Phillies Recap: September 27, 2009

Philadelphia Phillies 6, Milwaukee Brewers 5

W - Blanton (12-7), L - Bush (5-9), S - Madson (9)

The Phillies came out of the gate early and scored runs for Joe Blanton. However, Blanton was not very sharp and kept the Brewers in the ballgame. Though he pitched with a lead all day, the game never felt under control. Dave Bush was hit hard by the Phillies but they left 14 runners on base in the game, leading to a close conclusion. However, they hung on to win the game 6-5.

Joe Blanton did not have electric stuff. His pitch count escalated quickly and though he pitched from ahead, he was shaky. In the sixth inning, Blanton finally gave up the big hit as the Brewers put together a four-run inning on him. On the afternoon, Blanton went 5.2 innings, allowing five earned runs on seven hits and four walks. The bullpen kept the Phillies ahead with the slimest of margins, and Ryan Madson came in to record a four-out save.

For the Brewers, the damage could have been a lot worse. Dave Bush was very erratic and had trouble locating his breaking pitches. However, the Phillies were not very patient with him and he did settle down, after allowing four early runs. Bush went 4.1 innings, allowing five earned runs on nine hits and a walk. Once again, the Brewer bullpen held the Phillies offense in check and kept them off the score board for the final four frames. Jimmy Rollins got the scoring started for the Phillies with a lead off homer.

This was an important win for the Phillies. They finish the Brewers series and road trip at an even .500 and lower their magic number to three. More importantly, it builds some confidence in their much-maligned bullpen. The save for Madson is especially important, if he is to continue in that role into the playoffs. The win marks the Phillies' 90th of the season and 48th of the season on the road.

Phillies Recap: September 24, 2009

Philadelphia Phillies 9, Milwaukee Brewers 4

W - Happ (11-4), L - Suppan (7-11)

The Phillies scored early to provide Jay Happ a lead to pitch with. Then, later in the game, the exploded for a six-run fifth inning which knocked Jeff Suppan out of the game. Although they did allow a few late runs, the Phillies already had enough cushion for an easy win over the Brewers by a score of 9-4.

Jay Happ looked good and more importantly healthy for the Phillies. He didn't get as deep as the Phillies would have hoped, but he was the beneficiary of a lot of run support, which led to his 11th victory of the season. On the night, Happ went 5.2 innings, allowing two earned runs on six hits and two walks. More encouraging were Happ's seven punch outs of Brewers' hitters. The Phillies bullpen came in and shut down the game, though it did allow two late runs to score.

The Phillies offense looked like it was ready to explode and it finally did tonight. With a tight game against Jeff Suppan, the Phils got to work in the fifth inning when they rallied for six runs. The inning was keynoted by Jimmy Rollins, who cranked a three-run homer, his 20th of the year. Suppan was lifted after 4.1 innings, allowing seven earned runs on 12 hits and a pair of walks. The Brewers' relievers did a good job keeping the Phillies from doing too much more damage after that, but it was all in vain.

This was exactly what this Phillies ball club needed. It was an easy win and one more step towards the post season. The performance by Happ was encouraging and the offense took care of business tonight. The Phillies won their 89th game of the season and drop their magic number down to an even four. A few more performances like this will get them to their third straight division title.

Phillies Recap: September 18, 2009

Philadelphia Phillies 9, Atlanta Braves 4

W - Kendrick (2-1), L - Hudson (1-1)

The Phillies battled injuries and a tough Braves team to find a way to win their 86th game of the season. Jay Happ went three innings before being lifted as a precautionary measure. Kyle Kendrick came on in long relief and really helped the Phillies' bullpen. Carlos Ruiz also suffered a sprained wrist on a play at the plate. For the Braves, Tim Hudson was solid but was hurt by his nemesis, Ryan Howard's two homers. When all the scoring was done, the Phillies found themselves on the right side of a 9-4 decision.

