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Rehab chat: Watch the stars of today, today

Chase Utley, Carlos Ruiz and Roy Oswalt are set for, I think, Philadelphia’s first prime-time rehab appearance, airing in its entirety instead of ‘net Impact Philly, State of the Union and MLS Soccer, which will jump to TCN. Utley will hit second, Ruiz third and Oswalt, who is 0-0 with an 0.00 for Clearwater, will start. Joe Savery will DH for Oswalt, according to Jim Salisbury. They’re playing Palm Beach if anyone cares. [Jump to the newest comments]

Phils' rehabbing stars to be seen tonight on Comcast

Comcast SportsNet is airing tonight's Class-A Clearwater game, which will star Chase Utley, Roy Oswalt and Carlos Ruiz, who are all there on rehab assigments. First pitch is 7:00.

Beerleaguer for breakfast: Bullpen goes off the grid

Injuries and other issues have pushed the typically formulaic Phillies toward an unconventional bullpen, and it’s working.

The Phillies continue to enjoy the luxury that only good pitching can provide, winning ballgames, such as Wednesday’s excellent 5-3 win, by keeping it close to allow a couple of timely hits to unfold. Although it wasn’t a signature performance, Cliff Lee’s six-inning effort is easily taken for granted. So is the work of the bullpen, which has seamlessly shifted away from the regimented roles of the past. Some of that is out of necessity, but perhaps a little more open-mindedness has crept into the Phillies' methodology.

Wednesday night, the Phils clawed back beginning in the seventh inning and would eventually take the lead in the ninth on Jimmy Rollins’ old-school seed. The home half of the frames were secured by roll-less lefty J.C. Romero in the seventh, followed by Saturday’s emergency starter and hero Kyle Kendrick, then fill-in for the fill-in closer, Ryan Madson, who worked a shutout ninth. It should be pointed out that Kendrick’s crucial frame came on three days rest. In Monday's win, replacement starter Vance Worley successfully nailed down three innings in relief of Joe Blanton, signifying an atypical amount of trust in a young, inexperienced pitcher. Madson closed out that one as well, and after the game, Worley and Madson earned joint “Player of the Game” honors. The day before, Charlie Manuel called on the B-list arrangement of Mike Stutes, Scott Mathieson and Danys Baez in a loss; Stutes took his first lumps as a Phillie, grooving a 2-0 pitch to Eric Hinske that still hasn't come back to earth. The day before, Romero, Stutes, Antonio Bastardo and Madson combined for four shutout innings in support of Kendrick's emergency start.

Saturday's shutout is symbolic of what the Phillies have become: a pitching-first team with quality contributions from the entire staff.

Postgame: Orr, Phils hit late to take series finale

Pete Orr had two doubles in the final three innings of the game to lead the Phillies to a 5-3 victory over the Marlins.

After managing no runs on just three hits through the first six innings, the Phils cut the Marlins’ lead to 3-2 in the seventh. Raul Ibanez led off the inning with a double and with one out, Dane Sardinha reached on a costly error by Gaby Sanchez. Orr followed with a double to right to put the Phils on the board, and Ross Gload pushed Sardinha across with an RBI groundout to first. J.C. Romero needed just eight pitches to book a perfect seventh, and a Shane Victorino homer in the eighth tied the game at 3-3.

In the ninth, against the previously dominant Leo Nunez (13 hits allowed in 17 2-3 innings), the Phils rallied to grab the lead. Sardinha singled with one down, followed by another double to right off the bat of Orr. John Mayberry had a chance to give the Phils the lead with men on second and third and one out, but Nunez struck him out swinging. With two away, Jimmy Rollins smoked a two-run single to right field, giving the Phils a 5-3 lead.

Ryan Madson struck out Mike Stanton and Bryan Petersen to open the ninth, then got Omar Infante to fly out to left. He now has five saves in five tries and a 0.60 ERA, the third-lowest ERA in the majors for any pitcher with 15 innings or more.

Cliff Lee went six innings, allowing three earned on seven hits. He struck out four Fish while walking none. Of his 82 pitches, 62 were strikes.

Orr, who went 2-for-2 after entering the game in the seventh inning, was the only Phillie with multiple hits. Victorino’s jack was his sixth of the season. Ryan Howard went 0-for-3 with three strikeouts and a walk. It is the seventh time this year that Howard has struck out thrice or more in a single game.

Brian Schneider left the game in the fifth inning after an apparent hamstring injury. He was trying to score on a single by Lee but pulled up lame after rounding third base. The immediate consequences of the injury were negligible as Sardinha finished the game behind the dish. But Schneider’s injury could leave the Phils in need of a call-up before their upcoming series with the Braves. If Carlos Ruiz is not ready to return, they would likely opt to promote Erik Kratz from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to fill the void.

Next up: Cole Hamels (4-2, 2.83) takes the mound against Brandon Beachy (1-1, 2.98) on Friday in the series opener against the Braves.

Game chat: Phillies try to rally behind Lee in finale

The Phillies have offered only one run of support over Cliff Lee's last three starts and ran short on offense in last night's 2-1 loss. They'll try to wake up the bat rack against Ricky Nolasco in tonight's rubber game set for 7:10.

Beerleaguer: Following a series loss to Atlanta, there's a heightened importance on this one, not a must win necessarily, but definitely a spot where the Phils would like to assert themselves against a division rival and start this roadtrip off right. The Phils split their rain-shortened series with Florida last month in Philly and after two games this series appear very evenly matched with their closest competitor in the standings. The Phils will likely come out on the losing end if they can't upgrade their support of Lee, who's watched his offense go 12-for-105 (.114) in his last three starts. For what it's worth, I have a good feeling about the Phils' chances tonight; they've been good at closing out series, and very good in Florida, overall, for the last several seasons.

