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Lee dazzles, Phils win for best 10-game stretch of '13

It hasn't always been pretty, but the Phillies are quietly riding their best 10-game stretch of the season.

After beating the Marlins on Wednesday night, 3-0, the Phillies are now 7-3 over their last 10 games heading into their first meeting with the Nationals of 2013.

Cliff Lee was brilliant in clinching his club a series victory in Miami after the trip started on such a sour note. Lee threw his first complete game of the season by shutting out the Marlins (13-34). The lefty gave up just three hits, two of which were infield singles, while striking out five. He threw 115 pitches, 85 for strikes, to earn his 12th career shutout and lower his 2013 ERA to 2.48.

Out of Lee's 10 starts thus far, eight have been quality starts.

The offense could have gone for more than three runs, but the bats did produce 12 hits a night after they banged out 15.

Delmon Young hit a solo home run to nearly the same exact spot he homered in Tuesday night's win. Twenty-one of the Phillies' last 22 long balls have now been of the solo variety.

Domonic Brown tripled home his 24th RBI of the season. Chase Utley and Ryan Howard (25 each) are the only Phillies with more runs batted in.

Jimmy Rollins, Delmon Young, Howard and Lee all collected two hits apiece. Dating back to May 8, Rollins is 18 for his last 54 (.333).

The Phillies (23-24) are 5 1/2 games behind the first-place Braves (28-18), who have won six straight. The Nationals (24-23), on the other hand, have lost eight of their last 12 games and sit one game above the Phillies.

Here are the probable piching matchups for the Phillies' three-game set in Washington, D.C. this weekend:

Friday — Kyle Kendrick (4-2, 2.82) vs. Jordan Zimmermann (7-2, 1.62)

Saturday — Jonathan Pettibone (3-0, 3.00) vs. Dan Haren (4-5, 5.54)

Sunday — Cole Hamels (1-7, 4.45) vs. Stephen Strasburg (2-5, 2.66)

Hamels falls to 1-7 in another tough-luck loss

Cole Hamels had just six losses in 31 starts last season.

In 2013, he has seven defeats through 10 starts.

It has been that kind of year for Hamels. It's also been that kind of year for the unpredictable Phillies.

Hamels pieced together another respectable outing, throwing six innings of two-run ball against the last-place (13-32) Marlins, while striking out 10. The offense, however, mustered only one run in a 5-1 loss to Miami on Monday night.

The Phillies (21-24) have now lost three straight games to the Marlins and are 4-4 against the NL East doormats thus far.

The Phillies are 1-9 in games started by Hamels. In the left-hander's last eight starts, the offense has scored a total of 13 runs with him in the game. In his 62 2/3 innings this season: 20 runs.

Hamels finished with 89 pitches, 67 for strikes. He was lifted for a pinch hitter and a golden opportunity for the Phillies to score in the top of the seventh inning, but it went wasted. Down 2-1, the Phillies put runners on the corners with one out. Laynce Nix relieved Hamels and flew out to shallow right field. Jimmy Rollins then grounded out to second to complete the failed threat.

CSNPhilly.com's Jim Salisbury tweeted this after the loss: "Very unusual. Cole Hamels would not speak to reporters tonight."

Can you blame Hamels for being frustrated?

Domonic Brown was the only source of offense. He hit his eighth home run of the season, giving him the team high.

Tuesday does not get easier. Next up for the Phillies is Miami's Jose Fernandez (2-2, 3.48 ERA). Last time the 20-year-old saw the Phillies (May 4), he posted this line: 7 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 9 K. Fernandez will be opposed by Tyler Cloyd.

Galvis, Kratz homer Phillies past Reds in ninth

Freddy Galvis and Erik Kratz nailed back-to-back home runs off the fire-throwing Aroldis Chapman to boost the Phillies from a 2-1 deficit in the ninth inning, to a miraculous 3-2 win over the Reds.

Yes, you just read that sentence correctly.

The scuffling Phillies offense from Saturday carried into Sunday, but after breaking a 16-inning scoreless streak with a run in the eighth, Kratz and Galvis' heroics gave the Phillies (21-23) an improbable win and impressive series victory against the Reds (26-18).

Jonathan Pettibone continues to be an outstanding fill-in for the Phillies' rotation. On Sunday, he received a no-decision but went a career-high seven innings and allowed just one earned run. The Phillies are 5-1 in games that he has started and he has gone five or more innings and has given up three or fewer runs in all six of his outings.

Antonio Bastardo threw a scoreless ninth inning to notch his second win, while Justin De Fratus pitched a scoreless eighth.

The Phillies have not lost a series since May 1 and have won five of their last seven games against three teams with a combined record of 76-54 (.585 winning percentage).

Next up is three games in Miami against the Marlins before the Phillies' first series of the season with the Nationals.

Injury updates
Carlos Ruiz, who left Sunday's win in the top of the third inning with a hamstring strain, will undergo an MRI on Monday to learn the extent of the injury. Ryan Howard received a surprising day off agaisnt a righty starter (Homer Bailey) and it was because the Phillies' first baseman is dealing with a sore left knee. He will have a precautionary MRI on Monday and then fly to Miami to rejoin the team. When asked if he thought Howard would start Monday, Charlie Manuel said (per CSNPhilly.com's John Finger and John Gonzalez), “I don’t think so. I’ll be surprised, really, if he does.”

Here are the probable pitching matchups for the three-game set in Miami:

Monday -- Cole Hamels (1-6, 4.61) vs. Alex Sanabia (2-6, 5.00)

Tuesday -- Tyler Cloyd (0-0, 2.84) vs. Jose Fernandez (2-2, 3.48)

Wednesday -- Cliff Lee (4-2, 2.83) vs. Kevin Slowey (1-4, 3.44)

Phillies take advantage of Broxton to cool off Reds

Jonathan Broxton, the Phillies' good ole friend, was back at Citizens Bank Park on Friday night for the start of the Reds' three-game set in Philadelphia.

And perfectly on cue, the Phillies (20-22) welcomed the righty reliever by handing him another night to forget against them, as they scored two runs -- in peculiar fashion -- with Broxton on the bump late in a tie game to beat the streaking Reds (25-17), 5-3.

Working with a 3-0 cushion, Cliff Lee pitched well (7 IP, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K), but gave up a two-run homer to Jay Bruce in the sixth inning that eventually led to Joey Votto erasing the Phillies' lead by taking Antonio Bastardo deep in the eighth.

But the Phillies snatched back their lead in the bottom of the frame. It started with a Michael Young walk. Ryan Howard then trickled a swinging bunt down the third-base line for a single. That brought Broxton in, who, again, fell apart versus the Phillies. The former Dodger closer plunked Delmon Young to load the bases before Domonic Brown plated the go-ahead run with a high-chopping fielder's choice up the middle. Carlos Ruiz provided insurance by bringing Howard home with a sac fly. The Philies' first baseman made a head-first dive to just barely beat the throw and tag.

Jonathan Papelbon was lights out yet again, recording his eighth save in as many opportunities, and in doing so, stretched his consecutive scoreless innings streak to 16 2/3.

The Reds' Sean Marshall took the defeat, although, Broxton had a big say in it.

The Phillies snapped the Reds' six-game winning spree and can now take the series against Cincinnati on Saturday when Kyle Kendrick (4-1, 2.47) opposes Bronson Arroyo (3-4, 3.76) at 4:05 p.m.

Phillies down Indians for third straight win

Now that's more like it.

It was a great night for the Phillies on Tuesday -- and for many reasons -- as they beat the Indians (21-17), a team that made them look silly two weeks ago in Cleveland, 6-2.

Heck, Tuesday may have been the most complete effort from the Phillies (19-21) all season.

Here's why:

• Jonathan Pettibone continues to give the Phillies a huge boost. He went 6 2/3 innings and gave up just four hits and two earned runs against one of the league's most dangerous offenses. Pettibone is now 3-0 with a 3.41 ERA and the Phillies are 4-1 in games that he's started.

