Lee's Debut Moved Up

Cliff Lee was originally scheduled to pitch tomorrow versus San Francisco's ace, Tim Lincecum. The Phillies had other plans as they wanted to debut him tonight and have Joe Blanton pitch Saturday versus the young phenom. Also Cole Hamels will pitch in Sunday's game in place of Jamie Moyer.

Lee is 12-2 with a 3.18 ERA in 22 starts in his career versus the NL. He is also 2-0 with a 1.20 ERA vs. the Giants. He will face Ryan Sadowski (2-3, 4.81 ERA) tonight. Game time is 10:15 ET.

Remaining Probables:
Saturday: Joe Blanton (7-4, 4.11); Tim Lincecum (11-3, 2.30)
Sunday: Cole Hamels (7-5, 4.42); Barry Zito (6-10, 4.54)

Despite Shut Out, Phils Remain Hot

I don't have time to write my detailed recap and preview for the Phillies series but I will write a brief one. I'll be at the Bank tonight for the Billy Joel/Elton John Face2Face concert tonight.

Vs Arizona:
7/27 - Phillies won 6-2
7/28 - Phillies won 4-3
7/29 - D'Backs won 4-0

Next Series: Phillies (58-41; 31-16 on the road) @ San Francisco Giants (55-46; 34-15 at home)

-First meeting between two teams this year
-Giants won 3 straight; Phils won 4 of last 5
-Saturday's match up will be the marquee matchup with Tim Lincecum vs newly acquired Cliff Lee

Pitching Probables:
7/30: Rodrigo Lopez (3-0, 3.09) vs. Jonathan Sanchez* (3-9, 4.92)
7/31: Joe Blanton (7-4, 4.11) vs. Ryan Sadowski (2-3, 4.81)
8/1: Cliff Lee* (AL: 7-9, 3.14) vs. Tim Lincecum (11-3, 2.30)
8/2: Jamie Moyer* (10-7, 5.32) vs. Barry Zito* (6-10, 4.54)

Phils Land Lee in Trade

Well the Phillies had their eyes set on Roy Halladay and the Blue Jays would not budge so the Phillies went straight to plan B. They nabbed another former Cy Young award winner in Cliff Lee from the Indians for a package of prospects. In the trade, the Phillies got the 2008 Cy Young winner and outfielder Ben Francisco for four prospects: Jason Donald, Lou Marson, Carlos Carrasco, and Jason Knapp.

Cliff Lee is 7-9 with a 3.14 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and a 6.34 K/9 this year. He has come back to form in his last five starts, pitching at least six innings and allowing no more than three runs. He also has thrown two complete games in that span. In four games versus the NL this year, he went 1-0 and didn't allow more than three runs and went at least six innings, nothing four quality starts. He also had a complete game shut out versus St. Louis.

The Phillies were likely frustrated with the Blue Jays' demands and gave up on Halladay so they went with the next best guy. Not only is Lee a great pitcher but he will add to the Phillies already solid rotation. The Phillies also succeeded in getting a great pitcher without coughing up Kyle Drabek and JA Happ.

I love this move for the above reasons. The Phillies now have a rock solid rotation along with Pedro Martinez and Rodrigo Lopez as back up plans. Also Brett Myers could be back but a bull pen spot is more likely than the rotation. With the addition of Lee, the rotation now probably looks like this going by when each respective pitcher has thrown:

Hamels
Happ
(Lopez is scheduled for tomorrow)
Lee
Blanton
Moyer

Overall this is a great trade and the Phillies are now instantly the best team in the National League in my opinion.

RIP Jim Johnson

Philly Inquirer

The Philadelphia sports world lost another true legend today as the Eagles defensive coordinator, Jim Johnson, passed away today. He was 68. He has been battling a cancerous tumor on his spine and took a turn for the worse today.

He has been the master mind behind so many Eagles' defenses in his 10 years of tenure for the Birds. He will truly be missed.

RIP J.J.

Selig Considering Rose's Reinstatement

Bud Selig is "seriously considering" reinstating Pete Rose to baseball so he would be eligible for a Hall of Fame nomination. Rose was banned after being accused of betting on baseball. If Rose is allowed back into baseball, he would make his first appearance on the ballot. 65 members of the Hall's selection committee can mull over whether or not he should be inducted and Rose will be allowed on the ballot for 15 years. If he isn't inducted in 15 years, Rose will be permanently left out.

Rose is considered to be one of the greatest hitters in the history of the game. He played from 1963-1986, mostly with the Cincinnati Reds and partial for the Philadelphia Phillies and Montreal Expos. During his career, he batted .303 with 4256 hits, the most in the history of the game. Rose has also been selected to the All Star game 17 times, won three World Series rings (two with the Reds and one with the Phillies), and earned the ROY award (1963) and NL MVP (1973).

Rose should never have been banned from baseball in the first place. Even though he bet on baseball during his time as a manager and probably a player, that should never have hindered his accolades on the field. As a player and manager, Rose is one of the greatest ever. Selig should reinstate him, the first good thing he has done for baseball in his tenure as commissioner.

Next step: Reinstating Shoeless Joe Jackson.

EDIT! : Selig denied any claim that he was considering reinstating Rose. The link above was updated by ESPN. Here is what was originally written:

MLB commissioner Bud Selig appears to be "seriously considering" reinstatement for Pete Rose nearly 20 years after the hit king was banned from baseball for gambling on the sport, according to a report in the New York Daily News.

It's All in the Cards

The red birds were left feeling blue after their little visit to Philly. After being swept by the Astros, the Cardinals came into this big series a little hungry. They even gained a big bat in Matt Holliday in a trade prior to the series. They also took command of game one, beating up JA Happ en route to an 8-1 victory. But that was it. The Cardinals awoke the angry beast known as the Phillies' offense and they completely dominated the Cards to win the next two games.

Friday - Cardinals won 8-1: The Cardinals finally solved the young phenom, JA Happ. He was pitching well until the sixth inning, where he saw his last action, giving up five runs in six innings pitched. Holliday made his presence known with a four-hit night.

Saturday - Phillies won 14-6: When Jimmy Rollins hits, everyone hits. J-Roll went 2-5 with a grand slam and Shane Victorino had a four-hit night as Rodrigo Lopez pitched a solid outing to give the Phillies the boost they needed to right the ship that sunk the previous night.

Sunday - Phillies won 9-2: The Phillies powered their way to a big win with four homers coming from Rollins, Victorino, Ryan Howard, and Raul Ibanez. Joe Blanton pitched a brilliant gem, going eight strong innings and allowing two runs on seven hits and a walk.

Series MVP's:

Shane Victorino: 8-13, 5 runs, double, homer, 3 RBI's

Joe Blanton: 8 IP, 7 H, BB, 2 ER, 6 K

Ryan Howard: 6-12, 2 runs, 2 doubles, homer, 5 RBI's

Next Series: Philadelphia Phillies (56-40, 29-15 on road) @ Arizona Diamondbacks (43-56, 23-31 at home)

This should be a cake series as the Diamondbacks pretty much stink. This is the first meeting of the season for the two teams. Much like San Diego, the D'Backs have only one real bright spot in Josh Upton, who's batting .296 with 18 homers. Mark Reynolds leads the team in homers with 26.

The Phillies are the best team on the road. The D'Backs are 14th in batting in the NL while the Phillies are 5th. As far as scoring, the Phillies own the top spot with Arizona at 6. Phillies are easily the better team. They should and will sweep.

