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Losing ways hurting Burrell at the ballot box

Second baseman Chase Utley is still baseball’s leading vote-getter for the All-Star Game, but another deserving candidate, Pat Burrell, has fallen out of the running.

Here’s a topic nobody cares about given the current state of the club. According to the latest e-mail blast from Phillies headquarters, Utley has tallied 2,645,027 votes, over 125,000 more than then next closest player. Good for Utz, who definitely deserves it. Meanwhile, Ryan Howard (fifth at position), Jimmy Rollins (fourth) and Burrell (10th) are also among the leaders.

Burrell, still seeking his first ever All-Star nod, may need to wait another year. Since our last report – when the voting was first announced -- Pat the Bat ranked sixth among outfielders. Although he’s cooled off some, he’s still having a strong enough season overall to be considered a top-five National League outfielder. Meanwhile, Rollins, who has not played particularly well, has gained ground among National League shortstops. Howard remains fifth, which is where he was a month ago.

This is the part where I'd normally supply a link and encourage readers to cast their votes for Burrell. Yet the energy somehow escapes me.

Monday: June swoon continues for Phillies' offense

They managed just five hits and a scrap run in a 5-1 loss to Texas, making it six series losses in a row, dropping their record against the American League to 4-11.

With the interleague schedule complete, it only gets easier, right? Or wasn’t this series supposed to be the calm after the storm? I guess it depends whether you think Eric Hurley and the Rangers rival Boston, Los Angeles and Oakland. In my estimation, the Rangers had nothing, but the Phils had even less this weekend. I saw highlights of their lone win; Vicente Padilla served it up on a silver platter. Before that, Brett Myers didn’t give them much of a chance. Then yesterday was more of the same from the offense, which isn’t hitting the ball well enough to beat anyone, from any league.   

Their offense is unwatchable. You have to dig deep in the Beerleaguer archives to find a stretch when the offense dried up like this. It looks and feels like 2005, when they lumbered along in trips to Seattle, Oakland, then home against Boston and New York. They were powerless. It felt a lot like this.

Jimmy Rollins was on shaky ground back in those days, remember? He wasn’t getting on base and didn’t seem to have exactly the right approach for a leadoff man; many of us wanted to see Bobby Abreu replace him at the top. Back then, J-Roll was hitting .275/.313/.405 with seven homers. Today, he’s hitting 264/.326/.431 with six homers, with time missed.

But it certainly isn’t fair to single out J-Roll. This business with Carlos Ruiz and his .591 OPS is getting tough to take, but the performance of the pitching staff could be the one reason why they'll ride it out. Sitting Geoff Jenkins so he can fix his swing is a problem for me, but they have no choice because of the way he's playing. They’re paying him top dollar to produce in games just like yesterday. Instead, Greg Dobbs and Jayson Werth start, Dobbs at DH, Werth against a right-hander. That’s junky to me. Dobbs isn’t producing in any role except pinch hitter and is making a case why his best spot is on the bench.

And why not lump in ’08 usual suspect Ryan Howard? The Phils are hitting .235 with a .725 OPS this month. Symbolically, Howard is hitting .234/.726 this month with few signs of making adjustments. Maybe, just maybe, it's time to wonder whether the cat's out of the bag on how to handle the former MVP. Stay away, and you'll be fine.

Sunday thread: Phillies finish weekend set in Texas

Left-hander Jamie Moyer (7-5, 4.09) helps usher out the interleague schedule this evening when the Phillies take on Eric Hurley (0-1, 4.24) and Rangers. First pitch is 6:05.

Game chat: Ex-Phil Padilla paired against Hamels

The pitcher known as El Enigma is up to his strange ways again. Vicente Padilla (10-3, 3.74) has turned in an All-Star worthy season following a lousy campaign in 2007. The hard-to-figure former Phil matches up with left-hander Cole Hamels (7-5, 3.27) as the two sides continue their series.

Saturday thread: Myers awful in 8-7 loss to Texas

The Phillies lost another game started by Brett Myers, this one coming at the hands of the .500 Rangers. With the loss, the Phils’ NL East lead shrinks to one game over Florida.

Myers, who’s doing everything possible to force the Phillies’ hand regarding his status as a starting pitcher, allowed five runs and four walks in two-plus innings, the shortest start of his career. This latest meltdown came after the Phillies spotted him a four-run lead after a five-run rally in the third inning, fueled by Pedro Feliz’s grand slam. The Phils would tally two more runs on solo shots by Chris Coste and Jayson Werth, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the messes made by Myers, and to a lesser degree, Clay Condrey.

Beerleaguer: It’s getting late for Brett Myers to fix this. There’s little consistency from start to start. There’s nothing to build on, no repetition, none of that. Throw in this latest effort and I have to believe the Phils are ready to face the music and concede that he’s not going to be the reliable starter they’d hoped, the guy they counted on in late 2006. That was 3-4 mph and a closer job ago. They either trust in Rich Dubee and Myers to solve this problem - from somewhere close to square one - or try something new.

Game chat: Phillies make first visit to Arlington

The final leg of the Phillies’ interleague journey takes them to the Ballpark in Arlington for a three-game set with the Rangers. Brett Myers (3-9, 5.51) and Kason Gabbard (2-3, 4.96) have the ball at 8:05 ET.

Around the horn with the Phillies' press notes: Tonight marks a historic achievement in Phillies history. With their trip to Arlington, the team has now visited every Major League park and has hosted every team in Philadelphia. With yesterday’s loss, they fell to 3-9 in interleague play this season; they are 89-107 since 1997. The Phillies are 1-7 in their last eight games. In that span, they are hitting .181 (46-254) with 2 HR and 15 runs scored, an average of 1.9 runs. Geoff Jenkins is hitless in his last 26 at-bats and has two hits in his last 41 at-bats (.049).

Site note: Beerleaguer will be in autopost mode this weekend and will not appear on Brian Startare's Saturday show until next week. Enjoy the series.

Friday thread: Harden sails, A's sink Phillies

The Phillies said Rich Harden was arguably best they’ve seen this season. I’ll take their word for it.

Harden, who fanned a career-high 11 over eight innings, issued the fifth zero the Phils have taken this season. They’ve lost seven of their last eight and 11 of their last 15, comprising the half-month stretch considered to be the toughest patch in the entire 2008 schedule.

Two schools of thought are penetrating the comments thread concerning the offense and what this cold spell means. Some believe the 404 runs they’ve scored – 2nd in NL – is an accurate marker for overall performance. They’re playing well enough to win the division, and indeed, hold a two-game advantage over Florida. They've simply lost to better clubs lately. Others consider it a shallow indicator, skewed by two, 20-run games and earlier outbursts against weaker clubs. They've been held to three runs or less over 30 times. And there are many readers who fall somewhere in the middle. Readers write ...

“Harden IS a very good pitcher. So was Ervin Santana. So were Saunders and Weaver and Lester and Lohse. But even good pitchers can be hit, and often are. Saunders has been pummeled in 2 of his last 5 outings. Lohse was pummeled in his last outing and was mediocre in his last outing before he faced us. Santana got pummeled in his last outing before facing us, and he got pummeled again in his first outing after facing us. Moreover, if good pitching were the sole explanation behind our recent struggles, then you would expect the Phillies' offensive ouput against these guys to be about the same, if not better, than the typical output of every other team that the pitcher has recently faced. Yet, that's clearly not the case.” – bay_area_phan

“If the games were determined by statistical rankings, then yeah, we'd win the division. Which is what we're currently doing and look like we'll probably continue to do. Of course this team has some major needs, that's why I wouldn't call it a great or dominant team, but it's clearly above average. We have the 9th best record in baseball, and there are 30 teams, so it's just a fact that we are. As for this team visually proving the irrelevance of stats because it's lost a lot recently even though it has good numbers, of course stats aren't very predictive of what will happen in any single game or even any ten games, but over the course of a season things do average out. It's very difficult to end the season with a bad record if you outscore opponents by a run per game, as we have.” -- Tray

Note, if there’s one point where readers are of one mind, it’s this: The Phillies are a good, but not elite, team. They are not a championship team.

