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Game chat: Phillies gain an arm, lose a toe to DL

Ryan Madson has suffered his worst blown save yet: With a chance to be close to full strength in the bullpen with the return of closer Brad Lidge, Madson has been placed on the 15-day DL with a broken toe suffered when he kicked a chair venting after blowing the save at AT&T Park. Assistant GM Scott Proefrock told Delco-Times scribe Ryan Lawrence that his recovery could take more than 15 days. So now, the Phils are back to square one and have recalled recently demoted lefty Antonio Bastardo from Triple-A Lehigh Valley, just when the bullpen appeared to be getting back to full strength. One always wondered about Madson's head, which some would say has gotten in the way of the right-hander becoming a fine closer. Now we know. Next time, Dog, channel that aggression into your fastball instead of that 87-mph mess you've been throwing. The Phillies, who must have thought they moved on from Brett Myers, must be getting tired of his best buddy's act. Meanwhile, the short-handed Phillies gear up for their biggest series yet: a three-game set with the vengeful, poised, and mostly healthy, New York Mets. Discuss it here.

Mission accomplished: An April of .500 or better

The Phillies will finish the month 13-9 or 12-10 pending the outcome of tonight’s game. And that’s good enough.

Time to summarize. April 2010 saw more of the same “methodical march” we’ve come to expect from the Phillies: winning most of the games they were supposed to win, giving a few away while reminding us of their resiliency in salvaging Game 3 in San Francisco. They’ve lunged to a 12-9 start, not surprisingly, on the strength of their bats, mostly seen in one-sided wins against Washington and Houston early on. Their bullpen, considered the Achilles Heel, was generally stronger than expected, although Ryan Madson showed, once again, that his place is the 8th inning. Meanwhile, the rotation has been a mild disappointment for anyone not named Halladay. Cole Hamels remained inconsistent. Kyle Kendrick and Jamie Moyer have been hittable. Fortuitous for two years, the Phillies have also played through a rash of injuries to Jimmy Rollins, Joe Blanton and J.A. Happ while weaning Brad Lidge and J.C. Romero back to health. They’ve been mostly OK and have seen a few players like Juan Castro step up, but some weaknesses have been exposed as well.

Beerleaguer for breakfast: Series preview on SNY.TV

Watch as Pete McCarthy from MLB.com and Beerleaguer preview the Mets and Phillies and discuss the Ryan Howard deal on SNT.TV's "The Baseball Show" presented by Harrah's.

Lidge to be activated tomorrow; Bastardo to AAA

As expected, Brad Lidge will be activated from the disabled list before tomorrow's opener against the Mets following a month-long rehab tour.

From a Phillies news release - Lidge, 33, was placed on the disabled list on March 26 while recovering from right elbow surgery. He combined to go 0-1 with a 5.19 ERA with four walks and eight strikeouts in eight rehab appearances between Lehigh Valley, Reading and Clearwater. After allowing five runs over his first two rehab appearances in 1 2-3 innings, Lidge pitched seven scoreless innings over his final six appearances. To make room for Lidge on the 25-man roster, Antonio Bastardo was optioned to Lehigh Valley. the 24-year-old left-hander appeared in seven games (5 1-3 innings), allowing one run while posting a 5/4 K/BB ratio.

Beerleaguer: Let's take this opportunity to revisit Ryan Madson's blown save. So what is that 87-mph pitch he throws anyway? Does it have a name? Several followers have suggested the following: Meatball Marinara, the Hitmaker, the Blown Save, the April Shower. Lidge will likely assume the closer role, which means that Madson and his Hot Mess pitch will be pushed back into the eighth - making middle relief deeper and better, all joking aside. But as I've said many times, anything the Phils get from Lidge will be a bonus in my book.

Bastardo had pitched sparingly and needs to keep pitching. Bear in mind he has pitched just 248 total career innings. Look for option-burdened Kyle Kendrick to get shipped out after his start tomorrow when Joe Blanton comes off the DL.

Minor transactions: The Phillies have signed right-hander Austin Hinkle, who pitched last season with Class-A Charlotte (Rays) and left-hander Kyle Carr, who resided in the lower links of the Minnesota chain. Note: Be sure to use the handy transaction links recently added to the left sidebar.

... and sometimes you eat the bear

Thank you, gods of baseball, for saving this for the day game. And thank you, Bruce Bochy, for being you. As much as we enjoyed watching Tim Lincecum manhandle the Phillies, the next performance was even better: an ensemble act rending a plethora of obscure material from the deepest recesses of baseball, vis-a-vis, a gentlemanly way to say the bums dug deep into their bag of tricks to pull this one from their arses. Three cheers for the Konkrete Kid, bravo to the back up to the back up shortstop, and excellent show by the master escape artist himself, The Great Herndini. All that was missing was a bearded lady, but a bearded right fielder will do.

Game chat: A steep challenge to avoid sweep

Reigning Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum goes in search of his fifth win as Cole Hamels and the Phillies look to get off the schneid in San Francisco.

Howard: Ryan Howard opus is done, but to post 48 hours after the news first broke would be really bush. So I’ve been slicing the main points into 140-character bursts and walking myself through the pros and cons on Twitter, since posting to a mobile phone with one free hand is often the only way to do it these days. Follow me here. On a related note, I’m working on ways to better integrate social networking and Beerleaguer without sacrificing the old-school appeal of the comments thread. You might have seen prompts to sign in using Typepad, Facebook or Twitter. I urge everyone to at least create a Typepad account with your own customizable avatar. Or not. I doubt Clout would do it, but NEPP did it. MPN did it.

Lineups are posted: Standard set against Lincecum, pictured right on the set of "Better Off Dead" (I want my two dollars!)

Lidge update: Mike Drago covered Brad Lidge’s rehab in Reading and reported that he was much sharper than in his one-inning appearance on Friday. “He threw some nasty sliders in striking out the side in the sixth inning; overall he struck out four of seven batters. The only one who reached against him did so on an error.” Drago marked his fastball velocity between 89-91. Meanwhile, Stephen Strasburg started for the Senators and lived up to the hype.

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Phillies unable to play through the pain this time

The club has rallied through adversity in the past, but it appears that injuries to Jimmy Rollins, Joe Blanton, J.A. Happ and several other setbacks have exacerbated the Phillies’ sudden fall.

Last night, the Phillies hit an unofficial low of the young season in a 6-2 loss to Todd Wellemeyer and the Giants, knocking them from the NL East perch for the first time since May. Wellemeyer, who carried an 8.16 ERA into the game, held the Phillies to three hits as the offense continued to search for a spark. The drought coincides with the injury to Rollins, and after being hit on the elbow by Tim Hudson, fellow table-setter Placido Polanco, who had been fire-hot, has just two hits in his last 21 at bats. So an offense that was seemingly scoring at will has shut it down: no power and no luck driving in runners in scoring position, either. Meanwhile, the rotation and bullpen have experienced their own strife in the absence of two of their top four starters. For more on that, I hand it off to my esteemed colleagues:

“If Moyer has pitched better than his stat line up to tonight, he damn sure pitched a lot worse than his stat line tonight. Practically everything the Giants hit for six innings straight was an absolute rope. And mind you, this was against one of the most futile offenses in baseball, in one of the best pitchers parks.” – bay_area_phan

“Getting completely shutdown by a stiff like Wellenmeyer has to be the low point of the early season. He made a few nice offspeed pitches, but his control was modest at best and he made a ton of mistake pitches that the Phils did nothing with.” – MG

“This team stinks right now. Starting pitching is bad. Bullpen is bad. Offense is bad. Bench is bad. Even the radio broadcast is bad (Jim Jackson is a nice guy and a good host; but he is no Franzke.) But every team goes through streaks like this during a 162 game season. The Phils usually go through one in April, one during interleague and one other one in the summer every year. Need to get some of the pieces of the puzzle back soon. Hard to win a lot of games against decent teams without two of your four top starters, your closer, your best lefty reliever and your leadoff hitter/best defender.” – denny b.