Pitching Probables:

7/27: PHI: Moyer (9-7, 5.65), ARI: Garland (5-9, 4.41)

7/28: PHI: Hamels (6-5, 4.66), ARI: Haren (10-5, 2.14)

7/29: PHI: Happ (7-1, 2.97, ARI: Petit (0-5, 7.68)

Pitching Moves

Clay Condrey was put back on the 15-day DL and Andrew Carpenter was dropped back to AAA. In there places comes Steve Register (who pitched last night) and, sit down before reading this,.... Kyle Kendrick.

This should really inspire our rotation to pitch well enough to go seven innings every start.

Back From Hershey

Well I'm back from my adventure to Hershey Friday. Got to the park around 12:30, did a few rides until 3:30 when the clouds opened up on us. Ate, tailgated for the Dave Matthews Band concert, got the show's poster, then headed in to enjoy three hours of music. Then we journeyed home so I could work from three until ten.

So I get back and the two things that stick out the most to me were a murder in the parking lot during the game from a fight in McFadden's and some assclown with a laser pointer shining it on Albert Pujols of the Cardinals while Standing in the batter's box. I'm just dumb founded at some of the idiots that attend Phillies games. Read the articles because I'm too ashamed to go into detail.

Back to Work

The Phillies got back to work as they pounded the Padres with their bats, winning 9-4. Every starter got a hit for the Phillies except for Cole Hamels, who pitched a solid game minus a rough fourth inning where he gave up three runs. In that inning he also allowed a two-run homer to Kyle Blanks. Hamels (6-5) finished the game going seven innings and allowing three runs on four hits and two walks while striking out six.

Jayson Werth had the big game, going 3-5 with two doubles and an RBI while scoring twice. Pedro Feliz also added three hits and Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino had a pair. Chan Ho Park pitched the last 1 1/2 innings to finish it up.

The Phillies play St. Louis starting tomorrow.

Cards Are Next Up For Phillies

St. Louis Cardinals (55-46*; 25-25* on road) @ Philadelphia Phillies (53-39*; 24-24* at home)
*records prior to 7/23 games

I am going to write the series preview now and I'll write a brief on the tonight's game when it ends. But for now, I will set up the series starting tomorrow versus the St. Louis Cardinals. The Phillies have won 14 of their last 16 going into tonight's game versus San Diego and don't show any signs of cooling down. The Cardinals have lost three straight going into tonight's game. The Phillies lead the season series 2-0. All numbers talked about are prior to tonight's games.

The Cardinals feature the best player in baseball, Albert Pujols, along with an offense that's sixth in the NL in runs scored and 12th in average. The Phillies are first in runs scored and sixth in average. Pujols is tearing up the league with his .328 average, 34 homers, and 90 RBI's through 96 games.

The pitching is a different story. The Cardinals are fourth in the NL in ERA and fifth in fewest runs allowed. The Phillies are 13th in ERA and ninth in fewest runs allowed.

The Cardinals also have two of the league's best pitchers this year in Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter. Fortunately for the Phillies, they won't be seeing either of them this series. In fact, of the three pitchers the Phillies face, none of them impress or show any signs of being a threat outside of maybe Joel Piniero. For the Phillies, they have their three hottest guys on the mound. See probables at the bottom for pitchers, records, and ERA.

Overall, the Phillies are a better team but once again, the Cardinals have been carried by some steady offense including Pujols' tremendous play. Another series win is expected but I am going with the sweep.

Pitching Probables:
7/24: STL: Pineiro (8-9, 3.09), PHI: Happ (7-0, 2.68)
7/25: STL: Lohse (4-6, 4.21), PHI: Lopez, Ro (2-0, 2.60)
7/26: STL: Wellemeyer (7-8, 5.68), PHI: Blanton (6-4, 4.24)

Romero, Durbin Sent to DL

Two more go down in the Phillies injury-plagued bull pen. Both JC Romero and Chad Durbin were sent to the 15-day DL. Being called up in their place were Andrew Carpenter and Tyler Walker. Both Walker and Carpenter have pitched this season for the Phillies.

Romero has a strained left forearm and Durbin strained a muscle in his back. Romero has a 2.87 ERA and no decisions in 20 appearances since returning from his 50-game suspension. Durbin 1-2 with a 4.62 ERA in his 42 appearances.

Durbin has not looked good at all recently which may have been due to the sore back. Hopefully these 15 days will help him straighten himself out.

Walker was 1-0 with a 1.64 ERA in nine games in an earlier stint while Carpenter earned a win in his only start in the beginning of the season right after Brett Myers went down.

Another Series Win in the Books

The Phillies are red hot despite having their 10-game winning streak busted today by Chicago. They seemed a bit fatigued after playing a three hour and forty minute game last night that went 13 innings. The Phillies have still won 14 of their last 16 and are running away in the NL East.

Monday - Phillies won 10-1: I went to this game but didn't write a recap. Pictures are posted on my Face Book page. It was a total slug fest as Raul Ibanez, Carlos Ruiz, and Ryan Howard all hit bombs and Shane Victorino added two hits. Rodrigo Lopez went six strong innings, giving up five hits, three walks, and a run while striking out five. Chad Durbin earned a three-inning save, allowing only one hit and sitting down two.

Tuesday - Phillies won 4-1: This game was a lot closer as Joe Blanton looked sharp, allowing a run in seven innings of work. The bull pen was even better, throwing six clean innings with Chan Ho Park going three innings. In the bottom of the 13th, Jayson Werth hit a three-run walk off homer to send the Phillies to their tenth straight win.

Wednesday - Cubs won 10-5: It was just a bad game today as Jamie Moyer got wacked around pretty hard, allowing five runs on eight hits in only five innings. Charlie Manuel got run after a pretty crappy call where Paul Bako fouled off a pitch that hit the ground before being caught by Cubs' catcher Koyie Hill. Not like it would have helped much anyway.

Overall, the Phillies offense still looked good despite leaving runners stranded on base again. They didn't have that problem in Monday night's game but Tuesday and Wednesday were frustrating to watch as they left on nine and 11 respectively.

The pitching was boat loads better the first two games. Moyer has not been pitching well at all this year. His win totals are skewed as he has gotten lucky in getting help from the offense to earn him a victory. Unfortunately for him, the Phillies offense couldn't keep up with Chicago's as he lost. If his poor play continues as Pedro Martinez gets ready, Rodrigo Lopez may be the guy to stay.

Series MVP's:

Joe Blanton: 7 IP, 5 H, R, 5 K

Jayson Werth: 4-10, HR, 3 RBI

Chan Ho Park: 3 IP, 0 R, 5 K

Next Game: San Diego Padres (37-57) @ Philadelphia Philles (53-39)

Pitchers: SD: Correia (6-7, 4.34), PHI: Hamels (5-5, 4.72)

This is a make up game from April 20. The Phillies are leading the series 4-2 and have won 4 straight versus the Padres. The Padres are playing pretty crappy, losers of three straight and well out of the division and wild card race.

The only thing San Diego really has is Adrian Gonzalez who is a lefty and will not match up with Cole Hamels too well as he hits .196 versus lefties. The entire offense, as a matter of fact, can't hit their way out of a wet paper bag as they are last in the league in average and runs scored. I obviously expect a win and nothing more.

I will do a full game story tomorrow after the game and then set up the Cardinals series. I will be in Hershey all day Friday for a Dave Matthews Band cocnert and coming back Saturday to go straight to work.

Trapped Between A Doc and a Hard Place

For the past few weeks, Phillies fans' heads have been ready to explode with determining whether or not Roy Halladay would be worth the sacrifice of JA Happ. Halladay made himself more expensive, going a complete game versus Boston yesterday and improving to 11-3. Happ is making it harder to give up as he went at least seven innings for the fifth consecutive time yesterday to improve to 7-0. Here is a list of options the Phillies have:

1) Over pay a boat load of good prospects for Halladay.
2) In the over paying, include Happ or Kyle Drabek.
2) Pass on the chance for a Cy Young pitcher to keep the prospects and settle with Pedro Martinez.