• The Phillies recorded timely hits and saw production from all spots in the lineup. Out of the eight-hole, John Mayberry collected his first three-hit game of the season, going 3 for 4 with three RBIs. With the Phillies trailing 2-1 in the fourth, Mayberry put them ahead for good with a two-run double. Domonic Brown clubbed his seventh home run of the season, tying Chase Utley for the team high. The left-handed Brown is hitting .314 against southpaws. Kevin Frandsen, who spelled Utley (night off) at second base, also homered. The Phillies have hit 16 consecutive solo home runs. Five of the six Phillies runs were scored by the team's six, seven and eight hitters -- great things happen when the bottom of the order produces. Carlos Ruiz singled, giving him a quiet seven-game hitting streak. The Phillies also tacked on two key insurance runs in the eighth. Left-handed pitching is not giving the Phillies fits as much as it used to.

• A bullpen (specifically middle relief) that has often times been shaky, was very good Tuesday night. With men on the corners in the eighth inning, Justin De Fratus and Jeremy Horst got huge outs to keep them stranded. Jonathan Papelbon hurled an easy ninth in six pitches. The Phillies' closer has now thrown 15 2/3 straight scoreless innings, lowering his ERA to 1.08.

• The Phillies had no blemishes in the field for the third straight game.

• And ultimately, the Phillies won their third consecutive game by beating a red-hot Indians team, who had won 13 of their last 16 games coming into Tuesday.

On Wednesday at 1:05 p.m., the Phillies will go for their season-best fourth straight win. Cole Hamels (1-5, 4.18) takes on Corey Kluber (2-2, 5.64).

Game 40: Phillies seek payback vs. Indians

The team that flat-out embarrassed the Phillies in Cleveland makes a visit to Citizens Bank Park.

Two weeks ago, the Indians put on a full demolition of the Phillies in a short two-game series. Now, Charlie Manuel’s team has a chance to avenge those defeats with a pair of games on its own turf.

That opportunity begins tonight as the rookie Jonathan Pettibone (2-0, 3.63) looks to continue his solid work for the Phillies when he opposes the Indians’ Scott Kazmir (2-1, 4.87).

So, just how bad was the Phillies’ trip to Cleveland? Here are a few nuggets from the two losses:

• Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee compiled an 11.74 ERA
• The Indians’ first-inning output (four runs) of Game 1 outscored the Phillies’ combined output (two runs) in both games
• Cleveland outscored the Phillies, 20-2.
• The Phillies hit .136 (8 for 59) in the series

It wasn’t an anomaly for the Indians, either. Dating back to April 28, Cleveland (21-16) is 13-3 in its last 16 games. Among all of baseball, the Indians’ offense ranks in the top 10 in runs, home runs, RBIs, batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage.

Cleveland will also have Michael Bourn and Nick Swisher back, two offseason acquisitions that were unavailable when these two teams first met.

On the other hand, the Phillies (18-21) are coming off a winning road trip (4-3) against the two best teams in the NL West (Giants, Diamondbacks).

To start their five-game homestand, they’ll give the ball to Pettibone, who in all four of his starts has gone five or more innings and has given up three or fewer runs. The Phillies have also won three of the four games Pettibone has taken the mound. The Indians, though, may be his toughest test yet as a big-league pitcher.

The Phillies will see Kazmir for the first time since the 2008 World Series. The former 15th overall pick of the 2002 draft has fallen off a bit, but he’s trying to revive his career with the Indians.

After posting an 8.64 ERA in his first two starts, Kazmir has answered with two terrific outings. In his last two starts — both wins — the 29-year-old lefty has put up this line: 12 IP, 3 ER, 17 K, 1 BB.

Chase Utley and Ben Revere get the night off against the left-handed Kazmir. Here are the lineups:

Phillies

1. Jimmy Rollins, SS
2. Kevin Frandsen, 2B
3. Michael Young, 3B
4. Ryan Howard, 1B
5. Delmon Young, RF
6. Domonic Brown, LF
7. Carlos Ruiz, C
8. John Mayberry, CF
9. Jonathan Pettibone, P

Indians

1. Michael Bourn, CF
2. Jason Kipnis, 2B
3. Asdrubal Cabrera, SS
4. Nick Swisher, 1B
5. Carlos Santana, C
6. Mark Reynolds, 3B
7. Michael Brantley, LF
8. Drew Stubbs, RF
9. Scott Kazmir, P

Game 39: Revere leading off, Kendrick on the hill

Ben Revere has won back his leadoff duties -- or at least he has for the Phillies' Sunday game against the Diamondbacks.

The first-year Phillie was demoted in the batting order after struggling mightily atop it, but after going 7 for his last 16 (.438), Charlie Manuel has him leading off today against Arizona (21-16) in the Phillies' final game of their seven-game road trip.

Revere showed some of his catalyst qualities in the Phillies' win Saturday night. He went 2 for 3, scored a pair of runs, walked and stole a bag. He also boosted his on-base percentage to .293, and today marks just the third time the speedy 24-year-old has entered a game this season with his OBP above .290.

Kyle Kendrick, the team's surprising ace, takes the ball in hopes of giving the Phillies (17-21) a win and a 4-3 road trip against two of the top NL West teams.

Dating back to last season, Kendrick is 11-4 with a 2.43 ERA and .217 opponents’ batting average in his last 17 starts.

This season, Kendrick has a Phillies rotation-best 2.45 ERA and a victory over Arizona would give him a team-leading five wins.

Here are the lineups for the fourth and final game of this four-game set:

Phillies

1. Ben Revere, CF
2. Jimmy Rollins, SS
3. Chase Utley, 2B
4. Ryan Howard, 1B
5. Delmon Young, RF
6. Domonic Brown, LF
7. Freddy Galvis, 3B (Michael Young day off)
8. Erik Kratz, C
9. Kyle Kendrick, P

Diamondbacks

1. Gerardo Parra, RF
2. Didi Gregorius, SS
3. Martin Prado, 2B
4. Eric Chavez, 3B
5. Miguel Montero, C
6. A.J. Pollock, CF
7. Jason Kubel, LF
8. Eric Hinske, 1B
9. Brandon McCarthy, P

Hard-luck Hamels opens series vs. Diamondbacks

Win-wise, Cole Hamels is off to his slowest start since his debut season in 2006, when he was called up at this time of year.

Obviously, though, wins can be an incredibly deceiving stat because they're dictated by so many other factors than just the performance of the starting pitcher.

And that's been the case for the Phillies' left-handed ace thus far.

Hamels is 1-4 through his first seven starts, but in his last five outings, he's posted a 2.31 ERA and has given up just 21 hits in 35 innings, yet, he's 1-2 in those five starts because the Phillies have been shut out twice and scored one run once.

Hamels, who has thrown five straight quality starts, hopes to keep it going as he takes the hill to open the Phillies' (16-19) four-game set in Arizona against the Diamondbacks (19-15).

The Phillies are coming off a successful three-game series in San Francisco in which they took two of three from the defending champions. They can now make it a successful road trip if they carry it over into Arizona.

Tonight, the Phillies are up against the baby-faced Patrick Corbin, who has been stellar for the Diamondbacks. The 23-year-old lefty (4-0, 1.80) has pitched six or more innings and has surrendered two or fewer runs in all six of his starts. He's dominated lefties, who are hitting .160 off of him, while righties have compiled a .240 average. However, six starts is a relatively small sample size, so keep an eye on his approach against the Phillies' power lefties in Chase Utley and Ryan Howard.

Three Diamondbacks to watch:

1. Cody Ross — Phillies fans certainly remember Ross from the 2010 NLCS. The Arizona outfielder has just one home run in 2013, but has taken Hamels deep five times in his career.

2. Martin Prado — Prado often hurt the Phillies as an Atlanta Brave, and he has 55 career at-bats against Hamels (.273).

3. Paul Goldschmidt — Arizona's 25-year-old first baseman is 11 for his last 24 (.458) and has four home runs and nine RBIs in his last three games. He leads the NL with 30 total RBIs.