Game chat: Phils' lethargic lumber looking for a lift

The Phillies are hitting just .221/.284/.329 since April 17. They try to snap out of it tonight against right-hander Todd Wellemeyer (0-3, 8.13), a pitcher they've busted up in the past.

Preview: All the talk has revolved around what Ryan Howard will do between now and the end of time, but here in the present, the $125 million slugger has been swinging a $1.25 bat. Howard hasn't homered since the fifth game of the season and has reversed the delightful little early season trend where multi-hit games outnumbered strikeouts. The good news is that Howard has destroyed Wellemeyer, going 4-for-7 with two homers, while Chase Utley is 7-for-11 with three homers and six RBIs. Howard isn't the only hitter who's struggled. After a sizzling start, Placido Polanco has scuffled ever since he was plunked on the elbow by Tim Hudson. Since then, he's 2-for-16. Jamie Moyer (2-1, 5.00), who has pitched better than his numbers suggest, takes the mound hoping to pick up the middle game. Meanwhile in Reading, Brad Lidge pitched another scoreless rehab inning and reportedly said he feels ready. It's possible the closer could be activated for their series against the Mets.

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Injury updates: Lidge tonight, Blanton tomorrow

I'm still trying to wrap my head around the Ryan Howard extension and find the time to write it. There have been so many compelling arguments across the board that it's hard to decide which way to spin it. I'm almost there, so look for my final thoughts tonight or tomorrow. Meanwhile, Brad Lidge will pitch in Game 1 of the Reading Phillies' doubleheader with Harrisburg. Stephen Strasburg will start Game 1 for the Senators. Then tomorrow, Joe Blanton makes what could be his final rehab start for the R-Phils.

Poll: A home run, or a swing and a miss?

With a night to sleep on it, we’re dissecting the Ryan Howard deal today, starting with this basic poll. On the field, the Giants jumped on Roy Halladay with three early runs and tacked on two more, tagging the Phillies’ ace for his first loss of the season in a 5-1 defeat. Halladay got no help from his teammates, who went 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position, receiving their only run via a Chase Utley groundout. The Phillies fell to 11-8, just a half game ahead of Florida, a game ahead of the Mets and a game-and-a-half up on Washington.

Game chat: Philies play the first of 1,116 more with 6

I was counting on a quiet day, but instead, the Phillies pulled the trigger on the richest deal in franchise history, extending Ryan Howard with a new deal that runs from 2012 to 2016 with a club option for 2017, a total that could reach $138 million. One can only hope that Ruben Amaro times his next blockbuster to coincide with naptime as I had absolutely no time to sit and dissect it. On the other hand, what's the rush? We have the next six years to discuss it. And I think that last sentence gets to the heart of why I'm leery of it. In the meantime, the Phillies have a game to play. Roy Halladay and Jonathan Sanchez open it up in San Francisco tonight starting at 10:10. Tomorrow, we'll talk 6.

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Howard reportedly close to signing 5-year extension

A source close to the situation tells CSN's Jim Salisbury that Ryan Howard will get $125 million over five years with a possible option. Details and analysis on this franchise blockbuster later ...

Monday: D-Backs' bats too hot for Phillies to handle

Unable to secure 3-0 and 6-5 leads, the Phillies finally gave way to the hard-hitting Diamondbacks, who took the game, and the series, in an 8-6 struggle. The Phils, who fell to 3-3 on the roadtrip, move on to San Francisco.

Call it a case where the league’s home run (26) and slugging (.470) leaders outmuscled the opposition in a game where the opposition rested several regulars and weren’t set up to use their best arms. Following a season-long trend by every starter other than Roy Halladay, Kyle Kendrick fell victim to the proverbial “one bad inning,” only this time he had it coming. Kendrick, who was living dangerously out over the plate most of the game, wriggled away from big innings in the second and fourth as the D-Backs and Phils took turns squandering scoring opportunities. Arizona would eventually break through.

Nevertheless, this was another loss attributable to the bullpen, a tally that’s beginning to climb. Danys Baez, who has not impressed and already appears to have pitched himself out of the set-up role, allowed the Diamondbacks to tie it with double-single-double to open the seventh. The last time Baez has not allowed a run in an appearance longer than an inning was June 18 of last season, something Manuel may want to consider. The Diamondbacks took the lead for good in the eighth against David Herndon. Tasked with holding it at 6-6, and with a strikezone that appeared to be working against him, Herndon got ahead, but couldn’t put the slugging D-backs away. With Joe Blanton and Brad Lidge knocking on the door, the Phillies will be forced to make a hard decision on their Rule 5 pick, who at this point may be in over his head.

There’s no reason to get bent out of shape about a back-and-forth loss and a 3-3 start to the road trip, although 4-2 would feel a lot more comfortable heading into the final leg of the West Coast swing. The issue now is whether the Phillies can resuscitate the offense in time for a series that will be bookended by Jonathan Sanchez (vs. Roy Halladay) and Tim Lincecum (vs. Cole Hamels). Get the coffee ready; this is a playoff preview.

Game chat: Phillies' reserves try to reignite bats

Hoping to jumpstart the offense, Charlie Manuel inserts Ross Gload (RF), Greg Dobbs (3B) and Wilson Valdez (SS) into the lineup this afternoon as the Phillies and Diamondbacks settle up starting at 4:10.

Preview: The Phillies, who are hitting just .214 this series, give Gload his first start and insert him into the lead-off spot, followed by Dobbs and then the usual suspects. Manuel said that he had hoped to get Gload onto the field this weekend and what better time than with Shane Victorino struggling; Vic has started every game this season. Valdez also gets his first start in place of Juan Castro, who's out with a mildly strained hamstring. The Phillies are basically stacking the lefties against Rodrigo Lopez (1-0, 3.50), who earned a couple of wins for the Phils last season. Meanwhile, Kyle Kendrick (0-0, 7.24), making his fourth start, is hoping to build on one of the best starts of his career, an eight-inning masterpiece in Atlanta.

Always enjoy the time-honored tradition of playing the bench players on Sunday. The Phillies typically seem to get a lift from it. Enjoy the game and the rest of your weekend.

Sunday: Werth seals the deal in defeat of D-backs

Jayson Werth went yard twice, including the game-winner in the ninth, as the Phillies outlasted Arizona 3-2. Raul Ibanez also went deep for the first time this season.

Beerleaguer: This was the Jayson Werth game, not only for the two home runs, but for a couple great plays in the field. Werth is making better contact than anyone in the lineup right now, slugging .633 and staying consistent basically since the opening whistle. Nelson Figueroa earns second-star honors for an effective emergency start: five innings, two runs, laboring at times, but performing about as well as one could realistically expect. However, one could make a good argument that the game was decided by four wicked innings by Chad Durbin, Jose Contreras and Ryan Madson, highlighted by Contreras striking out the side in the eighth. It would appear the Phillies have hit the mark with the Contreras experiment.

