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Game chat: Phillies place Victorino, Bourn on DL

The Phillies received more bad news on the injury front today as Shane Victorino and Michael Bourn, valuable and similar assets to the team's offense and defense, will both go on the shelf.

Transactions: This is a major setback for the surging Phillies. According to the Inquirer, Victorino should return on time after suffering a slight tear in his right calf muscle, while Bourn could take longer with a low ankle sprain.

The injuries will force the outfield into a ragtag state of affairs. The Phillies have recalled catch-and-throw outfielder Chris Roberson and have also activated Jayson Werth from the disabled list, neither of whom really belong on a Major League roster. Werth had been out since June 29 with a wrist injury and went just 1-for-10 in his Class-A rehab assignment. Roberson, who will be used as speed and defense off the bench, was having a pedestrian season in Ottawa. These represent two significant downgrades to the bench and lineup since one of them will be forced to start. Hopefully, it's only temporary. I would expect the Phillies to pursue outside waiver alternatives immediately. Given a choice to keep one over the other, I'd keep Roberson because of his speed. I don't know what that says about Werth, but there you go.

The Phillies made another roster move today, waiving Clay "The Ultimate Tweener" Condrey outright in order to make room for Kyle Lohse.

Pitching matchup: Adam Eaton (9-6, 5.83 ERA) and Jason Marquis (7-6, 4.20 ERA). Eaton tries for his 10th win. Game time is 8:05 p.m. ET.

Report: Phils acquire reliever Mateo from Mariners

With the 4 p.m. non-waiver deadline passed, the Phillies have announced a minor trade for right-hander Julio Mateo in exchange for minor league infielder Jesus Merchan.

Mateo has appeared in only 12 innings with the Mariners this season, the last one being May 3. Since then, he's been pitching in their farm system, going 3-1 with a 0.79 ERA, with 12 saves and a 29/2 K/BB ratio. He is not highly regarded and was mostly kept away from pressure spots through parts of six seasons with the Mariners. Overall, his career numbers stack up fairly well: 3.68 ERA; 219/84 K/BB ratio, 1.20 WHIP. He will give up the longball and allowed the fewest percentage of ground balls on the Mariners' staff last season.

He also comes with baggage. The soon-to-be 30-year-old was arrested May 5 in New York on charges of assaulting his wife. He reportedly hit wife, Aurea, in the eye, choked her and bit her lip, opening a wound that required stitches, after she told him she wanted out of the marriage. The Mariners suspended Mateo for 10 days without pay and demoted him to the minors. He was placed on the Triple-A temporarily inactive list for almost three weeks while undergoing counseling.

The trade comes over a year after Brett Myers was arrested for beating his wife on a Boston street. The Phillies faced harsh criticism for allowing Myers to start the next day's game at Fenway Park the day after his arrest. Myers and his wife, Kim, received counseling for the incident and the situation appears to have been smoothed over.

Merchan, who was batting .330 with Double-A Reading this season, is expected to report to Double-A West Tennessee.

Beerleaguer: I can't really comment on the character issues, but in baseball terms, this is another "value village" signing by the Phils and isn't close to matching what the Braves have done this week in adding Ron Mahay and reportedly closer Octavio Dotel. I'm also bothered that it's another ex-Gillick mercenary. But for the cost, Mateo might count as an improvement over the worst man in the Phillies' bullpen. There are lots of candidates to chose from.

Merchan, a versatile defender and good contact hitter, is having a nice season, but is an older player and is not considered a top prospect. Nobody should lose much sleep over parting with Merchan, although he's been a nice asset for Reading these last two seasons and put himself on the map.

With five years of service, Mateo is headed for his final arbitration year this winter and is scheduled to become a free agent at the end of 2008. History indicates that Mateo's best months are ahead. (Career August: 48 1-3 innings, 40/10 K/BB ratio, .222 BAA, 1.01 WHIP; career September: 29 1-3 innings, 18/6 K/BB ratio, .231 BAA, 1.02 WHIP).

Update: The Phillies will reportedly take a look at Mateo in Double-A Reading first.

Link: Mateo gets second chance

All bets are off as deadline approaches for Phils

Since the All-Star break, the Phillies have played themselves back into the buyer bracket, but face a new dilemma as Shane Victorino and Michael Bourn await Tuesday medical exams.

The team that needed pitching, pitching and more pitching has already added a second baseman, pitcher and now, potentially, could add another outfielder. Victorino will have a precautionary MRI on his right calf today after running out a grounder. Bourn will have a precautionary X-Ray on his left ankle after stumbling to catch a foul ball. On a positive note, both players felt a little better after the game after icing down their injuries, although Victorino told MLB.com he heard a pop, and Bourn’s fall certainly looked pretty bad. More to come ...

The Phillies were fortunate the market for second baseman was pretty wide open to acquire Tadahito Iguchi without much hassle. Outfield reinforcements may be even easier to come by; they could actually wait until after tonight’s non-waiver trade deadline like they did last season when they acquired Jeff Conine. This might be the most practical approach; test the severity of Victorino and Bourn’s injuries before going nuts-o with an ill-advised rush to judgement. Forgotten man Jayson Werth is also an option, but his rehab has been slow.

They still need relief pitching, and it would be nice to move Rod Barajas out of town. We’ll see whether Pat Gillick and Co. continue working the phones. As of this writing, seven hours to go ...

... and by the way: Three games back of the Mets, one game back in the Wild Card.

News Update: Phils sign Knotts to minor league deal
Right-hander Gary Knotts, 30, appeared in 86 Major League games, 38 as a starter, going 13-18 with a 5.45 ERA. He had been pitching with Newark of the independent Atlantic League and has been assigned to Double-A Reading.

This season in Newark, Knotts threw 108.2 innings, striking out 86 batters while posting a 7-5 record with a 2.65 ERA in 16 starts. According to the Bears Web site, he ranks first in the Atlantic League in ERA and second in strikeouts. According to Baseball Cube, 2004 was his last season in professional ball before this season. He was originally an 11th round pick of the Marlins and spent parts of two seasons with the Fish (2001-2002).

In other Reading news, Jesus Merchan and OF Shaun Boyd were promoted to Ottawa. Infielder Hector Made was added from Clearwater.

Game chat: Tough lefties toe rubber in series opener

The Phillies, winners of eight of their last nine, begin a four-game set against the Cubs, winners of 23 of their last 31, tonight at 7:05 p.m. at Wrigley Field.

Preview: The Phillies, who were active on the trade front earlier today with the acquisition of right-hander Kyle Lohse, give the starting nod to Cole Hamels (11-5, 3.63 ERA). Hamels dominated the Cubs with seven strong frames when the teams met in early May. Ted Lilly (11-4, 3.46 ERA) is having a terrific month and excellent season overall. The left-hander had the Phils completely off-balance the last time they met, allowing one run on three hits through eight innings. It's still the best starting effort I've seen against the Phils all season.

The pressure is back on the Phillies, who became deadline buyers today. I like the surging Cubs to take tonight's opener with the Phils going on the road after three easy home games against the lowly Buccos.

Report: Phils acquire Lohse for minor league pitcher

The Phillies bolstered their starting rotation today by adding right-hander Kyle Lohse for a minor league pitcher, reportedly Double-A left-hander Matt Maloney.

Lohse, 29, was 6-12 with a 4.58 ERA in 21 starts for Cincinnati and had the fifth-worst run support in the National League at 3.69 runs per game. In his last five starts, Lohse is 3-2 with a 3.27 ERA, a .231 opponents' batting average and a 9.0-inning complete game. He pitched at least 6.0 innings in 15 of his 21 starts, including seven of his 12 losses.

"Kyle is a durable righthanded starter who has postseason experience," said Gillick. "We feel that with our offense and his ability to keep us in games, he will add pitching depth to our rotation."

Lohse pitched in the postseason with Minnesota in three consecutive years (2002-04) and went 0-2 with a 3.00 ERA in five games (one start).  A resident of Scottsdale, Arizona, Lohse was originally selected by the Chicago Cubs in the 29th round of the 1996 draft and was traded to Minnesota in 1999. He made his major league debut with the Twins in 2001. In his career, Lohse is 60-74 with a 4.83 ERA, six complete games and four shutouts for the Twins (2001-06) and Reds (2006-07).

What the Cincinnati media says about Lohse: Here's a good article from this season. Quote: "When Reds starter Kyle Lohse is good, he's really, really good. When he's not, well, it can be a monster day for the opposition" ... "Scouts say Lohse's stuff is as good as anyone's on the Reds' staff, yet sometimes he struggles to put it all together. Lohse has spent time talking with pitching coach Dick Pole, watching tape and trying to pin down his differences. The biggest part, Lohse said, is not trying to be too perfect with his placement and getting ahead of hitters."

Matt Maloney (9-7, 3.94 ERA, 115/44 K/BB ratio, 13 homers, 125 IP) was an Eastern League all-star with Reading. Viewed by coaches and teammates as an improving and maturing pitcher with each start, the former third-round pick started turning it on in June after a rocky jump from Low-A Lakewood, going 4-2 with a 3.20 ERA in six June starts. A big guy at 6-4, 220, high-end projections rated him as a potential fourth starter, and Baseball America had him as the organization's 9th best prospect, hurt by his lack of velocity and secondary pitches.

Beerleaguer take: It's a fair trade for both clubs; and there should be no regrets about shoring up the starting rotation this way for the stretch drive. Lohse is an upgrade over Durbin and is having a better season than Eaton. He won't be the best pitcher in the rotation, but certainly won't be the worst. This also pushes Durbin into the Ryan Madson-less bullpen in all likelihood, a spot where the Real Deal might be able to devour some innings in long relief.

Since the Phillies don't have many position prospects, but have some pitching depth, you'd figure it would be a starter for the two-month, 10-start rental. Maloney had an impressive start July 21, going 8 2-3 with 10 strikeouts, so he's shown flashes at the Double-A level, but on the whole, probably ranks somewhere in the Phils' second tier of pitching prospects. I'm pretty comfortable with the best-case, back-end rotation projection for Maloney.

Overall, Maloney just isn't worth more than getting much-needed pitching help for a run at the post-season. Incidently, Lohse's turn in Cincinnati would have fallen tomorrow. This is the second good move for Gillick in the last four days.

Report: Braves set to acquire Mark Teixeira, reliever

A Major League source confirmed the Braves are finalizing a deal for Rangers first baseman Mark Teixeira and reliever Ron Mahay. Atlanta would send catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia, prospect Elvis Andrus and two players to be named later.

Beerleaguer: Not one, but two, significant acquisitions for the Braves' playoff run. Everyone knows what Teixeira will bring, but Mahay is a nice veteran complimentary part and typical of the kind of move John Schuerholz has made in the past in that he gets some pitching as a throw-in. It's funny how he never seems to surrender pitching prospects that work out for the other team (Damian Moss and Dan Meyer come to mind).

Saltalamacchia looks like a future star, but isn’t the cornerstone the Rangers need to fix that club. Andrus is a very good shortstop prospect. I won't claim to know all there is about these two clubs or the players who've changed teams, but it seems like the pitching-poor Rangers would have been better off trying to stockpile young arms. If not in a deal like this, when?

Meanwhile, the Phillies passed the Braves in the standings over the weekend and are a game up. Atlanta dropped two extra-inning games in Arizona, so relief for Bobby Cox and the boys is on the way.

