Bruntlett Leads Players Dropped

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),

Off Season News 11/10/09

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

More On Eligible Phillies

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.

Happ Honored

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.

Pen Can't Hold Lead

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

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

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.

Phillies Ready For Playoffs?

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

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.

Bad Time For Blown Saves

*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.

9th Inning Woes

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.

Just Call Him the Rain Man

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."

What To Do With Lidge

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.

Pedro to Debut Wednesday; Moyer to Bull Pen

Hallelujah!

Pedro Martinez will make his 2009 debut with the Phillies on Wednesday. To make room for him in the rotation, Jamie Moyer was informed that he will be put in the bull pen. Chad Durbin was also re-activated and Rodrigo Lopez was sent to AAA Lehigh in his place. A roster move to accommodate Martinez will be announced prior to Wednesday's game.

Moyer has been terrible all year and the Phillies will try his hand in the pen. He will most likely take the lefty long reliever role as Chan Ho Park will be the righty. It's unknown on how effective he will be but Charlie Manuel feels he will still be a key player for the Phillies.

"Based on our reports on how Pedro has pitched in his rehab starts, we felt it was time to move him into our rotation," Manuel said. "Jamie was a total professional and team player when we let him know of the decision to move him to the bullpen. He has been, and will continue to be, a very important part of this team."

The move was highly anticipated by a lot of fans who were getting tired of Moyer's struggles. Martinez went 1-1 with a 5.11 ERA in three minor league starts. Moyer has been terrible all year, going 10-9 with a 5.47 ERA.

The Cubs will also pitch Jeff Samardzija in a spot start Wednesday versus Martinez. The game will be on ESPN at 8:05 ET. He's pitching in place of Ted Lilly.

Pitching Probables for the Cubs series:
Tuesday: Happ (8-2, 2.74) vs Harden (7-7, 4.41)
Wednesday: Martinez (0-0, - -) vs Samardzija (1-1, 6.29)
Thursday: Lee (9-9, 2.95) vs Dempster (6-5, 4.04)

Rotation Battle Pt. 2

The Phillies are in a dilemma that most teams dreamed they were in. They will soon have six very capable starting pitchers once Pedro Martinez is ready. But who will go when he is ready? The Phillies already said that they didn't sign Martinez to pitch in the bull pen. So he is almost locked in.

Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels, and Joe Blanton are locked in. That leaves Jamie Moyer (who got shelled again last night), JA Happ (who pitches tonight to make his bid to remain in the rotation), and Martinez to battle for the last two spots. Rodrigo Lopez already lost his spot and has joined Chan Ho Park as the other long reliever in the pen.

So the Phillies are stuck. Right now, Moyer seems to be the obvious choice to dump due to his ineffectiveness all season. He has only pitched seven innings twice all year. He has been the bull pen killer. But he is not the kind of pitcher who could be effective in a relief role due to his style of pitching.

Happ has been proven to be human as of late but is still pitching pretty well. He can tighten up his spot in the rotation with a good outing tonight. If he gets beat up by the Rockies, the rumors of him being sent back to the bull pen could be true. The Phillies know he can start but how well he has pitched in the pen this season prior to starting can really help them boost a bull pen that has struggled tremendously all season.

One could only imagine what the Phillies would be going through next month if Brett Myers is ready. The bull pen would be the likely spot for Myers, who is in the last year of his contract. He may become the new bridge to Brad Lidge and could close if something happens to Lidge. His chances at starting are very slim and deciding to do so could cost the Phillies games.

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.

Phils Take Series in Toronto

It took 15 games, five series, and 17 days for the Phillies to finally take a series from an American League team during this stretch of inter league play. After dropping the first game to Toronto, the Phillies piled on two big victories to win consecutive games for the first time since the beginning of June.

It started out rocky like the previous four but the Phillies took control in the second game and sparked their offense when they needed it in the rubber match. After a terrible debut in the first game, Brad Lidge notched his first save since June 1. He is 14-20 now.

Friday: It was just one of those days. Hamels got whacked around a bit and then ejected, Chan Ho Park left with a right knee contusion, and the offense had to break up a no hitter in the seventh and couldn't score until the ninth off Jayson Werth's sacrifice fly. Lidge made his return, giving up two runs on two hits and two walks in 1/3 inning pitched. The Phillies lost this one 6-1.

