Phillies Preview: Giants Series 9/1 - 9/3

San Francisco Giants (72-59) at Philadelphia Phillies (75-53)

The Philadelphia Phillies welcome the San Francisco Giants into Citizens Bank Park this week for a pivotal three-game series. In what could be a potential playoff preview, the Giants, who are tied for the lead in the NL wild card, will come to town off an emotional sweep of the Rockies at home this past weekend. The Phillies, meanwhile, took two of three from division-rival Atlanta and will look to continue their solid play against contending teams.

September 1, 2009
Cole Hamels, LHP (7-8, 4.52) v. Jonathan Sanchez, LHP (6-10, 4.27)

7:05pm - Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA

The Phillies will open September with their ace on the mound. Cole Hamels will look to continue the success he had in his last start against the Pirates. Despite not getting a decision, Hamels looked as good as he has in several months. He will be opposed by another southpaw in Jonathan Sanchez. Sanchez has had an inconsistent season, but has looked much better since throwing a no-hitter earlier this year. He beat the Phillies earlier this season in San Francisco.

Pitching Primer: Cole Hamels

2009 Home Splits: (4-3) 12 G, 72.0 IP, 4.12 ERA, 71 K

Career at Citizens Bank: (24-15) 51 G, 331.2 IP, 3.47 ERA, 306 K

Career vs. Giants Hitters: 88 PA, .207 BA, 0 HR, 21 K

Pitching Primer: Jonathan Sanchez

2009 Road Splits: (2-8) 14 G, 67.1 IP, 4.81 ERA, 78 K

Career at Citizens Bank: n/a

Career vs. Phillies Hitters: 58 PA, .180 BA, 1 HR, 17 K

September 2, 2009
J.A. Happ, LHP (10-3, 2.63) v. Brad Penny, RHP (7-8, 5.61)

7:05pm - Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA

The second game of the three game set will feature a Rookie of the Year candidate and a crafty veteran. Newly acquired Brad Penny will take the ball for the Giants and oppose Happ. He is a solid righty, with good but not electric stuff. Jay Happ still has the tough task of facing him. However, Happ is putting together a very solid season of his own, but the Phillies will need to find a way to support him if they are to take the first two from the Giants.

Pitching Primer: J.A. Happ
2009 Home Splits: (4-1) 14 G, 57.1 IP, 3.77 ERA, 47 K
Career at Citizens Bank: (4-2) 21 G, 86.0 IP, 4.40 ERA, 74 K
Career vs. Giants Hitters: n/a

Pitching Primer: Brad Penny
2009 Road Splits: (2-5) 11 G, 60.2 IP, 5.79 ERA, 49 K
Career at Citizens Bank: (1-0) 2 G, 13.0 IP, 2.77 ERA, 14 K
Career vs. Phillies Hitters: 186 PA, .195 BA, 4 HR, 40 K

September 3, 2009
Pedro Martinez, RHP (2-0, 4.50) v. Tim Lincecum, RHP (13-4, 2.33)

7:05pm - Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA

Pedro Martinez will get the start in the finale of the series. The Phillies will look to get him through a start at home without a rain delay to see what he has to offer. Thus far this season, Martinez has looked good but not great. He will take on Tim Lincecum, who might be one of the best pitchers in the game today. He features dominant command and the ability to strike out anyone in the lineup. This will be a very tough game for the Phillies.

Pitching Primer: Pedro Martinez

2009 Home Splits: (0-0) 2 G, 5.0 IP, 1.80 ERA, 4 K

Career at Citizens Bank: (1-1) 6 G, 23.1 IP, 6.56 ERA, 29 K

Career vs. Giants Hitters: 93 PA, .287 BA, 0 HR, 16 K

Pitching Primer: Tim Lincecum
2009 Road Splits: (5-3) 13 G, 90.0 IP, 2.90 ERA, 101 K
Career at Citizens Bank: (0-0) 2 G, 12.2 ERA, 2.70 ERA, 25 K
Career vs. Phillies Hitters: 105 PA, .202 BA, 4 HR, 25 K

An Idea Out of Left Field

With both Raul Ibanez and Matt Stairs struggling right now, the Phillies need to get both on track for the post-season push and beyond. Ibanez, their All-Star left fielder, is the everyday starter and has had a severe power outage since the break. In order to provide the necessary punch and protection for the middle of their order, the Phillies need Raul to get back on track, hitting the ball hard. On the flip side, Matt Stairs is their pinch-hitting extraordinaire, who provides left-handed power off the bench. Without his imposing threat, the Phillies' bench is average at best.

The ways and reasons these two players have struggled since the middle of the season are complete different. Raul Ibanez had a groin problem that forced him to the disabled list. Since that time, he has not hit many balls hard and produced very few runs. Let's take a look at his production from both halves of the season:

Pre-All-Star Break: 64 G, 289 PA, .309 BA, 22 HR, 60 RBI

Post-All-Star Break: 39 G, 156 PA, .220 BA, 5 HR, 19 RBI

Clearly, Ibanez's power outage is cause for some concern. But what is the actual cause? Almost without a doubt, it is his timing, which has suffered due to his inability to pick up pitches out of the pitcher's hand. With this trouble in timing, Ibanez could potentially be compounding his problems by trying to compensate for the lack of vision with some bad mechanical habits at the plate.

But the problem with Matt Stairs has been much different than Ibanez. Stairs has been adjusting to his new role as a full-time pinch hitter all season. To his credit, he has embraced the role and welcomed it. When he was first acquired by the Phillies a year ago, he said that he would pinch hit everyday if he could. Lately, Stairs has had a number of such opportunities with no success:

Pre-All-Star Break: 56 G, 9 GS, 76 PA, .283 BA, 4 HR, 13 RBI

Post-All-Star Break: 23 G, 3 GS, 31 PA, .000 BA, 0 HR, 0 RBI

This is probably the most black-and-white split you will see among major leaguers. Stairs has been hitless since the All-Star Break and has no hits in his last 27 at bats. There is nothing mechanically wrong with Stairs, though, as his approach always has been and always will be to hit home runs. With that big upper-cut swing of his, all Stairs really needs is repetition against big league pitching.

On to the joint solution to get Ibanez and Stairs back on track, simultaneously. After the Giants series this week, in which two tough lefties will pitch (and Ben Francisco will likely get two starts), bench Ibanez for a series. Starting Stairs for four games against the Astros will likely get Stairs about 15-20 plate appearances, which should help him get the repetitions he needs. Meanwhile, Ibanez can clear his head, spend more time watching film and taking extended batting practice, and get a break from the game.

Ideally, Stairs won't hurt the Phillies too much in the field, and even if he doesn't produce too much, it won't be a loss on what Ibanez is producing now. Francisco can serve as the late inning defensive replacement for Stairs, as he will also need to see some more action to stay sharp. At the same time, Ibanez can use some rest, as he prepares for his first playoff action since 2000. When Ibanez returns, hopefully he can have some things figured out. And when Stairs returns to the bench, he will hopefully be poised for his next pinch-hitting assignment.

Phillies Recap: August 30, 2009

Philadelphia Phillies 3, Atlanta Braves 2

W - Blanton (9-6), L - Jurrjens (10-9), S - Lidge (27)

All night, the Phillies and the Braves played in a tight-matched pitcher's duel. Both Joe Blanton and Jair Jurrjens surrendered solo home runs early in the game, but then matched goose eggs for most of the rest of the game. However, in the seventh inning, the Phillies finally broke through with a clutch hit from Carlos Ruiz to take the lead for good. In what was an all-around well pitched game, the Phillies took two of three from the Braves by the final of 3-2.

Joe Blanton pitched superbly, allowing a first inning homer and then settling down. He only gave up three hits but walked an uncharacteristically high four batters. However, the righty worked through jams masterfully and held the Braves to the one earned run in seven innings pitched and struck out seven. The Phillies' bullpen made it interesting in the eighth inning, but a fantastic, unorthodox double play by the Phillies' middle infielders got them out of trouble. Brad Lidge came in for the ninth and tossed another spotless inning for the save.