Send out an APB for Joe Thurston: In more important news, Joe Thurston, who was originally scheduled to join the team when Chase Utley went down, doesn’t appear on either the Phillies 40-man or the Ottawa active roster. Thurston had his contract purchased from Triple-A Ottawa Friday when Utley went on the shelf with a broken hand. Fellow Triple-A infielder Danny Sandoval was designated for assignment to make room for Thurston on the 40-man.

With the acquisition of Tadahito Iguchi, Thurston wasn’t needed and probably faced a “designated for assignment” of his own to make room for the Japanese infielder. It’s certainly possible that Thurston got miffed at the club for stiffing him and decided to seek greener pastures. Michael Garciaparra has already been promoted from Double-A Reading to take his spot on the Lynx roster.

This could all be temporary, but I somehow doubt Thurston is worth what it will cost to get Garciaparra on a return flight back to Reading. It’s still possible that Thurston will rejoin Ottawa and may be just waiting for a call from another club, or maybe he'll take Garciaparra's old assignment in Reading.

Isn't it crazy how Utley’s injury left two of the Phillies highest-ranking minor league replacements – Sandoval and Thurston – out of work?

Update: Minor League pitcher Neftali Feliz was named as one of the minor league players and the other hasn't been announced. Feliz is a very young right-hander with a terrific arm, according to John Sickels, who ranked him as the Braves' 13th-best prospect this offseason.

Report: Madson felt a tear, may be lost for season

Reliever Ryan Madson has been placed on the 15-day disabled list after physically feeling his pitching shoulder give way in the eighth inning. Geoff Geary has been called up from Ottawa. [Link]

Madson told the Philadelphia Inquirer his shoulder had been bothering him for a couple of days, but thought he could pitch through it. This is Madson’s second trip to the DL though you wouldn’t know it based on his innings; he’s up to 56 innings and had been heavily taxed lately.

Injuries can happen anytime, anyplace, but with Madson, you could see it coming. Can’t you just hear a pitching guru like Johnny Podres saying he’d never last with an over-the-top motion like his? Madson came up as a starter, looks like a starter and nearly has starter stuff. Instead, he’s been the Phillies' primary bullpen horse for almost four complete seasons, where you’d typically find some scruffy fireplug filling the role, not a 6-6 gazelle.

Last night on NBC-10 Sports Final, ESPN’s Jayson Stark said the Phillies had been trying to trade Madson. The time to do that might have been last off-season when a rebuilding club, like Washington, could have given him a second chance as a starter. It would have been easier to make that deal had the team added bullpen depth. All three pitchers who were penciled in as the top three relievers – Tom Gordon, Geary and Madson – have missed time with injury or were sent to the minors. Four if you count Matt Smith. Five if you add Brett Myers.

Speaking of Charlie Manuel, does he share some blame for abusing Madson’s arm? Probably a little, and here’s another familiar theme where the lines of communication didn’t appear fully open between a hurt pitcher and the coaching staff. Ineffective starting pitching, extra-inning games and so fourth can’t be predicted and led to a lot of bullpen abuse, however Manuel has kept his starters on noticeably shorter leashes lately, almost like one-in-three starts, including Adam Eaton on Thursday and possibly J.D. Durbin on Saturday.

Despite his demotion, rest assured Manuel won’t hesitate in reinserting Geary into pressure spots. Expect this to be the final straw for the front office. It had appeared the Phils would do nothing at the deadline, but now they simply can't stand pat and must find bullpen help immediately.

Game chat: Phillies try for sweep of Pirates

If the weather holds, Kyle Kendrick (4-1, 4.44 ERA) and Ian Snell (7-8, 3.82 ERA) finish out the weekend set at Citizens Bank Park today at 1:35 p.m.

Chris Coste’s three-run homer highlighted an eighth-run fifth inning as the Phillies earned the win over the Pirates 10-5 last night. The eight-run outburst bailed out J.D. Durbin (3-2), who did not pitch well, but still came away with the victory. Tadahito Iguchi made his Phillies debut and went 1-for-3 with a run and RBI. Brett Myers pitched a perfect ninth in his first appearance since returning from the DL.

I had the honor of attending the game as an invited guest of long-time reader Michael Noonan, who has just returned from Iraq. Noonan was deployed in June of last year, but managed to keep up with the Phillies by reading Beerleaguer and other blogs, specifically Tom Goyne’s Balls, Sticks & Stuff; Tom was also a guest. Noonan, who goes by the handle “MPN,” rented a Hall of Fame club box for friends and family as a way to celebrate his return home. He said Beerleaguer, and the lively discussion in our threads, was a big moral booster during his deployment.

Welcome home, Michael. It was an honor to meet you.

Saturday open thread: Phils battle Bucs tonight at 7

Powered by big nights from Pat Burrell and Michael Bourn, the Phillies pounded the Pirates 8-1 in a rain-shortened, seven-inning victory. Weather permitting, J.D. Durbin and Shane Youman square off tonight.

Eye-opening night for Bourn: Although Jamie Moyer pitched in a solid game, and Burrell kept up his hot hitting, last night's head-turner, for me, was the clinic Bourn put on in the lead-off spot. Bourn went four-for-four with a stolen base and scored twice. This was only his second start as a lead-off man.

On a team with two pretty darn good base stealers in Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino, Bourn has emerged as the team's most dangerous pound-for-pound speed threat. His 17 stolen bases is tied with Rollins despite taking 377 less plate appearances, although it should be pointed out that many of his thefts came from pinch-run-for-Burrell situations. He's successful over 94 percent of the time; he was caught for the first time just the other night.

Have you looked at his rookie numbers lately? Here they are: .303/.384/.404. He's creating 7.9 runs-per-game according to Hardball Times. That's based on a 116 plate-appearance count - a low sample - but it's still third best on the team.

You can't deny this kid is instant damage if he gets on base, and he's doing it at an impressive clip. He's also been a capable situational hitter, moving runners along nicely and getting the job done.

Bourn is the most common name mentioned in trade discussions for obvious reasons. He's attractive to so many young clubs, like Florida, where they haven't had a center fielder/lead-off man since Juan Pierre.

Are the Phillies better off keeping him? Should they trade someone else instead? Hell, should Bourn become a starter instead of, say, Victorino?

Breaking news: Phillies trade for Chicago 2B Iguchi

Less than 24 hours after Chase Utley went on the DL with a broken hand, second baseman Tadahito Iguchi was acquired by the Phillies from the Chicago White Sox in exchange for a minor league reliever.

(From a Phillies Press Release): Iguchi, 32, was hitting .251/.340/.382 with 17 doubles, four triples, six home runs and 31 RBI in 90 games for the White Sox. In 16 games against the National League, he hit .311 (19-61). A native of Tokyo, Japan, Iguchi batted .281 last season with 18 home runs and 67 RBI in 138 games and appeared in 12 playoff games for Chicago in 2005. Prior to coming to the United States, Iguchi spent eight seasons with the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks of the Japanese Pacific League, where he was a four-time All-Star and won three Gold Gloves as a second baseman. In 363 career games in the U.S. -- all with the White Sox -- he is a .273/.346/.419 hitter with 39 home runs and 169 RBI.

Dubee, 22, was 4-4 with one save and a 3.88 ERA in 30 relief appearances for single-A Lakewood. He is the son of Phillies pitching coach Rich Dubee.

Beerleaguer: Why not? Iguchi, who could become a free agent after the season if his contract is not extended, is an excellent short-term rental and represents a clear upgrade over Abraham Nunez and Joe Thurston, and all it will cost them is the pitching coach's son, who is not a prospect. If memory serves, Iguchi also becomes the first Asian-born player to wear red pinstripes, so it's also a historic event.

Iguchi, a right-handed hitter, was rated as the 9th best AL second baseman according to Hardball Times Win Shares and registered 4.9 runs-created-per-game, just above what Greg Dobbs has contributed for the Phils. Iguchi will do nicely and give the Phillies better insurance and production in case Utley's recovery takes longer.

Update: Reader reaction: "Williams is clearly throwing Gillick a bone after the Garcia debacle. Iguchi is a solid player - Chi Sox should have gotten a solid AA prospect." - Kells

Update: White Sox fan reaction: The Sox are sitting on a 24-year-old Triple-A second baseman named Danny Richar and they'd like to see if he can play, so the general reaction is that it was time to close out the Iguchi chapter and move on. They would have liked to see more in return, but obviously there was no market for him until Utley got hurt. As discussed in our thread, Iguchi has a clause in his contract that says he must be extended or released after the season, and the White Sox weren't going to do that. The rules of draft compensation wouldn't apply.

Game chat: We're keeping it here tonight. Enjoy the game.

Breaking news: Myers activated from disabled list

After the longest 15-day recovery in history, right-hander Brett Myers returns to the Phillies after missing more than two months with a shoulder strain. To clear room, lefthander Mike Zagurski was optioned to Ottawa.

(From a Phillies news release) Myers, 26, was 1-2 with six saves and a 5.50 ERA prior to going on the DL. In 18 relief appearances, he was 1-0 with a 2.61 ERA and 32 strikeouts in 20.2 innings (13.9 SO/9.0 IP). Zagurski, 24, went 1-0 with a 4.58 ERA in 23 appearances with the Phillies. As previously announced, second baseman Chase Utley was placed on the 15-day DL with a broken right hand and Joe Thurston had his contract purchased from triple-A Ottawa to replace him on the 25-man roster. To make room for Thurston on the 40-man roster, infielder Danny Sandoval was designated for assignment.

Beerleaguer: Makes that Thurston call-up a little more palatable (he wrote sheepishly) and also prevents a few more Phans from jumping off the cliff. In other news, Utley underwent successful surgery on his hand and had some pins inserted. The timetable for his return is approximately four weeks. Zagurski's demotion was overdue, although he showed some flashes early on of becoming a decent left-handed specialist someday. He still has plenty of time to become one. Share your favorite Danny Sandoval moments in the space below.

Phillies purchase contract of 2B Joe Thurston

The 27-year-old was hitting .277/.346/.390 with three homers and 44 RBIs in 101 games with Triple-A Ottawa. This will be his second assignment with the big club. [Link]

Thurston earned a late-season call-up with the Phils in 2006 and actually started two games in left field despite playing only a handful of games there in the minor leagues. It was just an anomaly really; he’s been a second baseman and nothing more his entire career. Thurston actually told me he earned the start because Gary Varsho liked the way he caught fly balls in batting practice. True story; I guess that's how you become a Major League starting left fielder. The Phils didn’t bring him back after 2006 and he spent time in Washington’s camp as a non-roster invitee. He was cut and landed back with the Phils, assigned to Double-A temporarily and would soon land back in Triple-A.

He’s spent parts of four seasons in the Majors with the Phils and Dodgers. In nine minor league seasons, he’s a .290, .760 OPS hitter with 54 career homers.

Beerleaguer: Just a terrible, terrible call-up. I’d sooner push the geriatric bullpen to eight pitchers by adding Geoff Geary, but the Phils decided it wasn’t the right time. The only silver lining is Thurston has hit well lately. He will be their last option off the bench, and won’t help them.

One month best estimate for Chase Utley's return

The Phillies' All-Star second baseman and MVP candidate assured reporters he will return this season, but there is still a possibility he will miss the remainder of 2007.

The injury is a break to the fourth metacarpal bone in his right hand, confirmed by the team Web site. One report called it a fractured right ring finger and set the minimum timetable at three weeks, while the majority of reports are setting the timetable around four-to-six weeks. It sometimes takes longer than that; it took Milwaukee's Jeff Cirillo nine weeks to recover from the same break.