Happ came back and showed signs of his mid-season form, but struggled with his command at times. In his three innings, he allowed just a solo homer and scattered five hits in all. The real story for the pitching, though, was Kyle Kendrick who came in for long relief and delivered four blank innings. It was another promising performance for the once-outed right-hander. The Phillies bullpen was mostly saved and finished off the game, once it was out of reach.

On offense, the story tonight was the long ball. Ryan Howard punished Tim Hudson once again with another pair of homers off the righty. Hudson went seven solid innings, though, allowing three earned runs on six hits and a walk. However, once the Phillies got into the Braves' pen, they unleashed their offense. Jimmy Rollins delivered the keynote with a three-run shot in the ninth that put the game out of reach for good. Ben Francisco put in a solid night's work with three hits including a homer of his own.

This was a bittersweet win for the Phillies. It was an important one in the standings, but costly for the roster. It is unclear the extent of the injuries to Happ and Ruiz, but both situations are certainly concerning. The catching depth on the Phillies' roster is minimal, so if Ruiz is out for an extended period of time, the Phils will be essentially crippled at that position. For now, the Phillies can take some pleasure in their win, as they move to 26 games over .500 and drop their magic number to eight.

Phillies Recap: September 17, 2009

Philadelphia Phillies 4, Washington Nationals 2

W - Hamels (10-9), L - Detwiler (0-6), S - Lidge (30)

The story of tonight's game was Cole Hamels. It looks like the Phillies finally have their ace back on track, as Hamels dominated the Nationals all night. The Phillies offense was able tack on some runs against Ross Detwiler and the Nats bullpen. In the end, the Phillies hung on for the win and swept the series, with a final score of 4-2.

Cole Hamels had his fastball working and everything built off of that. For five innings, he was perfect, and stayed very good the entire night. Hamels went eight great innings, allowing five hits and a walk and just one earned run. He struck out ten and only found himself in trouble once, in the seventh. However, instead of getting frustrated, Hamels buckled down and limited the damage, which earned him his 10th win of the season. Brad Lidge came in and gave up an unlucky run, but was in total control as he locked down his 30th save of the season.

For the Nationals, Ross Detwiler delivered about as good a start as they could have hoped for. But it was not enough and after five decent innings, Detwiler was lifted, having surrendered an earned run on four hits while fanning six. The Nationals' bullpen came in and allowed three more earned runs as the Phillies did well to score without the long ball. Jimmy Rollins had a pair of hits and a stolen base to go along with an RBI. Not much else was done on offense but not much else was needed.

With tonight's win, the Phillies have now won five in a row and move to 25 games over .500 for the first time since the end of the 1993 season. Their magic number has been reduced to an even 10, pending late action tonight. And they have some momentum before traveling to Atlanta this weekend for a huge series. For now, though, the team can enjoy yet another terrific start from their rotation, as Cole Hamels delivered a masterpiece tonight.

The Remarkable Jayson Werth

After watching Jayson Werth demolish his second grand slam of the season tonight, Phillies fans must have wondered where this guy came from. A journeyman outfielder who was set back by a terrible wrist injury has finally received a chance to play full time. And he has exceeded expectations that were once very lofty.

Last season, Werth was slated as a platoon right fielder with Geoff Jenkins. He demanded to play full time and has shown that he is fully capable. Buried on a team that features former MVPs like Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard, and one of the best players in the game in Chase Utley, Werth is often overlooked. But now, carrying the duty of the team's primary right-handed stick in the middle of a stacked line up, Jayson Werth could very well be the Phillies' MVP this season.

