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: September 16, 2009

Philadelphia Phillies 6, Washington Nationals 1

W - Blanton (10-7), L - Hernandez (8-11)

The Phillies were again stifled on offense early, but were saved by a solid pitching effort. Joe Blanton pitched his way through six innings of trouble without allowing a run. And the Phils scratched out a couple of runs against Livan Hernandez, one on a steal of home by Chase Utley. Finally in the seventh, they broke through as Jayson Werth crushed a grand slam. The Phillies kept the Nationals off the board until the ninth and nearly tossed up their third consecutive shut out in a 6-1 decision.

Joe Blanton clearly did not have his best stuff all night. He struggled with command and walked four batters. However, he made the pitches he needed to every inning to get out of jams and was aided by some poor base running by Washington. This led to a high pitch count and a relatively short outing for Blanton, who only went six innings. On the night, he also allowed five hits and struck out seven. The bullpen was strong but was dealt a serious blow as Chan Ho Park went down with an apparent leg injury.

The Phillies again could not do much against Livan Hernandez. After allowing a quick run in the first, Hernandez settled in and kept the Phils from adding on to their lead. He went six innings, allowing two earned on seven hits and two walks. Hernandez also struck out four Phillies on the evening. The Nationals' bullpen came on and allowed the grand slam to Werth, his second of the year. From there, the game was busted wide open and gave the Phillies a comfortable cushion.

The Phillies nearly shut out their opponent for the third straight game and did not allowed a run for 26 consecutive innings. In the process, they lowered their magic number to 11. With the win, the Phils are now 24 games over .500 at 84-60 and have overtaken the Cardinals for the second-best record in the National League, and are 4.5 games behind the Dodgers for the best mark. Currently, they are in line to face the winner of the NL wild card in the first round of the playoffs.

Phillies Recap: September 9, 2009

Philadelphia Phillies 6, Washington Nationals 5

W - Lee (6-2), L - Clippard (2-2), S - Madson (6)

For the third straight start, Cliff Lee was not sharp. However, he showed some grit and kept the Phillies in the ball game. The Nationals, behind a decent start from Garrett Mock, proved to be a formidable opponent again. The two NL East foes played a good game that went back and forth, down to the wire. The Phillies once again prevailed in a close game by a 6-5 margin.

Cliff Lee did not have his best command. But the eager bats of the Nationals helped keep his pitch count down. Nonetheless, they tagged him for five runs, stringing together some hard hit balls on several occasions. On the night, Lee went seven plus innings, allowing five earned runs. He gave up seven hits, but no walks, and fanned four. Lee has not been nearly as dominant as he was in his first five starts, and needs to regain the lights-out stuff he had early on as a Phillie.

The Nationals pitched well, as the Phillies offense was against somewhat stagnant. Even though Garrett Mock gave up a three-run second inning, he settled in and kept the Phils relatively quiet. They had several opportunities to bust the game open, but a lack of clutch hitting yet again befell the Phillies. However, in the eighth inning the Phillies pounded back-to-back solo shots by Jayson Werth and Pedro Feliz, which provided the winning margin.

This was another grind-it-out win for the Phillies. While the close games against a poor team are not awe-inspiring, they are adding a dimension of mental toughness. For the past few weeks, the Phillies have not shown a lot of spark, so hopefully these difficult wins will lead to better things in the future. Even with the ugly win, the Phillies do drop their magic number to 19 and improve to 79-58 on the year.

Phillies Recap: September 8, 2009

Philadelphia Phillies 5, Washington Nationals 3

W - Martinez (4-0), L - Lannan (8-11), S - Madson (5)

Early in the game, it looked like the Phillies were flat. Pedro Martinez surrendered an early run and the Phils quickly fell behind the Nationals. However, the Phillies offense, led by Raul Ibanez, homered their way out of their slump. It still wasn't easy and it seems like weeks since the Phillies have had a relaxing win, but they got the job done tonight. In the end, they earned a much needed win by a score of 5-3.