Manager Charlie Manuel has indicated that utilityman Abraham Nunez will take over at second, which means Utley’s production will be almost completely wiped away. Nunez is a sub-replacement level producer (-3.9 VORP) with no power, and the minor league options – Joe Thurston and Danny Sandoval – would represent an even worse drag on the team. For all his faults as a hitter, Nunez is a slick-fielding middle infielder and better than anyone they've got.

Even with Utley’s bat erased from the boxscore for at least a month, it still isn't their biggest issue. They didn't have enough pitching back in the glory days of 24 hours ago when they had an MVP performer at second. As demonstrated in yesterday’s 7-6 loss – a game they led 5-2 late – the brutal bullpen can't be trusted. Not to mention a paper-thin rotation.

Many readers suggested picking up an infielder, but I'm hesitant. There's no way they should get into a bidding war and give up a good pitching prospect for a second-rate infielder who might become obsolete in four weeks. A smarter call may be to endure Nuni, keep the Wes Helms/Greg Dobbs platoon at third, see some more Chris Coste behind the plate for the added offense, and use their scarce prospects for pitching help if they can. If it costs only organizational filler (they have plenty to spare), go for it. If not, no thanks. Who knows? Maybe a Nunez/Dobbs platoon at second can generate a positive moment or two.

Or one. Just one.

Stay with Beerleaguer throughout the day as the Phillies announce their roster plans.

Breaking news: Chase Utley out with broken hand

The Phillies have announced that second baseman Chase Utley broke his right hand after being hit by a pitch from Nationals rookie John Lannan. [Link]

Details are still unclear, although Phillies assistant general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said he expects Utley to return before the end of the season. Which we all know is meaningless coming from Amaro. Utley, who was having an MVP-caliber season and ranked among league leaders in all major offensive categories, can thank Lannan for ending those hopes and sending the Phillies' playoff aspirations into a tailspin. Lannan was ejected for hitting Utley and Howard in consecutive at bats.

Beerleaguer officially wishes the 22-year-old nothing but the best following his memorable debut, and looks forward to future meetings with the left-hander at Citizens Bank Park.

The Inquirer reported Utley's injury as a break to the fourth metatarsal, but they may have meant fourth "metacarpal." Beerleaguer contributor, Clout, offered an insight into the injury:

"The key here is whether it's a clean break or a shatter. If it's a shatter it will require pins and then you're looking at 6 weeks minimum. The 4th metacarpal (below the 4th finger) isn't as bad as if were beneath the index finger, so 3 weeks might be doable if it's a clean break."

Game chat: Eaton tries to complete sweep of Nats

The Phillies are going for six in a row when Adam Eaton (9-6, 5.84 ERA) toes the rubber against rookie left-hander John Lannan (0-0, 0.00 ERA) and the Nationals, beginning at 1:05 p.m. at Citizens Bank Park.

Preview: The Phillies are right back at it following last night’s 14-inning marathon victory. Lannan is making his Major League debut, so the advantage should lie with the Phils. It would be great if Eaton could last at least seven, which would give the short-handed bullpen a little slack, but nothing has come easy for Eaton all season. This is a spot where he must deliver. Clay Condrey and Antonio Alfonseca figure to be unavailable, and Ryan Madson has also been used quite a bit this series. First-timers like Lannan, who’s rocketed through three levels of the Washington chain this season, typically last about four innings or so. With Manny Acta’s bullpen equally depleted, the Phils have a wide open chance to take care of business and complete the sweep. Lineups are posted: Wes Helms and Rod Barajas are in.

[Live Boxscore]

Minor notes: Outman, Golson promoted to Double-A

Mike Drago of the Reading Eagle reports that left-hander Josh Outman is scheduled to start Saturday’s game against Trenton. Meanwhile, the Clearwater Web site confirms that outfielder Greg Golson’s will also join the R-Phils for their four-game home stand, beginning tonight.

Outman’s promotion was a long time coming. The 22-year-old is considered the top lefty in the organization and was having a great season with Class-A Clearwater, going 10-4 with a 2.45 ERA and 117 strikeouts in 20 games for the Threshers. Outman, a great pitchers’ name, also has the makings of an excellent groundball threat for a future at Citizens Bank Park.

Golson, the Phillies first-round pick in the 2004 draft, was hitting .286/.326/.452 with 12 homers and 124 strikeouts for the Threshers. Rated as the Phillies 10th best prospect before the season by Baseball America, the 21-year-old was leading the Florida State League in hits (119) and ranked in the top five in stolen bases (25), doubles (27), extra-base hits (42) and runs scored (66). Golson had been targeted for a late-season call-up to Double-A, so this is right on schedule.

Ruiz released: The Phillies have released Ottawa first baseman Randy Ruiz. The 29-year-old career minor leaguer was hitting .219 with 4 HR and 11 RBI in 22 games since being transferred from Double-A Reading June 26. A terrific minor league power hitter, Ruiz has been troubled by character issues and twice failed the league’s drug test.

Ottawa stinks: The Phillies’ Triple-A affiliate continues the trend of producing very few positive results. The Lynx are 41-63 (.394) after getting shut out last night. Practically all their higher-end talent (Joe Bisenius, J.A. Happ, Zach Segovia) have taken backward steps in one form or another. Even players who broke into the majors at one time (Danny Sandoval, Chris Roberson, Eude Brito) have been so bad, they’ll probably never taste the Majors again.

Phils survive Manuel's mess on Howard walk-off HR

The Phillies' lead-off hitters reached base in all five extra frames and finally made the last one count - sort of - as Ryan Howard's towering home run brought in Chase Utley to sink the Nationals 7-5 in 14 innings.

With Cole Hamels bobble heads in hand, a sellout crowd watched Hamel's seven-inning, two-run effort vanish in smoke as Antonio Alfonseca allowed double, walk, double in the 9th, cutting the lead to 4-3. Then with runners at second and third, the wacky hijinks began when manager Charlie Manuel called on struggling rookie Mike Zagurski instead of Tom Gordon, who was up and warming and would eventually pitch later. Zagurski promptly allowed a two-run double to Jesus Flores, making it 5-4 Nationals lead. Then in the ninth, Jimmy Rollins sent the game to extra innings when he tripled and crossed home thanks to an error and dropped ball at the plate - one of the season's most thrilling plays.

Manuel mania had only just begun. After Jose Mesa and J.C. Romero clawed through the top half of the 10th unscathed, Utley and Howard led off the bottom half with a pair of walks. The Phillies' skipper then called on Aaron Rowand - the team's best clutch hitter, who's locked in at the plate - to bunt. Rowand popped out, leaving Michael Bourn and Chris Coste, batting for the pitcher, to drive in the runs. They stranded them.

In the 11th, there was more bad bunting, when Greg Dobbs hammered a bunt back to the pitcher, forcing a fielders choice at second.

Clay Condrey (4-0, 6.29 ERA) picked up the war-of-attrition win with three shutout innings. Howard's homer came off former Phillies' property Chris Booker. If Howard hadn't ended it, J.D. Durbin would have entered in the 15th. Expect no more than five relievers to be active for tomorrow's game.

After all that, the Phillies picked up no ground on the Mets, who won 6-3 against Pittsburgh. However, they are now just two games back of San Diego, who were thrashed 10-2 by Colorado.

Last night's comment highlights: When the games get tight, the board lights up. Last night saw 465 comments, third most for a single entry in Beerleaguer history. A sampling:

“Gordon must be seriously ill. There's no other explanation.” And then ... “Gordon untouched in his first 2 appearances off the DL. Cholly didn't sub him for the struggling Alfonseca in the 9th because.....um....because.....”

“Earl Weaver would have a good laugh watching Cholly manage. ‘You only get 27 outs. Why would you ever give one away?’”

“watching jose mesa pitch is like watching your slutty girlfriend drunk at a frat party. where all the other guys are bigger than you. and there is nothing you can do as you watch her spill your broken heart across a dirty basement floor. and all you can do to ease the pain is drink and use illicit drugs.”

Roster suggestion: A move the Phillies should entertain is sending Zagurski back down to find himself again. He's not the same pitcher they first brought up. Now that Romero is somewhat established, and Gordon gives them back-end depth, I'd demote Zagurski and bring back Gas Can Geoff Geary. Zagurski looks like he can be useful down the line, but is a lost pitcher at this point.

Game chat: Phillies try to extend four-game streak

Cole Hamels is 10-2 with a 2.96 ERA in his last 14 starts at Citizens Bank Park. The Nationals counter with rookie Matt Chico, who leads their club with seven quality starts, including five in his last eight assignments.

Preview: Washington’s pregame press notes provided an interesting little history on tonight’s starters. Chico and Hamels square off for the first time in their baseball careers, despite playing for a pair of North San Diego County high schools (they never faced each other in the minors as well). Chico played his high school ball at Fallbrook, while Hamels played at Rancho Bernardo under head coach Sam Blalock, who is the father of Hank Blalock. According to Sam Blalock’s records, Chico faced the RB Broncos just once in his high school career: in a tournament game as a senior on April 12, 2000. Hamels, a junior in 2000, was out with a broken arm.

OK. So maybe it's not that interesting. So who is this -- how you say -- "Chico?" Chico (4-6, 4.68 ERA), who came over from the Diamondbacks in the Livan Hernandez deal, won a job in spring training despite a pedestrian minor league track record and no experience above Double-A. So far, so good. Among rookies, he ranks second in ERA, second in innings (108.1), third in strikeouts (59) and second in batting average against (.275). According to one report, he’ll throw a two-seam and four-seam fastball which sits in the low 90s, a curveball and a changeup.

For the Phillies, Hamels (11-5, 3.68 ERA) is looking for a win after a heartbreaking 1-0 loss to Chris Young and the Padres.

Big bats overshadow improved defense, fundamentals

Last night's hero, Aaron Rowand, led the way with a game-winning home run and a pair of doubles. The undercard included an outfield assist and excellent takeaway on a ball hit to the alley.

Poor execution was a major culprit to the 4-11 start, but gradually the Xs and Os have made their way back onto the field. It’s been a while since the Phils burned themselves with a bone-headed play or defensive gaff. The Phillies have been so good lately, it's time to give them some credit.

Starting with the coaches. Bench coach Jimy Williams was brought in to lend a hand in the dugout, but also to help teach the pitchers how to hit, like he once did with the Atlanta Braves. Last season, the Phils fielded the worst hitting pitchers in the National League, posting league lows in batting average (.092), slugging (.111) and hits (29). What a difference a year makes. They’ve gone from last to first in hits, already with 35 on the season. Four of the five current starters have registered extra-base hits, and four of five have knocked in runs. Even Freddy Garcia was hitting before he went down.

Since 2004, the Phils have been among the league’s most successful teams at stealing bases, posting around a 79 percent success rate during the Jimmy Rollins era. Under Davy Lopes, that rate has spiked to an NL-best 87 percent. Their 78 steals are third in the league and on pace to be the Phillies' highest mark since 2001, thanks in large to Shane Victorino, who's gone from four stolen bases in 2006 to 30 in 2007.

