Phillies Preview: September 30, 2009

Philadelphia Phillies 10, Houston Astros 3

W - Kendrick (3-1), L - Moehler (8-12), Phillies Clinch NL East

Pedro Martinez was not sharp tonight but he battled his way through the early part of the game and kept the Phillies close. Slowly but surely, the Phillies offense broke through against Brian Moehler and the Astros. After falling behind early, by a score of 3-1, the Phillies continued to just score and put up nine unanswered runs. They pieced together the bullpen to record their 92nd win of the season, by a final of 10-3. With the win, the Philadelphia Phillies clinched the 2009 NL East title.

The Phillies were hoping for more from Pedro tonight. But to his credit, he got through four innings and limited the damage, despite not having very good stuff at all. He was lifted early for a pinch hitter and did not qualify for the win. On the night, he allowed three earned runs on six hits and a walk, but it could have been much worse. Kyle Kendrick came in for three scoreless innings of great relief, and picked up his third win of the season. In a classy move, Charlie Manuel brought in Brad Lidge to record the final out of the game.

For the Astros, it was the same old story for Brian Moehler as he started to fall apart in the middle innings. The Phillies began to hit the ball very hard for extra base hits and scored four times in a big fourth inning that put them ahead for good. Moehler allowed seven earned runs on six hits over 4.1 innings pitched. The Astros bullpen allowed the rest, as seven different Phillies had RBIs and they did not rely on the long ball too heavily. Raul Ibanez did hit his career high 34th homer of the year.

So the Philadelphia Phillies will retain their title as the National League East Champions for the third straight season. It was a great win for the Phillies, who would have clinched anyway because the Braves have lost. However, it now gives the Phillies four extra days to rest, work their rotation into place, and aim for the best record in the National League. The Cardinals had already lost, giving the Phillies a two game lead ahead of the Central champs. And the Dodgers entered play later, with just a one game lead over the Phillies. The Phillies are headed to the playoffs again!

Phillies Recap: September 25, 2009

Milwaukee Brewers 8, Philadelphia Phillies 4

W - Parra (11-10), L - Lee (7-3), S - Hoffman (36)

Cliff Lee gave up a big first inning and the Phillies were never able to make a full comeback. Lee settled down for a bit and allowed the Phillies to get close, but another big fifth inning befell Lee. Manny Parra pitched well for the Brewers, keeping the Phillies off balance and going deep into the game. By the time all of the scoring was done, the Brewers had won the game by a final of 8-4.

Cliff Lee had a shaky start and a shaky finish to his outing. He did toss six innings to help save the Phillies' pen, but did not have an effective start. The Brewers tagged him for four runs in the first inning to set the tone of the game. Lee gave up seven runs overall, over six innings, while allowing nine hits including two long balls. Lee struck out six on the evening, but it was not the kind of start he was looking for. Brad Lidge pitched an inning in middle relief, allowing an earned run, as it appears that he will no longer be used as the closer for the foreseeable future.

For the Brewers, their offense was the story. But Manny Parra pitched a very solid game, behind the scenes. Parra went seven strong innings, allowing just one earned run on four hits and a walk. He whiffed eight Phillies on the night and earned his 11th win of the season. The game got closer late, but the Brewers' bullpen hung on to lock up the victory. Ryan Howard was the offensive star for the Phillies, driving in three runs.

This was not what the Phillies were looking for. On a night when all of their closest competitors won, it was a big game for them. Cliff Lee had a rocky start and put the team in an immediate hole. The offense, which had been so efficient a night earlier, struggled to get anything going against Parra. For now, their magic number remains at four and they will try to bounce back tomorrow night.

Phillies Recap: September 23, 2009

Florida Marlins 7, Philadelphia Phillies 6

W - Meyer (3-1), L - Lidge (0-8)

The Phillies built a lead in the finale of the three-game set with the Fish, but the bullpen was unable to hold on. Behind the strength of Cole Hamels' start and Ryan Howard's four RBI, the Phillies led late in the game. But out of the pen, the Phillies gave up three runs, including the game-winning runs off of Brad Lidge. In the end, the Marlins had a walk-off win by the final of 7-6.

