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Game chat: Skipper stays the course with offense

Brian Schneider subs for Chooch, but the rest of the lineup remains intact tonight when Kyle Kendrick (8-7, 4.64) and the Phillies face former farmhand Carlos Monasterios (3-4, 3.54) and the Dodgers.

Beerleaguer: I'm disappointed that Domonic Brown can't get on the field even against an unproven right-hander like Monasterios. Between Raul Ibanez, who's hitless in his last three games, and Shane Victorino's .667 OPS against right-handed pitching, there's room. Brown gave the offense a boost when he was in the starting lineup, and if the offense ever needed a spark, now's the time. Nevertheless, the lack of production takes root in the heart of the lineup where Chase Utley and Ryan Howard have seen their OPS totals fall .100 points from last year's final tally (Utley .801 currently, Howard .831). That's weak no matter how you spin it for a set of 3-4 hitters. To think: Utley's OPS could sink below .800 after tonight, the last day of August.

Hoover returns: Paul Hoover has won the bid to become the Phillies' third catcher in September. The Triple-A veteran will likely join the Phillies tomorrow as the first official September call-up. According to Morning Call beat writer Jeff Schuler, he's swinging a hot bat lately, hitting .385 in his last 12 games.

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Phillies nearly no-hit in shutout loss to Dodgers

Hiroki Kuroda took a no-hitter into the eighth inning and combined with reliever Hong-Chih Kuo on a one-hitter in the Dodgers 3-0 win over the Phillies Monday night. Shane Victorino's liner to shallow right with one out in the eighth accounted for the Phils' only hit. It was the 11th time the Phils have been blanked this season. Roy Halladay fell to 16-10 with most of the damage coming off the bat of Phillie killer Rod Barajas. Beerleaguer: Kuroda was a killer, but still. The offense has lost the ability to score once again. Elsewhere, the Braves won and J.A. Happ went the distance against the Cards. Good times. More tomorrow ...

Game chat: Dodgers on deck for Halladay, Phillies

Roy Halladay (16-9, 2.22) tries to continue his Cy Young push, while his club tries to solidify its playoff status, when the Phillies and Dodgers open a three-game set beginning at 10:10 ET from Chavez Ravine.

Preview: My schedule doesn't allow me to stay up for a Monday game on the West Coast, so you're on your own, kids, unless I can hit up a Clearasil-coated CSN intern for a postgame summary. Missing this isn't a big deal. With Halladay pitching, and with the offense sputtering like it has, the game will probably boil down one or two key moments, easily revisited on SportsRise. (Shameless plug after catching heat for too many non-CSN links populating the left rail, which I blame on the law of inertia more than anything). Former Carp Hiroki Kuroda goes for the Dodgers, and I read this note from the AP: Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino are a combined 0-for-19 against him. Still, I don't see any way the Dodgers get through Halladay. They haven't seen him since 2007.. Doc enters the game leading the league in ERA and strikeouts as he begins to separate himself from the Cy Young pack.

Lineups are good: Rollins SS, Utley 2B, Polanco 3B, Howard 1B, Werth RF, Ibanez LF, Victorino CF, Ruiz C

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Minors: Older arms tumble from top 20 prospect list

Former Reading Eagle cohort and R-Phils beat writer Mike Drago compiled his annual list of the top 20 prospects in the Phillies’ chain. Team media insiders and regional beat writers were polled.

Slugging first-baseman Jonathan Singleton of low-A Lakewood edged out right-handed teammate Jarred Cosart for top billing. It's how many of us would list them; Domonic Brown was taken out of the running for this particular poll. Singleton and Cosart shot up the charts from most preseasons polls. Right-hander Vance Worley, who was served a cup of coffee with the big club earlier this season and has pitched consistently well for Double and Triple-A, rated third, ahead of control-challenged, high-upside right-hander Trevor May. Lakewood catcher Sebastian Valle rounded out the top five. Click here to view the complete list.

To me, the moral of the story between this list and the 2009 version is that pitchers like B.J. Rosenberg, Joe Savery, Drew Carpenter, Yohan Flande and Sergio Escalona, who ranked 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th and 15th on this list a year ago, have once again demonstrated that minor league success needs to be measured against age. None of these guys have ever been highly regarded by any of the leading scouting magazines, they were old for their leagues and none of them were thought to have much upside. In fairness, Rosenberg suffered some injury setbacks this season.

Secondly, and as noted by Drago, the Cliff Lee bounty failed to crack the top 16. J.C. Ramirez rated 17th, while Phillippe Aumont and Tyson Gillies, considered top 10-caliber before the season, failed to make the list entirely.

Overall, the consensus seems to be that the system is young and deep, but lacks blue-chip chops. Read Drago’s complete take here.

Monday: Phillies arms ready to shoulder the load

The Phillies swept the playoff-poised Padres right on out of Petco on the strength of dominant starting pitching.

Good pitching beats good hitting, and apparently, overcomes bad hitting. Yesterday, Cole Hamels carved up the Padres through eight shutout innings, retiring his final 16 batters, in a 5-0 statement win to complete the sweep of the league’s best team. Cole finally received a long-overdue care package of run support to help pick off the camouflage-clad Pads (uniform tops that emulated the look of the crowd and pants the color of turf would disguise them better in a ballpark setting).

The joy in being a Phillies fan in the Era of Aces is that now we get to watch them pop the Dodgers in the mouth with a pitcher who’s even better than Hamels tonight in Cy Young hopeful (front-runner?) Roy Halladay. Then the Phils have a let-up in Kyle Kendrick, who isn’t terrible by any stretch and could easily assemble a quality start. Then they’re back to Roy Oswalt, the vastly improved Joe Blanton and finally circle back to Hamels.

That’s airtight. It’s why you should be feeling very hopeful about reaching the postseason, and very excited by what they can achieve once they get there.

Sunday chat: Cole closes up shop in San Diego

Seeking his first win in nine tries, Cole Hamels (7-10, 3.47) has the ball in his hometown this afternoon against lefty Clayton Richard (12-5, 3.55) and the Padres. First pitch is 4:10 ET.

Hamels: Hamels’ telltale 7-10 mark defines this season as well as any statistic. His annoying, unsupportive offense has bled out just 12 runs over his last eight starts, leaving the ace left-hander with three losses and five no-decisions over that stretch. The Phils can’t possibly ask for anything more from Hamels, whose 170 strikeouts ranks fifth in the league. Opposing lefties are batting just .175 against him.

Blanton: Fortunately, three hits, a pair of Shane Victorino RBIs and a run on a fielder’s choice was more than enough in the Phillies’ 3-1 win on Saturday afternoon. That allowed second-half revelation Joe Blanton to even his record to 6-6. Blanton’s 3.41 ERA in nine starts since the All-Star break has arguably been the Phillies’ best storyline over the last week if you had to pick one. Jose Contreras, Ryan Madson and Brad Lidge combined for three perfect relief innings; aside from Lidge’s debacle the other night, the bullpen has also gelled lately.

