Brett Myers, a folk hero of the 2008 playoffs for his miracle at bat against C.C. Sabathia, won’t be pitching for the Phillies in the National League Championship Series.
The righty was left off the 25-man roster in favor of Chan Ho Park, said Phillies.com.
Park returns to the bullpen for the first time since Sept. 16 when he strained his hamstring. He threw some bullpen sessions recently and seemed healthy enough to return.
The Phils could use Park’s 2.52 ERA and more than a strikeout per inning average as a reliever against his former squad.
Myers was thought to be a possible closing option after Brad Lidge struggled all season. But, the righty didn’t perform after returning from hip surgery in early September. He struggled out of the pen putting up a 6.43 ERA and 1.33 strikeout-to-walk ratio in seven innings.
Myers was understandably upset by the benching and told Phillies.com that he saw it coming after not being used in Game 3 or 4 against Colorado. The only NLDS action Myers saw was when he completed the trifecta of free passes by walking, intentionally walking and hitting a batter in two-thirds of an inning in Game 2.
Myers wasn’t the only pitcher from the NLDS roster that won’t be playing against the Dodgers. Long-relief option Kyle Kendrick was left off the NLCS roster in favor of utility man Eric Bruntlett.
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Brunts, who was left off the NLDS roster in favor of fellow jack-of-all-trades Miguel Cairo, will add depth to the Phillies bench. The need for a player like Bruntlett was more evident than ever when the Phillies needed to have Cairo play left field (for the first time all season) in the bottom of the ninth of Game 4 against the Rockies. Cairo had only played seven games in the outfield in the past three seasons.
Brunts also gives the Phillies a possible late-inning baserunning option -- a role that put him in position to score the winning run in Game 3 of the World Series last season.
Kendrick wasn’t really needed because it looks likely that either Joe Blanton or J.A. Happ could be used in long relief against L.A.
The rest of the Phillies roster remained the same as it was in the NLDS.
Catchers: Carlos Ruiz, Paul Bako
Infielders: Bruntlett, Cairo, Greg Dobbs, Pedro Feliz, Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley
Outfielders: Ben Francisco, Raul Ibanez, Matt Stairs, Shane Victorino and Jayson Werth
Pitchers: left-handers Antonio Bastardo, Scott Eyre, Cole Hamels, Happ and Cliff Lee and right-handers Blanton, Chad Durbin, Lidge, Ryan Madson, Pedro Martinez and Park
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