In this post, I will go into detail of all three scenarios and where it will leave the Phillies. In conclusion, I will chose the best option.

The Phillies traded Carlos Carrasco, Jason Donald, Dominic Brown, and Jason Knapp for Roy Halladay: This is the dream scenario for the Phillies. They get to keep a hold of Happ and Drabek along with top OF prospect Michael Taylor and catcher Lou Marson. The Jays get two good pitching prospects (but not the Phillies' best), the short stop prospect they so eagerly wanted in Donald, and a great outfielder in Brown.

The Phillies get the former Cy Young winner and dominant Halladay for the fee of four cheap prospects. There is only one problem with this: it's not realistic and most likely won't happen. I would welcome this trade with an open heart but I already know not to get my hopes up as the Jays WANT Happ to be included in the deal.

Also the Phillies have been playing tremendous ball for the past two weeks and don't want to mess with the team's chemistry. With their current 6.5 game lead in the division, the Phillies might not need Halladay to help in a race that may not even be close. Also Halladay will need time to adjust playing the NL every start.

I will pass on this scenario.

The Phillies trade Happ/Drabek/both along with other prospects for Halladay: This already sounds like a terrible idea as it is the worst-case scenario. Drabek has some seriously nasty stuff in the minors. He is also only 21 and has the stock to be much better than Cole Hamels. He throws hard and has a filthy breaking ball. He was touted as the best pitcher in this year's Future Stars Game last week.

Happ is major league ready and proven. He's 7-0 with a 2.68 ERA, a 1.15 WHIP and a 6.2 K/9. In his last five starts, he's gone at least seven innings and has thrown two scoreless outings including one complete game. These two players alone are not worth giving up for Halladay.

I will pass on this scenario as well.

The deadline has past and the Phils do not make a move for Halladay: after the 2010 season (Halladay would be a FA), the Phillies will need to worry about signing Joe Blanton. They will also have to give a new contract to Happ and see Jamie Moyer possibly retire. Pedro Martinez will be gone after 2009 and Hamels will still be in for another year. If the Phillies don't have Happ, Carrasco, or Drabek to fall back on and also keep Blanton, you will be looking at a very depleted rotation. It is hard to find good pitching in the free agent market unless you're the Yankees.

Also in the field, Raul Ibanez is 37 and Jayson Werth is 30. Who knows how much longer they will be Phillies. In that case, holding onto Brown, Taylor, and John Mayberry Jr. seem to be smart decisions. Shane Victorino will also be available in the market but he is a player the Phillies will need to hold onto. Catcher can also be a concern so holding onto Marson will be important as well.

Not trading for Halladay is the way to go.

Phils Go Broom Happy

The Philadelphia Phillies are officially hotter than a July afternoon in Miami. Winners of 12 of their last 13 games and currently on an eight-game winning streak that extended before the All Star break, the Phillies have showed no signs of cooling down. They also improved their remarkable league best 29-15 road record. Despite Saturday's game being postponed, the Phillies still earned the series sweep over the Marlins winning the three games that got played.

Thursday - Phillies won 4-0: Jamie Moyer pitched seven scoreless innings and surrendered only one hit and one walk as he continued his dominance of the Marlins. Moyer is now 13-2 lifetime versus Florida and 8-0 in Miami. Raul Ibanez hit two homers with three RBI's and Ryan Howard hit his 200th career homer to produce all of the Phillies' offense.

Friday - Phillies won 6-5: A rain delay shortened Cole Hamels' solid start and the bull pen nulled him of the decision as they continued to struggle. After giving up the 4-1 lead in the seventh and eighth, the Phillies got two big runs in the top of the 12th because Brad Lidge surrendered one in the bottom half but held on to get his 19th save.

Sunday - Phillies won 5-0: Jimmy Rollins sparked the offense, going 3-5 and falling a homer shy of the cycle. He drove in a run on a double in a three-run third. JA Happ continued his bid to stay in Philly and not be traded for Roy Halladay with his stellar performance. He went seven scoreless innings, giving up five hits and a walk while sitting down four. Ibanez also had a couple of RBI's.

This series was a huge win for the Phillies. Even though a four-game sweep would have been nice, three his not bad either and it really helped them stretch their lead in the NL division to 6.5 games over Atlanta, 7 over Florida, and 9 over New York.

Series MVP's:

Jimmy Rollins: 6-16, 3 runs, 2 doubles, triple, RBI

Raul Ibanez: 5-10, 3 runs, double, 2 HR, 5 RBI

JA Happ: 7 IP, 0 R, 5 hits, walk, 4 K

Next Series: Chicago Cubs (47-43; 20-25 on road) @ Philadelphia Phillies (51-38; 22-23 at home)

With eight straight wins, the Phillies come home for seven games, hoping to get their home record above .500. This is the first meeting of the season for the two teams and won't meet again until the middle of August.

The Cubs are trying to re-establish themselves in the central division. They are winners of four straight (it helps when you play the Nationals) and are only two games behind the Cardinals. I'll be at tonight's game to see Ted Lilly take the mound for Chicago. Rodrigo Lopez will get the start for Philadelphia.

The Cubs offense and defense is missing catcher Geovany Soto, who is on the DL with a strained oblique. Derek Lee has been getting hot lately as he leads the team with 18 homers. Aramis Ramirez has been playing well since his return to the line up after missing part of the season due to injury. Ryan Theriot has been the team's consistent leader, batting .295 from the two-hole.

This is a series the Phillies can win. The Cubs want to get back in their division race but they have to face the hottest team in baseball to do so. The Phils will have solid pitching on the mounds this series but will be facing some of the Cubs' best pitching.

With their first trip back to Bank after a 9-1 home stand going into the break, they are looking to give the fans an encore presentation. Phils take series.

Pitching Probables:

7/20*: CHC: Lilly (9-6, 3.18), PHI: Lopez, Ro (1-0, 3.18)

7/21: CHC: Harden (6-6, 5.06), PHI: Blanton (6-4, 4.44)

7/22: CHC: Zambrano, C (6-4, 3.36), PHI: Moyer (9-6, 5.58)

*attending

News 7/17/09

Howard belts 200th: article

Ryan Howard became the fastest player in MLB history to hit 200 home runs last night as he took Chris Volstad deep in the sixth to give the Phillies a 4-0 lead in which they won. It was his 658th career game, 48 fewer than Hall of Famer Ralph Kiner (706 games).

"That's pretty cool," said Howard, who was able to retrieve the historic ball. "It'll hit me later on. I'll kind of come down a bit later. It'll be something I can look back on and just kind of cherish a little bit."

Taylor called up to AAA: article

One of the Phillies top prospects, Michael Taylor, was called up to AAA Lehigh yesterday. In AA Reading, he was batting .333 with 15 homers and 65 RBI's,

"It was the right time," said Steve Noworyt, Philadelphia's director of minor league operations, in regards to the Taylor promotion. "If you look at the numbers he put up last year at Clearwater and then he came here and never looked back. Let's let it go now and see what happens."

If you look at what he's done over the last two years, he deserves it. He's never really slumped and right now there is no rush. He'll be a step away. If he does well, great. If he has to be a repeater next year, so be it. But it will be a nice chance to see what he can do for a month and a half."

Knapp placed on DL: article

Phillies prospect Jason Knapp was placed on the 7-day DL with shoulder fatigue. For Class A Lakewood, he is 2-7 with a 4.01 ERA but has struck out 111 and walked just 39 in 85 1/3 innings. He gives up a lot of runs but he does shut down hitters too.