Offense: In the meantime, it’s been a whole lot of nothing for the Phillies’ offense. Collectively, they’re hitting just .199/.278/.284 over their last 10 games.

Standings: The Phillies trail Atlanta by two games in the division and lead the Wild Card by 1.5. Derek Lowe and the Braves take on Josh Johnson and the Marlins today in Atlanta. Matt Cain and the Giants host Rodrigo Lopez and the Diamondbacks at 4:10 ET.

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Saturday chat: WC leaders try to build momentum

Preview: Following his best start of the season, Joe Blanton (5-6, 5.32), who is 2-0 with a 3.55 ERA in his last six starts, toes the slab today at Petco Park. Right-hander Jon Garland (13-8, 3.25) has it for San Diego. The Phils have put up good numbers against Garland, who is 0-4 with a 7.94 ERA in five meetings against them. The Phils lead the National League wild card race by half a game and trail Atlanta by two games in the division race. The game airs regionally on Fox beginning at 4:00 ET.

Hot stove: Blue Jays relievers Scott Downs, Jason Frasor, Kevin Gregg, and Shawn Camp were all claimed by unknown teams off trade waivers according to The Toronto Sun's Bob Elliott. The Phils have reportedly scouted Downs heavily all season. The left-hander will be a Type A free agent, so the Jays are likely to hold out for a significant return.

Minor notes: Left-hander Nate Robertson, who was acquired earlier in the week, allowed 5 runs (4 earned) in 4 2-3 innings in his IronPigs debut Wednesday. The nine-year veteran was released by the Cardinals on the 23rd. ... When the Phillies outrighted Greg Dobbs to Triple-A, they released outfielder Chris Aguila, who was hitting .199 with three homers and 11 RBIs in 48 games. .... At Double-A, Tuffy Gosewisch homered twice in Reading's 9-1 win over Binghamton Friday night. Reading Eagle beat writer Mike Drago reports that he's hitting .271 with a .404 on-base average since the All-Star break. Right-hander Drew Naylor struck out a season-high 11 in the game. Tagg Bozied went 2-for-3 to raise his EL-leading batting, slugging and on-base percentages to .318/.407/.617.

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Baseball gods let one slide ...

Jimmy Rollins' scored the go-ahead run on a miracle slide in the 12th to erase one of the all-time managing and save-situation blunders from the books in the Phillies 3-2 win over the Padres Friday night.

With Roy Oswalt absolutely dialed in through eight innings, Charlie Manuel elected to go with Brad Lidge for the save with the Phillies up 2-1. Lidge promptly loaded the bases by hitting a batter then balked in the tying run. Two shutout innings by Ryan Madson and Chad Durbin set up Rollins to lead off the 12th with a double then score on a back-of-the-bag slide just under Yorvit Torrealba's tag. Durbin closed out the bottom of the 12th to snuff out the fire for good. With the win, their first in five tries, the Phillies gained a game on the Braves and sit two back in the division race.

Beerleaguer: Ruben Amaro keeps adding aces capable of going the distance, erasing the need to use bullpen. Take the hint, Charlie. Oswalt is twice the pitcher. He was fantastic. As for Lidge, he shattered whatever trust he's built in the 10 games since his last blown save. To hit a guy then balk in the tying run ... no words for it.

Game chat: West Coast swing starts in San Diego

Swept out of Citizens Bank Park in the finale of their 10-game homestand, the Phillies take to the road for a three-city tour of the National League West beginning tonight with a meeting with Mat Latos (13-5, 2.33) and the league-leading Padres. First pitch is 10:05. Roy Oswalt (9-13, 3.22) counters in what should be an excellent night of pitching. Unfortunately, I can't make the same prediction about the Phillies' sputtering offense, which has scored two runs or fewer in seven of their last eight games. The Phils go with their regular line-up against the right-hander. [Jump to the newest comments] [In-Game Live!]

So-called back spasms send Baez to DL

Reliever Danys Baez was placed on the 15-day disabled list today with back spasms. Left-hander Antonio Bastardo, who has been up-and-down with the Phillies all season, has been recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley, where he had been lights-out in 20 appearances. Baez, who will turn 33 in a few days, has pitched sparingly in a reduced role. In 42 innings, he's 3-3 with a 23/21 K/BB ratio, 1.67 WHIP and 5.14 ERA. Baez becomes the 17th different regular to spend time on the DL this season. Beerleaguer: Rosters expand in a few days, but this gives the Phils a jump on adding a second lefty for their sets in San Diego and Los Angeles. Suffice to say there's probably nothing wrong with Baez, aside from the fact that he stinks.

Actually, Beerleaguer Jack makes a lot of sense when he writes: "Considering the playoff roster deadline is five days away, it probably made sense if Baez was feeling weird to DL him now and put Bastardo on the roster before Aug. 31. That way, in case he pitches well, he is eligible to be on the postseason roster. I know you can play tricks with the DL in September, but if Baez had something come up, it just makes it easier to do this now"

Breaking news: Strasburg likely needs Tommy John

Washington Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo has confirmed that rookie phenom Stephen Strasburg has a significant tear to the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow and will likely require Tommy John Surgery. Recovery time is typically 12-to-18 months. Strasburg injured himself Saturday night in the fifth inning against the Phillies. He was 5-3 with a 2.91 ERA and 92 strikeouts in 12 starts (68 innings). [Read more]

Friday thread: Beerleaguer's state of the Phillies

A round-up of reader observations and a few of my own.

Eye on the Wild Card: “Pitching and defense have been pretty damn solid this month and that is what wins you ball games in the end. Especially in the NL. Problem is that the Braves are first in runs this month and first in ERA. It’s going to be very difficult to catch them especially with a better pitching staff and rotation. Good news for the Phils is that there is still this thing called the WC and the teams the Phils are contending with (Cards, Giants, Rockies) all have their serious flaws too." - MG

Kendrick: “Is it too soon to start soliciting suggestions for a new fifth starter next season? I'd take a 48 year-old Moyer over Kendrick any day of the week, for one. At least he knows what the hell he's doing out there.” – RSB

Utley, Howard rushed back: “It is much too early to write off a team that is only a half game out of the wild card, but Utley and Howard needed to work off the rust for a bit longer in Lehigh Valley. They're not helping anyone by rushing back, benching the overperforming replacements and working off the rust at the expense of the team.”  - Will Schweitzer

Beerleaguer: Utley hit the ball hard a couple of times yesterday, which suggests that he might be finding his timing. But I don’t buy the timing excuse for Howard. I just think he’s overanxious and swinging at slop. On Kendrick, I’d agree that he’s pitched glorified batting practice lately, and I’m just not confident that we can expect to see much improvement going forward. Unfortunately, he’s still the best option.