Lineups are posted: Rollins, Victorino, Polanco, Howard, Ibanez, Francisco, Schneider C, Valdez 2B. The juice has run out of this particular lineup a little bit, but a lot of that can be blamed on their recent luck with runners in scoring position, plus the bottom of the lineup has not produced, in case you haven't heard. Shane Victorino tries to extend his hitting streak to 14. Notes: Carlos Ruiz went 1-for-5 in an extended spring training game today. According to Jim Salsibury, Chooch, Utley and Oswalt will play for Clearwater tomorrow night. [Jump to the newest comments]

IronPigs SS suspended for violating drug policy

Kevin Frandsen, who signed a minor league deal with the Phillies this spring and has been working as Lehigh Valley's shortstop, was suspended 50 games for testing positive for a banned substance. According to Todd Zolecki of Phillies.com, he tested positive for ritalinic acid, which is the psychostimulant often connected with Methylphenidate, commonly used to treat ADD and hyperactivity. Frandsen, 28, was hitting .321/.369/.505 with three home runs for the IronPigs. He signed with the Phils after he was released by the Padres in spring training. He spent 2011 with the Anaheim Angels. Slugging first baseman Tagg Bozied, last year's Eastern League batting champion, has been activated from the holding tank disabled list to replace him on the roster.

Readers lament losing due to two scratch runs

Reader reaction to Tuesday's tight pitchers' duel in South Florida.

"Monday night Manuel showed he knows how to stack the lineup with lefty bats. Gload and Schneider returned to the bench because Manuel will sacrifice (marginally in both directions) offense for defense with Halladay throwing. Funny that defense was part of their undoing. Sardinha showed he's an asset in defending the running game but, that passed ball was just ugly. And, how about that throw from Francisco on Coghlan's 'double'? Might as well have thrown through to third - might have gotten Johnson. Walking the pitcher is the thing that Halladay will probably recognize as his crucial lapse. Rollins error was equally harmful. Two scratch runs and they lose." - Hugh Mulcahy

"There's a few things that got under my skin about this one. Not starting Gload, the walk to Johnson, Victorino not bunting Rollins over, the entire bottom of the 8th. Stranding the bases loaded two innings in a row sucked too but really I can't get too excited when they are loaded for the likes of Sardinha and Orr to begin with." - Scotch Man

"The No. 8 spot is killing this lineup. This is what the line was coming into Tuesday: .198/.254/.256 for a .510 OPS with 1 HR. Worst in the NL and 28th in MLB. Only Seattle and Minnesota have gotten less production out of the No. 8 spot. Mostly due to the woeful offense the Phils have gotten from Valdez/Schneider out of the No. 8 spot.

Valdez (67 ABs in 21 G): .239/.282/.284
Schneider (32 ABs in 9 G): .143/.143/.143

"Valdez has been a disappointing at the plate this year but he is hitting around his career norms this year. He just isn't even an average offensive player. Schneider is the guy who has been the real goat. He has given them nothing offensively since Chooch has been out and his defense this year hasn't been much to write home about either. Phils aren't paying him big dollars ($1.5M) but you do expect more than a the lousy .160/.208/.300 in 50 ABs almost exclusively facing RHP. I do expect he will finish north of the Mendoza line but he not much further." - MG

Critical mistakes cost Halladay in pitchers' duel

An unearned run on a Jimmy Rollins' error in the eighth, following a night of offensive missed opportunities, led to the eventual winning run in an as-advertised 2-1 tussle between two of the game's top starters.

Beerleaguer: When Roy Halladay and Josh Johnson meet, every pitch and every play becomes magnified, and that's exactly what happened tonight. The Phils tried to get Halladay through the eighth, but a tough throwing error on a challenging hop to Rollins, followed by a passed ball on a pitch that probably should have been handled by Dane Sardinha, led to Doc's undoing. The Phils also failed to capitalize on rare early opportunities against Johnson. After Ryan Howard put the Phils on the board first with his eighth home run of the season, the Phils worked Johnson into two-straight bases-loaded jams, one in the second, with no outs, and another in the third, which ended when Pete Orr grounded out on one pitch. Obviouly, it's not the way the Phils wanted to handle their business against the Marlins' ace. All told, the Phils were 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position and stranded 10 men on base.

Tough loss, but the Phils won't face a tougher hombre. It's one of the only games this season where the Phils were the side guilty of failing to do the little things correctly.

Game chat: The perfect pitching matchup, Part II

Roy Halladay and Josh Johnson square off in Miami for the first time since Doc's perfecto on May 29, 2010. First pitch is on CSN at 7:10 p.m.

Halladay has won three straight starts, logging a 1.46 ERA and a 32-to-2 strikeout-to-walk ratio in those outings. He is 4-2 with a 2.30 ERA lifetime against the Marlins. Johnson, meanwhile, has a 1.68 ERA and a .160 opponents batting average on the season. However, the righty is coming off his worst start of the season (5 ER in 7 1/3 IP in a loss to the Cardinals).

Utley update: Chase Utley will begin a rehab assignment with the Threshers tonight. Since the rehab stint can last a maximum of 20 days, Utley will return to the Phillies by the end of the month, barring a setback.

Lineup: Rollins, Victorino, Polanco, Howard, Ibanez, Francisco, Orr, Sardinha, Halladay. If you were hoping to see Gload's name, well, you're not alone.

Postgame: Blanton returns, Worley shines in relief

Joe Blanton earned his first win of the season and Ross Gload drove in a pair of runs as the Phillies nipped the Marlins, 6-4, in the opener of a three-game series.