Not to be outdone by the offense, the defense is just as hot. They’ve committed just two errors over their last 10 games and neither of them were costly, peppered in with some exceptional plays, including a diving stab by Chase Utley last night to prevent a late-inning rally. With Wes Helms sitting most games, there simply aren’t many weak links on defense. They rank sixth out of 16 NL teams in committing the fewest errors (56), first in outfield assists (31), fifth in allowing the fewest stolen bases (50) and have gunned down 22 runners, also fifth highest.

Aside from a handful of inconsistent pitchers who can't find the strike zone, this is a pretty sharp ballclub right now. Considering the sustained level of quality play, does the manager finally deserve some credit?

Game chat: Phils return home for three with Nationals

Fresh off a successful 4-3 road trip, highlighted by Sunday’s complete-game shutout over the Padres, the home town nine return to Citizens Bank Park to face the Washington Nationals tonight at 7:05 ET.

Preview: If history is any indication, this series is a toss-up. The Phillies lead the season series 3-2, but lost the 2006 head-to-head matchup 10-9, including a back-breaking series loss the final week of the season. Besides the absence of Alfonso Soriano and loss of Nick Johnson to injury, there isn’t much difference between this group and last year’s model. The no-name pitching staff, without the likes of Pedro Astacio and Ramon Ortiz, might actually qualify as an improvement. Dimitri Young has stepped in a produced. Ronnie Belliard has been impressive enough to earn a contract extension. And they still have a few horses left in the bullpen and some veterans, like Brian Schneider, who’re always ready to deliver a crippling blow. They won’t go down without a fight and are seeking their third-straight win.

Meanwhile, the Phils are coming off a high-energy win over the Pads. Coupled with Monday’s off day, the Phils will do themselves some good by jumping on the Nats early and keeping that mojo working. They’ll face right-hander Jason Bergmann (2-5, 4.46 ERA) for the second time this season. He looked good in his earlier starts against them and has a pretty good slider if I remember correctly.

This is an important game for Kyle Kendrick (4-1, 4.40 ERA), who’s trying to bounce back from his worst start. The Dodgers raked Kendrick from the first inning on, allowing seven hits and five runs over 5 1-3; he’s lucky he didn’t allow more.

Powered by the league's best offense, the Phillies should hold an edge all series, but with Kendrick on the mound, their mediocrity at home and a park conducive to high scoring, no game should be taken for granted.

Howard awarded: Ryan Howard, who led the National League with five home runs and a .500 (11-22) batting average, has been named Bank of America Presents the National League Player of the Week for the period of July 16-22, 2007. Howard also led the N.L. with 13 RBI, 27 total bases, 10 bases on balls, a slugging percentage of 1.227 and an on-base percentage of .636.

The Phillies had four other nominees: Aaron Rowand (.355, 1 HR, 8 RBI), Chase Utley (.379, 1 HR, 7 RBI), Shane Victorino (.343, 2 3B, 5 RBI) and J.D. Durbin (2-0, 0.60 ERA, 6 SO).

Best of the press notes: Jose Mesa currently ranks 11th on the all-time MLB list with 998 career appearances. He needs two more to be the 11th pitcher in MLB history to reach 1,000. He would become the third pitcher on that list to reach 1,000 as a Phillie. Kent Tekulve pitched in his 1,000th game as a Phillie in 1988 and then Dan Plesac did it in 2002.

-- The Phillies are tied for third in the NL with 26 come-from-behind wins this season. Only the Rockies and Dodgers (28 each) have more.

Beer nuts: Carrasco having some growing pains in AA

Phillies top prospect Carlos Carrasco lasted just four innings and allowed six hits, including three homers, eight runs, three walks and a balk in yesterday’s 11-3 loss to Bowie.

After starting the season strong with Class-A Clearwater, the 20-year-old right-hander has a 5.95 ERA this month to go with 19 walks over just 22 2-3 innings. He's 3-1 with a 4.81 ERA overall since his Double-A promotion. Reading beat writer Mike Drago passes along word that pitching coach Tom Filer changed something during a recent bullpen session, but it obviously didn't work last night. Drago assures us there’s no reason to panic.

"He’s 20 years old, that’s it," Drago told Beerleaguer via e-mail. "Plus, if you look, he struggled when the Phils jumped him from Gulf Coast to Lakewood to start 2005, but he eventually got comfortable and figured it out. That’ll happen here, eventually."

Costanzo update: Today’s edition of the Reading Eagle also supplied a brief update on Mike Costanzo. The third baseman has reached base in 46 of his last 52 games and homered yesterday for the first time since July 6. On the season, Costanzo is hitting .241 with 18 homers, .800 OPS and 123 strikeouts. He’s been a much, much better hitter against right-handers (.884 OPS 17 HR /.581 OPS, 1 HR).

Nationals preview: It's been ages since the Phillies last saw the Nationals. They last met April 26, a Thursday afternoon game when Cole Hamels became a little unraveled and Shawn Hill picked up the win with eight strong innings. Hill would go on to make only three more starts before going on the DL with an injury to his non-pitching shoulder.

The Nationals have been decimated with injuries but have managed to hang tough, and are far off the 100-loss pace some fans had feared. Hill was having a great start before his injury. John Patterson is out, Nick Johnson is out, along with host of others from their bullpen and starting staff.

They’ve survived thanks in large to the workman efforts of pitching unknowns and cast-offs, guys like former Phillie farmhand Mike Bascik, who pitches Thursday, former Astros hurler Tim Redding, 24-year-old left-hander Matt Chico, who we’ll see tomorrow, as well as right-hander Jason Bergmann, who pitches tonight.

Bergmann has struggled mightily this month (8.04 ERA, .297 BAA), but has had some great outings, including a handful of dominant starts against the Phillies, Mets and Braves.

On the offensive front, the Nats took a low risk/high reward gamble on Dimitri Young, and the first baseman rewarded them with an All-Star first half, hitting .340/.395/.520 with 9 homers.

Chris Needham’s Capitol Punishment is where I go for Nats news. He names infielder Ronnie Belliard, recipient of a brand-new one-year contract extension, his MVP for the month. On the season, Belliard is batting .305 with 18 doubles, five home runs and 29 RBI in 85 games.

Last year’s Rookie of the Year Ryan Zimmerman appears to be emerging from his sophomore slump. "Zimmerman is finally hitting like the player we thought we'd have, and not like the huge disappointment he was early in the season. The power's not all the way there -- damn RFK -- but a .303/ .361/ .472 (for the month) is good enough, especially with some of those highlight plays he's made over the last week or so."

He names Chico his Cy Young winner for the month. Honorable Mention: Chad Cordero and his 0.82 ERA.

Meanwhile, the team continues to get minimal production from centerfield, catcher Brian Schneider and Austin Kearns, who’s been slumping.

'Real Deal' Durbin makes his case to stay in rotation

Fresh off his complete-game shutout of the Padres, 25-year-old right-hander J.D. Durbin could be making matters a little more complicated for a team searching for outside pitching help.

Beerleaguer: I’m surprised more people haven’t said the Phillies found a reliable starter right under their noses. As effective as Durbin pitched yesterday, they haven’t. They still need another starter. But it’s nice to know they have a little depth Kyle Kendrick starts getting bombed. And perhaps his presence will keep Adam Eaton on his toes; Eaton hasn’t sniffed the ninth inning this season.

The Padres looked like a frustrated, beaten team yesterday, and who can blame them? The Phillies offense is unstoppable right now and battered them Friday and Saturday, finishing the job with nine runs yesterday and a 3-1 series win. Durbin was helped by about six one-pitch outs, but still. The Real Deal looked composed and deserves credit. It was a great game.

While I don't think Durbin can be counted on as the answer, he definitely helped make his case to stay on through the season, at least as a long man. Durbin would need to pass through waivers in order to be sent back to the minor leagues, a risk the Phils are probably reluctant to take.

Report: Amaro scouted Josh Towers Saturday night

The Blue Jays right-hander worked 6 2-3 innings in a 1-0 win against the Mariners. The item was reported by Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun. [Link]

Towers, 30, is 5-6 with a 4.97 ERA and 60/14 K/BB ratio in 12 starts for Toronto, his home since the 2003 season. According to the report, Towers will earn $2.9 million this season – the second year of a two-year, $5.2 million deal -- and would have roughly one third of that remaining if he were traded. He will become a free agent after the season. Phillies Assistant GM Ruben Amaro Jr. was spotted Saturday and was gone the next day, leading to speculation he was there only to watch Towers.

Ryan roars as Phils pound Pads; series concludes

The reigning NL MVP launched two majestic home runs off David Wells, drove in five and scored three in leading the Phils to a 12-4 win over the Padres last night.

Howard has turned his slow start into a distant memory and is starting to resemble the player who carried the club when they made their late-season charge in 2006.

In 45 games since returning from injury, he’s hitting .311 with 21 HR and 56 RBIs. He continues to be one of baseball’s most unique hitters. He’s already struck out 109 times and has only registered 79 hits – almost 30 less than Shane Victorino – yet his impact couldn’t be more striking. He’s about to catch Miguel Cabrera for the league lead in slugging (.608), and before you know it, he could overtake Chase Utley in RBI’s. He’s only two back in that category after ringing up five last night. And thanks to his 3-for-3, two-homer performance, Howard is up over 1.000 OPS for the first time since opening day.

Make no mistake: This was a huge win for the Phils. While today’s pitching matchup clearly favors Jake Peavy over J.D. Durbin, the pressure is back on the Padres to spilt the series. The Phillies have been applying pressure all series, dropping a pitchers’ duel Thursday, which could have gone either way.

After the Dodgers series and loss in Thursday’s opener, a popular comment was to project how many games the Phillies would need to win to catch the Mets if the Mets finished up playing at their first-half pace. The fact is, the Phils are playing better than the Mets, the Mets aren’t playing as well as they did earlier, and thus, the Phils have been able to slowly nibble away at their earlier lead. They trail the Mets by five games, with well over two months to go and many more meetings between them.

Drabek to undergo Tommy John surgery: Many of you have already read that 2006 first-round pick Kyle Drabek will undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery and will probably be out through 2008. The surgery is scheduled for Wednesday. You could see it coming. Drabek was a hard-throwing, high-school curveball pitcher who's been out most of the season and there were signs of trouble early on. Beerleaguer All-Star, Alby, had this to say:

"Drabek's drop in status before the draft -- the element that left him on the board by the time the Phillies' turn came around -- was his attitude, not worries about overuse. What's notable to me is that Conlin called this about a year ago, soon after the kid signed and had a so-so first few starts in the minors."

Yankees acquire catcher Jose Molina for minor leaguer: This is significant because the Phillies and Yankees looked like a match for the services of Rod Barajas. The Yankees surrendered right-hander Jeff Kennard in the deal for LAA’s Molina. Clout weighed in last night:

"I'm not bothered by the Yankees getting Jose Molina. The guy they dealt, Kennard, is a non-prospect. He would not help the Phillies now or ever. So what's the point? Keep Barajas until you can get fair value. Unfortunately, due to his contract, that's unlikely so we're probably stuck with him. And if either Ruiz or Coste gets hurt, we'll be happy we were."

Game chat: The 500-pound gorilla we’ve been avoiding all week comes to life this evening as Durbin (1-2, 9.00 ERA) meets Peavy (9-4, 2.30 ERA) in one of the worst mis-matches of the season. Stranger things have happened. Remember Matt Beech and Greg Maddux?

Discuss it here, and if you’re reading this from the Philadelphia area, be sure to get outside and enjoy the beautiful weather!