In what will be his highest games total in his career, 2009 has been a magnificent this year. The knocks on Werth have always been his lack of hitting against right handed pitchers and his streakiness. This season, in which Jayson earned an All Star appearance, Werth has shown that he can handle the righties. And Werth has had his most consistent seasons of his career, with his homer totals each month this season are 2, 6, 7, 7, 7, and 5. Let's take a closer look at what he has done this year, through tonight's action:

2009 Stats: 141 G, 90 R, 34 HR, 88 RBI, .272 BA

versus RHP: 137 G, 60 R, 21 HR, 53 RBI, .258 BA

Some might consider the circumstances of Werth's break-out season a byproduct of home field advantage. This is not the case, though, as Werth has put up nearly identical statistics at Citizens Bank Park and on the road. Take a look at his home/away splits:

Home: 71 G, 48 R, 19 HR, 48 RBI, .259 BA

Away: 70 G, 42 R, 15 HR, 40 RBI, .285 BA

The 30 year old outfielder has certainly also brought a professional glove with him, as always. He is versatile and has spent time at all three outfield positions this season, and never misses a beat. Despite six errors this season that have led to a modest .981 fielding percentage, Werth has a career-high 11 outfield assists this year, including four double plays. He has one of the best arms in the game, and the threat of that keeps countless runs stranded at third base. His defensive speed is the perfect compliment to Shane Victorino in center field.

In the batting line up, Werth typically hits 2nd, 5th, or 6th. It would seem logical that as he has proven his consistency, the five-hole would suit Werth and allow the Phillies to split up their lefty hitters. Additionally, he will be in prime RBI-situations and can also balance the order with his speed. As the Phillies move towards the playoffs, it would make sense, especially against teams with multiple lefties in their pens, to use this configuration. However, based on the results of the 2009 season, it really doesn't matter where Jayson Werth hits, throws, or plays; he will be great.

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 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 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 13, 2009

Philadelphia Phillies (63-48) at Chicago Cubs (58-54)

2:20pm - Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL

Cliff Lee, LHP (9-9, 2.95) v. Ryan Dempster, RHP (6-5, 4.04)

The finale of the three game set will be a traditional day game at Wrigley Field. It will feature a Cliff Lee and Ryan Dempster. Lee has pitched extremely well in his first two starts for the Phillies and will be matched up against a right-handed heavy Cubs lineup. Meanwhile, Dempster pitched one of his best games of the season his last time out, limiting the Rockies to two earned runs in a 6-5 Cubs win. If the wind is blowing out, this could be a higher scoring affair than both pitchers are used to.

The Phillies, behind Lee, will look to build on their road momentum before heading to Atlanta. Cliff Lee has had limited experience against the Cubs and their current lineup. However, in 51 plate appearances, Lee has allowed a .256 batting average and four homers. The key matchups will be against the hot hitting Milton Bradley and the slumping Alfonso Soriano. Keeping those two off base will limit the top and bottom of the Cubs' order, respectively. If Cliff Lee can maintain the same command that has him 2-0 as a Phillie, then he should find success again.

Opposing the Phillies will be a pitcher that their hitters have substantial experience against, Ryan Dempster. More importantly, the Phillies hitters have had great success against the righty, hitting .310 in 109 career plate appearances. The scorching-hot Jimmy Rollins leads the way with a .300 average in 38 appearances against Dempster, while Matt Stairs has three career homers against him. With the offense finally waking up in a big way last night, the finale should prove to be a good opportunity to continue this.

It's hard to say how the weather will play a role in this afternoon affair. However, Cliff Lee cannot worry about that, and needs to just pitch his game. If he does that, there should be a decent level of confidence among Phillies hitters to support him. After all, you have a lineup that was basically featured in the All-Star game; it would be impossible to hold it down forever.

Phillies Recap: August 12, 2009

Philadelphia Phillies 12, Chicago Cubs 5

The Philadelphia Phillies (63-48) and their fans have not felt this good in two weeks. The offense broke out in a big way and for the first time in several days, the Phillies gained a game in the NL East standings. Pedro Martinez was effectively wild for five innings and the Phillies sluggers earned him a win. All in all, a big eight-run fourth inning put the game out of reach and led to a 12-5 victory for the Phillies over the Chicago Cubs.