If I were to make one more observation, it would be that the Phillies clearly miss the added threat of Jimmy Rollins. Juan Castro, who left the game for precautionary reasons with a tight hammy, has done a nice job filling in, but Rollins has the ability to carry the offense on his back the way Werth did last night. They definitely miss him; their run production has dipped ever since he's gone on the DL. Shane Victorino looks shockingly out of place the way he's selecting pitches. He looks like a seven-hole hitter frankly. Maybe it's time for Charlie Manuel to try something different.

Notes: Wilson Valdez is expected to start at short today. Castro's injury is not considered serious.

Game chat: Figueroa comes full circle or something

Drafted by the Mets, then traded to the Diamondbacks, then traded to the Phillies, then falling into obscurity, then resurrecting his career with the Mets, then claimed off waivers by the Phillies, Nelson Figueroa comes face-to-face with his past tonight when the Phils and Diamondbacks square off at Chase Field. If this was July 26 and not April 24, the Curt Schilling trade would have occurred 10 years ago to the day. Spooky.

Phils succumb to more consistently inconsistent Cole

Able to retire nine of the first 10 batters he faced, Cole Hamels suddenly and without warning melted down in a three-homer, five-run fourth, finishing with a career-worst four homers allowed in a 7-4 loss to Arizona. Readers break it down.

"Hamels pitches one good game and everyone gets on a 'Cole is back' kick. The reality has been that for the last year and this year to date, Hamel's will pitch some good games, some bad games, and some mediocre games. He's consistently inconsistent. I don't see him as a top of the rotation pitcher that others see him as and I haven't since last season when I thought the hitters basically caught up to his pitching style. That is another reason I felt it was so dumb to trade Lee away - a pitcher who is more able to have more good games than bad ones." - PhilliesDude

"Hamels problem was that he just wasn't able to locate his fastball reliably enough, especially on the inside corner. Every homer that Hamels gave up was almost in the same exact spot (belt high on the outer third of the plate). Three homers came on 4-seem fastballs and one on his cutter that didn't do much cutting against LaRoche. Look on Cholly's face after he gave up the opposite-field homer to Johnson in the fifth was one of pure disgust. You don't see that often from Cholly." - MG

Notes: J.C. Romero made his debut in the 7th and promptly surrendered a home run and a walk. Hitting 87-88 on the gun, the Phillies didn't like what they saw and quickly pulled him. ... As MG noted in the game thread, Hamels only threw 16 change-ups compared to 21 cutters/curveballs. He also threw first-pitch strikes in less than 50 percent of his chances. ... Chase Utley and Ryan Howard went 0-for-8; Howard has been off since the Washington series.

Game chat: Cole seeks consistency in Arizona opener

Hoping to build on an eight-inning gem against Florida, Cole Hamels (2-1, 3.86) toes the slab in the first of three from Arizona. Former Phillies reclamation project Kris Benson (0-1, 3.00) goes for the Snakes.

Meanwhile back east, Joe Blanton, making his second rehab start, allowed four hits and struck out three over three shutout innings for the Reading Phillies, working out of a first and third jam in the third, using a pick-off at first and two strikeouts. Then, Brad Lidge followed, allowing a hit, a walk, but no runs, in a 20-pitch inning. Needless to say, it would appear both right-handers are on the verge of returning. [Jump to the newest comments]

Friday: Moyer, Phils take series with comfortable win

Jamie Moyer allowed two runs, none earned, over six strong innings as the Phillies took two of three from the Braves. Philadelphia starters did not allow an earned run the entire series.

Moyer, who walks a fine line with his location in each of his starts, found himself on the right side of the black last night, striking out four and walking two, outwitting the Braves with a wizard’s brew of off-speed junk. It was more than the weak-hitting Braves could handle, including 20-year-old super-rookie Jason Heyward, who struck out looking with men on second and third in the sixth. Really, it was the futility of the Braves on the whole that stood out in yesterday’s decider: sloppy defense, no hitting, and the stone-cold realization that Derek Lowe no longer has it.

Subtract Ryan Madson and the Phillies had themselves one heck of a set, punctuated by Roy Halladay’s complete game and garnished by some nifty glovework. It was also refreshing to see the Phils produce without the long ball and get a couple of sharp performances off the bench, including a two-hit night for Greg Dobbs starting at third (he looked good at third, too) and Juan Castro’s three-hit outburst. Ross Gload also delivered a pinch RBI late in the game.

Game chat: Phillies free J.C. from the disabled list

The team has announced several moves leading up to tonight's game. 

J.C. Romero has been activated from the disabled list, J.A. Happ has been placed on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to April 16 with a strained forearm and the club announced that Nelson Figueroa will have the ball Saturday in Arizona. Happ, who first spoke out on the injury after his start against the Nationals, tried throwing this afternoon, but the session was cut short. Meanwhile, the Phillies and Braves - considered the early front-runners to contend for the division title, wrap up their exciting series tonight with veterans Jamie Moyer and Derek Lowe making their case.

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Report: Carpenter scratched from his start in AAA

Phuture Phillies is reporting that right-handed starter Drew Carpenter will not pitch today’s game for the IronPigs, suggesting that he could join the Phillies for their series with Arizona. With J.A. Happ’s injury, the Phils need a starter for Saturday. Carpenter could either start or possibly back up Nelson Figueroa in the 'pen. Or it could signal a trip to the DL for Happ.

Minor transaction: Phillies sign C Torre Langley

Named after Joe Torre, the diminutive 22-year-old backstop and former high school star was a third-round pick of the Marlins in the 2006 draft. The move was first reported by Baseball America.

The 5-9, 175-pound catcher had been a disappointment in his short career, never making it higher than Class-A Greenboro and compiling a .222/.250/.337 in 854 career plate appearances, with traces of pop, but no speed. He was released by Florida earlier this month. A member of the USA Baseball Junior National Team in 2005, he’s always been a highly regarded defender. Baseball America rated his arm and overall defense as the best in the country among high school players in 2006. For the Phillies, he’ll most likely serve a back-up role somewhere in the low minors.

The Phillies have added and subtracted an absolute ton of minor league catching this off-season as they try to piece together what has arguably become the weakest position in the entire chain. With the trade of top-rated catcher Travis d’Arnaud to Toronto, don’t be surprised if the Phillies burn their first June pick on a catcher, perhaps even a proven college commodity.

Braves meet the beast; Halladay proving his worth

Aided by spectacular glovework, Roy Halladay improved to a league-best 4-0, going the distance in the Phils’ 2-0 shutout over Atlanta.

The hoop Ruben Amaro jumped through to bring Halladay to Philadelphia, which became a burning ring of fire when the city found out it would cost them Cliff Lee, is starting to be seen the way it was intended: as a gateway to years and years of prosperity. That’s the sentiment being felt in Philadelphia after another face-melter from the Phillies’ ace. Making 113 pitches – each with its own valid purpose –  the right-hander improved to 4-0 with his 16th career shutout. Halladay has become the bullpen’s best bud (and friend to those with early bed times). “I got this,” is what he says to the Phillies every fifth day. “They were all down there eating peanuts," answered Charlie Manuel when asked if he had considered getting the bullpen ready for the ninth. With any other pitcher, the Phillies would have been clinging to a 2-0 lead, but with Doc, it's time to eat peanuts.

As if he wasn’t impervious enough, the defense put up an impenetrable force field. Shane Victorino robbed Troy Glaus of a homer in the second, Chase Utley and Juan Castro combined on an adrenaline-rush 4-6-3 and Ryan Howard made a crucial stab in the ninth. Overall, it might have been the big man's best defensive effort yet, as Howard also made an acrobatic stretch on a brilliant play in the 5th, in addition to reaching to complete the double play. Mix in a workman’s amount of timely hitting and this was Phillies baseball at its finest.