That wasn’t the case before they took this interleague exam.

Beerleaguer: What happens when Chase Utley and Pat Burrell aren't hitting like machines? We're seeing it. It's been a goofy season offensively, and admittedly, it's getting a wee-bit uncomfortable picturing what the bats may not be able to accomplish should they reach the post-season.

Where has the offense come from this season when Utley and BurrellI aren't unreal? Very few places. Perhaps Ryan Howard, who leads the team with 65 phantom RBIs. To me, the .764 OPS cleanup hitter embodies all that is hollow about their offense. Where else? Jayson Werth had his 15 minutes. That's over. Jimmy Rollins is having a very mediocre season. The last time he did anything dynamic was when he got his 20th triple on the last day of the 2007 season. Geoff Jenkins either strikes out or pops out. His numbers are way down. At his age, that's a real concern. Where else? Chris Coste?

Minor notes: The prospect-rich Reading Phillies, who will send four players - Jason Donald, Lou Marson, Greg Golson and Carlos Carrasco - to the All-Star Futures Game, now have less wins (30-47) than the Lehigh Valley IronPigs (31-51). Pitcher Antonio Bastardo was also selected to the Futures game, but is scratched due to injury.

Game chat: Phillies settle series in Oakland today

Beerleaguer highlighted in LA Times sports section

Beerleaguer was used as an example of a fine, upstanding sports blog in David Wharton’s Sunday cover story “Matter of Substance,” about the changing dynamic of independent sports blogs.

A screen capture of the site was used as main art, while Buzz Bissinger, who railed against the popular blog Deadspin on HBO, cites Beerleaguer as a site that does it right inside the story. Click here to view the entire front page, and thanks for helping put Beerleaguer on the map!

Beerleaguer for breakfast: Kendrick stifles A's

Kyle Kendrick pitched a career-high eight shutout innings, while Chase Utley went 4-for-5 and was a home run away from the cycle, as the Phils snapped their six-game losing streak with a 4-0 win in Oakland.

A’s hitters tallied just four hits off Kendrick (7-3), who flaunted “the best sinker he’s had all season,” according to catcher Chris Coste in a post-game interview. Kendrick, who lowered his ERA to 4.59, shied away from his secondary pitches and instead, kept the ball out of the middle of the plate. He also credited Coste for calling a good game. The San Francisco Chronicle offered a report from the other side: “(Bob) Geren said there was a lot of talk in the dugout trying to figure out what Kendrick was doing, because he wasn't overpowering, but he was moving the ball in and out well. ‘The hitters kept coming back saying they didn't get much over the plate,’ Geren said.”

Manager Charlie Manuel juggled the lineup to positive results. The Phils scattered 11 hits and scored all their runs without the long ball. Manuel spread his speed threats evenly throughout the lineup.

With the win, the Phils increased their lead to two games over Florida, who were pummeled by Tampa 15-3. Meanwhile, the Mets (4 back) and Braves (4.5 back) kept pace with wins over Seattle and Milwaukee.

Game chat: Phils try to avoid losing seven straight

Beer nuts: GMs-in-waiting making the rounds

While Phillies GM Pat Gillick reaches the conclusion of his baseball career, a pair of assistants, Ruben Amaro Jr. and Mike Arbuckle, come into focus.

The Phillies are keeping a tight lip on Gillick's replacement, but if it comes down to Amaro and Arbuckle, as assumed, the on-the-job audition must be heading down the home stretch. The assistants have all but replaced Gillick in the public eye. Today’s Inquirer tapped Amaro for news about Tom Gordon, who has not pitched since June 15 in St. Louis. Amaro told the paper that the 40-year-old right-hander has a “balky” shoulder. In addition, Amaro and farm director Steve Noworyta attended yesterday’s Reading Phillies game, where Tyson Brummett earned a no-decision, allowing four runs in six innings while striking out six. Meanwhile, Arbuckle has been the source for most of the pieces regarding possible trades and was a guest on 610-WIP’s midday show yesterday. Generally speaking, Gillick has been out of the picture this season.

Admittedly, these are external, shallow observations done from a desk at the Reading Eagle based on what they've done in the press; it could be a completely different story on the inside. Smart money says the Phils will honor company loyalty, but sweeping change could be on the way depending which candidate is chosen. The next GM figures to be in it for the long haul. Gillick, who served as more of a figurehead these last few seasons and never made any real personnel change, is expected to retire to Seattle once his contract expires after the season. Chuck LaMar, Phillies Director of Professional Scouting and former GM for the Tampa Bay Rays, is also considered a candidate for the job.

Problems in seventh bring losing streak to six

With bases loaded in the seventh, Carlos Ruiz grounded into an inning-ending double play, while Jamie Moyer, who'd been sharp, hit a wall in the bottom half when Emil Brown tagged a hanging change. Phils lost 5-2.

If you read Pat Burrell’s quotes in today's Inquirer, it sounds like they’re pressing. I’ve read that excuse often in relation to certain players and believe it’s probably happening now to every Phillie who picks up a baseball bat. It happened because they faced non-stop quality pitching for a week. As the 0-fers piled up, and the power outage continued, it crept into their heads. Now they’re pressing and taking poor at bats. Last night, they let Joe Blanton off the hook and took another bad loss. It was the easiest opponent they’ve faced in a week.

Last night, discussing the increasingly sore subject of Ruiz, I suggested that having a .604 OPS this late in the season, as Ruiz does, should put his starting status in jeopardy, even in a 50/50 split with Chris Coste. Then I looked at the rest of the league’s catchers. Surprisingly, Ruiz’s .604 OPS is not the worst among National League starters. Brad Ausmus and Michael Barrett are worse. Actually, when you factor in defense, the total package is only a little worse than the average NL catcher. Still, his bat has become unbearable, which is a shame because he excels at everything else. Last night, he stepped to the plate, the wrong hitter at the wrong time, and it cost them.

Geoff Jenkins also ranks poorly at his position offensively. With two on, no outs and Blanton coming undone, not only did Jenkins swing first pitch, he actually had a pitch to drive and skied one to the left side as he usually does. The veteran outfielder has made some shockingly poor choices this season, and he looks flat-out terrible most of the time.

Moyer, who had been hitting his spots, hit a brick wall in the seventh. Charlie Manuel judged wrong. Phillies starters have logged more innings than any other NL club, and it's time for Manuel to dial it back. Then, J.C. Romero made sure the A's lead stuck with a two-run homer to Jack Cust. The numbers are deceiving. Romero, who’s prone to wildness, has not been as sharp as he was last season.

