howard with a helping of happ

Ryan Howard last night put the Phillies up 1-0 in the 2nd with a solo home run to center right. He untied it in the 6th with a three-run shot to deep right. Both were off Braves' starter Javier Vazquez. J.A. Happ, meanwhile, held the Braves to just one run in 7.2 innings. He was uncharacteristically wild, with six walks, but that may have had as much to do with the home plate umpire as Happ's command. The Phillies took the game 4-1 and Happ ran his record to 9-2. Not bad, rookie! The Sunday night ESPN game started after a rain delay of an hour and 45 minutes. I confess to drifting off to sleep in the middle of the third.

yo, cole, take a lesson from cliff

It's time for Cole Hamels to get a new mentor. He's pitching like Jamie Moyer when he should be learning from Cliff Lee.

spring baseball

The Altoona Curve come off the field during an early season game in Reading. It's hard to believe that the Eastern League season is now down to weeks. Reading continues to hang onto second place in the Southern Division---and a possible play-off berth.

mugged in hot atlanta

The second time the Phillies had a runner on third with no outs and didn't score him, I pretty much gave up on the game. Cole Hamels didn't have it but battled mightily for six innings. The Phillies took a 3-2 lead into the 9th but Chase Utley misplayed a ball and Brad Lidge compounded his dismal season with a two-error throw to first that allowed the tying run to score. After that it was just a matter of time. Braves win 4-3. But the real story of the game was 1 for 12 with RISP. That's what the Phillies were today.

Sad to say, Brad Lidge is now 0-5 with eight blown saves. His ERA remains over seven. Aiyaiyaiyai.

howard homers for win

Ryan Howard broke a 2-2 tie in the 9th with a solo home run, then Brad Lidge came in for a sticky save, aided by lots of help from his outfielders, and the Phillies took the first of three in Atlanta 3-2. It was a great game, with good pitching from both starters, Jair Jurrjens for the Braves and Joe Blanton for the Phils. In two previous starts this season, Jurrjens had held the Phillies scoreless. Chase Utley put an early end to that with a two-run homer. Joe Blanton, rocky early in the year, just gets better and better with each passing month. He's now pitching how the Phillies envisaged when they brought him in last season. But last year he got tons of support; this year he's often been a hard luck loser.

The outfield defense was sparkling. In the 6th Shane Victorino splattered himself high against the center field wall to rob Brian McCann. That was the dazzling best of several Victorino highlights.

lee caps sweep in chicago

Tuesday night Carlos Ruiz broke up Rich Harden's perfect game with a walk and Jimmy Rollins followed with a two-run homer to tie the game. The Phillies took a 3-2 lead into the 9th, but Brad Lidge blew the save. Ben Francisco hit the winning home run in extra innings and the Phils stole one 4-3.

Wednesday night was the debut of Pedro Martinez, but that was pretty much overshadowed by the Phillies' offense, which put 12 on the board early. Martinez went five and did pretty much as expected in his first start. It was an exciting game. Some dumb Cub fan dumped a cup of beer on Shane Victorino as he caught a sacrifice fly against the ivy. The wrong guy was apprehended but the culprit today turned himself into the police.

Thursday afternoon was again all Cliff Lee, with the help of a three-run homer from Ryan Howard and a solo shot by Pedro Feliz. Lee went eight innings, striking out eight and giving up just one run in the 6-1 victory. In three starts with the Phillies, Lee has given up just three runs. He has four hits in that time. This guy is simply fabulous to watch. I understand why he was reportedly the only trade that Ruben Amaro Jr. was targeting at the deadline.