Game chat: Halladay, Hudson have at it in Atlanta

The Phillies are counting on Roy Halladay (3-0, 1.13) to snap their three-game slide when they continue their series with right-hander Tim Hudson (1-0, 2.84) and the Braves tonight.

Preview: Lately, the rotation and bullpen have been trending in opposite directions, with the starting five passing the bullpen in most categories, including ERA (3.66 rotation / 4.34 bullpen) and the number of walks-per-innings pitched (22 walks over 78 2-3 innings for the rotation, which leads the league, compared to 15 in 37 1-3 innings for the 'pen). Halladay is obviously the key to their success, averaging eight innings in his first three starts. ... While most of the bench is off to a quiet start, maligned-by-Beerleaguer reservist Juan Castro has been a pleasant surprise at short, showcasing a reliable glove and arm while going 8-for-25 (.320) at the dish. He's in the lineup again tonight, meaning recent call-up Wilson Valdez will again wait to take his first official cut with the Phils. ... Placido Polanco stayed ahead of Martin Prado for the National League lead in hits (23) by matching Prado's 2-hit night. With all due respect to Chase Utley, Polly's hot start is one of the stories of the season, and reminiscent of Raul's sizzling debut a year ago. With Jimmy Rollins reeling, the Phillies hope it will continue.

Injury updates: Brad Lidge joins Lehigh Valley for a rehab appearance tomorrow. Joe Blanton will start for Reading on Friday night.

9th-inning paradox makes Madson a maddening case

Ryan Madson has never seized the closer role, despite wielding one of the most unhittable pitches in baseball.

If only it was as simple as leveraging one of the game’s best change-ups with high-90s cheese. But stuff, in the words of every reliever, pitching coach and manager, only takes you so far. The mental part of the game is why so few closers last, and why only a handful stay consistent enough to be counted among the elite. The unfortunate results bear out Madson’s inconsistencies balancing on the ninth-inning ledge. Things like command and ability to make first-pitch strikes, ever-present in his traditional set-up role, go missing; location was the chief culprit last night. And unlike closers with a bread-and-butter pitch (Rivera’s cutter, Lidge’s slider, Hoffman’s change-up), the ninth inning becomes a tedious experiment between several pitches, despite the highest swing-and-miss percentage in the league two years ago with his change-up.

Notes: It’s a crying shame it had to happen because the day should belong to Kyle Kendrick, who forced the issue with first-pitch strikes and went old school by pounding the sinker. It also ruined an opportunity to discuss some of the excellent hitting by Chase Utley and Placido Polanco.

Braves use 3 bombs to blow apart Phillies' 'pen in 10

For the second game in a row, the Phillies exchanged a win for a bounce-back performance from a starter. Only this was different.

One out before Kyle Kendrick's longest outing since Oakland '08 went into the books as a win, Ryan Madson blew a 3-0 lead on back-to-back homers by Troy Glaus - a two-run shot - and Jason Heyward, letting the game slip into extras, where Nate McLouth won it with a lead-off homer off Jose Contreras. Until the rally, the Braves were stymied by Kendrick, who surrendered just four hits and forced 16 grounders in a miraculous turnaround from his previous outing, proving that anything is possible in the game of baseball. A comforting thought as the Phillies add another case file to the catalog of evidence that strongly suggests Madson can't handle the ninth. More tomorrow ...

Game chat: Kendrick tries to get on track in Atlanta

Coming off a horrendous start against Washington, Kyle Kendrick (0-0, 17.47) tries to recapture some of his past success against Tommy Hanson (1-1, 2.38) and the Braves in the first of three from Atlanta.

Preview: A lack of healthy bodies and shortage of depth are keeping Kendrick, who was originally ticketed for the bullpen, in the starting rotation. His location has been an issue, and left-handed batters are hitting an ungodly .563 against him. He's had good success against Atlanta in the past, but will have his work cut out for him against left-handed sluggers Brian McCann, who kills the Phillies, and rookie sensation Jason Heyward. What to watch: Chase Utley's base-running continues to be one of the more underrated assets to the lineup, a point hammered home by Jayson Werth's costly base-running mistake on Sunday. Meanwhile, Ryan Howard's early struggles with the glove qualify as the season's most underrated deficiency. Howard has reportedly been putting in extra practice reps at first with infield coach Sam Perlozzo. Ibanez: Even though it's still mid April, there have been murmurs as to whether slumping 37 year old Raul Ibanez has finally hit the wall. Ibanez, who's hitting .171 and has basically been in an unproductive lull since last June, is back in the lineup tonight trying to snap an 0-for-12 skid. Happ update: Twitter reports didn't sound encouraging as injured left-hander J.A. Happ compared his current elbow strain with the one that lingered all throughout 2007.

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Beer nuts: Phillies’ pitchers passing in the night

J.A. Happ is out, at least for one start, while Brad Lidge, J.C. Romero and Joe Blanton are making their way back in.

The big news yesterday was the announcement that Happ will miss tomorrow’s start with a very mild flexor tendon strain, which will be tested in a bullpen session scheduled for Thursday. The injury means two-fifths of their projected Opening Day rotation is MIA, including Blanton, who is ahead of schedule following an oblique injury. The right-hander makes the first of three scheduled rehab starts beginning tonight in Lakewood. In the meantime, the Phils are playing with the hand they’ve been dealt, sticking with Kyle Kendrick to open tonight in Atlanta, followed by Roy Halladay and Jamie Moyer. Cole Hamels opens Friday in Arizona, then the Phillies will need an emergency starter for Saturday, with Nelson Figueroa the most likely candidate. If the Phils are forced to use Figgy in long relief leading up to Saturday, they’ll need to get creative. The Phils are extremely thin at the high levels, but have the luxury of having a couple of starters – Drew Carpenter, Yohan Flande, Drew Naylor, Jesus Sanchez – already on the 40-man roster.

Meanwhile, help could be on the way in the bullpen. Very quietly, Lidge has pitched in two strong outings in a row, including a nine-pitch 1-2-3 inning yesterday for Clearwater. His next stop could be Reading. Higher up the chain, Romero made his fourth appearance last night in Lehigh Valley and struggled with his location, throwing only six of his 19 pitches for strikes and also uncorked a wild pitch in a losing effort. Otherwise, Romero has posted positive results during his rehab journey.

Cosart: Down on the farm, keep your eye on 19-year-old Jarred Cosart. The right-hander struck out 10 over six shutout innings yesterday for Lakewood and is off to a scorching start, going 3-0 with a 24/3 K/BB ratio in three starts. It’s very possible that by the end of the season, Cosart, who is already highly regarded by the Phillies – could rate as the top pitching prospect in the chain, if he isn't there already.

Beerleaguer is on Twitter. Follow me at twitter.com/beerleaguer.

Brown injured: Mike Drago has an update on the head injury that has kept Domonic Brown out of the last three games. [Link]

Monday: Phillies’ bats go cold in 'productive loss'

Some people would trade the win for this kind of refreshing performance from Cole Hamels.

The “a-ha” moment for Hamels came in the top of the third after the pitcher, Nate Robertson, roped a double into the gap. From that point forward, the left-hander became boorish with his fastball, buzzing Cameron Maybin’s tower with the next pitch, serving warning that the safest place for Marlins hitters would be back on their heels. With better movement and location than we’ve seen in a long time, Hamels’ previously flat fastball, and repertoire reminiscent of the glory days in 2008, guided him to a spectacular 8-strikeout, 0-walk loss in the series decider. Let it serve as a template for future starts. (Scouts, who recently told Jayson Stark that he's nothing but a middle-of-the-road starter if he continues to favor the cutter over changing eye levels and mixing in the curve, would agree).

