Happ 2nd In ROY Voting

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

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

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

Greedy Mother Robs Howard's Homer

I really hate greedy people:

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Four Games in Brew-Town

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

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

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

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

Phillies Magic #6

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

Phillies Gain Ground

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

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

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

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

Series MVP's:

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

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

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

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

Pitching Probables:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Marlins Sweep Phillies

I am extremely frustrated at watching this Phillies team play as of late. Three rants to be had on this team after watching their performance versus Florida (or lack there of).

Cole Hamels is a sissy:

If there is anyone out their that has no heart, it's Cole Hamels. He has been a disgrace to watch on the mound and it can be said that all Philly fans are tired of his approach to each game this year. I am in no way saying he is a bad pitcher but this year it seems that he has been lazy and shown no will to win.

Phillies Nation had a post on him just being unlucky. I call BS on that as this is just Hamels not being good. He is showing no command of his change up or his fastball and his curveball is a joke. He knows that pitch sucks but he shows no signs of improving it. Ace's can not be two-pitch guys. Thank God for Cliff Lee or this season could be in serious jeopardy.

Offensive Inconsistency:

After a torrid July, the bats have officially died. With the exception of Jimmy Rollins, no one has shown any consistent run support. They strand runners and they don't hit with runners in scoring position.

Ryan Howard is awful. He hasn't homered since July 27. Chase Utley is batting .148 in August with one extra base hit (2B). Shane Victorino is also struggling with his .227 average for the month.

Raul Ibanez's lack of support:

Don't get me wrong, he's had plenty of hits. He just isn't driving anyone in. This does have something to do with Utley and Howard's struggles but he's not bringing guys home. He only has one RBI since July 28.

It's about time for another behind-closed-doors meeting where there is a lot of hollering from Uncle Chollie. This is his team and he has to tell his team that in order to win, they have to straighten their crap out.

Friday - Marlins win 3-2: Ricky Nolasco out pitched the steady Joe Blanton as the Phillies wasted another quality start by Big Joe. The only offense for the Phillies came from Ben Francisco's two run homer, his first as a Phillie and 11th of the year.

Saturday - Marlins win 6-4: Hamels gave up a pair of homers including four runs in 5.1 IP. Howard went 4-4 with two doubles.

Sunday - Marlins win 12-3: This was just an ugly game. The Phillies went up 1-0 and it all fell apart after that. Moyer pitched okay, giving up three runs, two earned, in five innings. He gave up 11 hits and a walk as well, throwing 97 pitches. Rodrigo Lopez was destroyed for six runs in .2 IP. Pedro Feliz hit a two run homer.

Series MVP's:

No one. I'm not even going to put forth the effort for Florida's players.

Next Series: Philadelphia Phillies (61-48; 32-19 on road) @ Chicago Cubs (58-51; 33-19 at home)

The Phillies lead the series 2-1 after playing the Cubs a few weeks ago. The Cubs, much like the Phillies, have been playing some inconsistent baseball, allowing the Cardinals to make some room in the Central standings.

The Cubs offense has still been struggling as they are 14th in average in the league while the Phillies are 8th. The Cubs are also 10th in runs scored while the Phillies still have first in hand. Chicago's 3.83 team ERA is 5th in the league while the Phillies are 11th.

The Phillies are off tomorrow, a great time for Charlie Manuel to close the doors and sit his team down. Hopefully the Phillies will wake up in time to prepare them for the real late season run that will lead into the post season. They match up well in the pitching category so we shall see if the offense shows up.

Pitching Probables:

Tuesday - Happ (8-2, 2.74) vs Harden (7-7, 4.41)

Wednesday - Lee (9-9, 2.95) vs Marshall (3-7, 3.93)

Thursday - Blanton (7-6, 4.02) vs Dempster (6-5, 4.04)

Back On Track

The Phillies got back to work, especially after losing five of their last six. They had two of their best pitchers this year throwing during the series. Jamie Moyer was the same old and JA Happ and Cliff Lee both dominated the Rockies as the Phillies took two of three in the series. The rookie and former Cy Young winner combined for 16 innings of work, allowing one run and striking out 19. Winning this series helped the Phillies maintain a comfortable seven-game lead on both Florida and Atlanta.