Game chat: Phillies open West Coast trip in Oakland

 

Minors: Brummett makes second start for Reading

Right-hander Tyson Brummett, a seventh-round pick in last year’s draft, is rising faster than anyone from the Class of ’07. Owner of the second-best ERA in the chain (2.93 ERA), Reading marks his third stop this season. [Link]

(Summarizing from Mike Drago’s morning report in the Reading Eagle): Brummett, 22, started the season in Low-A Lakewood, going 3-0 with a 1.95 ERA in six starts and was moved up to Class-A Clearwater in May, where he went 2-3 with a 3.59 ERA. Brummett won his Eastern League debut Thursday in impressive fashion, going 8 2-3 innings and leaving the game with a 4-0 lead. Overall, he’s 6-3 with a 2.93 ERA and 80/25 K/BB ratio in 98 1-3 innings.

A native of Salem, Utah, Brummett led UCLA with 133 2-3 innings pitched and 109 strikeouts in 2007, earning All-Pac-10 honors. The Giants tried to draft him twice, once in 2003 and again in 2004 before the Phillies took him last season using the 233rd overall selection. Brummett will be on the hill tonight when the R-Phils battle Harrisburg.

Golson out with wrist injury: Drago also gives us the latest on Greg Golson, who’s been out of P.J. Forbes’ lineup since June 13 when he strained his wrist swinging. According to Drago, the outfielder received a cortisone injection June 16, and won't begin swinging until July 1 at the earliest.

Phillies' offense beginning to rack up high mileage

This topic treads on thin ice, as the Phils have scored 398 runs this season, second in the National League. Nevertheless, we throw it on the fire following a miserable week of hitting.

Down in our comments thread, this year’s version is starting to draw comparisons to the 2006 squad instead of the ’07 division winner. Readers have observed a lineup that seems even more reliant on the long ball. Along with the popular phrase “All or nothing,” words like “plodding” are starting to pepper the discussion; the last time we saw words like that, David Bell and Mike Lieberthal were rounding out the lineup card.

The only people who would call the Phillies a young team are national broadcasters. More appropriately, they’re at their peak. Players like Ryan Howard, Carlos Ruiz and even Chase Utley may not have years and years of service time, but they’re all pushing 30. Utley and shortstop Jimmy Rollins will both turn 30 this fall, while Howard will turn 29. At 27, Shane Victorino is the youngest position player on the roster, but he’s more or less been around since ’05.

The oldest group generally hangs near the bottom of the lineup, and a couple of them are having poor seasons. After Pat Burrell, the lineup card usually reads Geoff Jenkins, who will turn 34 next month. Jenkins, who’s hitting .249/.300/.393 with six homers, has been a disappointment. On some nights, Pedro Feliz, 33, will hit seventh. Feliz is having a slightly better season than Jenkins, hitting .261/.313/.415 with eight homers. However, he's shockingly slow on the basepaths. At catcher, Ruiz is not hitting, and Chris Coste, age 35, can hit, but can’t run, although you can’t fault him for that, as most catchers run in quicksand.

Beerleaguer: Among the chief concerns with the acquisitions of Feliz and Jenkins was this idea of infusing too much aging, one-dimensionality into the lineup. This isn’t a popular stat here in cyberspace, but their .255 team batting average gets to the heart of this “all or nothing” observation. Last season, they hit .280. To the naked eye, they’re short on contact hitters with speed and heavy on plodding fastball or mistake hitters. There’s also something to be said about teams like Florida, who keep pumping fresh blood through their veins. To that end, are the Phillies in danger of becoming stale?

Beerleaguer for breakfast: Phillies swept at home

The Angels swept away any thoughts that the Phils are prepared to roll with the big boys, taking all three games from the home team with a 3-2 win yesterday.

Real quickly, because I intend to take the rest of the day off. Jim Salisbury provides the gory details. Read him for the full summary, then come back here to vent. As frustrating as the week unfolded, in my opinion, yesterday produced more positives than any game this series, which speaks to recent futility of this team. Cole Hamels got smacked around early and left a fastball up to Casey Kotchman, but eventually settled in and pitched his game. Three runs should have been a small enough deficit to overcome, but a litany of non-producers made sure it stuck.

My least favorite Phillie at the moment has to be Geoff Jenkins, who’s hitting .154/.250/.346 this month. No more free passes for Jenkins. His first at bat, first-pitch swinging against a so-so Serena Weaver, was something you wouldn't expect from Greg Golson. His 78 OPS+ means that so far, this signing has been a mistake. I'm not surprised by that.

So Taguchi hasn't fit in, either. He's managed to produce absolutely nothing. Literally nothing. His main purpose is to spell Pat Burrell defensively, and he can't do it. Charlie Manuel should actually consider using Eric Bruntlett in that role, which means Taguchi would serve no purpose. One of the best hitters in spring training (along with Ryan Howard and Carlos Ruiz), looks like he drained the tank in Clearwater. Frankly, the 39-year-old looks like he's done.

Sunday chat: Phillies turn to Hamels to end funk

The Phillies, who've scratched out seven runs during their four-game losing streak, send left-hander Cole Hamels to the hill in hopes of salvaging a game against Jered Weaver and the Angels.

For new readers checking in from the Los Angeles Times, the Boston Phoenix and ESPN Insider, with hopes of reading this serious, honest and well-versed sports analysis everyone seems to be talking about, you picked a fine time. This team stinks.

Following their 6-2 defeat at the hands of the Angels, their fourth in a row and eighth in their last 11, that’s how it feels, even though the standings prove otherwise. The Phils (42-34) still cling to a one-game lead over the Marlins in the National League East, which will disappear entirely if they continue to showcase this latest brand of baseball. Last night featured more light hitting and sloppy all-around play, compromising a rather nice start by struggling right-hander Brett Myers.

Pundits said this week would be revealing, and indeed it has. Inside the bubble, the Phils looked good; they could overrun the Rockies, the Nationals, the Reds, the Braves. Since then, the schedule lined up a crescendo building up to the class acts in baseball, and they’ve fallen flat. Readers view the situation with guarded optimism.

"The trend will end, and I think there's an excellent chance that it'll end today with a favorable pitching matchup (forget the Hamels-day game jinx; he pitched a shutout last time he made an afternoon start),” writes RSB. “This four-game losing streak has been the polar opposite of the stretch when they were playing Colorado and everything was dropping in and going their way. They've played poorly, but they also haven't been able to buy a break - everything's been going against them. It won't last. It never does, either way. I anticipate the Phillies being able to steady themselves soon enough, and get back to being the decent, moderate team they were over the first two months. That should be enough to get them in the playoffs, if only because the divisional competition is so stilted this season. Odds are they won't get far if they do reach the post-season, but you never know. No one thought this was going to be some dominant, gangbusters kind of team, and it's not. It's a good team in a weak division that'll probably finish first."

Game chat: Myers, Phillies try to get back on track

The Phillies are 4-11 in games started by Brett Myers (3-8, 5.58). They try to snap a three-game losing streak tonight against left-hander Joe Saunders (10-3, 3.06) and the Angels. First pitch is 7:05.

The beat goes on: Phils suffer another one-sided loss

The Angels used 25 base-runners to score seven runs off Adam Eaton and the Phillies' bullpen, while LA starter Ervin Santana smoked through seven innings, striking out nine, as the Phils fell 7-1 last night.

Before I get to the part where I freak out, here are three levelheaded reasons why the Phils are in a funk. First, they’re falling behind early, which doesn’t fly against better teams like Anaheim. Second, they’re facing better pitching, like Ervin Santana and his 97 mph cheddar. Third, their pitching, and defense, has let off the gas against dangerous hitters.