So where were the bats? For starters, scoring was at a premium on both sides – for the last two games really - as strong winds continued to rush in from left field, zapping the power game. The Phillies couldn’t get it going against Robertson, who is something of an unknown quantity, and a lefty; Chase Utley and Ryan Howard went hitless. And when runners did get aboard, it was usually ahead of Hamels, who stranded five. Overall, the conditions favored pitching the last two games. Take away Jamie Moyer’s first inning, and all four pitchers capitalized.

Werth’s no-go: I like the chances of a poor throw better than Hamels knocking in the run. It looked like Maybin’s hesitation caused Werth to double back, or it’s possible Werth thought it would drop in and he was caught off guard. In any event, he should have been prepared to dart home once Chooch lifted the ball to the outfield with the pitcher on deck. It was borderline deep enough.

MG sounds off on Madson, bench, Ibanez: “Why is Madson throwing more cutters and curveballs and less 4-seem fastball and change-ups? Gave up that double to Uggla on a piss-poor cutter that was dead-center about waist-high. Any semi-decent hitter is going to get a good hack at that pitch. It is almost like Madson forgot what made him a better reliever starting in late 2008. ... Gload and Dobbs looked feeble in the ninth and the bench is now 1-12 in pinch hits. Hard to take good hacks though against a guy like Nunez when you have seen more playing time in 2+ weeks. On Ibanez, he took two pitches and wound up looking about as badly as you could against a change-up. I doubt that Francisco gets a start in the Braves' series because of the right-handed starters (Hanson, Hudson, & Lowe) but Ibanez is in a pretty deep funk at the plate and has terrible career numbers vs. Lowe (2-25, 2 HRs).”

Game chat: Under early scrutiny, Hamels goes again

Cole Hamels (2-0, 5.06) makes his third start when the Phillies and Marlins play the deciding game of their three-game set today at 1:35. Nate Robertson (1-0, 3.60) is on the hill for the Fish.

Preview: The Phillies have listed Kyle Kendrick as Tuesday's starter in Atlanta, but have yet to determine their rotation beyond that. ... Ben Francisco replaces Raul Ibanez this afternoon in left field; Ibanez is hitless in his last 11 at bats. He also does not have good numbers against Robertson, while Francisco has him in his book. Carlos Ruiz also returns behind the plate. ... The Phillies are hoping Hamels can step up to become the reliable top-of-the-rotation compliment to Roy Halladay and bookend this series with a pair of wins.

Bullpen help on the way? Keep your eye on this folks: Left-handed bullpen sponge Jake Woods was released to make room for veteran Oscar Villarreal, who is attempting to comeback from Tommy John surgery and other setbacks. Villarreal, 29, had some success early in his career as a back-end reliever, but has been ineffective since 2007 with Atlanta. He did not pitch in the majors last season. He signed a minor league deal with the Phillies this offseason.

Meanwhile, Mike Drago reports that Scott Mathieson, also making his way back from Tommy John, has been lights out at Lehigh Valley, where he has allowed just three hits and no runs over six innings. Phillies GM Ruben Amaro has said he thinks the right-handed dart-thrower can help the Phils' bullpen at some point this season. (And get this: Anthony Hewitt, Philadelphia's No. 1 pick in 2008, is off to a fast start with a pair of HRs and a .423 batting average - second-best in the organization - in his first seven games at Lakewood, Drago reports. Good news there as well.)

The Phillies have also reportedly been seen scouting the Blue Jays, with the thought that they may be trying to land left-handed veteran Scott Downs.

Forearm soreness could force Happ from next start

CSNPhilly's Jim Salisbury reports that the Phillies are facing another setback in their rotation, a tender left forearm that could keep J.A. Happ from taking his next scheduled turn on Wednesday. [Link]

If not for this developing situation, the Phillies, still nursing Joe Blanton back to health, might have considered skipping Kyle Kendrick's start on Tuesday and moving Happ's slot up a day, which would keep him on regular rest thanks to Monday's day off. But that option would appear to be out the door, and the Phils are hoping that's the only setback they'll suffer. The extent of Happ's injury is still uncertain, with Charlie Manuel only disclosing that his forearm is "a little stiff" and that more will be known in the coming days. Early season arm stiffness is fairly common, but could also signal deeper elbow issues, as was the case with J.C. Romero.

Aside from Roy Halladay, the rotation has been nothing to write home about, including Happ, whose spotless ERA doesn't tell a true story of his performance. Conversely, Jamie Moyer (7.50) has actually pitched better than his lines suggest, victimized by one bad inning once again and little bad luck. Moyer surrendered five runs in the first inning, ending up on the wrong side of a pair of seeing-eye hits and Ronny Paulino dropping a good swing on an inside fastball. But after that, Moyer settled in very nicely, allowing two hits and striking out seven over five scoreless innings. He would have pitched the seventh had the Phillies not been desperate for runs. Still, by gutting it out, he helped preserve an already taxed bullpen; Nelson Figueroa and Chad Durbin finished up with three strong frames. Offensively, the Phils had no answer for underrated right-hander Ricky Nolasco, who went the distance in a 5-1 gem.

We're back later today with a rubber match preview and thoughts on a big April game for Cole Hamels.

Saturday chat: An embarrassment of riches for Phils

The 8-2 Phillies reasserted themselves as the class of the league with an 8-6 victory over Florida. They'll hand it off to Jamie Moyer tonight in the second game.

Preview: The leaderboards tell the tale of the Phillies' total domination, not just the standings, but individual performances. Chase Utley, who has homered in four-straight games, leads the league with six homers and a 1.405 OPS. Placido Polanco ranks third in batting average (.444) and is tied with Utley for the league lead in runs (14). Ryan Howard is one back of Matt Kemp's RBI pace with 14 base knocks. Meanwhile, last night's winner, Roy Halladay (3-0), has taken the early lead in strikeouts (21) for an ungodly 21/2 K/BB ratio. And true to form, J.A. Happ, despite some bad peripheral stats (5/8 K/BB) and a pair of ho-hum five-plus inning starts, sits atop the leaderboards with a 0.00 ERA, much to the chagrin of Keith Law. Just an out-of-this-world month by the hometown nine, led by a Rollins-less offense that has shown no signs of slowing. Utley has been on the MVP perimeter for some time, and it's obviously too soon to discuss it, but I'm beginning to think his time has come.

Game chat: Doc checks in to Philadelphia tonight

Roy Halladay (0-2, 0.56) makes his Citizens Bank Park debut tonight when the Phillies open a weekend set with Anibal Sanchez (0-0, 6.00) and the Marlins. First pitch is 7:05.

Notes: Injury updates to pass along: J.C. Romero will make his fourth rehab appearance tonight at Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Brad Lidge will remain in Clearwater and make his fourth rehab appearance tomorrow against Lakeland. Meanwhile, Joe Blanton tossed a bullpen session before tonight's game and will make a rehab start Tuesday. If all goes well, he is reportedly expected to make one more after that. ... Turning to the field, the 7-2 Phillies are hoping to snap their one-game slide and will turn to Halladay, who went the distance in a dominant 2-1 win over Houston in his last start. ... Lineups are set and they're the same as last night. AccuWeather is calling for a sprinkle or two, so settle in.