Phillies lineup

1. Jimmy Rollins, SS
2. Chase Utley, 2B
3. Michael Young, 3B
4. Ryan Howard, 1B
5. Delmon Young, RF
6. Domonic Brown, LF
7. Carlos Ruiz, C
8. Ben Revere, CF
9. Cole Hamels, P

Diamondbacks lineup

1. A.J. Pollock, CF
2. Didi Gregorius, SS
3. Paul Goldschmidt, 1B
4. Cody Ross, LF
5. Miguel Montero, C
6. Martin Prado, 3B
7. Gerardo Parra, RF
8. Cliff Pennington, 2B
9. Patrick Corbin, P

Offense finally backs Lee in Phillies' win

Prior to Monday night, the Phillies' offense had scored just three runs over Cliff Lee's last 25 innings pitched. On Monday night, the Phillies' offense did plenty for Lee, scoring five runs in his eight outstanding innings. The bats tacked on one more in the ninth, giving the Phillies a 6-2 win over the Giants.

Lee came in with the sixth-worst run support among MLB's starting pitchers, but the Phillies gave him a cushiony lead on Monday night and he knew what to do with it.

After the club's two terrible losses to the Marlins, Lee threw eight spectacular innings, allowing two runs and striking out six for his third win of the season. The lefty threw 102 pitches -- 71 strikes -- and gave the Giants no free passes. He surrendered five hits and three were to ex-Phillie Hunter Pence.

And when the Giants put a runner on base, Lee often erased it. The Phillies turned three double plays behind the southpaw.

The Phillies' up-and-down offense jumped on Madison Bumgarner, who entered as one of baseball's hottest pitchers to start 2013. Charlie Manuel's lineup made him work, though, and scored five runs -- three of which came via two-out RBIs -- in six innings off the Giants' left-hander, dealing him his first loss of the year.

Michael Young smacked an opposite-field double with two outs in the second to plate the Phillies' first two runs. He went 3 for 4 on the night with a walk, boosting his average to .333 and on-base percentage to .398.

Domonic Brown continued his power streak, crushing an inside fastball from Bumgarner for a solo home run that took one hop into the San Francisco bay. It was Brown's sixth homer of the season, tying Chase Utley for the team lead.

Jimmy Rollins and Delmon Young both tallied sac flys, while Jonathan Papelbon threw a perfect ninth in seven pitches.

Kyle Kendrick (3-1, 2.43) takes on Tim Lincecum (2-1, 4.41) Tuesday night in the second game of this three-game series and seven-game road trip for the Phillies.

Game 33: Mayberry in CF, Phillies face Bumgarner

The Phillies' offense isn't too fond of left-handed pitching, and tonight, they'll face one of baseball's best.

The Phillies, who are hitting .207 vs. lefties, good for 29th in the majors, square off against San Francisco's Madison Bumgarner tonight.

Not only has Bumgarner been one of MLB's elite southpaws, but the 23-year-old has also been one of baseball's top starters period. He's 3-0, is tied for third among MLB starters in ERA (1.55) and is fourth in WHIP (0.84). Opponents are hitting just .181 off of Bumgarner.

The Phillies have had serious trouble against lefties and have an MLB-worst 18 runs batted in vs. left-handers.

With Bumgarner on the bump, Ben Revere will sit as John Mayberry gets the starting nod and will hit seventh. Mayberry is the only Phillie who has Bumgarner in his book -- he's 1 for 6 lifetime against Bumgarner with a solo shot.

Erik Kratz is in the eight-hole to form the battery combination with Cliff Lee. Delmon Young is in one of baseball's trickiest right fields, so keep an eye on how he judges fly balls and ricochets down the line and in the corner -- that could be interesting.

Here's the full lineup Bumgarner will face against the Phillies:

1. Jimmy Rollins, SS
2. Chase Utley, 2B
3. Michael Young, 3B
4. Ryan Howard, 1B
5. Delmon Young, RF
6. Domonic Brown, LF
7. John Mayberry, CF
8. Erik Kratz, C
9. Cliff Lee, P

And for the Giants vs. Lee:

1. Andres Torres, CF
2. Marco Scutaro, 2B
3. Pablo Sandoval, 3B
4. Buster Posey, C
5. Hunter Pence, RF
6. Francisco Peguero, LF
7. Brandon Crawford, SS
8. Brandon Belt, 1B
9. Madison Bumgarner, P

Halladay shows leadership in defense of Dubee

Something had to be said.

And, to no surprise, Roy Halladay took charge.

Speaking on 94 WIP Friday morning, Mitch Williams, a former Phillies closer and now MLB Network analyst, singled out Phillies pitching coach Rich Dubee for the team’s mound struggles. Williams even insisted the club seek a new coach for its important arms.

"It may be time for a new voice," Williams told WIP. "It’s not personal. I think these pitchers have to hear something new. What they’re doing right now just isn’t getting it done."

It became a moment in dire need of leadership.

Prior to Friday’s win over the Marlins, Halladay took time to speak with reporters and firmly denounce Williams’ remarks.

"Coming from the mechanical wonder," Halladay said about Williams and his comments, per Jim Salisbury. "Yeah, I strongly disagree. To come from a guy who's not around, who's not involved. He's not involved in the conversations ... honestly has no idea what's going on. He really doesn't. He has no idea what's going on in the clubhouse, on the field between coaches and players. To make comments like that, it's completely out of line.

"Watching Kyle Kendrick, the stuff that he's learned, the way he's grown, is because of Rich Dubee and it's because of his work ethic and the way he goes about things. It really does upset me. It upsets me that guys outside of our group of guys that don't understand what's going on here make comments like that. Hopefully, it's something he'll learn from. I'm not sure if that's the case, but he couldn't be further from the truth. And I don't think it's the first time he's been a little off base."

This wasn’t Halladay’s first go-around, either. That taking-a-stand mentality has become expected from the seasoned veteran.

If you recall, in spring training Halladay expressed the importance of defending teammates who are thrown at by opposing pitchers. In a Grapefruit League game, Chase Utley was plunked by Washington’s Stephen Strasburg. The ensuing inning, Halladay threw behind the back of Nationals outfielder Tyler Moore.

Was it intentional? Halladay claimed it "slipped … a little bit," and that if it hit Moore, "it wouldn’t have been the worst thing after they (hit) one of our good guys."

He then went on to say this: "I think we do need to protect our guys to an extent. I’m not saying that’s what happened — it slipped — but I think that’s important. We’ve had a lot of guys hit over the years and I think as a staff we need to do a good job protecting those guys."

And who can forget Game 5 of the 2010 NLCS. Halladay took the hill on a damp and drizzly San Francisco afternoon with the Phillies on the brink of elimination against the Giants.

Trailing 3-1 in the series and fighting to send it back to Philadelphia, Halladay willed the Phillies past Tim Lincecum and the Giants, all while battling through calamity: a groin injury, which Halladay kept secret for the duration of his outing.

"I think all of us, at this point, have kind of put our own personal stuff aside, and go out and play as a team and try to accomplish stuff as a team,” Halladay said after he threw six remarkable innings of two-run ball to propel the Phillies to a 4-2 win.

"They'd have to kick me out. I mean, I was going to find a way."

That took guts and leadership.

Yes, Halladay has been a different pitcher compared to what he was when he joined the Phillies. Since his arrival, the 6-foot-6 righty has notched a Cy Young Award, perfect game, no-hitter and a couple of postseasons under his belt.

However, he’s now turning 36 on May 14, his ERA is 6.75 and outsiders have questioned whether he’s got anything left in the tank.

But it’s the intangibles that Halladay brings — professionalism, work ethic, heart, just to name a few — that can impact an entire organization.

On Friday, it was leadership — an aspect of Halladay the Phillies can always count on.

Howard, Brown stay hot as Phillies top Marlins

There were plenty of good signs from the Phillies on Friday night.

To the delight of many worried fans from April, two great signs were Ryan Howard and Domonic Brown.

The club's hottest bats homered for the second straight game as the Phillies (14-16) pieced together a good-looking win over the unfortunate Marlins (8-22), 4-1.

Howard and Brown, who both endured April slumps, have turned it on and kept it going Friday. A night after they each hit their fourth long ball of the season, Howard and Brown were back at it, each clubbing their fifth home run to boost the Phillies' offense.