Fresh off a trip to the DL, Blanton allowed three runs in five innings. He did give up 10 baserunners (eight hits and a pair of walks) but the Phillies’ defense turned four double plays in his five innings. Vance Worley came up in big again – and validated the trust Charlie Manuel showed in him – by pitching the sixth, seventh and eighth in a tight ballgame. Ryan Madson closed it out for his fourth save.

Jimmy Rollins got the party started with a home run off Javy Vazquez on the fifth pitch of the game. The Phils added three runs in the third inning – highlighted by Placido Polanco scoring on a play that combined defense and baserunning worse than you’ll see in most Little League games.

Gload’s second RBI single of the night capped a two-run fifth for the Phils. By the way, is there another Phillie (aside from Polanco) who has a higher percentage of quality at-bats than Gload?

Next up: Roy Halladay vs. Josh Johnson in a tasty pitching matchup on Tuesday night. The last time these two squared off in Miami, well, you know what happened.

-Written for Beerleaguer by Drew Silverman

Game chat: Division leaders battle in South Florida

Trailing by two games in the National League East, the Marlins, behind right-hander Javier Vazquez, try to gain ground on Joe Blanton and the Phillies beginning tonight at 7:10 from Sun Life Stadium. Ross Gload starts in right, replacing struggling regular Ben Francisco.

Rule 5 guy Martinez still along for the ride

Michael Martinez’s 21 plate appearances may not seem like a lot, but it’s par for the course for the Phillies’ last man off the bench.

The Phillies shepherded So Taguchi and Eric Bruntlett along in en route to back-to-back World Series appearances and are doing the same in their commitment to a 28-year-old Rule 5 pick in Martinez. In all, the versatile Dominican has started three games, two at second and one in center field, his last start occurring on Apr. 24 in San Diego. Spring excitement over his “energy” has given way to a veteran, "old shoe" presence as Pete Orr has stolen away time at second against right-handed pitching while John Mayberry has worked his way into the outfield picture. While he’ll occasionally pinch run, Mini-Mart hasn’t been used as a defensive replacement, the way Bruntlett and Taguchi were often worked into games (Bruntlett would eventually supplant Taguchi as Pat Burrell’s defensive caddy in 2008).

Despite going 3-for-19 with three singles, Mini-Mart's presence hasn’t necessarily hurt them. With Carlos Ruiz’s late assignment to the disabled list, and with Ross Gload missing time for personal reasons, the Phils have been running ragged on the bench for a couple of days now. That said, there’s little benefit to his existence, so when / if Chase Utley is prepared to come off the disabled list, it wouldn’t come as a shock if Orr stays and Martinez goes since Orr can provide essentially the same skill set. Should Martinez stay, his playing time will fade into nothing.

Taguchi 2008: 103 PAs
Bruntlett 2009: 118 PAs
Martinez 2011: 21 PAs thru May 8

Notes: Right-hander Joe Blanton has been activated from the 15-day disabled list. Kentucky Joe was originally placed on the DL on April 29, retroactive to April 24, with a medial impingement in his right elbow. Ruiz was placed on the 15-day disabled list Sunday to open the roster spot. Hot in the minors: Who the hell is Geancarlo Mendez? The 21-year-old Lakewood third baseman is hitting .305/.367/.427 with six stolen bases and has quite a few multi-hit games.

Tonight's lineup: Rollins-Vic-Polanco-Howard-Ibanez-Gload-Orr-Schneider-Blanton.

Beerleaguer for breakfast: New black hole forming

The 5-8 hitters are sucking the Phillies’ offense into an abyss.

Beerleaguer’s most famous black hole, the maddening conglomerate of David Bell and Mike Lieberthal in 2005, tainted the 7-8 holes of a highly potent offense with a .671 and .755 OPS respectively. Bell’s 24 GDPs were among the worst offenses, undermining the production of Chase Utley, Bobby Abreu, Pat Burrell and Ryan Howard,  the worst of whom, Abreu, finished with an .879 OPS, which would be .005 off the team lead today (Polanco, .884).

Today, the black hole encapsulates half the offense, and is arguably a far more destructive force than any black hole the Phils have seen since site inception: Raul Ibanez (.613); Ben Francisco (.725); Wilson Valdez (.579) / Pete Orr (.626); Carlos Ruiz (.681) / Brian Schneider (.551) / Dane Sardinha (.586). Valdez, who had 20 GDPs in 363 plate appearances a year ago, has five here in the early going.

Postgame: Lack of clutch hits dooms Phils vs. Braves

Cole Hamels gave up a pair of homers and the Phillies’ offense couldn't muster the big hit down the stretch as Charlie Manuel’s bunch dropped the rubber game of its weekend series vs. Atlanta, 5-2.

Hamels did not pitch badly, though he allowed as many homers (two) as he had surrendered in his first six starts combined. He allowed a two-run blast to Alex Gonzalez in the second inning and a solo shot to Freddie Freeman in the fifth. In all, Hamels yielded three runs and five hits in seven innings.

However, the offense gave Hamels little to work with. With runners on first and third in the sixth inning, Wilson Valdez grounded into an inning-ending double play. It was the fifth GIDP for Valdez in just 87 plate appearances this season. Last year, he posted one of the worst GIDP percentages in baseball history with 20 double plays in only 363 PAs.

In the seventh inning, Jimmy Rollins (the tying run at the time) grounded into an inning-ending double play. Rollins has grounded into six twin-killings this year and is on pace for 30 GIDPs, which would obliterate his career high of 14.

The Phils sent the tying run to the plate again in the last two innings. Pinch hitter John Mayberry Jr. flied out with two men on to end the eighth. And with two men on in the ninth, Shane Victorino was rung up on a called third strike by Craig Kimbrel before Placido Polanco flied out to end it.