Scouting report: Has Freddy flipped the switch?

The first of many Beerleaguer exclusive updates this season from Reading Eagle cohort and R-Phils scribe Mike Drago.

Domonic Brown: "Haven't seen any power yet, but overall he looks like a better player than the one who arrived in Reading last August. He's physically stronger, playing the outfield much better and making more contact. Still going to the left side with a lot of his hits, which is a surprise, Charlie Manuel worked with him during the spring in an attempt to get him to drive the ball to the gaps more. Haven't seen the result of that yet. He's wearing the "prospect" tag very well; all the extra attention isn't bothering him a bit, which is a good sign."

Freddy Galvis: "The kid is an acrobat at short, similar to one his heros and countryman, Luis Aparicio. He's worth the price of admission just to watch him play in the field. Even better, he's hitting the ball! Didn't think we'd see that so soon, if at all, but he has struck out just once in 31 at-bats, is making consistent, solid contact, and doesn't seem at all overmatched by Double-A pitchers. That's great news because he's only 20, and he came into the season with a .234 career batting average."

Tyson Gillies: "Hasn't hit yet; obviously struggling at this level, with 10 strikeouts in eight games. But the guy can absolutely fly. Gets down the line as fast as Michael Bourn, Greg Golson, Reggie Taylor -- any of those guys. Looks promising in the field, too. He made an incredible catch at the base of the wall in center the other night, with his back turned completely to home plate, ala Willie Mays."

Phillippe Aumont: "It's harder to get a feel for the pitchers at this point, because they've only thrown a few times each. Aumont was better in his second start than his first, with more velocity and a better curve. But he's been inconsistent, and wild. If you didn't know he was a former No. 1 pick, he wouldn't jump out at you, other than the fact that he's 6-7. But we'll have to be patient here. He pitched exclusively out of the bullpen last year."

Vance Worley: "Just doesn't look like the same guy who was so impressive early last year. He had a knee injury which he pitched through last summer, but it affected his game. Not sure what the problem is now, but he looks tentative out there."

Mike Stutes: "The switch to the bullpen suits him. He hasn't been dominant, with more walks than strikeouts, but he's only surrendered one hit in five innings. Definitely could help the Phillies down the line as a seventh-inning guy, but might not become as good as Madson. Doesn't have the same size or power."

Yohan Flande: "An under-the-radar type guy, because he doesn't throw hard, but he had the changeup working the other night, and allowed just one hit in six innings. Pitches again tonight. Not sure where he fits in down the line, but he has some promise. Just not sure if it's as a starter, or how he might be out of the pen, not being much of a strikeout guy."

Read Mike Drago's Reading Phillies coverage every day in the Reading Eagle and ReadingEagle.com.

Friday: Phillies’ bullpen can’t hold down Nationals

Ryan Zimmerman muscled a pinch-hit homer the opposite way for the go-ahead run, as the Nationals put up six runs against the Phillies’ bullpen, which had allowed four runs total in the first eight games.

Beerleaguer: Danys Baez’s bad body language is what stood out most. The book on Baez is that he’s prone to mini-meltdowns, which is what I think we saw yesterday. The bullpen, including Antonio Bastado (1 ER) and Ryan Madson (2 ER) left the door open a little too wide and the opportunistic, desperate Nationals took advantage. Meanwhile, the Phillies had their chances, but couldn’t put all the pieces together. Usually, we don’t say things like "a team wanted it more," but I thought it was somewhat applicable in yesterday’s contest, even though the Phillies battled to the end, as usual.

Game chat: Phillies set their sights on another sweep

Left-handers J.A. Happ and Scott Olsen are scheduled when the Phils and Nats wrap up this afternoon. The Phils will also get their 2009 National League rings and honor Jackie Robinson Day.

Pinch me: From Iceman during last night's game thread: "My father has cried twice in front of me during my life (his own father dying, and at the death of his brother, who died serving overseas). That's it. Never in the 25 years I've known him. Tonight, he sat on the couch with my mom and brothers, after Utley's first homer, he very obviously welled up. He didn't draw attention to it, but once I saw him, everyone turned their heads looking for an explanation. First, he told us to go to hell. Then after enough 'Cmon, Dad's' from my younger brothers, he says 'You cannot possibly imagine what a pleasure and a privilege it is to watch this team. I have seen 95 percent of all Phillies games since 1960 and it has mostly been a death sentence; 1980 was great, but it is nothing compared to what's being built up now. These guys play with a personality that is exactly fit for this town, and it's a personaility that is not necessarily a will to win any more than it is a refusal to lose. I've just ... I've never seen anything like it, and I never thought I'd see the day where the Phillies are actually taken seriously."

Beer nuts: Cast your ballot for top Phillies bars

A hodgepodge of topics taking you up to game time.

Last week, Beerleaguer was asked by iSportacus to participate in a panel ranking the top 10 Phillies bars. Despite the branding of this space, I’m no bar fly, but I happily stuffed the ballot box on behalf of my favorite neighborhood watering hole, McMenamin’s in Mt. Airy, which has a terrific little beer selection and killer Black Angus burgers. McMenamin’s rated third in the final iSportacus poll. Now, readers can rate their favorites. Vote here.

Minor news: Mike Drago of the Reading Eagle reports that converted starter Mike Stutes has allowed just one hit over five innings and three relief appearances, although he has walked four. Phillippe Aumont, who pitched to a no-decision in yesterday’s match-up with Kyle Drabek, had better velocity and a better curve than his debut, but he was a wild, Drago reports. The Phillies improved to 5-2 with the 7-3 victory. Elsewhere, the IronPigs fell to 2-5 on the season, losing to Rochester in the home opener. Night-and-day difference in the appeal of the Double and Triple-A squads. The Phils made a couple of moves to deal with the ripple effect of the Jimmy Rollins injury. Infielder Melvin Dorta was promoted to Triple-A, and Keoni DeRenne was recalled to Reading from Lakewood.

Phils endure pathetic start, pound hapless Nats 14-7

The beatdown of the lowly Nationals continued, but not before a packed house got to see some of the worst starting pitching they’ll ever experience.

What can you say about Kyle Kendrick? There’s just not enough there. Don’t know that I’ve seen a pitcher look less comfortable up 0-2 in the count. There’s nothing in his bag of tricks capable of keeping a lefty at bay. Adam Kennedy’s bases-clearing double in the first came off the “out-pitch” change-up we’d been hearing about, the one he worked on last season in Triple-A. It was a brutal, brutal thing to behold, the kind of pitch hitters dream about, the kind rarely seen above Double-A. He’s afraid to pitch to contact, too, which was never the case in 2007. Maybe it’s time to get back to basics with the sinker and focus on moving the fastball in and out of the zone. It worked in the past. Thing is, Kendrick could be out of chances. The Phillies have the option of skipping over Kendrick’s turn and starting J.A. Happ on normal rest Tuesday at Atlanta. That means Kendrick’s turn won’t come until sometime next weekend, which could allow enough time for Joe Blanton to get back on his feet. Plus, Nelson Figueroa has made a compelling case.

Saving Kendrick from total humiliation was the fact that Craig Stammen was even worse. Loved the part where the pitching coach came out for the second time to settle down his pitcher after Polanco jerked a double to left, then Stammen immediately grooved a fastball right into Chase Utley’s wheelhouse. Wham. Was that the plan?

Beggars can’t be chossers when your team is 7-1, which ties a franchise record. They’re doing exactly what they have to do against an inferior team, thanks in large part to big nights by Utley and Shane Victorino, who combined for three homers and nine RBIs. But I’ll be anxious to close the curtain on Washington for a while and see stiffs like Stammen, Jason Bergmann and Tyler Clippard exit stage right.

