When the Tampa Bay Rays recorded the last out against the Boston Red Sox to claim the ALCS title one could argue it set up a “Home and Home” world series for the Phillies! The Phillies train in Clearwater, Florida in the spring which is only a short distance from St. Petersburg and the home of the Rays. If they want the Fightins can use thier own facilities to work out for the games hosted by the Rays.

Lets take a look at how I think this series breaks out and who has the ultimate edge. The Rays starting pitchers Scott Kazmir, Matt Garza, James Shields and Andy Sonnnastine are all young as is most of their team. Kazmir is the only lefty amongst the group. I believe this plays into the strength of the Phillies from the perspective that they are heavy on left handed bats and are a very good fastball hitting team. Kazmir and Garza are primary fastball pitchers. The Rays bullpen has been worked alot in the playoffs, folks like Grant Balfour, J.P. Howell, Chad Bradford, Dan Wheeler and David Price have logged many innings. I think that the Phillies offense can do damage against that crew. Look for Jayson Werth and Ryan Howard to have big series, in fact I predict one of those two will emerge as series MVP.

The Phillies starters will be Cole Hamels, Brett Myers, Jamie Moyer and Joe Blanton. I think the inexperience of the young Ray hitters will play into the hands of both Hamels and Moyer. I also think that Myers is a big game guy and on the biggest baseball stage there is will excel. The Phillies bullpen has proven itself over the stretch run and the playoffs to be this years best. Ryan Madson, Scott Eyre, J.C. Romero and Chad Durbin have all excelled in setting up premier closer Brad Lidge. Any lead the offense turns over to that crew should be safe!

Defensively I think the Phillies are much better than the Rays, in fact the Rays defense has hurt them in the playoffs thus far. Offensively I think the Phillies are much more balanced but Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino must set the table for core sluggers Ryan Howard, Jayson Werth, Chase Utley and Pat Burrell. With the DH in play in Tampa look for Matt Stairs, Greg Dobbs and perhaps Chris Coste to have impact as well.

The managers are equals in my opinion. Charlie Manuel provides the calm stablility that has enabled the Phillies to get this far while Joe Maddon has built into the young Rays the confidence they needed to excel.

This series matches two franchises that have had minimal success in thier history, the Fightins are the losingest team in history while the Rays first winning season ever was this year! Someone has to succeed in 2008!

When the Rays beat the Red Sox for the AL title I get a sense that they feel they have succeeded already and that anything beyond is gravy. I saw that in thier eyes as they celebrated thier victory. I do not think the Phillies have that same feeling, I think they are the hungrier crew and have more urgency to win it all! With that in mind I think that the Phillies will prevail in this series by winning in five games, six max. I think a parade is in the midst for Philadelphia and that the 2008 Fightins will join the ranks of the 1980 world series champs forever in Philly baseball lore! Just a feeling.

The Phillies jumped out early once agan by scoring in their first at bat.  They were helped immensely by the achilles heal of the Marlins, defense!  Mike Jacobs butchered a ground ball hit by Ryan Howard that allowed Chase Utley to score the first run.  Utley had reached on a walk and advanced on Jayson Werth’s single.  Werth scored the second run of the game on a wild pitch by Florida starter Josh Johnson, Werth had went to third on the error by Jacobs. 

Florida bounced right back in the bottom of the first to score five runs as the first five batters all got hits including a two run home run by Dan Uggla.  Greg Dobbs homered to lead off the second inning marking the first dinger that Florida starter  Josh Johnson has given to a lefty hitter all season.   Chris Coste then singled and advanced to second on a sac bunt by Brett Myers.  Florida made yet another fielding mistake as Jimmy Rollins singled to right field and Cody Ross overthrew the cutoff man allowing Rollins to advance to second base.  Coste then scored on a sacrifice fly to right field by Chase Utley.   After only one and one half innings of play nine runs had scored as the Marlins led 5 to 4 !