Next up: Joe Blanton goes against Javier Vazquez on Monday in the opener of a three-game series between the Phillies and Marlins.

-Written for Beerleaguer by Drew Silverman

Game chat: Hamels set to handle Braves in finale

Stingy pitching has guided the Phillies to a 6-2 homestand. With Cole Hamels on the hill, the hometown nine tries to lock up a third-straight series at home under the lights Sunday night at 8 p.m.

Preview: Tonight features a pair of hot-handed starters set to deal in front of a prime-time audience. Young Braves ace Jair Jurrjens has four quality starts and holds a 1.52 ERA. Meanwhile, Cole Hamels has a 1.42 ERA in his last five starts and smothered the Braves through seven shutout innings the last time he faced them, back on April 10. Pitching dominance has been the Phillies' forte this season. The starting staff leads all MLB staffs in wins (17) and are tied for the lead in quality starts (24). Their 3.06 ERA is the third lowest in the league, and over their last nine games, the starters have logged eight quality starts, with the one exception being Kyle Kendrick’s five scoreless innings last night. In that span, they're 7-1 with a 1.71 ERA with 11 walks and 68 strikeouts. Last night's shutout was the 6th of the season, the fastest they've reached six shutouts since the 1976 season.

Kendrick came up huge last night. Absolutely huge.

Chooch still out: The lineup goes like this: J Roll, Victorino, Polanco, Howard, Francisco, Ibanez, Valdez, Sardinha. Joe Blanton is expected back tomorrow. Enjoy the game and happy Mother's Day everyone.

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Postgame: Kendrick, four relievers shut out Braves

Making his first start of the season, Kyle Kendrick gave the Phillies five scoreless innings, while Ryan Howard hit his team-leading seventh homer to propel the Phils to a 3-0 victory over the Braves.

Kendrick, taking the mound in place of Roy Oswalt (back), allowed just two hits and a walk. The righty was on a pitch count of roughly 65-75 pitches and finished at 69, throwing 41 strikes. J.C. Romero, Michael Stutes and Antonio Bastardo each logged a scoreless inning before Ryan Madson closed it out.

The offensive highlight for the Phils was Howard’s solo homer in the fourth inning. It was the 260th career home run for Howard, moving him past Del Ennis for second place on the Phillies’ all-time list. How much of a chance - if any - do you give the 31-year-old Howard to catch Mike Schmidt (548 career homers) for the top spot in Phillies history?

Next up: Cole Hamels takes the ball Sunday night in the series finale. Jair Jurrjens gets the nod for Atlanta.

-Written for Beerleaguer by Drew Silverman

Game chat: Kendrick tries to spoil Teheran's debut

Notes: Kyle Kendrick (1-2, 2.08) brings a 5-1 mark and 2.55 lifetime ERA against the Braves into tonight's emergency start, scheduled for 7:05 from Citizens Bank Park. Braves top prospect Julio Teheran, who was summoned from Triple-A Gwinnett, gets the nod for Atlanta. The 20-year-old was 3-0 with a 1.80 ERA in 30 innings with Triple-A Gwinnett. … In other news, Chase Utley played his first extended spring training game today in Dunedin, Fla. According to reports, he was 5-for-7 with a pair of home runs. … Reading's Codey Overbeck was named Eastern League Player of the Month for April. He hit .321 with six home runs and 20 RBIs during the month. … Chance Chapman returned to the IronPigs from Reading to take the spot of Scott Mathieson, who was recalled by the Phillies late last night.

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Back stiffness forces Oswalt to DL, Mathieson recalled

The Phillies placed Roy Oswalt on the disabled list retroactive to April 27, which will allow him to pitch Friday in Atlanta.

From Jim Salisbury's report: "Oswalt left the team the day after he pitched in Phoenix on April 27. He returned to his Mississippi home, where he spent eight days helping family members clean up debris after several devastating tornadoes ripped through the area. Oswalt spent much time on a tractor, moving downed trees. He did not throw a baseball or receive treatment for an already sore back. 'Moving trees on an excavator probably didn’t help much,' GM Ruben Amaro conceded. “I don’t think it did anything bad, but it probably didn’t help much.” This marks the third time Oswalt has landed on the DL with the issue. Read more about the severity of the issue here >>>

With Kyle Kendrick scheduled to throw today, the Phils have brought in Mathieson from Triple-A. The 27-year-old right-hander has labored a little this season. He's allowed runs in five of nine appearances, posting a 15/10 K/BB ratio and 4.61 ERA in 13 2-3 innings. Mathieson was already on the 40-man roster, so clearing room wasn't necessary. The hard-throwing right-hander is running out of opportunities to prove himself and would do well to make the most of this opportunity.

Braves 5, Phillies 0: When Cliff Lee surprised the baseball world by choosing the Phillies, I wonder if he banked on receiving so little run support. For the third time in as many starts, he was burned by the Phillies' lack of offensive star power, this time watching a career-high 16 strikeouts spoiled by a two-hit shutout at the hands of Derek Lowe and the Braves' revamped bullpen. Lowe took a no-hitter into the seventh inning, while Eric O'Flaherty, Jonny Venters and Craig Kimbrel held the Phils hitless in the final three innings.

It was one of those nights where you look at the lineup, without Chase Utley and without Jayson Werth, and wonder how on earth the team has managed 21 wins. Lee was magnificent and deserved a better fate, but I'll tell you, that third inning was putrid. Even with the 16 strikeouts, the Braves had the better pitching Friday night.