Saturday: Happy birthday to me as JA Happ earned a complete game shut out, only allowing five hits, no walks, and striking out four. Werth ripped two homers, going 4-4 with three runs and three RBI's. Pedro Feliz also added a homer and two RBI's and Ryan Howard had three hits. Phillies won 10-0.

Sunday: Toronto jumped out to a 4-1 lead but in the fourth, the Phillies piled on four runs to take the permanent lead, 5-4, and wound up winning on that same score. Chase Utley had a double and triple, driving in two runs. Utley's triple in the fourth drove in the tying and go ahead runs.

Before I cap off the series recap, I want to know where Jimmy Rollins is. I think he has been punished enough for sucking. It's time to put him back in the line up in the sixth spot. Rollins was benched after his June 24 start and hasn't played in four games. I think Charlie Manuel let him know that he needs to find himself and I hope that when he makes his return, he'll be a smarter hitter.

Series MVP's:

PHI: Jayson Werth: 6-8, 4 runs, double, 2 home runs, 4 RBI's, 5 walks , .846 OBP

PHI: JA Happ : 9 IP, 0 runs, 5 hits, 0 BB, 4 K's

TOR: Aaron Hill: 4-14, 3 runs, 2 doubles, 2 home runs, 4 RBI's

Next Series: Philadelphia Phillies (39-34; 26-12 on road) @ Atlanta Braves (35-40; 18-21 at home)

The Phillies will continue their road trip after their Monday off as they travel to Atlanta. The are going into July, the month they usually heat up. With a 2 1/2 game lead on the Mets, this is when the Phillies will hopefully pull ahead for good. After the Braves series, they come home for 10 games that start versus the Mets.

Atlanta leads the season series 4-2 but the Braves have been struggling as of late. The Phillies hopefully seemed to have found their niche for a bit. The offense is still a bit inconsistent but they have always figured out how to put up runs in bunches on a regular basis.

Pitching Probables:

6/30: Blanton (4-4, 5.06), Lowe, D (7-6, 4.53)

7/1: Hamels (4-4, 4.44), Jurrjens (5-6, 2.93)

7/2: Carrasco (0-0, 0.00 ERA), Vazquez (5-7, 3.04 ERA)

Phillies Lose 4th Straight Series

This day totally sucked (outside of my softball team kicking some serious butt to go 7-0). We lost the King of Pop and Ferrah Fawcett and now the Phillies lost their fourth straight series. They are just "Bad." They're no "Thriller" on the field. This skid is starting to get "Dangerous" as the Mets won again today to improve to 1/2 game out of first. OK I'm done with the MJ puns. The Phillies lost the series 2-1 to the Tampa Bay Rays.

Tuesday: Coming off their 1-8 home stand, the Phillies offense exploded and Jamie Moyer pitched stellar en route to a 10-1 victory. John Mayberry Jr. and Chase Utley hit homers and Moyer only allowed a solo homer to Pat Burrell.

Wednesday: JC Romero and Chan Ho Park got beat up when the Phillies were only down 2-1 in the eighth. But I won't put the blame on them as the offense completely disappeared despite Jayson Werth's solo homer. Phillies lost 7-1.

Thursday: The first inning looked like the Phillies would bust out of their slump when they plated four to start the game. But that was it as Antonio Bastardo got shelled, giving up six runs on seven hit before leaving the game in the fourth inning with a strained shoulder (severity unknown). Phillies lost 10-4.

This series was just plain ugly. My confidence was restored for one whole game and one whole inning on Thursday. The offense was just dead and the pitching was shotty. Despite great starts by Moyer and Joe Blanton, the offense could not support. I really have nothing more to say because I would just be redundant.

Series MVP's:

Phillies: Joe Blanton: 7 IP, 6 Hits, 2 runs, 10 K's

Rays: Carl Crawford: 5-11, 2 runs, 3 doubles, 2 RBI's

Rays: Matt Garza: 8 IP, 3 hits, run, 7 K's

Next Series: Philadelphia Phillies (37-33; 24-11 on road) @ Toronto Blue Jays (40-34; 23-14 at home)

Jays lead series 3-0. The Phillies suck. The Jays are playing solid ball. The Phillies are still good on the road and the offense is also showing some life in areas. I always expect a series win with this team but right now, I'm not too sure. With the Mets 1/2 a game back, I am afraid the Phillies may be the 2nd place team they are playing out to be. Pick up your game or the magic will run out.