Over the team's first 21 games, Howard posted one home run and six RBIs. In the past nine games: 10 for 31 (.323), four home runs, 12 RBIs, eight runs scored.

Same story for Brown. The 25-year-old was hitting .206 entering April 24, but since then: 13 for 34 (.382). Brown's five home runs are tied with Howard for second on the team to ...

Chase Utley. The Phillies' second baseman has shown no indication of slowing down. Utley nailed his sixth dinger on Friday, which leads all NL second basemen. He also has 21 RBIs, second to only Cincinnati's Brandon Phillips among NL second basemen.

The Phillies have hit nine straight solo home runs. Imagine if the Phillies' power threats start wreaking havoc with men aboard.

And not to be overlooked, Jonathan Pettibone pitched into the seventh inning for the first time in his big-league career, going 6 1/3 innings for his second win in three starts. The 22-year-old gave up one run, which came on a hanging curveball that Donovan Solano deposited into the seats.

The back-end trio of Antonio Bastardo, Mike Adams and Jonathan Papelbon was very strong. Bastardo displayed his biggest weakness: control. With a man on, he relieved Pettibone and walked two to load the bases. However, he then displayed his biggest strength: strikeout stuff. Bastardo escaped his self-induced jam by punching out the next two batters to finish the seventh.

Adams recorded his third hold, while Papelbon saved his fifth game.

Ben Revere returned to the lineup and delivered a two-out RBI single in the second inning.

Delmon Young started in right field for the second straight game and made a well-played, leaping catch at the base of the wall in the second inning. So far, so good.

Next up is Jose Fernandez (0-2, 4.50) vs. Cole Hamels (1-3, 4.78) on Saturday.

Kendrick hurls fifth straight quality start, Phils win

Kyle Kendrick, the Phillies' unlikely go-to arm thus far, played stopper on Thursday after the team's disastrous two-game trip in Cleveland.

Kendrick was not his best, but was again solid when his club desperately needed it, helping the Phillies (13-16) to a 7-2 win over the Miami Marlins (8-21).

Kendrick gave the Phillies another quality start — his fifth in six total starts — and the offense put up seven runs, equaling its run production over the past three games.

Kendrick had to wiggle out of some jams, particularly in the third inning. In that frame, he threw first-pitch balls to five of his six batters faced, but left unscathed by striking out Rob Brantly on four pitches with the bases loaded and two outs.

Kendrick walked two and gave up seven hits, but allowed just two runs in seven innings. Kendrick now has three wins, a 2.43 ERA and 1.13 WHIP — all rotation bests.

In the second inning, Domonic Brown put the Phillies on the board for the first time in 13 innings with a missile-like home run (his fourth) to right field that went out within the blink of an eye. Brown finished the night with his first three-hit effort of the season, while knocking in a pair of runs.

Through the Phillies' offensive ups and downs, Brown has quietly come on after going 2 for 21 (.095) during a mid-April stretch. The 25-year-old is 12 for his last 31 (.387), raising his average from .206 to .266.

Ryan Howard also produced his fourth long ball — an opposite-field shot — with an impressive nine-pitch at-bat in the fourth. As the weather heats up, the Phillies' Big Piece continues to do the same. He now has 14 hits (four doubles, three home runs) in his last 43 at-bats (.326), to go along with 12 RBIs.

Kendrick's seven innings set things up for Mike Adams and Jonathan Papelbon to finish the job.

On Friday, the Phillies turn to 22-year-old Jonathan Pettibone, who will make his third big-league start. He opposes Miami's Ricky Nolasco.

Phillies dismantled by Indians again

Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee combined for an 11.74 ERA in the Phillies' two games vs. the Indians.

The Phillies' offense in both contests (two runs) was outscored by the Indians' first inning (four runs) of Tuesday's game.

Those two sentences tell the story of the Phillies' trip to Cleveland. After being clobbered, 14-2, by the Indians on Tuesday, the Phillies lost another bad game to Cleveland on Wednesday, 6-0.

It's the fourth time the Phillies have been shut out this season.

The Phillies worked 12 three-ball counts and seven walks on Wednesday, yet, could not score. In the two games against the Indians, the Phillies went 3 for 25 (.120) with runners on base. They also finished Wednesday's loss 0 for 10 with runners in scoring position.

Lee, however, pitched much better than what his final line indicates. A night after the Indians connected for seven home runs, Cleveland did its damage with seven infield singles.

With Carlos Santana trucking his way home in the second inning after tagging up on a fly ball, Domonic Brown fired a one-hop throw on the money to beat him there, but Ruiz could not handle it as the Indians took a 1-0 lead.

Lee then allowed three runs on four hits — three of which came in the infield — in the third inning. With two on (via bunt single, walk), Asdrubal Cabrera delivered the only well-struck ball in the third frame for Cleveland, lining a two-run double down the left-field line.

Lee was done after six innings (5 R, 4 ER, 103 P).

The Indians' starters this series, Zack McAllister and Trevor Bauer, came in with eight combined major-league victories. Halladay and Lee entered with 328.

For the Phillies (12-16), the woeful Marlins (8-20) are up next, and they'll be a welcomed sight for four games at Citizens Bank Park. Here are the probable pitching matchups:

Thursday — Alex Sanabia (2-3, 4.85) vs. Kyle Kendrick (2-1, 2.41)

Friday — Ricky Nolasco (2-2, 3.82) vs. Jonathan Pettibone (1-0, 4.35)

Saturday — Jose Fernandez (0-2, 4.50) vs. Cole Hamels (1-3, 4.78)

Sunday — Kevin Slowey (0-2, 2.15) vs. Roy Halladay (2-3, 6.75)

Halladay, Phillies rocked by Indians' HR party

After three straight promising starts, Roy Halladay threw a clunker on Tuesday night.

And so did Chad Durbin and Raul Valdes.

Halladay lasted just 3 2/3 innings and yielded eight earned runs as the Phillies were steamrolled by the home run-happy Indians, 14-2. Halladay served up three dingers, while Durbin and Valdes had no better luck. The two relievers surrendered two long balls apiece, giving the Indians seven total home runs in a laugher against the Phillies.

Tuesday marked just the fourth time since 1916 that the Phillies had given up seven home runs in a game.

For Halladay, it was trouble out of the gate.

The right-hander, who came in with a 1.71 ERA over his last three outings — all of which were quality starts — allowed a pair of two-run home runs in the opening frame. The first, Halladay left a 2-1 curveball up in the zone to Carlos Santana, who hooked it deep just inside the right-field foul pole. Then, Mark Reynolds saw a 1-0 cutter and lined it for an opposite-field home run to make it 4-0.

Prior to the Indians' four-run outburst in the first, Halladay had given up just four earned runs in his previous 21 innings.

Halladay bounced back with two quick innings, but ran into his exit in the fourth. Lonnie Chisenhall hit another Clevelend two-run shot with no outs before Asdrubal Cabrera ended Halladay's night with a two-run single.

Halladay's poor effort Tuesday was his first start since May of 2000 that he allowed eight or more earned runs in less than four innings.

Two positives for the Phillies — if that's possible in a 14-2 loss — were Delmon Young and Chase Utley.

Young, making his Phillies debut as the team's DH, laced a home run to right-center in his first at-bat of 2013. He finished the night 2 for 3 with a hit by pitch.

Young's bat was never a question mark. His fielding? That's a different story. Charlie Manuel said he'll likely start in right field Wednesday night. The last time Young was a regular rightfielder was in 2007 with the Rays.

Meanwhile, Utley notched his fifth home run of the season and 19th RBI — both team highs.

Cliff Lee takes the mound Wednesday against his former club. It's the second and final game of this short series in Cleveland.

If Lee can't fare significantly better than the Tuesday trio of Halladay, Durbin and Valdes, the Phillies (12-15) will be happy it's a short stay. They come back home to face the 8-19 Marlins for four games.

Phillies lose, drop three of four to Pirates

This wasn't how it was supposed to go.

The Phillies, throwing Cole Hamels, Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee in a four-game series with the Pirates, ended up losing three of four to Pittsburgh after falling on Thursday, 6-4. The Phillies finished 3-5 in their eight-game homestand.

