'Pen is Not Mightier than the Mets

First off, self-congratulations to the People's Phillies Blog on our one-hundredth post.

Secondly, we should take a look at at last night's baseball game. It was a tense game that turned into a very strategically-maneuvered contest in the mid innings, but which ultimately was allowed to get away by a Phillies bullpen whose off day led to Philadelphia's 9-4 loss.

Jamie Moyer began the game unsteadily for the Phillies, allowing Jose Reyes and Ryan Chucrh to lead the game off with consecutive singles, squeaking out of the situation with only one run against him due to the good fortune of David Wright's hitting into a double play.

John Maine looked good when he game to the mound, retiring the side quickly, and when Moyer came back his pinpoint control seemed to have come back as well. Through the first three innings there were no more baserunners, and a Phillies fan could not escape the feeling that the Philadelphia starter had arrived at the pitchers' duel just slightly too early.

In the fourth the Mets broke the impasse by David Wright doubled and Carlos Beltran walked after Wright stole third base. Beltran should have been out easily when he attempted to steal second, but after Moyer's pickoff throw went to Ryan Howard at first, Howard's throw to second went off line and sailed past a nonplussed Jimmy Rollins. Wright scored easily, and a Damion Easly single in the extended inning gave the Mets their third run of the game.

In the bottom of the inning John Maine's perfect game came to an end, when one of his pitches hit Shane Victorino on the arm. After he capitalized on his famous speed to steal second base Chase Utley walked, and then Ryan Howard came to the plate. Howard made up for his earlier error and simultaneously tied the game in a single swing of his bat, hitting another of his characteristic towering home runs to the stands in left. The Phillies now had three runs on one hit.

The tie held in the middle innings, with both Moyer and Maine walking a hitter or two but each keeping his opposition from getting ahead. Maine, however, had to stop in the middle of his thus-far fairly impressive performance. In the middle of Ryan Howard's at-bat, Maine began to grip his left forearm and cringe in pain. Teammates gathered incredulously around him from the field and the bench. Nobody could seem to believe that he was stopping the game because of pain in the arm he didn't pitch with. Nonetheless, even after throwing a few tosses to test how he felt, Maine seemed unable to continue and left due to what would later be described as an inexplicable shot of pain through the arm. Aaron Heilman had all the time he needed to come in and retire Ryan Howard.

In the seventh, when Moyer allowed Chris Aguila to single and committed a hit batsman against Ryan Church, Charlie Manuel pulled him in favor of Ryan Madson completing the inning. Pat Burrell singled to lead off the Phillie seventh, and, certain that his bat could not be useful late ion a tied game, pinch ran for him with Eric Bruntlett. Bruntlett reached second when Pedro Feliz sacrifice bunted, then the Mets took the odd decision of intentionally walking Geoff Jenkins to get to Chris Coste, who was batting over .300. Coste flied out and Greg Dobbs was announced as the pinch hitter to fill the pitcher's spot in the order, but when Jerry Manuel opted to replace Joe Smith with Pedro Feliciano from the bullpen, Charlie Manuel played lefty/righty and broughtin Jayson Werth to hit instead. Werth put the Phillies ahead when he singled, but ended the inning when he tried to stretch it to a double.

The usually-reliable J. C. Romero was chosen to pitch the eighth, but after he retired Carlos Beltran, Damion Easley and Carlos Delgado hit back-to-back singles. This was sufficient for Charlie Manuel to want to remove him, and Tom Gordon came out of the bullpen in his stead. The first thing he did was to throw a wild pitch the just got past Coste's glove and tying the game. For his next trick he walked Marlon Anderson. Brian Schneider doubled to drive in two more runs before Gordon could escape the inning.

In the Phillie half of the eighth Philadelphia threatened to cut down the Met 6-4 lead when Shane Victorino singled and then reached second on an Utley groundout. However, with Burrell out of the game the Mets felt no compunction in intentionally walking Ryan Howard. Since Greg Dobbs too was unavailable because of the lefty/righty switch, Howard's "protection" ended up being weak-hitting catcher Carlos Ruiz, played since an injury to Coste was unlikely in the coming inning. He grounded out.