A week after Tony LaRussa tossed his sunglasses in protest, the Phils are mired in a full-fledged, team-wide slump. One could argue that Utley, stuck in the worst drought of all, was the best player on the field last night, simply because he hit the ball hard a couple times and knocked in a run. That’s all that we – the fans – can hang our hats on, a week after the Phils lodged 20 runs up the Cardinals' butts.

Santana's fastball disappeared into Jeff Mathis’ mitt in unreachable spots. His slider fell off the table. Still, some of that stuff sailed over the plate. He wasn't untouchable; not for a team of alleged fastball hitters.

When is this supporting cast going to start taking the heat off the meat of the lineup? I’m talking Geoff Jenkins. I’m talking Pedro Feliz. Their services didn’t come cheaply. The least Feliz can do is field his position cleanly, because he sure isn't using those soft hands for hitting. Where are the guys like Bill Conlin, who thought Feliz was the "perfect fit" capable of 25-30 home runs in this ballpark? Never in a million years should anyone have bought that ridiculousness.

Then there’s Adam Eaton, who couldn’t use the quality start card last night: six runs, 12 hits, and he’s lucky it wasn’t worse. Los Angeles had ducks on the pond all night long.

Patience is wearing thin, and tonight, Brett Myers takes the mound representing the top problem on the team’s growing list. Around baseball, managers are getting fired all over the place, changes are being made everywhere, and here are the Phils rolling with the same basic group when certain guys aren't cutting it. The time for tolerance is over. The time for consequence is now.

Game chat: Vlad, Angels pay a visit to Philadelphia

Best of the press notes: Angels at a glance

The first-place Halos, owners of the best road record in baseball (21-12), pay a visit to Philadelphia tonight.

Here’s some information about tonight’s opponent, copied and pasted from the free press notes courtesy of MLB and the Angels: The Angels just completed a 4-5 homestand vs. Tampa Bay (2-1), Atlanta (1-2) and the NY Mets (1-2), marking the first time they’ve lost back-to-back series since July 22, 2007. They’ve held sole possession of first place for the last 38 days. Interestingly, they’re 27-14 vs. opponents above .500 and just 16-16 vs. teams under .500.

Hot hitters include Maicer Izturis, who has hit safely in 15 of 16 games and 20 of his last 23 contests, and Vlad Guerrero, who has hit safely in a season-best 10 straight games with 10 runs scored, 3 HR and 7 RBI. He’s batting .417 (20-for-48) this month. Overall, they’ve struggled offensively, but it hasn’t mattered. The Halos have been limited to five runs-or-less in 24 of last 28 games and 37 of last 43 games but hold a winning record of 20-17 in those 37 contests.

Pitching-wise, closer Francisco Rodriguez leads baseball with 28 saves in 30 chances, putting him on pace for 62 saves this season. The Major League record is 57 by Bobby Thigpen of the White Sox in 1990. Tonight’s starter, Ervin Santana (8-3, 3.40), is coming off one of his worst starts of the season, allowing six runs in 5 2-3 innings in a loss to the Braves.

Manuel must find time to rest Utley now and then

MVP hopeful Chase Utley is hitless in his last 20 at bats, the longest drought of his career. In my educated opinion as a former Little League second baseman, I’d say Utz was out of gas.

Yesterday on ESPN’s Pardon the Interruption, Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon finished the show by asking "What's up with Chase Utley?" Neither had the answer as time expired, but one second was all they needed. “He needs a rest,” would have been the correct answer. Utley, who plays with unparalleled intensity, has been strung out for too long. It’s a forgivable offense by manager Charlie Manuel. It can’t be easy to sit the best hitter in the lineup, the cornerstone of the offense, the guy who’s been tremendous until a week ago.

It’s tough enough to be an everyday player, to stay out of funks, to hide your holes. Guys like Chris Coste can’t do it. Greg Dobbs can’t do it. It’s hard to stay on top when the rest of the league is gunning for you. And physically, who takes a bigger beating than Chase? No one. So what can we make of this five-game slide? Nothing. They're lucky it's only five. Preventative maintenance – otherwise known as Eric Bruntlett – isn’t a bad idea now and then.

Friday thread: Jim Salisbury socks it to Brett Myers

Kablam! The Philadelphia Inquirer columnist scores a first-round knockout with his scathing indictment of the underachieving right-hander. [Link]

Our judges have reached a verdict, and the results are unanimous. Winner, and new champion: Jim Salisbury, for writing the best Phillies piece of the year, an uppercut blow that lands flush on Myers’ chin. He’ll read this. Oh, yes. Myers will read it and weep.

“The best pitching acquisition the Phillies might be able to make is sitting right in their clubhouse, probably with a long face, probably feeling sorry for himself, Salisbury writes. “His name is Brett Myers, and right now, he's killing this team. Right now, he stinks. If that's a little too blunt, too bad. That's the way the tough-guy righthander talks. That's what he understands.

“Yo, Brett, you stink,” he writes, like a gutbuster that ripples deep into Myers' midsection. “You're 3-8 with a 5.58 ERA in 15 starts. Your club is 4-11 in those starts. You're supposed to be better than this. Are you? Myers pitches tomorrow night against the Los Angeles Angels. It's time for him to start turning it around, time for him to start contributing, time for him to start pitching like the guy who was awarded the last two opening-day starts.

“It's time for manager Charlie Manuel to stop saying that Myers' spot in the rotation is safe, even if he has no idea who will take his place,” he writes, slashing open Myers' eye. “Adam Eaton was one bad start from losing his spot in the rotation in Houston last month. That's why the Phils lined up minor-league prospect Antonio Bastardo on his day. Eaton, a guy who has taken a lot of flak and never complained about it, responded with five quality starts heading into tonight's assignment against the Angels. Maybe it's time that Myers felt some of the urgency Eaton did.”

Yo, Brett. You've just been laid out by "Gentleman" Jim Salisbury. Now pick your tired self off the mat and fight.

Report: Phillies sent a scout to watch Roy Oswalt

Although he is not believed to be on Houston’s trading block, several teams – including the Yankees, Angels, Braves, Mets and Phillies, sent scouts to watch the right-hander, according to MLB.com. [Link]

Oswalt is under Houston control through 2011 and is earning $13M this season. The deal includes a no-trade clause and an option, however, and goes up to $14M in '09, $15M in '10 and $16M in '11. His numbers have dropped off sharply this season (5-7, 5.06 ERA, 83 ERA+), thanks to 17 homers allowed, fourth most in the National League and one away from matching his career high for a season. The Astros (33-39) have lost seven in a row and have fallen 12 games behind the Cubs in the NL Central.

Beerleaguer: Hey, Ed? Would you like to be reunited with your 2004 first-round draft pick? Sounds like scouting for scouting's sake. The same article reiterates the Phillies’ search for left-handed relief, which appears to be deep with candidates. MLB Trade Rumors lists Colorado’s Brian Fuentes, Pittsburgh’s John Grabow and Damaso Marte, Cincinnati’s Jeremy Affeldt and Kansas City’s Ron Mahay among the candidates.

Minor league update: Savery's stock falling hard

Left-hander Joe Savery, the Phillies first-round pick in the 2007 draft, has struggled in his first full season of professional ball. The former two-way star at Rice is just 3-7 with a 4.84 ERA for Class-A Clearwater.

Don't list your first-baseman's mit on eBay just yet, Joe. Yesterday against Tampa, the 22-year-old southpaw allowed four runs in five innings, the latest in a string of poor starts this season by the 6-3, 215-pound hurler. He's 2-6 with a 6.45 ERA in his last ten starts. Savery was taken 19th in the ’07 draft, slipping out of the top 10 because of concerns over his shoulder. According to scouts cited by Baseball Prospectus, something's decidedly unsavory about Savery this season.