Pedro Martinez took control of the game after giving up an early run. He looked stronger as the game went along, and though he battled a high pitch count, he rarely broke a sweat. Pedro went 6.2 solid innings, allowing three earned runs and seven hits, while walking just one hitter and striking out four. The Phils' bullpen came in and shut down the Nationals, while working with the slimest of margins.

For the Nationals, John Lannan pitched extremely well early on. He was efficient and retired the Phillies quickly for the first five innings. However, trouble found Lannan in the sixth as he gave up homers to Jayson Werth, Carlos Ruiz, and the second long ball of the night to Raul Ibanez. Chase Utley added his 30th of the season in the eighth inning. The Phillies continue to live and die by the home run and tonight was no exception, as they homered their way past the Nationals. Lannan went 6.2 innings, allowing four earned on six hits and fanned just one.

Tonight's win was important for confidence, if nothing else. Despite the fact that 14 of the team's last 15 homers have been solo shots, they swung the bats pretty well tonight. Raul Ibanez looks like he has dusted off his recent struggles, as he has now homered three times in the last two days. Also encouraging was seeing yet another solid outing from Pedro Martinez, who has been a pleasant addition to the rotation. In all, the Phils halt their four-game losing streak and lower their magic number to 20.

Phillies Recap: September 3, 2009

Philadelphia Phillies 2, San Francisco Giants 1

W - Martinez (3-0), L - Lincecum (13-5), S - Lidge (28)

From the outset, this looked like a pitcher's duel in the making. Anyone expecting a stellar start from Pedro Martinez and Tim Lincecum was not disappointed. The Phillies managed to scratch out two runs off of the young Lincecum and Pedro shut down the Giants after giving up a lead off homer and the Phillies won the game and the series by a score of 2-1.

Pedro Martinez was sharp all night. The very first pitch he threw was crushed for a solo home run by Eugenio Velez of the Giants. After that though, it was all Pedro, as he matched zeroes with Lincecum most of the rest of the way. In all, Martinez gave up five hits and one earned run, while not allowing a walk. Pedro also struck out a season-high nine batters en route to his third win in a Phils uniform.

It was a tough night for Tim Lincecum, even though he fanned 11. His pitch count got up after seven innings and he was lifted for a pinch hitter. He didn't get much run support, despite an early lead and the Phillies offense finally got to him. Jayson Werth hit a moon shot for his 30th homer of the season, while Ryan Howard continued his late-season assault with an RBI-double, which was the difference in the game. The Phils were unable to tack on runs but their bullpen held the lead and dealt Lincecum his fifth loss of the season.

This was a huge win for the Phillies against a quality opponent and a star pitcher. Despite not scoring much, they did just enough and got the best start of the season from Pedro Martinez. The victory was important at home, as they took two of three from the Giants and moved to 77-54 on the season. The Phillies now have their magic number down to 23 and that could shrink, pending play tonight.

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 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 Recap: August 19, 2009

Philadelphia Phillies 8, Arizona Diamondbacks 1

Don't let the box score fool you. As good as Cliff Lee's numbers looked, he was even better. The Phils ace shut down yet another National League team while leading the Phillies over the Arizona Diamondbacks. It was his second complete game as a Phillie and his fourth in the last seven starts. Dan Haren was hit around by the Phillies offense and departed early. But the ballgame had long been decided, with the final score of 8-1.

Cliff Lee (11-9) was dominant yet again. He improved to 4-0 as a Phillie and now has an unreal 0.82 ERA in that time. Lee surrendered one unearned run in the game and struck out eleven batters in the complete game effort. Lee carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning before pinch-hitter Chad Tracy blooped a single to center field. It turned out to be one of two hits that Lee would allow, as he hit a batter and walked none.

Cy Young hopeful Dan Haren (12-8) was dealt a blow to his award contention as the Phillies teed off on him. Chase Utley got the scoring started with a third inning homer to dead center field. In the fifth inning, the Phillies broke the game open as Ryan Howard crushed an opposite-field homer, before Jayson Werth followed with first of two solo homers on the night. It was a great offense outburst on a night when the ball was flying out of the park. They worked Haren and got him out of the game early. But by then, the game had been decided.