Rudy Seanez came into pitch in the ninth. He pitched poorly and the Mets scored three more runs before Clay Condrey finally arrived to end the inning.

The usually reliable Phillies bullpen was bound to fall apart once in a while, and this was the night that it cost them the game. As long as it doesn't happen regularly, it shouldn't cost them too many more contests than this 9-4 loss.

Flyin Hawaiian Wins on Storybook Single

Bottom of the ninth. Two outs. Two strikes. Man on second in a tie game. Playing division rivals. Since the Phillies don't have Roy Hobbs, perhaps bringing up Greg Dobbs would have been more appropriate. But Shane Victorino did exactly what the team needed, hitting an RBI single to right field to score Pedro Feliz from second as the Phillies beat the New York Mets 3-2 in the first game of a four game series.

Both the Phillies and Mets were held scoreless until the fifth inning, as Mets "savior" Johan Santana and Phillies stopgap J.A. Happ held the opposing teams to one hit apiece. In the fifth, Happ finally ran into some trouble, and after loading the bases allowed an RBI groundout to Jose Reyes. Happ loaded the bases again with a walk to Endy Chavez, and walked David Wright to give the Mets another run. With 4 2/3 innings under his belt, the 25 year-old lefty was taken out of the game for Chad Durbin. Durbin proceeded to pitch 2 1/3 innings in which he struck out all but one of the batters he faced.

In that time, the Phillies were able to score two runs in the sixth on consecutive RBI singles from Ryan Howard and Pat Burrell. Johan Santana stayed in the game and wound up throwing eight innings, striking out six batters. He was finally removed for Duaner Sanchez in the ninth, who struck out the two who had driven runs in earlier, Howard and Burrell, before giving up a double to Pedro Feliz and then the game-winning single to Victorino. Ryan Madson and Brad Lidge (who got the win) relieved Durbin and each threw a shutout inning.

J.A. Happ looked pretty good, at least through the first four innings. In his one major league start last year, he allowed five runs in four innings and apparently was having control issues. Those control issues came back to haunt him in the fifth inning, but for the first four, he did a perfectly fine job. The fact that he was able to duel Johan Santana for four innings is quite impressive. Santana's 7-7 record doesn't mean a whole lot considering his 2.96 ERA and 109 strikeouts; the offense just hasn't backed his efforts. But Happ has certainly earned himself another look while Brett Myers figures out how to start again in the minors.

The fact that Happ did reasonably well is extremely lucky for the team, because they would be otherwise be scrounging around looking for someone else to do what Happ was able to do today: keep the other team in check enough for the offense to do its job. This is what eventually earned Kyle Kendrick a spot in the rotation last year, though the team is probably looking for a pitcher of a higher profile to lock into that last rotation slot. If Happ can prove successful, he could be a trading chip to acquire that high profile pitcher. For now, he can hopefully build on tonight's performance and continue to get better. If the team has extra starting pitching, that can't be considered a bad thing.

EDITOR'S NOTE: After the game ended, SNY conducted a brief interview with Pedro Feliz, who scored the winning run. Is it just me or does Feliz get progressively more incoherent as the interview goes on? For my money he sounds like a hispanic Charlie Manuel with his rambling. But you can decide for yourself.

Three Solo Shots Power Phillies Past Atlanta

The Phillies had reason to expect a good chance of winning coming into this game, with Cole Hamels taking the mound for them, and having just taken the first two of three against Atlanta with an offense that seemed newly reinvigorated. The one potential stumbling block was that they were facing Jair Jurrjens of Atlanta, who has compiled impressive statistics this year with an ERA only slightly over three. Hamels was masterful however, and it would have taken a great deal for the Braves to manage anything better than the 4-1 score by which they lost to Philadelphia.

Chase Utley, now suddenly hitting everything after a terrible slump, began the game with a solo home run in his first at bat, and Atlanta would never be able to catch the Phillies from that point on. Hamels began impressively but not perfectly. Men reached second in the first and second innings, but he worked out of the jams and kept the Braves scoreless. The Phillies, too, squandered an opportunity as a Jimmy Rollins triple to lead off the third could not be capitalized upon.