The Braves' Jair Jurrjens battled hard, as he has all season. In the fourth inning, he gave up a line driver homer to Chase Utley that tied the game, though. Jurrjens worked out of trouble on several occasions but was not able to escape in the seventh inning, when Carlos Ruiz knocked in a pair of runs on a double. Though not great on offense, the Phillies executed just enough to put themselves in line for a win against a very good Atlanta staff.

Giving the Braves one last kick on their way out of town was great for the Phillies standing and spirits. They now own an eight game lead in the NL East, over both the Braves and Marlins. With the win, the Phillies improve to 75-53 on the season. More importantly, they have take two of three from a tough division opponent at home, before welcoming the very hot Giants in this week.

Phillies Preview: August 30, 2009

Atlanta Braves (68-61) at Philadelphia Phillies (74-53)
8:05pm - Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA

Joe Blanton, RHP (8-6, 3.88) v. Jair Jurrjens, RHP (10-8, 2.91)

The finale of the series will be an ESPN Sunday Night game with Joe Blanton toeing the rubber against Jair Jurrjens. The two righties are a pair of the most underrated pitchers in the league, though the numbers don't necessarily reveal it. Blanton will look to get back on the winning track, after going just 1-2 in his last five starts. Jair Jurrjens has taken a lot of hard-luck losses this season, though his ERA is impressive. He has always been a tough opponent for the Phillies.

After splitting the first two games, the Phillies will hand the ball to Joe Blanton tonight. Blanton has had some bad luck in the last month, with just one win to his record. He will look to turn that around tonight against the Braves. However, it will be a tough task, as current Braves are hitting .303 off of Blanton in 142 career plate appearances. On what hopes to be a clear night in Philly, Blanton must execute pin-point command in order to shut down an above-average Braves offense.

Jair Jurrjens will take the ball against the Phillies tonight. The righty is one of the most underrated pitchers in baseball and features devastating command. The Phillies will need to be more aggressive than usual against this strike-thrower early, otherwise they might find themselves behind in a lot of counts. Current Phils have seen a lot of Jurrjens without much success, posting a .189 batting average against him in 166 lifetime plate appearances. Though they are playing in cozy Citizens Bank Park, the Phillies really need to manufacture runs tonight, rather than rely on long balls.

This nationally televised game will be a measuring stick for the Phillies. As they enter play with a month to go, they are pitted against a great pitcher on a playoff-hopeful team. Playing in front of their home crowd, the Phillies need to show something on offense tonight and back up what will hopefully be another quality start from Joe Blanton. If they succeed, they will re-open the eight game lead they had in the East just a day ago.

Phillies Recap: August 29, 2009

Atlanta Braves 9, Philadelphia Phillies 1

W - Lowe (10-8), L - Lee (5-1)

On a rain shortened night, Cliff Lee didn't have his put-away stuff against the Braves. After holding an early lead, the Phil's lefty allowed three homers and six earned runs en route to his first loss with the Phillies. The Braves put on an offensive show, seeming to capitalize on every Phillies mistake, with 14 hits and four homers. They won the game in eight innings due to rain, by a final of 9-1.

It was bound to happen that Cliff Lee would return to Earth. He had been almost un-hittable to this point with the Phillies. But that all changed Saturday night against the Braves. Despite working ahead of almost every hitter, Lee surrendered big hits with two strikes, as he gave up the first three long balls as a Phillie. The offense didn't do much to support him and he really labored. On the night, he struck out five in five innings of work but allowed 10 hits and the decisive six earned runs.

Derek Lowe showed his normal, dominant stuff against the Phillies hitters. The Phils managed only a solo home run by Chase Utley and little else the rest of the way. Lowe induced one key double-play and the Phillies stranded 11 runners on base. That was the story of the night as Lowe went 5.2 innings and struck out five. He gave up the one earned run and only Utley managed to have a decent night at the plate, even though most of the starters had at least on hit.

This was an ugly one to watch, as the Braves blew out the Phillies. But it only counts as one loss in the standings and the Phils still have a chance to win the series. While the effort was not optimal for Lee, the Phillies can relax as he got one of his worst outings of the season out of the way. Hopefully the team can regroup and get back to pitching and hitting well as a team.

Phillies Preview: August 29, 2009

Atlanta Braves (67-61) at Philadelphia Phillies (74-52)
7:05pm - Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA

Cliff Lee, LHP (12-9, 2.63) v. Derek Lowe, RHP (12-8, 4.48)

Cliff Lee will return to the hill at home, where he has looked great thus far. Then again, Lee has looked great everywhere he has worn Phillies red. With the Phils, the big lefty is 5-0 with a 0.68 ERA. He will face off with the Braves' righty, Derek Lowe. Lowe is a pitcher with whom the Phillies are very familiar. Despite their success against him in last year's NLCS, Lowe has been mostly dominant against the Phillies lineup in his career.

The Phillies have been unstoppable with Cliff Lee on the mound this year. They have won all five of his starts and despite not playing the best defense behind the southpaw, they have hit for him. Tonight, they will look to get Cliff Lee to his sixth win in a Phillies uniform as they host the Braves in the second of their three-game set. Lee has not had great success against current Braves, who are batting .321 in 58 career plate appearances. It will be important for Lee to work ahead of the Braves hitters, on a cool, wet night at the Bank.

Derek Lowe will have the task of taking on Lee for the Braves. Lowe got off to a fast start this season, but has been mediocre since then. However, he still features a sinker that typically gives the Phillies fits. Lifetime against Lowe, Phillies hitters have batted .181 in 203 plate appearances. They have only managed six home runs in those appearances. So tonight, it will be important for them to manufacture runs and not rely on the long ball so much.

The Phillies can really put a strangle-hold on the NL East with another win tonight. Their magic number is down to 28 and it could be 26 by the end of the night, if all goes well. However, they will be facing a tough pitcher, so it won't be easy. But with Cliff Lee on the mound, the Phillies know they have a great shot to win their 75th game of the season this evening.

Phillies Recap: August 28, 2009

Philadelphia Phillies 4, Atlanta Braves 2

W - Moyer (12-9), L - Hanson (9-3), S - Lidge (26)

For the second straight start at home, Pedro Martinez threw only a couple of innings. That seems to be a recipe for success, as Jamie Moyer came in, in relief of Pedro, and picked up a win after a couple of rain delays. Behind the power of Ryan Howard's two home runs, the Phillies defeated the visiting Atlanta Braves by a score of 4-2.

Pedro Martinez looked good early on, before the rain came. He was relieved by Jamie Moyer, who threw 4.1 innings to earn the win. Moyer allowed an earned run and struck out five. Despite a threat by the Braves in the eighth inning, the Phillies held the game under control from start to finish. In the ninth, Brad Lidge came in with a spotless frame and added a strike out to pick up his 26th save of the season. He looked like the old Lidge and the fans really got behind him the whole way through the inning.

While Tommy Hanson did return after the first rain delay, he did not survive the second. While he was in, he was touched up for a homer by Ryan Howard. Later in the fourth inning, Howard pounded his second home run of the night, a two-run bomb to dead center field. In the seventh, the Phils added an all-important tack-on run but spoiled an opportunity for more in the eighth. However, for a game played on a slick field, the offense can get a pass as the pitching picked them up.

This was a great win for the Phillies, who got more stellar pitching from the bullpen. The save by Lidge has to be somewhat promising, and Jamie Moyer excelled again in his long-man role. The story of the night though was Ryan Howard, who hit his 36th and 37th homers of the season and now has his batting average up to .272. With the Marlins loss tonight, the Phillies have now opened up an eight game lead over both division foes that are chasing them.

Phillies Preview: August 28, 2009

Atlanta Braves (67-60) at Philadelphia Phillies (73-52)

7:05pm - Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA

Pedro Martinez, RHP (2-0, 5.14) v. Tommy Hanson, RHP (9-2, 3.12)

Pedro Martinez will look to get the Phillies off to a good start against the Atlanta Braves at home on Friday night. Despite being 2-0, Pedro has looking mediocre in his first three starts. As he becomes more acclimated with the majors again, his numbers should improve. One player who is already acclimated with the major leagues is the rookie phenom for the Braves, Tommy Hanson. Hanson, the hard-tossing righty will be a true challenge for the Phillies offense.