The Big Man Ryan Howard put the Phillies back on top in the fifth inning as he belted a two run home run to right field to score Chase Utley in front of him.  Howard battled in a classic at bat by working the count to 3-2 and fouling off numerous pitches before belting the blast!  Brett Myers struggled again in the home fifth as Florida bounced back to regain the lead.  Myers could not record an out in the inning and left with the bases loaded after allowing two runs to score.  Rudy Seanez came in as first relief and got tagged for a three run home run by Alfredo Amezaga after getting two outs.  Score at the end of five was 11-6 Marlins.  Florida added two more in the sixth off of Les Walrond to add insult to injury.    The Phillies offense though does not understand the word quit and  scored two off Florida reliever Andrew Miller in the seventh and eighth innings including a solo home run by Shane Victorino.   That forced the Marlins to lift Miller in favor of another reliever Logan Kensing who got two outs in the eighth  but allowed two runners and was then pulled in favor of ex Phil Arthur Rhodes who came on to get out of the inning with no further damage.  Kyle Kendrick got an inning of work in the eighth and got lit up by Jorge Cantu for a long solo home run.

Final Score :  Florida 14 Phillies 8   Have to come back and get ‘em tommorrow boys!  The only saving grace was that Milwaukee also got smoked by Cincy and at the time I filed this summary the Mets bullpen was trying their damdest to blow another one in Atlanta ! 

Chatter

The stands were pretty empty in Florida for the game, never quite understood how the Marlins maintain a presence in the Miami area as they usually put a decent product on the field but have historically never really drawn.  Similiar situation in Tampa Bay where the Rays are argueably the most talented young team in baseball but very rarely sell out the park.  With the lack of support the Marlins management is forced to sell off players that reach arbitration simply because they cannott afford to keep them. 

I don’t know if folks notice but Brett Myers starts every game now by standing behind the mound looking at Jimmy Rollins and mimicking the celebration hand signal that Jose Reyes does when he scores for the Mets.  Myers follows the signal with a smirk and  another signal of throwing his hand up in the air as if to say “Yeh Right!” ……….. that is at least what I think it is anyway.  It didn’t bring us any luck tonight though.

Jimmy Rollins started this one off hot as he doubled in his first at bat, advanced to third on a single by Jayson Werth and scored on a double play ground out by Chase Utley.   The Phillies scored three more in the second as starting pitcher Brett Myers came thru with a two out single to score Pat Burrell who had led off the inning with a walk.  J-Roll stayed hot in his second at bat as after Chris Coste, ( on with an intentional walk), and Myers had advanced on a wild pitch Rollins singled to center field to plate both runners.   Pat Burrell smoked a long solo home run to the upper deck in  left field in the fourth to make it  5-0.  Shane Victorino doubled and then a HBP to Coste and walks to Rollins and Jayson Werth forced in another run and Brewer starter Jeff Suppan was done for the evening after only going 3 and 2/3 innings!  The score at the end of four was 6 -0 Phillies.

The Brewers scored a run in the seventh on a Prince Fielder solo home run.  It was only the second hit allowed by Brett Myers in the game !  Myers was outstanding and on three days rest!  He pitched a complete game two hitter !  The man is full of energy and propelled the team to win in this one!

Big offensive game for J-Roll as he was on base all five plate appearances with two hits and three walks.  Shane Victorino also had a big game as he had three hits in the contest. 

Chatter

The Phillies will definitely need a fifth starter on either Tuesday or Wednesday.  With the rainout this past Friday forcing Joe Blanton to throw on Sunday the only pitchers amongst the first four capable of throwing Tuesday and Wednesday are  Jamie Moyer and  Cole Hamels, both would have to go on three days rest…………. while possible it is not likely they will ask Hamels to throw on that short a rest.  J.A. Happ or Adam Eaton will likely get a start in one of the two initial games of the Braves series.

Shout out to Catherine Hildwine who won the $100 McDonalds giveaway for the game when Pat the Bat smoked a home run in the fourth……….. good job Cath bringing the team good luck in this one!  There was a major league game in Milwaukee tonight even though the Brewers were in Philly!  In a rarity the Houston Astros “hosted”  the Chicago Cubs at Miller Park as Houston is still in recovery from the hit of Hurricane Isaac.