Phils Set to Filet Fish

Next Series: Philadelphia Phillies (48-38; 26-15 on road) @ Florida Marlins (46-44; 25-21 at home)

The Philllies lead the series 4-2. This can very well be a huge four-game series for the Phillies. They are currently four games ahead of the Marlins and a sweep can make it eight, giving them some serious momentum in the second half of the season.

The Marlins have been playing inconsistent as of late, which allowed the Phillies to expand their lead from one to four going into the break. The Phillies were on fire going into the break and hoping they don't cool down. The Phillies have dominated in the past and this season at Dolphin Stadium, earning a sweep in April.

Ryan Howard is killing the Marlins this season, batting .346 (9-26) in six games. He has two doubles, three homers, and six RBI's. Jamie Moyer kills the Fish while Joe Blanton and JA Happ have been pitching phenomenal as of late. Cole Hamels has been struggling. Three wins in Miami is my pick.

Pitching Probables:
7/16 - Moyer (8-6, 5.99), Volstad (6-8, 4.44)
7/17 - Hamels (5-5, 4.87), Nolasco (6-7, 5.76)
7/18 - Blanton (6-4, 4.44), Johnson, J (8-2, 2.74)
7/19 - Happ (6-0, 2.90), Miller, A (3-4, 4.50)

NL Loses Again

For the 13th year, the National League has failed to beat the American League in the mid summer classic. For the third straight year, the NL lost by one run. Curtis Granderson of the Tigers hit a triple to left in the eighth and scored on a sacrifice fly by Adam Jones of the Orioles to give the AL the 4-3 lead and win.

The NL hasn't won since 1996 at Veterans Stadium. Since then, they are 0-12-1 (the tie came in 2002 in Milwaukee. With yesterday's win, the AL will receive home field advantage once again in the World Series. I still believe that home field advantage should go to the team with the best record in baseball.

All five Phillies got to play as Chase Utley, Raul Ibanez, and Shane Victorino started and Jayson Werth replaced Victorino and Howard pinch hit. Utley had a great game in the field despite going 0-2 at the plate. Ibanez also went 0-2. Victorino made the most of his appearance, going 1-2 with a base hit and then scoring the game tying run (at two) in the second off an error. Werth came in and struck out but made a great running catch in center to ironically bail out Francisco Rodriguez of the Mets. Howard struck out on a half swing trailing by one with runners on second and third with two outs in the eighth.

Here's the official box score:

Phillies Sign Martinez

Todd Zolecki's tweet:

Pedro is locked down. One year about $1 million, plus $1.5 million in incentives. News conference tomorrow.

Pedro Martinez is officially a Phillie. The 37 year-old righty signed a one year deal worth $1 million with another $1.5 million in incentives. There will be a news conference tomorrow but no time has been made yet.

This is a good move seeing it's a cheap low risk/high reward deal. He will likely become the the Phillies' fifth starter, adding great veteran experience and team leadership. He loves the spotlight and has great chemistry with all of his teammates.

Ruben Amaro said that Martinez will need to pitch a few minor league starts before he sees time in the majors.

We're still trying to assess where he is," Amaro said. "He would need some time [in the Minors], absolutely."

Amaro also said Martinez's arrival would not preclude them from making other moves, including the pursuit of Blue Jays right-hander Roy Halladay.

Welcome and good luck, Pedro.

Victorino to Start in ASG

Shane Victorino won the Final Vote and now sees himself starting in center for the NL team tomorrow. The game will be at 8 PM ET on Fox tomorrow night. Watch as Chase Utley and Raul Ibanez join Victorino in the starting line up and Ryan Howard and Jayson Werth hopefully see some action in later innings.

AL line up:
RF Ichiro Suzuki - SEA
SS Derek Jeter - NYY
C Joe Mauer - MIN
1B Mark Teixeira - NYY
LF Jason Bay - BOS
CF Josh Hamilton - TEX
3B Evan Longoria - TB
2B Aaron Hill - TOR
P Roy Halladay - TOR

NL line up:
SS Hanley Ramirez - FLA
2B Chase Utley - PHI
1B Albert Pujols - STL
RF Ryan Braun - MIL
LF Raul Ibanez - PHI
3B David Wright - NYM
CF Shane Victorino - PHI
C Yadier Molina - STL
P Tim Lincecum - SFG

Howard Takes Stage Tonight

Before every all star game is the State Farm Home Run Derby. This year will feature another one of your Phillies stars in Ryan Howard. Howard is in his third derby, winning in 2006 and failing to get out of the first round in 2007. As the big story of the derby, Howard was born in St. Louis, the location of this year's game and derby. He will have to win the hearts of the home crowd as he goes against home town hero Albert Pujols. The game will be on ESPN at 8 PM ET.

NL contestants:
Ryan Howard - Phillies - 22 HR
Albert Pujols - Cardinals - 32 HR
Prince Fielder - Brewers - 22 HR
Adrian Gonzalez - Padres - 24 HR

AL contestants:
Brandon Inge - Tigers - 21 HR
Carlos Pena - Rays - 24 HR
Joe Mauer - Twins - 15 HR
Nelson Cruz - Rangers - 22 HR

My predictions:
Pujols, Howard, Pena, and Cruz will advance.
Pujols over Howard in the Final.

First Half Recap

It has been an up-and-down first half for the Phillies, ending on a real positive note. After showing clear struggles at home, the Phillies capped off their first half with a 9-1 home stand that included sweeps of the Mets and Pirates. In this post, I will go into detail of their numbers and the grades of the offense, defense, and pitching.

NL East Standings:
PHI 48-38
FLA 46-44 (4 GB)
ATL 43-45 (6 GB)
NYM 42-45 (6.5 GB)
WAS 26-62 (22.5 GB)

Phillies by the numbers:
Record: 48-38 (1st in NL East)
Home Record: 22-23
Road Record: 26-15
Interleague Record: 6-12
Runs: 461 (5th in MLB; 1st in NL)
RBI: 443 (3rd; 1st)
Hits: 774 (t18th; t8th)
HR: 122 (3rd; 1st)
Total Bases: 1343 (6th; 1st)
BA: .261 (t14th; t6th)
ERA: 4.61 (25th; 14th)
K: 612 (14th; 10th)
Fielding %: .990 (2nd; 1st)

Infield: The hitting is drastically inconsistent for them to be a first place team but the runs and home runs have been what helped win games. A prime example is Saturday's dramatic victory.

The Phillies, when on, have one of the best infields in the game. They have gotten a lot of offense from this group, especially from all stars Chase Utley and Ryan Howard. Utley is leading the team in batting with a .313 average. But only Raul Ibanez (.309) and Shane Victorino (.309) have averages above .300, which is a result to the team's .261 average. Howard is tied for the team lead with 22 homers and leads the team in RBI's (67).

To go with the two offensive catalysts are two players that have really stepped up offensively for this team. Pedro Feliz is a career .255 hitter but he's fourth on the team in batting (.293). His power numbers have been slightly down again this year but he's getting on base and driving in runs, putting him on pace for the best season of his solid career. The other surprise was Carlos Ruiz but he has been so terrible at the plate as of late that his average dropped from .309 after May 31 all the way down to a .235, the results of only 15 hits since then in 87 AB's.

