Phils resemble playoff powerhouse in 11-3 rout

Chase Utley homered twice and Bobby Abreu delivered a grand slam as the Phillies powered past the Diamondbacks 11-3 Friday night.

This turned into a complete blowout after the Phils climbed back from a 3-1 deficit. The only one not smiling during this outstanding team performance was starting pitcher Brett Myers, who pouted and slammed bats after Charlie Manuel yanked him after four ineffective innings.

Take a seat, Brett. It was the best move of the game, one of Manuel’s strongest as a manager. This was the same Myers we saw two weeks ago – arguing balls that were out of the zone and throwing a fit on the mound. Manuel wanted no part of it and sat him for a pinch-hitter in the bottom of the fifth.

The brat tried desperately to drum up sympathy from his teammates while sulking in the shadows of the dugout. Manuel ignored him, the team ignored him and focused on tearing the D-backs to shreds.

Too bad bulldog missed it.

My player of the night was reliever Aaron Fultz, who pitched two shutout innings when the game was still close.

The bullpen secured it the rest of the way, with a shutout inning from Ryan Madson, and for those still conscious at 12:49 a.m. EST, we saw the sterling Phillies debut of Aquilino Lopez. Lopez retired all six batters he faced and struck out the side in the eighth. Lots of sliders with this guy. Pretty nasty.

As for the offense, both of Chase Utley’s homers came off left-handed starter Brad Halsey, and they were tape-measure shots.

Abreu’s slam also went deep, this one off former Phillie Tim Worrell. Worrell ran the count to 3-1, and at that point, there was little doubt Abreu would get something he could crush. Bam!

With Abreu and Utley back on track, the Phils appear capable of a sustained playoff push. The team is playing some of their best baseball of the season on the road and just when they need it. Is it a credit to the atmosphere created by Manuel? I believe that's part of it.

With the win, they maintain their 1.5-game lead in the Wild Card, but perhaps more importantly, climb to just 2.5 back of the division-leading Braves.

Phans, it could be for real this time.

National League East
Team	W	L	Pct.	GB	Home	Road	East	Cent.	West	L10	Strk
Atlanta	72	56	.562	-	41-21	31-35	29-20	24-13	12-15	4-6	L 1
Philadelphia	70	59	.543	2½	40-28	30-31	22-28	19-16	22-7	7-3	W 3
Florida	68	60	.531	4	38-28	30-32	23-25	17-17	18-13	7-3	W 2
N.Y. Mets	68	60	.531	4	40-25	28-35	27-23	19-18	17-9	8-2	W 5
Washington	67	61	.523	5	36-24	31-37	22-27	19-18	14-10	4-6	W 1

Comments

[BlueMan]

Myers postgame:

"We've got to do what we need to do to win games. You can't be selfish," Myers said. "Right now is a serious situation for us. The Braves lost tonight, and the Wild Card is still in our favor. If the same situation comes up again, I won't be happy, but I'll do what I've got to do ... This game is more about your team and not about yourself."

He's maturing, albeit slowly.

[Brian]

J- Myers did have a good quote after the game:

"We've got to do what we need to do to win games," said Myers, who was lifted after only four innings and 84 pitches for a pinch-hitter just before the Phillies' bats came alive for an 11-3 victory over struggling Arizona in the first of a three-game set at Bank One Ballpark.

"You can't be selfish," Myers said. "Right now is a serious situation for us. The Braves lost tonight, and the Wild Card is still in our favor. If the same situation comes up again, I won't be happy, but I'll do what I've got to do ... This game is more about your team and not about yourself."

And I totally agree with you on Fultz, the same guy that Marcus Hayes had slammed yesterday morning in a piece that incorrectly stated that Cormier was ahead of Fultz in the pen.

[J. Weitzel]

Thanks for the quotes, fellas.

Brett's imaturity on the mound is the point I'm most upset with. He let his team down once again because of his temper. The game worked out because of the offense and the bullpen, but the team really needs him to lasso in his emotions and start focusing on the task at hand like he did last Saturday. I think he understands that - as reflected in the postgame quotes, but he's got to bring that attitude with him on the field.

[Brian]

Agreed, especially after Glaus' shot. Was it me, or did he seem to be afraid to throw his fastball again? I only saw the last couple innings of his game against the Pirates, last night his lack of control was brutal.

[theragtopguy]

I agree with CM's move, it did look like Myers was afraid to go with his heat.

Nice to see that he can put his own desires behind those of the team. Of course he's mad about coming out, as long as he gets over it.