Sometimes when you lose a game it is due to just being beat and you have to acknowledge the other teams efforts. That being said if you wish to become a playoff club you cannott afford to have games like that happen late in the season. Brett Myers took the hill for the Fightins with his usual gunslinger demeanor and battled the Fish thru 7 and 1/3 innings. He did not have his best stuff but left the game with the score tied at three and two runners on base.

The inability of the Front Office to add a set up man once again burnt the team and very possibly ended their playoff hopes. The trio of Chad Durbin, J.C. Romero and Clay Condrey could not hold the Marlins as they plated four runs in the eighth and ninth innings. Set, Game and Match!

Final Score Marlins 7 Phillies 3

The loss put the Phillies four down in the loss column to the Division leading Mets and four down in the wild card. Phat Lady is close to singing boys! This party is breaking up and is very very close to being over!

.

Chatter

Ryan Howard hit his 42nd home run in the game but the Phillie offense could only produce seven hits total. J.C. Romero seemed to be giving catcher Chris Coste grief after getting ripped for a double that let in two runs in the ninth………… here is a clue J.C. , the catcher may call the pitch but he sure as hell does not throw it! If there was a problem with the pitch call then very simply shake him off and oh by the way any pitch down the middle will get ripped most of the time !

Sorry, not much of a narrative in this recap but as a lifelong Philly fan I am just very disgusted once again! Took the afternoon off to watch this and not obviously up to expectations of what transpired !

Going into this game one would think Johan Santana vs Cole Hamels would result in a very low scoring pitchers battle.  Santana has faced the Fightins four times already this season and they have done little against him.  Hamels was making only his second appearance this season against the Metropolitans.   In the first Phillie at bat Chase Utley singled to rigtht field batting out of the two hole in the lineup, Jayson Werth drew a four pitch walk and then Ryan Howard belted a single to left field to draw first blood as Utley scored.  In all three games of the series the Phillies scored first!  Santana toughened though and pitched out of the inning which was key as the Fightins had a real chance to score more.

Ryan Church singled as well batting out of the two spot for the Mets in the first, David Wright was then awarded first base on catchers interfence as his bat hit Chris Coste’s glove during his swing.  Charlie Manuel asked for an appeal on the call and argued enough that he was throw out of the game!  Sort of a silly spot to get tossed as the Phillies had all of the momentum at that point still.  Carlos Beltran singled to left to plate Church and David Wright was thrown out at third by Pat Burrell………. only thing missing was the umpires call as Wright was ruled safe!  Carlos Delgado then drilled a single to center to score both Wright and Beltran who had advanced to second on the throw, so much for “ace like” pitching by young Cole!

The Phillies got one back in the third as Ryan Howard belted a solo home run to left field but Hamels gave it right back in the home third as Carlos Delgado hit a moon shot off the score board in right field to make the count 4 to 2.   Learning little from that experience Hamels threw the same hanging pitch, one a curve, the second a changeup,  to Delgado in the fifth which he blasted into the upper right field deck to make the score 5 to 2 !  Hamels was done after five as his pitch count reached 109, as big as Myers and Moyer were earlier in the series Hamels came up equally as small.  He was up in the zone with his pitches and threw alot of deep counts.  He is young but if he is truly going to be considered an ace he needs to learn how to control the nerves in games like this and deliver like his veteran teammates did the two games before him.  Not good enough was the result in this one !  Clay Condrey pitched a pefect sixth inning in relief and Rudy Seanez did the same in the seventh. 

 The Mets stuck with Santana to begin the eighth despite seeing him get hit hard on recorded outs in the seventh and after he got the first out he saw Jayson Werth belt a double over Carlos Beltran’s head in center, looked like Beltran dogged the effort a bit to me!  Jerry Manuel then came and got Santana rather than have him face Howard again.  The Mets bullpen is shaky which is why Manuel was hesitant to go to it but lefty Pedro Feliciano got Howard to ground weakly to first base for the second out, Manuel then called in right hander Brian Stokes to face Pat Burrell.  Burrell fisted an even weaker ground ball to shortstop on the very first pitch to end the inning. 