The big disappointment has been Jimmy Rollins, even though he has been seeing the ball tremendously well in July with an average of .378 and a .500 OBP so far this month. Since July 1, his average climbed from a .205 to a .229 and is still climbing. If he goes on another tear like he usually does at the end of the season, he should be seeing a batting average in the .270's and an OBP in the .330 range. He leads the team with 16 SB but that number is really down from what he is capable of doing, a result of not being on base. When Rollins is on base, the Phillies will score and score often which will turn into wins. Shane Victorino struggles in the lead off spot and no one else can hit there. It's up to Rollins to keep this win train rolling.

Grade: B+

Outfield: How good has the Phillies outfield been? Well when you have all three of them representing the team in the ASG, that says a lot for the production they have given them. That is the first time since the 1995 Indians that a team has gotten three outfielders to the mid summer classic and the first NL squad since the Pirates in the 70's.

Up until his injury, Ibanez has been the MVP of the team. He is still one of the main offensive weapons as he had two hits, including a double, in his return on Saturday. For the year he is tied for team lead in homers and tied for second in average. He is also third in average and a contender still for the Phillies triple crown with Utley. His slugging percentage is .649, third in the league and tops on the Phillies. He got voted into his first all star game ever as a starter.

Jayson Werth has been very good again all year in the power category, especially as of late. His 20 homers are tied for third on the team and his 56 RBI's are fourth. He is also batting .263. and slugging .513. He was chosen by Charlie Manuel to replace Carlos Beltran.

Victorino has been incredible as well, tied with Ibanez for second in team batting. He leads the team with 24 doubles to go with his team high 108 hits. Combines with his glove, Victorino is the most complete outfielder of the group and has gotten him plenty of recognition through out the league as he earned his all star spot winning the Final Vote and could possibly start with Beltran's injury.

Grade: A

Bench: The bench has been pretty inconsistent all year. Though there have been some late inning magic, it was still frustrating to have guys strike out in the place of the pitcher.

Even though he has torn it up as a starter in place of Ibanez, Greg Dobbs was a complete mystery until he started to get more reps. His average climbed up to a .269 and has five homers and 16 RBI's. He's back on the bench and his numbers could easily drop again. Matt Stairs has been their best bat off the bench, batting .283 with four homers and 13 RBI's. The biggest mystery has been Eric Bruntlett and his .139 average. To be blunt, he sucks.

Two notable call ups have been John Mayberry Jr. (.184; 4; 8), who has been really inconsistent, and Paul Bako (.214; 0; 3), who has been so solid as of late that the Phillies DFA'ed Chris Coste (now in Houston).

Grade: C

Starting Pitching: Who would have thought that the worst starter this year so far was the team's ace? Who would have thought that the team leader in wins was 47 years old. Who also would have thought that the team's best pitcher is a prospect that could be a trade piece for a Cy Young winner? With the injury to Brett Myers for pretty much the remainder of the season, everyone else has had to work harder.

Cole Hamels has been terrible. He's 5-5 with a 4.87 ERA, as the team's ace! He only has one win in his last seven starts and has only gone past seven innings once. I hate to say this but after he got payed, he has gotten worse and worse as if he doesn't care anymore. His change up is not workin for him and he needs to work on his curveball to have another pitch to fall back on.

Enough with the depressing stuff, let's talk about the other three main starters who have pitched well... kinda. Jamie Moyer is giving up a lot of runs and not going the distance but his offense has been bailing him out. He's 8-6 with a 5.55 ERA and is only averaging under 5 2/3 IP. Joe Blanton has really gotten into form now. He's averaging 6 innings of work which is solid for a number 3/4 pitcher. He's also 6-4 with a 4.44 ERA.

The MVP of this corps is easily JA Happ. Happ has been incredible since his promotion to the rotations back on May 23 versus the Yankees. He's 6-0 with a 2.90 ERA and has lasted about seven innings a start.

Other starters to fill in include Antonio Bastardo, who was pretty solid until his injury, Rodrigo Lopez, who dominated the Reds most recently, and Andrew Carpenter who was solid in his appearance.

Grade: C+

Bull Pen: Not much I can say here as this unit has been pretty bad. The lone bright spot is Chan Ho Park in his role, who is going multiple innings and pitched well when Moyer and Hamels fail to get past six. He obviously has embraced his new role after his demotion from starter in place of Happ.

Brad Lidge (0-4) has been such a complete mystery, blowing six saves and battling a knee injury. His ERA is a 7.03. Ryan Madson has also been terrible as he blew a few saves in place of Lidge and is 3-4 with a 3.02 ERA that has re-settled with the return of Lidge.

Other notable players have been Scott Eyre (1-1; 2.16), Clay Condrey (4-2; 3.71), and Chad Durbin (1-2; 4.47). Eyre has been the best reliever of the bunch despite missing about 25 games and only making a pair of appearances in July. He seems to be back to form and could really help the pen in the second half. Durbin has been flat out awful recently and probably needs a wake up call.

Grade: C-

This has been a wacky first half but that has always been that way in the past. The Phillies will heat up coming out of the break and into August until they coast a bit. The late September push will also follow as the Phillies can very well easily win 95 games and take the NL East. The Marlins and Braves are not a deep teams, the Mets are a complete joke, and the Nationals just flat out suck.

Offensive MVP: Chase Utley
Pitching MVP: JA Happ

Phillies overall grade: B

Phils Plunder Pirates

The Phillies earned a huge sweep of the Pittsburgh Pirates to cap an incredible 9-1 home stand, erasing the memories of that 1-8 home stand in June. They started the stand with a sweep of the Mets and then won three of four versus Cincinnati. Pending today's games for the Marlins, Braves, and Mets the Phillies are currently 4.5, 5.5, and 7 games in first place respectively.

The Pirates came into this series on a cold spell and the Phillies were hot, playing teams they should and did beat up. The Pirates became the next victim of that Philly Butt Whuppin'. I said a few weeks ago that I am not worried about the Phillies because they heat up in July and they proceeded to make me look good. With the All Star break finally here, I will look back at the first half of the season probably Monday or Tuesday.

Friday - Phillies won 3-2: Shane Victorino provided the spark with three hits and a pair of doubles. The Pirates got their only two runs on solo homers off Joe Blanton and Brad Lidge. Blanton 7.1 innings, giving up a run on four hits, one walk, and striking out six. Lidge pitched .2 innings to earn his 18th save.

Saturday - Phillies won 8-7: Cole Hamels got roughed up in his outing, lasting six innings and giving up five runs on seven hits. The Pirates managed to hit three homers off the struggling ace. After falling early 5-0, the Phillies fought back to make it 5-3. Chad Durbin surrendered two runs in his very short outing as the Pirates made it 7-3.

In the bottom of the ninth, Matt Stairs hit a pinch hit homer to start things off. Then with one out and two men on, Ryan Howard hit a three-run bomb to left center to tie it up at seven. Ibanez hit the next pitch over the center field wall on a bounce for a ground-rule double, Jayson Werth walked, and Pedro Feliz hit an infield single off Mat Capps rear. Paul Bako stepped in and hit a walk off single to win the game.

Sunday - Phillies won 5-1: After scoring five runs in the ninth the night before, the Phillies got five quick runs thanks to a Howard sac fly and Feliz grand slam in the first inning. JA Happ pitched tremendous ball, going seven strong and giving up a run on four hits and two walks, striking our four.

Series MVP's:

Ryan Howard (PHI): 3-7, HR, 4 RBI's

JA Happ (PHI): 7 IP, ER, 4 H, 2 BB, 4 K

Next Up: The All Star Break. I will go into more detail about the first half and the ASG tomorrow and Monday. Have a good few days and don't forget to watch the dingers by Howard on Monday in the derby and our five all stars on Tuesday.