Martinez has been consistent this season for the Phillies, but not spectacular. He will look to keep the ball in the park tonight and deliver the Phillies another quality start against the Braves. From all of his time in the big leagues, Pedro has quite a deal of experience against the Atlanta lineup. Current Braves are hitting just .198 in 189 career plate appearances. They have hit five homers but struck out over a quarter of the time (49). If Martinez can be efficient tonight, he has a chance to go deep against an average-hitting lineup.

The Braves will send their prized pitching prospect, Tommy Hanson to the mound. The hard-throwing righty has put up dominant numbers thus far in the season. He will have one of his toughest tasks of the season tonight against the Phillies at home. With his deceptive delivery, the Phillies will need to be somewhat patient to see how the rookie throws. However, they do want to take a good approach to hitting a pitcher that they have never seen before.

Coming off a winning, yet disappointing road trip, the Phillies need to make a statement against the division rival Braves. The Braves have mostly dominated the Phillies this season, but sit seven games back. With that in mind, the Phillies need to win this series, and that starts with tonight's game and Pedro Martinez.

Chicks Don't Just Dig the Long Ball

The 2009 version of the Philadelphia Phillies leads the National League in home runs with 181, as of August 27th. Their home run rate is 3.7% of all plate appearances, which is way over the league average of 2.5%. Clearly, the team is built around the power game. However, despite having such great home run production, the team frequently finds itself in close games, in which they are unable to tack on runs. As a result, there are a number of games that are lost or closer than they need to be. Are the Phillies too reliant on home runs to score?

The common misconception is that the Phillies hit more home runs at home. In fact the opposite is true, as they have hit 91 homers on the road, and 90 at home. While they do sport a higher percentage of home runs on flyballs (10.1%) than the rest of the league (7.2%), you would expect that from a team that features some of the game's most fearsome power hitters. The real splits come into play in their wins and losses. In wins, the Phillies have hit 128 homers versus 53 in losses. This means their home run rate in wins is 1.75 HR/G and 1.02 HR/G in losses. That alone shows the utter dependence on the long ball. If the Phillies hit one homer, they will most likely lose. If they hit two, they will most likely win.

The Phillies have scored 657 runs this season, which is also tops in the league. This means that they have scored 3.63 runs per homer. The Phillies average 5.256 runs per game and 1.448 home runs per game. At first glance, these look like great stats, considering the team is the top scoring team in the NL. But subtract the runs produced purely from the player hitting the home run and the Phillies generate 3.808 runs per game, which is actually quite low. With a team batting average that is 11th in the league at .258, the Phillies can be shut down easily without the long ball.

But there are plenty of teams with mediocre batting averages that can score without homers. So how do they do it? The Phillies have a great on-base percentage because their power hitters are willing to take walks. The team on-base percentage is .337, which is seventh, and good enough for a base runner per inning, on average. And despite the tendencies of the team to strike out, they put the ball in play far more often than people assume. As a team, they have struck out 897 times, which is ninth in the league.

The answer to the cause of the Phillies run-scoring problems is a mixture of things:

1. Unluckiness: The Phillies have a .285 average of balls in play, much lower than the league average of .299. A lot of would-be (non-homer) hits are not falling in this season. However, this stat also accentuates the Phillies struggles when they are not hitting bombs.
2. No Clutch Hitting: The Phillies struggle in every clutch situation on offense. It has really shown recently. Even their homer-clutchness struggles based on the fact that only 53 of their homers (29%) have come in the seventh inning or later.
3. Lack of Line Drives: Only 19% of the balls put in play (excluding bunts) are line drives. However, as expected, they have a way higher batter average on those types of hits. With pop ups and ground outs, the pure hitting aspect of their game is missing.

So where is the solution here? You can't make the Phillies stop hitting home runs. It's in their nature to pepper the stands with souvenirs. However, you can change the mentality at the plate. There is no excuse for not getting a run home from third with less than two outs. There needs to be more sacrifice flies, RBI-ground outs, and all-around better situational hitting. The Phillies don't tend to make a lot of hard-hit outs.

It's time to get back to small-ball, especially late in games when tack-on runs are crucial. With great speed at the top of the order, the Phillies need to hit-and-run more. Bunting with the lower portion of the order will maximize scoring opportunities. And there needs to be more runners being moved up by all hitters. They need to be able to score in all ways, at all times. They must change the 'live and die by the three-run homer' mentality that they have and they will be better. Often times, it's not the three runs you don't score, it's the one run you don't get home. They have lost 14 games by one run. The Phillies are good enough to score that one run in every inning of every game they play. They just need to do it once in a while.

Phillies Preview: Braves Series 8/28 - 8/30

Atlanta Braves (67-60) at Philadelphia Phillies (73-52)

The Phillies have a chance to put a major dent in their magic number and the Braves' playoff hopes, as they welcome Atlanta into Philly for a three-game series. The Braves have been playing pretty well lately, but find themselves out of the division race and on the outer edges of the wild card chase. The Phillies can make a real statement at home against this very good pitching team. It will be especially important for the Phillies to win this series, as they have struggled all season against the Braves.

August 28, 2009

7:05pm - Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA

Pedro Martinez, RHP (2-0, 5.14) v. Tommy Hanson, RHP (9-2, 3.12)

Pedro Martinez will look to get the Phillies off to a good start against the Atlanta Braves at home on Friday night. Depite being 2-0, Pedro has looking mediocre in his first three starts. As he becomes more acclimated with the majors again, his numbers should improve. One player who is already acclimated with the major leagues is the rookie phenom for the Braves, Tommy Hanson. Hanson, the hard-tossing righty will be a true challenge for the Phillies offense.

Pitching Primer: Pedro Martinez

2009 Home Splits: (0-0) 1 G, 3.0 IP, 3.00 ERA, 3 K

Career at Citizens Bank Park: (1-1) 5 G, 21.1 IP, 7.17 ERA, 28 K

Career vs. Braves Hitters: 189 PA, .198 BA, 5 HR, 49 K

Pitching Primer: Tommy Hanson

2009 Road Splits: (3-1) 6 G, 36.2 IP, 2.70 ERA, 20 K

Career at Citizens Bank Park: n/a

Career vs. Phillies Hitters: n/a

August 29, 2009

7:05pm - Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA

Cliff Lee, LHP (12-9, 2.63) v. Derek Lowe, RHP (12-8, 4.48)

Cliff Lee will return to the hill at home, where he has looked great thus far. Then again, Lee has looked great everywhere he has worn Phillies red. With the Phils, the big lefty is 5-0 with a 0.68 ERA. He will face off with the Braves' righty, Derek Lowe. Lowe is a pitcher with whom the Phillies are very familiar. Despite their success against him in last year's NLCS, Lowe has been mostly dominant against the Phillies lineup in his career.

Pitching Primer: Cliff Lee
2009 Home Splits: (2-0) 2 G, 16.0 IP, 0.56 ERA, 20 K
Career at Citizens Bank Park: (2-0) 2 G, 16.0 IP, 0.56 ERA, 20 K
Career vs. Braves Hitters: 58 PA, .321 BA, 1 HR, 8 K

Pitching Primer: Derek Lowe
2009 Road Splits: (6-6) 13 G, 75.2 IP, 5.11 ERA, 35 K
Career at Citizens Bank Park: (3-0) 4 G, 28.0 IP, 1.61 ERA, 12 K
Career vs. Phillies Hitters: 203 PA, .181 BA, 6 HR, 25 K

August 30, 2009

8:05pm - Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA

Joe Blanton, RHP (8-6, 3.88) v. Jair Jurrjens, RHP (10-8, 2.91)

The finale of the series will be an ESPN Sunday Night game with Joe Blanton toeing the rubber against Jair Jurrjens. The two righties are a pair of the most underrated pitchers in the league, though the numbers don't necessarily reveal it. Blanton will look to get back on the winning track, after going just 1-2 in his last five starts. Jair Jurrjens has taken a lot of hard-luck losses this season, though his ERA is impressive. He has always been a tough opponent for the Phillies.