How terrible it’s been to watch Domonic Brown, who provided a boost of energy and youth just a few weeks ago, fall into this bench role where he’s in over his head. What good has it done? At this point, Manuel's probably reluctant to use him at all.

Luckily, the Rockies bailed out the Phillies by sweeping the Braves, but now the Rockies themselves are back in the mix for the Wild Card. The Phils aren’t at mission critical; much of the problem stems from their failures with RISP. Still, it’s time to pick it up, starting up top with Rollins (.702 OPS).

Postgame: Astros complete road sweep of Phillies

One run was all the Phillies could ooze from their lifeless bodies in a lousy 5-1 finale Thursday afternoon. The Phils finish the homestand a disappointing 4-6 with four losses to the junior varsity, having blown and golden opportunity to close ground in the division race. Ryan Howard, hitless again, continued to be a major drain on the offense since coming off the DL, but he had help from Jimmy Rollins, Placido Polanco and Brian Schneider, who were also held without a hit. The sagging Phils head to San Diego to face the league's best team and best pitching staff with hopes of reigniting the bats. More later ... or maybe not. Yeah probably not.

Game chat: Phils hoping to save face against 'Stros

Kyle Kendrick (8-6, 4.58) tries to get back on track after he was roughed up Wednesday against Washington this afternoon when the Phillies wrap up their series with left-hander Wandy Rodriguez (9-12, 4.00) and the Astros. First pitch is 1:05. The Phillies go with Rollins SS, Utley 2B, Polanco 3B, Howard 1B, Werth RF, Ibanez LF, Victorino CF, Schneider C. [Jump to the newest comments]

Happ outduels Halladay, hands Phillies another loss

Former Phillie J.A. Happ tied up his former teammates for two runs over 6 1-3 innings as Houston defeated the Phillies 3-2 Wednesday night. The slumping Phils, who kept pace with the Braves thanks to the Rockies' stunning nine-run rally, have scored just two runs or less in six of their last seven games. One reason is that they are hitting just .163 with runners in scoring position over that span. The Phillies turn to Kyle Kendrick this afternoon to avoid what would be an embarrassing four-game home sweep.

Game chat: Happ and Halladay have the honors

J.A. Happ (2-2, 4.62 in five starts with the Astros) returns to the mound in Philadelphia just weeks after being shipped out in the Roy Oswalt deal tonight against the other Roy beginning at 7:05 from Citizens Bank Park. Ryan Howard gets the night off. The Phils stack the righty hitters: Rollins SS, Victorino CF, Polanco 3B, Utley 2B, Werth RF, Sweeney 1B, Francisco LF, Ruiz C. [Jump to the newest comments]

Beer nuts: Phils playing catch-up with career norms

Five of the Phillies eight regulars are fighting an uphill battle to meet their own personal performance standards.

A couple of nights ago, Charlie Manuel talked about how the offense has been dragging because a number of players have produced below expectations, a simple point that resonates strongly among the many theories as to why the offense keeps scuffling the way it has. Even before  Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and Shane Victorino went on the shelf, they were falling short of their career norms, so it isn't as simple as injuries.

Aside from late bloomers Jayson Werth and Carlos Ruiz, in addition to steady contact hitter Placido Polanco, the Phillies are like salmon swimming against a current. They’ve fallen into what appears to be their third team-wide scoring slump of the season. But individually, the reason for the mass malaise could boil down to the effects of aging. A player’s peak is considered to be 29. The average age of the Phillies’ starting eight is almost 32. At right is a very applicable table from a study done by J.C. Bradbury of Baseball Prospectus earlier this year. His explanation follows below:

“The table reveals that player skills peak at different times, often quite far apart from each other," Bradbury writes. "Hitters peak in batting and slugging average at 28 while continuing to improve in their home-run hitting and walking abilities until 30 and 32, respectively. Home runs rising beyond the peak for doubles and triples indicates that foot-speed on the basepaths fades before hitting power. In addition, batters may be using veteran knowledge to better manage the strike-zone or possibly becoming more friendly with umpires to walk more and hit with power as they age. Again, veteran know-how appears to be playing a role in improving performance to compensate for diminishing physical skills. It's also been observed that athletic feats that involve quick bursts of speed and strength peak earlier than skills that rely on more endurance and knowledge.”

To me, this is as good a reason as any when discussing the Phillies general hitting woes. Howard will be 31 in November, Utley and Rollins will turn 32 this fall, Victorino will turn 30 and Ibanez just turned 38.

Wednesday hangover: Onus falls on Howard, offense

Readers decompress following five hours of brutal baseball.

Stop swinging at slop: “As for Howard, I have no sympathy at all. Don't blame the umpire. Stop checking your swing on every pitch in the dirt for starters. They are not borderline strikes. You turn them into borderline strikes. Secondly, even if you did get screwed, you did realize that there were no position players left, didn't you? You should be just thankful Oswalt didn't pull a hamstring or hurt his shoulder out there in LF, and you should be embarrassed.” – George S. (via e-mail)

Garbage officiating: “There is absolutely zero excuse for what the ump did in that situation. Howard was upset with the first call and made the umpire openly mocked him on the field. The ump absolutely showed up a player- the one thing umps say they never tolerate is being shown up the players and right there the ump absolutely did that to Howard. And there is no excuse for Howard to be tossed there. He was pissed but never moved towards the ump. He said his peace and the ump tossed him from 100 feet away. It's garbage. The umpiring was not the only reason the Phillies lost but they are partially culpable in this.” - The Truth Injection

Umpiring affected outcome: “The thing that is disappointing about the officiating is the substantial effect it had in the sense that it cost an error, as well as forcing our last batter to be a pitcher. This ump by the way was a AAA fill-in. Personally, I have faith the offense will come around, but if/when MLB suspends Howard the MLBPA needs to petition to have that ump suspended as well. It takes two to tango.” – The Greene Brothers

Fixing the offense: “The Phillies are in a tough pennant race. Two runs in 16 innings just doesn't cut it against an out-of-contention team. The offense is once again generating NOTHING. Every time you look up, there are two outs and nobody on, then a meaningless single or walk. No power from the 3-4-5 hitters at all. None. CM needs to do something to generate some scoring instead of sitting back and waiting for all these great hitters to somehow get it together. They haven't done so and it is nearing September. My lineup vs RHP? Werth, Polanco, Ibanez, Howard, Rollins, Utley, Brown and Ruiz. Vs LHP? Rollins, Polanco, Utley, Howard, Werth, Victorino, Francisco and Ruiz.” – George S. (via e-mail)

(Screen grab via thefightins.com)

Astros get another umpiring assist, beat Phils in 16

Disgraceful officiating and an annoying offense that doesn't support its pitchers.