Ibanez Back; Coste to 'Stros; Werth an All Star

Well with the return of Raul Ibanez, Chris Coste got DFA'ed and picked up by the Houston Astros via Todd Zolecki's twitter:

Chris Coste claimed off waivers by Houston to make room for Ibanez.

In All Star news, Jayson Werth replaced Carlos Beltran in the NL outfield. The Phillies became the 13th team to field all three outfielders in the same All Star game. The last time it was done was the 1995 Indians who fielded Kenny Lofton, Manny Ramirez, and Albert Belle.

Werth has a .268 average with 20 homers, 54 RBI's, 59 runs scored and 12 stolen bases. It is Werth's first trip.

News 7/10/09

Ibanez to play today: article

Phillies Nation:

Comcast Sportsnet reports that Raul Ibanez went 1-for-3 (doubled) in a rehab start with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. Ibanez drove in two runs and walked twice. Ibanez plans on playing tomorrow against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Martinez to pitch infront of Phillies: article

While Pedro Martinez throws a simulated outing for the Philadelphia Phillies, his agent and the club are negotiating a contract.

"The Phillies saw me this past Tuesday in a simulated game and I felt very good with my fastball and all my pitches," Martinez said Thursday.

Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. denied reports a deal was done, but confirmed the team's interest in the three-time AL Cy Young Award winner.

"He has not been signed," Amaro said before the NL East-leading Phillies played Cincinnati on Thursday night. "We've seen him pitch. He's not in town."

Phils Take Three From Reds

Despite losing a heart breaker on Tuesday, the Phillies welcomed a lowly team into the Bank and did the job. Winning three of four versus the Reds, the Phils kept some distance on the Marlins, Braves, and Mets. The offense lit up, didn't show up, then showed up, and then out swung the Reds. Jimmy Rollins, Jayson Werth, and Chase Utley had incredible series's.

Monday - Phillies won 22-1: 22 runs. That's all I really need to say but I'll throw in a few stats. Cole Hamels pitched well and got the offensive support he needed, even from himself. Rollins, Utley, and Werth all homered. Rollins went 3-4 with a few runs and an RBI, Utley had a pair of hits with four RBI's, Werth went 2-5 with five RBI's and Greg Dobbs had four hits. Hamels 2-4 with a two-run double.

Tuesday - Reds won 4-3: After going up 3-0, JA Happ got beaten by Brandon Phillips, who had two homers and three RBI's. The losing blow came at the expense of Brad Lidge as he coughed up the winning hits in the top of the tenth. Utley had three hits in the losing effort.

Wednesday - Phillies won 3-2: The Flyin' Hawaiian got over the hump in his All Star bid as his walk-off single scored in Pedro Feliz in the bottom of the ninth. Shane Victorino and Dobbs had two hits and Werth hit a solo homer.

Thursday - Phillies won 9-6: The Reds took the early lead 3-0 and later broke a 4-4 tie with a two-run fifth. The Phillies answered in the bottom half with four runs and did not look back. Utley and Werth both had a pair of hits and homered, Utley's being a stand-up inside-the-parker that caromed off the left-centerfield wall. Feliz and Rollins also added a pair of hits. Lidge notched his 17th save.

Series MVP's:

Jimmy Rollins (PHI): 7-17; 6 runs; double; 2RBI's; .524 OBP

Chase Utley (PHI): 7-17; 2 runs; 2 doubles; 2 homers; 6 RBI's

Jayson Werth (PHI): 6-15; 5 runs; 4 homers; 9 RBI's

Next Series: Pittsburgh Pirates (38-47; 12-29 on road) @ Philadelphia Phillies (44-38; 18-23 at home)

This is the first meeting of the season between the two teams. The next will be at the end of August.The Phillies are playing good baseball going into their final series before the break, winning six of their last seven games. They are 6-1 on this current home stand despite the season-long struggles at the Bank.

The Pirates are just a lowly baseball team and are thankful every year that the Washington Nationals exist. They have lost seven of their last 10 and don't seem to be anywhere near catching fire going into the break. I expect a series sweep by the Phillies and I will not tolerate a loss of any sorts.

Everything has been going right for the Phillies. Starting pitching has been good and will hopefully get better if the Phillies add some arms in Pedro Martinez and Roy Halladay at the expense of maybe losing Happ. Happ will most likely be a part of a trade with Halladay if they can pry Doc from Toronto so his last start as a Phillie could be nearing.

The offense has been good. Sure they had back to back games of only scoring three runs but they were book ended by 22 and nine-run efforts. The bull pen has been very rock solid despite Lidge's inconsistency but he re-established that in Thursdays win with a save.

Pitching Probables:

7/11: Duke (8-7, 3.28), Blanton (5-4, 4.69)

7/12: Ohlendorf (7-7, 4.63), Hamels (5-5, 4.70)

7/13: Vasquez, V (1-2, 4.50), Happ (5-0, 3.04)

Bran-Torino Win Final Vote!

Brandon Inge and Shane Victorino got together to form a nick name in their co-campaign for the MLB Final Vote for the 2009 All Star Game in St. Louis. Well it worked as Inge will represent the American League and Victorino in the National League as the 33rd players on their respective squads.

Victorino edged out Pablo Sandoval for the final spot on the NL roster. Sandoval will likely make the team if Carlos Beltran is too hurt to play. With Beltran's absence, Victorino may start as he would be the only true center fielder for the NL.

Congrats to Shane and Inge and hopefully to the "Kung Foo Panda" as Giants fans affectionately call Sandoval.

Phillies Close to Deal with Pedro

Todd Zolecki wrote that the Phillies are down in the Dominican Republic and they are nearing a deal with Pedro Martinez, reports say. Ruben Amaro Jr. has declined comment. The report came from this site, which unfortunately is in Spanish. It reports that he signed a $4 million deal but that's not know if it's with incentives or for how many years.

"We are trying to do what we can to add to our club, and if we feel at the end of the day Pedro is going to help us than we'll make a run at him," Amaro said Wednesday.

So what does Martinez bring to the table? Well if he is the only move the Phillies plan on making then Amaro is a complete jack ass. If Martinez is going to be the Phillies fifth starter and JA Happ will be the prime piece in a trade for Roy Halladay, then Amaro is a genius. A move like this is leaning hard on the latter and with Toronto scouting Happ and having interest in Jason Donald can only lead to good news.

Martinez is 214-99 lifetime with a 2.91 ERA. He last pitched in 2008 with the Mets, going 5-6 with a 5.61 ERA, 1.57 WHIP, and 80 K's in 20 starts (109 innings).

Jays Shopping Halladay

The thin market for pitchers just got thicker. Though I could see Halladay moving fall through, there will be a long line of teams with offers interested in former Cy Young pitcher. The Phillies will be one of those teams. I will show the Philly Inquirer article written by David Murphy with the details and then I will break down each part:

First, let's take a look at what a team would be getting on the field:
1. Halladay is 32 years old.
2. From 2006-2008 he averaged 17 wins, 7 losses, a 3.22 ERA, 6.2 strikeouts and 1.6 walks per nine innings.
3. This season, he is 10-2 with a 2.79 ERA. Opponents are hitting .250 off of him.
4. Halladay is 17-8 with a 3.02 ERA in 35 career interleague appearances.
5. Halladay was on the disabled list twice with shoulder problems in 2004, and missed the second half of 2005 after breaking his leg. But he has been mostly healthy since, although he did spend time on the DL in 2007 after an appendectomy.
6. The Phillies coaching staff likes Halladay a lot.

Second let's take a look at his contract:
1. Halladay is in the second year of a three-year, $40 million contract
2. He is scheduled to early $14.25 million this season, which means the Phillies would be adding roughly $7.125 million of payroll for the rest of this season.
3. Halladay is scheduled to earn $15.75 million in 2010, after which he will become a free agent.