Game chat: Phillies host Braves for three in Philly

Cliff Lee (2-2, 3.66) hopes to enact revenge on the Braves for their six-run shelling of the left-hander on Apr. 8 when the two sides square off beginning at 7:05 on TCN. Derek Lowe (2-3, 3.72) has it for the 18-15 Braves. The Phillies stick with their "new/old" order, with Jimmy Rollins leading off, followed by Shane Victorino, Placido Polanco, Ryan Howard, Ben Francisco, Raul Ibanez, Pete Orr and Brian Schneider doing the catching. Lee does not have good numbers against the Braves. Lifetime, he's 1-2 with a 6.98 ERA in four starts. [Jump to the newest comments]

Breaking news: Oswalt scratched from Saturday start

Jim Salisbury tweets that Roy Oswalt's back is still bothering him following Thursday's bullpen session and he could go on the disabled list. Kyle Kendrick will start in his place on Saturday.

Oswalt's last start came Apr. 26, a three-inning, five-run dud with his mind focused on the safety of his family back in Mississippi. Oswalt rejoined the Phillies yesterday after tending to his home in the wake of last week's violent tornados, which caused downed trees on his 400-acre property but no harm to any loved ones. Meanwhile, Kendrick will make his first start following eight appearances as the Phillies' longman. He's 1-2 with a 2.08 ERA in 13 innings, his worst outing coming in an extra-inning loss to the Brewers. Kendrick has good lifetime numbers against the Braves.

The Phils are already shorthanded in the bullpen and could make a roster move to coincide with Kendrick's start and Carlos Ruiz's return to the lineup. It's likely they would designate Dane Sardinha for assignment and recall a reliever from the minors, which could be anyone at this point. They could also send Oswalt to the DL and keep Sardinha in case Ruiz needs more time. Or Ruiz could still be sent to the DL. Meanwhile, Joe Blanton could come off the DL for Monday's starts. Lots of moving parts, that's for sure.

In other news, Salisbury reports that spring training will finally get underway for Chase Utley tomorrow in an extended spring training game in Clearwater, Fla. Looking ahead to tonight, Brian Schneider, Pete Orr and Ben Francisco are in the lineup when Cliff Lee and the Phils open their series with the Braves at 7:05.

Phillies step up in weight class beginning Friday

Phils' opponents through the first 28 games had just a .486 winning percentage entering last night's contest. Starting tonight, and over the next 20 games, it spikes to .572. Readers chime in on the upcoming schedule.

"Phils have played a bunch of really crummy teams including the Padres, D-Backs, Mets, and Nats. To their credit, they have beat them like a drum going 14-5. My bet is the Phils win 10-11 games over the next 20 which would be alright as long as they take the series vs. Braves and Fish. Going .500 against good teams is fine as long as you beat the teams in your division and clean up against the also-rans as the Phils have done so far." - MG

"If the Phillies play over .600 ball (13 wins or more) over the next 20 games, then 100+ wins is very much in play. 'm honestly excited to see how the Phils play against good competition. This is what you want to see--good baseball teams playing each other, night in and night out." - Jack

"I don't buy into strength of schedule. What matters is how you and your opponent are playing when you actually meet. A good team can have a bad week, and a bad team can have a good week. It only takes 1 or 2 streaky guys like Raul to make a difference in any short series." - Goody

"If it's any consolation to anyone worried about the Phillies record being a mirage due to a weak schedule, Baseball-Reference.com has a stat called SRS (simple rating system). The formula is: run differential + strength of schedule used to measure the numbers of run per game they are better (or worse) than the average ML team. Right now, the Phillies have the second highest SRS in baseball at 1.2, along with the Braves. The Cleveland Indians are sitting at 1.4. The Cards are at 3 with an SRS of 1.1. Judging by this stat, the NL East is by far the strongest division in baseball, with an average SRS of 0.62. Long story short, even with a "soft" schedule, the Phillies are doiong quite well for themselves." - Fatalotti

Phils break out the brooms thanks to big third inning

The Phillies dropped six, third-inning runs on John Lannan's head, Roy Halladay continued his dominance of the Nationals and National League East in general, and Raul Ibanez, previously in an 0-for-35 rut, went 3-for-4 with a second-deck homer to finish the series a cool 8-for-12, in a sweep-sealing 7-3 win on Thursday night. Halladay struck out 10. Shane Victorino homered. Ibanez is suddenly seeing, and crushing, everything. Jimmy Rollins set the table with two hits to cap a successful return to the lead-off spot. The 21-9 Phils host the Braves for three beginning tomorrow night. In other news, Chase Utley is expected to head to Florida for extended spring training tomorrow, barring a setback. More tomorrow ...

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Sardinha earns chance to catch another Halladay CG

Dane Sardinha, who helped guide Roy Halladay to complete games all three times he's caught him, is behind the plate when Doc and the Phils go for a sweep of the Nationals tonight at 7:05.

Sardinha's a weird cat. He doesn't hit in the minors, the proceeds to hit three homers in nine games with the Phils in 2010. He's split starting duties in Lehigh Valley the last two seasons, but it's more like a 55/45 split, with Sardinha on the shorter end. Then, pair him with the game's top pitcher and he's Yogi Berra to Doc's Don Larsen.

Hoping to keep Raul Ibanez’s two-game hitting streak intact, while getting John Mayberry some at bats against a left-handed pitcher, Phillies skipper Charlie Manuel has decided to give Ben Francisco the night off against scheduled left-hander John Lannan. Wilson Valdez, who got off the schneid with an RBI in Wednesday’s win, starts at second. … Down in the minors today, Dallas Green was spotted scouting J.C. Ramirez’s start in Reading’s early matinee with New Hampshire. It did not go well. The 22-year-old right-hander was chased after just 2 2-3 innings, allowing a season-high 6 runs (3 ER) on three walks and two hits, one of them a three-run homer, only three of them earned.