Pitching Primer: Joe Blanton
2009 Home Splits: (5-3) 13 G, 86.0 IP, 3.98 ERA, 70 K
Career at Citizens Bank Park: (7-3) 20 G, 124.0 IP, 3.85 ERA, 92 K
Career vs. Braves Hitters: 142 PA, .303 BA, 4 HR, 22 K

Pitching Primer: Jair Jurrjens
2009 Road Splits: (5-3) 13 G, 76.1 IP, 3.18 ERA, 51 K
Career at Citizens Bank Park: (2-0) 3 G, 20.2 IP, 0.87 ERA, 9 K
Career vs. Phillies Hitters: 166 PA, .189 BA, 4 HR, 25 K

Phillies Recap: August 27, 2009

Pittsburgh Pirates 3, Philadelphia Phillies 2

It was another low-scoring game in Pittsburgh as the Phillies offense was mostly stagnant once again. Though Jay Happ tossed another great game, he was done in by a late inning home run and the Phils' offensive inadequacies. The Phillies ended up dropping two of three to the lowly Bucs, in whats has to be one of the most embarrassing series of the season. The final score was 3-2.

Happ (10-3) pitched well for the most of the night and was backed by some terrific defense. He induced several double-plays and stayed out of major trouble all night. However, in the eighth inning, he was touched up by Garrett Jones for a game-winning two-run shot. Overall, Happ went the distance with an eight-inning, four-strike out performance. Happ allowed the three earned runs on seven hits and two walks. It was not the complete game he wanted.

The Phillies offense loaded the bases with no one out in the first inning and only tallied one run. Charlie Morton pitched well enough to keep the Phillies off the board. Jimmy Rollins had three hits while Paul Bako homered and reached base safely four times. Other than that, the Phillies we shut out the rest of the way by the Pirates bullpen. It was an ugly performance as the Phillies hitters were mostly impatient at the plate.

This is not what the Phillies were looking for in Pittsburgh. They dropped two of three and go limping home with the offense again struggling and the bullpen in the midst of turmoil. Their record drops to 73-52 and the Atlanta Braves, who come to town tomorrow night, will most likely make up some ground tonight. The Phillies need to regroup quickly as they trot home from a very mediocre 4-3 road trip.

Phillies Preview: August 27, 2009

Philadelphia Phillies (73-51) at Pittsburgh Pirates (52-72)
7:05pm - PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA

J.A. Happ, LHP (10-2, 2.59) v. Charlie Morton, RHP (3-6, 5.21)

With only a quarter of the season left, J.A. Happ will have about eight more starts to solidify his candidacy for Rookie of the Year in the National League. Happ will look to be aggressive against the Pirates and continue his string of fantastic starts. He will square off with righty Charlie Morton, who has struggled this season. He will face a very difficult task of containing the Phillies offense in the finale of the series.

J.A. Happ has shown the poise and determination of a veteran all season. Even more impressive is the fact that he is pitching on a pennant contending team. Despite being a rookie, Happ has posted numbers as good as anyone this side of Cliff Lee. He will look to continue his Rookie of the Year campaign tonight in Pittsburgh. Current Pirates hitters are batting just .125 against Happ in 17 career plate appearances. Happ will need to keep pitches down and on the corners tonight against the aggressive Pirates lineup.

Happ will be opposed on the mound by Charlie Morton. Morton has not pitched well this season, in limited action, with a very high 5.21 ERA. The righty will look to get on track against the Phillies, which will be no easy task. Current Phillies have only had 10 plate appearances against Morton but are hitting .556 against him. They will need to be patient tonight to extend their dominance against him

This might seem like an easy game for the Phillies but it won't be. The Phillies need to show some intensity and offensive patience in order to win this series from the youthful Pirates. If they can wait out Morton, then they should have some success. Hopefully that will translate into plenty of run support for Jay Happ tonight.

Phillies Recap: August 26, 2009

Philadelphia Phillies 4, Pittsburgh Pirates 1

Chase Utley got the Phillies off to a good start with a solo home run in the first inning. And then, for a long time, nothing happened. This game was all about Cole Hamels and the Pirates' Paul Maholm, as the two traded goose eggs for most of the game. The Phillies had a late chance to tack on some runs and failed. It came back to bite them as they blew a save for the second straight day, but Ryan Howard rescued them with an extra-inning bomb. In the end, the Phillies pulled out a big win and defeated the Pirates by a final score of 4-1.

Cole Hamels looked good, but not great. He showed better composure and despite allowing a few too many base runners, he picked off a pair and worked out of trouble with a fast ball that was touching 96 at times. As the night went on, Hamels became more efficient which allowed him to go deeper into the ball game. On the night, Hamels went eight shut-out innings giving up seven hits, two walks, and he hit a batter. Hamels had his put-away pitches working tonight and struck out seven. Ryan Madson (6-4) came in for the ninth inning and surrendered a home run to Brandon Moss to blow his fifth save of the season, but hung on for the win.

Coming into the game, Pirates lefty had not allowed a homer to a left-handed batter this season. Though Chase Utley changed that stat, Maholm did a good job shutting down the Phillies lineup. After taking the lead, the Phils rarely threatened him and struggled to reach base. Maholm ended up going seven innings, allowing five hits and the one earned run. He struck out four Phillies and walked two. After Maholm was out of the game, the Phillies hitters did not have much success against a right-handed heavy Pirates bullpen and were held scoreless for two innings. But in the 10th inning, Ryan Howard obliterated a three-run homer to right field off of lefty Phil Dumatrait (0-1).

Tonight was all about Cole Hamels getting back on track. He wasn't lights out, but he pitched well enough to keep the Pirates off the board for eight innings. It was a great relief for both Hamels and the Phillies to see their top-end starter finally have a quality start. The Phillies offense didn't really show up but fortunately in extra innings, Ryan Howard did. The Phillies will go for the series win tomorrow night against the Pirates.

Phillies Preview: August 26, 2009

Philadelphia Phillies (72-51) at Pittsburgh Pirates (52-71)
7:05pm - PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA

Cole Hamels, LHP (7-8, 4.78) v. Paul Maholm, LHP (7-7, 4.74)

For the past several months, Cole Hamels has just looked lost on the mound. He will face off with a similar pitcher with similar stats, in Paul Maholm. While Maholm started the season strong and faded, Hamels has never really looked comfortable. The pair of southpaws will look to improve their luck, though the task will clearly be harder for Maholm. Nevertheless, this is a trap game for the Phillies, as they face a lefty, with their struggling ace on the mound. Coming off of a tough loss last night, the Phillies need to show the resilience they have had all season.

Cole Hamels will look to even up his record and get back on track tonight against a pesky Pirates lineup. In his career, Hamels has allowed a .243 average with three home runs against current Pirates hitters. This will be his first appearance at PNC Park and despite the fact that the field is big, it plays to the hitters, especially lefties. This will play in Hamels' favor, as he has been much more effective against lefties (.217) than against righties (.308) in 2009. As with last night, the key will be last night's star, Andrew McCutchen. If Hamels can keep McCutchen off the base paths, he will have a much better opportunity at success.

Hamels will be opposed by Paul Maholm, who has had an up and down season. Early on, Maholm was one of the best pitchers in the league, going 3-0 with a 2.02 ERA in his first four starts. Since that time, he has been very inconsistent, showing moments of brilliance and stretches of ineffectiveness. Maholm will need to have his best stuff tonight, as he takes on a Phillies team that is hitting .262 against him in 92 career plate appearances. He may be just what the Phillies need, though, to cure their clutch hitting problems, as he has surrendered a .310 batting average this season with two outs and runners in scoring position.

Last night, the Pirates showed that they are a dangerous team that wanted to win more. Tonight, the Phillies need to step up their intensity behind Cole Hamels and provide him with some run support early. If they can do that, then they could get the lefty Maholm out of the game early. Despite their large lead in the NL East, the Phillies cannot afford to drop multiple games to a poor team, so tonight's match up is crucial.