Third, let's take a look at the Phillies' bargaining chips:
OF Dominic Brown: Rated by Baseball America as the organization's top prospect, he is currently on the disabled list with a broken finger, but that shouldn't limit his value. The 21-year-old left-handed hitting corner outfielder was hitting .299 with a .379 On Base Percentage with nine home runs, 38 RBI and 14 stolen bases at Class A Clearwater.

RHP Kyle Drabek: He has been tearing up Double-A Reading, and at just 21 years old may be on the verge of surpassing Carlos Carrasco as the organization's top pitching prospect.

LHP J.A. Happ: Happ recently recorded his first career complete game shutout against the Blue Jays and has been fantastic the last two seasons. Scouts don't think he has the upside of a Buchholz, but with five more years of club control and an impressive start to his career, he has value.

INF Jason Donald: He has battled injury and performance issues since his promotion to Triple-A, but he is still viewed as one of the Phillies' better prospects.

C Lou Marson: Like Donald, has had a so-so year at Triple-A. But, also like Donald, he is the closest thing the organization has to a major-league-ready bat, and he plays a premium position.

OF Michael Taylor: You know all about him already. If you don't, check out his stats at Double-A Reading.

RHP Carlos Carrasco: Kind of in the Gavin Floyd mold. Great stuff, but he still does not have the major league makeup. Then again, he is only 22 years old.

OF John Mayberry: Has drifted back and forth between the Phils and Lehigh Valley. Big-time power, but won't be an everyday player in Philly for at least another year-and-a-half.

So here are some packages I'll throw out there. You tell me which ones wouldn't make sense for the Phillies:
1. Dominic Brown, J.A. Happ, Kyle Kendrick, John Mayberry Jr.
2. Drabek, Jason Donald or Lou Marson, Andrew Carpenter, Player TBA
3. Drabek, J.A. Happ, John Mayberry Jr., Player TBA
4. Drabek, Michael Taylor, J.A. Happ, Player TBA
5. Dominic Brown, Carlos Carrasco, Lou Marson, Kyle Kendrick

First Murphy broke down Halladay. Halladay is 32 but that doesn't seem to be a factor at all. He will instantly become the ace on this team, making Cole Hamels the #2 which I think Hamels or anyone else on Philly's side will have no problem with. His 10-2 record and 2.79 ERA will instantly be leading the Phillies. His numbers the last 3 years are also incredible. His numbers versus the NL (17-8; 3.02) show that he should have no problems switching to the National League. Halladay and the Phillies will be a match made in heaven.

Now looking at his contract, money should not be an issue here. The Phillies have the ability to pay the remaining $7.125 million for this season and $15.75 million for next season. He will be a FA after the 2010 season and if he and Philly see another ring during the next two seasons, I could see a contract keeping him here for more years to come.

Now to the players Murphy feels the Phillies should use in the trade. Based off Toronto's needs, Lou Marson could be a target. And I can't see any team not wanting the talented outfielder Dominic Brown. As far as pitching, the only player I do not want to part with is JA Happ. He is pitching well and will continue to pitch well. Though sacrificing him will instantly make the top of the rotation better, their back end will be tremendously weak. I have no problem with coughing up either Carlos Carrasco or Kyle Drabek as long as it isn't both. Throwing Andrew Carpenter's name in the mix is also not a bad idea.

Murphy throws in some good ideas for packages and the one I agree with the most is the second. The first thing that attracted me to that idea was that there is no trading of Happ. I thought the fifth was more of a dream option as it is the weakest proposed. Back to his second option, Jason Donald or Marson are going to be the offensive kickers in that deal. Both have great potential offensively. Now the deal breaking piece will be Drabek or Brown. I liked him choosing Drabek because it will allow Philly to hold onto Carrasco, who has already shown good potential. Drabek is their top pitching prospect and therefor will help counter the loss of Halladay for Toronto.

He also threw in Andrew Carpenter which was not a bad move as an insurance piece. Now he added a player TBA and I would make that John Mayberry. Mayberry strikes out too much but shows great offensive and defensive skill. Brown is probably going to be the better all-around player than Mayberry and Mayberry's major league experience could be a plus for Toronto.

There are a lot of options out there in going for Halladay. As long as he keeps his Cy Young form and the Phillies don't give up too much, I will have no problem in bringing him here.

Join Liberty Bell Sports forums and discuss with other fans your opinions on trading for Halladay.

Howard Joins Cast of 1B in Derby

The National League announced their four Home Run Derby contestants. Outside of hitting home runs and being catalysts in their respective offenses, all four of these guys share another similarity: playing first base.

Albert Pujols of St. Louis, Adrian Gonzalez of San Diego, Prince Fielder of Milwaukee, and Ryan Howard of Philadelphia will represent in the NL in the 2009 Home Run Derby held in St. Louis, Howard's home town.

These four big men are all very capable of winning the crown. Howard has plenty of experience in the contest, winning it in 2006. This is his third time. It will be the second appearance for Pujols and Fielder. Gonzalez is the only HR Derby virgin in the cast.

Pujols is currently leading the Major Leagues with 31 homers. Gonzalez has 24, Fielder has 22, and Howard has 20.

Vote For Shane

Independance Day Massacre

This was the perfect weekend for a Phillies fan. In the midst of the barbecuing, drinking, partying, and spending time with the family and friends on America's birthday, the Phillies invited the Mets to the Bank for a home-cooked butt-whupping.

The Phillies swept the Mets, their first sweep since June 1-3 and first home series win since they swept the Nationals on May 29-31. It was complete pitching dominance as they held the Mets to a total of three runs all series. The offense came alive when needed and the pitching was absolutely incredible. It was the exact opposite of the series prior in Atlanta where the pitching sucked, the offense disappeared and the bull pen couldn't keep games close.

Friday - Phillies won 7-2: Rodrigo Lopez made his season debut, going 6 1/2 innings and surrendering his two runs in the seventh. He allowed six hits and a walk and struck out four. Jimmy Rollins sparked the offense with a pair of doubles and two RBI's. Chase Utley also had two hits and two RBI's and Jayson Werth provided the fireworks with a solo homer.

Saturday - Phillies won 4-1: It was a very happy 4th of July as Jamie Moyer dominated the Mets AAA offense in his 600th career start. Moyer went 6 1/3 as he gave up a run on five hits and a walk. He also sat down one batter en route to his team high seventh win of the season. Rollins again helped provide some offense with a two-run double in the fourth. Brad Lidge notched the save.

Sunday - Phillies won 2-0: There was no hang over for the Phillies as Joe Blanton took the mound and pitched 7 1/3 shut out ball. He allowed four hits and three walks with five strike outs. The two solo homers by Rollins and Utley were all Blanton needed. Lidge came in the ninth and struck out the side to record his 16th save.

It's a proven fact that when Rollins is hitting and getting on base, the offense will follow suit. He is the spark plug this team needs him to be. He's a risk/reward kind of player which can be extremely frustrating or extremely pleasing. I will admit that I was quick to jump on Rollins but he is not out of the hole yet. I still think that when he is not producing, he needs to be dropped. Hopefully he continues to tear up offenses and sets himself up for another magical second half much like his MVP season in 2007.

Series MVP's:

Jimmy Rollins (PHI): 5-11; 2 runs; 3 doubles; homer; 3 walks; .571 OBP

Brad Lidge (PHI): 2 innings; 0 hits; 5 K's; 2 saves

Starting Pitching (PHI): 20 innings; 3 runs; 15 hits; 11 K's

Next Series: Cincinnatti Reds (40-40; 20-20 on road) @ Philadelphia Phillies (42-37; 16-22 at home)

Phillies lead series 2-1. The Reds are a weird team. They may be playing .500 ball but that doesn't necessarily make them a good baseball team. Phillies should not lose this series, especially after the series they played versus the Mets. I expect three wins coming out of this series to go into the final series of the first half. A sweep would be fantastic and should hopefully give them a cushion in the division standings.