Thursday featured another Lee start with not a whole lot of run support. Granted, the Phillies did give Lee a pair of leads that he could not hold, which led to a second straight stomach-churning loss to the Pirates.

Handed a 3-1 advantage in the seventh inning, Lee walked his first batter of the day and it was costly. With two outs, Andrew McCutchen singled before Gaby Sanchez -- who homered earlier -- singled for his second RBI to make it 3-2 and force Lee into a first-and-third pickle.

Charlie Manuel then came out to speak with Lee. Manuel had Phillippe Aumont warming in the bullpen, but decided to stick with his lefty. Lee jumped out to an 0-2 count, but Michael McKenry served a bloop single to center to knot the score.

Aumont relieved Lee in the eighth and failed to keep the game tied. In succession, Aumont hit a batter, allowed two singles to load the bases before pinch-hitter Garrett Jones took the air out of Citizens Bank Park with a two-run double to give the Pirates the game and the series. Pittsburgh tacked on one more run in the eighth with a sac fly.

Heading into Wednesday night, the Phillies were 6-0 when leading after the sixth inning. Now? 6-2.

Before the unraveling of Lee and Aumont, Ryan Howard, who was hitting 2 for 17 (.118) with runners in scoring position, came up in the sixth with two in scoring position and put the Phillies ahead with an RBI single. Later in the inning, Domonic Brown plated Howard from third with a sac fly to center field. Previously, Brown was 0 for 3 with three strikeouts when hitting with a man on third and less than two outs.

That 3-1 lead, though, quickly evaporated.

The Phillies have now scored three runs in Lee's last 23 innings pitched. Lee finished with seven innings pitched, 10 hits, three earned runs, 122 pitches and a critical walk.

Amazingly, Pittsburgh won the four-game set despite its star outfielder McCutchen going 1 for 15.

The Phillies are now a season-worst five games below .500 (9-14) and head to New York for their first visit to Citi Field this season to take on the Mets. Here are the probable pitching matchups for the weekend series.

Friday -- Kyle Kendrick (1-1, 3.28) vs. Dilon Gee (1-3, 5.95)

Saturday -- Jonathan Pettibone (0-0, 3.38) vs. Shaun Marcum (first start)

Sunday -- Cole Hamels (0-3, 5.40) vs. Jonathon Niese (2-1, 3.81)

Pettibone debuts, sets up Phillies for win

Jonathan Pettibone made his big-league debut, pitched well and gave the Phillies a chance to win Monday night.

The Phillies took advantage by grabbing a one-run lead in the sixth and letting their bullpen do the rest for a 3-2 win over the Pirates.

Pettibone, 22, showed some good things right from the start. After giving up a leadoff double on his second pitch of the game, Pettibone impressively saw his way out of it. A fly ball moved Pittsburgh's Starling Marte to third with one out. Pirates All-Star outfielder Andrew McCutchen then worked a 3-0 count, but Pettibone came back to strike him out looking. John Mayberry helped Pettibone finish of his first major-league inning by making a diving grab running towards the right-field line.

The 6-foot-6, 225-pound Pettibone gave up a pair of solo home runs, but overall, he seemed to have kept his nerves in check and was confident in his stuff. He gave the Phillies 5 1/3 innings of two-run ball, punched out six, walked none and did it in 83 pitches. He even scored the Phillies' first run after walking and eventually crossing the plate on a wild pitch by A.J. Burnett.

The Phillies did enough offensively, but again, left many on base (8) and went 2 for 12 with runners in scoring position. Two of their three runs came with an assist from Burnett. One being the wild pitch, while the other was plunking Jimmy Rollins in the leg on a 2-2 pitch with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the fourth inning.

Despite his nice catch in the first, Mayberry did not have himself a good night at the plate. The 29-year-old is seeing more starts against right-handers because of his early success against them. He came into Monday hitting .323 (10 for 31) off righties. On Monday, though, he went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts. Even worse, with runners in scoring position, Mayberry went 0 for 3 and left seven of the Phillies' eight stranded runners on base.

The offensive shortcomings, however, gave the Phillies' relievers some important innings. Antonio Bastardo pitched a scoreless seventh and has now thrown 7 1/3 innings without surrendering a run. Mike Adams saw his first opportunity for a hold and made it look easy. He pitched a 1-2-3 frame in 12 pitches, recording a strikeout, a weak grounder to himself and a foul out to first base. Jonathan Papelbon came on to shut the door for his fourth save in as many opportunities.

Raul Valdes earned the win after relieving Pettibone in the sixth. Rollins went 2 for 3 and collected the Phillies' go-ahead, RBI hit in the sixth with two outs. Rollins is now 5 for 8 in his last two games. Domonic Brown, after hearing some harsh criticism from fans on Sunday for letting a ball drop in front of him, made some solid plays in the field and fired a strike right on the second-base bag to throw out Russell Martin, who was trying to stretch a single into a double in the third inning.

The Phillies improved to 9-11 with their second straight win and turn to Cole Hamels to try and make it three in a row. Hamels, who is winless through his first four starts for the first time since 2009, opposes Pittsburgh's Jeff Locke (1-1, 5.17).

Minor-league report
Jesse Biddle, the Phillies' up-and-coming, 21-year-old prospect, dominated on Monday night at Double A Reading. The Phillies' No. 1 prospect dazzled the Harrisburg Senators, hurling a perfect game through six innings before giving up a walk and a hit in the seventh. His final line: 7 IP, 1 H, 2 BB, 0 R, 16 K, (104 pitches, 74 strikes).

Revere, Kratz halt struggles to lift Phillies

It was unlikely heroes propelling the Phillies on Sunday night.

Ben Revere and Erik Kratz, both scuffling at the plate, delivered clutch hits to turn a 3-3 deadlock in the eighth inning into a 7-3 Phillies win over the Cardinals.

With runners on first and third and one out in the second half of the eighth, Revere lined a laser up the middle to plate the go-ahead run. And before you could blink, Kratz crushed a three-run home run to deep left field on the very next pitch, putting the game away and sending the Phillies to 8-11 overall.

Prior to their timely hits, Revere and Kratz's batting averages were hovering just above the Mendoza line (.200). The speedy Revere lost his leadoff duties and grounded into an inning-ending double play with the bases loaded in the sixth, while Kratz came into Sunday hitting .192 with an on-base percentage of .189.

In Sunday's win, however, they combined to go 3 for 8 and knocked in four of the Phillies' seven runs.

Before Revere and Kratz's heroics, Laynce Nix continued his terrific work pinch hitting. With the Phillies trailing 3-2 in the seventh, Nix came off the bench and tatooed an RBI double to left-center field to set up the Phillies' big eighth. Nix grinded out a 10-pitch at-bat before coming through with the game-tying base knock. The 32-year-old is now 5 for 10 with five RBIs as a pinch-hitter this season.

It wasn't all gravy, though, for the Phillies on Sunday.

Take away Revere and Kratz in the eighth, the Phillies are 1 for 10 with runners in scoring position instead of finishing 3 for 12.

Middle relief was an issue entering Sunday night and it only got worse. Chad Durbin inherited two runners in the seventh and let one score to give the Cardinals a 3-2 lead. The veteran right-hander has now inherited nine runners thus far, eight of which have scored.

The defense was also a bit shaky.

Here are some of the pluses aside from the aforementioned Revere and Kratz:

• Kyle Kendrick labored early (50 pitches in first two innings), but threw his third consecutive quality start (6 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 6 K, 1 BB).

• Jimmy Rollins went 3 for 5 in the leadoff spot. It was his first three-hit game of 2013.

• Mike Adams earned the win by breezing through the eighth (nine pitches, six strikes).

• The Phillies worked four walks against St. Louis starter Jake Westbrook.

• Michael Young extended his hitting streak to 12 games with an infield single in the eighth inning.