Seanez gave up an eighth inning run to make the count 6 to 2.  Luis Ayala pitched the ninth for New York and albeit shaky, he gave up a run on two hits, did close out the game for New York.

Chatter

It is weird how Ryan Howard does so well against Santana as he has struggled against much lesser lefthanders many times this year.  He came into the game hitting over .400 against him and had really good swings in this one.  Baseball is like that sometimes, certain guys just see the ball really well against certain pitchers albeit against others struggle mightily.   Pat Burrell did not have good at bats in this one as he struck out twice and limped out on his other at bats.  Jimmy Rollins also had a very quiet game at the plate as Santana shut him out and he struck out to end the game against Ayala.  The Phillies usually lose when he is not productive offensively and scoring runs.

 The Phillies accomplished an objective by winning the New York series but must not fall backwards now, they have the next seven at home against Florida and Milwaukee.  Florida historically plays the FIghtins tough and Milwaukee is the team to catch for the wild card.  Cannott have a hiccup in the home stand as they follow it with six on the road against Atlanta and Florida before finishing up with six at home against the Braves and Nationals, the very team that put them in the three game hole coming into the New York series.   New York has a pretty easy schedule to close out the year as they have the next five at home against Washington and Atlanta including two off days on Monday and Thursday.  They then hit the road for seven, four at Washington and three at Atlanta before finishing the season at home with seven, four with the Cubs and final three with the Braves.  The Cubs should have clinched by then and will have little to play for.  May the best team win……. Mike Schmidt says it is us!  Watching should be nerve racking but fun !  Lets go Nats in the next two eh !

Milwaukee has the next three at home against the Reds and then embark on a ten game road trip with four against the Phillies, three against the Cubs and three at Cincinatti.  They finish at home with six, three against Pittsburgh and three with the Reds.  Not so easy for them either I suppose.

Jose Reyes is a hot dog but he is a very talented player as well.  Reyes led off the game with a triple off of Phillies starter Jamie Moyer and scored on a single by Damien Easley.  Easley scored the second run of the initial Mets at bat as Fernando Tatis singled him in.  The Phillies put two runners on with one out in their half of the first but Mets starter Pedro Martinez struck out Ryan Howard on three pitches and then also k’d Shane Victorino.   Damien Easley extended the New York lead in the second inning as he belted a solo home run to left center field with two outs.

The Mets busted the game open in the third inning as Carlos Beltran and Carlos Delgado got back to back singles and then Fernando Tatis belted a three run home run.  Tatis skipped across the plate when he crossed it, someone is gonna get this hot dog somewhere down the road, not wise to show up opponents!   The key to the Mets success against Moyer was the approach, they laid off pitches out of the zone and forced Moyer to come in when behind in the count and then pounded him.   Even Pedro Martinez got a hit in his second at bat!  Moyer gave up six earned runs and nine hits in the three innings he worked.  He was lifted for a pinch hitter in the Phillies third at bat.

Damien Easley tripled to lead off the Mets fourth and scored the seventh New York run when David Wright grounded out to second base.  Despite being down six runs the Phillies did not play the infield in and conceded the run.  The Phillies scored a run in the bottom of the fourth as Pedro Feliz hit a sacrifice fly to center field to knock in Victorino.

Relief pitcher Clay Condrey started the Phillies fifth as he doubled down the left field line, it was Condrey’s first career extra base hit and only his third hit ever!  Jimmy Rollins then belted a Martinez hanging curve into the right field seats to plate two for the Fightins.  Chase Utley followed by drawing a walk, Ryan Howard then hit a  bomb to left field to score Utley ahead of him and make the count 7 to 5. 

