Team to Beat

Bruntlett Leads Players Dropped

2009-11-17T11:09:00.004-05:00

The Eric Bruntlett era is over. The Phillies parted ways with their utility man after his two-year stay. Hated by many, I loved his passion and his role as a good team mate and classy guy. We will never forget his unassisted triple play or him sliding home on Carlos Ruiz's game-winning infield single in game 3 of the 2008 World Series. We will also never forget his .217 with a .297 on base percentage in 238 plate appearances in 2008, then hit .171 with a .238 on base percentage in 118 plate appearances this past year.

Also being dropped were relievers Todd Walker and John Ennis, catcher Paul Hoover, and infielder Andy Tracy.

So with the departure of Bruntlett, that leaves a huge whole in the utility role the Phillies hope to fill. In a perfect world, the Phillies sign either Placido Polanco, Adrian Beltre, or Chone Figgins to start at third and are able to get Mark DeRosa to fill the utility role.

And in other news: Pedro Martinez wants to pitch the whole 2010 season. I don't know if the Phillies have interest in him being the #5 starter but I wouldn't mind it. It isn't know whether or not he can go a whole season and be effective and if they can sign him for cheap then I say go for him. He'd be better than Chan Ho Park and Jamie Moyer as starters (I still want Park back in the pen),

Sorry For Lack of Posts

2009-11-17T00:29:00.002-05:00

I've been busy the past week and I still am with school work. I will continue the Player Report Card series shortly. I also added a new writer, Dan MacNeal of Liberty Bell Sports. We wrote together on the first blog of Justin Evans (now writer of Red Pinstripes Are Cooler). We will recap the Top 10 (maybe 15) moments of the 2009 season and do a few other specialty posts.

Please keep tuning in. There is a lot going on in the off season of the Phillies whether it's watching your favorite sports teams (hopefully the Eagles, Flyers, Sixers, Penn State, Temple, Villanova, or any other Philly/PA sports team) or following the Phillies news.

Happ 2nd In ROY Voting

2009-11-17T00:18:00.004-05:00

JA Happ did not win the National League Rookie of the Year award but finished 2nd in voting. Winning the NL honors was Chris Coghlan of the Florida Marlins. Coghlan won 105-94 in votes over Happ. Braves pitcher Tommy Hanson had 37 points and Pirates outfield Andrew McCutchen had 25.

Here is the comparison of the two via Todd Zolecki's article:

Coghlan led all NL rookies in average (.321), runs (84), hits (162), doubles (31), total bases (232), multi-hit games (51) and on-base percentage (.390). Coghlan also posted back-to-back 47-hit months -- becoming the first NL player with 94 hits in a two-month span since 1978 -- and finished sixth in the NL in batting average. Happ was 12-4 with a 2.93 ERA and topped NL rookie pitchers in innings (166), strikeouts (119), complete games (three) and shutouts (two). He had the most wins for any Phillies rookie since Tom Underwood had 14 in 1975. Happ's ERA ranks 11th in franchise history among rookies, and was the lowest since Ben Tincup had a 2.61 ERA in 1914.

Utley Wins Silver Slugger

2009-11-12T18:30:00.004-05:00

Chase Utley was chosen today for the Silver Slugger for best hitting 2B in the National League. This is his fourth straight award. Mike Schmidt holds the Phillis record with six straight. Utley this year batted .295 with 31 homers, 112 runs, and 93 RBI's. He led all two-baggers in runs and was tied with Dan Uggla of the Florida Marlins in dingers.

Here are the NL winners:

C. Brian McCann - Atlanta
1B. Albert Pujols - St. Louis
2B. Chase Utley - Philadelphia
3B. Ryan Zimmerman - Washington
SS. Hanley Ramirez - Florida
OF. Ryan Braun - Milwaukee
OF. Matt Kemp - Los Angeles
OF. Andre Ethier - Los Angeles

PRC: Sergio Escalona

2009-11-12T09:59:00.003-05:00

Player: Sergio Escalona
Number: 53
Position: RP
Bats/Throws: L/L

Consistency: Escalona only saw action in 14 games. He was mainly used as a fill-in when players like Scott Eyre and Brad Lidge went down with injuries. He also replaced Kyle Kendrick when he proved to be useless in the beginning of the season. In his short stints up, he was hit or miss. He would either pitch shutout ball or give up 2-3 runs an outing.

He did not make the post season roster but was a part of the late-season 40-man roster and got work.

Regular Season Stats: 1-0, 13.2 IP, 12 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 0 HR, 5 BB, 10 K, 4.61 ERA, 1.29 WHIP

Post Season Stats: none

Health: Rather than being on the DL, he replaced those who were bit by the injury bug. No injuries.

Intangibles: He was solid as a replacement for the Phillies. He’s young (only 25) and got plenty of valuable experience in relief. Though he will likely never start in a Phillies uniform, he may see some more brief action during the season as a reliever. He will be sitting behind Antonio Bastardo on the list of lefty relievers.

Overall Grade: C. He was okay. He didn’t pitch a lot and didn’t show anything worth getting excited about. He filled in on numerous occasions and did his job.

Rollins, Victorino Win Gold Glove

2009-11-11T19:35:00.004-05:00

Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino were awarded the Gold Glove award today. Chase Utley was screwed out of his Gold Glove, losing to Orlando Hudson of the Dodgers, who play significantly less games than Utley. The award was Rollins' third and Victorino's second. Rollins was the first short stop in the NL to win three consecutive Gold Gloves since Rey Ordonez and Victorino is first Phillies outfielder since Gary Maddox to win consecutive awards.

Here are the winners in the National League:

P) Adam Wainwright - St. Louis, 1st
C) Yadier Molina - St. Louis, 2nd
1B) Adrian Gonzalez - San Dego, 2nd
2B) Orlando Hudson - Los Angeles, 4th
3B) Ryan Zimmerman - Washington, 1st
SS) Jimmy Rollins - Philadelphia, 3rd
OF) Shane Victorino - Philadelphia, 2nd
OF) Michael Bourn - Houston, 1st
OF) Matt Kemp - Los Angeles, 1st

Discuss it here.

Off Season Schedule For Phillies

2009-11-11T12:37:00.000-05:00

Nov. 10-11: GM Meetings
Nov. 20: First day free agents may sign with any club
Nov. 20: Deadline for clubs to set 40-man rosters
Dec. 1: Deadline for clubs to offer arbitration in order to receive compensation
Dec. 7: Deadline for free agents to accept arbitration
Dec. 7-10: Winter Meetings
Dec. 12: Deadline for clubs to tender contracts
Jan. 5-15: Arbitration filing
Jan. 19: Exchange of salary arbitration figures
Feb. 1-21 Arbitration hearings

PRC: Chad Durbin

2009-11-10T09:50:00.003-05:00

Player: Chad Durbin
Number: 37
Position: RP
Bats/Throws: R/R

Consistency: Durbin has not been that good all year. He started out rocky, settled down a bit in June and then saw his ERA sky-rocket until he pitched an effective September that was beneficial for the Phillies in closing out the season. His 59 appearances were the third highest on the team behind Ryan Madson and Brad Lidge and was second in innings pitched among pitchers that didn’t record a start behind Madson.

He was excellent in the NLDS and NLCS, throwing four perfect innings in five appearances but then fell apart in the World Series, namely game 6 when he allowed three runs in the 5th inning, putting the game out of reach.

Regular Season Stats: 2-2, 69.2 IP, 56 H, 38 R, 34 ER, 8 HR, 47 BB, 62 K, 4.39 ERA, 1.49 WHIP

Post Season Stats: 2-0, 7 G, 5.1 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 6.75 ERA, 0.98 WHIP

Health: He was on the DL in late July with a sore back. The 15-day stint helped his back out. He was called upon a lot prior to the injury and never saw the DL again after returning.

Intangibles: He was solid for the Phillies. Though he started out rough, he settled down and managed to be okay. He is up for arbitration and it will interesting to see if the Phillies hold onto him. He has stuff similar to Clay Condrey’s, but uses the slider rather than a sinker. He’s also streaky. He will either pitch hot or not be able to get anyone out. He was also the first Phillie on Twitter, like that really matters.

Overall Grade: C. He was below-average for the Phillies. The poor inning in the World Series definitely hurt his grade along with his overall performance this season. If he would have focused more on pitching than tweeting, maybe his grade could have been higher.

Off Season News 11/10/09

2009-11-09T20:43:00.003-05:00

According to Todd Zolecki via Twitter:

Pedro Feliz, Chan Ho Park, Matt Stairs and Paul Bako officially filed for free agency today.

This is very interesting for the Phillie seeing that they have interest in Park and said they will not give up on Feliz. As for Stairs and Bako, I think Bako would be important in bringing back. The back-up catcher market is pretty thin and Bako proved to be a solid back-up for Carlos Ruiz this past season. In 44 games, Bako hit .224 (26-116) with three homers and nine RBI's.

And in other news, here is the schedule for the National League award announcements:

Gold Glove: 11/12
Silver Slugger: 11/13
NL Rookie of the Year: 11/16
NL Manager of the Year: 11/18
NL Cy Young: 11/19
NL Most Valuable Player: 11/24

PRC: Clay Condrey

2009-11-09T20:06:00.003-05:00

Player: Clay Condrey
Number: 55
Position: RP
Bats/Throws: R/R

Consistency: Condrey was actually one of their best righties all year. He started out real well until June when he got whacked around by AL hitting. He was then hurt in July, came back, and then missed all of August but bounced back to pitch steady towards the end of the season. In his last 12 games, he pitched eight innings of work, allowing six hits and two runs, none earned.

Despite the strong finish, he was left off the playoff roster. He is up for arbitration this off season.

Regular Season Stats: 6-2, 42 IP, 37 H, 17 R, 14 ER, 1 HR, 8 BB, 16 K, 3.00 ERA, 1.07 WHIP

Post Season Stats: none

Health: He was on the DL a couple times with a strained oblique.

Intangibles: “Big Texas” is a favorite in the club house going by the mini-series “The Pen.” Along with being a positive presence as a team player, he was a positive presence in the righty-specialist role. His fast ball hit low-90’s and so did his sinker, allowing him to get hitters to ground out.

Overall Grade: B. He was statistically one of the Phillies’ best relievers. Him being left off the post season roster was a bit of a surprise. Overall he did nothing wrong but wasn’t exceptional. A “B” grade is what you get for doing your job.

Feliz's Option Not Picked Up

2009-11-08T20:33:00.005-05:00

The Phillies declined to pick up Pedro Feliz's $5.5 million option today but said they will not rule him out for the hot corner position. Feliz is 34-years old and has shown a dramatic drop in power since coming to Philadelphia. He averaged 20 homers a year in San Francisco but only hit 26 in his two years for the Phillies.

Feliz batted .266 with 12 home runs and 82 RBIs in 158 games for the Phillies this season. With runners in scoring position, he hit a team-best .336. He tore it up in the beginning of the season but fell off drastically and hit a putrid .167 (9-54) in the playoffs this year.

If the Phillies are not going to bring Feliz back, they can look at free agents like Adrian Beltre, Chone Figgins, Mark DeRosa, and Troy Glaus. I would be all for Figgins but his asking price could be high. Beltre would also be a nice choice seeing that he will be can feast on the NL's weak pitching. Bringing back Feliz is also not a bad move.

PRC: Joe Blanton

2009-11-08T13:47:00.003-05:00

Player: Joe Blanton
Number: 56
Position: SP
Bats/Throws: R/R

Consistency: Blanton started out the season very poorly in April, going 0-2 with an 8.41 ERA in four games. He settled down through the rest of the season, having his best month in July. He had a few bad starts thrown in there but overall was very consistent. He started in the bull pen in the playoffs, pitching in relief twice in the NLDS and starting a game in both the NLCS and World Series.

Blanton is eligible for arbitration and hopefully a deal is worked out with him. He could be the Phillies #3 starter next season.

Regular Season Stats: 12-8, 195.1 IP, 198 H, 89 R, 88 ER, 30 HR, 59 BB, 163 K, 4.05 ERA, 1.32 WHIP

Post Season Stats: 0-0, 4 G, 2 GS, 15.2 IP, 15 H, 10 R, 9 ER, 4 BB, 10 K, 5.17 ERA

Health: He was healthy all year.

Intangibles: Blanton is their best righty in the rotation. He showed a lot of versatility coming out of the pen and then starting in the playoffs. He’ll be 29 before the beginning of next season and the Phillies need to lock him up for a few years at least. He’ll never be an ace on this staff but he will be a much better option as a #3 than Brett Myers would have been and matched up against other teams’ #3’s, the Phillies can have confidence in him.

Overall Grade: B-. I based this off of his composure and consistency. Before Cliff Lee came to the Phillies, he was their best pitcher. He led the team in innings pitched, tied for team lead with 12 wins, and second in strike outs to Cole Hamels. Ever since he came here from the Oakland trade, he has been very consistent.

PRC: Antonio Bastardo

2009-11-07T10:18:00.002-05:00

Player: Antonio Bastardo
Number: 58
Position: RP
Bats/Throws: R/L

Consistency: Bastardo had only made six appearances all season because he got hurt in June. When healthy, he showed a lot of promise. His first start saw him going six strong innings, allowing a run on four hits versus the Padres. He followed that up with another quality start. His next three starts were not so good though. In that span, he only went 11.2 innings, allowing 15 runs (14 earned) on 15 hits and a WHIP of 1.88. His June ERA was 6.75 and he saw no more action until he made one relief stint in October where he pitched a scoreless inning versus Florida.

In the playoffs, he was put on the roster for all three series’ because JC Romero’s season was done. He pitched 1/3 inning total, allowing a hit and a strike out in 2 appearances.

Regular Season Stats: 2-3, 23.2 IP, 25 H, 18 R, 17 ER, 4 HR, 9 BB, 6.46 ERA, 1.51 WHIP

Post Season Stats: 0-0, .1 IP, 1 H, 1 K

Health: His only injury was when he strained his shoulder in June versus Tampa Bay. He didn’t return to the Phillies until late in the season.

Intangibles: Bastardo has a lot of upside. His fastball hits around 94 MPH and has a good slider and change-up. He didn’t get a lot of work this year for the Phillies but I can definitely see him getting more time next year. He’s only 23 and will learn. He also showed a lot of composure in the NLDS when he was called in to face Jason Giambi of the Rockies with the bases loaded, striking him out to end the inning.

Overall Grade: C. His three bad starts before getting hurt didn’t help him but his positive upside balanced that out. I like what this kid has and am hoping he earns a bull pen spot on next year’s roster.

PRC: Player Report Card

2009-11-07T09:48:00.003-05:00

For the next couple of months, I will be dedicating a post to each player on the Phillies who I will grade for their performance over the course of the 2009 season. I will start with the pitchers and grade them in four different categories: Consistency, stats, health, and intangibles. Position players will be graded on: Consistency, offense/stats, health, defense, and intangibles. I will then give the player an overall grade and that's it.

List of pitchers (18):
Antonio Bastardo
Joe Blanton
Clay Condrey
Chad Durbin
Sergio Escalona
Scott Eyre
Cole Hamels
JA Happ
Kyle Kendrick
Cliff Lee
Brad Lidge
Ryan Madson
Pedro Martinez
Jamie Moyer
Brett Myers
Chan Ho Park
JC Romero
Tyler Walker

List of position players (15):
Paul Bako
Eric Bruntlett
Miguel Cairo
Greg Dobbs
Pedro Feliz
Ben Francisco
Ryan Howard
Raul Ibanez
John Mayberry Jr.
Jimmy Rollins
Carlos Ruiz
Matt Stairs
Chase Utley
Shane Victorino
Jayson Werth

More On Eligible Phillies

2009-11-06T19:29:00.002-05:00

Our friendly Phillies writer for MLB.com, Todd Zolecki, has tweeted a few more updates on a few more players that are free agents. The Phillies have contacted Chan Ho Park's agent about being re-signed. He was one of their best relievers this year and I fully support this move.

Scott Eyre also verbally commented that he enjoyed the guys on the team so much that he is having surgery and will not retire. If his surgery goes well, he will be back in red pinstripes. And the Phillies are interested in re-signing Matt Stairs to a minor-league contract. That doesn't mean he will be in the minors, just that they aren't going to give him a lot of money to be a left-handed power bat off the bench.

Phillies Pick Up Lee's Option

2009-11-06T12:07:00.004-05:00

Only two days into the off season and the Phillies are already looking towards the 2010 season. According to Todd Zolecki on Twitter, the Phillies picked up Cliff Lee's $9 million option for 2010. This locks him in for next year and allows them to work on a long term deal. The Phillies would be nuts to not lock him down right now.

And to make spending money a lot easier, the Phillies free up around $20 million because they don't have to pay for Jim Thome, Adam Eaton, or Geoff Jenkins anymore thanks to a friendly tweet by the 700 Level.

UPDATE: I was out so I'm just writing about this now. The Phillies will not re-sign Brett Myers according to Zolecki. He wanted the Phillies to get back with him as soon as they could so he could start marketing himself as a free agent. I wish him the best of luck and thank him for being a key part to the 2008 squad.

Off Season

2009-11-05T16:29:00.002-05:00

Stay tuned guys for some changes, updates, additions, and some special posts for the off season. Instead of doing a season recap, I will do a player recap for those who were key contributors to the season. There will be about 35 names and the off season will give me time to cover them all easily. There will also be a run down of the top 15 moments of 2009 and possibly another special list and even some different "dream teams."

There will also be a new member joining the site hopefully. My friend Dan MacNeal from Liberty Bell Sports will help collaborate in the off season and next season. Stay tuned folks.

High Hopes

2009-11-05T10:06:00.003-05:00

What did the Phillies really fail at? They failed to win consecutive championships for the first time in about 10 years and in the National League since the 1970's. They failed to beat the Yankees, the best team in baseball. They failed to be legendary. I say so what?

This Phillies team proved this year that last year was no fluke and that this team is in the elite. They hung with the big boys and dominated good teams. They have the core of the team in their prime and a bunch of young talent waiting in the wings. Just because they didn't do it again this year doesn't mean it's over. This team can win its 4th straight division. This team can breeze its way through the playoffs. This team can see themselves back in the World Series.

Sure there are a few problems to be addressed in the off season but we will look at that later. For now, let's soak in a successful season, recap the highs and lows, watch whatever football, hockey, or basketball team you watch, and worry about the off season when it becomes relevant.

I want to say thank you to the Phillies for giving us another helluva season. I want to thank Ruben Amaro Jr. for assembling a great team. You may have sucked as a player but you are doing a good job so far as a GM. I want to thank all the journalists I followed on Twitter and in their articles including Todd Zolecki and David Murphy. Great season to everyone and see you in 150 days. And Yankees, we'll see you June 15-17 in your house.

Yankees Win 2009 World Series

2009-11-04T22:33:00.008-05:00

Once again, the Yankees are Pedro Martinez's daddy. The Phillies season has finally ended as the Yankees beat up the Phillies pitching, winning game 6 by a score of 7-3 and the series 4-2. Hideki Matsui went 3-4 with six RBI's, falling a triple shy of the cycle, as he single handedly killed the Phillies hopes of forcing game 7.

Martinez was awful, going just four innings and allowing four runs on three hits and two walks, striking out five. His opponenet, Andy Pettitte, went 5.2, allowing three runs on on four hits and five walks. Despite pitching like crap, Pettite earned the win. Mariano Rivera pitched the last five outs, getting Shane Victorino to ground out to Robinson Cano to seal the victory.

The offensive fire power got going early for the Yankees when Matsui hit a two-run homer in the second. The Phillies answered with a run in the bottom of the inning but were soon counter-punched when Matsui hit a two-run single to make it a 4-1 game.

The Yankees then tacked on three more off of Chad Durbin in the 5th. They got an RBI single by Mark Teixeira and a two-run double by Matsui to make it a 7-3 game. Ryan Howard then came alive, answering with a two-run homer off Pettitte to finally chase him from the game. The Phillies had a huge opportunity in the 7th with Utley at the plate and two outs with two runners on but specialist Demaso Marte came in to strike him out to end the inning.