“Victorio had nearly as many base hits tonight (4) as he has had all season (4) and saw more pitches (29 in 5 ABs) than he had in the past 2 games (23 pitches in 8 ABs). Just looked much more comfortable at the top of the lineup. ... Chicks and fans may dig the long ball but it is the bullpen that has been the bedrock o this team in the early going especially with the lousy starting pitching they have gotten except Halladay. Nats lousy bullpen bleed oil all night long.” – MG

Rollins goes on the DL; Valdez summoned from AAA

Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. believes it will take 2-to-4 weeks for shortstop Jimmy Rollins to recover from a strained right calf. Amaro called it a "mild to moderate strain."

Beerleaguer: The timetable is somewhat encouraging, but I would be shocked if it doesn't take Rollins the better part of the summer to get his legs all the way back under him based on how long its taken teammates who've had this same injury. It's good that he's off his feet sooner rather than later, and with the Phillies expected to make another strong run at the World Series, this needs to be handled with care. It's my understanding that there's a very high risk of reinjury if you push it. A Grade 1/2 strain means there could be partial tearing, and I understand Rollins had some muscle bleeding. It's just unbelievable to me considering it was sustained during innocuous warm-up drills. It’s a crying shame, too, since J-Roll came out like a house of fire to begin the ’10 campaign. Offensively, they'll endure, but the lineup will immediately feel weaker 7-8-9 with Victorino likely to slide up. The defense is where they'll take the biggest hit. Wilson Valdez, whose contract will be purchased, started 23 games at short with the Mets in place of Jose Reyes last season. A veteran of parts of four Major League seasons, he was 10-for-22 with Lehigh Valley. The Phillies like him, but Juan Castro, who does not have the range he once did, and Shane Victorino, still adapting to the No. 7 spot, will be the ones to replace J-Roll at short and in the lead-off spot, respectively.

Update: The Phillies released an official statement: “We believe it to be a mild to moderate strain and we’re hopeful it will be a two-to-four week recovery,” said Amaro. “As in all of our injuries, precautions will be taken so that Jimmy is 100% when he returns to the field.”

Game chat: Let's keep it here since this news figures to dominate the discussion. Craig Stammen and Kyle Kendrick duel tonight at 7:05. Meh.

Castro’s soft hands ready to give warm embrace

While the Phillies deliberate Jimmy Rollins’ pulled calf, let’s get reacquainted with the backup plan.

“Soft hands.” You’ve seen this used in tandem with other terms. “Student of the game” comes to mind. There’s an unfortunate truth about jargon like this: it’s used to dress up a pig. Juan Castro is deceptively older than former Eric Bruntlett back-up Miguel Cairo and has washed out at the Major League level just as many times. Despite receiving the “soft hands” endorsement from Larry Bowa, Chris Wheeler and others, he’s a soon-to-be-38, flat-footed dire downgrade from J-Roll who kept his career alive by pulling a .277/.311/.339 from his rear end in 121 plate appearances with LA. My scouting sources say he has Ross Gload speed. Yet, the Phillies were motivated enough to sign him to a $900K Major League deal very early this spring. Then, as if they thought better of it, signed a couple of quad-A types in Wilson Valdez and Cody Ransom to minor league deals, younger players who might possibly have more to offer than Castro at this stage of the game. Jim Salisbury reported yesterday that Valdez, who will be 32 in May, impressed the Phillies this spring. He’s off to a good start in Lehigh Valley, hitting .455/.520/.455 with two stolen bases in the early going. The club has also stashed shortstop Brian Bocock on the 40-man roster. Bocock, a light-hitting 25-year-old, opened the season as Lehigh’s regular shortstop, with Valdez spending time at second.

Costanzo lands across the river: Archbishop Carroll graduate and 2005 Phillies second-round pick Mike Costanzo has signed with the independent Camden Riversharks.

Reports: Phillies will decide on Rollins tomorrow

Jimmy Rollins underwent an MRI on his injured calf today, the results are under review and the Phillies will make a determination tomorrow as a group, according to a media statement from GM Ruben Amaro Jr.

Television footage of the J-Roll exiting a car today was not encouraging. The Phillies shortstop was heavily booted with a soft cast and moving very slowly. He declined comment to WPVI-TV camera crews. A trip to the DL would certainly seem probable based on the tone surrounding the team and those closely monitoring the situation. Roster replacements could include minor league infielders Cody Ransom, Brian Bocock or Wilson Valdez, who had a strong spring, is off to a good start in Lehigh Valley and reportedly impressed the club. The benefit to Bocock is that he's already on the 40-man roster. In all likelihood, Juan Castro, who replaced J-Roll in yesterday's game, would get the lion's share of action.

Rollins, 30, is off to an electric start out of the lead-off hole, hitting .391/.519/.739 with a homer, two stolen bases and seven walks.

Notes: Negotiations between Pedro, Phils continue

A rundown of today's top stories, including the possible mid-season return of a three-time Cy Young winner and Beerleaguer playing the role of conspiracy theorist.

Pedro: General Manager Ruben Amaro Jr. told ESPN Deportes' Will Gonzalez yesterday that the Phillies are negotiating with Pedro Martinez about another midseason return. The two sides have kept in contact this entire offseason, the last reported update occurring in late January when Amaro acknowledged a mutual interest, but differences in terms of what the two sides expected out of the arrangement.

Rollins: According to the Phillies, Jimmy Rollins suffered a calf injury during warm-ups and was a late scratch before yesterday’s home opener. That’s the official story. The unofficial word, according to speculation that swirled during and after the game – including the Comcast postgame - was that J-Roll was late to the park again. That story can be traced back to at least one reputable source, CBS3.com, who sent out an alert saying "Jimmy Rollins Late, Scratched From Phillies' Lineup" minutes into the game.

Rollins, who appeared fine in pre-game warm-ups and during the opening ceremony, wasn’t available to the media to discuss the severity of the injury, which will be determined by an MRI today. The late scratch, occurring after lineups were officially announced, meant the Phillies were short a player off the bench. Juan Castro got the start and produced a mixed bag, bobbling a fairly routine play at short, but also pounding a key two-run double into the gap in deep left center. The 6-1 Phillies roared back from a 4-0 deficit to beat Washington 7-4, their best start since the 1993 season.

It’s worth mentioning that Rollins had been scheduled to appear in a Red Bull promo today, which has now been postponed. Last week, the Phillies shortstop appeared on Dan Patrick’s national radio show and was asked his take on why the Phillies traded Cliff Lee. "I have no idea," Rollins said. "I'm sure we could afford him (Lee). We turned nearly four million people through the turnstiles last year. I don't know. You should have (Phillies GM) Ruben (Amaro) on here."

Something stinks. I don't know what. When I know, I'll be sure pass it along. Be that as it may, the aftermath of this isn't to be taken lightly. Rollins, who is off to a hot start, took months to recover from a high ankle sprain that sidelined him in early '08 and calf injuries can be very tough to mend. Depending on the outcome, this could linger deep into the summer.

Werth: Jayson Werth was removed from the game for precautionary reasons with some kind of hip injury, but it doesn’t sounds serious.