Moyer hasn't been doing much to keep himself in the rotation. Happ's performance Wednesday really helped him solidify a permanent spot in the rotation. Lee has been dominant in his introduction to the NL, going 16 innings and allowing two runs in his two starts as a Phillie.

Tuesday - Rockies won 10-3: I was at this debacle of a game as Moyer only lasted five plus innings, giving up six runs on six hits and four walks. Garrett Atkins started the scoring with a two-run shot in the second and Colorado started to pour it on in the fourth and sixth innings. Jimmy Rollins continued his hot tear as he homered and singled.

Wednesday - Phillies won 7-0: JA Happ pitched probably the best outing a Phillies pitcher has thrown this year, shutting out the Rockies. He allowed four hits and two walks and struck out ten. Rollins hit a two-run shot while Pedro Feliz added a solo homer and Jayson Werth hit a three-run bomb.

Thursday - Phillies won 3-1: Cliff Lee made his debut in Philadelphia, going seven strong innings and allowing a run on six hits and a walk. He also struck out nine. Rollins fell a home run short of the cycle Paul Bako hit his first home run in since June 19, 2008.

Series MVP's:

Jimmy Rollins: 6-14, 4 runs, double, triple, 2 HR, 4 RBI

JA Happ: CG, SO, 4 H, 2 BB, 10 K

Cliff Lee: 7 IP, 1 ER, 6 H, 1 BB, 10 K

Next Series: Florida Marlins (55-53, 26-27 on road) @ Philadelphia Phillies (61-45, 29-26 at home)

The Phillies are 7-2 versus the Marlins and have won three straight. The Marlins have also been pretty cold and are losers of their last three games. The Phillies were struggling out west but woke up in the middle of the Rockies series. The Phillies will have Moyer pitching this series, who kills the Marlins (thank God he has a team he can beat).

Offensively, the Marlins have some guys that can hit, including Hanley Ramirez, the best short stop in the National League. He's batting a sizzling .344 and has 16 homers and 70 RBI's. The team is 8th in the NL in average, one spot behind the Phillies and are 6th in runs scored (the Phillies are 1st).

The Phillies have the Marlins number and that is no surprise. Like all year, they shouldn't have any problem sweeping the Marlins, let alone just beating them. I'm going to predict another series sweep and a ten-game advantage after the series.

Pitching Probables:

Friday: FLA: Nolasco (7-7, 5.00), PHI: Blanton (7-5, 4.02)

Saturday: FLA: West (3-4, 4.91), PHI: Hamels (7-6, 4.68)

Sunday: FLA: Johnson, J (10-2, 2.98), PHI: Moyer (10-8, 5.55)

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

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)

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.

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)

Phils Lose Series to Fish

Series recap:
Monday - L 3-5
Tuesday - W 5-3
Wednesday - L 2-6

The series started on Monday, back in Philly. After a very successful 8-2 road trip that ended with a series win at Yankee Stadium, the Phillies would face the Marlins for three. After sweeping the first series in Florida, they were hoping for at least another series win. They didn't get that.

Jamie Moyer took the mound on Monday, taking his 5th stab at career win #250. He pitched well until he gave up a 3-run homer to Wes Helms. Ryan Howard teed off that game, hitting a 2-run shot off the top of the batters eye in center field and a solo homer to left center. He was really the only offense as the Phillies could only muster six hits.

Tuesday was a much better game as Joe Blanton went seven shut out innings, striking out 11 total. The Phillies took a 5-0 game into the 9th and after Howard's first error of the season forced 2 runs in, Brad Lidge came in to get the save after blowing two in New York. They got things going early in the first with base hits that were stretched and good base running, the complete opposite of Monday's game.

On Wednesday, they couldn't do much at all... against a reliever! Brett Myers pitched solid until the 6th where he got in serious trouble. Down 2-1, he surrendered back to back doubles to make it 3-1 and the surrendered a 2-run homer. He then left in the 6th with soreness in his right hip. X-rays revealed some jaggedness.