Carlos Ruiz and Raul Ibanez were the only bright spots of the night. Chooch went 2-2 with a walk and a run scored. Ibanez had a pair of doubles. For the Yankees, Derek Jeter had three hits and two runs.

On a side note, Ryan Howard struck out for the 13th time this World Series, a new record. Matsui also tied Bobby Richardson's record of six RBI's in a single game. Richardson did the feat back in 1960 versus the Pirates.

Stars of the Game:

Game 1: Cliff Lee

Game 2: AJ Burnett

Game 3: Nick Swisher

Game 4: Johnny Damon

Game 5: Chase Utley

Game 6: Hideki Matsui

World Series MVP (official):

Hideki Matsui: 8-13 (.615), 3 runs, double, 3 HR, 8 RBI,

World Series LVP:

Ryan Howard: 4-23 (.178), 3 runs, 2 doubles, HR, 3 RBI, 13 K's (new record)

Phillies Player of the Series:

Chase Utley: 6-21 (.286), 6 runs, double, 5 HR's, 8 RBI, SB

Liberty Bell Sports

2009-11-04T14:35:00.002-05:00

People, just a friendly reminder to come visit the sports forum I help run: Liberty Bell Sports. Click here to join the Phillies and Yankees Game 6 chat thread or click on the picture below to check out the site and join today. Go Phillies!

Hamels Wants Ball in Game 7

2009-11-03T11:29:00.003-05:00

Cole Hamels is obviously over his little tantrum he had after game three. He said after game five that he wants the ball in game seven:

"Who wouldn't want the ball in Game 7? This is the ultimate dream to be able to pitch in the most competitive situation anybody could ever be in -- that would be to be in Game 7 of the World Series. Even though I might not have the best results leading up to it, I've always wanted it."

Hamels' comments from game three:

"I can't wait for it to end. It's been mentally draining. It's one of those things where, a year in, you just can't wait for a fresh start."

Hamels' comments on his prior remarks:

"When you write the first five lines of a complete sentence, it's hard for everybody else to understand that. But you know what, I've said some dumb things and I think everybody has. I have to make it clear what I really want to say sometimes. It's hard to play baseball and talk at the same time."

There were reports that Brett Myers got in Hamels' face after game five saying "I thought you quit," but Leslie Goodell confirmed it was a joke. From her tweets:

Reply Contrary to reports, Myers was kidding when he told Hamels "I thought you quit". I was standing btwn them.

Myers didn't know about Coles comments telling me "I don't read the paper". Myers later apologized to Cole for the bad timing of his joke.

Phils Stay Alive, Head Back to NY

2009-11-03T10:18:00.005-05:00

For the Phillies, every game is a must win game. After taking the first game of the series, they fell three straight to the Yankees. After last night's offensive outburst, the Phillies got back into this series, only trailing 3-2. The bats came alive and Cliff Lee pitched well enough to win as the Phillies fought off a late Yankees rally to win 8-6.

Lee went 7 innings, allowing five runs on seven hits and three walks, striking out three. Though he gave up five runs, his ERA is an incredible 1.56 in five post season starts and boasts a 4-0 record. His counterpart, AJ Burnett was bounced in the third inning with no outs, only lasting two innings, allowing six runs on four hits and four walks, striking out two.

The offense got going early after the Yankees managed to score a run in the first inning. The Phillies responded the only way they know how to: a lead off single by Jimmy Rollins, a scary hit-by-pitch taken by Shane Victorino, and a no-out three-run homer by Chase Utley. Victorino got hit in the hand and it affected him all game but he will be fine. It's only a contusion and not a break or fracture.

The offense didn't stop there as they tacked on three more runs in the third. After back-t0-back walks by Utley and Ryan Howard, Jayson Werth drove in Utley on an RBI single. Raul Ibanez then drove in Howard on a single and Werth hustled all the way to third. Carlos Ruiz was able to beat out a potential double play ball to allow Werth to score, making it 6-2.

The Yankees were able to add one in the 5th to make it a 6-2 game but the Phillies responded in the 7th with a pair of solo homers by Utley and Ibanez. Utley's HR was his 5th in the World Series, tying Reggie Jackson's record in 1977.

This is when it got scary. Lee came in the top of the eighth and was credited with all three runs. Chan Ho Park came in and pitched incredible but it was an 8-5 game. Ryan Madson came out in the 9th and got into early trouble. With runners on 1st and 3rd, he got Derek Jeter to hit into an RBI double play. With an 8-6 score, he walked Johnny Damon and then got Mark Teixeira to strike out to end the game and earn the save.

Utley finished the day 2-3 with three runs, four RBI's and a pair of HR's. Rollins had a pair of hits from the lead-off spot and Ibanez also had two hits and two RBI's and a homer. Lee also had a hit, his 3rd of the post season.

Star of the Game:

Game 1: Cliff Lee

Game 2: AJ Burnett

Game 3: Nick Swisher

Game 4: Johnny Damon

Game 5: Chase Utley

Next Game: Wednesday in New York, 7:57 EST

Series: Yankees lead 3-2

Pitching Probables: Pedro Martinez vs. Andy Pettitte

Gameday Discussion: Liberty Bell Sports

The Phillies are still on the ropes but they are punching back. Pedro Martinez is back in New York and back in the spot light. He loves the added attention and I wouldn't blame him. He has been excellent in his two post season starts and is only win-less because he hasn't gotten the offensive support he deserved. With the Phillies offense obviously heated back up, he just needs to go out there and pitch like he has.

Andy Pettitte hasn't pitched on three days rest since 2006. He has a 2.40 ERA in five career starts on that short rest but he is much older now. He will need to stay focused in this outing. He last pitched in game three, giving up four runs in seven innings, allowing five hits and three walks, striking out seven. He certainly is beatable and the Phillies know this.

For extra pumping up, click here.

Win

2009-11-02T12:59:00.006-05:00

That's all Phillies fans are asking for. Win. It's that easy. You are the Phightin' Phils. You are the Team to Beat. You are the Philadelphia Phillies! The Yankees are the best team in baseball and you are going to sit there and be ok with that? You are going to let Alex Rodriguez, a cheater in the game you love to play, walk away with YOUR World Series Ring? You are going to let the Evil Empire take away your season? Are you going to let the NY Post walk all over your team and sit in the news room laughing at your expense?

It's Cliff Lee, Pedro Martinez, and Cole Hamels versus a tired rotation. They are exhausted. They need the offense to help them win. Shut down their offense and your guys will support you. They will score. They will hit home runs. They will lead you to victory.

Raul Ibanez: You came to this team to be on a winner. Yea we know you are hurt with that abdomen tear and we know it is damn painful. You have THREE games left. Not one, not two, but three. It's time to earn that ring that has eluded you for your 14-year career.

Ryan Howard: What the hell happened? You were Mr. October. You took 30 pounds off your gut and put 30 points on your batting average and led the league in RBI's. You were clutch in the NLDS and NLCS. You can spank the Yankees. You can add a whole new level the legacy you are building in the City of Brotherly Love. Move the hell over, Mike Schmidt because Howard is going to take your spot! You can't do that by rolling over to the Yankees though.

Cole Hamels: I'm not giving up on you. Why? Because if it comes down to game 7, the ball is in your hands. Over? This season ain't close to being over. Take a hard look in the damn mirror and look into the eyes of the 2008 World Series MVP pitcher you once were. You are not a wuss. You are not over rated. You are still the ace of this staff in the eyes of many. Act like it.

Brad Lidge: We don't blame you for yesterday. This team has called on you time and time again and you never gave up. Who cares how many saves you blew. It matters only if you think about it. You learn from your mistakes only if you don't dwell on them. A loser is someone who is afraid to fail. I winner is someone who is afraid of nothing.

The Phillies: You got rattled but you got right back up. You're the under dog. You're the beaten but not forgotten. Your chin is bloodied and your face is battered but you aren't mailing it in. You are Rocky! You won't quit. You beat them once. They bleed! They are not a machine. They are human and are beatable.

Do you hear that? "Phillies, Phillies, Phillies." I hear it too. You still have one game left in the home venue. Leave an impression on the fans, on the Yankees, and on yourself. Leave this city with a win. Go to New York and beat the Yankees!

Phils Fail at Comeback, Yanks Up 3-1

2009-11-02T10:49:00.006-05:00

All Brad Lidge had to do was get Johnny Damon out. But he was resilient. Damon fought off every strike-two pitch by Lidge until he got the one he like. After his base hit and steal of second and third, Mark Teixeira walked and Alex Rodriguez drove in Damon to make it a 5-4 game. Jorge Posada tacked on two more with a double to make it 7-4, the final of game four as the Yankees take a commanding 3-1 lead in the World Series. For the record, this was not Brad Lidge's fault.

Joe Blanton pitched well, allowing four runs on five hits and two walks in six innings of work. He also struck out seven. His counterpart, C.C. Sabathia went 6.2 innings, giving up three runs on seven hits, three walks, and striking out six. He was yanked after Chase Utley made it a 4-3 game with his solo homer in the 7th. Mariano Rivera pitched a quick 9th to earn his second save of the series.

The Phillies had to come back twice in the game. Down 2-0 in the first, the Phillies added a run in the bottom half. They then got another in the 4th off a Pedro Feliz double that scored Ryan Howard from second. Howard appeared to have never touched home plate but was ruled safe. In the top of the 5th, Blanton gave up two more runs to make it a 4-2 game.

After Utley made it 4-3 in the 7th, Pedro Feliz hit a two-out solo home run in the bottom of the 8th off Joba Chamberlain to tie it up. The the wheels fell off as Lidge had to face the top of a Yankees order that scored the most runs in the majors and 95 more than the Phillies, who were 4th.

Star of the Game:

Game 1: Cliff Lee

Game 2: AJ Burnett

Game 3: Nick Swisher

Game 4: Johnny Damon

Next Game: Monday in Philadelphia, 7:57 EST

Series: Yankees lead 3-1

Pitching Probables: AJ Burnett vs. Cliff Lee

Gameday Discussion: Liberty Bell Sports

This is for the Phillies. They are on the ropes. They need to win the next three versus the Yankees, two in New York. An easy task? Hell no. A doable task? Yes it is. Cliff Lee has been incredible this post season and will need to give the Phillies some momentum going into New York. The series isn't over and the Phillies don't give up. Not ever!

No matter the out come of this series, I'll still be writing this blog and I will still be loving the Phillies. This is a team that has been the basis of my sports-loving life since I was five and I have never given up on this team. No matter what happens tonight or Wednesday or Thursday, the real fans will still love this team. Go Phils!

Game 4: Tale of the Tape

2009-11-01T08:54:00.005-05:00

My buddy, Dan MacNeal of Liberty Bell Sports, had the idea to do a "Tale of the Tape" for the pitching match up tonight at 7:57 EST in Philadelphia. Tonight's heavyweight match up will be between Joe Blanton of the Phillies versus C.C. Sabathia of the Yankees.
In this corner! The beared baby face...... Jooooeeeeee Blanton! And in this corner! He eats hot dogs for a living...... Mark Sanchez... eerrrr C.C Saaaaabathia!

Yanks Power Their Way to 2-1

2009-11-01T00:09:00.009-04:00

The Yankees won game three 8-5 and took a 2-1 lead in the World Series. Nick Swisher killed the Phillies, going 2-4 with a double, home run, and two runs scored. Andy Pettitte got through six solid innings, only allowing four runs on five hits, three walks, and seven strike outs. Mariano Rivera got the save once again.

The Yankees offense combined with three home runs total thanks to Alex Rodriguez, Swisher, and Hideki Matsui.

Three things after this game: Cole Hamels is a girl, the offense has disappeared, and Joe Blanton needs to pitch his ass off tomorrow. Let's talk about each item individually.

1) Hamels was attrocious. He lasted only 4.1 innings, allowing five runs on five hits, two walks and striking out three. He pitched no-hit ball through the first three and then saw the wheels fall off. After walking Mark Teixeira on a questionable call in the fourth, Rodriguez hit a two-run homer that barely made it out. In the fifth, Hamels gave up a series of hits that led to three more runs and and early exit with only one out.

The pen couldn't keep the game close either as JA Happ, Chad Durbin, Brett Myers, and Madson combined to give up three runs and two homers in 4.2 innings pitched. I'm not pitting a lot of blame on them but you need to be good in the World Series. The garbage the Yankees call a bull pen out-pitched you.

2) Ryan Howard struck out three more times and is 2-13 with nine strike outs this series. Shane Victorino, Chase Utley, and Raul Ibanez looked lost at their plate appearances, going a combined 0-11 with a sacrifice fly and RBI. As expected, Pedro Feliz has been a penciled-in out in key situations. Jayson Werth was the only bright spot with his two home runs.

They blew some big opportunities. The first came in the second inning. Yes they got three runs that inning but had the bases loaded with one out and could only get a walked-in run by Jimmy Rollins and a sacrifice fly by Victorino. Utley didn't show up with a runner in scoring position, keeping the Yankees in the game.

3) Charlie Manuel needs to stick to his gut for game four. They are only down 2-1 in the series and shouldn't jump to Cliff Lee early for game four. He has Blanton going up against C.C. Sabathia, who wasn't that sharp in game one. The Phillies can hit Sabathia and they know that. Blanton needs to go out their and do his job. He is a good pitcher and needs to realize that and pitch like it.

Star of the Game:
Game 1: Cliff Lee
Game 2: AJ Burnett
Game 3: Nick Swisher

Next Game: Sunday in Philadelphia, 7:57 EST
Series: Yankees lead 2-1
Pitching Probables: C.C. Sabathia vs. Joe Blanton
Gameday Discussion: Liberty Bell Sports

Oh look! They're playing the Yankees again. Beat them.

Dobbs Has Cooties

2009-10-31T11:07:00.004-04:00

OK all kidding aside, Greg Dobbs has the flu or stomach virus and the Charlie Manuel had him send home so he doesn't infect the rest of the team. He won't be allowed back until he is completely healthy Ruben Amaro Jr. said. Tyler Walker, who wasn't on the 25-man roster but with the team, was also sent home because of sickness and Pedro Martinez complained of feeling ill before his start on Tuesday but is still with the team.

One player on the Phillies decided to board up Dobbs' locker with cardboard, masking, tape, and yellow "Caution" tape with a sign that read:

Greg Dobbs Update
Thomas Jefferson Hospital
Room #---
Visiting hours for family and friends from 6-8 p.m.

Please be advised to wear a mask!!

Gotta love the togetherness this team has. Hopefully Dobbs' gets well in time to be with the team before this series is over.

UPDATE: Dobbs is feeling better and is cleared to play tonight via Susan Lulgjuraj of the AC Press.

Blanton to Pitch Game 4

2009-10-30T15:13:00.005-04:00

Todd Zolecki just reported on his Twitter that Charlie Manuel is going to pitch Joe Blanton in game four in Philadelphia on Sunday versus CC Sabathia. This will line up Cliff Lee for game five, Pedro Martinez for game six, and Cole Hamels for game seven. Lee will be eligible to pitch out of the bull pen for game seven if necessary.

Manuel's reasoning via @ToddZolecki: "Manuel said he didn't want to pitch Lee on short rest in Game 4 because he's never done it, he's pitched a lot of innings this year, etc."

Blanton this year in the post season has only made one start in the NLCS and two relief appearances in the NLDS, posting a 4.50 ERA. In his start versus the Dodgers, he went six innings, allowing four runs and three earned on six hits and two walks, striking out two. In last years playoffs, he went 2-0 in three starts with a 3.18 ERA. He also hit a home run in game four of the World Series versus the Tampa Bay Rays.
I think this is a good move. Manuel actually makes a lot of good moves just the players don't perform and it makes him look bad. It will make sure Lee is fresh plus it puts the Phillies three best hitting pitchers at the plate in Philadelphia. Also Martinez seemed to enjoy the negative response from the Yankees crowd during game two because he's a little twisted. "I know they really want to root for me. If I was on the Yankees I’d probably be like a king over here."

Gotta love Pedro.

Bats Falter, Series Tied

2009-10-29T23:01:00.011-04:00

Runners on first and second for Chase Utley. The swing and a ground ball to Robinson Cano who flips to Derek Jeter and retires Utley to end the inning. The Phillies situational hitting from the regular season returned as they squandered numerous opportunities much like that one as they allow the Yankees to tie the series up, losing 3-1.

Pedro Martinez pitched a quality outing but was not supported at all by the offense, who went 1/5 with runners in scoring position. Martinez lasted 6+, allowing three runs on six hits, two walks, and striking out eight. Two of the runs he allowed were solo homers by Mark Teixeira and Hideki Matsui.

AJ Burnett looked like a stud in his outing, going seven strong innings and allowing a run on four hits and two walks, striking out nine. His only blemish came off of Matt Stairs' RBI single scoring in Raul Ibanez. Mariano Rivera pitched the 8th and 9th to get the save.

Those struggles are something that really has to disappear. In a series where both teams should be hitting, struggles at the plate should not be there. Looking at the third strike is also something bad teams do. The Phillies are not a bad team and should not be staring at pitches that close to the plate.

Stars of the Game:
Game 1: Cliff Lee
Game 2: AJ Burnett

Next Game: Saturday in Philadelphia, 7:57 EST
Series: Tied 1-1
Pitching Probables: Andy Pettitte vs. Cole Hamels
Gameday Discussion: Liberty Bell Sports

Hamels needs to show up this game. The Phillies do not want to be trailing at all to the Yankees this series. They are one of those teams that can get on a roll if the momentum swings their way. Pettitte has been great for the Yankees in the post season.

The Phillies bats need to come back alive. It's as simple as that. There really is nothing else to write. The Yankees are good and the Phillies are good. Pettitte his clutch and Hamels is nothing like his 2008 form. Hopefully the roles get reversed and Hamels is back to being the World Series MVP he once was.

Lee, Utley Lead Phils in Game 1

2009-10-28T23:32:00.006-04:00

The weather was ugly but Cliff Lee and Chase Utley were the complete opposite. Lee went pitched a complete game and Utley hit two homers en route to a 6-1 Phillies win and putting them ahead 1-0 in the World Series over the Yankees.

C.C. Sabathia was once again thwarted by the Phillies as he lasted seven innings, allowing both of Utley's home runs. He gave up two runs total on four hits, walking three and striking out six. Lee dominated his former team mate, going nine and allowing a run on six hits, no walks, and matching a career and Phillies best 10 strike outs in the post season (Lee in the NLCS, Schilling in the 1993 World Series, and Steve Carlton in the 1980 World Series).

Utley was on fire at the plate, hitting solo homers in the third and sixth inning. Ryan Howard tacked on two doubles and an RBI, Raul Ibanez had two RBI's, and Victorino drove in another. Derek Jeter had the only multiple-hit game for the Yankees, getting three. Alex Rodrigue struck out three times.

It was the first World Series game versus the Yankees since they were swept in 1950 and the Phillies completely turned the tables on them. If the Phillies can keep this up for the remainder of the series, you will be looking at your back-to-back world champion Phillies.

On a side note, Utley reached base in his 26th straight game, a new record.

Next Game: Game two in New York, 7:57 EST

Series: Phillies lead 1-0

Probables: Pedro Martinez vs. A.J. Burnett

Game Discussion: Liberty Bell Sports

The Phillies already did what they needed to do and that was take at least one game in New York. If they can take game two, that would be perfect. For the Yankees, they do not want to go to Philadelphia down 0-2 in the series with Hamels set up for game three.

This will be a big spot for Pedro Martinez. He has a lot of bad blood with the Yankees. He is also one of the best big-game pitchers of all time. When he gets in the zone, he is the Pedro of old. AJ Burnett has not been effective in the post season with his 4.42 ERA in 3 starts. He will look to give the Yankees a strong outing versus a very tough offense.

