he was part of an unbeatable Phillies battery, as catcher Cameron Rupp hit two home runs for the first time in his career. It was also the first time a Phillies catcher had hit as many as two dingers in the same night since Mike Lieberthal did so Sept. 17, 2006 ... against the Astros.
*** Howie Kendrick might be general manager Matt Klentak’s best holding card when it comes to trade assets for either the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline or the Aug. 31 waiver deadline. The hope is that status didn’t change last night when Kendrick took a pitch off his left hand, and wound up leaving the game shortly thereafter with “soreness.”
X-rays after the game would prove negative.
“I just found out it’s a bruise,” Mackanin said. “There was no break or fracure so that’s good news.”
*** After leaving the Citizens Bank Park clubhouse early and escaping the media after being benched Tuesday night for not running out a third strike pitch that eluded Houston catcher Evan Gattis, the Phillies’ Odubel Herrera stuck around long enough before Wednesday’s game for Diego the Translator to belatedly arrive and help him through a few questions.
In stops and starts, Herrera said he’d met with Mackanin, called his being yanked from Tuesday’s game and not starting Wednesday the “manager’s decision” and insisted he was all good about it.
“I imagine that he calls me into the office to give me advice, advice that I need, obviously,” Herrera said. “And I take it. It’s always a good thing.”
Herrera then started looking at the clubhouse clock. When asked why he kept making such mental errors, Herrera looked again at the clock and said, “Stretch. Sorry, got to go.”
Then another quick follow-up about not running the missed strike came and he said, “gotta go! gotta go! gotta go!” And off he went. Herrera indeed didn’t start but did strike out in a pinch-hit appearance.