Joe Blanton ended up laying down a perfect bunt. It's interesting to see how well some of the pitchers who have come over from the AL have taken to other aspects of the game. Blanton, despite his World Series heroics, isn't much of a hitter but he is usually a good bunter. Cliff Lee took to hitting like a natural. Roy Halladay is obviously working on his game. Funny coincidence: While Brad Lidge was pitching Friday night, a message flashed several times on the video board behind him. A car with New Jersey plates had its lights on; the number was given with a request for the driver to report to the car. It turned out to belong to "Lights On" Lidge. Luckily, one of the clubhouse guys thought that it might be the case, went to check, and took care of the problem.
Even more bizarre is this one, from last night's game in Phoenix. Starter Nelson Figueroa lives there in the offseason and volunteers there at his kids' school. Last year he had volunteered to send a class from that school to a Diamondbacks game on April 24. At the time the plan was made, Figueroa was not with the Phillies. But last night, with all the kids in attendance, he happened to start the game for the Phillies, filling in for the injured J.A. Happ. On Friday morning, after the team arrived in Phoenix, Figgy was at the school doing a volunteer stint.
A lot more,though, has been made of this coincidence: In their first four starts with the Phillies, both Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee had 4-0 records, 0.82 ERA's, and pitched 33 innings. But in the end, it's just a coincidence.