Myers On, Cairo Off

2009-10-27T15:46:00.003-04:00

And the Phillies 25-man roster is set for the World Series. Brett Myers was added to the roster, taking the place of Miguel Cairo via @ToddZolecki. I guess he will be the right-handed bat off the bench option for the Phillies vs. CC Sabathia.

This leaves the Phillies with 13 hitters and 12 pitchers.

Hitters: Ruiz, Howard, Utley, Rollins, Feliz, Ibanez, Victorino, Werth, Bako, Dobbs, Bruntlett, Francisco, Stairs

Pitchers: Lee, Martinez, Hamels, Blanton, Happ, Myers, Park, Durbin, Eyre, Bastardo, Madson, Lidge

Blog Stroll 10/27/09

2009-10-27T12:49:00.002-04:00

I figured I haven't done one of these in a long time so I might as well post some of the funnier things I read the past couple of days:

The Fightins did a hilarious post titled "The Bandwagoners Guide to the 2009 Yankees." In it they talk about some of the current and recently former players of the Yankees to just give those who are hopping back on thier bandwagon for the first time in about five years a heads up of who to watch and who to fear.

Phillies Nation did a post comparing the attractions, food, and traffic of New York and Philadelphia. They then capped it off with showing why it's easy to root for a team with 26 rings but difficult to be as passionate, if not more passionate than the Yankees fans with only seeing two rings, 10,000 losses, and Joe Carter and 1964.

Red Pinstripes Are Cooler re-bashed the New York Post for their crappy attempt at humor in depicting the "Frillies" fans and thier city as second rate and used a poorly photo-shopped picture of Shane Victorino in a skirt on thier cover. I guess desperated times call for desperate measures for the Post.

Macho Row did a nice little flash back to the 1950 World Series featuring the Whiz Kids. The Yankees swept the Phillies 4-0.

And also, don't forget to join the World Series discussion on Liberty Bell Sports, a forum for all you Philly fans.

Howard On SI Cover

2009-10-27T12:28:00.004-04:00

Ryan Howard is the next Phillies to grace the cover of Sports Illustrated, an honor in itself. Though there have been many talks of the "SI Cover Jinx," the Phillies should not play into the over-hyped lore.

The last Phillie to grace the cover was Cole Hamels back on February 23. Howard was on the cover for Sports Illustrated for Kids back in 2007.

Phillies Pitching Takes Shape

2009-10-27T08:55:00.003-04:00

Charlie Manuel just reported on a radio show this morning that Pedro Martinez will pitch game two and Cole Hamels will pitch game three via David Murphy on Twitter.

Here are the probables for the first three games:
Wed: PHI: Lee, Cl (2-0, 0.74), NYY: Sabathia (3-0, 1.19)
Thu: PHI: Martinez, P (0-0, 0.00, 7 IP)
Sat: PHI: Hamels (1-1, 6.75)

In my opinion, I think this was the best way to go. Hamels is a better hitter than Martinez so his bat would be useful at Citizens Bank Park. Also Martinez has proved he can still pitch well in the post season. All three of these guys are very capable of beating the Yankees.

Now the only question left to be answered is if Cliff Lee will go game four or will it be between Joe Blanton and JA Happ.

J-Roll-adamus

2009-10-27T01:41:00.002-04:00

This was a very entertaining bit Jimmy Rollins did on Jay Leno. In the segment "Ten @ Ten" where Leno asks the guest 10 questions, Rollins talked about Shane Victorino's rituals, Elton John, and his crappies job in Oakland.

His final question was a World Series prediction. He said the Phillies will win in five and if they are nice, let it go to six games. Let's hope you're right, J-Roll.

World Seres: New York Yankees vs Philadelphia Phillies

2009-10-26T14:42:00.008-04:00

This is it, folks. The Phillies now know who they are playing in the World Series after the Yankees beat the Angels in six games. This is the match up many fans have dreamt up in the beginning of the season. The Yankees went into the past offseason and made big splashes that have really paid off. They include Cy Young candidate C.C Sabathia, MVP candidate Mark Texiera, and re-signing Andy Pettite.

The Phillies also made a couple moves during the offseason and regular season. Those big moves include letting Pat Burrell go and signing Raul Ibanez, who had an all star year. They signed Pedro Martinez mid-season to a one year deal. They also traded a package of prospects to Cleveland in exchange for ace Cliff Lee.

Fun Facts: The Phillies won the season series 2-1 back in May… The Yankees are playing in their 40th World Series. The Phillies are in their 7th… This is the rematch of the 1950 World Series… New York and Philadelphia are two of the biggest sports markets on the east coast… Sabathia and Lee were team mates on the Cleveland Indians… Martinez was a part of the historic 2004 Red Sox who came back to beat the Yankees after being down 3-0 in the ALCS.

Schedule: (times not announced yet but will be updated)

Wed. 10/28

Thu. 10/29

Sat. 10/31

Sun. 11/1

*Mon. 11/2

*Wed. 11/4

*Thu. 11/5

*if necessary

Teams by Positions: Post season stats

1B) Ryan Howard vs. Mark Teixeira

Howard: .355 (11-31), 8 runs, 4 doubles, triple, 2 HR, 14 RBI, 7 walks, 8 K

He led the league in RBI's and was second in homers. He tied Lou Gherig’s record for consecutive playoff games over multiple seasons at eight and set the single season record. He was the NLCS MVP. Phillies fans call him Mr. Red October. Jimmy Rollins calls him the Big Piece.

Teixeira: .205 (8-39), 5 runs, double, home run, 5 RBI, walk, K

He is one of the leading candidates for the AL MVP award. He is also probably the best fielding first baseman in the league. He has been cold all post season and the Phillies can hopefully take advantage of that.

2B) Chase Utley vs. Robinson Cano

Utley: .303 (10-33), 8 runs, HR, 2 RBI, 8 walks, 7 K's

He is the Phillies best player and best two-bagger in the league. He really sizzled in the NLDS but fizzled in the NLCS. The Phillies will need a big series from him.

Cano: .229 (8-35), 5 runs, double, 2 triples, 5 RBI, 4 walks, 4 K

Cano is very fast on the base paths and can be a threat to stretch hits, take an extra base, or steal.

3B) Pedro Feliz vs. Alex Rodriguez

Feliz: .161 (5-31), 3 runs, double, triple, HR, 2 walks, 7 K's

He still didn’t so a thing in the NLCS and right now is their worst bat in the lineup. He does have the ability to heat up but hasn’t showed signs of that yet.

Rodriguez: .438 (14-32), 10 runs, 2 doubles, 5 HR, 12 RBI, 9 walks, 5 K

A-Rod quieted everyone who said he wasn’t clutch. He is the most dangerous hitter in the Yankees line up. He and Howard are going to be the stories of this series. Both are battling for the “Mr. October” title.

SS) Jimmy Rollins vs. Derek Jeter

Rollins: .241 (10-41), 6 runs, 3 double, 3 RBI, 8 K's

He is the spark to the Phillies offense but has been spark-less minus his clutch hits in the NLDS and NLCS. If he continues to struggle, the Phillies will have to turn to Shane Victorino for a spark.

Jeter: .297 (11-37), 9 runs, 2 doubles, 3 HR, 5 RBI, 9 walks, 5 K

He’s the captain. He is everything about Yankees baseball and baseball itself. My friend wrote a great post on Jeter and I think any baseball fan should read it. I don’t like the Yankees but I love everything about Jeter.

LF) Raul Ibanez vs. Johnny Damon

Ibanez: .226 (7-31), 6 runs, 2 doubles, HR, 9 RBI's, 5 walks, 8 K's

After a good NLDS, Ibanez disappeared in the NLCS. He will either have a good game or a really bad one. His struggles are due to playing with a tear in his abdomen since June. He needs to consistently play better in the World Series.

Damon: .238 (10-42), 1 double, 2 HR, 5 RBI's, 2 walks, 6 K's

Damon is a clutch hitter but hasn’t been to spectacular in the post season. He did have a very good regular season. He is not one of their best fielders or arms.

CF) Shane Victorino vs. Melky Cabrera

Victorino: .361 (13-36), 8 runs, 2 doubles, triple, 3 HR, 3 walks, 3 K

Victorino assumed the catalyst role from the two-hole while Rollins struggled. He led the league in triples and is a very speedy CF who can track balls and throw out runners. He has been the Phillies second best offensive player behind Howard.

Cabrera: .314 (11-35), 4 runs, 2 doubles, 4 RBI, 11 K

Cabrera has been awesome in the bottom of the line up for the Yankees. He can turn over the line up and get Jeter up to bat.

RF) Jayson Werth vs. Nick Swisher

Werth: .281 (9-32), 10 runs, triple, 5 HR's, 10 RBI, 6 walks, 11 K

He is having an amazing year in his first full year, hitting .268 with 36 homers, 98 runs, and 99 RBI's. After tearing up the Rockies, he struggled greatly in the NLCS but heated back up in games 4 and 5. He protects Howard at the plate and needs to be dangerous to allow the Yankees to pitch to him.

Swisher: .125 (4-32), 2 runs, double, RBI, 3 walks, 11 K

He is the playing awful in the post season. He actually makes Feliz look good for the Phillies. I don’t understand how he is still playing for the Yankees with the way he is playing in the post season.

C) Carlos Ruiz vs. Jorge Posada

Ruiz: .346 (9-26), 4 runs, double, HR, 7 RBI, 7 walks, 2 K

Carlos Ruiz is one of the best defensive catchers in the game. He has turned into “Senior Octobre.” Batting in the 8th spot, he can play a role similar to Cabrera for the Yankees.

Posada: .258 (8-31), 4 runs, double, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 5 walks, 7 K

Posada has been OK in the post season for the Yankees. He is still one of their leaders and can be dangerous at the play at any moment in the game.

DH: The Yankees will have the advantage in this department like every AL team does. They have Hideki Matsui to fill this line up spot. The Phillies are unsure who their DH could be but will likely be Raul Ibanez and put Ben Francisco in LF.

Starting Rotation:

Phillies: Cliff Lee will start game one and has been their best pitcher by far in the post season. After him, the rotation isn’t set yet but it’s likely that Martinez will go game two and Hamels in game three. JA Happ and Joe Blanton will start in the bull pen and will either pitch game four or remain in the pen.

Yankees: Sabathia will likely be their game one starter. Behind him, they only have AJ Burnett and Andy Pettite. Using three pitchers throughout the playoffs can wear their rotation down and could be very beneficial for the Phillies offense.

Bull Pen:

Phillies: This unit is still a danger to blow games. Luckily the offense can bail them out. Chan Ho Park came back from injury and pitched really well. Brad Lidge is perfect in saves. Blanton looked good in relief but is a better starter. Ryan Madson has been better, JA Happ has not looked good at all, and Brett Myers may be back. They can’t keep the Yankees close.

Yankees: They have had bull pen struggles as well, Only Mariano Rivera has been lights out all post season. He is supported by Joba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes, Phil Coke, and Damaso Marte. If the Phillies can get to this unit early and wear them down, it may be an easy series.

Bench:

Phillies: The Phillies have relied on Greg Dobbs and Matt Stairs in hitting situations, a huge mistake in my opinion. They both were amazing in 2008 and sucked in 2009. Ben Francisco is their fielding option and is also a very good hitter. Miguel Cairo earned a post season spot after having a hot bat in September.

Yankees: They only go to the bench for speed and fielding. Jerry Hairston Jr. and Brett Gardner are those two guys. With a DH, there really won’t be a need for pinch hitting but when the series goes to Philly, they may need to rely on someone for a timely hit late in the game. They also feature the Phillies' best friend, Eric Hinske, who was the Rays player Lidge struck out to end the World Series.

Managers:

Phillies: Charlie Manuel wants another ring. He knows how to keep this team together through any situation and knows how to rally them.

Yankees: This is Joe Girardi’s first trip to the post season with the Yankees. He would love to bring a ring back to the Bronx.

Probable Lineups:

NY: Jeter/Damon/Teixeira/Rodriguez/Posada/Matsui/Cano/Swisher/Cabrera

PHI: Rollins/Victorino/Utley/Howard/Werth/Ibanez/Feliz/Ruiz/Francisco

Prediction: The Phillies seem to be a more complete team right now. Their starting pitching has been tight and the bats have been clutch. The Yankees are relying on intimidation and hunger for their first ring in nine years. Phillies in 6.

The Dream Match Up

2009-10-26T12:12:00.004-04:00

This is when the blog gets personal. It's when I put aside being objective and let you look through the eyes of a Phillies fan.

Ever since I was a kid playing "Bases Loaded" for NES, "Roger Clemens Baseball" for Super NES, "All Star Baseball" for Game Boy, "Griffey Slugfest" for N64, and all the way up to "MLB 2K7" for X-Box 360, I would always play the Phillies versus the Yankees. Why you ask? Because to me, that would be the dream World Series for me.

Living in the shadow of New York sports my entire life as a Phillies fan, I always wondered, up until last year, what greatness tasted like. Now I get to watch my Phillies not only defend their championship in the World Series this year but to do it against the Evil Empire. I get to see the Phillies go up against the greatest franchise in not only baseball but in all of sports. It's David versus Golliath. Team USA versus Team Russia. Buster Douglas versus Mike Tyson.

This is cheese steaks versus cheese cakes. The City of Brotherly Love versus the City that Never Sleeps. It's "New York, New York" versus "High Hopes." The Liberty Bell versus the Statue of Liberty. Comcast versus YES. Rocky versus Vito Corleone.

The Phillies have the loveable players like Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, and Jimmy Rollins. The Yankees have their beloved captain in Derek Jeter, evil Alex Rodriguez, and the new kid in town, Mark Texiera. It's Joe Girardi and Charlie, two managers that have been under fire from their fans all year but still made it to the big show. Neither park welcomes opposing fans and neither city really likes eachother. This will be the best World Series since 2001.

I have longed for nothing more than beating the Yankees in the World Series. It's like beating the Patriots in the Super Bowl, the Lakers in the NBA Finals, and the Red Wings in the Stanley Cup Finals. Those are three things Philly has failed to do during my life time.

I say the fourth time's a charm! Avenge the Whiz Kids of 1950! Let's go Phillies! Win this one for Harry!

Filling In the Void

2009-10-23T22:35:00.004-04:00

Here are a few things I read during the past couple days in the wake of the Phillies second straight NL championship. We are all sitting here watching the Angels refuse to go away as the series heads back to New York for game six with the Yankees up 3-2.

Rollins, Victorino Fine:

Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino were both hit by pitches during Wednesday's 10-4 win over the Dodgers. Rollins took a pitch off his left foot and hobbled to first. He was visibly frustrated after the pitch and was also noticeably hurt during the remainder of the game. Victorino was hit in the left elbow. Both had X-rays done and both came back negative.

After Lee, Rotation Not Set:

A very interesting scenario is starting to play out for the Phillies as they wait to see how the rest of the Yankees/Angels series plays out. Regardless of the opponent, the Phillies will be on the road for the first two, at home for the next three, and will close the series on the road.

Cliff Lee is the starter for game one but after him, it isn't clear who will pitch games two through four. The Phillies are thinking about Cole Hamels for game two and I actually disagree. Hamels is a better hitter than Pedro Martinez and I would rather see him at the plate for at least two at-bats.

I also feel that putting Hamels versus the Yankees third starter is a better match up even though it could very well be C.C. Sabathia. Andy Pettite will start game six tomorrow for the Yankees and Sabathia likely in game seven. This is all assuming the Yankees do win the series.

My rotation looks like this: Lee, Martinez, Hamels, Blanton

Phillies Don't Care Who Opponent Will Be:

Sure beating the Yankees would be sweeter but if they face the Angels, the task will still be difficult. Regardless of who they play, the Phillies know what needs to be done and that is win.

David Montgomery had this to say:

"We're happy to represent the National League and I'm sure we'll be facing the best of the American League," Phillies president David Montgomery said. "In the case of the Angels, they're the only team other than us who has won their division three [years] in a row. And the Yankees have the best record in baseball. Now it's set up, whichever team we play, we absolutely can feel that we'll be facing the best of the American League."

Ibanez Playing Hurt

2009-10-23T15:37:00.004-04:00

It was Chase Utley last year who saw a dramatic decrease in productivity in the second half of the season and now this year it was Raul Ibanez suffering the same fate. And like Utley, Ibanez has been hurt for the second half of the season.

From SI.com:

But by the third week in June, Ibañez was suffering from a sore left groin and, unbeknownst to the public, a small but serious muscle tear near his abdomen. On a trip to Toronto he was confronted with an excruciating decision: He could have surgery to repair the tear and miss a large chunk of time, or he could return after a short stint on the disabled list and play his dream season hurt. "We all asked him if he would have the surgery," Phillies first base coach Davey Lopes says, "and he told everyone, 'I won't do that. I'll do anything but that.'"

One logical explanation as to why Ibanez is risking the rest of his career for this World Series run is his age. He's been in the league for 17 years and has been on mediocre teams his whole career. I compare this situation with the senior starting goalie for the Rowan women's soccer team. She is playing with a concussion, separated shoulder, and sprained AC joint. Rowan is ranked 10th in the nation for Division 3 schools and this is her last chance at a championship and she will go all out because it is more important to her than being hurt permanently.

Ibanez sees this as his only shot probably and wants a ring more than anything. That's the sign of a winner.

Back to the World Series

2009-10-22T09:44:00.005-04:00

The Phillies showed no signs of slowing down as they rolled through the Dodgers once again 10-4, and winning the NLCS 4-1. The offensive was led by Jayson Werth with a pair of HR's and four RBI's, breaking out of his terrible NLCS slump going into the World Series, and by Shane Victorino with a double, home run, and three RBI's.

The only thing I saw in this game that will have me worrying going into the World Series is seeing Cole Hamels struggle again. He only lasted 4.1 innings, allowing three runs on five hits and a walk and struck out three. He was taken deep in the first and second inning, settled in for a few innings, and then struggled to get anyone out.

The bull pen was really impressive, going 4.2 innings and allowing a run on three hits and a walk. Chad Durbin was credited with the win since Hamels didn't pitch the minimum of five innings.

The Dodgers attacked the Phillies early, going up 1-0 after Andre Ethier's solo homer in the first. The Phillies then responded with a two-out rally. After Jimmy Rollins and Victorino were retired, Chase Utley and Ryan Howard drew walks and Werth hit a 3-2 pitch out to right field to give the Phillies the 3-1 lead. The Dodgers answered in the second inning with a lead off homer by Matt Kemp but the Phillies kept pace with a solo homer by Pedro Feliz.

Vicente Padilla's run of consistency in the playoffs ended. He only lasted three innings, allowing six runs on four hits. The Dodgers' bull pen, which was the talk of the series as being one of the best in the majors, complete collapsed once again to the Phillies high-powered offense.

The Phillies will look to be playing the Yankees, who lead the seres 3-1. But as the Red Sox have proven in the past, no lead in any series is safe anymore. The Yankees and Angels play tonight.

Notes: Phillies became the first team to make it to consecutive World Series' since the 1998-2001 Yankees and first NL team since the 1995-1996 Braves... Chase Utley reached base safely in 25 straight post season games, tying the record with Boog Powell... Ryan Howard's eight-game streak with an RBI in the post season ended Wednesday. He currently shares the record with Lou Gherig but his eight-game streak was done in one post season, a new record... The Dodgers and Phillies combined with six home runs last night, tying a record done numerous times... The Phillies have won their respective series' in four and five games, the same path they took last year in winning the World Series.

Happ Honored

2009-10-20T15:28:00.003-04:00

JA Happ was named by panel of players as the Sporting News National League Rookie of the Year. Along with American League winner Gordon Beckham of the White Sox, Happ was very well deserving of this award. One thing to consider is that this is not the official ROY honors. Those will get announced after the World Series.

Happ went 12-4 with a 2.93 ERA in 35 games (23 starts) during the season. He struck out 119 batters in 166 innings pitched and had two shutouts. He has made to appearances in the NLDS as a reliever and starter and has made to relief stints thus far in the NLCS.