“After a good start to the season, Savery has been getting hammered of late, giving up 57 hits in his last 35 2/3 innings," they write. "Some scouts are worried that something else is wrong, as his stuff has been way off as well.”

Thursday: Phillies get a day to lick their wounds

We share final thoughts on the Boston series and discuss starting pitching.

Was it or wasn't it a measuring stick? Yes, it was. Even with key pieces missing from Boston’s lineup, it’s a formidable order that rivals any other club in baseball. The Phillies own no book on Jon Lester, Scott Masterson and hold only Cliffs Notes versions on the rest of their staff. It was an excellent test against an unfamiliar foe.

And how did Boston study up on Kyle Kendrick? They didn’t need to. They punished mistakes out over the plate. While Kendrick did not achieve his 16-7, 4.33 career mark by starting 35 games against the Toledo Mud Hens, doubts still linger whether he can hack it against this kind of team, without the kind of run support he’s used to getting. Kendrick isn’t blessed with the electric cheese; he relies on location, something that went missing yesterday. Six runs is the most he's allowed as a member of the Phillies.

While losing two-out-of-three to Boston, and winning the first game convincingly, shouldn’t cause riots in the streets, it should raise awareness over the strength of the pitching staff. They’ll happily go to war in a playoff series with Cole Hamels. Jamie Moyer has been a capable platoon leader in those conflicts, too, perhaps a little deeper into the jungle. But after that, it's a little uncertain, although Philadelphia is a different club than, say, the Dodgers or Angels in they can light up the scoreboard in a hurry and make up for the damage allowed by their starting pitcher. Nevertheless, the Phils feel they need more. According to yesterday's Inquirer, they sent a scout to watch C.C. Sabathia and Greg Maddux duel on Sunday. 

Game chat: Phillies, Red Sox resolve series today

Manny Ramirez is out of Boston’s lineup when the visiting Red Sox face Kyle Kendrick (6-2, 4.54) and the Phillies in the rubber match of their three-game set. Rookie Justin Masterson (3-1, 2.90) goes for Boston.

Lineups have been posted: Geoff Jenkins, Greg Dobbs and Carlos Ruiz earn starts against the right-hander. Unless Chris Coste is hurt, Ruiz’s insertion in the starting lineup, after the night game in which he went 0-for-3, says a lot about the importance of his non-offensive contributions in the eyes of manager Charlie Manuel. Meanwhile, Kendrick is coming off one of his best starts of the season and hopes to receive the same bountiful run support he’s been given this entire season. A win today, and a good outing by Kendrick, would be a telling indication of where they stand. [Live Boxscore]

Wednesday: Phillies can't answer Boston's Lester

The heart of the lineup – Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Pat Burrell – went hitless with eight strikeouts, as rising young left-hander Jon Lester earned the win in Boston’s 3-0 shutout of the Phils.

Over the last two nights, the in-game discussion revolved around hitting, but on the field, it's been all about pitching: Cole Hamels and the poor outings by Bartolo Colon and Mike Timlin on Monday; and Lester's terrific start last night. For the fourth time this season, the Phils never touched home, but it was only the second time where the opposing starter had dominant stuff. In other words, Lester isn’t the two-pitch enigma known as Tim Redding. He’s closer to Cincinnati’s Edinson Volquez, making hitters look foolish with a darting fastball, including a nasty cutter inside to right-handed hitters. Odds are that Lester, followed by Hideki Okajima and closer Jonathan Papelbon, who combined for the shutout last night, is how more than one boxscore will read this October.

Jamie Moyer didn’t get the black from home plate umpire Brian Knight, making it a short night for the 45-year-old mage. Still, Moyer limited the damage to just two runs, keeping his club in the game. Unfortunately, they could not pull through. Utley went hitless for the fourth game in a row, dropping his batting average below .300 (.299) for the first time this season. Afterward, Charlie Manuel said he considered giving Utley the night off, but the second baseman talked him out of it.

During the game, readers vented their frustrations over the offensive inconsistency, singling out Carlos Ruiz. Others argued that they simply lost to the better club.

“How can anyone watch this team night in and night out and maintain the position that they're not woefully inconsistent? 20 runs 1 night, 2 hits the next. 8 runs one night, 0 runs the next. With the Phillies' ineptitude against good pitchers, I suspect we should all get ourselves prepared for another 3-game playoff sweep in October.” – bay_area_phan

“I don't know if it's inconsistency so much as the other point you're making - susceptibility to good pitching. The Phillies, good as they've been with the bats, don't really have a lot of patient, intelligent hitters. Utley and Burrell are the only ones who have a quality approach to their at-bats every time. And Utley isn't hitting right now. The rest of these guys are pretty much meat for anyone who knows what they're doing out there. And you're right - it's probably that factor, every bit as much as their starting pitching shortcomings, which will do them in in the post-season.” -- RSB

“Reading the thread tonight makes me think there's some confusion among Beerleaguers. So I'll say it: The Red Sox are a very good baseball team. Even without Big Papi. Tomorrow's matchup favors the Phils.” -- clout

Game chat: Lefties young and old clash tonight

With Burrell, Wade's resume looks better every day

Pat Burrell’s career has been filled with ups and downs, but when his six-year, $50-million contract expires at the end of this season, the positives will likely outweigh the negatives.

At one time, it seemed like a bad marriage that would never end, but here we are, nearing the twilight of Burrell’s six-year deal, and the man considered Exhibit A in the People vs. Former GM Ed Wade is playing the best baseball of his career. The untradeable albatross, who only takes "40 good swings a season," according to Arizona's GM, has thrived since last July. It was less than a year ago, July 1 to be precise, when Burrell was hitting just 201/.369/.364. Since then, his production steadily went up – and stayed up. Today, he’s batting .289/.433/.614 with 18 homers and 47 RBIs and has reached base safely in nearly every game he's played.

Here’s a quick thumbnail of Pat the Bat's career: The 2002 season went very well and Wade decided it was the right time to lock him down through 2008. His next season, the last one for the Phils at Veterans Stadium, was a hot mess and the Phils finished 15.5 games out of the running. The next two seasons – ’04 and ’05 – showed progressive improvement through injury; he set a career high in RBIs with 117 in 2005 and was named team co-MVP along with Chase Utley. The 2006 season ended in bitter disappointment as Burrell survived the July 31 fire sale, but found himself on the bench during the heat of a playoff race. Last season, he struggled for two months but caught fire, finishing with a career-high .400 OBP. Today, in what’s shaping up to be the club’s best shot at a title since 1993, he’s on track to challenge or set career highs in several categories.

Ed Wade & Pat Burrell: The gifts that keep on giving.

Site update: TypePad resolving technical issues

Beerleaguer’s hosting service must be managed by Red Sox fans. Since this morning, access has been spotty as the TypePad team continues to make updates. It’s a good thing Matt Cerrone and Metsblog are using WordPress on a high-traffic day like today.

Phillies bring their 'A' game; Howard getting on track

Well lookie here. Ryan Howard homers twice and triples to pull into a three-way tie for the league lead in RBIs, while Cole Hamels throws seven-strong, as the Phillies defeat Boston handily by the count of 8-2.

This time, it could be for real, the run we’ve been waiting for all season from Ryan Howard. Since the beginning of the St. Louis series, he’s maintained some semblance of consistency. He’s staying back and driving the ball the opposite way. His average is up to .224, the highest it’s ranged since April 5.