Phillies Recap: August 25, 2009

Pittsburgh Pirates 6, Philadelphia Phillies 4

For most of the night, Joe Blanton pitched the Phillies into and out of trouble. However, this took a tremendous toll on his pitch count. Ross Ohlendorf battled tough on his home turf and kept his Pirates in the game for most of the night. Despite two long balls from Jimmy Rollins, the Phillies blew a near-certain win in the bottom of the ninth and lost 6-4.

Joe Blanton worked within a peculiar strike zone and gave up several hard hit balls, including a solo shot by Ryan Doumit. He seemed to settle down a bit as the game went deeper, but gave up a two-run homer to Steve Pearce to end his night. Blanton went six innings while giving up three earned run on six hits. He struck out seven Pirates hitters and walked a pair. In the last of the ninth, Brad Lidge (0-6) came in for the save and gave up three runs for the blown save (9) and loss.

To his credit, Ross Ohlendorf showed some grit. He gave up two solo homers to Jimmy Rollins, but aside from that, limited the Phillies' base runners and threats. Over the course of his night, Ohlendorf went 6.1 innings, while striking out six. He gave up just the two earned runs on the homers and allowed five hits and three walks. Matt Capps (3-7) blew another save against the Phillies, allowing two earned runs in the top of the ninth but picked up the win.

This was a terrible loss for the Phillies, who had the game all but wrapped up and let it slip away. Another blown save for Lidge is some cause for concern for the Phillies. But the bigger issue in this game, as with many of their recent losses, was their lack of run support early in the game. With the game within striking distance for the Pirates, they struck with a walk-off homer from Andrew McCutchen for the final margin.

Phillies Preview: August 25, 2009

Philadelphia Phillies (72-50) at Pittsburgh Pirates (51-71)

7:05pm - PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA

Joe Blanton, RHP (8-6, 3.86) v. Ross Ohlendorf, RHP (11-8, 4.15)

Joe Blanton is quietly putting together a solid season for the Phillies, though his record does not reflect how well he's pitched. Blanton will be opening the series against the Pirates and will look to take advantage of the young, inexperienced lineup. He will be opposed by Ross Ohlendorf, one of the Pirates' best starter this season. Ohlendorf leads the Pirates in wins and has posted a respectable ERA for most of the season.

Blanton will look to earn his ninth win of the season in Pittsburgh. In limited action against Pirates hitters, Blanton has held them to a .120 batting average over 53 plate appearances. The young Pirates lineup is aggressive and can be shut down easily. However, they also have some up-and-coming superstars, led by center fielder Andrew McCutchen. The goal for Joe Blanton tonight will be to feed off of his opponent's aggressiveness and pitch deep into the game.

Ross Ohlendorf will oppose Blanton tonight for Pittsburgh. Ohlendorf has put together a surprisingly good season, while pitching for a bad team. He is not an over-powering pitcher, but he is young and crafty. The righty will face one of the toughest challenges of his young career, as he takes on the red-hot Phillies. In 32 plate appearances, Phillies hitters are batting just .185 off Ohlendorf. But lately, they have been hot, which includes Ryan Howard, who always seems to finish seasons strong.

Tonight's game will be another test on the road for this Phillies team that has won 40 already away from home. They will need a strong performance from Joe Blanton to preserve the bullpen, as their next off day is not until next Monday. If the Phillies hitters can figure out Ohlendorf, it shouldn't be too hard for Blanton to find his way to win number nine on the season.

Phillies Preview: Pirates Series 8/25 - 8/27

Philadelphia Phillies (72-50) at Pittsburgh Pirates (51-71)

The Pittsburgh Pirates are in full rebuilding mode, as was evidence by the numerous trades they made this season. The team is barely recognizable. The Phillies will come to town in the exact opposite situation. The Phillies, fresh off of a series win in New York will look to continue their dominance on the road, where they have won 40 games already this year. Though many of the Pirates players are not familiar, the Phillies will need to focus on this week, and avoid looking ahead to the Braves this weekend.

August 25, 2009
7:05pm - PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA
Joe Blanton, RHP (8-6, 3.86) v. Ross Ohlendorf, RHP (11-8, 4.15)

Joe Blanton is quietly putting together a solid season for the Phillies, though his record does not reflect how well he's pitched. Blanton will be opening the series against the Pirates and will look to take advantage of the young, inexperienced lineup. He will be opposed by Ross Ohlendorf, one of the Pirates' best starter this season. Ohlendorf leads the Pirates in wins and has posted a respectable ERA for most of the season.

Pitching Primer: Joe Blanton
2009 Road Splits: (3-3) 10 G, 61.0 IP, 3.69 ERA, 47 K
Career at PNC Park: n/a
Career vs. Pirates: 53 PA, .120 BA, 1 HR, 8 K

Pitching Primer: Ross Ohlendorf
2009 Home Splits: (8-2) 13 G, 77.2 IP, 3.01 ERA, 45 K

Career at PNC Park: (8-4) 16 G, 87.0 IP, 3.31 ERA, 53 K
Career vs. Pirates: 32 PA, .185 BA, 0 HR, 5 K

August 26, 2009
7:05pm - PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA
Cole Hamels, LHP (7-8, 4.78) v. Paul Maholm, LHP (7-7, 4.74)

For the past several months, Cole Hamels has just looked lost on the mound. He will face off with a similar pitcher with similar stats, in Paul Maholm. While Maholm started the season strong and faded, Hamels has never really looked comfortable. The pair of southpaws will look to improve their luck, though the task will clearly be harder for Maholm. Nevertheless, this is a trap game for the Phillies, as they face a lefty, with their struggling ace on the mound.

Pitching Primer: Cole Hamels
2009 Road Splits: (3-5) 12 G, 67.1 IP, 5.48 ERA, 48 K
Career at PNC Park: n/a
Career vs. Pirates: 38 PA, .243 BA, 3 HR, 10 K

Pitching Primer: Paul Maholm
2009 Home Splits: (4-2) 12 G, 79.1 IP, 3.52 ERA, 48 K
Career at PNC Park: (23-13) 60 G, 402.1 IP, 3.56 ERA, 235 K
Career vs. Phillies: 92 PA, .262 BA, 1 HR, 14 K

August 27, 2009
7:05pm - PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA
J.A. Happ, LHP (10-2, 2.59) v. Charlie Morton, RHP (3-6, 5.21)

With only a quarter of the season left, J.A. Happ will have about eight more starts to solidify his candidacy for Rookie of the Year in the National League. Happ will look to be aggressive against the Pirates and continue his string of fantastic starts. He will square off with righty Charlie Morton, who has struggled this season. He will face a very difficult task of containing the Phillies offense in the finale of the series.

Pitching Primer: J.A. Happ
2009 Road Splits: (6-1) 15 G, 78.1 IP, 1.72 ERA, 46 K
Career at PNC Park: n/a
Career vs. Pirates: 17 PA, .125 BA, 0 HR, 3 K

Pitching Primer: Charlie Morton
2009 Home Splits: (2-3) 5 G, 29.1 IP, 3.07 ERA, 17 K
Career at PNC Park: (2-3) 5 G, 29.1 IP, 3.07 ERA, 17 K
Career vs. Phillies: 10 PA, .556 BA, 1 HR, 1 K

Blue Print to Win the East

The Philadelphia Phillies have completed 122 games this season and hold a solid 72-50 record. But that means there is only a quarter of the season left. And despite a seven game lead over the Braves and an eight game lead over the Marlins, there is still a lot of baseball to be played. But there is very little margin for error. Just ask the 2007 Mets. And the 2008 Mets. With 40 games to go, the Phillies' magic number is 33. They hold their destiny in their own hands, which is all you could ask for. But ladies and gentlemen, we have a sprint to the finish line.

The Phillies have a .590 win percentage this season, which is their highest since 1993 when the team won 97 ball games. Let's take a look at the Phillies in recent years through three quarters of the season:

2009: 72-50, .590, 1st Place, -- GB

2008: 65-57, .533, 2nd Place, 1.0 GB

2007: 65-57, .533, 2nd Place, 4.0 GB

2006: 60-62, .492, 2nd Place, 14.0 GB

The 2009 version of the team is on pace for 96 wins this season and could conceivably put away the division in three weeks. So, they are seven games better than the pace they set in their championship season. If they heat up again in September, they could win 100 games. But what will it take to get there?