"moyer unhappy, feels misled"

So reads the title of Todd Zolecki's latest blog for mlb.com. Oh, dear. So much for the good soldier we all thought that Jamie Moyer was. Instead, he feels that he was told during the offseason that this scenario would not occur. Wishful thinking clouds all of our minds at times and that could be the case here. I find it hard to believe that Moyer was assured a spot in the rotation no matter how he was pitching. I'm a fan of his and hope that he will again be back and pitching till he wants to retire, but he was not getting the job done. And he has been handsomely rewarded by the Phillies for his instrumental role last year in winning the World Series. Are cracks starting to appear in this team? How sad if Jamie Moyer turned out to be just that. Even worse if Pedro turns out to be a bust.

martinez starts wednesday, moyer to 'pen

In something of a stunner, the Phillies have announced that Pedro Martinez will start on Wednesday in Chicago. Jamie Moyer will, for the foreseeable future, be pitching out of the bullpen. His exact role there is unclear but he reportedly took the news like the consummate professional and team player that he is. Wow! It was the right move, no doubt, but its success depends on how Martinez pitches. Who knows?

J.A. Happ will start Tuesday and Clff Lee on Thursday. Given this rotation, I would probably see Pedro pitch at month's end in Philadelphia. Will he even be in the rotation then?

I guess the fans who gave Moyer a standing ovation when he was pulled from yesterday's game were prescient. They may indeed have seen his last start this year. Again, who knows?

Chad Durbin, who looked strong last night in a one-inning rehab stint at Lehigh Valley, has been activated from the DL and Rodrigo Lopez optioned back to the LV squad.

metsied already?

Ugh. What a dreadful weekend. I couldn't even listen to much of the game and missed Victorino getting thrown out for supposedly showing up the umpire from center field. Was that a first in the annals of baseball? It was a bad day for home plate ump Ed Rapuano, who also had a phantom strike zone.

That aside, this was a bad weekend---and an ugly day today---of baseball for the home team, who were swept by the Marlins. I thought out in San Francisco that the Phillies were in trouble and the way they sleepwalked through the weekend suggests that they are. They could have put the NL East away this weekend. Instead, they were totally outplayed, and the Marlins and Braves are now right there.

The Phillies have now lost eight of their last 11 games, scored three or fewer runs in eight of those games, and won only five games all season when scoring three or fewer. Ugh. Howard shows small signs of coming out of his funk but all week he and Utley were basically ohfer. Speaking of Howard, he has yet to get hot this year. As with Hamels, it's getting late early. Since coming off the DL, Raul Ibanez has been a shell of his former self; Jayson Werth, either hot or cold, is again in the polar regions.

With the exception of Joe Blanton, the pitching was pretty much putrid. Jamie Moyer did not get it done today and takes the loss in the 12-3 blowout. The bullpen, in the person of Rodrigo Lopez, was even worse. But who expected Lopez to be pitching in the 'pen at this point? Or Kyle Kendrick? Chad Durbin is still on the DL, so is Clay Condrey, and J.C. Romero is now headed for an MRI in Philadelphia.

Inconceivable as it sounds, I've got to wonder if the Phillies have already been Metsied. They certainly are playing like the '07 and '08 Mets did down the stretch. Ugh. And they are now back to .500 at home.

no hamels, no hitting, no good

It's getting late for Cole Hamels to turn his frustrating season around. In most of his losses, he hasn't pitched that poorly. He just hasn't pitched that well either. Once again I think that the Phillies will be lucky if he gets through the year without an injury, and that all else may have to wait till next year. Despite his starry success, Hamels is still a young pitcher learning his craft. This year looks like it may be a big bump along the way.

So far in this set with the Marlins, the Phillies have looked like chum. In truth they've looked like that for most of the past 10 days. If the slumping offense, a collective misfiring, doesn't step it up, the Phillies will be Metsied in September--if not sooner. And I'll be thinking Arizona Fall League, not play-offs.

One bright spot: Ryan Howard went 4 for 4.

strictly business

An hour or so after nattering on about pitching (below), I heard the news that the Red Sox had designated John Smoltz for assignment. Another unceremonious end for a future hall of famer? That was followed by the news that the Oakland A's had released (no DFA'ing even) Jason Giambi. Wow, what a dump. A week ago, Giambi was the face of the team when the A's retired Rickey Henderson's number. He's also on this year's pocket schedule for the A's, with the catchphrase 100% Back, 100% Baseball. Guess that didn't work out. You'd think the out-of-it A's would have let Giambi, even if he was hitting .191, hang on till the end of the season.