Pedro Martinez (1-0) was not especially sharp tonight, but he didn't need to be. He made it through five innings, will striking out five and allowing three earned runs. The bullpen came in to finish off the final four innings, giving up a couple of meaningless runs in the ninth. But on a night with great expectations for Pedro Martinez, he pitched about as well as you could have expected. Martinez danced out of trouble with minimal damage in his fifth and final inning. It was Pedro Martinez's 215th career win.

Jeff Samardzija (1-2) had a rough time in his first career start in the big leagues. The Phillies opened up the offense early with two in the first and two more in the third, before erupting for eight runs in the fourth inning. By then, Samardzija was long gone, having surrendered seven earned runs. The Phillies had homers from Shane Victorino, Jimmy Rollins, and Raul Ibanez. But the real key was the way the Phils strung together hits to score three of their first five runs, rather than with the long ball.

The Phillies have now put together two quality wins in a row against a quality opponent on the road. Now the Phillies will go for the sweep in an afternoon affair against the Cubs in the finale. With the momentum starting to build and the offense showing some much-needed signs of life, things are finally looking up again for the Phillies.

Phillies Recap: August 11, 2009

Philadelphia Phillies 4, Chicago Cubs 3

Rich Harden had his best stuff tonight and at times looked nearly unhittable. He took advantage of a more generous strike zone than J.A. Happ had and worked through the Phillies order with ease in the early going. Meanwhile Happ struggled with his command as he danced through raindrops before surrendering two runs in the third. However, one word can be used to describe the Phillies' effort tonight: gritty. The Phils fought tough, were patient, and found a way to beat the Cubs, 4-3 on three hits.

Happ was not his normal, confident self tonight as he seemed rattled at times on the bump. Perhaps it was playing at historic Wrigley Field or perhaps it was pitching so close to his hometown. Either way he allowed an uncharacteristically high number of base runners, but survived six innings. The Cubs lacked the one big hit to put the game out of reach, but Brad Lidge blew his seventh save of the season in the ninth after the Phillies took the lead. A strong performance by Scott Eyre (2-1) earned the win and Chad Durbin picked up the save.

No one disputes that Rich Harden is one of the best pitchers in the game today. He had everything working to his advantage as he was perfect through the first 16 batters. Backed by a few circus-type catches by Milton Bradley in right field, Harden did not surrender a base hit until Jimmy Rollins crushed a two-out, two-run homer to tie the game in the sixth. The Phillies would add a run later on a bases loaded walk to Ryan Howard against Carlos Marmol. In the top of the 11th inning, Ben Francisco came through with a wall-scraping homer for the winning margin.

This was an important game for the Phillies. They came out after the sweep at home and looked lost. Rich Harden was dealing and it looked like the Phils would have their offense shut down again. But great teams find ways to win, even with three hits, and the Phillies did just that. They fought back after a blown save by Lidge to win the ballgame. On the eve of Pedro Martinez's inaugural start with Philadelphia, they improved to 62-48.

Phillies Preview: August 11, 2009

Philadelphia Phillies (61-48) at Chicago Cubs (58-52)

8:05pm - Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL

J.A. Happ, LHP (8-2, 2.74) v. Rich Harden, RHP (7-7, 4.41)

J.A. Happ will look to continue his push towards the NL Rookie of the Year award as he faces off with the oft-injured Rich Harden in game one. The Phillies and Cubs will open their series with a good old fashioned pitcher's duel, or so it would seem. Harden has been especially tough on the Phillies and Happ has been, well, especially tough on everyone.

Happ will be making his first career appearance against the Cubs. The right-handed leaning lineup will have their work cut out for them against the Rookie of the Year hopeful Happ. The tall lefty has good numbers against righties (.226 BA against) but has only faced one Cub, Aaron Miles, three times in his career. More importantly, the 2009 Cubs have struggled mightily against southpaws, with righties hitting .237 and lefties just .195. The Cubs offense is led by first baseman Derek Lee, who has bounced back from a slow start to put up typically big numbers this year.