The first order of business is to take care of the weaker opponents. This means a total of 13 games against the Pirates, Nationals, and Mets. The Phillies need 10 wins to come from those "soft" games. They play seven of those games at home and six of them against the Nationals, who are the worst team in baseball this season.

The next key for the Phils will be to play well against playoff contenders. They have six games remaining against each of their division foes, the Braves and the Marlins, including the season finale at home against the Fish. Three more games will be against the San Francisco Giants, who can really pitch well. Any of these teams could be a potential playoff opponent, so in those 15 games, the Phillies will want to win at least nine.

Finally, there are 12 games on the schedule against the fringe teams, Milwaukee Brewers and Houston Astros. These are comprised of three four-game sets, including two on the road. While both the Brewers and Astros are hovering around .500, they are only a hot streak away from competition. There's a reason these teams are frequently called "spoilers" so the Phillies will need to win eight of these trap games.

Add it all up and in theory, the Phillies will be winning 27 and losing 13 the rest of the way. Interestingly enough, this is the same total they had in their final 40 games last season. If they are able to win at least this many games, they will be 99-63 on the season, a .611 win percentage. Of course, many things could alter this course and, if and when the Phillies lock up the NL East, they could pull back from trying to win every game. But the stretch run is what makes baseball fun. The Phillies have the blue print to win the East for the third straight season. Now they just need to go do it.

Phillies Recap: August 24, 2009

Philadelphia Phillies 6, New York Mets 2

Cliff Lee battled some early blunders by his defense to pitch another solid game for the Phillies. He got all the run support he would need in the first inning, as Ryan Howard hit the first of his two home runs on the day. Bobby Parnell did his best to keep the Mets in the game, but they didn't have a chance against Lee. In the end, the Phillies won yet another solid game by the final score of 6-2.

The Phillies gave Cliff Lee (12-9) an early lead before almost giving it back. Two errors by Chase Utley in the first inning led to two unearned runs. However, Cliff Lee picked up his team and tossed seven innings of six-hit ball. He didn't walk a batter and struck out five Mets on the day. He lowered his ERA with the Phillies to an absurd 0.68. Lee is now 5-0 with the Phillies, and in 40.0 innings, he has allowed 24 hits, six walks, and just three earned runs, while striking out 39. Simply fantastic. Brad Lidge finished off the game, despite it not being a save situation, with a perfect ninth inning.

Bobby Parnell (3-6) went five innings and threw 101 solid pitches. Unfortunately for Parnell and the Mets, the other two pitches he tossed went for long home runs by Ryan Howard. Howard clobbered a three-run first inning homer before hitting another two-run shot in his next at bat. The Mets bullpen allowed one more run in the ninth inning for the final margin. All together, it wasn't a great performance by the Phillies offense, as they didn't threaten many other times. But, it was a perfect example of Ryan Howard carrying the team to a victory (with the help of Cliff Lee, of course).

The Phillies bounced back and won the final three games of the series after dropping the opener to the Mets. This was key, as they now are 72-50 on the season. Tomorrow, they will begin a three-game set with the Pittsburgh Pirates. With the top pursuers out of action today, the Phillies now own a seven game lead in the NL East and are playing as well as they have all season. Today was the team's 40th win on the road this season.

Phillies Preview: August 24, 2009

Philadelphia Phillies (71-50) at New York Mets (57-67)
1:10pm - Citi Field, New York, NY

Cliff Lee, LHP (11-9, 2.72) v. Bobby Parnell, RHP (3-5, 4.74)

The matinee finale of the four-game series will feature the Phillies ace, Cliff Lee. He has been simply unhittable in his first four starts with the Phillies, going 4-0 with an 0.82 ERA in that time. Opposing Lee will be the young Mets righty, Bobby Parnell. Parnell is coming off his worst performance in his short time as a starter. But the young flamethrower shows a great deal of potential and will be a formidable opponent to the Phillies lineup.

It goes without saying that Cliff Lee has been downright filthy in his first four starts with the Phillies. He will look to continue that success in the pitcher-friendly Citi Field on Monday afternoon. Lee hasn't seen much of current Mets, who are hitting .257 in 41 career plate appearances against him. Though Lee has been a strikeout machine with the Phillies, it is less important that he whiffs batters than it is to be economical against the light-hitting Mets lineup.

Bobby Parnell will have the tough task of trying to beat Lee for the first time in the National League. Parnell is a hard throwing righty who has some experience against the Phillies this season as a reliever. Chase Utley hit a memorable home run off of him earlier this year in New York and current Phillies own a .263 average in 21 plate appearances against Parnell. The Phillies hitters will need to be patient again, and if they can, they may rattle this youngster into a disaster.

After dropping the opener, the Phillies have bounced back to win two games and open up a bigger lead in the NL East. They will look to finish off a series win this afternoon with their new ace on the mound. Jumping out to an early lead will be critical to allow Lee to pitch ahead of the Mets. If they can do this, then Lee will certainly go deep into the game and give the Phillies a chance to win their 72nd game of the season.

Phillies Recap: August 23, 2009

Philadelphia Phillies 9, New York Mets 7

The Phillies jumped all over Oliver Perez (3-4) and knocked him out before he finished the first inning. Pedro Martinez wasn't much sharper but he got the outs he needed to, as he went six innings and picked up his second win with the Phillies. The game was an offense show, as neither side pitched especially well. But when all the scoring was finished, the Phillies snuck out with a 9-7 win over the Mets, capped off with an unassisted triple play by Eric Bruntlett.

Pedro Martinez (2-0) seemed to battle some emotions in the game and gave up a number of hard-hit balls. Angel Pagan of the Mets hit two home runs, including a ball that Shane Victorino played into an inside-the-park home run. Pedro ended up going six innings, giving up four earned runs. He allowed seven hits, walked one and struck out five. The bullpen wasn't as sharp but Brad Lidge earned his 25th save of the season, on a walk-off unassisted triple play by Eric Bruntlett (I have always wanted to use the term 'walk-off triple play' in my vocabulary).

In the first inning of the game, Jayson Werth and Carlos Ruiz each hit three-run homers to knock Oliver Perez out of the game. Perez went .2 innings and allowed six earned runs. The Phillies tacked on a few more runs, but again did not deliver the knock-out blow, though they did have chances. Eric Bruntlett had a nice day at the plate with three hits and the Phillies put together 10 hits and six walks on the day. However, the Mets bullpen did a good job limiting the damage after Perez had departed.

Obviously, this was a much closer game than it needed to be. When Brad Lidge entered in the ninth inning, it shouldn't have even been a save situation. However, the Phillies and Lidge were bailed out by Bruntlett's unassisted triple play, the 14th such play in Major League history. It was a good win for the Phillies, who are now a season-high 21 games over .500 at 71-50 and will have a 6.5 game lead in the East after play today.

Phillies Preview: August 23, 2009

Philadelphia Phillies (70-50) at New York Mets (57-66)
1:10pm - Citi Field, New York, NY

Pedro Martinez, RHP (1-0, 4.50) v. Oliver Perez, LHP (3-3, 6.06)

Pedro Martinez will be making his return to New York, this time as a visiting player. Mets fans will no doubt be looking for an opportunity to boo their former pitcher, as he enters the game as a member of their rival Phillies. Martinez, who only went three innings his last time out, will look to give the Phillies a quality start for the first time. He will be opposed by the highly inconsistent Oliver Perez. Perez has had a rough season, highlighted by a stint in the minor leagues.

Martinez has some experience facing current Mets hitters and has had mixed success against them. In 105 career plate appearances, those Mets are hitting a combined .256 against Pedro. The key for Martinez will be to locate his pitches early so that he can pitch ahead of the Mets. Gary Sheffield will be the toughest challenge for Martinez, as Sheffield has a .278 batting average with three home runs against him. The rest of the Mets lineup has not seen much of Pedro, but they are familiar with him, as he pitched for the Mets from 2005-2008.