Cole Hamels pitched well and kept the Phillies in the game, as they built their lead. He did get touched up a bit for some runs, but left with the lead. Hamels went seven innings, allowing four earned runs on eight hits, including two long balls. He did strike out four but failed to pick up his 11th win of the season. Brad Lidge was called on to hold a one-run lead and gave up a ninth inning rally for his 11th blown save of the season.

For the Marlins, their young hurler, Rick VandenHurk started shaky but settled in nicely to keep the Marlins in the game. The Phillies had chances to blow the game wide open, but did not execute well on offense early. Ryan Howard drove in four runs, though, including his 42nd home run of the season. VandenHurk went six innings, allowing four earned runs on seven hits and a walk. He fanned five Phillies. The Marlin bullpen gave up just a couple of runs, but locked down the win.

This was another infuriating loss for the Phillies. They are on the doorstep of another playoff berth but have stumbled of late. The NL East race still seems comfortable for the defending champs, but the play of the bullpen has been horrifying. With the closer's role up in the air, the Phillies really need to get strong starts and solid offensive performances down the stretch.

Phillies Recap: September 20, 2009

Philadelphia Phillies 4, Atlanta Braves 2

W - Walker (2-0), L - Hanson (10-4), S - Lidge (31)

Watching the Phillies every day, it's easy to lose sight of a simple fact: they are a really, really good team. Cliff Lee pitched well but had his outing cut short by a rain delay in the fifth inning, and he did not qualify for the win. But the Phillies did a great job of scoring organic runs against Braves' rookie Tommy Hanson. After the rain delay, the Phils held off the Braves to win the series with a final score of 4-2.

It was the third straight game in which the Phillies' starter didn't make it through five innings. With a double-header coming on Tuesday, the bullpen will get a much needed day off tomorrow. But today, they picked up Cliff Lee and helped the Phillies win the ball game. Lee went four innings, allowing one earned run on five hits and struck out two. But the Phillies' pen came in and tossed five solid innings, fanning nine batters and allowing just one earned run. Brad Lidge pitched well again, despite allowing an earned run, to record his 31st save in 41 opportunities.

Tommy Hanson pitched well early for the Braves, tallying several strike outs. However, his pitch count escalated quickly and the Phillies hit some balls hard in the gaps against him. Though he did not allow a homer, he left after five innings, having allowed four earned runs on seven hits and four walks. Hanson did strike out seven, but the damage had been done. Shane Victorino was thrown out of the game in the first inning, on a disputed strike out double play. The Braves' piece-meal bullpen came in to keep the Phils off the score board, in a nice effort.

What a bounce-back win for the Phillies. Their offense was solid all series, scoring 17 runs and not relying too heavily on the long ball. They won the series from the Braves, though they still finished 2009 with a losing record against Atlanta. More importantly, the Phillies push their magic number to six as they prepare to play three in Florida this week. This weekend all but eliminated the Braves from playoff contention, and once again proves that the Phillies are the class of the National League.

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.

Phillies Recap: September 13, 2009 - Game 1

Philadelphia Phillies 5, New York Mets 4

W - Kendrick (1-1), L - Maine (5-5), S - Lidge (29)

The Philadelphia Phillies got everything they could have wanted from Kyle Kendrick and more. Kendrick pitched deep into the game and the Phillies offense tacked on to an early lead against John Maine of the Mets. Brad Lidge returned as the closer and didn't make things easier, but finished the job in what was a 5-4 win for the Phillies over the Mets.