The reason I mention it: I wonder if the Phils are considering a young arm like Ramirez to complete the bullpen picture, which currently stands at six pitchers. Assuming Vance Worley will be returned to the minors when Joe Blanton comes off the DL, and assuming Jose Contreras needs more time to recover from his elbow strain, the Phils could make a surprise call to Double-A the way they’ve done a couple times in the past. Or, the time has come for teams to engage in trade talks. The Phils have a lot of young talent to offer.

Unexpected youth movement giving Phils surprise lift

Lightly regarded as prospects, Vance Worley, Antonio Bastardo, Mike Stutes and John Mayberry have contributed to the Phillies' cause.

Baseball's oldest team is also its best, as the Phils seized their 20th win with a 7-4 victory over the Nationals Wednesday night. Their best players still hail from the old guard: Ryan Howard, Placido Polanco, Shane Victorino have led the attack; Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels and Ryan Madson have fortified one of the game's best staffs.

But they're also receiving more than they envisioned from the IronPigs class of 2010. Worley has been impressive in each of his appearances dating back to last season. The 23-year-old righty had gained a reputation, down in the minors, as a "command-of-four-pitches" type who needed to hit his spots to succeed, but it wasn't until recently that he amped up his stuff to the point where he can reliably miss bats; so far he has 12 Ks in 12 innings, and didn't walk a batter Wednesday night. In particular, his two-seam fastball has been outstanding, darting away from the heart of the plate and crossing on the outside corners. He's been very composed and confident in his stuff, and he's also benefited from improved strength and conditioning.

Beerleaguer would be getting ahead of itself to suggest that Worley will make Joe Blanton's rotation reinsertion difficult, but wishful thinking has never stopped us before.

Worley has been paired at the hip with Stutes all throughout their minor league careers, so it's fitting they're getting a shot at the same time. The 24-year-old reliever has been used out of the 'pen in each of Worley's starts and four games overall, succeeding in an area that Scott Mathieson, Mike Zagurski and others have not: he hasn't immediately fallen on his face. Although it's way too early to know, he appears to have the make-up, and hard fastball/slider combo, that caught the Phils' attention when they converted him to a reliever two seasons ago. Stutes went unranked in Baseball America's list of Top 30 Phillies prospects this winter.

We've discussed Mayberry and Bastardo at length, but their efforts are worth repeating. Mayberry, filling a platoon and bench role, has worked an early .421 on-base percentage, bolstered by six walks in 38 plate appearances. In many ways, the Phils have put him in a better position to succeed, here in the Majors, than he would as an everyday player playing his fourth season in Triple-A. Mayberry, like Stutes, has never been viewed as much of a prospect. As for Bastardo, we're finally seeing what the Phillies saw all along. An 18/5 K/BB in 11 IP is simply outstanding.

Postgame: Worley cruises to another victory

Vance Worley was terrific for the second straight start, overmatching the Nationals in the Phillies’ 7-4 win.  The victory gives the Phils five wins in their last six games and 10 in their last 13.

Worley allowed a run on four hits in six innings of work. In his second win in as many outings, he struck out seven (including Jayson Werth twice) and walked no one. Worley’s 21-inning scoreless streak came to an end on Adam LaRoche’s RBI double in the sixth inning.

Raul Ibanez, who busted his 10-game hitless slump with a pair of doubles on Tuesday, put the Phils on the board with a solo bomb in the fifth inning. The homer, which flew deep into the first deck of the right-center field stands, was a welcome result for Ibanez, who has pulled very few balls with authority this season. Ibanez finished the game 3-for-4, giving him as many hits (five) in the last two nights as he had over the 16 games prior.

The Phils tallied 11 hits on the night, posting all seven of their runs between the fifth and sixth innings. Jimmy Rollins and Brian Schneider both had a pair of knocks, and Rollins drove in a run from the leadoff spot for the second straight night.

Placido Polanco provided a scare, when he appeared to injure his ankle in the fourth. Polanco, who typically looks comfortable doing anything and everything on a baseball field, slid awkwardly into second base on Ryan Howard’s fielder’s choice. He limped off the field with a grimace but stayed in the game.

Apparently, Danys Baez is replacing David Herndon as the Phils’ most nerve-racking bullpen righty. Baez did his best to make the game interesting, allowing three runs on three hits in the ninth.

Next up: Roy Halladay (4-1, 2.14) gets the ball against John Lannan (2-3, 3.78) on Thursday at 7:05 p.m.

Romero returns, Herndon departs for Nats-Phillies 2

Left-hander J.C. Romero, who has been out since Apr. 18 with a strained right calf, has been activated from the disabled list. To clear room, struggling sinkerballer David Herndon has been optioned to Triple-A, meaning Mike Stutes has gained the Phillies' trust.

Beerleaguer: The question is whether Romero has lost his job during this injury. I believe he has. Romero has been mostly ineffective in seven chances and is a run-of-the-mill loogy at this point. Meanwhile, Bastardo has begun to successfully navigate the late innings, for entire frames at that. As Matt Gelb of the Inquirer points out, the breakout left-hander has the best swinging strike ratio in all of baseball right now (19.4 percent). So this should be good news for Bastardo, and the Phils, because it takes some of the situational grunt work off his plate. And if Manuel moves Romero back ahead of him … well, then … let's just hope the skipper rides it out a little longer. The Phils are in great shape in the standings and can afford to let some youth prevail.

With Carlos Ruiz expected back this weekend, the Phillies will keep Dane Sardinha a few more days, meaning the roster remains at 11 pitchers. Herndon and his 9.28 ERA and 3/7 K/BB ratio had to go. Herndon, a Rule 5 pick a year ago, never pitched in Triple-A. I wonder if they'll attempt to stretch him out as a starter, for the extra work and in case something happens to one of the Phillies' inning-eating middle men (Kendrick, Baez, and now Stutes).