After overcoming just barely making the Opening Day roster, getting thrown in to start when Chan Ho Park couldn't get the job done, and bein thrown around in numerous trade talks for Roy Halladay, Happ settled in real nice and helped lead the Phillies to their third straight NL East championship and second straight NLCS (and likely World Series) berth.

MLB.com Fails

2009-10-20T00:42:00.002-04:00

Spoke too soon, assclowns.

The Phillies Are J-Roll-in'

2009-10-20T00:04:00.006-04:00

This team is incredible. They keep you on the edge of your seat for 26 outs while you bite your nails all the way to your elbow. Then with one mighty swing, they win the game and rip the hearts out of their opponent, sending the Phillie Phaithful into a euphoria.

The Phillies overcame a rocky start by Joe Blanton and a good start by Randy Wolf to win game four in dramatic fashion and take a commanding 3-1 series lead. Jimmy Rollins' walk-off two-run double off of Jonathon Broxton tied and won the game. Brad Lidge pitched the 9th and earned the win. It was game four last NLCS when Matt Stairs hit the game winning two-run homer in the top of the 9th off Broxton.

Blanton came out firing, retiring the first ten batters but then hit a snag in the 4th inning. He finished six innings, allowing four runs, three earned on six hits, two walks, and two strike outs. He allowed a solo home run to Matt Kemp in the 5th inning to give the Dodgers the 3-2 lead. They then added another off Blanton in the 6th.

The Phillies quickly got a run back in the bottom of the 6th off of a Shane Victorino triple and a Chase Utley RBI single. The bull pen was rock solid from the 6th inning on, only allowing two hits, two walks, and striking out five.

In the bottom of the 9th, Raul Ibanez led off with a ground out. Matt Stairs then pinch hit and walked on four pitches. Eric Bruntlett came in to pinch run and Carlos Ruiz was hit by a pitch to put two on. Greg Dobbs then pinch hit and hit a weak line drive for out number two. With two men on and two outs, Rollins took Broxton's 99 MPH fastball to right-center for to score Bruntlett and Ruiz to win the game.

Ryan Howard got the game going in the first inning with his two-run homer. That homer tied him up with Lou Gherig for most consecutive games with an RBI in multiple post seasons with eight games.

Of course I saw some bad things but I really don't give a damn. This team never gives up and never will and that is the formula a World Series team has.

Next Game: Wednesday in Philadelphia, 8:07 EST

Series: Phillies lead 3-1

Pitching Probables: LAD: Padilla (1-0, 0.63), PHI: Hamels (1-1, 6.97)

Game Day Discussion: Liberty Bell Sports

The Phillies have the Dodgers where they want them. For LA, it's win or go home. The only thing the Dodgers have going for them is the day off on Tuesday to maybe shake off the heart breaking loss. The Phillies are 2-0 in game five's under Charlie Manuel.

Cole Hamels may not have been the same pitcher he was in the 2008 post season but he is still one of the best pitchers in the league and can close this series out. If the Phillies bats can rock Vicente Padilla early, this game and series will be in the bag. The faster the Phillies win this series, the more rest they will have going into the World Series so they can have a fully rested rotation ready for the Yankees/Angels.

Simp-Lee Amazing

2009-10-18T23:17:00.007-04:00

The weather was cold but the bats were on fire. The Phillies battered and beat the Dodgers 11-0 in game three to take a 2-1 series lead in the NLCS. From the start of the game with a 1-2-3 top and a four-run bottom first inning to the 1-2-3 9th pitched by Chad Durbin that ended with a great snag by Carlos Ruiz, the Phillies dominated this game for 27 outs.

Ryan Howard drove in three runs tonight. With his two-run triple in the first, he has driven in a batter in all seven games this post season, a new MLB record, and is now one game shy of tying Lou Gherig's eight-game streak that spanned over multiple post seasons. Pedro Feliz also added a triple and Jayson Werth and Shane Victorino hit home runs to spark a potent Phillies offense that only managed a run on four hits during game two on Friday.

Cliff Lee was fantastic in his third start of the post season. He went eight shut out innings, allowing three hits and striking out 10. He tied Curt Schilling (1993) and Steve Carlton (1980) for the Phillies record with strikeouts in a single post season game. He also went 1-3 at the plate with a single and a run scored.

The offense got rolling early with Howard's two-run triple. Werth followed that up with a two-run home run that got the Phillies on the board early. Victorino capped off the fire works with his three-run homer in the eighth.

Manny Ramirez managed two hits out of Lee and Ronnie Belliard got the third.

Next Game: Monday in Philadelphia, 8:07 EST

Series: Phillies lead 2-1

Probables: LAD: Randy Wolf (0-0, 4.91); PHI: Joe Blanton (0-0, 4.91)

Game Day Discussion: Liberty Bell Sports

The Phillies have the momentum back in their favor and will look to go for the kill. Joe Blanton will be making his first post season start this year after pitching 3.2 innings of relief. Randy Wolf will look to get the Dodgers evened up versus his former team. Expect no love from the Wolf Pack in this one.

The Phillies are 4-0 in game four since Charlie Manuel took over. The last game four the Phillies played versus LA: Victorino hit a two-run homer to tie the game at five and then Matt Stairs hit a two-run homer later in the same inning to put the Phillies up for good, 7-5.

This game means a lot to both teams. It will either put the Phillies closer to going back to the World Series and the Dodgers on the brink of elimination or it will tie the series up for the Dodgers.

Pen Can't Hold Lead

2009-10-16T23:05:00.005-04:00

Pedro Martinez pitched his heart out and got nothing out of it as the Phillies lost 2-1. The were able to earn a split on Los Angeles and will come home to Philadelphia for three games. They still have momentum going into these next three games and have nothing to worry about.

Martinez went seven innings, allowing no runs on two hits and striking out three. Chan Ho Park came in to pitch the 8th and was charged for both of the Dodger's runs. Park earned the loss. Former Phillies pitcher Vicente Padilla got the start for LA and was dominant. He allowed a run in 7.1 innings of work on four hits and striking out six. The lone run he gave up was on Ryan Howard's homer in the 4th.

I wasn't able to watch any of the game so I can't make any fair assessments outside of the fact that the bull pen and poor defense blew another game for the Phillies. At least it wasn't Lidge this time but Ryan Madson really needs to pick his game back up. It's the NLCS for crying out loud.

Next Game: Sunday in Philadelphia, 8:07 EST

Series: Series tied 1-1

Probables: LAD: Kuroda (0-0, -.--), PHI: Lee, Cl (1-0, 1.10)

Game Day Discussion: Liberty Bell Sports

Cliff Lee was absolutely dominant in his two starts versus the Rockies in the NLDS. Hiroki Kuroda will be making his first start of the post season. Last time he pitched versus Philadelphia, Shane Victorino told him to throw out his back, not his head.

The series shifts in the Phillies favor despite losing game two. The next three games will be in a very loud Citizens Bank Park where the fans show up hours BEFORE the game starts. Dodgers fans strolled into games one and two around the 3rd inning. That's disgusting. It's going to be louder and more electric than Dodger Stadium in Philadelphia and that should impact the Phillies.

Phillies Bats Heat Up

2009-10-16T00:14:00.007-04:00

What a marathon game. If you thought there wouldn't be anymore four-hour games (NLDS game 3) then you were in for a real shock. The Phillies were able to stay on top of the Dodgers with timely hitting, winning the first game, 8-6.

Cole Hamels was a little shaky but got the job done and Chan Ho Park and Brad Lidge were clutch in the late innings to seal the win. Hamels' line through 5.1 IP: four runs on eight hits and a walk, and four strike outs. He surrendered home runs to James Loney in the second and Manny Ramirez in the 5th.

Loney got the offense going with his solo shot in the third. The Phillies then answered in the top of the 5th, putting up five runs on a three-run homer by Carlos Ruiz and a two-run double by Ryan Howard. After Howard's double, Clayton Kershaw was yanked. Kershaw got knocked around for five runs on four hits and five walks in 4.2 IP. Kershaw also became the first pitcher to throw three wild pitches in one inning, doing so in the 5th.

The Dodgers immediately answered in the bottom half, getting a huge three runs back off a shot by Ramirez, who stared down the Phillies dug out after his shot. After a few scares on the mound, the Phillies came up in the top of the 8th. Howard and Jayson Werth absorbed back-to-back walks for Raul Ibanez, who took George Sherrill deep to make it an 8-4 game. Ibanez's shot was the first homer Sherrill allowed to a lefty since mid-2008.

Ryan Madson came in to pitch in the bottom of the 8th and the wheels fell of his bus again. He allowed a pair of runs on four hits but got out of the inning. Lidge came in to pitch the ninth. He allowed an early base runner, got a double play ball, walked Loney, and then got Ronnie Belliard to pop up to end the game.

It was a nail biter the whole way through. My only concerns are Madson's reliability. Hamels will be fine and the offense turned it on like usual. If they keep this up, my playoff beard will get even longer.

Next Game: Friday in Los Angeles, 4:07 EST

Series: Phillies lead 1-0

Probables: Pedro Martinez (0-0, -.--) vs. Vicente Padilla (1-0, 0.00)

Game day discussion: Liberty Bell Sports

Vicente Padilla threw seven shut out innings in game three of the NLDS versus St. Louis. Pedro Martinez hasn't pitched since Sept. 30 versus Houston. If the Phillies can get a 2004 effort from Martinez, they could very well go into Philly with a two-game lead. The Phillies bats can heat up at any time and so can the Dodgers'.

This game is important more so for LA than Philly. You want to win every game but if the Dodgers fall behind 2-0 like last year, they won't have a home field to fall back on. It's cold and loud in Philly and the Dodger's don't want to go there already in the hole.

Pitching Probables; Myers, Kendrick Off Roster

2009-10-14T23:50:00.007-04:00

Unlike in the NLDS, we are pretty sure who the Phillies and Dodgers will throw at each other for the NLCS. Cole Hamels and Clayton Kershaw were already definates for game 1 and the Phillies are leaning for Pedro Martinez in game 2. Cliff Lee was guaranteed game 3 so he could have five days of rest. Here are the probables for games 1-4:

Thursday: Cole Hamels vs. Clayton Kershaw
Friday: Pedro Martinez vs. Vicente Padilla
Sunday: Cliff Lee vs. Hiroki Kuroda
Monday: Joe Blanton/JA Happ vs. Randy Wolf

With the match ups like this, it could set up Lee for game 7.

In other news, Kyle Kendrick and Brett Myers were left off of the roster. Eric Bruntlett and Chan Ho Park were added. Here is Todd Zolecki's tweet:

Pedro will start Game 2. Myers, Kendrick off NLCS roster. Park, Bruntlett are on. Myers is not happy about being left off, either.

NLCS Preview: #1 Dodgers vs. #2 Phillies

2009-10-13T18:23:00.004-04:00

The Phillies are coming into the NLCS off of a huge series win versus the hottest team in baseball. Now they get to face the Dodgers, who stumbled into the post season but swept the Cardinals in the NLDS. The winner of this series will go on to the World Series to face the winners of the Angels/Yankees series. Whoever wins either series will set up an amazing World Series match up.

People want to see LA vs NY or LA vs LA. There is no love for the Phillies, who happen to be the reigning world champs. The "Road to a Repeat" now goes through Los Angeles as Joe Torre and his Dodgers will look to knock off the Phightin' Phillies.

Fun Facts: Dodgers won the season series 4-3 but the last time they played each other this year was in June. Last time these two teams met in the post season was last year’s NLCS which the Phillies won 4-1. The Dodgers have three former Phillies: starting pitchers Randy Wolf and Vicente Padilla and bench bat Jim Thome.

Schedule: (I'll update the probables when they are known)
Thu. 10/15, 8:07 EST, PHI: Hamels (0-1, 7.20) vs Clayton Kershaw (0-0, 2.70)
Fri. 10/16, 4:07 EST
Sun. 10/18, 8:07 EST
Mon. 10/19, 8:07 EST
*Wed. 10/21, 8:07 EST
*Fri. 10/23, 8:07 EST
*Sat. 10/24, 8:07 EST
*if necessary

Teams by Positions: Post season stats

1B) Ryan Howard vs. James Loney

Howard: .375 (6-16), 3 runs, 3 doubles, 6 RBI, walk, 4 K's
He led the league in RBI's and was second in homers. He came up huge in the Rockies series, having the game tying and go ahead hits in games three and four. Phillies fans call him Mr. Red October. Jimmy Rollins calls him the Big Piece.

Loney: .250 (3-13), walk, K
The 25 year old is one of the best young stars of the game. This is his second full season as a starter. He killed the Phillies this year, batting .393 (11-28) with a couple homers and six RBI's.

2B) Chase Utley vs. Ronnie Belliard

Utley: .429 (6-14), 5 runs, HR, RBI, 4 walks, 3 K's, 2 SB's
He is the Phillies best player and best two-bagger in the league. He really sizzled in the NLDS, a series he struggled in the past two years. He can only get better in this series versus the Dodgers.

Belliard: .273 (3-11), 2 runs, RBI, 2 walks, 5 K's
He joind the Dodgers late in the season and took the starting job when Orlando Hudson got hurt. He kept that job through the NLDS and will look to be the guy vs. Philly.

3B) Pedro Feliz vs. Casey Blake

Feliz: .214 (3-14), double, walk, 3 K's
He led the Phillies in average with RISP but failed to do anything in the NLDS. The Phillies hope his bat heats back up so the bottom of the line up isn't a dead zone.

Blake: .273 (3-11), run, RBI, 2 walks, K
Blake adds pop to the bottom of a line up that was 23rd in homers in the majors.

SS) Jimmy Rollins vs. Rafael Furcal

Rollins: .263 (5-19), run, double, 5 K's
He is the spark to the Phillies offense. Despite a weak NLDS, the Phillies were able to get runs. He did spark the game 4 rally. They won't be as lucky if Rollins continues his struggles vs. the Dodgers.

Furcal: .500 (6-12), 2 runs, triple, 2 RBI's, walk, K
Furcal is also the spark to LA's offense. He was stellar in the NLDS. He has also killed the Phillies in his career.

LF) Raul Ibanez vs. Manny Ramirez

Ibanez: .308 (4-13), 2 runs, double, 5 RBI's, 4 walks, 2 K's

Ibanez enjoyed an all star year. He tailed off after the break but heated back up at the end of the season and into the NLDS, driving in crucial runs when needed. The Phillies will need that bat to show back up if they want to beat LA.

Ramirez: .308 (4-13), 3 doubles, 2 RBI's, walk, 2 K's
He had such a down year this season. He was very solid in the NLDS and was the only Dodger to really be effective versus the Phillies last post season. He has the ability to change a game with one swing of the bat so the Phillies lefty-heavy rotation better pitch smart to him.

CF) Shane Victorino vs. Matt Kemp

Victorino: .353 (6-17), 4 runs, double, HR, walk, K, SB
Victorino assumed the catalyst role from the two-hole while Rollins struggled. He led the league in triples and is a very speedy CF who can track balls and throw out runners.

Kemp: .143 (2-14), 2 runs, HR, 2 RBI's, 8 K's
As LA's number two hitter, Kemp has not performed like it in the post season yet. He is ver capable fo doing so though.

RF) Jayson Werth vs. Andre Ethier

Werth: .357 (5-14), 5 runs, triple, 2 HR's, 4 walks, 4 K's
Werth tore up the Rockies in the NLDS. He is having an amazing year in his first full year, hitting .268 with 36 homers, 98 runs, and 99 RBI's.

Ethier: .500 (6-12), 5 runs, double, triple, 2 HR's, walk, 2 K's
He is the best player on the Rockies, even better than Manny. Look at what he did all year and in the playoffs versus the pitching of St. Louis and tell me he is not the best player on the
Dodgers.

C) Carlos Ruiz vs. Russell Martin

Ruiz: .308 (4-13), 3 RBI, 2 walks, 2 K's
Carlos Ruiz is one of the best defensive catchers in the game but his offense is lacking. Hopefully he will feed off of his good NLDS.

Martin: .111 (1-9), RBI, 3 walks, K
Martin was awful in the NLDS. He has become a very over rated hitter but still a really good catcher.

Starting Rotation:

Phillies: Cliff Lee is the ace of the staff but won't see action until game three at the latest. Cole Hamels will pitch game one. He was dominant all year versus LA this year (In two starts: 16.0 IP, 12 H, 2 R (1ER), 1 BB, 14 K). Joe Blanton and Pedro Martinez are the Phillies' two options for game two and throw in JA Happ for game four.

Dodgers: Clayton Kershaw will go game one. Randy Wolf and Vicente Padilla are both former Phillies. Chad Billingsly rounds out a very solid rotation . Their starters held the offense of St. Louis in check in the NLDS. Kershaw and Wolf both throw left-handed. The Dodgers hope those two can silence Howard, Utley, and Ibanez.

Bull Pen:

Phillies: This unit is still blowing games. Luckily the offense bailed them out. Scott Eyre, Chad Durin, Antonio Bastardo, and Ryan Madson (despite the bad outing) all looked good. Brad Lidge scared everyone a bit but is 2/2 in saves. Blanton looked good in relief but is a better starter. The only thing hurting this pen right now is the fact that they don't know who will pitch in what scenario. Chan Ho Park may be ready for the NLCS.

Dodgers: This is probably the best unit in baseball and certainly showed in keeping the Cardinals down in the NLDS. The pen is deep and showed that in game one when they went to the pen in the 4th inning and didn't allow a run for the rest of the game. Jon Broxton is their closer and has blown saves this year (6). George Sherrill and Jeff Weaver are their other top options out of the pen.

Bench:

Phillies: The Phillies have relied on Greg Dobbs and Matt Stairs in hitting situations, a huge mistake in my opinion. They both were amazing in 2008 and sucked in 2009. Ben Francisco is their fielding option and is also a very good hitter. Miguel Cairo earned a post season spot after having a hot bat in September.

Dodgers: Former Phillies Jim Thome is a very good hitter still and always a threat to hit a pinch hit HR. Mark Loretta is their other hitting option. Juan Pierre and Orlando Hudson can come in for base running and fielding situations.

Managers:

Phillies: Charlie Manuel wants another ring. He knows how to keep this team together through any situation and knows how to rally them.

Dodgers: Joe Torre is a future HOF manager. He has been in the post season more times than Phillies fans can contemplate. He's a winner and he will make sure his Dodgers are winners too.

Probable Lineups:
LA: Furcal/Kemp/Ethier/Ramirez/Loney/Blake/Belliard/Martin
PHI: Rollins/Victorino/Utley/Howard/Werth/Ibanez/Feliz/Ruiz

Prediction: I'm an optimist. I love the Phillies and I believe this team can beat LA and go back to the World Series. I also know it's really hard to repeat success and that this Dodgers team is really good. Dodgers in a heart-breaking 7 games.

9th Inning Heroics Send Phils to NLCS

2009-10-13T11:07:00.007-04:00

Vengeance: as cold as the Rocky Mountains. The Phillies showed why they are the best come-from-behind team in the majors last night in their 5-4 win over the Rockies, lifting them into an NLCS rematch versus the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Cliff Lee was once again stellar in his second start in the playoffs, going 7.1 innings and allowing three runs, one earned. After walking Deter Fowler, Todd Helton hit a soft grounder to Chase Utley, who attempted to place a tag on Fowler. Instead, Fowler jumped over Utley and was safe at second after Jimmy Rollins failed to hold onto Utley's flip. Ryan Madson came in to the game and this is when the wheels fell off.

Ben Francisco also entered because it was a double switch and played left field in place of Raul Ibanez. Troy Tulowitzki hit a shot to left but Francisco made the incredible diving catch. With two outs now, Jason Giambi hit an RBI base hit to tie the game and Yorvit Torrealba hit a two-run double to right center that put the Rockies up 4-2.