Currently the Marlins are still breathing down the Phillies necks, only a game out of first. The sweep of the Mets put them four games ahead. As the temperature heats up, so should the Phillies.

Pitching Probables:

7/6: Cueto (8-4, 2.69), Hamels (4-5, 4.98)

7/7: Harang (5-8, 3.86), Happ (5-0, 2.96)

7/8: Bailey, H (1-0, 5.94), Lopez, Ro (1-0, 2.84)

7/9: Owings (6-8, 4.48), Moyer (7-6, 5.72)

Eyre Activated

Wish I could find a Philly site that has this but I couldn't so here is the news from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer:

The Philadelphia Phillies activated lefty reliever Scott Eyre from the 15-day disabled list on Sunday... To accommodate the move, Philadelphia optioned fellow southpaw Sergio Escalona to Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

All Star Trifecta

Chase Utley, Raul Ibanez, and Ryan Howard will all represent the Phillies on the National League All Star team. Utley and Ibanez were voted in by fans as the starters and Howard was one of Charlie Manuel's picks. Here is the NL line up:

Starters:

C: Yadier Molina, STL

1B: Albert Pujols, STL

2B: Chase Utley, PHI

3B: David Wright, NYM

SS: Hanley Ramirez, FLA

OF: Ryan Braun, MIL

OF: Raul Ibanez, PHI

OF: Carlos Beltran, NYM

Pitchers:
Heath Bell, SD
Chad Billingsley, LAD
Jonathan Broxton, LAD
Matt Cain, SF
Francisco Cordero, CIN
Ryan Franklin, STL
Dan Haren, ARI
Josh Johnson, FLA
Ted Lilly, CHC
Tim Lincecum, SF
Jason Marquis, COL
Francisco Rodriguez, NYM
Johan Santana, NYM

Reserves:

Brian McCann, ATL
Prince Fielder, MIL
Adrian Gonzalez, SD
Ryan Howard, PHI
Orlando Hudson, LAD
Freddy Sanchez, PIT
Miguel Tejada, HOU
Ryan Zimmerman, WSH
Brad Hawpe, COL
Hunter Pence, HOU
Justin Upton, ARI

Don't forget to vote your butt off for Shane Victorino in the final roster spot. Fans get to chose from five players as Victorino will go against Matt Kemp (LAD), Cristian Guzman (WAS) Pablo Sandoval (SF), Mark Reynolds (ARI) for the last spot. Vote here.

American League Roster

Happy 4th of July!

Happy 4th of July to all of you. I want to thank those who have read my blog and I hope you continue to read it. As the All Star break nears and the second half of the season gets underway, things will heat up and get a bit more exciting. Don't expect the Phillies struggles to last too long as they tend to tear up the second half.

So grill up some burgers, dogs, sausage and peppers, or whatever you can get your hands on. Drink some beer, play some horse shoes, and enjoy the family until 7 PM when the fire works begin at Citizens Bank Park as the Phillies will take on the Mets.

Go Phils and Happy Birthday America.

Swept Again

Comcast Sportsnet had a great poll up but they missed one option. The question: what is the cause of the Phillies' struggles? A. bull pen inconsistency; B. Cole Hamels' struggles; C. Raul Ibanez's absence; D. Jimmy Rollins' struggles. I would love to add: E. All of the above.

The Phillies are 4-14 in their last 18 games. In those last 18, the bull pen has blown countless saves and pitched absolutely terrible. In games when the Phillies would be trailing only a run or two, the bull pen would surrender multiple runs to put the game out of reach. A part of this is due to the starters not going at least seven innings and that is completely draining the bull pen.

Ryan Madson has been the most dreadful of relievers. Since June 16, he's given up nine runs in seven appearances (6 2/3 innings). He has blown three saves. Madson isn't the only pitcher struggling as Hamels, who hasn't won a game since June 4, has been terrible. In his last five starts, he's 0-3, averaging less than six innings a start. He's given up 19 runs on 44 hits and 8 walks in 27 2/3 IP. Those are not numbers you want from your ace.

After being benched for four games, Rollins came back to go hitless in the first two games of the Braves series until Thursday night when he had two hits, snapping an 0-28 drought.

Tuesday: In a seesaw battle, the Phillies blew a 4-3 lead in the eighth and gave up a walk off hit in the 10th. Martin Prado capped his 4-5, four RBI game with the winning hit as the Braves won 5-4.

Wednesday: Jair Jurrjens took a no hitter into the seventh as the Braves dominated the Phillies 11-1.

Thursday: After tying the game up at two in the sixth, the Braves scored three in the eighth off Madson to win 5-2. JA Happ went seven strong, giving up two runs on seven hits and two walks and striking out five.

Series MVP's:

ATL: Martin Prado: 7-12, 4 runs, 2 doubles, HR, 6 RBI

ATL: Matt Diaz: 7-11, 4 runs, double, HR, 3 RBI, SB

Next Series: New York Mets (39-39; 17-22 on road) @ Philadelphia Phillies (39-37; 13-22 at home)

We all know how big the Mets series is. It's the start of their final 10 game home stand going into the All Star Break. The Mets lead the series 4-3 but the Phillies have won the previous two. The Phillies can win the series still but at this rate, I am afraid of a sweep or series loss. Luckily Johan Santana and Francisco Rodriguez have hit some rough patches. I have nothing more to say.

Pitching Probables:

7/3: Hernandez, L (5-3, 4.04), Lopez, Ro (0-0, -.--)

7/4: Nieve (3-1, 2.25), Moyer (6-6, 6.05)

7/5: Santana, J (9-6, 3.34), Blanton (4-4, 5.08)

Words of Wisdom

Happ On Mound Tonight

Tonight: Happ (5-0, 3.00), Vazquez, J (5-7, 3.04)

After dropping the first two games of the series to the Braves, the Phillies will try to rebound and get a win going into the crucial 10-game home stand starting versus New York. At this rate, the Phillies could easily be in second by the break or probably third. The Marlins are only 1/2 game back where as the Mets are only two games out.

The Phils heat up after the All Star break but with the pitching being as terrible as it has been and the inconsistency of the offense, this special run could be over very quick. I hate to play the role of the pessimist but this team is showing some serious signs of being a mediocre team. Last year's team was legitimately good. But when you lose your second best pitcher to injury (Brett Myers) or when age catches up to your leader in wins (Jamie Moyer), things tend to change.

Also injuries have plagued the Phillies bull pen with Brad Lidge going down and not being himself all year. He has only converted 14 of 20 saves and has an ERA of 7.57. Clay Condrey will be joining the Phillies soon as he also went on the DL. He probably has been their best reliever. Scott Eyre should be back this weekend. Raul Ibanez, the team's best offensive weapon this year, should also be back during the series versus the Mets.

I am getting blue in the face constantly saying this. Jimmy Rollins is the worst lead off hitter in the National League. He is hitless in 27 AB's and is swinging like a blind-folded kid hitting a piñata. The last time he had a hitless streak that bad was in 2002 at 25 AB's. I've said it before and I will say it again: "Lead Off Shane!"

Here are Jimmy's sweltering numbers on the season in 70 games:

AB: 307

R: 41

H: 63

2B: 15

3B: 1

HR: 6

RBI: 27

Avg: .205

OBP: .250