Postgame: Phils win, Hamels dominates again

For the third straight start, Cole Hamels went at least seven innings and allowed five hits or fewer as he notched his fourth win of the year in a 4-1 victory over the Nationals.

Hamels went the distance on the hill, surrendering just one earned run on five hits. He struck out five batters and walked just one, pumping first-pitch strikes to 25 of the 31 Nats he faced. In addition to his success on the mound, Hamels added two hits, including a triple and a run scored.

Hamels’ three-bagger was the Phils’ first hit of the ballgame and started the rally that generated their first run. With two outs and nobody on in the third, Hamels laced a ball off the wall in right center and legged out a standup triple. Jimmy Rollins followed with an RBI single to put the Phillies on the board.

The Phils totaled 12 knocks on the game with five guys (including Hamels) posting two hits. One of those five was Raul Ibanez, who snapped a 10-game hitless streak with a pair of doubles and an RBI. Rollins was 2-for-4 with a triple, an RBI and a stolen base. Ryan Howard and Shane Victorino both went 2-for-4. Howard drove in his major league-leading 29^th run of the year on a single in the seventh inning.

Jayson Werth’s highly anticipated reception was a little bit of a mixed bag as he approached the plate in the top of the first. But by the time the Phils’ former right fielder reached the batter’s box, the Philly faithful was in a nearly  full-blown standing ovation, and Werth acknowledged the cheer with a tip of his helmet.

The win is the Phils’ fourth in their last five contests, with opponents being held to four runs or fewer in each game over that span.

Next up: Vance Worley (1-0, 0.00) toes the slab against Jason Marquis (3-0, 2.62) on Wednesday at 7:05 p.m.

Jayson Werth returns to Philadelphia when the Phillies open a series with the visiting Nationals beginning tonight at 7:05. Jimmy Rollins mans the leadoff spot for the first time this season, while Shane Victorino and Placido Polanco slide down a slot. Pete Orr and Brian Schneider will start.

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Brown speaks; injury updates; Slayden, Hudson cut

Player updates: J.C. Romero is scheduled to pitch an inning for Single-A Lakewood tonight. The left-hander is on the shelf with a mild calf strain. Roy Oswalt will return to the club in time for Saturday's start against Atlanta. The Phils can slot him back behind Cliff Lee thanks to a pair of off days. Although there is still no timetable for his return, Chase Utley appears to be getting closer to playing in a minor league game, according to Jim Salisbury. Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. said "it's possible" that Utley could be headed to Clearwater for extended spring training next week, but wouldn't commit to that. No updates on Jose Contreras, who was diagnosed with a "very mild" Grade 1 strain of his pitching elbow. He could be back pitching with the Phils in three weeks, according to reports.

Transactions: In minor league news, outfielder Matt Miller was demoted from Lehigh Valley to Reading and infielder Robby Hudson was released in order to clear room for Domonic Brown and infielder Brian Bocock, who were activated from the disabled list and rejoined the IronPigs Monday. Bocock, who is still on the 40-man roster, suffered a broken bone below his wrist in spring training. Hudson, who signed late in spring for depth, was hitting just .133 (4-for-30). Outfielder Jeremy Slayden, who came out of retirement and was playing with Reading, was released to clear room for Miller, who was hitting just .219 for Lehigh Valley. Slayden, 28, appeared in just two games with the R-Phils.

Report: Phillies interested in veteran INF Scutaro

According to a report in the Boston Globe, the Phillies have discussed Marco Scutaro as a possible midseason acquisition.

Scutaro, a nine-year veteran, started 134 games at short for the Red Sox last year, but has since lost his gig to Jed Lowrie’s hot bat. Because Scutaro can play both middle infield spots and third, he still has value in Boston. But if the price is right, the Sox would definitely part with the 35-year-old gloveman. The Phils could be buyers if Chase Utley’s return date continues to extend deeper into the season. Scutaro would provide a reliable and versatile defensive infielder with much more seasoning than Wilson Valdez or Pete Orr. His offensive value, however, isn’t likely to be vastly greater than either of the Phils’ current second base options. Scutaro’s career slash line (.266/.335/.382) is not representative of his current prowess—or lack thereof—at the plate. He is hitting just .175 and slugging a paltry .211 and though he had 26 stolen bases over the last three seasons, he has yet to steal a bag this year.

The Phils need offensive help and haven’t gotten much production from their second basemen this season, having totaled just five RBIs and four extra-base hits from the position in their first 27 games, so it seems like they would stand to benefit more from an offensive-minded infielder than a light-hitting leather merchant like Scutaro. Plus, Scutaro is making $5.5 million this season and coming off a rotator cuff injury in his throwing arm. Unless the Sox are willing to move him for peanuts, it seems like the Phils would be wise to stick with the Orr-Valdez solution.

Brown starts in RF for Lehigh Valley: Speaking of potential offensive help, Domonic Brown took another step towards a successful rehab with a start at Lehigh Valley on Monday. He hit third and started in right field, going 1-for-5 with a single, a run scored and a strikeout.

Though Raul Ibanez' current struggles seem to point toward a promotion for Brown sooner rather than later, Ruben Amaro says his top prospect is going to have to earn it. According to CSNPhilly.com's John Finger, Amaro said this to reporters on Sunday night:

“He needs to play well. We’re not going to bring Domonic Brown up just to bring him up. We’ll bring him when he’s ready to contribute here.”

Minors: Overbeck keeping elite company in Reading

Cody Overbeck, 25, leads the Eastern League with eight homers, including a historic tape-measure shot on Sunday afternoon.