The Mets loaded the bases in the sixth inning with one out but Scott Eyre was able to get Carlos Delgado to ground into a double play without allowing a score!  The two teams had already played for 2 and 1/2 hours by the middle of the sixth inning!  Pedro was pulled after five as Mets skipper Jerry Manuel went to his bullpen, first call Brian Stokes.  Jimmy Rollins singled with two outs in the sixth inning which marked the ninth consecutive plate appearance where he reached base! 

Stokes threw two shutout innings for New York and was replaced by Duaner Sanchez in the eighth. Sanchez only got one out before yielding a single to Carlos Ruiz and was lifted in favor of Pedro Feliciano.  Chris Coste greeted Feliciano with a single and Jimmy Rollins then singled to right field to score Ruiz.  Nobody booed Rollins as he reached base for the 10th consecutive time going 5 for 5 in the contest!  Feliciano did strike out Chase Utley with runners on first and third to temporarily keep the Phillies at bay.  Jerry Manuel then brought in Joe Smith to face Pat Burrell.  Smith got Burrell to fly out to left field to end the inning.

Brad Lidge pitched the ninth and buzzed Fernando Tatis with a fastball before striking him out on two low and away sliders.  Message served.  Eric Bruntlett smoked a pinch hit double with two outs in the Phillies ninth and scored Jayson Werth who had singled earlier in the inning to tie the game!  The Mets bullpen once again blew a save opportunity!  Jose Reyes saved a ninth inning loss for the Mets by making a diving stop on a grounder up the middle to throw out Ruiz and send the contest to extra frames.

This was a great game to watch but I thought it would never end!  As the stroke of midnight came and wenth the two teams had played over five hours!  Shane Victorino led off the 13th inning with a triple down the right field line to force the Mets hand.  They walked the next two hitters to load the bases.  Brett Myers was used as a pinch hitter for Rudy Seanez and was obviously told to not swing as he watched six pitches in striking out.  Chris Coste smoked a liner to center, his fourth hit of the game to score Victorino with the game winner !

Chatter

The Phillies offense struggles with pitchers who feature off speed pitches as their primary, Pedro at one point in the game sat down seven consecutive hitters spotting an 84 to 88 mph fastball but mostly working on changeups.  Jimmy Rollins was the only Phillie to solve him early as he had two hits in his first two at bats.  Pedro had five strikouts thru three innings and never broke 90 mph!  They did get to him in the fifth as they forced him to come up in the zone by laying off pitches and putting him in fastball counts.   Both these teams can hit but it sure is a chess match as to how!

The game was once again sold out, the 44th time this season which ties a Phillies club record. Carlos Ruiz made his major league debut at third base in the ninth inning as the Phillies saved Eric Bruntlett to pinch hit in the home ninth, made Charlie look like a genius, Bruntlett then played third base in the extra innings!  The Phillies carry twelve pitchers on the roster and many times are caught short with position players in late innings.

Jimmy Rollins came thru with a clutch two out hit in the Phillies second inning to give the Fightins a early two run lead.  Rollins single to left center scored Jayson Werth who had walked to lead off the inning and Pedro Feliz who had also singled.  What was key was how Rollins went with the pitch rather than trying to pull the ball.  Teams have been throwing Rollins slow, slower and slowest type of pitches and he has been lunging at the ball impatiently, if he can stay back and let his hands drive thru the ball then teams will be forced to adjust and throw fastballs again and we know he can do serious damage with those!

Jimmy Rollins drilled a hanging curve ball down the right field line in the fifth innning for a double, advanced to third on a Chase Utley single and scored on a double play ground out by Pat Burrell.  The Phillies then loaded the bases as Chad Billingsley walked two hitters around a single by Shane Victorino but could not score any additional runs. 

Rollins again went with the pitch in the sixth and smoked a fastball down the left field line which he legged into a triple.  Rollins was stranded however as the Phillies could not bring him in.  Brett Myers held the Dodgers scoreless thru seven innings stranding ten runners including pitching out of a bases loaded jam in the seventh by striking out Jeff Kent and then getting Manny Ramirez to line out to right field.  He registered 8 strikeouts in what was once again a very effective and outstanding outing.