Kyle Kendrick hadn't started a game since the middle of 2008, but he looked sharp all day. Early on, Kendrick dominated Mets hitters and kept them off balance. It felt like he worked ahead of every hitter. The Mets rarely threatened and Kendrick pitched into the eighth inning. He allowed a two-run homer in the eighth and left to a standing ovation from the crowd. Kendrick went 7.1 innings, allowing two runs on seven hits and a walk. He fanned three and threw 106 pitches overall. Brad Lidge came in and allowed two runs but struck out a pair to record his 29th save of the season.

John Maine returned and only went three innings for the Mets. However, the Phillies tagged him for a run early. After Maine left, allowing the one run on a pair of hits and a walk, the Phillies got to the Mets' bullpen with a couple of long balls. Shane Victorino's two-out two-run shot in the fifth gave the Phillies a decent cushion that they road to the victory. In the eighth inning, the Phils responded to the two runs allowed to tack on another, important run, which proved to be the difference in the game.

This was a huge win for the Phillies. Though the bullpen situation is still very much uncertain, the Phillies have found a way to win. They take a huge step forward and showed a lot of heart in this game and the ball park was electric. Going into tonight's game, this win will help alleviate some of the pressure. With a win tonight, the Phillies can lower their magic number to 14 and eliminate the Mets from division contention.

Phillies Recap: September 5, 2009

Houston Astros 5, Philadelphia Phillies 4
W - Valverde (3-2), L - Lidge (0-7)

For most of the night, Roy Oswalt shut the Phillies down. However, he left in the seventh inning due to a stiff back and Joe Blanton kept the Phils close. A couple of two-run innings late propelled the Phillies to a brief lead, but Brad Lidge blew yet another save. The Astros defeated the Phillies by a final score of 5-4.

Joe Blanton got off to a rough start as Hunter Pence drilled another two-run homer and later added an RBI-single. However, as always, Blanton battled tough and kept the Phillies and their struggling offense close. On the night, Blanton went six innings, allowing three earned runs on six hits. He walked one and struck out five. Brett Myers came back from his hip injury and pitched a scoreless frame before Brad Lidge blew his tenth save of the season.

For the Astros, Roy Oswalt was dominant for them. He racked up strike outs early and rarely allowed base runners. After going 6.1 scoreless innings, he exited the game with a sore back. The Phillies would go on to add two earn runs off of him, while striking out eight times. The Astros bullpen yielded two more runs in the eighth, keynoted by Ryan Howard's RBI-triple. But yet again, the Phillies failed to score tack-on runs, leaving the bases loaded in the eighth inning. It would eventually cost them the ball game.

This was a devastating loss for the Phillies, who have now dropped back-to-back games against the Astros. Another weak offensive performance was almost enough, before Brad Lidge surrendered the game winning runs. It has to be very concerning for the Phillies that their offense and their closer have struggled so much down the stretch. Fortunately, they have a large enough lead in the East to regroup before things get too tight.

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 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 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 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 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 Recap: August 16, 2009

Philadelphia Phillies 4, Atlanta Braves 1

A storm delayed the beginning of the Phillies match-up against the Braves on Sunday night. However, they were able to get the game in and both J.A. Happ and Javier Vazquez were on top of their games. In fact, the game was very well played and only suffered from its televised commentary. Ryan Howard powered the Phillies to a much-needed victory, 4-1 to win the series in Atlanta.

J.A. Happ (9-2) seemed to be leaving his pitches up a bit early on, but he was able to avoid trouble. Nevertheless, he was not as sharp as usual, and worked in a lot of deep counts and walked six. That didn't phase the young lefty, as he gave up only a solo homerun to Matt Diaz and worked out of serious trouble only once in the sixth. Ryan Howard was involved in a handful of stellar defensive plays, including a gorgeous 3-6-3 double play in the seventh inning. Happ went 7.2 strong innings, allowing the one earned run while striking out three. Brad Lidge came in and recorded a one-batter save, his 23rd of the season.