Hamels: All things considered, Cole Hamels was slightly better than his last start despite more middling results (5 2-3 innings, 4 ER, 6 K, 1 BB). He had better control and appeared to have slightly better stuff, including a couple of good curveballs mixed with a couple not-so-good curveballs. Actually, the thing that bugs me most is that his fastball is so true. It never had much movement to begin with, even in 2008, but now there’s absolutely none. He can't afford to miss with it even by a hair. And is it me, or does his delivery seem more fluid than it used to be? I guess that’s a good thing, but I wonder if it’s zapped away some of the deception ...

Other notes: The bullpen earned Chevrolet Player of the Game honors as a group for 3 1-3 shutout innings, with Ryan Madson pitching a standout ninth for his second save.

Unsung heroes in bullpen given an early breather

Following shorter-than-average starts in three of the first five games, the Phillies' bullpen was rewarded with the day off yesterday.

Roy Halladay will be the gift that keeps on giving every fifth day for the Phillies bullpen, but after just six games, the remuneration was well earned. In 17 innings, the reconfigured 'pen has performed to a 1.59 ERA and 15/5 K/BB, including encouraging signs from rookies David Herndon and Antonio Bastardo. Observationally, middle relievers Danys Baez, Jose Contreras and Chad Durbin have shown a lot of life on their pitches, while Ryan Madson has taken successful baby steps in assuming a closer role that’s starting to look like it will be his to lose.

Notes: Staying with the bullpen theme, Mike Drago of the Reading Eagle reports the bullpen continues to be a source of concern in Double-A. B.J. Rosenberg lost a 2-0 lead in the seventh Sunday, giving the Phillies their second blown save in three days. Overall, Reading’s relievers have allowed 11 runs in 14 innings, including six homers. ... In Allentown, infielder Wilson Valdez has carried his strong spring into the season with a 9-for-19 so far and multi-hit games in each of the first four games, reports Jeff Schuler for the Morning Call. If Juan Castro continues to sit around and collect dust, the Phils would be wise to swap in Valdez at some point; to my eyes, he already looks like a more dynamic option than Castro. ... Davey Lopes has rejoined the Phillies after missing the first six games following the death of his brother. ... Game chat coming up shortly.

Update: Rosenberg has been placed on the 15-day DL with a right lat strain.

Poll: What is the best story from opening week?

Doc goes the distance; Phillies complete sweep

Roy Halladay held Houston to one unearned run en route to his 150th career win and 50th complete game as the Phillies outlasted Roy Oswalt and the Astros 2-1 this afternoon.

Beerleaguer: Phillies emerge on the winning side of an enjoyable pitching duel against the best pitcher they faced this season, managing a season-low six hits against a very sharp Oswalt in support of their own ace right-hander. Jimmy Rollins put the Phillies on the board with a lead-off homer, the first of two hits on the afternoon for the recharged catalyst. Raul Ibanez double and a nifty piece of situational hitting by Shane Victorino to hit behind the runner would set up Carlos Ruiz RBI groundout for the deciding run. Halladay, who was not especially overpowering, made 111 pitches, 83 for strikes, retiring the final nine batters using an effective hook and a crisp running fastball later in the contest. The 5-1 Phils return to Philadelphia for tomorrow's home opener with Washington with a fresh bullpen and several hitters feeling the flow. It's been an outstanding start for the hometown nine to say the least.

Game chat: Red-hot offense, Halladay, eye sweep

Roy Halladay (1-0, 1.29 ERA) and the hard-hitting Phillies wrap up their opening road trip against Roy Oswalt (0-1, 4.50 ERA) and the winless Astros. First pitch is 2:05 from Houston.

Notes: Last night, Ryan Howard's third home run of the season fueled a 9-6 comeback for the Phils, erasing a five-run Houston third against Jamie Moyer that unfolded in the time it took me to change a diaper. The Phils received multi-hit games from Howard and four others in a 11-hit, 6-walk assault, the fifth time in as many games that the Phils have posted 10 or more hits. Meanwhile on the injury front, Joe Blanton is reportedly recovering quickly from a mild oblique strain. In Clearwater, J.C. Romero (elbow) allowed one hit and struck out two Saturday in a rehab appearance, suggesting that he could be close to returning from the Phillies' bullpen. It was a different outcome for closer Brad Lidge, who was bombed for four earned runs, three hits and a walk in the same game. ... Last night, the Phillies wore throwbacks. I know I was instantly transported back in time to 1965.

Lineups are posted: Standard formation, meaning the Juan Castro watch has now reached five games. The Phillies' utility infielder has yet to appear, suggesting Charlie Manuel will go another season without a middle infield reservist he trusts.

Game chat: Moyer set to make 24th season official

Baseball's oldest player, 47-year-old left-hander Jamie Moyer, will try for his 259th win on "turn back the clock night" tonight when the Phillies continue their series with the winless Astros beginning at 7:05 ET.

Preview: Right-hander Felipe Paulino counters for Houston. Lineups are posted: Brian Schneider does the catching. The Phillies snapped a four-game losing streak to the 'Stros in yesterday's 16-hit slaying. After four, the Phils lead all MLB teams in runs scored (32), batting average (.344), slugging percentage (.536), on-base percentage (.440), extra-base hits (20) and walks (26). Table-setters Jimmy Rollins (7-15, 6 BB) and Placido Polanco (11-19) have led the charge; Polly is the first Phillies player with more than 10 hits at this point of a season since Johnny Moore had 11 in 1935, according to the press notes. The Phils and Astros will wear uniforms similar to those worn during the 1965 season tonight. (Dick Allen sporting '65 attire).

Phillies' onslaught continues in shutout of Astros

Summary: Raul Ibanez broke out of an early season funk to spark an offensive assault, while J.A. Happ kept the Astros off the board through five solid innings, with David Herndon, Danys Baez and Jose Contreras pitching shutout ball over the next four, as the Phillies cruised to an 8-0 win over likely National League doormat Houston. The Phils received multi-hit games from the top six hitters, totaling 16 hits and five walks on the night including a three-hit, three RBI night from Ibanez and a 4-for-5 effort from Placido Polanco. The club has collected 10 or more hits in each of its first four games, the first time it's happened since 1926, according to reports. Readers weighed in:

"I'm gonna hold judgement on how good this team is until we play a squad that hasn't already mailed this season in. The Nats and the Astros are, in all likelihood, the two worst teams in the NL and probably all of baseball. That said, what stuck out to me tonight was definitely Herndon. We already knew that this offense is gonna destroy mediocre pitching. We didn't know that Herndon had a pretty nasty 95 MPH sinker. The slider still needs some work, but that sinker will play in the majors any day of the week. Still have to see what he can do in some higher-leverage situations against better hitters, but there's some real potential there." - Jack

"There's a reason Happ threw 103 pitches in 5 innings; his command wasn't especially sharp (103 pitches, 63 for strikes). There's also a reason he pitched 5 innings with 0 runs allowed; he's a tough guy to hit, even when his command isn't at its best. The Astros, without Berkman, are obviously not a great offensive team. But they're still a major league team and any time you can shut them out for 5 innings, you have done well." - bay_area_phan

"Yeah, HOU and WSH stink and the upcoming FL-ARL-ARI-SF stretch will be more of a test. But just compare Rollins start to last years. He's done in 4 games what it took him a month to accomplish in BB, XBH, and multi-hit games. This is true. I looked it up." - Sophist

Game chat: Happ has the ball for Phillies in Houston

J.A. Happ and right-hander Bud Norris collide when the Phillies open a weekend series with the Houston Astros starting at 8:05 from Minute Maid Park. Jamie Moyer and Roy Halladay will follow on Saturday and Sunday. Lineups are posted with Carlos Ruiz back behind the plate. Have a great start to the weekend everyone.