What looked like a one-run pitchers' duel continued until the fourth, when the Phillies were able to gain an insurance run as Pat Burrell doubled, advanced, and scored on a Pedro Feliz single. All the while, Cole Hamels only seemed to be gaining strength as he put the Braves down one after another. The otherwise scant lead of two runs was, with Hamels seemingly at his best, sizable. Two further home runs by Ryan Howard in the sixth and Feliz in the seventh were nails in the coffin. They were good signs too, has Howard seems to have found his stroke more than usual, and Pedro Feliz has been on an apparent hot streak.

Hamels seemed to cruise. He worked out of a double he allowed in the eighth and looked set for a complete game shutout in the ninth, but when Chipper Jones doubled in the ninth and Brian McCann did likewise and scored him for the Braces' only run, Charlie Manuel replaced him and brought in Tom Gordon to record the last out. It is nice to see the Phillies finally combine a day of superb pitching with one of solid hitting as they defeated Atlanta 4-1 -- something they will need to do again in their upcoming games against New York.

Howard Homers Early and Struggles Late in Win

Phillies fans got a glimpse of what Ryan Howard can do for (and do to) their team in tonight's game against the Braves. Howard shined early on, belting a three-run homer in the third inning, but his sloppy fielding gave the Braves a chance to tie the game in the ninth inning. Instead, the Phillies survived and scored a 7-3 win over Atlanta, clinching their first series win since...the last time they played the Braves.

Once again, the Phillies took an early lead against in Atlanta. In the second inning, Chris Coste hit a two-out double that scored Pedro Feliz and put the Phillies ahead 1-0. Adam Eaton nearly added another run as he singled in the next at-bat. However, Coste was gunned down at home by left fielder Gerry Blanco. Then, in the third, the Phillies put runners on first and second for Howard, who took Jorge Campillo deep with his 21st home run of the year, opening up a four-run lead.

In the meantime, Eaton was, what one can only call wildly effective. Eaton put runners on base in all but one inning he pitched. In the bottom of the third, he loaded the bases on walks to Chipper Jones and Mark Teixiera, but escaped by inducing a Brian McCann fly-out. Pat Burrell gave Eaton a five-run lead in the fifth, as he hit a solo home run, but in the bottom of the inning, Ruben Gotay responded with his own solo shot, making it a 5-1 ballgame.

Gotay's home run seemed like a sign that Eaton's luck was about to run out and that ominous sign came to fruition in the sixth inning. Teixiera led off the inning with a double, and Eaton put the next two runners aboard to load the bases with no outs. Charlie Manuel turned to Chad Durbin to get out of the jam and Durbin made the best of a bad situation, getting Jeff Francoeur to ground into a double play that plated Teixiera. Durbin then struck out Mark Kotsay to end the threat.

Both bullpens were effective (Campillo also left after five innings) until the eighth inning, when J.C. Romero surrendered a solo homer to Chipper Jones, making it a 5-3 game. However, the Phillies responded in the top of the ninth. Pinch hitter Eric Bruntlett drew a walk off Blaine Boyer, who was then removed for Royce Ring. Jimmy Rollins greeted Ring with an RBI triple. Ring struck out Shane Victorino, but Chase Utley slapped a single to left to extend the lead to 7-3.

Brad Lidge came in to pitch the ninth, which seemed like little more than a formality considering the score and the dominance of the Phillies bullpen this year. True to form, Lidge started off by striking out Kotsay. Greg Norton singled to center in the next at-bat, but there was still little cause for concern.

Then things got interesting. Blanco hit a sharp grounder toward Howard that was apparently too hot to handle, as it squirted through his legs. Blanco was safe and the Braves fans were suddenly interested. Yunel Escobar worked a full count before Lidge got him looking on a fastball. Jones stepped in and drew a 3-1 count before hitting a grounder to the right side of the infield. Utley set up to field it and appeared to call Howard off, but Howard made a play for the ball anyway. The ball bounced off of Howard's glove and Utley had to chase it down to keep Norton at third. Howard's second error of the inning (ninth of the season) loaded the bases for cleanup hitter Mark Teixiera, who would represent the tying run.