Unlike Sunday, the Phils took care of biznatch neatly. “Everybody tried to bring their ‘A' game because they are the defending World Series champions,” Howard told reporters. “I think everybody gets up for playing a team like that.”

The pitching matchup also favored the Phils. I suspected their lineup would handle Bartolo Colon, and they did; Colon left after four innings with a stiff back. Later on, the Phils teed off on cooked reliever Mike Timlin, who’s pitching well enough to earn an outright release. From the Boston Globe: “By the time the Phillies broke it open with four runs off an overmatched Mike Timlin in the sixth, the Phillie Phanatic already had captured the essence of the evening in his typical stick-out-your-tongue style, taking a sledgehammer to a Sox helmet right in front of the Boston dugout.”

Meanwhile, Hamels (7-4, 3.23), who’s having a solid season despite having to perform the cruel, antiquated task of running the bases, gave the short-handed Sox a dose of National League medicine. “Their pitcher was very good,” Red Sox manager Terry Francona said of Hamels. “Not a guy you want to fall behind.”

Breaking news: The Mets have fired manager Willie Randolph, pitching coach Rick Peterson and first base coach Tom Nieto, the team announced shortly after 3 a.m. Bench coach Jerry Manuel has been named the team’s interim manager, while Ken Oberkfell, Dan Warthen and former Phillie Luis Aguayo will join the staff.

Beerleaguer: It was inevitable after the collapse of 2007 and sluggish start to this season. Once they started talking about it in New York, it was all over for Randolph. The players had grown tired of discussing it and it was time to move forward. I'm not sure Omar Minaya put the best team on the field to start with, and they've had injury problems. It needed to be done, however, because stars like Carlos Beltran aren't playing to the best of their ability.   

Game chat: Phillies host world champion Red Sox

Preview: Mixed emotions surround interleague play

Tonight's game exposes the good and bad of NL/AL intermingling.

The good: We get to see how the Phillies stack up against a premier team from the American League. The bad: We get to see how the Phillies stack up against a premier team from the American League in a framework that isn’t reserved for the Fall Classic. After all, it’s Monday, June 16, a day that might have been set aside for a date with the Pirates in the dog days of yore. Instead, the Phils open three against Matt Damon and the world champion Red Sox when two-thirds of baseball has the night off.

While the results of this six-game homestand against Boston and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim will go a long way in proving the Phillies’ mettle, this series does little else to excite me beyond the typical series. In fact, the artificiality is off-putting. It's nothing personal; Boston isn’t a team I follow because they’re not in the same league as the Phillies, and that's it. I haven’t watched a Boston game since they swept Colorado. I do not believe their fans are the "scourge of the country." Lymphoma survivor Jon Lester’s no-hitter provided a tremendous amount of inspiration, but as a team and a “nation,” the Sawx exist outside my sphere of consciousness. They exist for other people: readers of Bill Simmons; listeners of XM radio; wearers of Under Armour althletic attire. I don't follow Dice-K, I don't care about Big Papi, and there's something a little disingenuous about writing those knicknames here on my own blog.

I’ll watch this series regardless of whether PTI says I should.

Beerleaguer for breakfast: Trip ends in discontent

The Phillies settle for a 5-4 road trip after a 7-6 10th-inning loss to the Cardinals, making it two straight series defeates leading up to their prizefight with the defending champion Red Sox.

It should have been much more. On Friday, it looked like the Phils and Cards, owners of identical records coming into the series, were in different classes. Not so fast. Brett Myers, who allowed six runs and eight hits over six innings, continues to be a pitcher they can no longer trust, at least in his current role. They stranded too many base runners in key spots. They played terrible defense; Chase Utley made two costly throws to first. Utley hasn't had a good season defensively to be honest. The poor defense, base-running and clutch hitting will vary, and a game like yesterday has been a rarity lately.

But Myers, who’s pitching at a replacement level, has become a constant, one that's proving to be costly in every sense of the word. Raise your hand if you suspected their "biggest offseason acquisition" -- Myers reinserted into the rotation -- would not go according to plan.

Game chat: Myers, Phillies finish out road trip

Brett Myers (3-8, 5.34) tries to rebound from a poor start in Florida when the Phillies look to take two of three from the Cardinals at Busch Stadium. Mitchell Boggs (1-0, 3.86) starts for St. Louis. First pitch is 2:05.

Preview: Following two solid outings, Myers mixed in a real dud, allowing three home runs in Tuesday’s loss to Florida. For Myers, it was his sixth loss in his last seven starts. The Phils can come home with a lot of confidence if they can finish off the Cards to complete a 6-3 roadtrip, including series wins in St. Louis and Atlanta. Standing in their way is Boggs, a right-hander who was called up to replace Todd Wellmeyer and has stuck around to fill in for the injured Adam Wainwright.

Yesterday, Pat Burrell went deep for the second game in a row. Pat the Bat has now reached base safely in 62 of 68 games he’s played this season. Otherwise, yesterday’s 3-2 loss was an excellent game to skip, and I don't feel any guilt in having used the time to clean our house. Kyle Lohse handled the Phils over eight innings, while the Phils managed just four hits. Adam Eaton (2-4) took the loss, but it qualifies as another quality start, his fifth in a row.

Game chat: Phillies, Cardinals play second of three

Adam Eaton (2-3, 4.62) tries for his fifth consecutive quality start when the Phils meet 2007 deadline acquisition Kyle Lohse (7-2, 3.92) today at 3:55. The game will be broadcast regionally on Fox. [Live Boxscore]

Phillies give Kendrick 20-run anniversary present

The Phillies pounded out 21 hits, which included two home runs by Ryan Howard, as the visiting Phils steamrolled the Cardinals 20-2.

The Phillies have certainly made Kyle Kendrick’s transition to the Major Leagues as comfortable as possible. After Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Pat Burrell staked him to a three-run lead with back-to-back-to-back jacks in the first, they continued to pile it on en route to their second 20-run outburst of the season. Howard feasted on home cooking with a two-HR, five RBI night, while Carlos Ruiz, who also needed a lift, went 4-for-6 with a pair of RBI doubles.

While the rest of baseball enjoyed the magic of interleague play, the Phils and Cards engaged in an old-fashioned matchup that proved to be most memorable from start to finish. The game featured second baseman Aaron Miles pitching a shutout ninth, Howard getting thrown at and Tony LaRussa getting tossed for throwing his sunglasses ("Some wives, like Micky Conway, used to curse at them and spit on the floor. On her own floor. That never made any sense to me!" - Goodfellas).

On a night when the offense gorged on poor pitching, the best part might have been Kendrick taking care of business for his sixth win of the season. The 23-year-old also added a pair of hits during a nine-run fourth inning. After one full year of play, Kendrick improves to an understated 16-6 with a 4.13 ERA. What a fine job by Kendrick, and by Rich Dubee; Kendrick has been a true portfolio piece for the Phils' pitching coach.

Game chat: Phillies open weekend series in St. Louis

Kyle Kendrick (5-2, 4.87) and Todd Wellemeyer (7-1, 2.93) clash in the first of three from Busch Stadium. First pitch is 8:15.