Myers getting closer; Veteran lefties throw tonight

Brett Myers pitched a scoreless inning yesterday in his first rehabilitation start for Class-A Clearwater. Additional headlines include the status of unsigned draft picks and tonight's game in San Diego.

Myers, who's been out for almost two months, walked one and faced four batters. According to MLB.com, the soon-to-be 27-year-old right-hander is scheduled to throw again Monday and could throw one more outing after that, then be activated from the disabled list.

Draft update: The Phillies continue to negotiate with high-school right-handers Brandon Workman and Julian Sampson. The Phils have signed 17 of their top 19 draft picks and only Workman and Sampson remain. Workman, a third round draft pick, and Sampson, who fell to the twelfth round due to signability issues, have college scholarships and are under pressure to make their decisions. Both are considered high-ceiling talents.

Another setback for Braves' Davies: Braves right-hander Kyle Davies was optioned to Triple-A Richmond on Thursday. Davies, 23, was pulled from his Monday start against Cincinnati after facing five batters and getting no outs, which left him 4-8 with a 5.76 ERA. "We think the world of him," manager Bobby Cox told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "He's just got to find a way to get it going again. He should be a 15-game winner." Davies was 1-5 with a 7.31 ERA in his past seven starts.

Game chat - Veteran left-handers duel: Jamie Moyer (7-8, 4.99 ERA) battles David Wells (5-5, 4.15 ERA). Moyer is having a terrible July and hasn't won in almost a month. Wells used a knuckleball his last start, helping him earn a six-inning, one-run win over the Mets. Game time is 10:05 p.m. Discuss it right here.

Game chat: Germano out for revenge against Phils

The Phillies designated tonight's starter, Justin Germano, for assignment two weeks before the season, thinking he couldn't fit with the bullpen. The Padres snagged him and have used him as a starting pitcher since May. He's 6-3 with a 3.55 earned run average.

Preview: I'm glad the Phils face Germano tonight. He was the subject of several articles today, so perhaps it helped shed some light on how careless the Phils had been with him. The Phillies are in the process of shopping for a starter who can basically give them what Germano has given the Padres. But it will probably cost them Michael Bourn or some other combination of good prospects. So, the decision to gamble with designating Germano could end up costing them a decent fifth starter and prospects.

Germano, 24, was a legitimate prospect, at least in the eyes of the Padres, who know good pitching when they see it. The right-hander may not throw 95 mph heat like the Phillies would prefer, but he understands the game, hits his spots and doesn't get into trouble. Instead of keeping him on the roster instead of Joe Bisenius, Clay Condrey and Matt Smith, three relievers they ultimately opened their season with, the Phils unsuccessfully tried passing him through waivers.

For some reason, I thought Germano had an option left – that’s why he became the forgotten man in offseason discussions. I figured the Phils would stash him away in Ottawa until they needed an emergency guy; Germano would have been the logical first choice. When it became clear they weren’t going to keep him, many readers couldn’t understand why the Phils would even deal for him in the first place. Their handling of Germano made no sense on many levels.

Meanwhile, the Phillies will counter with Adam Eaton (8-6, 5.98 ERA). As you can see, the Eaton plan is working beautifully.

Beerleaguer for brunch: Padres blank Phillies 1-0

The buzzsaw known as Padres pitching didn’t allow a run and surrendered just three hits in a truly old-school night of baseball at Petco Park. Cole Hamels’ own four-hit, one-run effort went in vain as the Phils dropped below .500 again.

Great hitting collided with great pitching, and pitching won, as usual. Chris Young continues to dominate the National League. Young has allowed three or more earned runs in just four of his 19 starts. This was his fifth seven-inning shutout, running his record to 9-3 to go with a baseball-best 1.83 ERA.

The Padres succeeded in shutting out the red-hot Phillies’ offense for the first time since June 1, and it was only the second time it happened all year. Trevor Hoffman continued his unflappable mastery of the ninth inning by striking out the side, including Greg Dobbs and Carlos Ruiz to end the ballgame with runners stranded at first and second. Hoffman has saved 23-straight games dating back to April 28. See you in the Hall of Fame, Trevor.

The Phillies face Justin Germano tonight and David Wells tomorrow and the Phils must win those two and hope the Gods are on their side when J.D. Durbin and Jake Peavy meet on Sunday. A split in San Diego and a win in Los Angeles would make them 3-4 out West and .500 on the season. That was the best-case scenario headed into this trip considering the lopsided pitching. Regardless of the outcome, the Phillies better think about turning on the jets when they return home with two cupcakes - Washington and Pittsburgh - lined up in front of them.

Game chat: Pitchers’ duel highlights opener in SD

Cole Hamels returns to his childhood home when the Phillies begin a four-game set in San Diego. Baseball’s ERA leader, Chris Young, toes the rubber for the Pads.

Preview: After dropping their series to the Dodgers, the road trip doesn’t get any easier as Phillies dive head-first into a gauntlet of great pitching. First up is Chris Young (8-3, 1.97 ERA), a Cy Young candidate who hasn’t lost since May 12. Fan-tastic! He's one of two or three NL pitchers I'd take right now over Cole Hamels (11-4, 3.83 ERA). Hamels allowed four runs on eight hits over six innings in Saturday’s win over St. Louis. This is the second time he’s pitched in his home town. He allowed three runs over 5 2-3 innings and didn’t factor in the decision in his first start at Petco Park on July 17, 2006.

The 51-42 Padres are living proof why it’s all about the pitching. They’re right at the bottom of all major offensive categories, including on-base percentage - a putrid .313. Their lineup is totally devoid of weapons. Their leading hitter, Adrian Gonzalez, is batting .266 (Brian Giles, who would be leading, missed more than a month). Khalil Greene’s 16 homers leads the team. He’s reached base at a .276 clip. Second baseman Marcus Giles is so bad, he lost his job to Geoff Blum.

They win because they don’t walk anybody (248 is fewest in baseball) and don’t allow runs (their 3.13 team ERA is so good, I'm getting chubby). While the Phillies can’t stay over .500 for more than a few days playing half their games at Citizens Bank Park, Petco Park, possibly the most extreme pitchers' park in baseball, has created a favorable environment for the Padres to win consistently. It also doesn't hurt that the Padres have real pitching talent, while the Phillies, frankly, have a whole lot of nothing.

West Coast Beerleaguers have the floor. Enjoy the game, and go Phillies.

Beer nuts: Phillies sign first-round pick Joe Savery

The contract will include a $1.37 million bonus, plus a college scholarship.

(From a Phillies news release) The 21-year-old left-hander will join the Williamsport Crosscutters (New York-Penn League) in Lowell, Mass., tomorrow. Savery, a junior, was the 19th overall selection in the first round out of Rice University, which went to the College World Series. The Owls finished third in the nation. As a pitcher at Rice, the 6-foot-3 Savery finished 11-1 with a 2.99 ERA. In 18 starts, he allowed 82 hits and 41 walks in 93.1 innings while striking out 61. He was also one of the premier two-position players in the country. Playing first base and designated hitter, he led the Owls with a .356 average, 98 hits, 139 total bases and 60 RBI. He had 19 doubles, two triples and six homers.

A consensus All-American, Savery was also named the Conference USA Male Athlete of the Year. He was the conference's Player of the Year and among four finalists for the Dick Howser Trophy given to college baseball's top player. Of the first 19 players selected, the Phillies have signed 17. Fifteen of the first 19 selections were college players.

Barajas rumor
This was discussed in an earlier thread, but probably deserves to be in the header. The Yankees need a backup catcher and the New York Post thinks Rod Barajas would be a match. The Yankees believe that free-agents-to-be, like relievers Mike Myers and Luis Vizcaino, could be replaced adequately by Triple-A options, and that eventually Jeff Karstens and/or prospects Joba Chamberlain and Ross Ohlendorf could be moved from the rotation to the pen. The New York Post scenario calls for Myers or Vizcaino to the Phils for Barajas.

Other MLB news
-- Dave Williams, designated for assignment by the Mets, cleared waivers. He's headed back to Triple-A New Orleans.

-- Julio Franco, 48, whom the Mets designated for assignment last week, is back with the Braves, his agent confirmed to the New York Post yesterday.

-- The Mariners are looking for starting pitchers, and were hoping Yankees lefty Andy Pettitte might be available. But the Yankees aren't giving up on their season, and have no plans to deal Pettitte, according to the Newark Star Ledger. On a related note, the Yankees, along with the Braves, Dodgers, Diamondbacks and Cubs, have expressed interest in Kansas City right-hander Zack Greinke.

-- According to the Kansas City Star, the Dodgers, Indians, Tigers, Red Sox and Braves are among those teams known to have some interest in Kansas City starter Octavio Dotel.

-- Ervin Santana, who was demoted to Triple-A Salt Lake, is expected to rejoin the Angels this season, according to manager Mike Scioscia.

Game chat: Phillies take aim at series win in LA

Kyle Kendrick and Chad Billingsley square off in a battle of 22-year-old unbeatens when the Phillies and Dodgers wrap up their series today at 3:10 p.m. ET.

Pitching matchup: Kendrick (4-0, 3.82 ERA) continues to pile on the quality starts. The unheralded rookie has lasted at least six innings in all six of his starts, holding opponents to three or fewer runs in five of them. This is the third time he’s been paired against a ballyhooed young starter. He outlasted the Reds’ Homer Bailey on June 26 and the Mets' Mike Pelfrey July 1. Today he’s matched against Billingsley (6-0, 3.29 ERA), the Dodgers first-round pick in the 2003 draft.

Lineups are set: Abraham Nunez gets his first start since July 2. Carlos Ruiz is back behind the plate. [Live Boxscore].

Minor notes: Ground-ball pitchers rising the chain

Reading right-hander Carlos Carrasco, who recently moved from 41 to 22 in Baseball America's mid-season Top 100 prospect update, not only possesses great strikeout potential, but has shown a consistent ability to keep balls on the ground.

Kyle Kendrick, who toes the rubber in just a few short hours, has surprised Phillies fans with his control and sinker – custom made for the short porches of Citizens Bank Park. What some fans may not realize is that Kendrick is just the beginning of a stream of high-ceiling, ground-ball pitchers rising the ranks in the Phillies' farm system.

Carrasco, still just 20 years old, is making a pretty smooth transition to Double-A, and for the most part, is keeping balls on the ground, somewhere in the neighborhood of 50 percent. So far, he’s 3-0 with a 3.16 ERA in five starts for Reading, making progress, but still a healthy distance away from pitching in Philadelphia. The Venezuelan right-hander was named top prospect in the Phillies’ system after winning the Paul Owens award for a 12-6, 2.26 ERA, 159 strikeout season with Low-A Lakewood. Carrasco takes the mound for Reading today as part of a double-header in Erie. Follow the action here.

The team’s best emerging groundball threat might be left-hander Josh Outman, who’s 9-4 with a 2.59 ERA to go with 100 strikeouts for Class-A Clearwater. His ’07 pitching splits are through the roof. The former 10th round pick has induced 133 grounders to just 44 line drives and 77 fly balls this season. Suddenly, the future of pitching in Philadelphia's bandbox is a little brighter.

(Thanks to Tom. G of Balls, Sticks & Stuff for the inspiration for this post.)

Team of extremes bludgeons Dodgers with 26 hits

Aaron Rowand and Shane Victorino delivered five hits apiece, Ryan Howard homered twice and pitcher J.D. Durbin added three hits of his own while picking up his first major league win, as the Phils routed the Dodgers 15-3 last night.