Phils sign LHP Nate Robertson to minor league deal

The soon-to-be-33-year-old southpaw started 18 games for the Marlins before he was released July 27, going 6-8 with a 5.47 ERA (75 ERA+) and 61/40 K/BB ratio in 100 1-3 innings. In nine seasons, seven of them coming with the Detroit Tigers, he's 57-77 with a 4.97 ERA (89 ERA+), with 187 starts and 34 appearances in the bullpen. In 2006, he pitched in the Division, Championship and World Series in a career year in which he went 13-13 with a 3.84 ERA. After that, he went steadily downhill until he was reduced to a second lefty role in the Tiger's bullpen last season. He signed a minor league deal with the Cardinals on Aug. 2 that included an opt out if he wasn't promoted to the Majors by Aug. 23. In his brief time with Memphis (AAA - Cardinals), he posted a 9.45 ERA. The announcement of Robertson's signing came during Tuesday night's broadcast. He will be assigned to Lehigh Valley for now, but could join the Phillies when rosters expand next week.

Game chat: Perfect attendence as Cole holds class

The regular lineup is back together for the first time since my birthday tonight as Bud Norris (6-7, 5.23) and Cole Hamels (7-10, 3.51) duke it out in the second of four from Citizens Bank Park. Keep those Chooch bobbleheads in the packaging if you're headed down to the park. The Weather Channel is calling for a 40 percent chance of rain. (Photo courtesy of some guy on Twitter). [Jump to the newest comments]

September opportunities knock for at-the-ready relief

Relievers like Scott Mathieson, Mike Zagurski and Antonio Bastardo have been knocking on the door to the Majors forever and will likely earn a chance to make an impression with the big club when rosters expand next week.

It’s funny how the Phils have developed a crop of lights-out minor league relievers who either haven’t made it work in the Majors (Bastardo) or haven’t convinced the front office that they have the tools to hang in the show (Mathieson). Incidentally, the Phils hired Bruce Sutter as a pitching consultant with the primary purpose of tutoring reliever Scott Mathieson on the art of throwing a splitter, according to CSNPhilly’s Jim Salisbury.

The good news for the Phillies, as September looms, is that most of their high-minor relief prospects have pitched well. Mathieson has converted 24 saves while striking out 78 in 58 1-3 innings. Aside from a four-run clubbing on Aug. 14, Bastardo has been sharp, Zagurski, too, but to a lesser extent. Meanwhile, forgotten lefty Sergio Escalona is having his best month with Double-A Reading. All of the pitchers mentioned above are included on the 40-man roster, as are right-handers Drew Carpenter and Vance Worley, who could be invited to fill a swing role over the final month.

The Phillies never call up very man relievers no matter how thin they are at the time. Clubhouse continuity and familiarity rule, so expect to see the John Mayberrys and Greg Dobbses and Paul Hoovers of the world. Certainly, they’ll carry the lefty with the hottest hand, likely Bastardo, and they’ll typically reserve a locker for the best starter available on the 40-man; last season it was Kyle Kendrick, who actually won three games in September filling an emergency role.

They have some wiggle room on the 40-man, which stands at 38, and they pulled a couple of surprises earlier this season, Worley being one of them. So why not have fun and mention a few darkhorses? Right-hander Justin De Fratus has been terrific at Reading and recorded his fifth save last night. He’s got a 23/3 K/BB ratio in 20 1-3 innings and can go multiple frames. He actually appeared in a spring training game late in camp and flashed a good, live arm. Lehigh Valley’s Michael Schwimer classifies as another darkhorse; he’s 2-2 with a 1.35 ERA in 16 relief appearances with Lehigh Valley. And is there a chance for Brandon Duckworth to take his second tour with the Phils? He's stretched out to start and has experience and versatility on his side.

Werth a walking contradiction; Victorino's sad splits

Loyal Beerleaguer George S. raises awareness about Jayson Werth's intelligence quotient and Shane Victorino's cavernous splits. (Getty Images)

"Why Werth was even taking any lead at all on an intentional walk is something only he knows. Hoping for a wild pitch perhaps? I vote for daydreaming. Jayson Werth presents an interesting case when it comes to whether the Phillies should re-sign him. He is a walking contradiction in terms. His 299 BA says contact hitter, but he is on pace to strike out over 150 times. His SLG (512) and OPS (912) say power hitter, but he's on pace for a pedestrian 20 HRs. He has good speed but is a terrible baserunner and has just 8 SBs. He takes a lot of pitches per AB, one of the highest totals in the league, yet has a much higher BA early in the count and hits poorly with 2 strikes (225 BA). He usually bats 5th in the order, yet has a BA of 159 with RISP. He has no baseball IQ at all. A true enigma.

"The Phillies got a bad call on Bourn's bunt, but they lost this game way before that, leaving runners in scoring position on many occasions. Victorino in particular was bad, twice failing with RISP and less than two outs and not even advancing the runners either time. This season at least it seems Shane should only bat RH. He's not hitting anything LH (226 BA, 286 OBP, 674 OPS), and he's not getting any infield hits from being on the left side either. His RH numbers are much better (.339/.389/.976). If he batted exclusively RH, would he bat less than 226 vs RHP? Why not see for a few games?" - George S.

Scores: Colorado edged Atlanta 5-4. San Francisco pummeled Cincinnati 11-2.

Phillies feeling bitter as Brett gets his revenge

Carlos Lee’s two-out, two-run broken-bat flare in the eighth off Ryan Madson spoiled Joe Blanton’s brilliant night and rewarded Brett Myers with the victory in a 3-2 Astros win over the Phillies.

Blanton and Myers traded seven-inning, nine-strikeout performances with both right-handers snapping off good curves. But the game was ultimately decided in a controversial eighth when Michael Bourn was ruled safe when he appeared to run out of the baseline on a bunt single while trying to avoid Ryan Howard’s tag. The game’s other not-so-hot moment came when Jayson Werth was caught sleeping after an intentional walk and was picked off second to end the sixth. Beerleaguer: I didn’t have an issue with the call; Howard beats him if he turns and throws to first, but Chase Utley needs to make it loud and clear that he’s got the base covered. Watching the replay, it’s difficult to say if he did; it didn't look like it. Perhaps it's assumed. Still, I think Howard tagged him anyway.

In any event, aside from Blanton pitching what might of been his best start of the season, it was an ugly game all-around. Howard is pulling off and his timing isn’t there; Myers made him look foolish on a couple of breaking balls. It’s too bad for Madson because he and Carlos Ruiz worked over Hunter Pence nicely before Lee’s stupid hit. Obviously, this wasn't a heady game by the Fightins, not only Werth’s trademark braincramp, but I wasn’t in love with some of Shane Victorino’s at bats, either.