From Mike Drago of the Reading Eagle: "When Overbeck banged a home run high off the 50-foot-high video scoreboard beyond the center field fence at FirstEnergy Stadium Sunday afternoon, he was visiting territory few men have known. Ryan Howard cleared the top of that scoreboard once, when he played for the Reading Phillies in 2004. Joey Belle did it too, when he played for Canton/Akron in 1989, and before he went by the name Albert."

Overbeck, who bats from the right side and also leads the league in RBIs and OPS, has been sharing first base and designated hitting duties with Matt Rizzotti. According to Drago, Overbeck has been shagging fly balls and could be tried in the outfield once Reading starts facing National League clubs this Friday.

Reading is off to an Eastern League-best 16-7 start under manager Mark Parent. They lead the league in OPS (.778), fielding percentage (.984) and are third in ERA (2.85).

Monday: Phillies loss rendered an afterthought

Ryan Howard tied the score 1-1 in the home half of the eighth, symbolically unifying red and blue as equals under the chants of "USA."

The chants intensified in the top of the ninth and the result of the game became secondary to a wave of patriotism seldom seen since 9-11. Afterward, the players understood the gravity of the moment, including Mets reliever Pedro Beato, a Brooklyn high school student in 2001 when the attacks occurred on the World Trade Center. Beato's three shutout innings were key in solidifying a deserving win for the Mets, as their host city - and the nation - experienced some overdue closure.

In the spirit of moving on, my two cents on the game. Chris Young is the worst type of matchup for the Phils, just as Livan Hernandez will give them fits next series. The Phils want to hit something hard, and Young plays the soft toss game. The big right-hander was terrific, right down to his final, money change-up to Brian Schneider with the bases loaded. Meanwhile, Cliff Lee was incredibly lucky to last seven innings after a 34-pitch first. The Mets had double the opportunities to score. On a positive note, Danys Baez has never looked better, as a Phillie, than he did last night for two innings.

Postgame: Maybe Raul Ibanez can take notes from … Ronny Paulino?

Raul Ibanez and the Phillies delivered an uninspiring offensive performance Sunday night, wasting solid efforts from both Cliff Lee and the bullpen in a 2-1, 14-inning loss to the Mets.

Ibanez, who went 0-for-4 and is now hitless in his last 34 at-bats, is batting .154 on the season. Ibanez’s last hit was April 18 against Milwaukee. By comparison, Mets catcher Ronny Paulino – a spring training flop for the '09 Phillies – had five hits tonight alone. His 14^th-inning double against Kyle Kendrick plated the decisive run.

Lee struggled with his control early but settled down thereafter. He gave up one run and eight hits in seven innings. Lee struck out five and walked two – both in the first inning – throwing 78 of 113 pitches for strikes. The only run the lefty allowed came in the fifth, when David Wright singled with two outs and came around to score on a double by Carlos Beltran.

The Phillies tied things up in the eighth on a check-swing base hit by Ryan Howard. The Phils loaded the bases without a hit (two walks and a hit batter) before Howard flared a single into left field. It was just the third hit of the game for the Phils, who finished the night with seven hits (six singles) in 46 at-bats.

Kendrick, working his third inning of relief, allowed singles to Wright and Jason Bay in the 14^th before Paulino ripped a double to left. It was the only run allowed by the Phils’ bullpen in seven innings.

Next up: The Phils are off Monday before opening a three-game set vs. Washington on Tuesday. Cole Hamels gets the ball against Livan Hernandez.

-Written for Beerleaguer by Drew Silverman

Game chat: Phillies aim for prime-time sweep

Cliff Lee (2-2, 4.18) has the ball when the Phillies close out their series with Chris Young (1-0, 2.65) and the Mets Sunday night at 8 p.m. Pete Orr, Brian Schneider and Raul Ibanez will start. Ibanez is a .310 lifetime hitter against the finesse righty Young.

Notes: Phillies settling into a pair of surprise platoons

John Mayberry Jr. and Pete Orr end the opening month sharing a starting role with Raul Ibanez in left and Wilson Valdez at second.

One of the "coolest" predictions from the Beerleaguer comments thread his spring was from MG, who believed that Mayberry was positioned for a surprise Wes Chamberlain-esque breakout campaign, earning 250 at bats or more in an expanded role as a starter against left-handed pitching and as a righty bat off the bench. So far, that prediction appears spot on. Following a 2-for-4 afternoon with a home run on Saturday, Mayberry has upped his average to .345/.424/.517, producing in both a platoon role and as a pinch hitter.

While Mayberry's expanded role may not come as surprise, Orr's status as a part-time starter at second certainly does. The Triple-A veteran, who last cracked Washington's 25-man roster in 2009 and spend all of 2010 with Triple-A Syracuse, has started in four of the last nine games at second, taking over for Valdez, who finally ended his hitless drought with a hit on Saturday. Orr and Valdez came to the Phillies at very similar stages of their careers, and while their defensive attributes and versatility remain their best skills, they're proving to be better hitters than many of the utilityman the Phils have settled for in the past.

Three to watch: Juan Perez, LHP, Triple-A: The 32-year-old minor league veteran could be the next in line should the Phillies need another lefty specialist for the 'pen. In 11 2-3 innings, he has a 2.31 ERA and 14/6 K/BB ratio, with opponents hitting just .083 against him. Freddy Galvis, SS, Double-A: Still just 21, and with a glove that's as good as advertised, the young, switch-hitting shortstop has reportedly bulked up to good results, hitting .268/.326/.378 with two homers for Reading. J.C. Ramirez, RHP, Double-A: The 22-year-old right-hander has emerged as the prize of the Cliff Lee trade and a bonafide prospect with a big-league future. He's 4-0 with a 1.03 ERA in four starts, with opponents hitting .183 against him. Fully healthy after pitching through a hip injury last season, it's unclear whether his future is in the rotation or bullpen.