Javier Vazquez (10-8) was sharp, as usual and maintained a very low pitch count in the early going. He surrendered a long solo homerun to Ryan Howard in the second inning. Following that, Vazquez seemed to settle in until the top of the Phillies order set the table for a three-run homer by Howard in the sixth inning. On the night, Howard went 3-3 with four RBI and the pair of homers. Vazquez ended up going seven respectable innings, striking out seven Phillies in the process. But once again, the Phillies offense was not as patient or clutch as it will need to be down the stretch.

The story of tonight's game was a typical Phillies win, their 66th of the season. It was yet another quality start for the young Happ, who has both the poise and command of a veteran on the mound. And Ryan Howard flat out put on a show with a pair of long homeruns and four RBIs along with his superb glove work. Together, the duo helped the Phillies close out their road trip at 5-1 and open up a 4.5 game lead in the NL East. The team will have an off day on Monday before a quick homestand against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Phillies Recap: August 15, 2009

Atlanta Braves 4, Philadelphia Phillies 3

On a hot afternoon in Atlanta, the Phillies and Braves played another close game all afternoon. Cole Hamels battled a high pitch count all day and crafted his way through six innings. His counterpart, Kenshin Kawakami, was much more efficient and almost as effective in the game. However, the Phillies offense did not have the knock-out punch in them, despite six extra-base hits. In the end, Brad Lidge (0-5) blew his own save with a pair of errors, which led to a 4-3 Braves win.

Cole Hamels showed signs of mastery but was done in by a high pitch count, including two long at bats against Brian McCann. McCann also touched up Hamels with a two-run homer, who also surrendered a pair of fly outs to the wall in the game. He exited the game with the lead, having given up two earned runs in his six innings of work. The bullpen came in and was once again effective with a small lead until the ninth, when several errors led to Brad Lidge's eight blown save of the season.

Kawakami, the Braves righty pitched well with the Phillies hitters appearing somewhat anxious at the plate. But they put together scoring innings in the fourth and fifth innings to tie the game at two all. In the seventh, the Phillies continued their extra-base hit assault on Kawakami as Jayson Werth homered to deep center. On the day, Kawakami went 6.1 innings, giving up three earned runs. However, it could have been much worse as the Phillies stranded a runner at third with less than two outs on three occasions. This would come back to bite the Phillies as they lost the game by the slimest of margins.

Ultimately, the Phillies set themselves up for a terrible loss, as they had three different chances to get a runner home from third without a base hit. However, this one especially hurts against the division rival Braves, as they had their second game of the series all but won. Don't put this one on the bullpen though, as the offense was to blame here. The two teams face off in the rubber match tomorrow night on national television.

Phillies Recap: August 14, 2009

Philadelphia Phillies 3, Atlanta Braves 2

Both Joe Blanton and Jair Jurrjens pitched well early in the game, as the teams traded two runs. The Phillies and the Braves played that way until the ninth inning, when the Phillies took the lead and won the game 3-2. It was a well-played, nail-biting game, right until the final out was recorded. But the most important part is that the Phillies have opened the series strong and defeated their division foe.

Joe Blanton gave up an early earned run and then scattered several hits early through the game. He seemed to be somewhat wild in the strike zone but only walked one. A Pedro Feliz error led to the game tying, unearned run in the bottom of the fourth. However, the defense picked him up as Shane Victorino made a pair of highlight-reel catches at the centerfield fence to save certain trouble. Blanton ended up going seven innings, allowing seven hits and just one earned run, while striking out a pair. Ryan Madson (4-4) pitched an easy eighth inning and Brad Lidge bounced back from a blown save to record his 22nd of the season.

The Phillies finally found a way to score on Jair Jurrjens, as Chase Utley ripped a two-run homer in the fourth inning. The Phillies offense showed its trademark patience in that inning, dealing a more important blow to Jurrjens's pitch count. However, the young righty was still sharp, with good command of all of his pitches. Jurrjens turned the game over to the bullpen after seven sharp innings, but in the top of the ninth, Ryan Howard crushed a centerfield homer off of Rafael Soriano (1-4), who took the loss.