  The Phillies scored thier fourth run in thier half of the seventh as Ryan Howard led off with a double, advanced to third on a groundout by Victorino and scored on a single by Jayson Werth.  Pedro Feliz then followed with a single and Werth scored from second on a ground out to second base by Chris Coste as both runners took off on the pitch and Werth never stopped running around third base catching the Dodgers off guard !

J.C. Romero pitched a scoreless eighth inning but the Dodgers did put two runners on base.  Clay Condrey pitched the ninth inning to complete the series sweep as he struck out Manny during the inning with two runners aboard.  Buckle up New York, the Fightins are coming your way!

Chatter

The hitter off the bench the Phillies have been seeking may be soon available.  The Minnesota Twins acquired “Everyday” Eddie Guardado from the Texas Rangers to strengthen the bullpen, to make room for him on the roster they are expected to designate Mike Lamb for assignment.  Lamb is a left handed hitting third baseman who has struggled with the Twins.  He had good success as a part time player with Houston from 2004 to 2007 averaging about 13 home runs per year.  He is not due an inordinate amount of money this year or next and could be a fit as a lefty off the bench.

The Mets are in town for two in thier last visit to Philly this year.  Jamie Moyer and Kyle Kendrick take the pill against the Metropolitans squaring off against Pedro Martinez and Johan Santana.  A split is the minimum need but a sweep would be great!

Pedro Feliz did not start the game at third base but he surely had a huge impact on the outcome as he belted a three run walkoff win home run in the 11th inning to give the Fightins a 5-2 victory over the Dodgers.   Joe Blanton started the game on the hill for the Phillies and pitched six innings giving up one run on six hits.  Blanton was scored upon in the very first inning as the Dodgers loaded the bases with one out and James Loney knocked in Andre Ethier with the games first run.  Blanton then pitched out of the trouble without allowing another run to score and went another five holding the Dodgers scoreless.

The Phillies tied the score in the home fifth as Chase Utley singled to knock in Carlos Ruiz.  The Dodgers re-took the lead in the seventh as Jeff Kent singled off of Ryan Madson to score Ethier again.  Pedro Feliz was the tieing hero as well as with two outs in the bottom of the ninth he singled to knock in Shane Victorino and knot the score at two!  That set up the extra inning heroics for Feliz as he belted a Jason Johnson fastball deep into the left center field seats scoring Chris Coste and Victorino in front of him.  Chad Durbin earned his fifth win of the season as pitched the two extra frames of play.

Chatter

With the win the Phillies closed to within 1/2 game of the New York Mets for first place in the NL Eastern Divsion.  Andy Tracy made his Phillies debut with a pinch hit walk in the ninth inning.  Jimmy Rollins continued to struggle going 0 for 5 in the game.  According to Fox Sports Ken Rosenthal the Phillies have been frustrated attempting to add a quality bat off the bench.  Texas just put Frank Catalanotto on waivers and he has cleared the American League but issue with him is monies due for 2009 and 2010.   He is a good left handed hitter but not sure if the club would eat the six million due him for the following two years.   Brett Myers takes the hill tonight for the Fightins looking to return the favor of a four game series sweep to the Dodgers! 

Kyle Kendrick came into this game against the Dodgers having struggled in his last two starts.  Kendrick started out poorly in this one as well as he gave up a first inning home run to Andre Ethier.  Kendrick fell behind in the count to the first six batters he faced.  The key to this young pitcher though is his bulldog mentality and ability to battle thru “situations”.   Kendrick used that moxy and  settled down to give the Phillies 5 and 2/3 innings of three hit ball leaving the contest with a 3-1 lead.

Greg Maddux made his 2008 debut for the Dodgers having been recently reacquired by LA from the San Diego Padres.  Maddux held the Phillies at bay thru the first three frames but in the fourth Pat Burrell worked Maddux for a 10 pitch at bat earning a walk.  Ryan Howard then blasted his 34th home run of the season over the left field wall scoring Burrell ahead of him.  The Phillies scored thier third run in the fifth off Maddux as Greg Dobbs led off with a bunt single,  Jayson Werth followed with a line single to right field and Dobbs scored on a single up the middle by Chris Coste. 