Best of the press notes: There's lots of good free information to copy and paste for your reading enjoyment tonight, courtesy of the Phillies. Brad Lidge is 18-for-18 in save opportunities this season, which sets a Phillies record for most consecutive saves to start a season since 1975, when the current save rule was instituted (three runs or less). The previous club record was 15 straight by Al Holland in 1984. After committing 35 errors in their first 41 games of the season (.978 fielding percentage), the Phillies have made just six in their last 27 games (.994 fielding percentage). Overall, the Phillies rank 8th in the NL in fielding percentage (.984). The Phillies are 9-1 in Kendrick's last 10 starts. He's holding opponents to a .235 (16-68) average with RISP this season, including .111 (2-18) in his last four starts. Pat Burrell, who's hitting .318 on this road trip, has reached base safely in 60 of his 66 games this season, including 30 straight.

Howard must feast on home cooking, not slop

The Phillies visit Ryan Howard’s home turf, St. Louis, for a three-game series. After a hitless set in Florida, the 2006 MVP can turn it around in his own back yard, as long as he adjusts to balls out of the zone.

Howard's slump is slipping into unfamiliar territory where expectations are getting so low that anything resembling the productivity of previous seasons could be considered a nice surprise. It's getting very, very late for Howard to get it started. Fortunately, winning baseball has shielded him from further scrutiny. If Howard is to get things started, now’s a good time to do so in front of friends and family instead of the home boos. He’s a .333/.489/.611 hitter in St. Louis. He draws three right-handers this series.

Conditions are perfect, but he must adjust to pitches out of the zone. Helpful reader, Hydrant, shows us just how bad Howard’s eye has been using the PITCHf/x tool by Josh Kalk:

“You can see all of his hits for power come in a narrow band,” Hydrant explains. “You can almost overlay in your mind his swing and you can see how the band and his swing go right together. If you set ‘Result of Pitch’ to ‘Strike Swinging’, you see that he swings through pitches off of that band, and that he's swinging at a significant amount of pitches outside the strike zone. If you run the same graphs using Pat Burrell, he hits almost all of his power on mistake pitches down the middle. However, he hits pitches in other parts of the zone with some regularity as well. Run the graphs for Chase Utley and you see he hits almost everything for hit. Meaning, he is much more capable of adjusting his swing to the pitched ball.” [PITCHf/x Link]

Moyer stays perfect against young whippersnappers

Left-hander Jamie Moyer mastered the Marlins over eight shutout innings, surrendering just two hits and improving to a spotless 9-0 in nine starts against them.

Like an ancient elixir, Moyer is the cure-all to ease our troubled minds. On the verge of a series sweep, which would have cut their lead to a single game, Moyer hit the mark for his best start of the season. With the win, he improves to 7-3 and passes Whitey Ford on the all-time list with 237 wins. Call it the “Jorge Cantu Series,” but from the Phillies' perspective, they can hang their hats on Moyer’s night of painting the black and little else. This wasn’t Phillies baseball at its best, but when it was all said, they lost small ground on Florida and gained ground or maintained their edge over everyone else in the division.

Yesterday, Mets closer Billy Wagner blew his third-consecutive save opportunity in a game eventually lost in extra innings. Wagner isn’t even close to the top of their growing list of problems. Meanwhile in Chicago, Atlanta suffered their own bullpen meltdown as reliever Jeff Ridgway hit Reed Johnson with the bases loaded to plate the winning run in a 3-2 11-inning loss, their sixth loss in a row. The Phils hold a 7.5-game lead over both clubs.

Notes: Remember that New York beat writer who declared the race over for the Mets midway through the 2007 season? Well, Randy Miller of the Bucks County Courier Times declared the race over this morning on WIP radio. Speaking of WIP, Beerleaguer will be a guest of Brian Startare's show Saturday morning at 7:40, and I have no plans to make any declaration of the sort.

Game chat: Phillies turn to Moyer to salvage win

Having dropped the first two games of their series with Florida, the Phillies hand the ball to wily veteran Jamie Moyer (6-3, 4.56) tonight at 7:10. The Marlins counter with friend to all Phils, Scott Olsen (4-2, 3.44). Moyer has mastered the young Marlins, winning all eight of his starts against him. It's been a different story for Olsen. Despite a 2-0 record, the Phillies often bring out the worst in him. He's sporting a 6.91 ERA against them and has been wild.

Thursday thread: Readers put on their grumpy pants

The Phillies have spoiled fans so much lately that a two-game losing streak, to some, feels like having one’s head in a vice. Here's a sampling from an agonizing night in the Beerleaguer peanut gallery.

"Carlos Ruiz is ridiculous. I have supported him for too long. He's horrible at the plate. I know he's the 8-hole hitter, but he really sucks. Not only does he have no plate discipline, he grounds into double plays far too often, I'm sick of him." – GM-Carson

"Hamels is coming off a long-outing (shutout) and pitching in a very hot and humid environment. No excuse whatsoever that Hamels started the 8th tonight. I know that it has been a Cholly lovefest but he is still a below average tactican as a manager (even with Jimy Williams helping him in the dugout). … Flash was Flush tonight. Arguably the toughest loss of the year but the Phils certainly had some very questionable managerial and player decisions tonight." - MG

"Miller's stuff is all on tonight. They're not picking up his fastball and he's been changing speed and location masterfully. … The Phillies always seem to reserve their worst games of the year for Florida. That one was lost unnecessarily in so many different ways, you have to stop and remind yourself they're where they are in the standings. Manuel managed poorly and Werth pulled one of the most inexcusably bonehead plays I may have ever seen. And yet again they waste a premium effort from Hamels." – RSB

"Folks, some seem to act as though each game is must win, although everyone knows better. As though every loss is someone's "fault". Have none of you actually played a game of baseball? Having the best bullpen in baseball doesn't mean we'll win every single game (Gordon had the worst opening day but a great run until tonight). Having one of the best offenses doesn't mean we'll be the best offense every night (I don't see anyone blaming Utley for not driving in a run every at-bat, or any of our other MVPs). Calm down. There are scads of reasons to believe we aren't the '07 Mets of 2008." – Jeff 

Beerleaguer: As always, when you see reader quotes, it’s a good indication that I missed the game, which turned into one of the most active game discussions of the season. David Murphy’s coverage in the Daily News is clean and concise, and reading the thread afterward helped paint the whole picture.

I’ve been hinting at the notion of improving the bullpen even more, even though Gordon and company have pitched well. They’ve been winning because of the pen, so why not ramp it up even more and make it your calling card? While adding a top starter could prove difficult, a lights-out reliever might be easier to acquire. Plus, there’s also a long-term need, with the pending free agency of Gordon and Brad Lidge.

Notes: The Phillies released left-handed reliever Steve Kline, who was pitching for Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

Game chat: Young lefties meet in second round

Following his three-hit shutout of the Reds, Cole Hamels (6-4, 3.36) tries to even the series when the Phillies face Andrew Miller (4-4, 5.37) and the Marlins in the second of three from South Florida. Notes: With yesterday’s 2 2-3 shutout innings of relief, the bullpen ERA fell to 2.54, lowest in the league. Miller, 22, has struggled recently, going 0-2 with a 6.92 ERA in his last three starts, having not gone past the fifth inning during that span. In other news, the Mets have designated former Phil Abraham Nunez for assignment.

Minor notes: Golson is 0-for-June; miffed at blogs

Greg Golson, the Phillies first-round pick (21st overall) in the 2004 draft, is having a positive season overall when compared to other years, but he’s gone cold lately and is striking out a ton.

They say Golson could step in and play a Major League center field right now, but his plate discipline remains the million dollar question. Golson is 0-for-25 since May 31. His K/BB ratio has fallen to 74/13. Signals are mixed on how highly the Phillies value the speedy outfielder, who’s hitting .294/.331/454 with seven homers and 16 steals. They spoke highly of his ability this spring, but in last week’s draft, used high draft choices to select outfielders with similar skill sets.