Before this game began, it appeared poised to become a pitcher's duel. In the end, only Cliff Lee lived up to the billing as he was simply sensational all night long. The Phillies improve to 68-49 and continue to play good baseball. Pitching has been the key during their recent 7-1 stretch and they will look for more of the same as they try to sweep out the hapless Diamondbacks tomorrow night.

Phillies Recap: August 18, 2009

Philadelphia Phillies 5, Arizona Diamondbacks 1

On a night that featured a quick thunderstorm delay, the Phillies looked like they were going to struggle again with their clutch hitting. However, despite Pedro Martinez's start being cut short by the rain, the Phillies rallied with a nice effort and win against the Diamondbacks. Once the game and rain were done, the Phils had pulled out a nice 5-1 victory.

Pedro Martinez looked a little shaky in the first inning, giving up a leadoff homer to Stephen Drew. However, he settled down for the next two innings and escaped unscathed before the rains came. Jamie Moyer (11-9) came in to the game in relief, his first such appearance as a Phillie, and pitched very well. Moyer completed the game for Martinez, throwing six shutout innings, allowing two hits while striking out five. Almost as impressive was Moyer at the plate, where he singled twice.

From the beginning of the game, Jon Garland (6-11) worked in and out of trouble. In the first inning, the Phillies loaded the bases with no one out before stranding the bases that way. However, their offense came alive after the rain delay, thanks to some questionable defense from Arizona left fielder Ryan Roberts. The inning culminated in three two-out hits resulting in three runs and the lead. Jayson Werth and Carlos Ruiz each hit solo homeruns to tack on to the lead, but Ryan Howard had a tough night as he struck out twice with the bases loaded and flied out to the wall on two other occasions.

Overall, this was an important game for the Phillies, not just because they won but also how they won. With the rain delay, the Phillies avoided decimating their bullpen by using their new long-man, Jamie Moyer. Equally important was Moyer's effort, who was effective in his new role and showed a great attitude. And the much-maligned Phillies offense managed do better with runners in scoring position, but not great as they left the bases loaded twice. It was important to take the first game of the series, as they will face off in a pitcher's duel tomorrow night.

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 Preview: August 12, 2009

Philadelphia Phillies (62-48) at Chicago Cubs (58-53)

8:05pm - Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL

Pedro Martinez, RHP (0-0, 0.00) v. Jeff Samardzija, RHP (1-1, 6.29)

Pedro Martinez makes his Phillies debut against the Cubs on national television tonight. The Phillies, coming off of an emotional extra-inning win last night, will again look for the offense to wake up. They managed just three hits last night off of Cubs pitching. Pedro will be opposed by young Cubs righty, Jeff Samardzija. The young Notre Dame alum will be making his first career start.

Martinez will look to start off his Phillies career in style. He has typically excelled in the national spotlight and there are few better places than on ESPN at Wrigley Field. Lifetime against current Cubs, Martinez is holding hitters to a .192 average in 86 plate appearances. The key will be to throw strikes early and often, as Pedro will most likely be on a pitch count and somewhat short leash. If the Phillies are able to get six effective innings from him, that will be a success. The Cubs' Alfonso Soriano has the most appearances versus Martinez in his career by far, hitting only .163 with 15 strikeouts in 43 plate appearances.

Starting for the Cubs will be Samardzija, who is filling in the rotation for the injured Carlos Zambrano. Samardzija is in his second year in the majors, after been highly effective out of the bullpen last season. This year has not gone as well as his ERA is well over six. He is familiar with the Phillies, as he surrendered a three-run walk-off homerun to Jayson Werth earlier this season in Philadelphia. Despite this, current Phillies are hitting just .167 against the righty in 17 career plate appearances. If Samardzija is able to pitch effectively, deep into the game, this could be another tough night on the offense.

With the wind blowing in last night, the Phillies were able to escape some early hard-hit balls by the Cubs. There's no certainty how the weather will impact tonight's game. However, every one's focus will be on the newest Phillies starter, Pedro Martinez. I expect the offense to work out of their slump and also provide a good showing for their former Cy Young Award winner. Patience will again be the key against a young, inexperienced starter.

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.