The Phillies now welcome the Pittsburgh Pirates to Citizens Bank Park for a four-game set. Here are the probable pitching matchups:

Monday -- RH A.J. Burnett (1-2, 2.63) vs. RH Jonathan Pettibone (MLB debut)

Tuesday -- LH Jeff Locke (1-1, 5.17) vs. LH Cole Hamels (0-2, 6.46)

Wednesday -- LH Wandy Rodriguez (2-0, 0.56) vs. RH Roy Halladay (2-2, 6.04)

Thursday -- RH James McDonald (2-2, 4.12) vs. LH Cliff Lee (2-1, 2.83)

Game chat: Howard back, Pettibone to pitch Monday

The Phillies get back a Big Piece for Sunday night's matchup with the Cardinals.

Ryan Howard, who was sidelined the previous two games because of a sore groin, returns to Charlie Manuel's lineup and will hit fourth.

Before missing a pair of games, the Phillies' first baseman was in the midst of rebounding from another slow start. Entering an April 9 game vs. the Mets, Howard was hitting .148. Since then, he's batting .371 to improve his overall average to .274. During that span, however, Howard knocked in just one run. The Phillies desperately need his bat to produce runs.

John Mayberry, who's 5 for his last 12, will bat in the two-hole behind Jimmy Rollins. Ben Revere (.211 AVG, .253 OBP) remains in the No. 7 spot, while Erik Kratz is behind the plate to catch Kyle Kendrick.

The Phillies are up against Cardinals starter Jake Westbrook, who ERA-wise, has been perfect through 15 2/3 innings thus far. The 35-year-old righty is 2-1 (five starts) lifetime against the Phillies with a 4.39 ERA.

Phillies lineup

1. Jimmy Rollins, SS
2. John Mayberry, RF
3. Chase Utley, 2B
4. Ryan Howard, 1B
5. Michael Young, 3B
6. Domonic Brown, LF
7. Ben Revere, CF
8. Erik Kratz, C
9. Kyle Kendrick, P

Pettibone to start Monday
There will be a major-league debut on Monday night at Citizens Bank Park.

Jonathan Pettibone, a 22-year-old right-hander, will make his first MLB start for the Phillies against the Pirates. He's filling the void left by the injured John Lannan, who is expected to miss six to eight weeks with a quad strain. A roster move to make room for Pettibone will be made Monday.

Pettibone was selected in the third round by the Phillies in the 2008 MLB amateur draft. The 6-foot-6, 225-pounder went 4-1 in seven starts last season at Triple A Lehigh Valley. He posted a 2.55 ERA with 32 strikeouts and 22 walks.

Per CSNPhilly.com's Jim Salisbury, Manuel had this to say regarding the young righty: "He's young. He's got a future ahead of him."

Halladay sharp, offense clicks, Phillies cruise

It was an all-around great night for the Phillies.

Stuck in a four-game losing skid and a perplexing funk offensively, the Phillies saw nothing but positives in a stress-free 8-2 win over the Cardinals on Friday, which went final in 6 1/2 innings because of downpouring rain.

Let's take a look at what went right for the Phillies.

First, Roy Halladay.

• Halladay proved his previous outing was no fluke against a terrible Marlins squad. The 35-year-old mowed down a quality St. Louis lineup for his second straight quality start. Halladay went seven innings, struck out six and made just two mistakes, which resulted in two solo home runs -- his only hits allowed.

• From the third inning through the sixth, Halladay got in one of his typical Halladay grooves. He retired 12 of 13 batters in that span, with the lone runner reaching via walk. His control, however, was so-so. Halladay finished with 59 strikes to 50 balls and threw first-pitch strikes to 11 of 25 batters. Nonetheless, Halladay is 2-0 with a 1.80 ERA in his last two starts -- a pleasant sight for Phillies fans.

Second, the offense.

• The Phillies' bats finally came to life -- and finally drew a walk. After going four consecutive games without a base on balls, Chase Utley worked a free pass in the first inning to end the streak.

• And, an offense that hadn't scored more than three runs in a game since April 10, put up a five-spot in the opening frame and eight total in the first three innings. Jimmy Rollins, John Mayberry, Ben Revere and Humberto Quintero all finished with two hits apiece. The Phillies also went 6 for 11 with runners in scoring position and received two-out RBIs from Mayberry, Revere and Quintero.

• And, last but not least, the Phillies came through against left-handed pitching. Charlie Manuel's club entered Friday hitting a putrid .131 against southpaws, but they tagged St. Louis starter Jaime Garcia (a usual Phillie nemesis) for nine hits and eight runs (four earned) in three innings.

Now, the Phillies must focus on translating Friday night's success into multiple performances. Cliff Lee battles Lance Lynn in Saturday night's Game 3 of this four-game set.

Failed opportunities result in Phillies' fourth straight loss

The Phillies wasted a golden opportunity in the ninth inning on Thursday and a second straight quality start from Cole Hamels, losing to the Cardinals, 4-3.

It’s the Phillies fourth straight defeat, dropping them to 6-10 for their worst start through 16 games since 2007.

Trailing by a run in their final at-bats, the Phillies put runners on first and third with no outs, but could do nothing with it. Kevin Frandsen grounded out to short, moving Erik Kratz to second, but not Ben Revere from third to home. Jimmy Rollins was incapable of putting the ball in play and went down swinging on five pitches, which led to Freddy Galvis completing the failed threat by grounding out to second.

Cole Hamels put together his second consecutive quality start, hurling seven innings of three-run ball, while striking out eight. That line, however, went for a no-decision.

Hamels is now winless through his first four starts of the season for the first time since 2009. That year was the only other season he’s ever gone winless in his first four starts as a major-leaguer.

Hamels was also dealt some tough luck. With a runner on first and no outs in the fourth inning, Allen Craig hit a fly ball to right-center that John Mayberry would have easily caught, but he tripped and fell, allowing the ball to drop for a double. The Cardinals took advantage on the ensuing at-bat, as Yadier Molina doubled just barely fair (according to first base umpire Alan Porter) down the right field line to hand St. Louis a 2-0 lead.

Twice the Phillies rallied to tie the game, and twice they gave the lead right back the following frame.

Down 2-0 in the sixth, Galvis and Chase Utley delivered RBI hits to knot the score, but Hamels was unable to keep it tied. In the top of the seventh, he surrendered a sac fly to Pete Kozma.

Kratz quickly evened the score with an RBI single in the bottom of the seventh, but Carlos Beltran snatched back the Cardinals’ advantage by lining a solo home run off Mike Adams in the eighth, which was the final difference. Laynce Nix had a chance to prove otherwise, but struck out in a pinch-hit appearance with two runners aboard and two outs in the eighth.

The Phillies banged out 13 hits, but did not walk for the fourth straight game. They became just the fourth NL team since 1935 to do just that.

Roy Halladay takes the bump for the Phillies Friday night. He opposes Jaime Garcia.

Phillies make much-needed trip home

It's good to be home.

Right now, that's certainly true for the Phillies.

After a six-game road swing in which they had to scratch and claw to take two out of three from the lowly Marlins before being swept by the Reds, the Phillies return to Citizens Bank Park for an eight-game homestand, starting with the Cardinals (see story).

And it couldn't come at a better time.

Here are some mind-boggling numbers from the Phillies' road trip:

• Over the six games, the Phillies hit .205 and scored just 10 runs

• To close the trip, the Phillies were held scoreless in 24 of their final 27 innings

• The Phillies struck out 24 times and did not record a single walk in the series vs. the Reds

• The Phillies went 8 for 39 (.205) with runners in scoring position

• Ben Revere went 4 for 24 (.167). His current numbers: .194 AVG., .242 OBP., 11 Ks, 4 BBs

Here are the probable pitching matchups for the Phillies’ four-game set with the Cardinals:

Thursday night – LHP Cole Hamels (0-2, 7.56) vs. RHP Adam Wainwright (2-1, 2.05)

Friday night – RHP Roy Halladay (1-2, 7.63) vs. LHP Jaime Garcia (1-0, 1.86)

Saturday night – LHP Cliff Lee (2-0, 1.52) vs. RHP Lance Lynn (2-0, 5.40)

Sunday night – RHP Kyle Kendrick (1-1, 3.38) vs. RHP Jake Westbrook (1-1, 0.00)

Game resumes, Phillies lose to Reds ... in nine minutes

Well, that was quick.