Everyone was writing this game off and Cole Hamels was probably mentally preparing for game 5 but the Phillies offense told Cole to start doing his home work on the Dodgers. After Greg Dobbs pinch-hit for Francisco and struck out, Rollins redeemed his error with a base hit. Shane Victorino then hit a ground ball that got Rollins out but Victorino's hustle kept the Phillies alive. Victorino then stole second and Utley drew the walk.

Up to the plate came Ryan Howard, aka Mr. Red October. He sent a shot well over the head of right fielder Carlos Gonzonlez that scored both Victorino and Utley to knot the game up at 4. The Jayson Werth continued his hot bat with an RBI base hit that scored Howard to put the Phillies on top 5-4.

Scott Eyre started the 9th and got into a bit of a jam. With two outs and runners on 1st and 2nd, Brad Lidge entered the game with a one run lead. While listening to "Soldier" by Drowning Pool, Lidge's entrance song of 2008, I watched as he struck out Tulowitzki on his patinent slider to end the game.

I will post a series preview of the Phillies vs Dodgers series either tonight or tomorrow. They first play on Thursday at 4:07 EST. Hamels will be the game 1 starter.

Timely Hitting Sparks Phils

2009-10-12T10:48:00.008-04:00

Nothing like some manufactured runs and solid pitching. Now if the Phillies can get that every game, who knows how far it will take them. I saw some things last night that worried me but at the same time saw some things that worked and I liked.

JA Happ and Joe Blanton combined for 5.2 innings, allowing four runs on eight hits and two walks with Happ striking out four in the Phillies 6-5 win over Colorado to take the 2-1 series lead. Chad Durbin got the win as he pitched a flawless 8th and Brad Lidge came on in the 9th after the Phillies go ahead run to close out the game.

Chase Utley had a solo home run in the first but the Phillies saw that lead quickly diminish with a pair of Rockies runs in the bottom. Colorado tacked on another runs in the third inning and the Phillies exploded in the 4th for three runs to take the 4-3 lead. That lead was quickly vanished after Carlos Gonzalez's solo homer in the fourth.

With the game tied at five in the top of the ninth, Jimmy Rollins got on with a single and Shane Victorino bumped him to second on a sacrifice bunt. Utley then reached base on a check-swing infield single. With runners on 1st and 3rd and Ryan Howard at the plate, the league leader in RBI's could do only 1 thing: hit a sacrifice fly to drive in Rollins for the go ahead and game winning score.

Some of the bad things I saw included Happ's performance. He was bad all night, struggling to find the strike zone, getting worked into deep counts, and then getting hit hard by the Rockies. The other bad thing I saw was pinch hitting. Matt Stairs and Greg Dobbs have not been getting the job done. Use Miguel Cairo or if you want you use Ben Francisco, work out a double switch so he can play the field.

Eyre injured his ankle in the 7th inning but appeared to be fine. "I'll be fine, but I sure would love Cliff Lee to throw a seven or eight innings in Game 4 to give me a couple days to rest it." - Eyre. Ruben Amaro Jr. would have to hold me down and tie me up and that's not going to happen because I'm bigger than he is." - Courtesy of Macho Row's Twitter

Some of the good things I saw included Blanton's pitching out of the bull pen. Durbin also looked real nice and Lidge got a huge confidence booster by being given the opportunity to close out a 1-run playoff game.

Next Game: Today at 6:07 EST in Colorado

Weather: 51 degrees at game time

Probables: PHI: Lee, Cl (1-0, 1.00), COL: Jimenez, U (0-1, 9.00)

The Phillies will want to close out this series so they can rest up and get prepared for the NLCS. The Rockies can't afford to lose or else they will have to book their ski trips at Vail. The pitching match ups are going to be the repeat of game 1.

The Phillies offense was consistent throughout the game, getting support from all parts of the line up. The can definitely do that again tonight facing Ubaldo Jimenez, who got beat up in game 1. Lee will look to have a performance similar to his in game 1. If those two things happen, bring on the Dodgers.

Phillies/Rockies Only Undecided Series

2009-10-11T18:07:00.004-04:00

No magic. No dramatic come backs. Well for the Red Sox I mean. They were up 5-1 going into the 6th when the Angels were able to get a run there and then two in the 8th to make it a 5-4 game. Boston got Jonathan Papelbon some breathing room by tacking on a run in the bottom of the 8th. With two outs and a man on base, the Angels strung together some key hits to get three runs in the top of the 9th to take a 7-6 lead. Brian Fuentes secured the game and the Angels swept the Sox to move onto the ALCS to face the Yankees, who swept the Twins tonight.

NLCS: Dodgers versus Phillies/Rockies (series tied at 1)
ALCS: Angels versus Yankees

UPDATE: Game 4 will be tomorrow at 6:07 EST. Game 5 still TBA.

Happ to Pitch Game 3

2009-10-11T01:22:00.006-04:00

Sorry I wasn't around today to post this but as you may know, tonight's game was cancelled due to it snowing and being below 20 degrees in Colorado. The Phillies will play tomorrow night and Monday in Colorado. Pedro Martinez, who was slated to pitch today, will not be the starter tomorrow. Instead it will be JA Happ. A game four starter was not named yet. Tomorrow's game will be at 10:07 EST and Monday's will be late as well. The Rockies will put Jason Hammel, who was scheduled for game three, on the mound versus Happ.

In other news, The Dodgers beat the Cardinals yesterday 5-1 to cap off the sweep and earning them a spot in the NLCS versus the winner of the Phillies/Rockies series, currently tied at 1 game apiece. The Dodgers will have home field regardless of who wins the series.

UPDATE: Game 4's time was not announced yet but Cliff Lee and Ubaldo Jimenez are the probables for that game. Lee out pitched Jimenez in game 1 and both will be working on five days rest.

Dumbass Steals Phils WS Rings

2009-10-09T20:49:00.002-04:00

And I thought the greedy mother in Miami who got custody of Ryan Howard's 200th home run ball was bad. This guy is a freakin' moron. This putz thought he could get away with stealing three World Series rings, worth $1,100 each, from the Phillies office after being ejected from the second game of the NLDS for being too rowdy.

And to make it even better was that not only did the security see it on the survelance camera but the idiot left a job application behind in the office. How stupid can you really be? I'm gonna steal your rings. Can I have a job?

It's A Boy!

2009-10-09T15:08:00.004-04:00

@Todd Zolecki - Hey, Heidi Hamels had a boy at 9 a.m. this morning. No other details available. Congrats, Cole and Heidi.

@philliesnation - Cole and Heidi had a boy. He's currently on a flight to Denver to be ready for possible long relief tomorrow night.

Congratulations to Cole and Heidi Hamels. Now get your ass back to Colorado, Cole! We have a series to win!

UPDATE: The baby was named Caleb Michael Hamels.

Phils Fail to Come Back; Series Tied at 1

2009-10-08T19:57:00.007-04:00

Cole Hamels was not the Cole Hamels of 2008 and Aaron Cook proved once again that the Phillies can't hit sinker-ballers as the Rockies won the nail-biter, 5-4. In a game that saw the Phillies fight back from 4-0, it ended with them coming up short with runners in scoring position once again.

The Rockies jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the first and the got a two run homer from Yorvit Torrealba in the fourth. Hamels got yanked after the fifth when he allowed one more run. Joe Blanton pitched the sixth and some of the seventh before he was replaced by JA Happ, who left after taking a line drive off his left knee. Scott Eyre came in and allowed a run that was earned by Blanton. Brett Myers, Antonio Bastardo, and Ryan Madson also got some work.

The Phillies offense was dead up until the sixth when they got three runs off an RBI double by Howard and a two-run single by Ibanez. After Colorado made it a 5-3 game, Jayson Werth ripped a solo homer in the eighth.

In the bottom of the ninth and Houston Street in to close for Colorado, the Phillies got a one-out walk from Matt Stairs, who was replaced by Cliff Lee on the bases and then followed up by an out from Ben Francisco and a base hit from Jimmy Rollins. With runners on second and third, Shane Victorino lined out to end the game and Street got the shaky save.

Some things I observed will start with the offense. The Phillies are getting production from 2-6 in the line up but there is no consistency. If this offense can be consistent, they will win games. Hamels shouldn't be entirely to blame due to him not having any support and was thinking about his wife, who went into labor during the game.

Now the other observation I made that really confused me was how Charlie Manuel handled the bull pen. He used Blanton and Happ in this game, a completely asinine move. Now Blanton and Happ should be eligible to start Sunday but who knows now with the health of Happ's left leg, where he suffered a contusion.

Next Game: Saturday 9:37 EST @ Colorado

Probables: PHI: Pedro Martinez, COL: Jason Hammel

This is a must win for either team as it will put the loser on the brink of elimination. The Phillies could be looking at playing 30 degree weather and a chance of snow. "I'm going to enjoy the snow. Maybe I'll be rounding the bases in a snowmobile," said Martinez via Todd Zolecki's Twitter.

I love the attitude of Martinez. This guy is so relaxed and calm but knows how to turn on the intensity and win the game. If the Pedro from 10 years ago (or even a couple weeks ago) shows up, expect a 2-1 series lead in favor of the Phillies.

UPDATE: Game 4 will be Sunday at 10:07 EST in Colorado.

Greedy Mother Robs Howard's Homer

2009-10-08T13:31:00.003-04:00

I really hate greedy people:

Ryan Howard hit his 200th career home run 2 1/2 months ago versus the Marlins in Florida. It was caught by a 12-year old girl. After she caught the ball, she was escorted to the Phillies club house where she exchanged the ball with an autographed ball by Ryan Howard. Her mother was pissed.

The mother sought a memorabilia specialist and learned that the home run ball was worth more than the autographed ball so she sued the Phillies and won. The Phillies had to return the ball to the family.

The Phillies didn't fight it because they didn't need bad PR and a distraction going into October.

What the hell? Are people really that greedy that they need to screw over an athlete's amazing feat? And if you watch the video of Norman Kent, the attorney and memorabilia expert the girls mother sought, you would want to reach into the screen and choke the shit out of that douche bag.

I'm sorry Big Brown that this had to happen to you. I hope the organization sent back to this girl a fake ball and demand that you get the autographed ball back.

Lee Dominates Game 1

2009-10-07T18:40:00.008-04:00

Cliff Lee fell only one out from a complete game shut out in his first playoff start but he did just fine as the Phillies won 5-1 to start the NLDS. The Phillies take an early 1-0 lead in the best of five series versus Colorado, a huge win for a team that struggled down the stretch in September.

I couldn't watch most of the game because I was in class from 3:15 until 6:00 but from what I was able to see when sneaking a peak online (channelsurfing.net is a great site to watch games), I was very impressed and very pleased to see this team manufacture five runs without the long ball.

The bats came alive in the 5th inning when the Phillies got two runs off of an RBI double by Raul Ibanez and an RBI single by Carlos Ruiz. They then tacked on three more runs in the sixth with Ryan Howard's RBI double, Jayson Werth's RBI triple off th left-centerfield wall that would have been gone if it weren't for the hurricane-like winds, and then an RBI single by Ibanez to cap off the scoring.

Lee was phenomenal in his start, pitching a complete game, allowing one run on six hits, a walk, and striking out five. It was nice having him go the whole way because I think the Phillies are still uncertain with their bull pen.

Ubaldo Jimenez was doing fine until that 6th inning came around. He got yanked after Werth's triple and got charged with the run when Ibanez singled him in.

Next Game: Thursday at 2:37 PM EST
Probables: COL: Aaron Cook, PHI: Cole Hamels

The Phillies would love to take both home games versus the Rockies so they can go to Denver for one and be done with this series. The faster they end this series, the more rest Lee and Hamels will get and be ready to be the #1 and #2 for the NLCS.

The Rockies need this win bad in order to earn a crucial split in Philadelphia and not be on the brink of elimination if they go down 0-2. They are a come back team so the Phillies should not ease up at all this series.

If Hamels can follow up Lee's stellar performance, look for the Phillies to turn to JA Happ for game three. The Rockies had trouble with the left-handed Lee all day today and could continue to struggle versus Hamels and possibly Happ.

NLDS/ALDS schedules

2009-10-07T13:31:00.003-04:00

For those who want to watch every game: here is the schedules for the other three series':

#1 Los Angelas Dodgers vs #3 St. Louis Cardinals
1) Oct. 7, 9:37 EST
2) Oct. 8, 6:07 EST
3) Oct. 10, 6:07 EST
*4) Oct. 11, TBA
*5) Oct. 13, TBA

#1 New York Yankees vs #3 Minnesota Twins
1) Oct. 7, 6:07 ET
2)Oct. 9, 6:07 ET
3) Oct. 11, TBA
*4) Oct. 12, TBA
*5) Oct. 14, TBA

#2 Los Angelas Angels vs # 4 Boston Red Sox
1) Oct. 8, 9:37 EST
2) Oct. 9, 9:37 EST
3) Oct. 11, TBA
*4) Oct. 12, TBA
*5) Oct. 14, TBA

Phillies NLDS Roster

2009-10-06T19:49:00.006-04:00

Here is the 25-man roster for the Phillies versus the Rockies in the NLDS:

Starters: Carlos Ruiz, Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Pedro Feliz, Jimmy Rollins, Raul Ibanez, Shane Victorino, Jayson Werth

Bench: Paul Bako, Greg Dobbs, Miguel Cairo, Ben Francisco, Matt Stairs

Starting Rotation: Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels, *Joe Blanton, *JA Happ, *Pedro Martinez
*Currently in pen. Manuel will decide who his game 3/4 starters will be

Bull Pen: Brad Lidge, Ryan Madson, Brett Myers, Chad Durbin, Scott Eyre, Kyle Kendrick, Antonio Bastardo

Being left off the roster were Clay Condrey, Tyler Walker, and Eric Bruntlett. Taking their place was Kendrick, Bastardo, and Cairo.

Cair played real well at the end of the season (5-13 with a homer) to earn the spot over Bruntlett. Kendrick also pitched real well when the rosters were expanded to earn himself a spot as a long reliever. The interesting choice was Bastardo though it does make sense. Eyre is the only other lefty in the pen and this gives the Phillies another option. It also allows us to believe JA Happ may get the start in game 3, especially if the Rockies can't hit the lefties Lee and Hamels in the first two games.

As far as starting pitchers goes, Blanton, Happ, and Martinez were all placed in the pen to start the playoffs. Charlie Manuel will choose from those three guys who will be his game three and game four (if necessary) starters will be. Like I said in the previous paragraph, if Lee and Hamels shuts down the Rockies in games 1 and 2, Happ should be the likely candidate for game 3. If either or both fail, I could see Blanton and/or Martinez taking games 3 and/or 4.

NLDS Preview: #2 Phillies vs #4 Rockies

2009-10-06T12:40:00.009-04:00

This is it folks, October baseball is here. The Phillies have won their third straight NL East title and own the second best record in the National League. They will face the Colorado Rockies, the winners of the NL Wild Card because the #1 Dodgers can not face a division opponent in the first round.

The Phillies finished the regular season with the second best record in the NL at 93-69, one more win than last year's championship team. The Rockies were 92-70, three games behind the Dodgers in the West. The Phillies won the season series 4-2.

Random facts: Harry Kalas' last game he called was in Colorado when Matt Stairs hit a walk off homer back in April. JA Happ pitched a complete game shut out versus the Rockies back in August. The last time these teams met were in the 2007 NLDS when the Rockies swept the series 3-0 and went on to get swept in the World Series by the Red Sox. The Rockies are 74-42 since Jim Tracy took over for Clint Hurdle.

Schedule: (I'll update the probables when they are known)
Wed. 10/7; 2:37 PM - COL: Jimenez, U @ PHI: Lee, Cl
Thur. 10/8; 2:37 PM - COL: Cook, A @ PHI: Hamels
Sat. 10/10; 9:37 PM - PHI: TBA @ COL: Hammel
*Sun. 10/11; TBA - PHI: TBA @ COL: TBA
*Tues. 10/13; TBA - COL: TBA @ PHI: TBA
*if necessary

Teams by position:

1B: Todd Helton, at 36, is still one of the best hitting first basemen in baseball. He hit .325 on the season but saw his power numbers drop a bit, hitting only 15 homers and 86 RBI's. Ryan Howard is one of the best power hitters in the game. He led the majors with 141 RBI's and was second only to Albert Pujols in homers (45). He batted .279, 28 points higher than last years average.

2B: Clint Barmes isn't anything special for the Rockies but he did hit 23 homers. He doesn't compare at all to the Phillies best player and best two-bagger in the league, Chase Utley. Utley certainly is the man but Barmes can be a dangerous bat in the bottom of the order.

3B: Garrett Atkins and Ian Stewart both will see time at this position due to Stewart's poor batting average vs. lefties (.178). Pedro Feliz is one of the top fielding third basemen in the league and has had a career highs in hits, RBI's and OBP.

SS: Troy Tulowitzki is such an incredible athlete. He has also been probably their hottest player since August 1, batting .348 with 13 homers and 40 RBI's. He is also one of the best fielders in the game. Jimmy Rollins is a very similar player and is the catalyst to the Phillies offense.

OF: Dexter Fowler, Seth Smith, and Brad Hawpe are a very good and very reliable offensive outfield. Carlos Gonzalez will also get plenty of playing time for the Rockies. Hawpe has really cooled down since the break. Fowler is their lead off man and is the spark to their offense. Raul Ibanez, Shane Victorino, and Jayson Werth are all enjoying all star years. Victorino led the league in triple and is a very speedy CF who can track balls and throw out runners. Werth is having an amazing year in his first full year, hitting .268 with 36 homers, 98 runs, and 99 RBI's.

C: Yorvit Torrealba and Chris Ianetta could split time due to Ianetta's .296 average vs. lefties. Carlos Ruiz is one of the best defensive catchers in the game but his offense still sucks.

Rotation: This unit for Colorado is going to be without lefty Jorge de la Rosa, their leader in wins (16). Jason Marquis had a great start to the season but really tailed off down the stretch. Ubaldo Jimenez was already named the Rockies game 1 starter and Aaron Cook will go in game 2. The Phillies will look to Cliff Lee for game one and Cole Hamels for game 2. Both eat up innings and can throw a lot of pitches. They will be followed up by the consistent Joe Blanton, JA Happ, or the best big-game pitcher Pedro Martinez for games 3 and 4.

Bull Pen: Huston Street went 35-37 this year in saves, something the Phillies wished Brad Lidge would do (31-42). Jose Contreras, Matt Daley, and Rafael Battencourt will be the guys to set up Street. The Phillies pen is injury riddled and the closer role is a mystery. I wouldn't be surprised if Charlie Manuel sticks to his guns and closes with Lidge. He won't be hesitant to go to Ryan Madson or Brett Myers if Lidge can't get the job done. The pen will also be without JC Romero and Jamie Moyer for the season and Chan Ho Park for this series.

Manager: Jim Tracy replaced Clint Hurdle, who was fired early in the season. He rallied the Rockies and got them to where they are. Charlie Manuel has one ring under is belt and is looking to go for two. He kept this team together even when they were struggling. Be is the second manager to lead the Phillies to three straight division titles (Danny Ozark in 1976-78).

Lineups:
COL: Fowler, Gonzalez, Helton, Tulowitzki, Atkins, Torrealba, Hawpe, Barmes
PHI: Rollins, Victorino, Utley, Howard, Werth, Ibanez, Feliz, Ruiz

Series prediction: The Phillies are the better team but the Rockies are on fire. Should be a tight series; Phillies in 4.

Happ or Pedro?

2009-10-04T19:08:00.004-04:00

A huge decision the Phillies will have to make is who there 4th starter will be for the NLDS. It's down to JA Happ or Pedro Martinez. Here is a short list of positives for each player to consider:

Pedro (RHP):
-Has pitched will in September.
-Has been in the playoffs before and has the composure to pitch when it matters.
-He's 100% healthy.
-Will balance the playoff rotation with two lefties and two righties.