Rich Harden will oppose Happ on the mound for the Cubbies. Harden is having a mediocre year with a .500 record and a very average ERA. Nevertheless, he can be dominant, especially against Phillies hitters, who are batting a combined .115 against the righty. Raul Ibanez has faced Harden the most of any Phillie, but has managed just five hits in 26 at-bats. Ibanez is part of an overall slumping Phillies lineup that will look to get back on track in the Windy City. As a team, the Phils are doing respectable against righties, with the right-handers hitting .241 while their counterpart lefties are .258. Jimmy Rollins, the Phillies' spark plug is hot lately, batting .327 with seven dingers and 25 RBI since July 2nd.

This will be yet another tough test for the Phillies. Going on the road against a dominant home team in the Cubs (33-19 at home) would have been enough of a challenge. But coming off of an embarrassing weekend sweep at the hands of the Marlins, this is a pivotal moment in the 2009 season for the defending champs. Look for Happ to keep them in the game as the offense going. The flags blowing out at Wrigley could help too.

Phillies Recap: August 6, 2009

Philadelphia Phillies 3, Colorado Rockies 1

Cliff Lee has been everything the Phillies have expected thus far. In his second start, and first in front of his new home crowd, Lee dazzled with seven strong innings as the Phillies defeated the Rockies 3-1. It was a close game all afternoon and the Phils got the timely hits they needed to secure back-to-back wins and a series victory against Colorado. Now they will prepare for the second place Marlins to come to town, fresh off of a sweep at the hands of the Nationals.

Lee (9-9) came out with some early jitters as he surrendered a run on several hits in the first inning. However, he settled down after that point, scattering four hits and a walk while striking out nine. He gave the bullpen another lift, completing seven innings after J.A. Happ's complete game last night. Ryan Madson and Brad Lidge pitched an inning each with relative ease, to seal the Phillies' 61st win of the season. They are now 61-45 overall, and have rebuilt a seven-game lead in the NL East.

Aaron Cook (10-4) was the hard-luck loser in the game, as he pitched well. Cook gave up three runs in five innings and kept his team in the game, before departing with an injury. Without the run support, he lost his fourth game of the season and the Rockies dropped their second game in a row. Jimmy Rollins was a star at the plate for the Phillies as he went 3-for-4 and scored two runs. Paul Bako provided the go-ahead run with a homer in the fifth, his first as a Phillie.

This was a big series win for the Phillies as they came out punchless in the first affair. The team got solid pitching efforts from Happ and Lee to climb back into a more comfortable position in the standings. Now, with the Marlins series looming, their objective is clear: win another series. However, for now, the Phillies can enjoy back-to-back wins for the first time since last week in Arizona.

Phillies Recap: August 5, 2009

Philadelphia Phillies 7, Colorado Rockies 0

J.A. Happ turned in a masterful performance, shutting down the Colorado offense and giving the Phillies one of their best starts of the season. The Phillies came out strong against the Rockies, scoring early and often. But the real story tonight was Happ's second shutout of the season, in front of an electric crowd at Citizens Bank Park. The Phils picked up a 7-0 win over Colorado.

Happ (8-2) was very sharp, mowing through the Rockies' order with relative ease. If Happ was pitching for his job in the starting rotation, he certainly made a compelling case. Happ scattered four hits and two walks over a complete game shutout while striking out a career-high 10 batters. Happ did not allow an earned run and never really came close. The dominant game by Happ makes the deicision to move him into the bullpen that much harder, as his season ERA was lowered to 2.74, which is good for eighth in the majors.

Jorge De La Rosa (9-8) fell victim to the Phillies and Citizens Bank Park once again, as he surrendered homeruns to Pedro Feliz and Jimmy Rollins in the second inning. Then in the fifth inning, Jayson Werth tagged him for a three-run homer, which broke open a 7-0 lead for the Phillies. De La Rosa finished five innings, giving up seven earned runs, while only striking out three. The Rockies bullpen came in to finish the last three innings without giving up any runs, but the game had been decided by that point.