In 8 1/2 innings Tuesday night, neither the Phillies nor Reds could scratch across a run.

On Wednesday after a postponement because of rain, it took just nine minutes for the Reds to score against Phillippe Aumont and the Phillies to win the suspended Game 2, 1-0.

Zack Cozart singled, Joey Votto walked — for the 22nd time already — before Ben Revere dropped a fly ball in the left-center gap to load the bases. Jay Bruce then promptly singled to plate the winning run.

Game over.

Aumont's final line: 0.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R (unearned), 1 BB.

On this current road trip, the Phillies are hitting .207 (34 for 164).

The Phils (6-8) can quickly redeem themselves by trying to salvage the third and final game of the series tonight at 7:10 p.m. John Lannan takes on Mike Leake.

Tonight's Game 3 lineup for Phillies:

1) Ben Revere, CF

2) Jimmy Rollins, SS

3) Chase Utley, 2B

4) Ryan Howard, 1B

5) Michael Young, 3B

6) Domonic Brown, LF

7) John Mayberry, RF

8) Erik Kratz, C

9) John Lannan, P

Phillies-Reds to resume scoreless tie Wednesday

Two offenses that desperately needed a break Tuesday night got one.

The Phillies and Reds went scoreless into the bottom of the ninth before heavy rain forced a delay and postponement. The game will resume Wednesday at 5:30 p.m., with the Reds at-bat and no outs in the backend of the ninth.

The third and final game of the series will take place afterward and no earlier than the scheduled time of 7:10 p.m.

Prior to the postponement, the Phillies and Reds combined for four hits and 17 strikeouts.

For the Phillies, history has not been on their side of late.

On Tuesday night -- just like Monday -- the Phillies’ sputtering offense saw a pitcher it had historically hit well.

And just like Monday, the Phillies’ sputtering offense continued its struggles in what seemed like another favorable matchup.

Cincinnati starter Homer Bailey entered the game with a lifetime record of 0-3 against the Phillies and an ERA of 5.29. But you would not have guessed it after watching Tuesday’s game.

Bailey baffled the Phillies for eight innings, holding Charlie Manuel’s club to two hits, while punching out 10 -- and it took only 89 pitches to do so.

The Phillies’ offense, mired in a five-game funk, is 34 for its last 164 (.207).

Kyle Kendrick answered Bailey’s effort with seven shutout innings. He gave up two hits and stuck out four, lowering his ERA to 3.38.

Antonio Bastardo pitched another scoreless inning in relief. The lefty has thrown six innings thus far without allowing a run.

In the final game, John Lannan opposes Cincinnati’s Mike Leake.

Halladay, Nix deliver in Phillies' win over Marlins

In danger of starting 0-3 for the first time in his 15-year career, Roy Halladay ran into the hapless Miami Marlins and took care of business. The 35-year-old threw eight strong innings, allowed just one run and earned his 200th career win in the Phillies’ 2-1 victory on Sunday.

Halladay can also thank Laynce Nix for some assistance.

With the game tied, 1-1, in the top of the ninth, Nix pinch hit for Halladay and launched a mammoth home run into the second deck of right field to give the Phillies the lead, and ultimately, the win.

The story, however, was Halladay.

The righty, who entered Sunday with his second-highest ERA ever (14.73), was rock-solid against an anemic Miami order that came in hitting .206 with a league-worst 19 runs scored.

Nonetheless, Halladay showed great signs regardless of the opponent, and saved the Phillies from losing two out of three to a team that had only one win prior to this three-game set.

Halladay finished with 87 pitches, 58 for strikes, while giving up five hits and striking out two. But it wasn’t vintage Halladay to start.

Halladay fell behind in the count to seven of his first nine batters faced, but went on cruise control in the fifth and sixth innings. Halladay totaled 15 pitches over the fifth and sixth frames for a pair of 1-2-3 innings.

He endured some trouble in the seventh, giving up a single, walk and single in succession to surrender the lone Miami run. He escaped, though, by inducing Adeiny Hechavarria to fly out into an inning-ending double play because of a baserunning gaffe by Rob Brantly.

Halladay followed with a scoreless eighth, Nix smashed his second pinch-hit home run and Jonathan Papelbon notched his third save to boost the Phillies back to .500 at 6-6.

Once again, the Phillies’ bats were quiet. The offense put up 12 hits, but went a brutal 2 for 10 with runners in scoring position and left 10 stranded. In the three games against the 2-10 Marlins, the Phillies scored just six runs.

Freddy Galvis went 2 for 3 in his start at shortstop and Ryan Howard went 3 for 4. The Phillies’ first baseman is now 8 for his last 16, raising his average from .161 to .277.

But the big news: Roy Halladay.

The Phillies now travel to Cincinnati for a three-game series with the Reds. Here are the probable pitching matchups:

Monday night – LHP Cliff Lee (2-0, 1.08) vs. RHP Bronson Arroyo (1-1, 5.25)

Tuesday night – RHP Kyle Kendrick (1-1, 5.40) vs. RHP Homer Bailey (1-1, 5.73)

Wednesday night – LHP John Lannan (0-0, 2.77) vs. RHP Mike Leake (0-0, 6.75)

September call-up: Cody Asche?

Had it not been for Darin Ruf and his record-breaking season at Reading, perhaps the most talked about hitting prospect in the Phillies’ system would be third baseman Cody Asche.

Asche, the 22-year-old 2011 grad from the University of Nebraska, is headed into his third season as a pro after batting a combined .324 at Single-A Clearwater and Double-A Reading in 2012.  By all accounts, it doesn’t seem as if he has much time to go on his minor league career.

“He’s another guy whose bat is going to play,” Reading manager Dusty Wathan said. “He has a tremendous upside with his bat. To be at this level one year out of the draft is exceptional. The last guy who was at this level just one year after the draft was Pat Burrell and he was a first-round pick. Cody was a fourth-round pick and he wasn’t expected to be here. He was expected to maybe be at Clearwater at the end of this year.”

Indeed, Asche appears to be on the fast track. In 68 games in Double-A, Asche hit .300 with 10 homers and was named to the Eastern League All-Star team. That was after batting .349 with a .378 on-base percentage for Clearwater.

Clearly, Asche can hit, but it wasn’t always as easy as he thought it was going to be. After batting .327 with 12 homers in 54 games during his last year at Nebraska, Asche thought he’d jump in at Low-A Williamsport following his selection in the fourth round of the 2011 draft and just keep on hitting.

Boy was he wrong.

Instead he hit .197 in his first year of pro ball with 50 strikeouts in 64 games. He also was playing second base, because, as Wathan explained, the organization liked his bat so much that it was willing to take a chance on him anywhere in the field.

But after a few adjustments, a bunch of mechanical changes and a more refined mental approach, Asche could be knocking on the clubhouse door in South Philly sooner rather than later.

Wathan said that Asche simply “hit himself out of [Clearwater].”

Now Asche has to get a firmer grip on playing third base.

“He skipped a level and only spent a half-year at the level he skipped. He’s done an outstanding job,” Wathan said. “But the one thing he has to work on is third base. It’s not really his fault. We had him at second base [in 2011], so we lost valuable time there in getting him some action there with him not playing third. I think we were just trying to get him some at-bats and it ended up being at second base.”

The decision to move Asche back to third base did not come about because it appears as if the Phillies will be seeking a new third baseman in the not-so distant future (though it didn’t hurt). Plus, with 36-year old veteran Michael Young in the final year of his contract, Asche’s bat is impressive enough that the Phillies’ brass wanted to find him a stable position.

In the meantime, Wathan added that he wouldn’t be surprised if Asche opens the 2013 season at Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

“Put it this way: if he starts the season at a higher level next year, he can handle it,” Wathan said. “If he comes back here, will it hurt his development? I don’t think so. I think we’re in a good spot with him. He got here so quickly — he’s not far from the big leagues. There’s not a lot more he has to do.”

As Eagles close the book on Reid, is Manuel next?

Andy Reid and Charlie Manuel have managed their teams in Philadelphia for the past decade. But with Reid out, is change in the near future for the Phillies?