Oliver Perez, a pitcher that the Phillies are very familiar with, will oppose Martinez. Though highly inconsistent, Perez is still a relatively young pitcher with great potential. His stuff is very good, but he often struggles with command. Current Phillies are hitting .243 in 190 plate appearances in their careers against Perez. The goal for Phillies hitters today will undoubtedly be to have patience and wait out the wild pitcher. Jimmy Rollins has a pair of homers in his career against Perez and will look to jump-start the Phillies offense today.

After a big win last night, the Phillies will look to build on that success. If their offense can get to Oliver Perez and get into their bullpen early, they should be okay. Pedro Martinez should provide a solid start against his former team, in a great pitcher's park. And you just know that Pedro is looking to stick it to his old team, in front of his old home crowd.

Phillies Recap: August 22, 2009

Philadelphia Phillies 4, New York Mets 1

The start of the game was not what the Phillies wanted. Their offense scuffled once again tonight and J.A. Happ looked uncharacteristically shaky. Meanwhile, Tim Redding tossed one of his best starts of the season, holding the Phils to a single hit in the first five inning. The Mets held the lead early, but once Redding left the game, the fortunes reversed and the Phillies battled back to win the game 4-1.

To his credit, Jay Happ (10-2) fought hard despite having poor command at times during the night. He worked a lot of deep counts and frequently found himself pitching from the stretch. He ended up tossing seven effective innings, allowing just one earned run and notching one strike out. The Mets hitters managed to work out eight hits, including three doubles, but some stellar defense, led by Jimmy Rollins, helped to mitigate the damage. The Phillies bullpen was sharp and threw up two perfect innings in relief, as Brad Lidge threw a perfect ninth for the save.

Tim Redding continued his dominance of Phillies hitters, allowing only a bloop single to Chase Utley in his five inning of work. Redding walked three and struck out four. Once into the bullpen, Utley wasted no time giving the Phillies lead as he cranked his 26th homer of the season. The Phillies as a team were much more patient at the plate, and despite not scoring a lot, they made the most of their opportunities, for the most part. Pat Misch (0-1) took the loss for the Mets.

The Phillies offense picked it up tonight and Happ showed some real mental toughness tonight. The Phils picked up an all-important victory, their 70th of the season, with the Braves and Marlins trying to close the gap. The series is now tied and the Phillies will look to duplicate their success in tomorrow afternoon's affair.

Phillies Preview: August 22, 2009

Philadelphia Phillies (69-50) at New York Mets (57-65)
7:10pm - Citi Field, New York, NY

J.A. Happ, LHP (9-2, 2.66) v. Tim Redding, RHP (1-4, 6.53)

The Phillies Rookie of the Year candidate Jay Happ will take the mound against Tim Redding. Happ will be looking to get the Phils back on the winning track tonight against the Mets. Tim Redding will be making the start for the recently released Livan Hernandez. Redding himself could have easily been released at any point this season, as he hasn't proved to be a Major League-caliber pitcher. Nevertheless, he will take on Happ and the Phillies in the second game of the weekend.

J.A. Happ has not made many appearances against the New York Mets. However, in limited action, he has held current Mets to a .118 average in 39 plate appearances. More importantly, Happ has never surrendered a home run to a current Met on the roster. The lineup should be very similar to the one that faced Cole Hamels last night, so it will be imperative that Happ only goes up stairs with his fastball when he is trying to. If he can accomplish this, he just might become the first rookie pitcher to 10 wins this season in the National League.

On the other side of the coin, the Mets will throw Tim Redding against the Phillies. Redding is very familiar with the Phillies from his time in the NL East. Surprisingly, he has done okay against the Phils, holding current players to a .223 average in 208 plate appearances with five home runs. However, Redding has had a tough year, bouncing between the bullpen and the rotation, and posting a very high 6.53 ERA. He will need to work ahead of the Phillies hitters to have any success at all.

This is an important game for the Phillies. Despite an apparently favorable pitching match up for the Phils, they will need to execute on offense. This means getting runners over and in, early and often. It also means that the team will again turn to Happ as their stopper. If one thing is for sure, though, the Phillies will rebound in this game against their rivals.

Phillies Recap: August 21, 2009

New York Mets 4, Philadelphia Phillies 2

Cole Hamels once again struggled and the Phillies bats could not do much against the Mets' Mike Pelfrey. After waiting out a lengthy rain delay, the two teams played a game that was not as close as the score indicated. Despite two Met ejections, New York pulled out an entertaining 4-2 win over the Phillies.

Hamels (7-8) suffered from another high pitch count early on, and had difficulty putting away Mets hitters. The result was a two-run second and two-run third inning for the lefty. The bright side to Hamels' performance was that it could have been much worse, but he shut down the Mets when it mattered. In the second inning, Gary Sheffield struck out with the bases loaded. Hamels also stranded runners in most of his five innings of work, as we gave up four earned runs and struck out six.

Mike Pelfrey (9-8) pitched just well enough to win the ballgame. He wasn't especially sharp but neither were Phillies hitters, who managed a number of base runners against Pelfrey, but could not manage to find the clutch hit. As usual, just about all of the Phillies hit, but without home runs, they had trouble scoring. Ryan Howard did have an RBI single, giving him 99 on the season, but struck out to end the ball game, with the tying runs on base.

Overall, this was a tough loss for a Phillies team that was rolling high. The effort from Cole Hamels must have the team worried, but for now, they should have the pitching depth they need. They need a bounce-back effort tonight to avoid dropping more than one game to the hapless Mets.

Phillies Preview: August 21, 2009

Philadelphia Phillies (69-49) at New York Mets (56-65)
7:10pm - Citi Field, New York, NY

Cole Hamels, LHP (7-7, 4.69) v. Mike Pelfrey, RHP (8-8, 4.75)

The opener of the four-game set features probably the most even pitching match up of the series. Cole Hamels, the Phils' struggling ace will take the mound against the Mets' Mike Pelfrey. Both pitchers have suffered this season from inconsistencies, which have led to rather pedestrian stats for each. Nevertheless, this could be a tight affair, as Pelfrey defeated the Phillies earlier this season.

Cole Hamels has had a rough year. He will look to get back on track on the road, where he has struggled the most. His opponent, the New York Mets, will be a skeleton of the lineup they usually present. Nevertheless, Hamels will need to have good command of his fastball against the AAA Mets in order to have success. Current Mets are hitting a modest .235 against him in 109 plate appearances. Only Angel Pagan has homered against Hamels and with Gary Sheffield's status in doubt, Pagan may be the key target for Hamels.

The Mets will send their best right-hander, Mike Pelfrey to the mound to oppose Hamels. Pelfrey has had a mediocre season and sports a very high ERA. Nevertheless, he is a ground ball pitcher and has had some success against the Phillies in the past. Current Phillies are hitting .278 against him in 147 plate appearances, though. The heart of the Phillies order has been hot lately, and Ryan Howard in particular has great career numbers against Pelfrey, hitting .353 with a homer in 21 plate appearances. If Howard can continue to roll, so too can the Phillies against Pelfrey.

Tonight's game will be played in spacious Citi Field, on a hot humid night. There is a chance for some rain, but there is a better chance that the ball could be flying all over the place. If Pelfrey and Hamels are not keeping their offerings down in the zone, the game could be uncharacteristically high-scoring. Tonight will also mark my inaugural visit to Citi Field. For those Mets fans out there that want to greet me with some good-natured antagonism can find me in section 506, wearing a bright red Phillies hat, Chase Utley jersey, and a 'kick-me' sign on my back.

Phillies Preview: Mets Series 8/21 - 8/24

Philadelphia Phillies (69-49) at New York Mets (56-65)

Before the season started, the late August Phillies-Mets series looked to be a big for the NL East. As it turns out, it will be a big series--for one of the teams. The Phillies roll into town, riding high on a 8-1 stretch, as their pitching and hitting have been firing on all cylinders. They will face off with the skeleton of a Mets team that has been destroyed by injuries and are basically playing the role of division foils. There's no doubt, though, that they will get up for the four-game series against the arch rival Phillies.