Lidge's first pitch to Teixiera was nearly his last, as Teixiera crushed the ball down the right field line. Teixiera put his arms up in excitement and the crowd roared only to see the ball go just foul. After the umpire made the ruling, Lidge and Teixiera battled until, after eight pitches, the count had run full. Lidge reached back and threw a low slider for the ninth pitch and Teixiera waved at it and missed, recording the final out of a surprisingly close game.

The Phillies won, both thanks to and despite Howard's play. A win tomorrow would give them a sweep of the Braves and considerable momentum to take home with them as they prepare to face the Mets. They say wins like these build character. Maybe so, but I'm not sure how much more "character" I can take.

Victorino Drives in Four in Win

Tonight was a bit of a homecoming for the Phillies. No, they didn't return to Citizen's Bank Park, but they did return from the American League, taking on the Braves for the first of three games. The Phillies needed a win tonight, with the Marlins encroaching on their division lead, and they made themselves right at home in Atlanta in their 8-3 victory.

Kyle Kendrick was coming off a great start in Oakland, where he tossed a career-high eight innings in a 4-0 shutout. He picked up where he left off, running his scoreless inning streak to fourteen, before surrendering three runs in the seventh.

The Phillies' offense did its part as well. Pat Burrell put the Phillies on the board in the second with a solo home run off Braves rookie Charlie Morton. The next inning, the Phillies piled on the insurance runs. Jimmy Rollins led off the third with a single, setting up a Shane Victorino line drive that skipped off the top of the right field wall for a two-run home run. The Phillies then followed with four straight singles, which resulted in a 5-0 lead with no outs and chased Morton. Buddy Carlyle entered in relief and retired the next three batters in order to get out of the jam.

The Braves bullpen kept the game within reach for the next five innings, holding the Phillies scoreless. Carlyle, in particular, was dominant with three innings pitched and five strikeouts, while allowing just one hit and no walks.

Meanwhile, Kendrick cruised until the seventh inning. With runners on first and second and no outs, pinch hitter Greg Norton hit a two-RBI double. That would be all for Kendrick, as Charlie Manuel turned to J.C. Romero to limit the damage. Romero got Gerry Blanco to ground out, then walked Kelly Johnson and Chipper Jones, setting up a Mark Teixiera RBI ground-out. Then, with the tying run in scoring position, Brian McCann grounded to second, and the Phillies escaped with a two-run lead.

The Phillies nearly built on their lead in the eighth, when a walk, an error, and a sacrifice bunt put runners on second and third with one out and Victorino up. Strangely, the Braves elected to intentionally walk Victorino with Chase Utley and Ryan Howard up next. Yet, the unorthodox strategy paid off, as Will Ohman struck out both Utley and Howard and it remained a two-run game. Tom Gordon followed with a 1-2-3 bottom of the eighth, setting up what looked to be an exciting ninth inning.

After their recent struggles, the Phillies were probably in no mood for drama. Jayson Werth singled and later scored on a Pedro Feliz sac fly. The Phillies then loaded the bases on two walks and a single, bringing up Victorino. Victorino delivered, hitting a single into left field that scored two runs and brought the score to 8-3. Brad Lidge came in to pitch the ninth, having already warmed up in preparation for a save opportunity. Lidge allowed a one-out single before striking out Johnson and Jones to end the game.

The win, coupled with the Marlins 9-6 loss to the Nationals gives the Phillies a 1.5 game lead in the NL East and should restore some confidence to the Phillies. In the next two games, the Phillies will face more challenging starters, but with the offense seemingly clicking again, scoring twenty-four runs in the last four games, this may not be a problem.

Phillies Option Myers to Triple-A Lehigh Valley

The Phillies have sent inconsistent starter Brett Myers to their Triple-A affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Ironpigs. 