This could be bad news for both Myers in the Phillies. If he is out for a period of time, more pressure will be put on Cole Hamels, JA Happ, Blanton and Moyer. Hamels has been stellar and Myers has been drastically getting better. Blanton showed some life and Moyer is still awful. Not much can be said for Happ yet as he will be making his 2nd start on Friday.

Next will be home versus the Nationals:
5/28 - off
5/29 - Detwiler (0-0, 2.45), Happ (2-0, 2.60)
5/30 - Martis (5-0, 4.86), Hamels (2-2, 4.68)
5/31 - Lannan (2-4, 4.11), Moyer (3-5, 7.42)

Happy Memorial Day To All

I just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Memorial Day. A day of family, cook outs, beer, and baseball. For me, it's been a day of work as I'm going back to the family liquor store in an hour for the rest of the night.

The Phillies will play the Marlins tonight and will be putting Jamie Moyer on the mound versus Chris Volstad of the Marlins. Hopeful the old man will notch win #250.

I noticed some teams wore red hats today with the American flag design similar to last year's 4th of July hats. They looked cool and I hope to see the Phillies and Marlins sporting those too.

Phils Take 2 in the Bronx

The Phillies capped a 10 game road trip with a series win at Yankee Stadium. They went 8-2, starting the trip with a 4-game sweep of Washington. They won Friday night 7-3, lost 5-4 on Saturday, and won 4-3 on Sunday.

Friday's game featured a slug fest as the Phillies used 4 home runs to out muscle the AJ Burnett and the Yankees' high powered offense. The Yankees posted 3 solo shots of their own but weren't nearly enough to beat Philadelphia. Brett Myers got the start, going 8 innings and giving up 3 runs with 5 strike outs. He pitched well but is still giving up too many homers.

The offense Jimmy Rollins' 2-hit day including his first pitch lead off homer. Raul "the Animal" Ibanez added another homer to his ridiculous season. Carlos Ruiz also hit his first homer of the season.

On Saturday, the Yankees magic struck again as they earned their league leading 17th come-from-behind win. Up 4-2 in the bottom of the 9th, Brad Lidge surrendered a walk to Johnny Damon and watched Alex Rodriguez go yard as the Yankees tied it up. A couple batters later and Melky Cabrera is driving in Robinson Cano for the win.

A couple of positive notes included John Mayberry Jr's first career hit being a 3-run homer, Ibanez tacking on another homer, and JA Happ doing great in his debut.

On Sunday, Lidge struck again as he gave up a no outs RBI single to allow the Yankees to tie it up at 3. The Phillies would get a 2-out RBI double from Ruiz to go ahead and win.

Series MVP: Ruiz (6-8 with 3 RBI's, a homer, and a game winning double)

Next series vs. Florida:
Monday: Volstad (3-3, 3.64), Moyer (3-4, 7.62)
Tuesday: Miller, A (1-1, 4.94), Blanton (2-3, 7.11)
Wednesday: TBA

A few notes

A few things while I sit here watching the Phillies vs. Yankees:

-First thing I want to say is congratulations to John Mayberry Jr. In his first big league game, he went 2-3 with a 3-run homer and a double. The homer was his first career hit. His team mates gave him the silent treatment and then walked over towards him in the dugout to congratulate Shane Victorino first, who was on base when Mayberry hit his shot.

-I'm also not going to be posting the FIM moment today. I simply didn't feel like it plus I want to relax today. Moment #6 will be up tomorrow morning.

-I'm also going to try a new thing. Instead of doing weekly recaps, I'll just do a series summary and preview for the next one. After the Phillies game, I'll sum up their series versus the Yankees and do a preview of their series coming up versus the Marlins.

-And my last thought: You're scaring me, Brad Lidge. Please return to 2008 form.

FIM #14: The 2007 Run

This moment in Phillies history will be one of the few I will never forget. Mainly because I was at the last game (the above photo was taken by me) which I luckily got Standing Room Only tickets to.

With just 17 games to go, the Mets were 7 games ahead of the 2nd place Phillies. The Phillies finished the season 13-4 while the Mets went 5-12. The momentum shifted when the Phillies swept the Mets in New York.