August 21, 2009

7:10pm - Citi Field, New York, NY

Cole Hamels, LHP (7-7, 4.69) v. Mike Pelfrey, RHP (8-8, 4.75)

The opener of the four-game set features probably the most even pitching match up of the series. Cole Hamels, the Phils' struggling ace will take the mound against the Mets' Mike Pelfrey. Both pitchers have suffered this season from inconsistencies, which have led to rather pedestrian stats for each. Nevertheless, this could be a tight affair, as Pelfrey defeated the Phillies earlier this season.

Pitching Primer: Cole Hamels

2009 Road Splits: (3-4) 11 G, 62.1 IP, 5.34 ERA, 42 K

Career at Citi Field: n/a

Career vs. Mets Hitters: 102 PA, .235 BA, 1 HR, 20 K

Pitching Primer: Mike Pelfrey

2009 Home Splits: (4-3) 13 G, 77.0 IP, 3.86 ERA, 46 K

Career at Citi Field: (4-3) 13 G, 77.0 IP, 3.86 ERA, 46 K

Career vs. Phillies Hitters: 147 PA, .278 BA, 6 HR, 14 K

August 22, 2009

7:10pm - Citi Field, New York, NY

J.A. Happ, LHP (9-2, 2.66) v. Tim Redding, RHP (1-4, 6.53)

The Phillies Rookie of the Year candidate Jay Happ will take the mound against Tim Redding. On paper, this appears to be one-sided, as Redding will be replacing the recently released Livan Hernandez in the rotation. Redding himself could have easily been released at any point this season, as he hasn't proved to be a Major League-caliber pitcher. Nevertheless, he will take on Happ and the Phillies in the second game of the weekend.

Pitching Primer: J.A. Happ

2009 Road Splits: (5-1), 14 G, 71.1 IP, 1.77 ERA, 45 K

Career at Citi Field: n/a

Career vs. Mets Hitters: 39 PA, .118 BA, 0 HR, 6 K

Pitching Primer: Tim Redding

2009 Home Splits: (1-2), 12 G, 37.2 IP, 7.17 ERA, 25 K

Career at Citi Field: (1-2), 12 G, 37.2 IP, 7.17 ERA, 25 K

Career vs. Phillies Hitters: 208 PA, .223 BA, 5 HR, 36 K

August 23, 2009

1:10pm - Citi Field, New York, NY

Pedro Martinez, RHP (1-0, 4.50) v. Oliver Perez, LHP (3-3, 6.06)

Pedro Martinez will be making his return to New York, this time as a visiting player. Mets fans will no doubt be looking for an opportunity to boo their former pitcher, as he enters the game as a member of their rival Phillies. Martinez, who only went three innings his last time out, will look to give the Phillies a quality start for the first time. He will be opposed by the highly inconsistent Oliver Perez. Perez has had a rough season, highlighted by a stint in the minor leagues.

Pitching Primer: Pedro Martinez

2009 Road Splits: (1-0), 1 G, 5.0 IP, 5.40 ERA, 5 K

Career at Citi Field: n/a

Career vs. Mets Hitters: 106 AB, .253 BA, 4 HR, 12 K

Pitching Primer: Oliver Perez

2009 Home Splits: (3-1), 6 G, 30.1 IP, 5.64 ERA, 25 K

Career at Citi Field: (3-1), 6 G, 30.1 IP, 5.64 ERA, 25 K

Career vs. Phillies Hitters: 190 PA, .243 BA, 5 HR, 41 K

August 24, 2009

1:10pm - Citi Field, New York, NY

Cliff Lee, LHP (11-9, 2.72) v. Bobby Parnell, RHP (3-5, 4.74)

The matinee finale of the four-game series will feature the Phillies ace, Cliff Lee. He has been simply unhittable in his first four starts with the Phillies, going 4-0 with an 0.82 ERA in that time. Opposing Lee will be the young Mets righty, Bobby Parnell. Parnell is coming off his worst performance in his short time as a starter. But the young flamethrower shows a great deal of potential and will be a formidable opponent to the Phillies lineup.

Pitching Primer: Cliff Lee

2009 Road Splits: (6-3), 13 G, 94.0 IP, 2.87 ERA, 65 K

Career at Citi Field: n/a

Career vs. Mets Hitters: 41 PA, .257 BA, 0 HR, 3 K

Pitching Primer: Bobby Parnell

2009 Home Splits: (2-4), 31 G, 35.1 IP, 5.35 ERA, 33 K

Career at Citi Field: (2-4), 31 G, 35.1 IP, 5.35 ERA, 33 K

Career vs. Phillies Hitters: 21 PA, .263 BA, 1 HR, 2 K

Phillies Recap: August 20, 2009

Philadelphia Phillies 12, Arizona Diamondbacks 3

Despite not having his best stuff, Joe Blanton battled the Diamondbacks and got some run support in the meantime. Blanton was able to keep his pitch count relatively low even though he allowed a lot of base runners. His counterpart, Doug Davis, was not as fortunate as the Phillies tagged him all night long. By the end of a long, humid night, the Phillies had swept out the Diamondbacks with a 12-3 win.

Early in the game, Joe Blanton (8-6) was not as sharp as he has been in recent starts. It ended up being a moot point as he finally received some run support from the offense. Blanton ran into trouble a few times, falling victim of some dinks and dunks from Arizona. But he battled all night and kept the team in the game until they could really go to work. All in all, Blanton went eight solid innings, allowing three earned runs while striking out four. He did allow 10 hits but did not walk a batter.

Doug Davis (7-11) struggled from the first pitch he threw on the night. In the first inning, Ben Francisco came through with a clutch two-out two-run single. After that, the Philies offense exploded as Carlos Ruiz homered for his second straight game, Jayson Werth homered for the fifth time in the last five games, and Ryan Howard absolutely crushed a three-run homer to center field. Joe Blanton even got in on the hit parade as he compiled his first career multi-hit game. All in all, the Phillies offense is alive and well once again.

This was an important series win for the Phillies. The sweep puts the Phillies three games over .500 at home and are now 20 games over the .500 mark overall. They won't have much time to bask in the glory of the victory, as they immediately head out for a seven-game trip to New York and Pittsburgh. There's no reason why the Phillies can't be 25 games over .500 by the time they return home.

Phillies Preview: August 20, 2009

Arizona Diamondbacks (54-67) at Philadelphia Phillies (68-49)
7:05pm - Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA

Joe Blanton, RHP (7-6, 3.88) v. Doug Davis, LHP (7-10, 3.59)

The finale of the series will pit the Phillies' top righty, Joe Blanton, against the crafty veteran Doug Davis. Blanton has been one of Philadelphia's most consistent starters despite his mediocre record. His counterpart, Davis, has had similar luck with a poor record to show for another solid season. The Phillies will look to complete the sweep against the Diamondbacks and go a season-high 20 games over .500.

Blanton has pitched well all season, and will look to factor in the decision tonight by going deep in the game. After Phillies pitching has surrendered just one earned run in the first two games of the series, Blanton will have a tough act to follow. In limited experience against Diamondback hitters, he has allowed a .400 batting average against. In order for Blanton to have success, he will need to work inside on all of the D'Back righties, especially Mark Reynolds, who has gone 0-for-7 with five strikeouts in the series thus far.

Doug Davis takes the mound for the Diamondbacks and looks to try to salvage the series. Over his career, Davis has been a steady, soft-tossing lefty and has won about half of his games. He has excellent numbers against current Phillies hitters, holding them to a .179 average in 108 plate appearances. However, the Phils offense is starting to click and they have been more patient of late. This is a big result of Ryan Howard, who is red hot right now, batting .351 with five home runs and 15 RBIs in the last 10 games.

In the final game of the series, the Phillies will need to avoid looking ahead to the series with their rival Mets this weekend. If Joe Blanton can bring the same strong effort and the Phillies hitters continue to rake, they can complete the sweep. However, it will most likely not be as easy as the first two games were.