Probables:

6/26: Hamels (4-3, 4.24), Romero, R (4-3, 3.59)

6/27: Happ (4-0, 3.47), Mills (0-0, 9.82)

6/28: Moyer (5-6, 5.97), Tallet (5-4, 4.36)

Phils Offense Comes Alive to Split Series

After failing to score more than three runs in the first three games of the series, the Phillies offense powered its way past the Dodgers last night to split the four-game series. After winning the first game, Brad Lidge blew the next two games, wasting good starts by Joe Blanton and Jamie Moyer.

In the first game of the series, Cole Hamels went to work once again, this time shutting out the Dodgers on 97 pitches. He got runs from Ryan Howard's sacrifice fly, Raul Ibanez's RBI double, and Jayson Werth's RBI single.

Hamel's game was such a thing of beauty. He went the distance, striking out five and surrendering four hits and a walk. He also only allowed one runner into scoring position as he got plenty of help from his defense with a pair of double plays early in the game. He mixed his deadly change-up well with fastballs and curveballs to keep the Dodgers hitters off balance.

In the second game, things didn't go so hot for the Phillies. Moyer was fantastic, going seven innings and giving up two runs on four hits. He also struck out three. Up 3-2 going into the ninth, Lidge put two men on but had two outs. He forced a groundball to Pedro Feliz who booted it to load the bases. Next batter was Andre Ethier who hit the shot over Eric Bruntlett's head in right field to win it for the Dodgers.

The third game, as Yogi Berra would say it, "was deja-vu all over again." Holding a 2-1 lead in the ninth, Lidge gave up a home run to pinch hitter Rafael Furcal, his sixth blown save of the season. The ball just barely got past Werth's out-stretched arm. Chad Durbin would surrender the walk-off homer by Andre Ethier in the 12th.

Last night's game was a show as the Phillies dominated from start to finish. Antonio Bastardo took the mound for his second career start and pitched a good follow-up performance. He went five innings, giving up two runs on seven hits and fanning four. He got the win, starting his career 2-0. He is doing an excellent job at petitioning to the Phillies that they do not need any other help until the deadline.

Charlie Manuel shook up the offense by leading off with Shane Victorino and dropping Rollins down to sixth. It worked well as the offense featured some fire works from homers by Victorino, Carlos Ruiz, and Howard. Chan Ho Park pitched three strong innings in relief, giving up only one hit.

Series MVP's:

Dodgers: Ethier - 6-16, 2 doubles, 2 homers, 4 RBI's, 2 walk-off hits

Phillies: Hamels - 9 IP, CG, SHO, 5 K's, 5 hits

Next Series: @ New York Mets

6/9: Happ (4-0, 2.48); Santana (7-3, 2.00)

6/10: Hamels (4-2, 4.40), Pelfrey (4-2, 4.85)

6/11 Moyer (4-5, 6.27), Redding (0-2, 6.97)

Mayberry Jr. Called Up

John Mayberry Jr. was brought up to the Phillies last night from AAA Lehigh Valley. They will send Sergio Escalona back down to AAA. Mayberry was hitting .277 with 8 HR and 25 RBI for the Iron Pigs this season.

This is great news. He should be starting today and tomorrow. As a right handed bat, he will be facing two very good lefties in Andy Pettitte and CC Sabathia respectively. It isn't known how long his stay will last up in the majors after these two games, especially because he won't see starting time over Shane Victorino, Jayson Werth, or Raul Ibanez any time soon when they go back to the NL.

Other News:
Mayberry won't be the only one to make some kind of debut. JA Happ will be set to take the mound today versus Pettitte in his first start of the 2009 season. He was moved from the bull pen to the rotation in place of Chan Ho Park, who was dropped to the pen.

And former Phillies Adam Eaton was dropped by the Orioles after they figured out he is absolutely useless. He pitched 2-5 with an 8.56 ERA. He allowed nine homers and 19 walks in 41 innings, and lasted longer than six innings only once. "The way he pitched made this move self-evident," Orioles manager Dave Trembley said. "I just didn't see him being able to locate his pitches on a regular basis."