That brings the question of Jamie Moyer to mind....

harry kalas wall of fame induction night

The weekend series with the Marlins coincides with Old-Timers weekend. Last night, as part of this year's weekend, Harry Kalas was inducted posthumously into the Phillies Wall of Fame. It was an emotional ceremony, mc'd by Mike Schmidt, who has a knack for these things, and attended by Kalas' three sons and two stepchildren. The core group of old-timers were 'announced' by Kalas, who used to mc the annual induction. The Phillies' organization does this kind of thing as well as any team in baseball, and last night was truly touching.

Then the Phillies went out and lost to the Marlins. Joe Blanton was again strong through seven but the Marlins' Ricky Nolasco bested him. Blanton gave up three runs on two homers in the first two innings. The Phillies got two back in the 7th on a two-run homer by right fielder Ben Francisco, who squashed a Marlin threat in the top of the inning with a fabulous throw that nailed Chris Coghlan at the plate.

All you need to know about the home offense is that in a 3-2 game Fish closer Leo Nunez put the Phillies away in the 9th with only five pitches! C'mon, guys. Really.

never too much pitching

Wasn't it only weeks ago that everyone was saying how deep the Red Sox were in pitching? So deep that they had Clay Bucholtz stashed in Triple-A instead of in their rotation? Last night's outing by John Smoltz vs. the Yankees and the sudden signing of the dry-docked Paul Byrd indicate just how fragile pitching is.

Sad to say, Jamie Moyer too may be an athlete suddenly at the end of his career. Or he may once again be in the process of reinventing himself. For all the clamor over who should be the 5th man in the Phillies' rotation, Pedro has yet to pitch in the majors this season. He may very well be on the same path as Smoltz--and maybe as Moyer.

With a jam-packed schedule and a couple of doubleheaders looming, the more pitchers the merrier.

almost like being in love

Come to think of it, Ruben Amaro Jr. has made two major acquisitions in this his first year as general manager and both have been tremendous. Free-agent signing Raul Ibanez became an almost instantaneous fan favorite. It took Cliff Lee all of one game, his debut in San Francisco, to make the fans fall in love with him. He got a standing O walking in yesterday from the bullpen, another when starting line-ups were announced, and of course a big one when he left after the 7th. He even got a go-get-'em-next-time smatter when he overran a bunt. What do Ibanez and Lee have in common? They're both professionals and they're both really, really good.

Per Todd Zolecki of MLB.com, in his first 16 innings as a Phillie, Cliff Lee has allowed just four runners beyond first base. Yes indeedy, love is in the air!

happ-lee ever after

Cliff Lee was not as sharp in his Philadelphia debut but he was still pretty damn good, throwing seven strong innings and giving up just one run. That came in the 1st on a sac fly, but the Phillies immediately tied it up in the bottom of the 1st, also on a sac fly. The Rockies had the lead-off man on in four of Lee's seven innings, but scored only that one run. In San Francisco it was fastballs and cutters, today fastballs and change-ups. The 'mountain men' were flailing at the change-up all day long; Lee K'd nine. Rox starter Aaron Cook was also good but Paul Bako broke up the tie in the 5th with his first homer of the year. Jimmy Rollins (who went 3-4) followed with a triple, and Shane Victorino brought him home on a fielder's choice. And that was all she wrote.

It was a great follow-up game to Happ's superb outing last night. Lee went seven, Madson took care of the 8th, and Lidge finished it off in the 9th. That's the way we like it!

Ruben Amaro Jr. announced today that J.A. Happ is staying in the rotation. Yippee! He deserves it.

all happ all the way

Rookie J.A. Happ, at the center last week of swirling trade rumors, threw the second complete game shut-out of his career, holding the Rockies to four hits, striking out 10 (nine swinging), and walking two. He threw 127 pitches, and his manager thought he could have thrown more. Said Charlie, "He showed me he wanted to stay in the rotation." Happ is now 8-2 on the year.

Everyone in the line-up, including Happ, had at least one hit in the 7-0 win. Happ got his, a sharp double over the head of Rockies' center fielder Dexter Fowler, in the bottom of the 8th, after coming out to the plate to a standing ovation from the sellout crowd of 45,000+. It was very cool.