Happ (LHP):
-Has been the Phillies best pitcher since he became the starter.
-Colorado's line up features lefties.
-Earned a CG SHO in August versus Colorado.

It's Playoff Time

2009-10-04T17:51:00.011-04:00

Bring on the Colorado Rockies. The Phillies finished the season with a 93-69 record, one more win than last year's World Championship team. To make everyone feel better, Brad Lidge and Ryan Madson blew 17 saves combined. That probably could have given the Phillies at least 10 more wins but it's not something to dwell on.

The post season is where it really matters. Sure the Yankees flew into October with 103 wins but that won't amount to anything if they don't win the World Series. The same goes for the Phillies third straight division title. It's safe to say that the Phillies don't want to have another blue or white flag flying on their flag polls in center field as red is the color of victory here in Philadelphia.

2009 Regular Season Team Stats:

Runs scored: 840 (4th)

Total bases: 2493 (4th)

HR's: 224 (t2nd)

Batting average: .258 (24th)

ERA: 4.16 (8th)

Strikeouts: 1153 (11th)

Saves: 44 (9th)

Fielding %: .987 (5th)

Phillies leaders (league standings):

Runs scored: Utley - 112 (t4th)
Hits: Victorino 181 (21st)

RBI's: Howard - 141 (1st)
HR's: Howard - 45 (2nd)
Batting average: Victorino - .292

Stolen Bases: Rollins 31 (10th)
ERA (SP): Happ - 2.85 (9th)

ERA (RP): Condrey - 3.02

*Innings pitched: Blanton 193.1
*Strikeouts: Hamels - 168
Saves: Lidge - 31 (15th)

*Lee had more when combing his AL stats

Here is my 25-man roster that I feel should make the post season:

Starters: Ruiz, Howard, Utley, Feliz, Rollins, Ibanez, Victorino, Werth

Bench: Bako, Dobbs, Bruntlett, Cairo, Francisco, Stairs

Rotation: Lee, Blanton, Hamels, Martinez

Bull Pen: Lidge, Madson, Condrey, Durbin, Myers, Eyre, Happ

*Out for season*: Park, Romero, Moyer, Ennis

I will do a playoff preview tomorrow with the NLDS schedule and probables versus the Rockies. I will also post the final playoff roster when it's announced and compare both teams. I will also do a recap after every game.

I will fo a full season recap after the World Series. Whether the Phillies are in it or not, I will keep updated with the rest of the playoffs.

Phillies Ready For Playoffs?

2009-10-02T10:31:00.004-04:00

This past series was filled with frustration and relief. The Phillies managed to earn two wins versus the Houston Astros, who took the season series 6-2, and see Atlanta lose to Florida to lock up the NL East for the third straight year. The Phillies host Florida for three and get set for October baseball on Wednesday.

The hitting and pitching were again not in sync and the bull pen showed flashes of the brilliance it had last October but then showed the mediocrity and defeated look it had almost all year.

Injuries have killed this unit and it can hurt them in the playoffs. JC Romero's season is likely done and Jamie Moyer's is already finished. Chan Ho Park, who is rehabbing, just had another set back which could be season threatening as well. From Todd Zolecki's article:

Park left Thursday's instructional league game in Clearwater, Fla., after facing five hitters. Park had been instructed to notify the team's athletic trainers if he felt anything in his strained right hamstring and he did.

The Phillies announced after Thursday's 5-3 loss to the Astros that Romero still has symptoms in his strained left forearm. He will seek a second opinion from Dr. David Altchek in New York.

Charlie Manuel said he is leaning on bringing 12 pitchers to the first round of the playoffs with him. That means likely four starters and eight relievers. The relievers should include Clay Condrey, Brett Myers, Scott Eyre, Brad Lidge, Ryan Madson, Pedro Martinez/JA Happ, and one more if Romero and/or Park are finished. Chad Durbin and Tyler Walker will stand on in case they are needed.

12 pitchers means 13 hitters: Carlos Ruiz, Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Pedro Feliz, Jimmy Rollins, Raul Ibanez, Shane Victorino, Jayson Werth and the bench featuring Ben Francisco, Matt Stairs, Greg Dobbs, Paul Bako, and Eric Bruntlett.

Next Series: Florida Marlins (85-74; 42-36 on road) @ Philadelphia Phillies (92-67; 44-34 at home)

Pitching Probables:

Friday: FLA: VandenHurk (2-2, 4.44), PHI: Blanton (12-7, 3.95)

Saturday: FLA: Sanchez, A (3-8, 4.10), PHI: Hamels (10-10, 4.25)

Sunday: TBA

The probables are likely going to change because the Phillies might not want Cole Hamels pitching Saturday. The Marlins are playing for pride and the Phillies are only one game behind the Dodgers for the top seed and are on the verge of locking up at least the second seed.

Bruised and Battered

2009-10-01T18:13:00.003-04:00

The Phillies will enter the playoffs on different terms than last year. Last year they clawed their way to October and a world championship but this year they made it in with barely a challenge from divisional opponents. But they were challenged with something else: the injury bug.

The Phillies, especially the bull pen, have battled injuries all season and will have to continue to do so in the playoffs. Jamie Moyer was the most recent pitcher to fall victim as he will have season ending surgery to repair his groin and abdomen. He was hurt on Tuesday.

It is also made known that JC Romero's season will be over. I found on Twitter via The 700 Level. Hopefully the Phillies will be able to find two competent replacements for Moyer and Romero. Chan Ho Park is currently rehabbing and is eligible to be placed on the 25-man playoff roster.

Cliff Lee will pitch tonight which will set him up to pitch Game 1 of the NLDS most likely versus Colorado.

Photos From Last Night

2009-10-01T11:27:00.000-04:00

Photos courtesy of Yahoo! Sports.

Phillies Clinch 3rd Straight Division

2009-09-30T22:57:00.006-04:00

I decided to take a break from typing my paper due tomorrow. With the Phillies win over the Houston Astros, they clinched their third straight division title. This is the most consecutive division titles since the teams managed by the late Danny Ozark in 1976-78.

The Phillies offense exploded for 10 runs and Pedro Martinez, Kyle Kendrick, Chad Durbin, Scott Eyre, and Brad Lidge combined for the winning effort at pitcher. In the top of the 9th, Eyre retired the first two batters and then in a very classy and symbolic move by Charlie Manuel, Lidge was brought in and retired Lance Berkman to lock up the division.

Raul Ibanez hit his 34th home run of the season and Jimmy Rollins, Shane Victorino, and Pedro Feliz had a pair of hits each.

The Phillies magic number to clinch at least second place is at three versus the Cardinals and currently sit two game behind the Dodgers, who are playing now, for the top seed in the NL.

It was a night Harry Kalas would again been proud of. I bet he smiled down on Citizen's Bank Park tonight as the crowd sang "High Hopes," Chase Utley and Jayson Werth smoked cigars, and the team paid tribute to the "HK" banner in left field.

Let's win it for Harry and the City of Brotherly Love!

*I will post some video and pictures collected from the media and Youtube from the clinching game some time tomorrow or Friday.

Phils Earn Split; Eliminate Fish

2009-09-27T19:16:00.003-04:00

It was another rough series for the Phillies. It showed that they still have problems in the bull pen with Tyler Walker surrendering a walk off homer and Ryan Madson almost blowing a save today. The Phillies are still trying to find a reliable arm to finish off games.

One big problem has been pitching all together. The offense is providing enough pop for them to win (averaged six runs a game during the series) but the starting and relief pitching has given up the leads provided by the offense.

Thursday - Philles won 9-4: The Phillies offense exploded for six runs in the 5th inning, backing up JA Happ who went 5.2 innings and allowed two runs on two walks, six hits, and seven strike outs. Jimmy Rollins hit a three run homer and Ryan Howard and Pedro Feliz drove in a pair each.

Friday - Brewers won 8-4: Cliff Lee is starting to scare me. He's starting to look like the Cliff Lee in the beginning of the season. He got roughed up again, this time by Milwaukee. Howard was the only bright spot for the Phillies, driving in three runs.

Saturday - Brewers won 7-5: Kyle Kendrick and Jamie Moyer combined for eight innings and five runs. In the bottom of the ninth, Tyler Walker coughed up a two-run walk off homer to Ryan Braun. Howard and Paul Bako both homered for the Phils.

Sunday - Phillies won 6-5: Joe Blanton looked so good until the 6th where he surrendered four runs. He still earned the victory because the bull pen bailed him out (surprisingly). Ryan Madson earned his ninth save of the season in a nail biter.

Series MVP's:

Ryan Howard: 8-18, 3 runs, 2 doubles, HR, 7 RBI's

Jimmy Rollins: 6-19, 5 runs, double, 2 HR, 4 RBI's

Ryan Braun: 7-19, 3 runs, walk-off HR, 4 RBI's

Next Series: Houston Astros (72-83, 28-46 on road) @ Philadelphia Phillies (90-65, 42-32 at home)

Pitching Probables:

Monday: HOU: Bazardo (0-2, 9.55), PHI: Hamels (10-9, 4.11)
Tuesday: HOU: Lopez, W (0-0, 8.44), PHI: Happ (11-4, 2.79)

Wednesday: HOU: Moehler (8-11, 5.21), PHI: Lee, Cl (14-12, 3.19)

Thursday: HOU: Paulino, F (2-11, 6.51), PHI: Martinez, P (5-1, 3.32)

The Astros lead the series 4-0, surprisingly. We all remember that awful sweep that could have easily sealed the fate on the Phillies season but it didn't. Now it's the Phillies turn to earn some retribution and finish off the Braves. The Phillies magic number is now at three (the Braves are the only team left).

The Phillies are entering their final home stand with four versus Houston and then three versus Florida. They can clinch the division at home, a fitting end to the season. This will be the third straight year the Phillies won the division (the only other time it was done was from 1976-78).

The Phillies will win (I hope) and they will be crowned division champions in fron of the home crowd on Wednesday.

Sore Neck Scratches Pedro

2009-09-26T11:36:00.002-04:00

Pedro Martinez will not pitch tonight due to more stiffness in his neck. Kyle Kendrick (2-1, 2.70 ERA) will pitch in his place versus the Brewers.

Martinez pulled a muscle in his neck while swinging at a pitch in his last start versus the Braves. He threw Friday off flat ground, but felt he couldn't pitch today. He did say he would go if he had to but the Phillies aren't pressured by the Marlins and Braves so they opted to scratch him.

Four Games in Brew-Town

2009-09-24T11:38:00.003-04:00

Records: Phillies (88-63, 46-31 on road); Brewers (75-77, 38-39 at home)

Pitching Probables:
Thursday: PHI: Happ (10-4, 2.77), MIL: Suppan (7-10, 4.76)
Friday: PHI: Lee, Cl (14-11, 2.99), MIL: Parra, M (10-10, 6.42)
Saturday: PHI: Martinez, P (5-1, 3.32), MIL: Looper (13-7, 5.12)
Sunday: PHI: Blanton (11-7, 3.82), MIL: Bush (5-8, 6.22)

The Brewers lead the series 2-1. Currently the Phillies are trying to finish off the division while the Brewers, who are already eliminated, are trying to play for pride and a plus-.500 record. The Phillies are coming off a rough series loss to the Marlins so they are looking to right the ship and sail into the playoffs through Milwaukee. If things go right, the Phillies can clinch the division with three wins and at least two losses by both Florida (vs. NYM) and Atlanta (@ WAS).

There isn't much more to talk about in this series. The Brewers aren't in the playoff picture anymore and the Phillies are just trying to seal the deal. Phillies win three and move on to try and win the first seed.

Bad Time For Blown Saves

2009-09-24T09:10:00.004-04:00

*photo from "We Should Be GM's"

Brad Lidge was back to his usual self once again. While everyone is counting down the Phillies magic number (5 for Atlanta and 4 for Florida), I'm counting up for Lidge's blown save total. He is currently sitting at 11. That is absolute garbage. Some consider this the best Phillies team ever and he is holding them back.

He held them back again in their series loss to the Marlins. After crushing Florida in the first game and being shut out the second game on Tuesday, the offense provided them with enough runs to win the game and move one game closer to clinching the division but Ryan Madson and Lidge combined for three earned runs to give the Marlins the 7-6 win.

I have asked this question throughout the season and I will ask it again: what the hell are we going to do about Lidge and the closer role for the playoffs? Brett Myers is nursing a back injury and will be out another week. Scott Eyre, Chan Ho Park, and JC Romero are all looking at returns to the pen around the same time as Myers but like Brett, won't even be close to taking a role like closer.

Of the healthy choices, Madson sucks as a closer and that is all there is to it. Jamie Moyer does not have the stuff to be a closer, especially with an 82 MPH fastball and a 76-78 MPH change-up. Pedro Martinez could most likely be the fourth starter in the playoffs. JA Happ may actually be a great choice but he is also battling Martinez for the fourth rotation spot and will likely serve as a primary reliever if he is placed in the pen.

The term "Closer by committee" has been thrown around a lot after Lidge's poor display last night and I totally agree. Tyler Walker has earned a crack at the closer role and Clay Condrey could take a stab as well. Those two along with Martinez/Happ/Moyer, Park, and maybe Madson/Lidge could work together to take turns and finish this out.

It's all in the hands of Charlie Manuel who said this:

"Him and Madson, that's what we've got in the back of our bull pen. He was our closer last year and he'll be our closer now... You're supposed to win a majority of those games/ Exactly what percent I don't know but it's God damn high... "Those are our guys. That's what we've got. We'll stick with them... (Lidge) has to do it. Between him and Madson, they've got to do it, I should say. They've got to get it done."

Is Manuel tired of this crap? Certainly but he's relying on keeping Lidge in until he fixes his stuff. We remember the last time Manuel stood by Lidge: he yanked him with the bases loaded and let Lidge watch Madson get out of the jam. Manuel knows what he's doing (we hope) so it's all in his hands.

Phillies Magic #6

2009-09-21T19:23:00.008-04:00

I apologize for not having this up sooner. I went to the Dave Matthews Band concert last night and had school commitments this morning and afternoon. In brief, the Phillies took two from Atlanta, dropping their magic number to six. It was an odd series as JA Happ, Pedro Martinez, and Cliff Lee all saw shortened action for a variety of reasons.

Next Series: Philadelphia Phillies (87-61, 45-29 on road) @ Florida Marlins (80-70, 40-35 at home)

Pitching Probables:
Tuesday #1: PHI: Blanton (10-7, 3.97) vs. FLA: Johnson, Josh (15-4, 3.01)
Tuesday #2: PHI: Moyer (12-9, 5.05) vs. FLA: Sanchez, An (2-7, 4.50)
Wednesday: PHI: Hamels (10-9, 4.07); FLA: VandenHurk (2-2, 4.24)

The Phillies can very easily put the division away with a sweep of the Marlins and more falling by the Braves. With each win, the magic number decreases one and each loss by the Braves or Marlins sees the magic drop another game as well.

The Phillies lead the series 7-5 and after this three game series in Miami, they will play three more to finish the season back home. The Marlins need a sweep bad and the Phillies want to win their third straight division title since 1976-1978, their only other time doing it.

The Marlins are third in the NL in batting average while the Phillies are 10th. The Phillies are first in runs scored while Florida is fourth. As far as pitching goes, the Marlins are ninth in ERA and the Phillies are sixth.

The Phillies have held the slight season advantage and the Marlins seem to be pretty much out of this season. I expect at least two wins by the Phightin's.

BlueClaws Win SAL

2009-09-19T10:26:00.005-04:00

Your Lakewood BlueClaws are the 2009 South Atlantic League champions. This is their second championship in four years as they beat the Greenville Drive (Red Sox). Korey Noles was the winning pitcher in the clinching game as he went seven strong innings to bring the John H. Moss Cup back to Lakewood, NJ.

Lakewood held Kannapolis Intimidators (White Sox), which owned the league's best overall regular-season record, to two runs in a two-game sweep of the Northern Division finals, then limited Greenville to six runs over four games in the Championship Series.

The Single A team is led by one of the Phillies' other top OF prospects, Anthony Gose. He is their lead off man and spark for offense. In the first inning, he led off the game with a single, took second on a sacrifice, stole third, and then scored on a ground out. That sounds a lot like Jimmy Rollins.

There are quite a bit of notable Phillies who are alumni to this team. They include Cole Hamels, JA Happ, Ryan Howard, Kyle Kendrick, Carlos Ruiz, and Shane Victorino.

Injury Update

2009-09-18T23:00:00.002-04:00

There is a bunch of updates to be made with the Phillies injury list. First off, both JA Happ and Carlos Ruiz left tonight's game early. Happ re-aggravated his oblique strain and Ruiz sprained his wrist. Charlie Manuel said that Ruiz is fine but there is no word on Happ just yet though it's speculated it was just precautionary. Ryan Howard was also hit in the forearm with a pitch.

Here are a few tweets from Dave Murphey and Todd Zolecki:

Zo:
-Manuel said Ruiz should be OK and not miss much time.
-Happ said he was fine. Felt nothing. Feels nothing. He wanted to keep pitching.
-Ryan Howard said his right forearm is sore and stiff. Got hit in the same exact spot yesterday. Hopes to play tomorrow, but isn't sure.
Murphey:
-Happ said he didn't feel anything, tried to convince manuel to leave him in

Also Scott Eyre and JC Romero will throw bull pen sessions tomorrow.

Phillies Sweep Nationals; Magic Number at 10

2009-09-18T10:19:00.006-04:00

It's time to start the countdown. The Phillies magic number is now 10 after their sweeping of the worst team in baseball, Washington. The starting pitching all series was ridiculous, going 23 innings, and allowing only one run on 16 hits, 8 walks, and 26 strikeouts. The bull pen was just as good, only needing to pitch four innings, and surrendering only two runs. Brad Lidge even notched a save in Thursday's game.

Tuesday - Phillies won 5-0: Cliff Lee came in dealing as he notched a complete game shut out, striking out 10 and allowing six hits and a walk. The Phillies got all five of their runs in the first two innings. Carlos Ruiz had two doubles and three RBI's and Jayson Werth had three hits.

Wednesday - Phillies won 6-1: It was a low scoring, tight pitcher's duel until Washington decided to yank Livan Hernandez. Versus the third pitcher of the sixth inning and with the bases loaded, Jayson Werth blew the game wide open with a grand slam.

Thursday - Phillies won 4-2: Cole Hamels kept the trend of great pitching going with his eight-inning, one run effort and striking out ten. Hamels even had an RBI single in the sixth inning. Brad Lidge came on for his 30th save, allowing a run.

Series MVP's:

Cliff Lee: CG, SHO, 6 H, 1 BB, 10 K

Jayson Werth: 6-11, run, homer, 4 RBI's,

Cole Hamels: 8 IP, 1 R/ER, 5 H, 1 BB, 10 K

Next Series: Philadelphia Phillies (85-60, 43-28 on road) @ Atlanta Braves (78-68, 38-33 at home)

Pitching Probables:

Friday: PHI: Happ (10-4, 2.77), ATL: Hudson, T (1-0, 3.63)

Saturday: PHI: Martinez, P (5-0, 2.87), ATL: Vazquez, J (13-9, 3.01)

Sunday: PHI: Lee, Cl (14-11, 3.00), ATL: Hanson (10-3, 2.65)

Key Game: Friday's game will be pivitol for both teams. For the Braves, it will be a way to end the Phillies win streak and gain an early advantage in the series. For the Phillies, JA Happ is making his first start since September 2.

Braves lead the season series 9-6 but the Phillies have taken two of the last three. The Phillies are also red hot, winners of five straight and six of their last seven. The Braves are going to want to use the advantage they had on the Phillies all season to gain some ground in the division. This is their last series against the Phillies this year and they want to make it count.

The Braves will be putting up three of their better pitchers on the mound but so will the Phillies. Every game is expected to be low scoring and a pitcher's duel even though the Phillies do have one of the scariest offenses in the league and that is supported with them being first in runs scored in the NL and tenth in average. The Braves are sixth and fourth in those respective categories. The pitching has drastically improved for the Phillies as they are sixth in ERA while the Braves are third.