The Phillies may soon forget what it’s like to play in tight ballgames. Since the All-Star break, each game has been decided by six runs or more, all of them decided early in the contest.

Working Joes back East probably closed their eyes around the same time; for me it was the bottom of the second with the Phils up 3-0, having watched Durbin nearly walk the pitcher. With the television off, the game became a rout minutes later. The Phillies battered Hendrickson and reliever Eric Stults for 11 runs and 19 hits by the fifth inning. It was a vulgar display of offense, almost too rich to repeat. We're talking a pair of career nights from Rowand and Victorino. Pat Burrell also went two-for-four with a home run. As Beerleaguer reader, Carson, reported earlier, Burrell is hitting .444 with 10 runs, three homers and 10 RBIs this month.

I don’t know that I’ve ever witnessed a better Phillies team at hitting the gaps, and Dodgers Stadium is the perfect place to showcase their abilities. The night saw six doubles and a triple. Led by Chase Utley’s league-leading 39 doubles, including the two he hit last night, the Phillies have an NL-best 201.

Readers are already taking bets on whether Durbin can top yesterday’s six-inning, one run performance, but as long as he's pitching in front of this crew, he has a chance. On the bullpen front, Flash Gordon returned from the disabled list to pitch a scoreless ninth.

Game chat: Durbin deals whether we like it or not

Expectations are very low that tonight’s starter, J.D. 'Real Deal' Durbin, can deliver. If the Phils are to stay in the hunt, they'll need some surprises. Tonight counts as one opportunity. Game time is 10:10 p.m. ET.

Preview: Manager Charlie Manuel seemed a little surprised that Durbin (0-2, 13.50 ERA) had been penciled in for tonight’s game less than 24 hours after the right-hander managed to make a 13-2 blowout somewhat interesting. This will be his second start for the depleted Phils, who are still searching for a fifth starter. The Real Deal lasted 4 2/3 innings and surrendered six runs in his debut against the Mets. He’s been used in “miscellaneous relief” since then.

For the Dodgers, it’s left-hander Mark Hendrickson (3-4, 4.02 ERA), making his 11th start of the season. Hendrickson has bounced in and out of the rotation. He isn’t a good starter, so this game can be had, all things considered. 

Beerleaguer for breakfast: Dodgers pound Moyer

Jeff Kent hit a three-run blast and Brad Penny earned a convincing win as the Dodgers defeated the Phillies 10-3 in Los Angeles.

Recap (From Beerleaguer’s news sources): Jamie Moyer (7-8) retired nine in a row after Kent's three-run homer, but the damage had already been done. Kent's 12th home run of the season made it 6-1 by the third, and the Phils wasted a scoring opportunity in the fourth when Moyer struck out looking with the bases loaded. In the sixth, James Loney and Nomar Garciaparra singled before Ryan Howard's fielding error allowed the first baserunner to score. Matt Kemp then launched a three-run shot, handing Moyer a crushing defeat in his first start against the Dodgers in a decade. Moyer’s final line: 10 runs, nine earned, on nine hits with two walks and four strikeouts over 5 1-3 innings.

Beerleaguer: Caught between a rock and a hard place, manager Charlie Manuel conceded the battle in order to win the war by leaving Moyer in the ballgame to preserve his bullpen. It turned out to be the right call as the Phils couldn’t counter.

Yesterday was Adam Eaton’s turn to come under the microscope; today it’s Moyer’s turn. This morning on the Phillies Web site, Manuel expressed concern that Moyer might be wearing down. "When we had him up over 100 pitches so many times early in the year, that was too much," Manuel told Phillies.com. "There comes a time when you pay a price for that. Right there before the [All-Star] break, I think you started to see that."

In three July starts, the 44-year-old veteran, who denied feeling fatigued, is 0-3 with a 10.03 ERA. Besides July, he’s had a good season, but his latest stretch of bad starts serves as a reminder that initial expectations were as a back-of-the-rotation starter.

On a positive note, Moyer’s extra work meant the Phillies only burned two relievers: J.C. Romero and Jose Mesa. Tonight, they send J.D. Durbin to the mound with hopes they can get at least five innings from him. Realistically, the Phillies could call on three or more relievers by the time it's over. The Phils follow tonight's contest with a day game on Wednesday with Kyle Kendrick scheduled to pitch.

Good link: Rich Hofmann examines the launching pad known as Citizens Bank Park, where the Phillies have already surrendered 81 home runs. The case continues to build against CBP as a place where the Phils can win consistently. Indeed, they're a .500 club, two games better than .500 at home, and have almost identical runs scored/runs allowed totals (484 scored, 490 allowed). They are the embodiment of mediocrity.

Game chat: Phillies visit with old friends out west

Mike Lieberthal spent more games behind the plate than any catcher in Phillies history. Tonight, he sits opposite his old team for the first time.

The Dodgers are cutting Lieberthal a one-year, $1.15 million paycheck with a club option for 2008, but from a baseball standpoint, his career is hobbling down the home stretch. Barely getting time behind All-Star catcher Russell Martin, the Dodgers have given him just 48 plate appearances, which he’s turned into 10 hits, two walks and an RBI. It’s a cheerless, but common swan song for a beaten down veteran catcher, whose career started right out of high school when the Phillies made him a first-round pick in June of 1990. Should he decide to hang up the cleats after ’07, or should the Dodgers deny his option - which is likely - he’ll still finish with at least 150 homers, 600-plus RBIs and over 1,150 hits, virtually all of it in red pinstripes.

By all accounts, he was popular with teammates, and according to the Inquirer, still keeps close tabs on his ex-team. He does this in spite of the ho-hum farewell he received from fans, and the blunt way in which the team announced he was no longer in their plans beyond '06 (the right decision, no matter how it was handled publicly). Lieberthal’s legacy in Philadelphia is that of an offensive-minded catcher, overshadowed somewhat by his perceived laid-back attitude and the fact the team never reached the post-season during his tenure.

Ironically, his worst statistical season could turn into his best chance at a post-season. Same for Randy Wolf, who turned down a multi-year offer from the Phillies in favor of a one-year tryout with his hometown Dodgers. Although he’s been slowed by soreness in his left shoulder and hasn’t been himself since May, the former Phil was on pace to set a career high in strikeouts before a trip to the DL. He’s expected back at the end of the month. Wolf, who pitched for the Phils from 1999-2006, was an all-star in 2003. Unlike Lieberthal, I would have liked to see him stay in Philadelphia.

Tonight’s matchup: Jamie Moyer (7-7, 4.43 ERA) versus Brad Penny (10-1, 2.39 ERA). Penny’s ERA is third lowest in the NL behind San Diego’s Chris Young and Jake Peavy. The Phillies enter the game 46-45, five back of the division-leading Mets and 3 1/2 back of the second-place Braves. The Dodgers are 52-40 and lead the tough NL West by 1 game over the Padres. In spite of everything, the Phillies are still tied for the best record in the NL since April 21.

Season of disappointment continues for Adam Eaton

A lack of due diligence with a medical exam explains why the Phillies are paying $10 million to injured starter Freddy Garcia. As for Adam Eaton, it's looking like another bad call, for a different reason.

The only thing saving struggling starter Adam Eaton from the wolves is that his latest effort helped his team reach the dubious 10,000-loss distinction. Eaton was chased in the fifth inning of yesterday's one-sided 10-2 loss to the Cardinals, serving up double-homer-homer-single until Charlie Manuel stepped in and ended it. Eaton’s final line: four innings; 10 hits; six runs; two homers. Fans would expect better from J.D. Durbin.

Only veterans with big-money commitments can last with a 5.98 ERA after 19 games. The uneasy feeling of sub-mediocrity started way back in spring training and the feeling hasn’t subsided. Measured using Baseball Prospectus’ VORP stat, which tallies the number of runs contributed beyond what a replacement-level player at the same position would contribute if given the same chances, Eaton is the worst pitcher in the National League over 100 innings, ranked 47 out of 47 starters. He's been bottom barrel since the season began. One could argue that only Kip Wells and Vicente Padilla have been worse acquisitions from the 2007 free agent class; Wells actually lost his job earlier this season, and probably pitched himself out of the mix against the Phils on Friday.

Command, consistency and untimely mistakes have crippled him, but even at his best, he looks like a bad match for the ballpark. Many readers voiced this concern at the time of the signing. This morning on 610-WIP radio, Mitch Williams observed that his arm drops when the pressure builds, causing him to come under the ball. According to BP, only 39.3 percent of Eaton's batted balls are going for ground balls, and his 1.58 HR/9 rate is very high. That’s only slightly worse than Cole Hamels, but Hamels misses almost twice as many bats and walks half as many.

Those who endorsed the deal – yours included – thought Eaton was young enough and had the stuff to overcome the challenge of pitching in a bandbox. More than half a season later, time is running out to prove those supporters right.

Gordon activated; Sanches demoted: According to the team Web site, Pat Gillick and Ruben Amaro Jr. gave Gordon the green light after watching him pitch yesterday. The plan is to slide Gordon into low-pressure situations at first before using him as a setup man or closer. I'm skeptical Flash has two-and-a-half months and a curveball left in his arm.

Durbin start still up in the air: In the same report on Phillies.com, it seems Manuel is just as surprised Durbin was listed as Tuesday’s starter as the rest of us. It seems Manuel has yet to decide who will start tomorrow’s game, with J.A. Happ still considered a possibility.

Programming note: Beerleaguer on WEEU at 9 a.m.

Mike Faust and I will discuss the 10,000th loss, team history and where the Phillies go from here this morning at 9:05 a.m. Tune in to 830-AM to listen.

Explosive Phillies go for three-game sweep of Cards

Storming from the break with 37 hits, 23 runs and two easy victories, the surging Phils reach for their brooms as they try to finish off St. Louis tonight at 6:05 p.m.

Preview: It seems the Phillies have decided the best way to solve their pitching crisis is to pummel opponents into submission. So be it. Cole Hamels, who improved to 11-4, didn’t have it yesterday, but the offense made it a total non-issue. Hamels allowed four runs on eight hits over six innings and continues to be a pretty mediocre pitcher in day games (4.58 ERA, .300 BAA).

But it didn’t matter; it’s practically a footnote to a superhuman weekend of hitting. The hottest hitter on the planet, Chase Utley, knocked in two more runs to give him a share of league RBI lead with 73. He’s hitting .332, good for fifth best. Add to it his league-leading 35 doubles and I’d say Philadelphia has another MVP candidate on their hands. (It won't happen if the Phils don't stay in the hunt. Voters won't endorse two-straight Phillies sitting home in October.)

Lately, the demise of Pat Burrell has been put on hold as the left-fielder is having some second-half revenge. His .811 OPS is the highest it’s been since May 28, thanks to a 3-3 afternoon that included a two-run double.

Tonight, the Phils will see if they saved enough runs to overcome Adam Eaton’s first 30 pitches. The right-hander, who carts a 5.68 ERA to the mound, has a 8.77 ERA over his first 30 tosses, a trend he’s carried almost his entire career. Eaton allowed four runs and eight hits, including two homers, over six innings in an 8-4 victory over Colorado his last start. Adam Wainwright (7-7, 4.66 ERA) tries to prevent the sweep for St. Louis.