Kendrick started the sixth inning and got two outs before the next two hitters reached.  Charlie Manuel went to the pen and brought in Chad Durbin who was able to end the inning with no runs scoring.  The Fightins busted loose in the home sixth as Pat Burrell and Shane Victorino singled, Burrell reached third on Victorino’s hit.  Jayson Werth then hit a sacrifice fly to right field to score Burrell.  Greg Dobbs followed with his second single of the game and then Chris Coste sent Maddux to the showers as he smoked a three run home run to left field!  I don’t know why Coste was in the minors and/or independent ball so long as this man can flat out hit!

Chase Utley hit his 31st home run of the season in the seventh inning to make the score 8 to 1.  Ryan Madson came in to pitch the eighth setting the Dodgers down in order.  Scott Eyre pitched the ninth for the Phillies to close out the game.  The Mets shut out Houston behind Johan Santana so the Phillies remained 2 and 1/2 games behind in the N.L. Eastern Division race.

Chatter

Geoff Jenkins started the game in right field but pulled up lame after legging out an infield hit and was replaced by Werth.  Jenkins will get an MRI tommorrow for a possible quad strain or hip flexor issue.  Dobbs once again got the start at third base as Charlie played the hot hand, wise move the way the team has been struggling offensively.  Chris Coste matched his career high for RBI’s in a game with four.  Jimmy Rollins continued to struggle at the plate and fans continued to let him know about it.  Rollins at one point was riding a 3 for 38 streak.  Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports speculates the FIghtins might entertain moving Ryan Howard in the offseason if Matt Holliday could be obtained.  He thinks in that scenario that Pat Burrell would be resigned to play first base……..food for thought but personally I would want Howard to be a Phillie for a long long time!

To be a playoff team games against opponents who are struggling must be won.  The Washington Nationals came into this game with an eleven game losing streak.  Phillies starting pitcher Brett Myers needed to take the mound going for the jugular to make it twelve and he did just that by tossing a complete game shut-out against the Nats!  He was dominant in the contest by pitching ahead on nearly every batter, establishing his fast ball early in the count and then closing out the at-bats with as masterful curve ball.  Myers struck out nine batters in the contest.   It was the seventh complete game of his career.

Myers was given a lead in the third inning as Nats shortstop Anderson Hernandez threw the ball away on a taylor made double play allowing Chris Coste to score.  Coste had reached base by being hit by a pitch.  The Fightins added three more in the fifth as Greg Dobbs spanked a home run that scored Shane Victorino in front of him.  Coste followed that with a  single, went to third on a single by Jimmy Rollins and scored on a bloop double down the right field line by Jayson Werth.

The bottom half of the order came thru big in this game as all four runs were scored by the six thru eight spots in the lineup and five of the team’s nine hits came from the men in those spots,  Victorino and Coste had two hits each while Dobbs reached on a walk and had the two run bomb.  Chase Utley also had a two hit game and did so by driving the outside pitch to left field twice, a good sign as teams have been able to get him out with those pitches as he has habitually been pulling the ball on every swing.

Despite the outcome the Phillies made a few blunders in the game.  Greg Dobbs and Pat Burrell both had fielding errors and Rollins was caught attempting to steal second with runners at first and third and one out.  Chris Coste also ran into an out on a failed sacrifice bunt attempt by Myers in the seventh inning.  Against teams like the Nats these things can be overcome but perhaps not against the Dodgers and Mets who are in next.

Chatter

Phillies G.M. Pat Gillick stated on a pre-game TV show that even though the Phillies had made an offer to free agent catcher  David Ross that Ross had decided to sign instead with another club.  Gillick speculated that it was an American League team but was not specific as to who.  When querried about potentially picking up a bat off the bench Gillick stated that the team had a few feelers out but nothing seemed imminent.  Pedro Feliz did come off the D.L. before the game however Greg Dobbs still started the game at third base.  To make room for Feliz pitcher Les Walrond was optioned back to Triple A.