The Phillies have now won four in a row on the road, already securing a winning record on the trip. The win was text book, as the Phillies got a strong performance by Blanton and two shut-down innings from the back end of their pen. It's a good start to the weekend, as they open up a six game advantage over the Braves and maintain their 4.5 game lead over the Marlins, who won again as well. Tomorrow, the Phillies will look to carry on their momentum on the road.

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 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 Breakdown: Pitching Depth

With the acquisitions of Cliff Lee and Pedro Martinez, the Phillies seemingly have a surplus of starters on their 40-man roster. Once the relief pitcher injuries straighten themselves out, the Phillies bullpen might be just as deep. Rodrigo Lopez, who as spot-started five games, made his first appearance out of the pen last night. That still leaves six starters for five potential starters:

1. Cole Hamels
2. Cliff Lee
3. Joe Blanton
4. J.A. Happ
5. Jamie Moyer
6. Pedro Martinez

Meanwhile, the relief corps has been hit by injuries and some inconsistency this year, led by Brad Lidge's less-than-perfect season. Chan Ho Park has been a pleasant surprise in the pen, becoming much more dominant there. And, with Brett Myers' recovery from hip surgery way ahead of schedule, the bullpen could get a shot in the arm. Assuming everyone regains their health, here is how their relievers would stack up:

1. Brad Lidge
2. Ryan Madson
3. J.C. Romero
4. Chan Ho Park
5. Scott Eyre
6. Chad Durbin
7. Clay Condrey
8. Rodrigo Lopez
9. Brett Myers

Obviously there are a total of 15 pitchers listed and the Phillies will most likely carry 12 or 13 into the playoffs. However, once Major League rosters expand to 40 players on September 1st, you can expect to see all of these names, health pending, on the active roster. You would expect that all six of the starters identified will remain on the roster, leaving the question to be which of the latter three will be moved to the pen. Despite his dominance this season, the most likely candidate is Happ.

This also begs the question of Pedro Martinez, who has not pitched all season. Martinez pitched well in an August 5th rehab start, and he could be able to join the Phillies rotation as soon as their August 11th or 12th in Chicago. This might make sense, considering Pedro has such dominant numbers against current Cubs (mostly against Alfonso Soriano).

So now for the statistics. Here are the current statistics for the afore mentioned starters (excluding Pedro Martinez, who has not pitched) in 2009, through August 5th:

Hamels: 7-6, 21 G, 123.0 IP, 4.68 ERA, 107 K
Lee: 8-9, 23 G, 161.0 IP, 3.02 ERA, 113 K
Blanton: 7-5, 20 G, 125.1 IP, 4.02 ERA, 107 K
Happ: 8-2, 26 G, 115.0 IP, 2.74 ERA, 86 K
Moyer: 10-8, 21 G, 118.1 IP, 5.55 ERA, 68 K

Clearly, the weak link here is Jamie Moyer. Despite not having appeared in relief since 2004 when he was with the Mariners, Moyer fits the bill of an inning-eater out of the pen. However, his style of pitching does not typically lend itself to any type of situational relief. As a result, it would not surprise me to see Moyer left off of the playoff roster, especially in a short NLDS series.

The next assumption, barring a waiver wire acquisition, would be that Brett Myers can return to a relevant role in the bullpen. If he can capture some of the magic that he had as the Phillies' 2007 closer, the team would have another power arm in the back end of their bullpen. This would most likely leave either Rodrigo Lopez or Clay Condrey off of the roster. Nevertheless, it is always good to have options, especially with injuries and inconsistency prevalent this season.

With these 15 arms, there is no doubt that the Phillies will construct a championship-caliber rotation led by Hamels and Lee. If they can creatively build the bullpen to be as effective as the starters, the Phillies' pitching depth should become a strength of the team down the stretch.

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.