Myers/Gordon updates: According to the team Web site, Brett Myers threw 25 pitches during a bullpen session yesterday in Clearwater and felt fine, assistant general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. reported. Myers has been targeted for a July 24 return, according to the Inquirer, and is expected to face live batters Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Tom Gordon made his third rehab start Friday in the Gulf Coast League. He pitched two scoreless innings with three strikeouts. If all goes well, the Inquirer says he could be activated tomorrow.

Musical relievers: After the game, reliever Anderson Garcia was optioned to Triple-A Ottawa and Clay Condrey's contract was purchased. To make room for Condrey on the 40-man roster, Jon Lieber was moved to the 60-day disabled list. This is Condrey’s fourth stint with the club this season and sixth in the last two seasons.

Game chat: Lefties toe rubber this afternoon at CBP

In two starts against the Cardinals, Cole Hamels has allowed just two runs, five hits and has struck out 15. He’ll try for his 11th win of the season today starting at 3:55 p.m.

Last night, the Phillies pounced on Kip Wells for five runs in the first inning and chase him from the game by the second in a 13-3 rout. Chase Utley, who went 4-for-5 with a homer, two runs and three RBIs, continues to make his case for MVP. Baseball Tonight's Tim Kurkjian reported that Utley is on pace to finish with the most extra-base hits by a second baseman since Rogers Hornsby in 1922. Utley is hitting .464 (26-56) over his last 15 home games, MLB.com reports.

Kyle Kendrick remained a perfect 4-0 in his young career with his longest and best outing, allowing just one run over seven innings. The 22-year-old also knocked in two. If Kendrick keeps at it, the Phillies will have two solid starters under the age of 23 going forward, the other being today’s starter, Cole Hamels (10-4, 3.72 ERA), who snapped a three-game slide with a seven-inning, eight-strikeout performance against the Astros July 4 to earn a share of the league lead in wins.

For St. Louis, lefty Mike Maroth (0-1, 4.11 ERA) makes his fourth start since his trade from Detroit.

Durbin scheduled for Tuesday game in Los Angeles

Following yesterday’s three walk, one hit batsman inning, some fans may have expected it to be the last time they saw J.D. Durbin. Instead, the 25-year-old right-hander will get his second crack at the starting rotation.

Durbin, who's out of options and would need to pass through waivers to be sent back to the minors, allowed six runs and five walks over 4 2-3 innings in his Phillies’ debut June 29 against the Mets. Since then, he’s seen spot action in the bullpen, struggling with his command. In 10 innings, including one appearance with Arizona, Durbin has walked nine batters and has posted a 13.50 ERA and 2.60 WHIP.

News of Durbin’s upcoming start was reported in today’s press notes. Left-hander Mark Hendrickson (3-4, 4.02 ERA) is scheduled to pitch that game for the Dodgers.

Phils try to delay 10,000th loss when they host Cards

Philadelphia has endured 124 years of losing and only one world title. The symbolic high water mark for professional sports futility would be set in front of the home crowd if rookie Kyle Kendrick can’t hold off the Scott Rolen and Cards tonight when baseball's second half resumes.

Preview: After a week of sports talk radio, it’s hard to know whether fans are more pumped for the 10,000th loss or for the Phils to hit the ground running. After a couple days rest, you can bet the players are reenergized. With all that could happen tonight involving the fans, let’s hope the Phils take it personally and unleash hell on Scott Rolen and the Cards. They may fall short of able bodies, but you can’t deny the Phils have played hard.

Winning only goes as far as the next day’s pitcher. Can Kendrick handle it? Can he stay out of the history books? So far, he’s handled everything thrown his way. The 22-year-old right-hander will attempt to remain undefeated when he toes the rubber for his sixth start. He’s a perfect 3-0 with a 4.40 ERA.

Coming off a disappointing first half of their own, the 40-45 Cardinals are a dangerous team to have in the rearview mirror. The defending World Series champs are 7 ½ games out in the NL Central, and a major reason why are the struggles of Rolen and Albert Pujols. Manager Tony LaRussa is also hoping for a better second half from free agent disappointment Kip Wells (3-11, 5.92 ERA), who’s getting a second chance in the rotation after a demotion to the bullpen.

Keys to the series: The rotation needs to start setting a consistent, deep pace. Asking six innings from Kendrick is fair, but asking the same from Adam Eaton, tomorrow night’s starter, isn’t enough. Eaton continues to look like the Wild Card who could tip the balance between contender and pretender. The Phillies can demand dominance from All-Star Cole Hamels – although no one demands more from Hamels than Hamels.

The staff finished the first half with an NL-worst 4.91 ERA. That must change. Frankly, the only fix will have to come from the outside. The Phillies are trying to get people to believe "Gordon and Myers may represent the club's two significant trade deadline acquisitions," as written on the Phillies’ Web site today. If that’s the case, it’s time to find some other way to spend the summer. Seriously ... Gordon? Why should anyone believe his 39-year-old arm isn’t fried? His was smoked in a Gulf Coast League rehab assignment. For those keeping score, it’s the lowest rung of professional baseball. As for Myers, the Phillies can no longer dance around his non-existent timetable.

Save your optimism for other areas, like Wes Helms. Helms should get a fresh start at third base. He has a history of better second halves and his swing looks noticeably quicker lately. Bet on Helms to win back his playing time during the second half.

Other random predictions: Aaron Rowand will keep hitting his way to a lucrative new contract. Pitchers will start getting careless with Ryan Howard again like they did last season. Chase Utley starts showing signs of wear.

Second-half primer: Phils have box seats on the fence

A couple schools of thought have emerged since the Phillies went on summer break: whether the Phillies should buy or sell, and whether Charlie Manuel deserves credit for keeping his team alive. Let's take a look.

As Bob Ford indicated in his morning column, the season could be decided over the next two weeks, which would lead the Phillies right up to the doorstep of the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline. The Cardinals, Dodgers, Padres, Nationals, Pirates and Cubs are lined up in front of them. As much as the Phils hope the picture becomes clearer, it’s likely that two weeks from now, the decision whether to buy or sell will get harder, and the playoff race tighter. Oh, and here come the Marlins again (although there are rumblings the D-Train could be ticketed for a cross-country trip out West).

The consensus holds the Phillies will sit at home in October if they do nothing. However, they have less bait to dangle than most teams. That’s also the case if they become sellers. Aaron Rowand, a free agent after the season, may be worth more if he’s kept, then lost through free agency. The Phillies would receive a compensatory draft pick should the center fielder seek greener pastures (which just got greener with Ichiro's five-year extension). Last year saw David Bell, Ryan Franklin, Rheal Cormier and Bobby Abreu all change teams at the deadline. They got little or no value for those players. It would be the same for Rod Barajas, Wes Helms or any other veteran they chose to unload.

A prediction that could gain traction is the Phillies won’t become buyers or sellers, and will instead use the opportunity to look for a way out of Pat Burrell’s contract, perhaps swaping bad contract for bad contract. I wouldn’t underestimate the Phillies’ passion for unloading Burrell. This may become an opportunity for the Phils to get involved with some deal – maybe a three-way deal – with some club that’s out of the hunt, like Texas, and a team firmly in the hunt, like LAA. As for their own playoff ambitions, the Phils will take care of it like they usually do: the cheap way. Using waivers.

Let's talk about the manager. There’s this emerging school of thought that says Charlie Manuel deserves credit for keeping his team afloat amidst injuries and the pitching washout.

While they’re only 4 ½ games back of the division-leading Mets, this isn’t a squeaky clean position, and nobody would have considered a .500 record at the turn an acceptable mark before the season. The Phillies were slow out of the gate for a third-consecutive season under Manuel, stumbling at a time when they had a surplus of starting pitching. He moved Jon Lieber to the bullpen, which failed. He broke camp with Matt Smith and used him like a veteran, even though he had a terrible spring. Three starts into the season, he moved Brett Myers to the bullpen in desperation, and may have overused him.

Manuel wasn’t active enough in snuffing out injuries. Who knew Freddy Garcia wasn’t himself? The answer: Just about everyone who watched him pitch. Manuel finally cornered the injured started in the dugout tunnel after his final start to get a confession. Additionally, Tom Gordon’s "routine checkup" happened midway through March. There were enough red flags not to issue a April 2 green light, and keep using him, until he finally said uncle.

Along with the reoccurring on-field lapses and strategy, heaping praise on Manuel – who deserves very little credit if any – detracts from the real first-half victors: Chase Utley and the Phillies’ offense. Three major contributors – Utley, Aaron Rowand and Jimmy Rollins – are having career seasons. Ryan Howard has 21 homers and 67 RBIs in a first half of "disappointment." Shane Victorino has answered critics who said he couldn’t survive as a full-time player. Why should anyone give Manuel credit for Victorino’s 27 stolen bases and 11 homers? Credit Davy Lopes, maturity, his peers and nothing more. As for pitching, Cole Hamels is pitching as if greatness was his destiny. Did Manuel teach him the change-up? Jamie Moyer has been in the league since 1986.

The critical question one must ask when measuring a manager is "Can he win them games?" I can remember one game in May, which featured a lot of moves and double switches that worked according to plan from start to finish. I remember many more occurrences where readers relayed the astounded words of out-of-town broadcasters questioning one of Manuel’s decisions which ended up costing them.

Phillies try to help NL break 11-year All-Star slide

Chase Utley, Cole Hamels and Aaron Rowand represent Philadelphia in the mid-summer classic, starting tonight at 8 p.m. on FOX. The American League has won the last nine All-Star games, dating back to 1996.

Meanwhile, there is breaking news out of Seattle this evening. ESPN is reporting the Mariners are close to a five-year extension with Ichiro. The news was reported just a short time ago on SportsCenter and has been posted on their Web site. The Phillies impact is minimal, but still worth mentioning. The Phillies may have been among the candidates who would have taken a look at the the soon-to-be free agent to help bolster an outfield that could loose Rowand to free agency, and it should also put a smile of Rowand's face. His value just went up. Interesting development worth following tonight. Should Ichiro stay in Seattle, that's two major 2008 free agents to have dropped off the board in the past week, White Sox pitcher Mark Buerhle being the other.

The NL lineup was set yesterday, with Chase Utley batting 8th - a head-scratching move by NL skipper Tony LaRussa to say the least. Enjoy the game, and discuss it here.

Beer nuts: Reader rates top games of 2007

As promised, here's Ben Keeler's second batch of games, this time focusing on the positive.

April 21 – Phillies 4, Reds 1: After the team meeting, Cole Hamels dazzles, a triple play is turned, and the Phillies actually won an April game. May 9 – Phillies 9, Diamondbacks 3: Ryan Howard comes off the bench to hit a grand slam, erasing the Phillies 3-0 deficit to the D-backs. May 15 – Phillies 4, Brewers 3: Carlos Ruiz’s walk-off home run beats the Brewers. (Could be substituted with the comeback with six runs in the 8th the night before.) June 7 – Phillies 6, Mets 3: Pat Burrell's home run off Billy Wagner sends it to extras and we sweep the Mets. June 13 – Phillies 8, White Sox 4: Sweep of the White Sox, Kyle Kendricks’ ML debut, Aaron Rowand's slam, Phils reach their high water mark of four over and actually win a Business Persons Special at Citizens Bank Park.

Reds trade rumor: Yesterday on Glen Macnow's 610-WIP radio show, Bucks County Courier Times scribe Randy Miller said the Phils have a good shot at trading for Reds starter Kyle Lohse and reliever David Weathers.