They are lucky that Myers was willing to agree to this, and it was probably the best thing that the team could have done. There was a lot of talk of sending Myers to the bullpen, but the problem with that is who would they take out. Myers and Chad Durbin could have been switched, but Charlie Manuel likes Durbin in the bullpen because of the versatility he offers. Myers in the bullpen might have been fine, but he wouldn't be closing due to the dominance of Brad Lidge, and if he were to replace Durbin, he'd be one of the long relievers, which may or may not produce better results than if he were starting. If Tom Gordon's shoulder proves to be an extended issue, then Myers could have been the set up man, but it would be best for Myers not to be bouncing back and forth between roles. He has shown hints of being a dominant starter this season, and he has also shown improvement in his ability to keep his composure. His main issue has been the inconsistency of his fastball and having a hard time finding ways to get through situations when that pitch isn't working for him. A trip to the minors in order to work on some of those issues could help immensely in preparation for the second half of the season. If he's successful there, he could give the team a boost if they're unable to acquire another starter by the trade deadline. 

There was no indication of who would replace Myers in the rotation. Kris Benson isn't quite ready to return to the majors, though he could be the eventual replacement barring any further setbacks. Other options in the Triple A club would be 25 year old J.A. Happ (5-6 with a 3.54 ERA in 17 starts), who joined the major league club for some time last year, and Brian Mazone who was a non-roster invitee to Spring Training. The 31 year old lefty has gone 8-6 with a 3.28 ERA in 17 starts including a complete game shutout. The Phillies will also likely look into the trade market for options, though they don't have a whole lot to offer for a C.C. Sabathia or Erik Bedard. Shane Victorino or Jayson Werth could be dealt, but a trade would probably need to involve pitching prospect Carlos Carrasco, who the team wants to hold onto. They might be able to find an out of work veteran and give him a shot, the way they got Rudy Seanez and Steve Kline earlier in the year. They're 1-1 in that situation. The team will probably use yesterday's day off to buy them some time and keep the rotation on their five-day schedule. When it comes time for another starter, Mazone or Happ will likely get the call, though the fact that a promotion wasn't announced with the demotion could mean that something is in the works. 

Phils Lose Sixth Consecutive Series

Tonight's game marked the end of interleague play, which the Phillies can only be grateful for. They celebrated by dropping yet another game to an American League foe, falling to the Rangers 5-1.

Texas took an early lead against the Phillies, scoring a run in the first inning as Ian Kinsler tripled and Michael Young scored him on a groundout. The Rangers would score another run in each of the next two innings to take a 3-0 lead.

Meanwhile, the Phillies were unable to respond against Texas rookie Eric Hurley. Hurley held the Phillies scoreless until the sixth inning, when Ryan Howard drove in Chase Utley on an RBI single. Playing it safe, Texas then went to the bullpen and Jamey Wright retired Greg Dobbs to end the threat. Hurley only lasted 5 2/3 innings, but in that time he held the Phillies to just one run on five hits and two walks.

From there, the Texas bullpen took care of business, as Wright, Eddie Guardado, and C.J. Wilson threw 3.1 near-perfect innings, the only blunder being an error by Kinsler that allowed Shane Victorino to reach base. Meanwhile, the Phillies bullpen stumbled, as Ryan Madson allowed two runs in the eighth inning that put the game out of reach.

Hurley picked up his first major league win and the Phillies left Texas with plenty of questions and a slim division lead. Perhaps there will be some comfort in returning to the National League, but the schedule doesn't get any easier. The Phillies head to Atlanta next for a three-game set, then go home to face the Mets, Cardinals, and Diamondbacks.

Florida is breathing down the Phillies' necks, but they have more than the Marlins to worry about now. The Braves and Mets are within four games of first place. The only bright side to this is that the main problem hasn't been the pitching. The offense has been slumping badly (though Utley seems to have broken out of it) and even when the starters do throw a good game, they haven't gotten run support. Take Jamie Moyer, tonight's starter. He had another solid three earned run or fewer start, but has now lost three straight games.

Fortunately for the Phillies, the next two series are against teams with starting pitching problems. The Braves and Mets rotations could certainly help jump-start the Phillies offense. At least they had better hope it does.