Overall, this was an important game for the Phillies. Their offense came alive with timely hitting and Happ provided the shut-down performance the team so sorely needed. Happ must also now be considered a legitimate contender for the Rookie of the Year Award. The losing streak is over, the lead in the NL East is safe, and Cliff Lee takes the mound tomorrow afternoon. It seems as though all is well in Philadelphia again.

Phillies Recap: August 4, 2009

Colorado Rockies 8, Philadelphia Phillies 3

Jamie Moyer battled incosistency all night and the Colorado Rockies got the early jump on the Phillies. After the Phillies cut an early defecit in half, the Rockies offense unloaded in the sixth inning with four runs, winning the game 8-3. The Rockies' Jason Hammel evened his record as 6-6 as Moyer fell to 10-8.

The start was not what Moyer wanted as he got two batters into the sixth before being lifted for Rodrigo Lopez. Moyer gave up a secon-inning homer to Garrett Atkins and it was all downhill from there. He was tagged for six earned runs in five innings, allowing 10 base runners and striking out three. Lopez, in his first appearance out of the bullpen was not impressive as he allowed two of Moyers' runs to score, then gave up two of his own. Tyler Walker and Brad Lidge each added a scoreless frame, but the game was decided by that point.

Hammel on the other hand was much more impressive as he scattered nine hits in 6 2/3 innings, while striking out six and not walking a batter. Jimmy Rollins provided one of the few offensive bright spots for the Phillies, mashing a monster two-run homerun to centerfield in the fifth. The Phillies would go on to add another insignificant run in the sixth. Once again, the impatience of their hitters leads to a rough offensive night, and the middle of the order produced mostly strikeouts and groundouts.

However, the real story here is the rough start by Jamie Moyer. The soft-tossing lefty never found a comfort zone and saw his team draw some boos late in the game. The Phillies fall for the fifth time in six games and are now 59-45 but maintain their five game lead in the NL East. They will faceoff again with the Rockies tomorrow night as both teams now look for their 60th win of the season.

The Silent Leader of the Phillies

On team layered with superstars and veterans, there is only one leader of the Phillies. He is not manager Charlie Manuel and he is not the oldest player in the game, Jamie Moyer. Jimmy Rollins might be the sparkplug and the most outspoken member of the team, but he is not the leader either. The silent leader of the Philadelphia Phillies, the defending World Champion Philadelphia Phillies, can only be Chase Utley.

Chase Utley, the sweet-swinging lefty from UCLA, comes to the ballpark everyday and works as hard as any player in the game today. He studies film tirelessly and he perfects his short, sweet stroke. Even more, he focuses on improving his defense, which is perhaps the weakest part of his five-tool abilities. A heady veteran like Utley knows that every aspect of the game is equally important. But of course he has been playing like a veteran since the day he entered the league. After all, when's the last time you didn't see Utley sprint to first base on a ground-out? The star second baseman goes on about his business, with his silent leadership by example:

2005: 147 G, 39 2B, 28 HR, 105 RBI, .291 BA, .376 OBP, .540 SLG

2006: 160 G, 40 2B, 32 HR, 102 RBI, .309 BA, .379 OBP, .527 SLG

2007: 132 G, 48 2B, 22 HR, 103 RBI, .332 BA, .410 OBP, .566 SLG

2008: 159 G, 41 2B, 33 HR, 104 RBI, .292 BA, .380 OBP, .535 SLG

2009: 101 G, 20 2B, 23 HR, 70 RBI, .299 BA, .420 OBP, .546 SLG

Utley's leadership was never demonstrated more than when he underwent hip surgery over the offseason before the 2009 season. Experts predicted that Utley might be out until May or June or July. And even then, they claimed that Utley might not be the same this season. You might have thought, before the season started, that on August 3rd, the big news in Philadelphia would be the return of Chase. But 100-plus games into the season, Utley's injury seems like a distant memory as he compiles another ho-hum All-Star season. And he has played in all but two games this season. It was later revealed that Utley completed most of the second-half of 2008, barely able to walk with his hip injury.