If there’s one National League team you can count on being sellers, it’s the 36-52 Reds. Lohse, a 28-year-old right-hander, is 5-10 with a 4.47 ERA with 70 strikeouts and 28 walks in his walk year. He was acquired by the Reds in a July 2006 trade with the Twins after pitching himself out of Minnesota’s rotation. Lohse makes a lot of sense as a rented fifth starter – shades of another modest Reds pitcher the Phils traded for several season ago: Cory Lidle. Weathers was the reliever I wanted this winter. The right-handed horse is 1-3 with 17 saves and a 3.27 ERA and is way better than anyone the Phils currently have in the bullpen. His contract runs through 2008 at $2.75 million, which is another attractive feature for the bullpen-deprived Phils.

The Reds could ask for a young outfielder, such as Michael Bourn, a catcher, such as Carlos Ruiz, and most certainly young pitching.

Home Run Derby a chance to appreciate Howard

Still playing under the cloud of a rough opening month, last season's MVP is still one of the most dangerous hitters in baseball - and has the numbers to back it up.

Ryan Howard's omission from the National League All-Star Team went largely without protest, even though you'd struggle to find a more productive, impact hitter to be left off the roster. Despite missing two weeks of the season with a thigh injury, considered equal parts mental and physical rehabilitation, Howard is fourth in the league in homers (21) and fifth in RBIs (67). Tonight, he honors his invite and will defend his Home Run Derby crown, which he won last year at PNC Park in Pittsburgh with 23 bombs, one short of the record set the year before by former Phil Bobby Abreu. This year, he'll take aim at McCovey Cove as the event moves to AT&T Park in San Francisco. His competition includes Prince Fielder, Matt Holliday, Alex Rios, Justin Morneau, Albert Pujols, Magglio Ordonez and Vlad Guerrero.

Phillies.com updates Gordon and Myers injury status

... and other worthwile links to pass the time until tonight's Derby.

Tom Gordon took another step toward returning to the Phillies, throwing 1 2-3 scoreless innings during his first rehab appearance in Clearwater. The veteran, who’s been out since May 2 with an inflamed rotator cuff, allowed a hit and nothing more against six batters. Meanwhile, Myers, out since May 24 with a right shoulder strain, is scheduled to throw a bullpen session Wednesday in Clearwater. [Link]

Minor notes: Arbuckle compares OF Brown to Strawberry
Mike Drago of the Reading Eagle caught up with Phillies assistant GM Mike Arbuckle to get the inside scoop on the players next in line for a promotion to Double-A. Outfielder Greg Golson was first on the chain, but down the list, it was the tidbit on outfielder Dominic Brown that caught my attention most. According to Drago, Arbuckle compares the 6-5, left-handed hitting right fielder to Darryl Strawberry. "If he fills out, he’s gonna have some real, bonafide power," Arbuckle said. [Link]

Reading Eagle report cards
Next time I see writer Brian Smith, I need to get on his case for giving Cole Hamels and Greg Dobbs the same B+ grade for the first half. Grades are a subjective exercise, assigned differently depending who does them, sometimes based on players meeting or exceeding expectations instead of overall contribution. That's what Brian has done with his. How else can one explain Abraham Nunez and his .323 slugging average earning almost the same grade as Hamels and his 123 strikeouts, 10 wins and first All-Star nod? [Link]

Reader ranks first-half best and worst Phillies games

Lists and rankings will spring up all over the Web this week as baseball goes on All-Star hiatus. Beerleaguer will be no different, beginning with the best and worst games of the first half, starting with the worst.

Loyal reader Ben Keeler originally posted this in yesterday’s game thread. (Great job, Ben). I’ve taken the liberty to include some color in the form of cantankerous highlights from the comments section, and some other developements surrounding those games. Enjoy.

April 2 – Braves 5, Phillies 3: Opening day meltdown, setting the tone for April. Ryan Madson shoulders brunt of blame. (Comments: "The Phillies' consistent failure the entire decade has been in simply rising to the occasion. What happened today is just more of the same. You keep thinking, one of these years, they'll reward everyone's excitement and make a statement in front of a sellout crowd. Never happens. They shrink, every time." ... "One thing that was awful about today's game was Matthews/Wheeler on TV. Just brutal. I refuse to watch the innings where these guys call the game.")

April 4 – Braves 8, Phillies 4: Tom Gordon and Madson waste Cole Hamels’ gem. Shane Victorino thrown out when he tried to steal third late. (Comments: Any pitcher should be able to hold a 2-run lead for 1 inning when the wind is blowing in! You shouldn't need a 50-save closer to get that done. Please. Gordon gets no pass on this one. This is his job. If he isn't ready because he didn't get enough work in ST, then they shouldn't have brought him north. If he wasn't loose because of the cold weather, then he should have told CM.)

April 20 - Reds 2, Phillies 1: One strike from victory, the Reds get their second hit, a Scott Hatteberg HR and go on to win in extras. Offense, without Ryan Howard and Chase Utley struggling, becomes a major concern. Brett Myers had already been moved to the bullpen at this point. Matt Smith was on his way out. (Comments: Anyone who still believes Gordon should be the closer, now's the time to say it. Personally, I think Flash did them a favor tonight by ending the charade quickly. Myers was never going to be Gordon's caddy. Are you kidding me?" and "A couple more losses and they've got themselves a nice hole they'll probably never escape from.")

May 23 - Phillies 8, Marlins 7: Phillies actually win, but Myers gets hurt thanks to catcher Rod Barajas not blocking the plate. Myers was called on to pitch with a four-run lead. Greg Dobbs also made a critical blunder on a throw home. (Comments: "Rod Barajas is not a major league catcher. We now have confirmation. That play had "Fasano" written all over it, like when Sal tried to pump a throw and chucked the ball to third base last season. It cost them this game and it could cost them Myers. Dobbs made a bad choice. Barajas made no choice -- he just stood there with the winning run coming at him. shocking and yet not really" ... "I'm optimistic Myers can bounce back from this, but let it serve warning to Manuel to start getting other pitchers involved. It should have never come to it anyway. Barajas' play was inexcusable. He had about two seconds to get set. I'm not in favor of this four-out save pattern, either, no matter how bad the bullpen is. It's not the way to manage a 162 game season with playoffs in mind. I don't believe any of the other options, within reason, are so poor you can't trust them up four runs against Florida. Rosario can pitch with a four-run lead. So can Madson.")

June 10 - Royals 17, Phillies 5: Embarrasment to the Royals. Jamie Moyer and bullpen B-list rocked. Jose Mesa’s second tour begins. (Comment: "Am I really still watching this? What does that say about me as a person?")

July 3 - Astros 5, Phillies 4: The blown call at first against Houston. Carlos Ruiz out at home by 15 feet. Hunter Pence ends night with a walk-off home run off Mesa. (Comment: I give umpires leeway on bang-bang plays, but that was a horrible call that cost the Phils a win. Carlos Lee was clearly out at normal speed, and REALLY out in slow-mo. The Phils are quite capable of losing on their own, they have a long storied history of it, they don't need assistance from the umps.")

July 6 - Rockies 7, Phillies 6: One strike from victory, Brad Hawpe homers off Antonio Alfonseca and they lose in the 11th inning. (Comment: My unofficial count has this as the 17th loss attributable to the bullpen, either directly or by allowing runs that provided the losing margin after the Phillies came back with runs of their own. The excuse makers who say Gillick did the best he could, his hands were tied, Borowski sucks, the available relievers cost too much, some guys would never sign with us, Madson and Geary are great setup men, Matt Smith is fine, the bullpen should be just guys from our own organization etc. etc. ... I'm sitting here wondering if there's any other team in the major leagues that would carry Durbin, Anderson Garcia or Mesa on their roster right now.")

Best games to be posted later today.

Mile-high Phils hope to finish first half at sea level

Adam Eaton (7-5, 5.67 ERA) will pitch in the Phillies’ final game before the All-Star break this afternoon at Coors Field. Right-hander Aaron Cook (5-5, 4.54 ERA) will try to finish off a three-game sweep for the Rockies.

Preview: The break couldn’t come soon enough. This has been the worst stretch since the beginning of the season, and for my money, the team hasn’t been the same since a hard-fought series at home with the Reds (which they won). They haven’t won a series since, and haven’t even made it close.

They have no bullpen. That’s the 10 cent reason. The offense, which usually spoils us, hasn’t been able to bail out the poor pitching. Walks and meatballs - yesterday being the rare exception. A look at the roster shows they have too little experience or too many miles. They're not underachieving; they're meeting expectations.

If the Phillies lose today, it will be their 10,000th loss in franchise history. More importantly - for me anyway - it would drive them below .500. There have been few worse lulls during the 2007 campaign. This is down there with Charlie Manuel’s altercation with radio host Howard Eskin.

The silver lining is they’re staying in it. They’re 5 1/2 out of the division. The Mets haven’t been able to separate themselves and are dealing with their own issues with their pitching staff.

Some readers and columnists believe the Phillies are a quality arm away from contending, but only if Brett Myers and Tom Gordon can come back healthy. As mediocre as the division suddenly looks, they might be right, even if it's wishful thinking. In any event, leave part one in Colorado, and get on with part two.

Saturday open thread: Bullpen is bad for your health

The thought of discussing Jose Mesa and the rest of the Phillies' bullpen -- on my Saturday -- disgusts me. All that needs to be said has been written in last night's game thread. Tonight, Jamie Moyer and the Phillies will try to get through seven innings with a double-digit lead, just to play it safe. Check out last night's game thread, where observers burned the midnight oil observing Mesa's arsenal of pitches, which includes "the 94 mph straight ball, and the 89 mph straight ball." The fact this game went to extra frames, and the Rockies didn't explode for more runs, is pure dumb luck. Until something is done, or players return healthy, it's the only way the Phils will be able to finish games the rest of the way. What a horrible, inexcusable situation this has become. Suffer through tonight's game here, in the company of others.

Game chat: Phillies begin three-game set in Colorado

The Phillies and Rockies enter the series with nearly identical marks as they get set for their final series before the All-Star break. Tonight's game starts at 9:05 p.m. ET.

Preview: Good luck picking this series. The records are about even (Phillies 43-42; Rockies 42-43). The Phils are .500 on the road. The Rockies are better at home (24-18). The pitching match-ups setup evenly, although tonight looks like advantage Rox. Jeff Francis (8-5, 3.68 ERA) has asserted himself as one of the National League’s best young pitchers. The left-hander will put a four-game unbeaten streak on the line, going 3-0 with a 2.62 ERA during that span. Right-hander Kyle Kendrick (3-0, 4.38 ERA), the subject of a very nice feature on Phillies.com, has been a welcome surprise for the Phils and will put his own four-game unbeaten streak on the line. His last start against the Mets, the 22-year-old right-hander forced 14 ground outs, including three for double plays, all while nursing a pulled groin muscle he suffered during his start in Cleveland. Kendrick told Phillies.com he should be ready for tonight's game.

Tis the season for aches and pains; he isn’t the only dinged up player. Antonio Alfonseca has a sore ankle. Carlos Ruiz has a sore muscle above his right knee and is expected to sit out tonight. Aaron Rowand has been nursing a sore right thumb he jammed in a game against the Mets.

Best of the press notes: Shane Victorino has stolen 25-consecutive bases without being caught, the longest streak in the majors. Michael Bourn has stolen 13-consecutive bags, which leads all NL rookies. The Phillies are averaging 5.2 runs-per-game on the road, second highest in the National League.