The cliche is that it's rare to see a head coach or manager last as long as Andy Reid did with the Eagles. Interestingly, the end of Reid's tenure in Philadelphia ends just as Charlie Manuel enters the final year of his contract with the Phillies.

Reid, of course, lasted 14 seasons with the Eagles and won a franchise-best 130 games. Meanwhile, Manuel is headed into his ninth season with the Phillies and already has the franchise record with 727 victories. In the modern era, only Gene Mauch managed the Phillies for nine seasons and Hall-of-Famer Harry Wright lasted a record 10 seasons before the turn of the century. By early May, Manuel will have managed the Phillies for more games than anyone in history.

So with the end of the year and Reid's demise providing the impetus for reflection, are we headed into Manuel's final season as the manager of the Phillies? And if so, is Big Chuck the greatest manager in Phillies' history?

Certainly one can make a strong arguement in Manuel's favor. After all, only one other skipper, Dallas Green, won a World Series with the Phillies and no manager has ever put together a string of winning or playoff-bound seasons like Manuel. Perhaps if the 2010 and 2011 seasons ended differently, Manuel could be polishing up his resume for Cooperstown.

Regardless, the most important part of Manuel's (and Reid's) legacy in Philadelphia is he changed the way every one thought about the Phillies. Simply getting to the playoffs is not good enough anymore and that all changed when Manuel first got the Phillies there in 2007 and then won it all in 2008.

As general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said when announcing the manager's contract extension in 2011, Manuel "changed the culture."

“When Charlie first got hired, we had to change the attitude and the mind set,” Amaro said. “That’s not just with the players, but with regard to everybody. That includes the clubhouse people and the people on the training staff — it was across the board. Instead of the glass being half-empty some of the time, we’ve gotten to the point where it’s half full. Charlie deserves the credit for that in the clubhouse.”

It could be that Manuel, the old throwback from Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, found his success because he is very much a progressive, modern manager. No, he's not pouring over statistical analysis and is far from interested in the popular advanced metrics. However, his players are relaxed and the atmosphere around the team is such that all the ballplayers have to do is worry about the game. Part of how this is fostered is that Manuel takes the slings and arrows. He puts himself out in front so that all his players have to do is show up for work without a sideshow-type distraction.

In this age of baseball, this method is pretty important.

“Over the course of my baseball career those are things I’ve learned,” Manauel said. “Being consistent … I’m me. That’s who I am. I’m comfortable with who I am and I pull for everybody. Even [with the media], hey look, I pull for you. That’s just how I am. That’s communication and delegating and sometimes leadership goes unnoticed because guys are allowed to do their thing. That’s the quality I bring. I have a lot of passion and love for the game and the Phillies have been a great fit for me.”

Anyway, with Reid out one can only guess that Manuel, who will be 69 at the end of the season, is close to the end of his run with the Phillies ... but is he finished with managing? When he signed the extension in 2011, Manuel didn't act like he was working on his final contract.

"More than likely I'll probably stay around as long as they'll have me," Manuel said. "I don't think I'm going to catch [Penn State football coach Joe] Paterno. I'd like to, but he's got a head start on me. But at the same time, I think I made it pretty clear to Ruben, I'm not planning on getting out in the near future."

The future is now for Manuel and the Phillies.

Report: Phillies have deal lined up for reliever Adams

According to reports, the Phillies are very close to acquiring free agent right-handed reliever Mike Adams.

9:17 a.m. Jayson Stark of ESPN.com says the two sides have reached an agreement, calling it a two-year, $12 million deal for the veteran set-up man, pending a physical, with a third year vesting option. [Link]

1:30 a.m. Yahoo Sports' Tim Brown reports different terms than the earlier KRIS-TV report, calling it a two-year deal with a vesting option for a third year. [Link]

12:30 a.m. KRIS-TV in Corpus Christi, Tex., the hometown of righty set-up man, is reporting the pitcher has come to terms on a deal with the Phillies. The station cited an Adams family member as its source and said the deal is for three years, $18 million.

The Phillies have not commented on the report or if there is a completed deal.

Nevertheless, the Phillies have long coveted Adams as a big piece for the bullpen. Last season Adams went 5-3 with a 3.27 ERA in 61 appearances last season with the Rangers. In eight seasons with the Brewers, Padres and Rangers, Adams is 18-15 with a 2.28 ERA in 358 appearances. He has a 1.98 ERA over the past five seasons, which is third lowest of any reliever in baseball with at least 153 innings pitched.

Adams is not without his question marks, though. He missed the entire 2007 season after having knee surgery and last October he had surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome, which is a condition in which a rib bone presses against a nerve and causes pain and numbness in his arm.

However, Adams is expected to be healthy for spring training and if he is signed by the Phillies, the team has a very formidable eighth and ninth inning tandem with Adams and closer Jonathan Papelbon.

Adams has been a set-up man for nearly all of his career. In 246 appearances in the eighth inning of games, Adams has a 1.82 ERA, has held the opposition to a .189 batting average and has 237 strikeouts in 228 innings pitched. In the seventh, eighth and ninth innings, Adams has appeared in 338 games covering 328 2/3 innings, notching 334 strikeouts and posting a 2.08 ERA.

Beerleaguer take: Is there a single move this offseason that stood to improve the club more than adding a stabilizing set-up man? Adams turns the last two frames into a strength and pushes a group of talented, but inexperienced, relievers into lower-leverage roles. Think about how much better this makes Antonio Bastardo, who can be rededicated to handling left-handed hitters, or how much of a runway it gives Phillippe Aumont, or Jake Diekman or Justin De Fratus. That Ryan Madson-esque dependability was noticeably absent during the club's 81-81 dud, a season in which Cliff Lee's first win wasn't converted until July freakin 4th.

Brad Lidge's unmistakable legacy

Brad Lidge quietly announced his retirement from baseball on Sunday night. The World Series hero of 2008 saved 100 games during his four seasons with the Phillies.

Here’s something you might not know …

Following the 2008 World Series the perfect season, Brad Lidge bought a Rolex watch for every member of the Phillies’ bullpen and had it inscribed with a special message for each pitcher.

Essentially the message was even though Lidge received all of the glory for saving 48 straight games, including the last pitches to sew up the Phillies’ second World Series title in their 129 seasons, he couldn’t have done it without his teammates in the ‘pen.

It was a dream season for Lidge where everything he touched went beautifully. Better yet, it was an even better season off the field for Lidge.

The dream season of 2008 was followed by a nightmare in 2009. That’s where Lidge set a record for the worst ERA in Major League Baseball history for a pitcher with at least 30 saves. But as dreadful as it was for Lidge in 2009 with those eight losses and 11 blown saves, Lidge bravely faced the music with his teammates, coaches and media. That's a bit of a rarity these days. Better yet, not only was he consistent in demeanor, he has been accountable and kept his dignity.

In fact, Lidge has been no different in 2009 when talking about his performance than he was in 2008. No matter what, he would stand there for you and deconstruct every pitch of every inning all while indulging every question and reliving the horror—or the glory—after every game.

OK, so now what?

 

B.J. Upton is gone and a deal for Wilton Lopez has apparently cooled off. Where do the Phillies turn next and what's with all the questions?

Twenty-four hours ago and things sounded promising for the Phillies around the ol' hot stove. The Phillies were close to landing a much-needed bullpen piece in righthander Wilton Lopez, and the much-coveted B.J. Upton was apparently mulling which team in the NL East he wanted to play for.

How could it not be the Phillies?

Now the Phillies have put the brakes on going after Lopez, Upton signed with the Braves and now it's back to the drawing board for general manager Ruben Amaro Jr.

So what do the Phillies do next? Do they go after Josh Hamilton? Angel Pagan? Shane Victorino? Dexter Fowler?

What about the bullpen piece? With a deal with Lopez seemingly off the table, and Ryan Madson headed for the Angels, where will the Phillies find that arm? Certainly the Phillies couldn't go after Giants' closer Brian Wilson ...

Could they?

Brian Wilson and Jonathan Papelbon in the same clubhouse ... is there enough crazy to go around? How will Chase Utley manage to keep those two quiet and away from the TV cameras?