Rollins, Victorino Win Gold Glove

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

Here are the winners in the National League:

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

Discuss it here.

J-Roll-adamus

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

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

The Dream Match Up

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Filling In the Void

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

Rollins, Victorino Fine:

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

After Lee, Rotation Not Set:

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

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

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

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

Phillies Don't Care Who Opponent Will Be:

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

David Montgomery had this to say:

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

Back to the World Series

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Phillies Are J-Roll-in'

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Next Game: Wednesday in Philadelphia, 8:07 EST

Series: Phillies lead 3-1

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

Game Day Discussion: Liberty Bell Sports

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

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

9th Inning Heroics Send Phils to NLCS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Timely Hitting Sparks Phils

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Next Game: Today at 6:07 EST in Colorado

Weather: 51 degrees at game time

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

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

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

Phillies Clinch 3rd Straight Division

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

Phils Earn Split; Eliminate Fish

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

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

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

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

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

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

Series MVP's:

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

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

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

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

Pitching Probables:

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

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

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

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

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

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

BlueClaws Win SAL

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

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

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

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

Phils Take Three In Final Mets Series

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

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

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

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

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

Series MVP's:

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

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

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

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

Pitching Probables:

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

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

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

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

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

Ass-tro Kicking

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pitching Probables:

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

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

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

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

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

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

New York Invasion

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pitching Probables:

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

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

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

Bouncing Back

The Phillies got swept by the Marlins. So how do they respond? They go to Chicago and beat up the Cubs, sweeping the three-game visit to regain some of the ground lost versus Florida. The Starting pitching was the reason this team made the Cubs look like a team who is starting it's decline in the Wild Card race.

Tuesday - Phillies won 4-3: The Phillies got another quality outing from rookie JA Happ as he gave up a couple runs in six innings of work. Brad Lidge blew his seventh save in the ninth and the Phillies got a solo homer from Ben Francisco in the top of the 12th to put them ahead.

Wednesday - Phillies won 12-3: This was an absolute butt kicking to go on top of Pedro Martinez's solid debut. He went five innings and allowing three runs. He struck out five. The Phillies got home runs from Shane Victorino, Jimmy Rollins, and Raul Ibanez.

Thursday - Phillies won 6-1: Cliff Lee continued his dominance in his new home, going eight innings and allowing a single run. He struck out eight Ryan Howard hit a three run bomb and Pedro Feliz added a solo shot.

Series MVP's:

Cliff Lee: 8 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 8 K

Shane Victorino: 4-13, 4 R, double, triple, HR, 2 RBI

Pedro Feliz: 5-14, 2 R, HR, 3 RBI

Next Series: Philadelphia Phillies (64-48, 35-19 on road) @ Atlanta Braves (60-54, 30-25 at home)

The Braves are five games back on the Phillies but have been doing well against them all year. The Phillies are 2-7 versus Atlanta. The Braves have won their last five games and Phillies have won their last three. Both teams are in a bit of a groove even though the Phillies are playing very inconsistent. The Braves definitely have the momentum going into this series.

The Braves have been winning games with their pitching. They are third in the NL in ERA while the Phillies are in ninth. Offense is a different story as the Phillies score a lot of runs, being first in the NL while the Braves are ninth. The Braves' average is fifth while the Phillies are 11th.

I love being the optimist but the Phillies have a few things going against them. Good pitching beats good hitting and the consistent team always wins. The Braves feel they have a chance at the Wild Card and are not going to give up. Braves will win two.

Pitching Probables:

Friday: PHI: Blanton (7-6, 4.02), ATL: Jurrjens (9-8, 3.01)

Saturday: PHI: Hamels (7-7, 4.77), ATL: Kawakami (5-9, 4.12)

Sunday: PHI: Happ (8-2, 2.75), ATL: Vazquez, J (10-7, 2.90)

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)

A Giant Step Backwards

July was a phenomenal month for the Phillies as they went 20-7. But now comes August and it seems as it the Phillies finally cooled down. Cliff Lee's amazing debut saved the Phillies from getting swept as they couldn't figure out the Giants starting pitching, losing three of the four-game series. This was their first series loss since the beginning of July.

Thursday - Giants won 7-2: Rodrigo Lopez got hammered in the fourth as he gave up a total of seven runs, three earned, in his short outing. Pablo Sandoval hit a homer and had four RBI's and Eugenio Velez drove in three. The Phillies offense could only muster five hits on Jonathon Sanchez.

Friday - Phillies won 5-1: Lee made his debut and pitched a complete game, allowing a run on four hits and two walks, striking out six. He also had a pair of hits including one off the wall in left-center. Lee got support from Jayson Werth's two hits, including his solo homer in the second, and three RBI's.

Saturday - Giants won 2-0: Tim Lincecum pitched another stellar game as he out matched Joe Blanton. Aaron Rowand scored on a Juan Uribe sacrifice fly in the fifth to give the Giants a 1-0 lead.

Sunday - Giants won 7-3: Cole Hamels officially has been the Phillies worst starter of the season. After a great start, he fell apart in the fifth and sixth, allowing seven runs, six earned. Jimmy Rollins and Ben Francisco had a pair of hits including Rollins' solo shot in the fourth.

Series MVP's:

Cliff Lee - CG, 1 ER, 4 H, 1 BB, 6K; batting: 2-4, double

Tim Lincecum - 8 IP, 0 ER, 7 H, 1 BB, 8 K; batting: 1-2

Eugenio Velez - 7-17, 3 R, double, 5 RBI

Next Series: Colorado Rockies (58-47; 31-26 on road) @ Philadelphia Phillies (59-44; 27-25 at home)

The Phillies lead the series 2-1 (last played in April). Despite a crappy road trip where the Phillies went 3-7 (lost four of last five), the Phillies will come back home where they have seemed to have found their groove.

The Rockies have been playing tremendous baseball as of late and are riding a four-game win streak. Their offense is second in the NL in runs scored only behind the Phillies. The Rockies pitching is sixth while the Phillies are twelfth.

It can't be said what kind of Phillies team you'll see in Philly versus Colorado. The offense could be working the count and the pitching could be good but at the same time, you could see Jamie Moyer give up a ton of runs and the offense look just as terrible in the past seven games. The Phillies will get a needed day off and hope to rebound.

Pitching Probables:

Tuesday: COL: Hammel (5-6, 4.66), PHI: Moyer (10-7, 5.32)
Wednesday: COL: De La Rosa, J (9-7, 4.68), PHI: Happ (7-2, 2.97)

Thursday: COL: Cook (10-3, 3.88), PHI: Lee, Cl (8-9, 3.02)

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)

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.