Game chat: Phillies, Phillies JV open four-gamer

Once and forever Phillie Brett Myers (8-7, 3.11) makes his first Citizens Bank Park appearance since Game 3 of the 2009 World Series tonight when the Astros and Phillies open a four-game set in Philadelphia. Joe Blanton (5-6, 5.54) deals for the hometown nine.

Preview: Myers has been a revelation for Ed Wade's motley crew of unwanted Phillies. Myers, who signed a two-year extension with a club option third year at the deadline, set a Houston franchise record by lasting at least six innings in each of his first 25 starts, and lately he's rewarded egghead Eddie's generous offering with a 3-1 record and 2.26 ERA in his last nine outings. Myers may be best known in Philadelphia for his at bat against CC Sabathia and the Brewers in the 2008 NLDS. Otherwise, his eight-year career was a series of highs and lows that included flashes of the type of front-line pitcher he would eventually become with the Astros, a fairly successful transition into a closer and an embarrassing demotion to the minor leagues. ... Turning to the Phils, Charlie Manuel again passes up a chance to use his opening day lineup for the first time since May 21. Placido Polanco is experiencing some minor soreness in his left elbow and is scratched for Wilson Valdez, but Manuel told reporters before the game that Polanco's situation it was no big deal. The Phils are hoping for more workman-like results from Blanton, who is 2-0 with a 4.06 ERA in his last five starts. The Phils have won their last seven series at home and eight of nine overall.

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Beer nuts: Philies add Sutter as pitching consultant

From a Phillies news release - Hall of Fame pitcher Bruce Sutter has been added to the Phillies' player development staff as a minor league pitching consultant. Sutter, who pitched 12 seasons with the Cubs, Cardinals and Braves, went 68-71 with 300 saves and a 2.83 ERA in 661 relief appearances. According to Phillies assistant GM Chuck Lamar, he’ll work with the pitching staffs in Lehigh Valley and Reading. Sutter was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2006.

Opponents finding no breathing room against Big 3

The Phillies bookended the Nationals with a pair of shutouts by completing the series victory Sunday afternoon. A rejuvenated Roy Oswalt (9-13) twirled seven shutout innings and struck out eight.

We'll look back on this season as a series of small acts. Right now, we're living in the post-Oswalt era where opponents are being bottled up by at least two big pitching performances a series. Once again, Oswalt established his fastball early and buttered the opposition for his offspeed and breaking stuff. And what a relief it must be for Oswalt not to pull punches when he has a defense playing as well as the Phillies did on Sunday. Timely hitting - none better than Wilson Valdez's two-out, two-run single in the sixth to give the Phillies a comfortable 4-0 cushion - rounded out a sterling Sunday that was soured only by a one-hour and 44-minute rain delay. Beerleaguers weigh in:

"Why will the Phillies be fine the rest of the way? Maybe this will tell: Phillies starters over their last seven starts:

Halladay: 2.08 ERA, .226 .260 .318
Hamels: 2.87 ERA, .223 .277 .377
Oswalt: 3.61 ERA, 263 .312 .425
... (with PHI) 2.43 ERA, .217 .280 .342
Blanton: 4.00 ERA, .289 .335 .382
Kendrick: 4.95 ERA, .304 .358 .500

If the top four continue to pitch as well as they have since the beginning of August, it's possible that they can afford a 'Good' Kyle - 'Bad' Kyle every other start." - awh

Sunday chat: Phillies hope bats catch fire for finale

The returns of Chase Utley and Ryan Howard haven’t ignited the Phillies’ offense, which has scored just four runs in their last three games. They’ll try to get it going today against familiar lefty and noted smackass Scott Olsen (3-5, 5.14) today at 1:35 with rain threatening. Chase Utley has been scratched for Wilson Valdez against the left-hander.

Beerleaguer: Roy Oswalt (8-13, 3.36), who has been sharp in two home starts, tries to offset a poor start by Kyle Kendrick in yesterday’s 8-1 loss. Kendrick, who has been brutal in two of his last three outings, allowed five runs on nine hits and four walks in 5 2-3. The good news is that the rotation’s weakest links (Kendrick, Joe Blanton) are sandwiched in between Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels and Oswalt. Plus, if you compare them with other bottom-of-the-rotation starters around the league, they aren’t half bad; Blanton is right around a 4 ERA in his last five starts. The bad news is that Kendrick looks like he’s beginning to lose confidence the way we’ve seen before. The Phillies really don’t have any other options if he doesn’t pick it up. ... Offensively, the small ball stuff has stalled in recent days. Placido Polanco, Shane Victorino and Raul Ibanez have cooled, and Utley, who gets the day off today, has been nothing great. Personally, I’m jonesing for the Phils to club a team to death using the long ball. Today would be a great day for Howard's welcome back party.

Lineups are posted: Rollins SS, Ibanez LF, Polanco 3B, Howard 1B, Werth RF, Victorino CF, Ruiz C, Valdez 2B. [Jump to the newest comments]

Saturday chat: Phils get a crack at phenom Strasburg

Hard-throwing right-hander Stephen Strasburg (5-3, 2.97) makes his first start against Kyle Kendrick (8-5, 4.45) and the Phillies tonight in the second of three from Citizens Bank Park. First pitch is 7:05. (Getty Images)

Preview: For once, Domonic Brown will be the one giving advice on an opposing pitcher. Strasburg and Brown faced off earlier in the the season when the two were in the Eastern League. "Just see the ball and try to get after that fastball, just like they would tell me," Brown told Ryan Lawrence of the Delco-Times yesterday. "He throws hard but he can locate his fastball any time he wants. Plus he's got the off-speed stuff. It's tough to hit a pitcher like that when he's on." ... The Phillies are trying to keep pace with the Braves, who won another one in their final at bat yesterday. Atlanta holds a 2.5-game lead over the reigning division champs. ... Elsewhere, Ryan Howard is expected to make a rehab start with Triple-A Lehigh Valley tonight. Howard, who had his No. 29 retired before yesterday's game in Lakewood, went 1-for-2 with an RBI double for the BlueClaws, giving him 92 RBIs for the Low-A affiliate, which set a franchise record.

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Transaction: Dobbs outrighted to AAA Lehigh Valley

Third baseman Greg Dobbs has cleared waivers and has accepted his assignment to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. In all likelihood, he will be back with the club when rosters expand in 11 days. In other minor news, Brian Pointer, Kevin Walter and Jonathan Musser, draftees who came to terms on last-minute deals this week, were assigned to the Phillies Gulf Coast League affiliate.

So-so by his standards, Halladay still nils Nationals

Without his best stuff working, Roy Halladay (16-8) extend his shutout streak to 15 innings in a 1-0 Phillies defeat of Washington Friday night. (AP)

In a weird way, outings like these resonate just as much as Halladay’s mantelpiece efforts. It’s as if he walked three and balked (his first since 2005) just to show a different side of himself. He leads the league with 180 strikeouts, but groundouts were supposed to be his modus operandi. Washington applied the pressure in the first, third, fourth and seventh, but Halladay emerged unscathed, including a key Roger Bernadina GIDP magic act in the first. Indeed, Halladay, who has won six-consecutive decisions, continues to show why the Phillies were lovesick over landing him for four seasons.