This is a huge series for both teams. This is a different Phillies team though. This is a team who knows what it's like to be the best and they won't let it up to the Braves. The Braves have nothing to lose so expect a very tough series for them. Phillies win two.

Phils Take Three In Final Mets Series

2009-09-14T09:51:00.005-04:00

This was the last series the Phillies would play versus the Mets and they made the most of it, winning three of four. Ryan Madson blew Saturday's game to prevent the sweep. Overall, the Phillies taking three from a poor team allowed them to keep pace in the NL East as the Marlins and Braves have not given up their fight. The magic number sits at 14.

Friday - Phillies won 4-2: Cole Hamels continued his dominant run as he went 6.2 innings, allowing a run on seven hits and a walk, striking out six. Shane Victorino had three doubles.

Saturday - Mets won 10-9: The Mets jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead but the Phillies scored big, being up 9-5 up to the eighth inning. Brett Myers surrendered three runs in that inning and then Madson gave up a two-out single and then a two-run homer to David Wright to blow the lead and eventually the game.

Sunday #1 - Phillies won 5-4: Ben Francisco and Victorino had home runs each and Kyle Kendrick pitched excellent in his first start since last year, going 7.1 innings and allowing two runs on seven hits and a walk, striking out three. Brad Lidge came in with a three run lead and allowed two, barely getting his 29th save.

Sunday #2 - Phillies won 1-0: Pedro Martinez pitched his finest outing as a Phillie, going eight innings for the first time in about three years. He allowed no runs, six hits, two walks, and struck out seven. The Phillies got the only run in the first when Jimmy Rollins scored off a Chase Utley single. Madson got the save.

Series MVP's:

Shane Victorino: 6-15, 2 runs, 3 doubles, HR, 2 RBI

Chase Utley: 5-13, 3 runs, 2 doubles, HR, 3 RBI

Pedro Martinez: 8 IP, 0 ER/R, 6 H, 2 BB, 7 K

Next Series: Washington Nationals (50-93, 21-50 on road) @ Philadelphia Phillies (82-60, 39-32 at home)

Pitching Probables:

Tuesday: WSH: Mock (3-7, 5.75), PHI: Lee, Cl (13-11, 3.13)

Wednesday: WSH: Hernandez, L (8-10, 5.30), PHI: Blanton (9-7, 4.11)
Thursday: WSH: Martin, J (4-4, 4.29), PHI: Hamels (9-9, 4.21)

Phillies lead the series 12-3 and this is the final match up between the two teams. The Nationals are the worst team in baseball and the Phillies have to use this series to pull away further in the division. There really is no key game to this series. Just beat the Nationals is all they need to focus on.

Washington has actually had a higher team batting average than the Phillies, sitting in 4th place in the NL while the Phillies are 10th. In the runs scored department, the Phillies have climbed to being only two runs shy of retaking their NL lead and the Nats are 7th. The Phillies pitching has been much better, resting at 7th in ERA while the Nats are last in the NL in ERA .

This should be a sweep and it will be a sweep. This is the time where the Phillies should not be worrying about their closer problems and just put teams away.

9th Inning Woes

2009-09-12T22:45:00.004-04:00

It seems that no matter who pitches in the ninth inning, the Phillies cannot close out baseball games. Brad Lidge has blown 10 saves this year and his supposed replacement, Ryan Madson, just blew his sixth save Saturday night versus the Mets.

With two outs and nobody on in the top of the ninth, Madson gave up a single to Fernando Tatis and then a two-run go ahead home run to David Wright, giving the Mets the 10-9 lead and victory. Madson is 1-3 with a 7.82 ERA and 7 saves in 13 save opportunities this season. Opponents have hit .352 against him.

My argument for Brett Myers came to a screeching hault as he put the Mets back in the game. He came in the eigth and only last a third of the inning, giving up a two-run bomb to Wright and another run that Chan Ho Park inherited.

So who does this leave us with? We're still waiting for JC Romero to get back so he could be a set up man and no one else in the pen has any good closer experience. The Phillies don't want to turn to a young arm in Andrew Carpenter to close. Lidge is a headcase, Madson and Park suck, and Myers isn't ready yet.

People, I am officially stumped. The only solution is for the offense to score a lot of runs and the starting pitching to go seven innings a game and not give up five runs a start. Cliff Lee needs to pitch better, JA Happ needs to get healthy, Joe Blanton needs to recover from that bad start the other day and Cole Hamels needs to maintain his dominance he's shown his past few starts.

Nats Recap, Mets Preview

2009-09-11T09:07:00.002-04:00

I am extremely busy this weekend and therefor can't put my normal effort into this post. I will just recap the Nats series in brief, give out my awards, and then preview the Mets series in brief. Sorry people.

Tuesday - Phillies won 5-3: Raul Ibanez hit two solo homers and Chase Utley, Jayson Werth, and Carlos Ruiz each had one.

Wednesday - Phillies won 6-5: Werth's two run homer in the eighth earned Cliff Lee his 13th win of the season.

Thursday - Phillies lost 8-7: Down 8-2 in the ninth, Matt Stairs snapped his 0-30 streak with a grand slam. With one out, the Phillies managed another run and had runners on first and third for Ryan Howard but he hit into a game ending double play.

Series MVP's:
Raul Ibanez: 5-13, 3 runs, 2 doubles, 2 homers, 3 RBI's
Jayson Werth: 4-12, 4 runs, 2 homers, 3 RBI's
Shane Victorino: 5-14, run, 2 doubles, RBI

Next Series: New York Mets (62-78, 26-42 on road) @ Philadelphia Phillies (79-59, 36-31 at home)

Pitching Probables:
Friday: NYM: Figueroa, N (2-4, 4.74), PHI: Hamels (8-9, 4.32)
Saturday: NYM: Pelfrey (10-10, 4.83), PHI: Moyer (12-9, 4.98)
Sunday #1: NYM: Maine (5-4, 4.52), PHI: Kendrick, K (0-1, 5.06)
Sunday #2: NYM: Redding (2-5, 5.78), PHI: Martinez, P (4-0, 3.64)

Four-Game Series. Phillies lead series 9-5.

Losing Streak Finally Over

2009-09-08T23:20:00.004-04:00

The Phillies used their version of small ball, five solo homers, to beat the Nationals 5-3. Raul Ibanez had two homers, and Chase Utley, Jayson Werth, and Carlos Ruiz had one. Even more interestingly is that with Ibanez's two and Utley's one, they gave the Phillies four 30-home run hitters, the 12th time in MLB history it has been done and the first time since the 2006 White Sox.

Also, Brad Lidge loaded the bases with one out with the 5-3 lead in the bottom of the ninth. Charlie Manuel, who stated the other day that "Lidge is out closer," walked out and yanked Lidge, putting in Ryan Madson. Mad Dog struck out Ryan Zimmerman and got Adam Dunn to ground out to end the game. I wonder if Madson or Brett Myers will close in the future or if Lidge will remain the closer.

Ass-tro Kicking

2009-09-07T17:24:00.010-04:00

This was one of the saddest displays I have ever seen by the Phillies, not including 1997-2002 only because expectations weren't that high. The Phillies are the road warriors! They killed teams on the road. The Astros are pitiful and can't win a stretch of games. So how does one of the best teams in baseball get swept by one of the worst?

The Phillies still can't do a thing with runners in scoring position and the bull pen doesn't know how to hold leads, especially blown save specialist Brad Lidge. I already wrote my rant on Brad Lidge so I don't feel like beating a dead horse.

The only bright spots in this series have been starting pitchers, Ryan Howard, and Brett Myers. The things to worry about include Cliff Lee's second bad start, RISP problems, and Brad Lidge.

Friday - Astros won 7-0: This was such a pathetic display. Lee got shelled for the second straight game and the offense just went blank. Carlos Ruiz managed to get three hits in the game.

Saturday - Astros won 5-4: Ryan Howard continues to play hard for this team as we had a triple and an RBI. Joe Blanton pitched well enough for the win but Brad Lidge thought that game would be a good time to blow his 10th save. With the bases loaded, Kaz Matsui hit a two run single in the bottom of the ninth to win.

Sunday - Astros won 4-3: Oh Cole Hamels, you were pitching so well until the 5th inning. Hamels got whacked around in the 5th and the Phillies couldn't recover. They got runs on three solo homers by Jimmy Rollins, Ben Francisco, and Jayson Werth.

Monday - Astros won 4-3: Another lead given up by the bull pen as Chan Ho Park was the next culprit. JA Happ was scratched with an oblique strain so Jamie Moyer got the start. Moyer pitched well in his first start in about a month but Park lost the lead in the 7th. Howard and Raul Ibanez went back-to-back in the fourth to originally give the Phillies the 3-2 lead.

Series MVP's: despite the sweep, only two Phillies deserved recognition for their good play.

Ryan Howard - 5-15, 2 R, triple, homer, 3 RBI

Jamie Moyer - 2 appearances, one start, 9 IP, 4 H, 3 R/ER, 2 BB, 6 K

Next Series: Philadelphia Phillies (77-58, 41-27 on road) @ Washington Nationals (47-90, 28-41 at home)

Pitching Probables:

Tuesday - PHI: Martinez, P (3-0, 3.52), WSH: Lannan (8-10, 4.09)

Wednesday - PHI: Lee, Cl (12-11, 3.06), WSH: Mock (3-7, 5.63)

Thursday - PHI: Blanton (9-6, 3.80), WSH: Hernandez (7-10, 5.44)

Phillies lead the series 10-2. The Nationals are the worst team in baseball and anything similar to what happened in Houston would be absolutely pathetic. There really is no key game to this series as they are all key. The Phillies need to get out of this four-game skid, especially versus the lowly Nats.

Washington has actually had a higher team batting average than the Phillies, sitting in 6th place in the NL while the Phillies are 11th. As far as runs scored, the Phillies terrible display of offense has dropped them well behind Colorado in the NL as the Nats sit in 8th.

The Phillies are the better team but with their recent skid of losing five of their last six and only scoring 23 runs in their last 11 games. I hope they sweep the Nationals to get them out of this offensive funk. We shall see.

Happ Scratched, Moyer Starting

2009-09-07T12:39:00.005-04:00

Todd Zolecki via Twitter:

LHP J.A. Happ has been scratched from today's start with a mild strain of his right oblique. Jamie Moyer gets the nod.

This is wonderful news. I guess being swept by Houston is the only thing the Phillies fans can count on.

Moyer has looked impressive though in his three relief stints. He's tossed 13.1 innings and allowed only two runs, striking out 12.

Bad Lidge

2009-09-06T13:46:00.004-04:00

Brad Lidge has been awful and we all know this. I've called about a month ago that Lidge should be replaced by not only a healthy Brett Myers but in the middle to late September, a few weeks after Myers was scheduled to return.

Well with no set backs in his rehab where Myers actually impressed and looked sharp, he returned with the Phillies, joining them in Houston on Friday. He pitched his first inning in relief since 2007 on Saturday and made his first appearance since May.

Myers walked his first batter, got the next to fly out, got help from Carlos Ruiz as he threw out a base stealer, and then got another fly out. His fastball hit 94 MPH and his breaking ball was starting to find it's place. He earned a hold as Lidge came in the ninth to blow the game and lose.

After a few more appearances, Myers should be fully capable to take Lidge's spot as closer if he blows a couple more saves or struggles in relief. This will both help the Phillies win games, send a message to Lidge to straighten up, and also give Myers the opportunity to petition to be re-signed in the offseason.

I am in no way hoping Lidge to struggle so Myers gets a chance. I just Myers to be given a chance with the big lead they still have so they aren't screwing up what they have in a tight race. I say give Lidge another week or a few appearances and go from there. He's on a very short leash in my eyes and needs to either figure himself out or let someone else help this team. Jamie Moyer swallowed his pride so Lidge should too.

Pitchers Dominate Series

2009-09-03T21:16:00.005-04:00

The bats of the Phillies came alive at very precise moments to provide a very low-scoring series win. In fact, the Phillies won the series 2-1 despite being outscored 5-3 by the Giants. It was a quick series too as the games lasted 2:20, 2:36, and 2:08 respectively.

Tuesday - Phillies won 1-0: The Phillies got all the offense it needed from Ryan Howard's RBI double in the 4th as Cole Hamels pitched a complete game shut out. In nine innings, Hamels struck out nine, allowing only two hits and a walk.

Wednesday - Giants won 4-0: JA Happ got whacked around a bit and the Phillies offense made Brad Penny look like an ace. Happ gave up all four runs on eight hits and a walk, striking out seven in six innings. Penny threw eight shut out innings, surrendering five hits and a walk.

Thursday - Phillies won 2-1: Pedro Martinez looked ten years younger as he threw seven innings of one-run ball after giving up a first pitch homer to start the game. He struck out nine batters and only threw 87 pitches. He got support from Jayson Werth's monster blast in the second and then from Howard's RBI double in the sixth.

Series MVP's:

Cole Hamels: CG, 0 R/ER, 2 H, 1 BB, 9 K

Ryan Howard: 4-11, 3 doubles, 2 RBI's, 2 GW hits

Pedro Martinez: 7 IP, 1 R/ER, 5 H, 0 BB, 9 K

Next Series: Philadelphia Phillies (77-54, 41-23 on road) @ Houston Astros (63-70, 35-30 at home)

Pitching Probables:

Friday: PHI: Lee, Cl (12-10, 2.83), HOU: Rodriguez, W (12-9, 2.93)

Saturday: PHI: Blanton (9-6, 3.77), HOU: Oswalt (8-5, 3.80)

Sunday: PHI: Hamels (8-8, 4.26), HOU: Norris (3-3, 6.61)

Monday: PHI: Happ (10-4, 2.77), HOU: Moehler (8-10, 5.11)

Key Game:

The Phillies need to establish their dominance in this series early. Friday's game is key because it is Cliff Lee's first start since getting burned against the Braves. He will look to feast on a weak Astros offense.

This is the first match ups between the two teams. It will be a four-game series which is actually good for the Phillies since they are road warriors. The Astros are pretty much out of this season so the Phillies can easily kick this team while they are down.

The Astros are a poor team all around. Offensively they are 5th in average and 12th in scoring in the NL while the Phillies are 11th and 2nd. The drop from 1st to 2nd is due to the Phillies lack of scoring their past 7 games. Pitching has really stepped up for the Phillies as they are 7th in ERA while Houston is 12th.

This should be a series win for the Phillies as they see their magic number drop fast. They have their four best pitchers going versus Houston as they get set for a good September heading into the playoffs. Phillies take three and score big in atleast two games.

Myers Is Back!

2009-09-03T16:41:00.003-04:00

Great news brought to us by Todd Zolecki via Twitter:

Brett Myers will be activated tomorrow in Houston. Expected to start pitching in the 6th and 7th innings.

This is great for the Phillies bull pen who get a huge boost from a good pitcher. Myers has pitched in relief in 2007 while going 5-5 with a 2.87 ERA and saving 21/24 games.

In six appearances and eight innings of minor league work, Myers has a 1.12 ERA and 14 strike outs, allowing a run on four hits and two walks.

Pending on how well Myers pitches well and if Brad Lidge continues to belly flop will determine who the play off closer will be. Whoever it is, he sure as hell better not blow a game.

Phillies Call Up Hoover

2009-09-03T13:44:00.003-04:00

I know I should know but who the hell is Paul Hoover? Well whoever he is, he was called up to be put on the Phillies 40-man roster to finish the season. To make room for him, catcher Joe Naughten was designated for assignment.

Hoover, 33, is a catcher. He batted .253 with a homer for Lehigh. He has a career ML average of .230 but has never hit a major league homer. I doubt he will see much time at all.

RISP Problems

2009-09-02T21:56:00.004-04:00

The Phillies have been absolutely atrocious with runners on second and/or third. Since July 26, they're batting .211 with runners in scoring position. Tonight's 0-5 effort with RISP during their 4-0 loss San Francisco added to that lack of effort.

Their lack of offense with these opportunities is the reason the Phillies have only scored 11 runs in their last six games. Thank God the starting pitching and bull pen have been bailing them out when it's usually the other way around. They luckily are 20-14 in that span but it is unacceptable that they have had to rely on their starters to squeak out wins.

Charlie Manuel had this to say:

"They know," Manuel said. "They definitely know when they don't knock somebody in from third. I played 20 years. I knew every time I didn't get somebody in from third. And if they don't know, please come and see me."

How do you fix this problem though? Do you shake up the line up again? Jayson Werth has cooled off and so had Ryan Howard. Shane Victorino isn't getting anything going and hasn't had a multi-hit game since August 19. And here is the kicker: Raul Ibanez batted .193 in August with one homer and four RBI's and only six extra base hits.

At this stage in the season, tweaking the line up is not an option. Like all year, the Phillies will need to swing out of their slump and if they don't, they could be cooling down at the wrong time and get bounced early in the playoffs.

Roster Moves

2009-09-01T13:05:00.004-04:00

A day after the Phillies purchased injured pitcher John Ennis, the Phillies called up Jack Taschner to the bull pen. He's 1-1 with a 5.20 ERA in 21 appearances before he was previously designated for assignment two months ago. He went 0-2 with two saves and a 2.08 ERA and a .213 OBA with Triple A Lehigh Valley.

Ennis is recovering from Tommy John surgery. After the Phillies bought him, they placed him on the 15 day DL because any player on the 25 man roster or DL by August 31 can be eligible for the playoffs. They're hoping Ennis can pitch by then if they want. The Phillies have 31 players eligible which include the six on the DL: Brett Myers, J.C. Romero, Clay Condrey, Greg Dobbs, Antonio Bastardo and Ennis.

Drabek Shut Down

2009-08-31T16:25:00.003-04:00

Phillies top pitching prospect Kyle Drabek was placed on the inactive list yesterday. He isn't hurt but reached his innings max, throwing 158 innings this year in Double A Reading and Single A Clearwater. He was also 12-3 with a 3.19 ERA for both teams combined. He is not scheduled to pitch in either the Arizona Fall League or the Florida Instructional League either.

This is smart because he is recovering from Tommy John surgery in 2007. They don't want to risk hurting him. He will see his time next year with Reading and hopefully Lehigh. If he develops well enough, he may see time on the Phillies 40-man roster late next season.

Phillies Gain Ground

2009-08-30T23:48:00.006-04:00

The Phightin's came up with a huge series win on Atlanta tonight, expanding their division lead to eight games on both the Braves and Fish. This series showed how human Cliff Lee can be and how effective Pedro Martinez and Jamie Moyer are in the same game. This gives the Phillies more depth in the bull pen as the "two old goats" could see time there in the playoffs.

Friday - Phillies won 4-2: Ryan Howard had two homers and drove in all four runs. It was another rain delayed game so the Pedro-Moyer connections pitched 6.1 innings allowing a run on five hits and striking out six. Moyer earned the win and Brad Lidge notched his 26th save.

Saturday - Braves won 9-1: Lee came back down to earth as he got rocked by Atlanta for six runs on three long balls. He lasted five innings, striking out five. Chase Utley hit a homer in the first and that was it for the scoring.

Sunday - Phillies won 3-2: Big Joe Blanton got some run support in the seventh off of Carlos Ruiz's two run double. Blanton tossed seven innings, allowing a run on three hits and four walks, striking out seven. Brad Lidge pitched a 1-2-3- ninth for his 27th save.