But there is more to Philadelphia's silent leader than his work ethic. Since 2007, Utley has been hit by pitches 67 times. In the 2007 campaign, a pitch that struck him in the hand cost him nearly 30 games of the season, and possibly an MVP Award too. Yet, Utley remained in the game and tried to play through the pain. And in those 67 plate appearances that Utley sacrificed his body and his stats for the good of the team, he had all of zero mound-charges and zero ejections. He has been fined exactly zero times for yelling at the umpire or opposing pitcher. Like a true leader, Utley put his team before his ego.

Perhaps this silent leader is not what you want for your team, whichever team that may be. True, there might (and I emphasize might) be better players in baseball today. But it is hard to measure the intangibles of this guy. Just as recently as June 30th, with his team down 7-1, Utley faced off with Jonathan Sanchez of the Giants. The first pitch sailed up and in at Utley's head, to which he responded with a menacing stare back at the mound. The wise Utley purposefully stepped out on Sanchez later in the at-bat, shortly before homering. And though the Phillies would lose the game, Utley set the demeanor for the team: never back down.

If you have the privilege of watching Chase Utley everyday, you get to appreciate some of the finer points that make him the silent leader of the Phillies. After great performances, Utley is often honored with post-game interviews. Utley is humble, never spending much time to talk about himself, and he gives credit to the Phillies' opponents. But when asked about his teammates, Chase can go on and on about how great Cole Hamels pitches or how far Ryan Howard hits his homeruns. He exudes the qualities of a superhero, literally building up the people around him to realize greatness. And there, in the background of a championship-caliber baseball team, is its silent leader, Chase Utley.

Phillies Recap: August 2, 2009

San Francisco Giants 7, Philadelphia Phillies 3

Neither Cole Hamels nor Barry Zito was nearly as sharp as their teammates from last night's game. However, while Chip Caray practiced his over-reactive inflection points, both starters battled hard and kept their teams close early. The Phillies utlimately lost a tough get-away game to the Giants by a final score of 7-3.

Hamels (7-6) fell victim to some early misfortune, as the Giants dinked and dunked hits on him. In the bottom of the second, former Phillie Aaron Rowand opened the scoring with a run-scoring triple with no one out. Hamels bounced back though and limited the damage by stranding Rowand at third. After cruising through the next couple of innings, Hamels found two-out trouble when Zito blooped a broken bat single that led to a three-run outburst. Hamels ran into another jam in the sixth inning which ended his afternoon, as he was tagged for six runs over five plus innings. Chan Ho Park, who allowed two of Hamels' runners to score, Ryan Madson, and Scott Eyre threw an inning each in relief.

Barry Zito (7-10) started out much stronger, facing the minimum through three frames. In the fourth, Jimmy Rollins tied the game with his 11th homer of the season, a no-doubt-about-it shot to left. The Phils then scratched out another unearned run. They added another run in the fifth as Carlos Ruiz came through and proved my theory right. But, as the game progressed, impatient at-bats by the Phillies hitters led to five strikeouts in six innings by Zito. He was lifted for a pinch hitter in the sixth, and he was propelled to his seventh win of the season. The Phillies' only other major threat came in the eighth inning when they had two aboard for Utley and Howard, but lefty Jeremy Affeldt escaped unharmed.

The Phillies lose a series for the first time since they were swept by the Braves to start July and finish the road trip 3-4. It was not the start the Phillies or Hamels wanted, as they stumble home for an off day, before taking on the Rockies. The Phillies are now 59-44 on the season. They are currently 5.5 games ahead of the Marlins, who were still in play when the game ended.