Game chat: Phils on right side of mismatch tonight

Jason Marquis (0-5, 14.33) and Roy Halladay (15-8, 2.27) have the ball when the Phillies try for revenge over July’s series loss to the Nationals beginning tonight at 7:05.

As of this writing, the Braves were positioned for another final at-bat win, this time against the Cubs. Down 3-2 with two outs in the ninth, Rick Ankiel cleared the bases with a three-run triple off Cubs closer Carlos Marmol to take the lead 5-3. The Phillies lead the Wild Card by a game over San Francisco and two games over St. Louis, but can't catch the opportunistic Braves. Tonight’s lineups are posted: Rollins SS, Polanco 3B, Utley 2B, Werth RF, Ibanez LF, Victorino CF, Sweeney 1B, Ruiz C. Have a great weekend everyone and enjoy the game.

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Phillies about to reach finish line with Herndon

The heat will be off the Phillies, unofficially, when rosters expand Sept. 1. In the meantime, Rule 5 pick David Herndon is proving he belongs. (Getty)

The soon-to-be-25-year-old right-hander constituted one of the lone highlights in an otherwise forgettable finale Thursday night against the Giants, preserving the bullpen by soaking up three perfect innings. The Phils need to keep him on the active roster all season in order to retain him. Once they do, he can be maneuvered between the majors and minors as a young player normally would. The cavalry arrives in 12 days (Bastardo, Zagurski, Mathieson, Worley perhaps), so barring any unforeseen development, mission accomplished and Herndon will be in the fray for the next several years.

Controlling a young arm like Herndon’s is the real reward for dedicating precious roster space to an unproven player. But at what price? Stats never do justice to relief pitching, especially for guy like Herndon who assumed sponge role. Out of 120 games, he’s seen action in 34 of them. So the question is whether his existence prevented someone better from getting a shot. It didn't. A guy like Bastardo has been a big tease, while Mathieson doesn’t appear to have the secondary pitches needed to cross over to the big leagues. Herndon, meanwhile, at least has some assets like a big arm, good control, a sinker and improving slider suited for a middle relief role.

Did he help or hinder? At worst, it's a push, but the best may be yet to come.

Phils prospect Gilles charged with drug possession

From CSNPhilly.com - Phillies minor league prospect Tyson Gillies was arrested Friday morning in Pinellas County, Fla. and charged with drug possession. According to the St. Petersburg Times, Gillies was charged with a felony for cocaine possession. The Phillies released a statement Friday afternoon confirming the arrest and asserting that it resulted from an incident that “was alleged to have occurred in June.” The team had no further comment. Acquired from the Mariners last offseason in the Cliff Lee deal, Gillies, a 21-year-old outfielder, is hitting .238 this season for Double-A Reading but has missed the last two months with a hamstring injury. He played in two games last week in Clearwater, Fla. for the Gulf Coast League Phillies. Site note: Typepad is experiencing some technical difficulties today, so light posting.

Game chat: Phillies try for the trifecta tonight

Left-handers Jonathan Sanchez (8-8, 3.60) and Cole Hamels (7-9, 3.33) take stage in the series finale between the Giants and Phillies beginning tonight at 7:05 from Citizens Bank Park. Cole will try for his first win in six starts through no fault of his own. Over that span, he's posted a 2.14 ERA. The fourth-lowest run support in the league might have more to do with it. [Jump to the newest comments]   [In-Game Live!]

Nationals knock Braves down a peg; Feliz to Cards

A couple of items before the start of tonight's game ...

Washington led from wire-to-wire and held on to beat the Braves this afternoon 6-2, so if the Phillies complete the sweep of San Fran tonight, they'll narrow the gap to 1.5 games in the National League East. ... Meanwhile on the waiver trade front, the Cardinals got help at third base by acquiring former Phil Pedro Feliz from the Astros for a minor league pitcher and cash considerations. Feliz, 35, is owed about $1 million the rest of the season. ... Finally, the Phillies will be a "maybe" when teams reach out to recently released Rockie Brad Hawpe, according to Ken Rosenthal. The 2009 All-Star outfielder was hitting .255 with seven homers in a diminished role for Colorado. Rosenthal lists the Rangers, Rays and White Sox as better fits for Hawpe, who is owed about $2.2 million on the rest of his $10.5 million contract. I don't think he's washed up at 31. I hope not. I'm 32. With Jayson Werth's imminent departure, he would be a handy bench guy worth investigating this offseason, but there isn't a great spot for him at present. Ultimately, it's Hawpe's decision, and there are better options than Philadelphia.

Notes: So it was all just a slump after all …

The swagger’s back, in case you haven’t noticed.

Hey, so remember when you thought the Phillies lost their edge, and Charlie Manuel kept using the “C” word, and about a half-dozen players were declared “washed up” by Beerleaguer? Man that was a crazy time …

Notes: Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard is going to begin a rehab assignment Friday in Lakewood. Howard, out since Aug. 1 with a sprained left ankle, could play for Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Saturday if all goes well tomorrow. He's on track for a Monday return. ... Phillies director of amateur scouting Marti Wolever might be a fit for the New York Mets when Fred and Jeff Wilpon blow up the front office after the season. CSNPhilly's Kevin Czerwinski reports that sources close to Wolever said he'd listen to offers from the division rivals. ... Failed first-round pick Joe Savery could see time as a hitter the rest of this season and in the instructional leagues. The left-hander flopped at Triple-A and was bumped from the Lehigh Valley rotation earlier this year.

Rollins, Blanton help hot Phillies roll Giants 8-2

Jimmy Rollins smashed a three-run homer and finished a double from the cycle, and Joe Blanton pitched smoothly into the seventh, as the Phillies assaulted the Giants with extra-base hits Wednesday night. The Phils, who previously couldn't buy an extra-base hit, twice doubled (Utley, Werth), twiced homered (Rollins, Brown) and thrice tripled (Rollins, Ibanez, Ruiz). Despite all the minor league seasoning he's missed sitting on the bench instead of getting regular starts for the 48-76 Lehigh Valley IronPigs, Domonic Brown dunked a pinch homer into the second deck in right. Unfortunately, the Braves walked off on the Nationals to maintain their division lead, so the Phils will need to sleep on a two-game edge in the Wild Card. More tomorrow ...