Series MVP's:

Ryan Howard: 6-11, 2 R, 2B, 2 HR, 3 RBI

Chase Utley: 5-12, 3 R, 2 HR, 2 RBI

Brad Lidge: 2 IP, 2 K, 2 Saves (this is impressive the way he's played all year)

Next Series: San Francisco Giants (72-59, 28-38) @ Philadelphia Phillies (75-53, 34-30 at home)

Pitching Probables:

Tuesday: SF: Sanchez, J (6-10, 4.27), PHI: Hamels (7-8, 4.52)

Wednesday: SF: Lincecum (13-4, 2.33), PHI: Happ (10-3, 2.63)

Thursday: SF: Zito (9-11, 3.94), PHI: Martinez, P (2-0, 4.50)

Key Game: Wednesday's game is going to feature NL Rookie of the Year candidate JA Happ versus last year's NL Cy Young winner and candidate for this year, Tim Lincecum. Both pitchers have been tops on their teams and are in the top five in ERA in the NL. Lincecum pitched eight scoreless as the Giants shut out the Phillies on August 1. Happ hasn't face San Fran this year.

The Giants lead the series 3-1 after dominance in their own park. Well the Giants aren't that hot on the road and the Phillies have been good in their own park as of late. This should be a very interesting series as the Giants are in a heated Wild Card race with the Rockies.

The Giants are not an offensive powerhouse like the Phillies. They're ninth in the NL in average and 13th in runs scored. They are also 16th in homers. The Phillies are first in runs scored and homers and 11th in average. Pitching is the other way around as the Giants are second in ERA while the Phillies are eighth.

The Phillies are very capable of winning this series as they only have to face Lincecum and not Matt Cain as well. If the bats can wake up a bit, they should be able to win this series to keep pace in the NL east. Phillies will take two this series.

Just Call Him the Rain Man

2009-08-29T11:02:00.005-04:00

Jamie Moyer has found a new home in his long relief role. Yes Chan Ho Park is still the innings guy but Moyer as excelled this year in his two roles post-rain delay. Grampa Jamie is now officially "The Rain Man."

In his two appearances since being demoted to the bull pen, Moyer has gone 10.1 innings and has allowed one run on six hits and no walks, striking out 1o. His first appearance came versus Arizona where he pitched six scoreless innings to complete the game and earning the win. His second came last night versus Atlanta where he again recorded the win. Both times were when Pedro Martinez started.

Moyer has seemed to have embraced his new role after he was publicly displeased with the Phillies decision to put him in the pen. He isn't acting like Jon Lieber, who would pitch like crap about five years ago when he was dumped to the pen. Moyer is a professional and loves the game and sees any opportunity to pitch and help this team as a blessing.

Before Moyer's demotion and Martinez's call up, I figured the Phillies could get 7-8 effective innings if they combined the two pitchers. It doesn't have to be in a rain delay situation. As Martinez starts to fatigue, you can warm up Moyer. If you add in Martinez's stats to Moyer's two appearances, you get these Cliff Lee-like numbers: 15.1 IP, 2 R/ER, 9 H, 1 BB, 14 K in two starts. That's an ERA below 2.00 and a WHIP at around 0.67

Pedro-Moyer is shutting down opponents because of their two different styles of pitching. Martinez throws in the mid to high 80's and uses a slider in the low 80's and a change up that hits around 75. Moyer throws around 81 with a change up around the same speed as Martinez's. This makes their fast balls and Pedro's slider more effective. It also prevents them from wearing down as much, especially because Martinez is 37 and Moyer is 47.

"You never know what you'll get when you put two old goats out there," Martinez said following a 5-1 victory over the D'Backs on August 18. "It's a scary combination. You're not going to see that very often. You might as well enjoy it. I enjoyed it."

Plundered By Pirates

2009-08-28T10:12:00.004-04:00

After exploding versus the Mets, the offense basically died down minus a few spurts versus Pittsburgh. Another problem that needs to be corrected before the season ends is the bull pen. Brad Lidge blew another save in the first game and Ryan Madson even followed that up with one the next game, erasing a great start by Cole Hamels.

Tuesday - Pirates won 6-4: After being down 3-2, the Phillies offense exploded to take a 4-3 lead. All Lidge has to do is get three outs, right? Should be an easy task. Not for him as he gave up a hit, an error by Jayson Werth that allowed the tying run to score and then a two-run walk off home run by Andrew McCutchen to end it.

Wednesday - Phillies won 4-1: Hamels went eight shut out innings, allowing seven hits and a pair of walks, striking out seven. Madson came in for the save and gave up a home run. Ryan Howard saved the game with a three run blast. Chase Utley had a homer in the first.

Thursday - Pirates won 3-2: JA Happ pitched a rare complete game loss as he went eight innings. He had the lead all the way until the eighth when he surrendered a two run homer to Garret Jones. He still pitched well, allowing three runs on seven hits and two walks. He also struck out four. Paul Bako hit his second homer of the year.

Next Series: Atlanta Braves (67-60, 32-30 on road) @ Philadelphia Phillies (73-52, 33-29 at home)

Braves lead the series 8-4. The Braves are still seven games back from the Phillies and they know they need to sweep to get back in this. The Phillies are streaky and want to avoid that scenario as much as possible. They will have Cliff Lee on the mound during the series and he has shown no signs of being beatable yet.

On the offensive side, the Braves have a tendency to get guys on base but not get them home. They are third in the NL in batting average but only seventh in runs scored. The Phillies have the opposite problem as they lead the league in scoring. Atlanta is fourth in pitching ERA while the Phillies are improving, moving up to sixth.

The match ups at pitcher favor the Phillies despite the first game. Pedro Martinez has shown some bright spots but he isn't much of a difference than Jamie Moyer. Both teams need to win this series but the Braves need a sweep more, a much more difficult task. Phillies will bounce back to win the series.

Pitching Probables:

Friday: ATL: Hanson (9-2, 3.12), PHI: Martinez, P (2-0, 5.14)

Saturday: ATL: Lowe, D (12-8, 4.48), PHI: Lee, Cl (12-9, 2.63)

Sunday: ATL: Jurrjens (10-8, 2.91), PHI: Blanton (8-6, 3.88)

What To Do With Lidge

2009-08-26T11:32:00.004-04:00

If you think Cole Hamels is pitching like crap, just look deep in the bull pen and you will see another 2008 monster leaving you scratching your head. We know what Hamels' problems are and it's the fact that he is lazy and hasn't had to be challenged all year. He'll be fine in October.

Now back to the problem. Brad Lidge has been absolutely terrible. He was Mr. Perfect. He went 41/41 in the season and 7/7 in the playoffs. This year, Lidge has looked more like Billy Wagner of 2008. In 53 appearances and 46.2 innings, Lidge has blown nine saves and boasts an ERA of 7.33 and a WHIP of 1.80.

Last night was just another example of his wheels falling off his bus. After the Phillies fought back to take a 4-3 lead in the top of the ninth, Lidge surrenders a hit and an error allows the tying run to score. Then he gets rattled so bad that he gave up a two-run walk-off homer to a rookie who doesn't hit for power.

So what do we do with Lidge? Before you think it, you can not put him in the minors unless he is injured. There is a waivers system and he can get picked up. Now he does have knee problems but he is unwilling to admit that he is hurt.

You also have guys in your system as options. Ryan Madson tried his hand at closing earlier this year and failed at it, blowing a pair of saves and took a while to shake the nerves when Lidge came back. You also have Chan Ho Park, who has been their best reliever but you don't want to move him from his comfortable role as long reliever. Newly demoted Jamie Moyer? Not if you want to see 81 MPH fastballs leave the yard. A healthy Romero? See Park.

So what does that leave us with then? Well with a hungry Brett Myers rehabbing in the minors, he looks to be ready by mid-September. He will most likely bolster the bull pen and I can really see him closing games in the playoffs.

Here is why:
He's in his contract year and if teams see him come back with fire in his belly, they will show interest in him. He could also try to impress the Phillies as with his return next year, they could have the best rotation in baseball. Imagine Cliff Lee, Hamels, Joe Blanton, JA Happ, and Myers in a 5-man rotation.

Another reason why Myers could close is how well he pitched in 2007 as a closer. He went 5-5 with a 2.87 ERA. He saved 21/24 games including the game where the Phillies clinched their first division title and playoff appearance in 14 years.

Myers has the mentality to be an effective closer. He also has the stuff. His fastball is hitting the low-mid 90's and he has a really good curveball, more effective than Lidge's current slider. Move Lidge to a different spot in the pen or DL him for the season while Myers takes the reigns and helps this team repeat. Lidge will only hinder this team in the long run. We love you Lidgey-poo but not this year.

Werth Player of Week

2009-08-25T18:03:00.002-04:00

Jayson Werth was recently named the NL Player of the Week for his outstanding play.

Werth led the Majors with five home runs and 29 total bases. He hit .440 (11-for-25) and led the NL with a 1.160 slugging percentage. He also tied for the league lead with nine RBIs while scoring seven runs and collecting three doubles to go along with a .481 on-base percentage.

He will be getting a well deserved day off tonight as the Phillies take on the Pirates. Matt Stairs will play in his place and bat seventh.

New York Invasion

2009-08-24T17:55:00.009-04:00

The Phillies and their fans invaded Queens this past weekend, including the Phillies Nation bus trip on Saturday where a fight was shown in their section by Comcast. After dropping the first game thanks to some poor pitching by Cole Hamels, the Phillies bats exploded as they handled the Mets to win three of four games during the series.

Thankfully Hamels has been the worst pitcher of the four who will make up the playoff rotation. He will pick his game back up when he's needed in the clutch. He hasn't been pressured all year due to a lack of competition in the division so I am confident he will be fine come October.

This series saw some great pitching, a lot of errors, a lot of pop from the Phillies line up, and even an unassisted triple play to end Sunday's game by Eric Bruntlett. Pedro Martinez earned a win in his home coming to New York and even tallied a hit.

Friday - Mets won 4-2: Hamels lasted five innings and got the loss as he surrendered four runs on 10 hits. He allowed a home run to Jeff Francoeur, who had a pretty good series versus the Phillies. Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, and Ryan Howard had two hits apiece for the Phillies.

Saturday - Phillies won 4-1: After Tim Redding dominated the Phillies, he was pulled due to a pitch count. Chase Utley capitalized with a two-run homer that gave the Phillies the lead for good. Brad Lidge earned his 24th save.

Sunday - Phillies won 9-7: This was one crazy game. After the Phillies jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the first thanks to three homers by Jayson Werth and Carlos Ruiz, the Mets answered back. Martinez pitched six solid innings as the Mets stayed in it the whole game. In the bottom of the ninth with a 9-7 score and no outs, Francoeur hit a line drive with runners on first and second to Bruntlett who caught the ball, stepped on second, and tagged out Daniel Murphy for the game ending unassisted triple play. Lidge earned his 25th save.

Monday - Phillies won 6-2: There was no drama in this game but plenty of errors. The Phillies and Mets combined for five errors in the game. Cliff Lee pitched very well despite giving up two runs, none earned. He went seven innings and allowed six hits and struck out five.

Series MVP's:
Ryan Howard: 5-19, 4 R, 2 HR, 6 RBI
Chase Utley: 5-12, 4 R, 2B, HR, 2 RBI
Eric Bruntlett: 4-9, R, unassisted triple play

Next Series: Philadelphia Phillies (72-50, 40-21 on road) @ Pittsburgh Pirates (51-71, 33-28 at home)

Phillies lead series 3-0. This series is almost as predictable as the last. The Pirates will be seeing a Phillies offense that has just caught fire again. If they keep up this tear, this can be a very easy three wins as the Phillies look to expand on their seven and eight game leads on Atlanta and Florida respectively.

The Pirates offense is at a low as it is 12th in average and 13th in runs scored in the NL. The Phillies are 11th in average but climbing while they sit on top of the NL in scoring. As far as pitching, the Phillies ERA has dropped some more as they now sit sixth in the NL while the Pirates are 13th.

This should be another easy series for the Phillies as they find themselves in a race with Los Angeles for the top seed in the NL. Sports Illustrated still thinks the Dodgers are the best team in baseball and the way they Phillies are playing, they are proving them otherwise. I expect a sweep of the Pirates as the Phillies get set to come home versus Atlanta.

Pitching Probables:

Tuesday: PHI: Blanton (8-6, 3.86), PIT: Ohlendorf (11-8, 4.15)

Wednesday: PHI: Hamels (7-8, 4.78), PIT: Maholm (7-7, 4.74)

Thursday: PHI: Happ (10-2, 2.59), PIT: Morton (3-6, 5.21)

News 8/24

2009-08-24T11:26:00.003-04:00

Dobbs on DL: article

The Phillies had placed Greg Dobbs on the 15-day DL yesterday with a right calf injury. He will be replaced by Miguel Cairo. Cairo is back on the Phillies since being optioned back in May.

I was going to post this yesterday but was busy all day.

Myers to Rehab Today: article

Brett Myers will make his first rehab start today with Lakewood. He was originally scheduled to pitch yesterday but the game was rained out. He made one appearance with Clearwater, striking out the side and allowing two hits.

Turning Three

2009-08-24T10:19:00.003-04:00

Eric Bruntlett's unassisted triple play was something to witness. After being robbed of a base hit in the eighth by Jeff Francoeur, Bruntlett returned the favor, snaring Francoeur's no-out line drive up the middle, stepping on second, and tagging Daniel Murphy for the unassisted triple play to win the game for the Phillies.

It has been that kind of year for the Mets as that was the third time this year they lost on the last play. The other two times were a throwing error that allowed a run to score early in the season and a dropped pop-up by Louis Castillo versus the Yankees that allowed the tying and winning run to cross the plate.

How special was Bruntlett's turn? It is just the 14th unassisted triple play in the regular season in baseball history. It is just the second unassisted triple play to end a game as the only other time happened in 1927. The last Phillie to repeat such a feat was Micky Morandini in 1992.

From Todd Zolecki's article on MLB.com:

"It's hard to know how to react to it," Bruntlett said. "I was almost laughing. That doesn't happen. What do you do there? Game is over. High fives."

Thank God For Pitch Counts

2009-08-23T13:10:00.004-04:00

The Mets thankfully had Tim Redding on a pitch count or else the Phillies probably would have never had that sixth inning. The Mets took Redding out after five innings of one-hit shut out ball. They bring in Pat Misch who give walked Shane Victorino and then gave up a homer to Chase Utley. That right field short-porch in Citi Field has become Utley's Alley as he has killed the Mets there all year.

The Phillies tacked on another run in that inning with back-to-back doubles by Raul Ibanez and Pedro Feliz and then got another off of Carlos Ruiz's RBI single in the eighth to make a final score of 4-1.

JA Happ earned the win, going seven innings and allowing one run on eight hits and two walks. He got himself in and out of trouble as game as he stranded seven runners. Brad Lidge pitched a 1-2-3 ninth with two strike outs to earn his 24th save.

Oh the wedding was nice by the way but I wound up watching the entire game inside where it was air conditioned.

No Updates Until Sunday

2009-08-22T09:27:00.001-04:00

I'll be trapped in Harrisburg, PA at a wedding. I hate weddings. I won't be updating and barely tweeting for the next 24-32 hours so enjoy watching the Phillies... I hope. I'm leaving in a half hour.

By the way, Cole Hamels sucks.

Myers Pitches

2009-08-21T09:04:00.002-04:00

Brett Myers made his first rehab appearance on Thursday with Class A Clearwater, pitching one inning and allowed two singles and struck out the side. This was his first pitching appearance since he pitched with the Phillies back on May 27. He was scheduled to pitch last Sunday but was scratched due to an odd span of injuries.

Here are the two articles related to the injuries:
http://team2beat.blogspot.com/2009/08/myers-falls-on-face.html
http://team2beat.blogspot.com/2009/08/myers-police-say-he-wasnt-in-fight.html

Bringing the Broom Sticks and Boom Sticks

2009-08-20T22:12:00.007-04:00

The Phillies did a little cleaning as the swept the Diamondbacks to continue their tear and keep a hold of the NL East lead. The Phillies starting pitching continued to mow down opponents and the bats have awoken from their sleep. Phillies pitchers did not surrender a walk all series and also had six hits, two apiece for Jamie Moyer, Cliff Lee, and Joe Blanton.

Tuesday - Phillies won 5-1: Pedro Martinez got the start and pitched three good innings and then the clouds opened up. Moyer got the ball and pitched six scoreless, allowing only two walks. "You never know what you'll get when you put two old goats out there," said Martinez.

Wednesday - Phillies won 8-1: Lee pitched a complete game, allowing two hits and an unearned run and struck out 11. Jayson Werth hit two homers and Ryan Howard and Chase Utley each hit a long ball.

Thursday - Phillies won 12-3: Blanton pitched another quality start as he went eight innings, allowing three runs on 10 hits. He struck out four. Howard, Werth, and Carlos Ruiz all went deep.

Series MVP's:

Cliff Lee - CG, R, 0 ER, 2 H, 11 K's; Batting: 2-4, run scored

Jayson Werth - 7-12, 6 R, 2B, 4 HR, 6 RBI

Jamie Moyer - 6 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 5 K's; Batting: 2-3

Next Series: Philadelphia Phillies (69-49; 37-20 on road) @ New York Mets (56-65; 33-29 at home)

Meet the lowly Mets. The Phillies lead the series 6-4 and should be able to really take control after this four-game series. The Phillies have won eight of their last nine as well. The Mets are continuing on their downward spiral as they sit 14.5 games behind the Phillies.

If you look at the Mets line up, you will scratch your head at the names in it. No David Wright, Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran, or Carlos Delgado. They will also get to miss Johan Santana as he pitched Thursday, earning a quality start but a loss thanks to no offense.

The Phillies are first in the NL in runs scored while in 11th in team batting average. The Mets are actually second in NL batting average but are 11th in scoring. The Phillies are climbing in pitching, sitting eighth in ERA while the Mets are 11th.

This should be a cake series for the Phillies. They will win atleast three of four or possible sweep. Winning this series will give them a lot of room to work with while the Marlins and Braves struggle to keep up.

Pitching Probables:

Friday: PHI: Hamels (7-7, 4.69), NYM: Pelfrey (8-8, 4.75)

Saturday: PHI: Happ (9-2, 2.66), NYM: Redding (1-4, 6.53)

Sunday: PHI: Martinez, P (1-0, 4.50), NYM: Perez, O (3-3, 6.06)

Monday: PHI: Lee, Cl (11-9, 2.72), NYM: Parnell (3-5, 4.74)

The Incredible Cliff Lee

2009-08-20T09:10:00.006-04:00

I knew the Cliff Lee trade was a brilliant move but I wasn't fully impressed yet. Sure he tore it up his first three games and I got to see it on TV but my perception changed last night.

I went to the Phillies game last night, my eighth of the season, and I was lucky enough to see Lee pitch live. That changed everything. He worked fast, efficient, and got the job done as the Phillies won 8-1 over Arizona. The game was over in two and a half hours. He had a perfect game through three and lost the no-hitter in the sixth with one out to a pinch hitter. He only allowed one more hit after that as he struck out 11 batters, giving up one run and two hits to earn his fourth win as a Phillie.

He does something else that you would expect from an ace: get the crowd behind him. My heart was pounding watching him pitch. I was on the edge of my seat with every strike. After he gave up that first hit, the place stood up and applauded. It was crazy. The crowd was basically telling him "Okay, that was pretty cool. Now go after these guys and finish the job."

He has been scary his four starts as a Phillie. He's 4-0 with a 0.82 ERA. He has allowed only 18 hits and six walks in 33 innings and has struck out 34. His opponents batting average is .161. If anyone is still crying that the Phillies didn't trade for Roy Halladay, you're a lost cause.

From Todd Zolecki's article:

"He's a for-real ace," Werth said. "He's that type of guy. He's a shutdown guy. He can go out and control a game. Look what he's done since he's been here. That's pretty remarkable. But that's the kind of stuff he brings to table. You can't expect a guy to do that every time out, but so far, the stuff he's offering is definitely different than what guys are used to seeing. At least it looks that way to me. You get a run on the board for a guy like that, you're in pretty good shape."

This guy is the reason the Phillies can repeat. He has picked up tremendously for the slack of Cole Hamels. If Hamels figures himself out and you throw in Joe Blanton and JA Happ's success to make a four-man playoff rotation, there is no reason at all to say the Phillies won't repeat as World Champions.