It was the last series of the season for both teams. The Phillies were up a game on New York. The Mets played and beat the Florida Marlins in their first 2 games. The Phillies were playing the Washington Nationals and split the first 2 games. The division was tied going into the last game of the season.

I get to the stadium and the Marlins/Mets game started a half hour earlier than the Phillies. Everyone is following the out of town score board and on their phones and after the first inning of that game, the Marlins were winning 7-1. Florida added a run in the 5th and the Phillies rolled over the Nationals 6-1.

Jimmy Rollins got that game going right away with a lead off triple, his 20th of the season. That hit was just a small piece of the kind of finish he had for the season, leading to his MVP honors. No one picked up a team like he did and he was able to beat out Matt Holiday of the Rockies, who played a similar role for the Rockies, who made the Wild Card.

The Phillies made the playoffs for the first time in 14 years, winning the division for the first time in 14 years as well. They lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Rockies in 3 games. We know what happened next year.

Summary: April

As usual, the Phillies got off to a slow start in April but finished winning 5 of 6, including a sweep of the Marlins in Florida. On a positive note, they are going into May with a record of 11-9 and are only 1.5 games out of first to the Marlins. In this post, I will go into detail of the positives and negatives of the first month in baseball.

POSITIVES

-Utley's hip: He's fine everyone! He has been absolutely electric in his first month of play. Utley only played about 10 games of spring ball, a major concern for his effectiveness early in the season. Well worry no more. Utley is batting .342 with 7 homers and 20 RBI's, making him an early MVP candidate. Will he keep this up? Well barring a phantom hip injury like last year, he should keep up this pace and be in the MVP talks throughout the season.

-Pat who?: Just kidding, we still miss you Pat but all kidding aside, Raul Ibanez is no joke. If there were any doubts that the older and slower Ibanez would fill the hole left by Burrell, they are all gone now. He has been clutch all month, including his go ahead grand slam Friday night versus Washington in Philadelphia's 13-11 win. His numbers going into May: .379, 7 homers, 17 RBI's.

*side note: Burrell is currently batting .254 with 1 home run and 8 RBI's.

-Mad-dog: Ryan Madson has started out the season pitching really well. He even put some velocity on his fast ball as it has topped out at 97 a few times. He isn't doing anything spectacular but he is reliable and is filling the void left with Brad Lidge's injury.

-Ryno: Ryan Howard is batting much better to start the season than he has in the past. he's sitting at .288 with 4 homers and 15 RBI's. He usually heats up in May and is on fire in June-on. A good start will only mean a ridiculous ending.

-Matt Stairs: He's batting .308 with 2 pinch hit home runs in 13 AB's. He may very well be the Greg Dobbs of this year.

NEGATIVES

-Injury bug: Brad Lidge, Carlos Ruiz, and Cole Hamels have been battling injuries to start off the year. They aren't anything long term but it's frustrating.

-Cold Hamels: No it isn't a typo. Only Alex Rodriguez is unluckier than him right now. He's been hit by batted balls, sprained his ankle, and has pitched the exact opposite of his World Series MVP performance. Look at the bright side, he could have been embarrassed in a book, uncovered in steroid talks, and had embarrassing pictures of him leaked to the public. Way to go A-Rod.

-Home run champions: I'm talking about the starting pitching. They have given up at least one home run in 19 out of 20 games to start the season. Brett Myers is the champion here with 8 home runs in 5 starts (31.2 innings). The team? 40 homers in 20 games. Wow.

-Distractions: Ring ceremonies, rain outs, injuries, and the loss of the greatest broadcaster in Philadelphia history, Harry Kalas. Keep your heads up boys. The season will only get better.

OTHER STUFF

-Series won/lost/split: 3/3/1

-Sweeps: Marlins April 25-27

-Best offensive game: Ibanez 4/27 - 3-5, double, grand slam, 4 RBI's, 2 runs

-Best pitching start: Jamie Moyer 4/26 - 6 innings, 7 hits, 1 run, 6 k's, 

-Three stars: Utley, Ibanez, Madson