Here’s a long piece I hadn't seen until now on Golson from readingphillies.com, which suggests that his problem is identifying off-speed pitches. And get this, the piece also suggests that blogs (who, me?) have been abusive and unsupportive. From the readingphillies.com piece:

“It didn’t hurt me as much as it hurt knowing my parents and family and people who pushed for me were reading things,” Golson said about the media types and the army of internet bloggers who took great glee in making sport of him and the Phillies. Some of them became mean and personal. “It hurts them (my supporters) more than it hurts me because I know what’s within me. They think it’s hurting me, but the whole time it was like, ‘No, that’s not me, that’s not me.' I struggled, but everybody struggles.

“It hissed me off a lot to tell you the truth, and it made me want to do something about it. When you have a good game they don’t say anything. When you have a bad game it’s, here we go again. Now they’re not saying anything about me.”

I suppose he has a point.

Wednesday: Myers allows three HRs in loss to Fish

After cutting the lead to 5-4 with a Pat Burrell home run in the eighth, the Phils were unable to dig themselves out of the hole starter Brett Myers dug when Jayson Werth was stranded in scoring position in the ninth.

Last night demonstrated one of the reasons why Florida has been leading this division for most of the season. The league-leading team in slugging percentage (.459) mashed at least two Myers mistakes over the fence. Catcher Chris Coste told the Daily News that the third one – the one by Jorge Cantu – wasn’t a bad pitch.

After pitching four straight starts without giving up the long ball, the three home runs surrendered last night put him back on top for the league lead with 18. His last start against Edinson Volquez and the Reds confirmed that he can still miss bats without having the same mustard, just as long as he locates his breaking ball. That didn’t happen last night, although he still fanned five.

Give credit to the Marlins, who also got a good start out of Ricky Nolasco - Florida's version of Tim Redding as a guy the Phillies can't solve. They score a lot of runs and there’s danger lurking around every corner. Even a guy like Cody Ross is trouble. Don’t look now, but Cantu, a non-roster invitee who could be had for $1 in every fantasy league under the sun, has 37 RBIs and hit third in the order last night. Cantu, Mike Jacobs, Hanley Ramirez and Dan Uggla have combined for 60 home runs.

Game chat: Phillies open series in South Florida

Brett Myers (3-7, 5.13) tries to build on a run of strong starts when the Phillies open a three-game series with the second-place Marlins. Ricky Nolasco (5-4, 5.05) takes the ball for Florida.

Preview: If Myers has truly turned the corner, the May 30 game against these same Marlins would have been the turning point. Opponents are hitting just .135 over his last two starts. Considered their best chance to get ace-quality pitching from an internal source, Myers has struck out 19 in his last 15 1-3 innings. Myers will be backed by the best bullpen in the National League based on ERA; led by closer Brad Lidge, the Phils 'pen ranks first in ERA (2.58) wins (17) and winning percentage (.708). Following yesterday's loss to the Reds, the Marlins trail the Phils by a full 4 games in the NL East. Nolasco defeated the Phils back on May 31, allowing two runs over 6 2-3 innings.

Cool stat: Via the AP, the Phillies have outscored their opponents 158-98 in the sixth inning and later this season. The 60-run differential is nearly double that of the second-best team in the majors. They also have the best winning percentage in baseball since April 20 (.660). [Live Boxscore]

Beer nuts: A casual situation behind home plate

Chris Coste continues to hit and has unofficially knocked Carlos Ruiz from his starting catcher role. Unlike previous situations, this platoon is atypically, and refreshingly, blase.

Coste’s story is well known, following the March release of his autobiography, but enough cannot be said about this 1000-to-1 oddity, this independent league refugee, who’s earning at least half of the starts behind home plate on what’s shaping up to be the best Phillies team since 1993. The 35-year-old is hitting .313/.374/.545 with 6 homers and a 134 OPS+. He’s tied for third in the National League with seven Win Shares.

Manager Charlie Manuel has been known to be rigid in his platoons, but this one is uncharacteristically unfussy. His nightly choice seems to be driven by shielding Ruiz from left-handed pitching, but it’s hard to say for certain. Ruiz, himself an underdog story, earned the start Saturday against Atlanta’s Jo-Jo Reyes, but before that, his last start against a lefty came May 11, also against Reyes. Lifetime, Chooch is a .206/.299/.353 hitter against left-handers. The pitching assignments reveal no real pattern. Coste has been handling Brett Myers just a little more lately, while Cole Hamels has been working with Chooch. One thing is certain, however. It’s a very comfortable situation for Manuel, free of complications or drawbacks. Each catcher brings something to the table. They’re interchangeable, they’re productive and they’re getting good starts from their battery mates.

Below the fold in 10 seconds: Geoff Jenkins (.281/.324/.444) is getting closer to producing career averages. ... Here’s Shane Victorino’s OBP before Manuel declared Jayson Werth the starting center fielder: .296. Here it is now: .365. ... Opponents are hitting just .179/.258/.214 off Ryan Madson when he leads off an inning.

Monday: '08 season adding up to something special

The Phillies improved to 39-26 (.600) following a series sweep in Atlanta. We use the off day to consider who they are and where they’re going.

Following their sweep in Atlanta, I thought I’d wake up this morning and read at least one story from a national outlet like USA Today, SI.com or ESPN suggesting this might be the Phillies year. No dice. They decided to run with Ozzie Guillen’s clubhouse rant, which is apparently the reason they've won six straight, and the human highlight reel known as Joba Chamberlain, who pitched all the way into the fifth inning against Kansas City.

Meanwhile, the business-like Phils kicked the Braves back to 6.5 games out of the division lead. Ryan Howard sprayed three doubles to all corners of the field and knocked in four runs as the Phils stepped on the necks of the Bravos 6-3 to complete the Shane Victorio Series sweep. Adam Eaton took his turn in giving the Phils the kind of starting effort they’ve come to expect, allowing three runs over six innings – his fourth quality start in a row. The big moment came when Eaton forced his 10th double-play of the season on a bases-loaded groundout by Jeff Francouer. After Eaton, the bullpen picked up the win, following two shutout innings by Chad Durbin (2-1) and Brad Lidge’s 17th save in as many tries.

So how is it possible to keep winning like this, with such regularity? With such efficiency? Beyond hitting, pitching, catching and running, is there something else? They’ve been more lucky than unlucky, certainly, and they’ve been blessed with good health; they’re the only team in baseball to have used only five starters since opening day. Mix in more career years than disasterous ones and .600 ball is what you get.

But is there more? Some believe they finally know how to win, and that a guy like Aaron Rowand showed them what it takes. Another reason is that getting over the playoff hump created a championship environment, and that players like Eaton – for example – have accepted the challenge and want to be along for the ride. And then there’s Charlie Manuel, believed to be the right match for this club. How about the fans? The two sides have finally settled on a truce. The Phillies will give us wins; we'll supply the juice.

Trade deadline primer: It's still a month and a half away, but it's about that time to start talking non-waiver trade deadline, where the Phillies should be active participants. Seth Everett of MLB.com was a guest of 610-WIP's morning show discussing the reported availability of problem-ace Eric Bedard. He also reports that Paul Byrd, along with C.C. Sabathia, could be on the block. Both pitchers are free agents after the season, and Byrd - unpopular as he was in Philadelphia - pitched well in the 2007 post-season.