Game chat: Wild Card leaders look to keep rolling

Joe Blanton (4-6, 5.69) tries to cure his first-inning hiccups tonight in the second game between the Giants and Phillies from Citizens Bank Park. First pitch is 7:05 with rain threatening. Notes: The Phils reintroduce Ross Gload to the lineup against tough right-hander Matt Cain. The Phils set up as such: Rollins SS, Polanco 2B, Utley 3B, Ibanez LF, Werth RF, Victorino CF, Gload 1B, Ruiz C. Blanton has allowed at least two runs in the first inning of five of his last eight starts and has factored into the decision in just two of his last nine starts, going 1-1 with a 4.81 ERA in that span.

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Phillies taking care of business one station at a time

They haven't homered in a week. They haven't had to. (Getty Images)

Forget about how the Giants fell apart in the 8th. Let's look at how the Phillies ripped the game away from them in the 5th and 6th. As soon as the Phils solved him, Barry Zito didn't have a prayer. The breakthrough came when Carlos Ruiz worked a one-out walk in the 5th. That set up Jimmy Rollins' two-run flare into shallow center, part of a 2-for-5, 3 RBI night for Jimmy. There's Chooch, who's been worshiped by Beerleaguer, and then there's Placido Polanco, point person for the small ball movement and deserving of no small amount of credit, either. The Phils haven't homered in a week and haven't been any worse for wear. Polly Polanco finished four-for-five and singled to open the sixth, opening the gash over Zito's right eye and forcing his corner to throw in the towel three batters later. Polanco also leapfrogged Joey Votto for the league lead in hitting (.325)

This period has also been marked by more attempts to steal and better reads between stations, and nearly all of these efforts have been flawlessly executed and have resulted in runs, it seems.

Other stuff: Is Shane Victorino underrated as a hitter? The Phils made a concerted effort this offseason to acquire Polanco and move Victorino out of the two-hole. Nobody will argue against it. However, Vic led the team in hitting the previous two seasons and keeps showing us that he can attack a breaking ball despite his reputation as a fastball hitter. Moreover, there has been some unfair emphasis placed on his situational deficiencies, even by the broadcast team, that hasn't been placed on others. ... Best pitcher on the mound last night? Ryan Madson. No disrespect to Roy Oswalt, who was terrific, but Madson was bringing the filth. Finally, the home and away difference with this team cannot be overstated. They attack with a far greater ferocity in their home confines.

Game chat: NL contenders clash in Philadelphia

Left-hander Barry Zito (8-6, 3.44) and Roy Oswalt (7-13, 3.34) do the honors when the Giants and Phillies start a crucial set beginning tonight at 7:05. (Getty Images)

Notes: The playoff race feels like it officially begins tonight with two combatants locked in a virtual tie for the Wild Card lead with 45 to play. Time for scoreboard watching. Time for four daily blog entries. Just full-throttle Phils until the final pitch of the season. Looking at this matchup, the Phils have not been sharp against the pitching-strong Giants lately, going 4-8 and hitting just .184 against them in their last dozen games. However, they are 12-4 in their last 16 meetings at Citizens Bank Park where they have been fire hot lately, going 15-2 in their last 17. Chase Utley is back. When we last saw him, he was sort of sputtering along. Time will tell whether the time off was the "blessing in disguise" as many had hoped. Certainly, the loss column didn't suffer greatly. Meanwhile, Ryan Howard is not expected back for this series, according to reports. Strangely, this will be Oswalt's fourth start against the Giants this season; all of them have been against Tim Lincecum, and despite pitching decently, he's lost every single one of them. As for the Giants, they are one of only three National League clubs that play above .500 ball on the road (30-29), but are just 24-34 against teams over .500.

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Thumbs up for Utley, thumbs down for Dobbs

Chase Utley's right thumb was given the green light by doctors today. The All-Star second baseman has been reinstated from the 15-day disabled list and will be added to the 25-man roster in time for tonight's game. To make room, Greg Dobbs was designated for assignment for the second time this season. Utley has been out of action since suffering a torn ligament sliding into second in a July 28 games against the Reds. The Phils will likely see Dobbs again when rosters are expanded on Sept. 1. Lineups have already been announced, according to Todd Zolecki of Phillies.com. Rollins SS, Utley 2B, Polanco 3B, Werth RF, Victorino CF, Sweeney 1B, Ibanez LF, Ruiz C.

In honor of Pat's return. From Monday's Bellingham Herald:

"That guy," Huff said, pointing across the Giants clubhouse to Pat Burrell, his one-time teammate at the University of Miami. "When I transferred, the first guy I met was that son of a . . . . I hadn't met such an arrogant (jerk) in my life. I couldn't stand him. All he did was rag on me. ... Awww, I'm sure Pat won't care if I tell this. ... After two weeks at Miami, I wanted to go home. So my mom flies out, trying to convince me to stay. I was living with two seniors and they ragged me, too. I just didn't understand all this baseball ragging nonsense. She's in my room one night and I'm sitting on my bed and she's telling me to give it another two weeks. Anyway, there's a knock on the door, and before I can even get off the bed, Pat comes barging in with a six-pack in his hand, dripping wet, buck naked. So I jumped up and shut the door. Coming from Texas, these things didn't happen. I said, 'See what I'm dealing with here, mom?' She just started laughing and said, 'Actually, Aubrey, that's pretty darn funny.' I thought, 'My God, if my mom can laugh at this, why can't I?' " [Link]

Utley awaiting thumbs up or down from doctors

Chase Utley reportedly flew back to Philadelphia late Monday night for a follow-up exam on his right thumb.

According to an update on the team Web site, Utley, who has been out since June 28 with a torn ligament suffered while sliding into second, jetted back to Philly following a rehab doubleheader in Clearwater. The odds of being activated for tonight’s series opener or being sent back to the minors for more rehab appear to be even at this stage. Utley, who was hitting .277/.383/.466 with 11 homers before the injury, went 3-for-12 with two triples and an RBI single and an error while trying to turn a double play in four rehab games. [Link]

Phillies finalize deals: The Phillies inked 20th-rounder Kevin Walter, 21st-rounder Jon Musser and 28th-rounder Brian Pointer to last-minute, over-slot deals hours before the midnight signing deadline for June draftees. However, they fell short of meeting expectations for fifth-rounder right-hander Scott Frazier, who has committed to NCAA powerhouse Pepperdine, and ninth-round outfielder Brenton Allen. “The Phils spent about $1 million on deadline day, but instead of giving it to one guy (Frazier), they chose to spread it out across three guys, Musser, Walter and Pointer,” writes James Moyer of Phuture Phillies. “I know that some people are going to be upset about this, but look at it this way. Are the Phillies better off risking all of their money on one guy, or spreading that risk over three guys?” Read his comprehensive take here.

Biddle bombed: So far, so good for Phillies 2010 first-round pick Jesse Biddle, who has been pitching for the Phillies Gulf Coast League, but yesterday he was rocked for his worst outing yet, allowing five runs on seven hits in only an inning of work. In nine starts, he’s 3-1 with a 4.32 ERA with a 41/9 K/BB ratio in 33 1-3 innings. A good start overall.