In Reading, meanwhile, Pedro Martinez was also pitching in front of a sellout crowd, of some 10,000. Martinez went six innings, striking out 11 and giving up three runs. Hot prospect Domonic Brown had his first home run at Double-A. As I write, the R-Phils are up 8-4.

Ruben Amaro Jr. and Charlie Manuel now face some very tough, sticky decisions about the rotation. Who exactly is the odd man out?

and the angst rolls on

Jamie Moyer was (dare I say again) awful last night. Rodrigo Lopez in relief was not much better. Between the two, they gave up eight runs in an 8-3 loss to the streaking Rockies. With the exception of a two-run homer by Jimmy Rollins, the offense continued to be missing. Utley and Howard were a combined 0-7. It's hot and sticky, what Charlie Manuel calls "hittin' weather". The Rockies were rolling, but the Phillies were not.

happ still on the teeterboard

Last Friday while Cliff Lee was debuting in San Francisco, Carlos Carrasco was making his first start as a Columbus Clipper vs. Pedro Martinez, pitching a rehab assignment for the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. Talk about weird. I'd forgotten that the Clippers, now the Indians' Triple-A team, were in town. Marson and Donald, however, did not play in the game. Oh, and Carrasco won. I wonder when he will start for the Indians.

A big part of last week's trade was that J.A. Happ stayed with the club. He's been in ways the best starter on the staff but is still likely to end up in the bullpen. Ouch. Tonight in Reading Pedro is making what could be his final rehab appearance. If and when he joins the big club, something's got to give.

Brett Myers, meanwhile, is scheduled to throw a simulated game tomorrow in Thursday.

lee the only bright light in bay area fog

There was a fair amount of red at the games with the Giants, who are not drawing the way they used to. But Phillies' fans didn't have much to cheer about.

Thank heavens for Cliff Lee, the only bright spot in the four-game set in San Francisco this weekend. Thursday night's game was a sloppy effort, Saturday a pitching duel won by Tim Lincecum, and Sunday an out-of-sorts effort by Cole Hamels. But on Friday, in his Phillies' debut, Lee was dominant, giving up just one run on four hits. There was a lot to like about the dazzling Mr. Lee. He threw strikes, worked quickly, fielded his position well, and even had two hits and scored a run. What has this guy been doing in the American League?! He looked totally in control and he was. What a treat to watch.

Phillies' bats, however, were not. The offense, shut out twice last week, was anemic. Last year the Phillies went on a West Coast road trip and came back in a deep hitting slump. Oh-oh. After a sizzling July, in which they went 20-7, they begin August with a losing streak. Oh, the angst. Why does this team go cold all together and all at once?

Just-acquired Ben Francisco played in all four games in place of the injured Shane Victorino and immediately proved his worth. Good job there too, Ruben.

old news, good news: cliff lee to the phillies

I heard the news of the trade on my way to San Francisco last Wednesday during a stopover at the Denver airport: Cliff Lee and Ben Francisco of the Cleveland Indians to Philadelphia for prospects Carlos Carrasco (sigh), Jason Donald, Lou Marson, and Jason Knapp. The key to the trade was no doubt the 18-year-old flamethrower Knapp. I've got to admit, though, that it was a good trade, even if I had no idea who Francisco was. But Amaro did a great job in getting an ace without giving up the farm. And he did it with stealth. So far Ruben Amaro Jr. has picked up where his genius predecessor at general manager left off.

There's still lots of juggling ahead with the roster. Rodrigo Lopez has been sent to the bullpen but that still leaves six starters if you count Pedro Martinez. John Mayberry Jr. and Stephen Register were sent back to Lehigh Valley to make room for Lee and Francisco, but more moves will be needed when Clay Condrey, J.C. Romero, and Chad Durbin come off the DL. Meanwhile, Joe Savery was promoted from Double-A Reading to take Carrasco's spot in the Triple-A rotation. And much-touted prospect Dominic Brown is now in Reading, which is where Pedro will be pitching another rehab assignment tomorrow night.