Braves stun Dodgers: Melky Cabrera's two-run single off Octavio Dotel with the bases loaded in the ninth inning capped a three-run rally that lifted the Atlanta Braves to a 4-3 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday night. The win pushes the Braves to a 2.5-game lead in the National League East.

Monday: Second-half surge still a Phillies staple

Nothing is certain but death, taxes and a strong mark after the break.

Some people never learn. When Chase Utley got whacked, I expected the Phillies, the team I’ve chronicled for seven years – five on Beerleaguer – to steadily fall out of contention until September; and that was before Jamie Moyer, Ryan Howard and Shane Victorino fell to injury. All they’ve done is pull together yet again for a 19-11 mark since the break, 18-5 if you take away the 1-6 road abomination that kicked off the second half. They’re tied with the Twins for the best record in baseball since July 22, most of it coming without their All-Star first baseman, second baseman and center fielder.

The more things change (widespread injuries, the acquisition of Roy Halladay and Roy Oswalt, the comings and goings of others like Cliff Lee, Brett Myers, J.A. Happ,), the more things stay the same (2007: 62-55 record after 117 games, - 3.0 behind the division lead; 2008: 64- 53, +2.0; 2009: 68 - 49, +5.5; 2010: 66-51, -2.0). Really, the biggest difference has been the emergence of Atlanta in taking away the Phillies’ ability to methodically march over the National League East; a 5.5-game advantage has been reduced to a two-game deficit, but Atlanta's lead has been steadily shrinking. The Phillies haven’t been the division front-runner since May 30, but they've pulled into a virtual dead-heat with the Giants for the Wild Card lead.

Speaking of the Giants and Braves, these are the only National League teams of note against whom the Phillies have played poorly; 5-7 against Atlanta and 1-2 against the Giants, which should be 0-3 if Bruce Bochey hadn’t pulled Tim Lincecum. They see Atlanta twice more in September/October. Aside from them, and San Diego at the tail-end of the homestand, the Phils will be given a full plate of teams like the Mets and Marlins with nothing to play for the rest of the way.

Other notes: The Phillies have crept up the list of league leaders in runs scored with 552, which is fourth in the NL and just 22 behind the Reds for first. In most other categories (SB, HRs, AVG, SLG, OBP) they’re average or slightly above. That’s how you could describe the pitching, too. Besides walks and related stats like WHIP, the Phillies in the middle in most categories, including ERA (3.93).

Phillies run and pitch past Mets in series finale

Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino legged out a couple of runs, while Kyle Kendrick (8-5) and the bullpen combined on a an effective, efficient six-hit, one-run effort, as the Phillies outperformed the Mets 3-1 to take two-out-of-three in the series and pull into a virtual tie with San Francisco for the NL Wild Card heading into head-to-head series set to begin Tuesday at Citizens Bank Park. With Chase Utley and Ryan Howard eying a return, possibly early in the homestand, the Phillies have not only survived the losses of their two best players, but have been among the league's best and most consistent teams during their absence. More tomorrow ...

Game chat: Phillies, Mets settle up in prime time

Kyle Kendrick (7-5, 4.60) and Mike Pelfrey (11-6, 3.95) occupy ESPN's prime time slot tonight when the Phillies and Mets play the rubber game of their three-game tilt. First pitch is 8:05. Lineups are posted: Rollins SS, Victorino CF, Polanco 3B, Ibanez LF, Werth RF Dobbs IB, Ruiz C, Valdez 2B. The Phils are hoping for a better outing from Kendrick than his last start, a 3 1-3 inning terd Tuesday against the Dodgers. The Phils and Mets have done nothing but exchange shutouts this season at Citi Field. [Jump to the newest comments]

Doc dominates as Phillies win a cheapie at Citi Field

A day after the Phillies were blanked for the fourth time this season at the Mets' home park, Roy Halladay (15-8) won his fifth-straight decision with eight shutout innings and benefitted from three unearned runs offensively as the Phils broke their scoreless spell 4-0 in Queens. Placido Polanco got the Phillies on the board with an RBI single in the third, then a Ruben Tejada throwing error in the fifth and a David Wright fielding error with the bases stacked in the sixth led to three more runs for the Phils. Halladay was sharper than in recent turns, allowing just four hits while striking out seven. Elsewhere, the Braves fell to the Dodgers 2-1, so the Phils narrowed the gap to two games in the division race.

Saturday chat: Phils' bats try to break Citi Field jinx

Preview: The Phillies' offense has been a Citi Field no-show in four tries this season and were one-hit by knuckleballer R.A. Dickey in a 1-0 loss Friday night. With Roy Halladay (14-8, 2.34) scheduled, they should have all the pitching support they'll need, but the bats will need to get past the dreaded unknown quantity in the form of left-hander Pat Misch, making his first Major League appearance this season. First pitch is set for 7:10.

Utley update: Chase Utley is scheduled to begin rehabbing tonight in a game for Class-A Clearwater. CSNPhilly's Jim Salisbury writes that Utley is so far ahead of schedule that he could be back in the Phillies’ starting lineup during the 10-game homestand that begins Tuesday. Utley had surgery to repair a torn ligament in his right thumb on July 1. He last appeared in a game on June 28.

Transactions: The Phillies signed left-hander Drew Rundle and outfielder Ryne White of the independent Frontier League to minor league deals, according to the latest Baseball America update.

Lack of run support: "In those atrocious outings by Kendrick and Blanton, the Phillies scroed 19 runs over 2 games. In the last 2 starts by Hamels and the last start by Oswalt, the Phillies have 2 runs over 3 games. Baseball is a weird sport." - Fatalotti

Mets fan reaction: "Amazin Avenue calls the game last night the Mets' best game of the year. Somehow if the Phils had won 1-0 I don't think anyone would say it was the best game of the year, so we can giggle about that." - EastFallowfield

Phillies postseason odds: "We have six games remaining with the Braves. We just need to stay within two games up to the last two weeks of the season. It is going down to the wire folks." - Billy Mac

The knuckleball: "The knuckleball is the hardest pitch to hit and also the hardest pitch to command. That's why, unless you're a Hall of Famer like Niekro or Wilhelm, few pitchers throw it and those that do are prone to wild performance swings Such as in giving up 6 runs in 3 IP in one start and then 0 runs in 9 IP in another start against the same team 5 days later." - clout

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Game chat: Phils begin weekend set in Big Apple

Cole Hamels and R.A. Dickey are scheduled when the Phillies open a weekend set with the Mets in Queens. First pitch is 7:10. Shane Victorino returns to center field. Last night's hero Carlos Ruiz has been scratched with a strained right quad, which is not considered severe. Brian Schneider will start behind the plate. [Jump to the newest comments]