Bako's Homer Lifts Lee in Home Debut

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In front of 45,316 in his Citizens Bank Park debut, Cliff Lee pitched in front of the largest crowd since he pitched on April 16 at Yankee Stadium.

Lee's outing started off a little shaky. The Rockies took an early lead on Todd Helton's sacrifice fly. The Phillies mirrored the Rockies in the bottom half of the first inning, tying the game at one on Chase Utley's sacrifice fly.

Other than that, Lee cruised. In seven innings, he allowed just one earned run. He gave up seven hits, walked one, and struck out nine. However, Lee is all too-familiar with a lack of run support. Once again, the Phillies had trouble manufacturing runs as Aaron Cook was able to keep the ball down in the zone. Lee received just enough run support, but it came from an unlikely source: Paul Bako.

On the 1-0 pitch, Cook threw a changeup right down the middle. Bako waited, and crushed it into the first row in the right center field seats. It gave the Phillies a 2-1 lead in the fifth inning.

A couple batters later, Jimmy Rollins (3-for-4) tripled. Rollins extended his hitting streak to 12, and fell a homer shy of the cycle. Then, Shane Victorino chopped a ball to Clint Barmes, who fired home. The throw was wide, and scooted past the catcher. The insurance run made it 3-1.

Lee and the bullpen worked with what they were given, and mowed down the Rockies. Ryan Madson pitched an easy eighth. Next, it was Brad Lidge's turn. Lidge has been pitching in non-save situations lately, and struggled. Recently, he's been a lot better in actual save opportunities. Ian Stewart swung and missed Lidge's slider to end the game. He allowed one base-runner, but Lidge managed to convert his 21st save of the season.

With the 3-1 victory in the final game of a three game set, the Phillies took the series from the Colorado Rockies, two games to one.

Bako or Marson?

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Paul Bako's biggest moment as a Phillie came on July 11 against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Bako's walk-off single capped an 8-7 come from behind win. Lou Marson's biggest Phillies moment came on the last day of the 2008 season. He clubbed his first Major League home run, walking into the dugout only to receive the silent treatment.

With Chris Coste gone and Carlos Ruiz as the everyday catcher, Paul Bako has found himself a home as the Phillies backup catcher. However, is Lou Marson a better option?

Marson could find himself dealt by the trade deadline. Keeping him in Triple-A may keep his value higher in case he struggles in the bigs, but Marson is very close to being, if not already, Major League material. In addition, the Phillies might want him to get playing time instead of sitting next to John Mayberry Jr.

Marson does not hit for power, but his average is a solid .295 after returning from an injury. His on-base-percentage is an impressive .384, and he has shown his patience during his cup of coffee, drawing three walks in 17 at-bats (one which led to Shane Victorino's grand slam against the Marlins).

Bako hasn't done much at the dish. He is batting .195, and in 24 more at-bats than Marson had with the Phillies, Bako has the same amount of walks (3). Bako has not homered and has a total of four runs batted in. Bako isn't there for his bat; he is there mainly for his defense.

Bako has called a good game; his catcher's ERA is 3.74, but that stat is mostly dependent on the pitchers. Bako hasn't done anything eye-popping which has stood out. He has made one error and threw out one runner in seven chances, but he doesn't come close to Chooch behind the plate.

Don't take away from Marson's catching abilities. It's not easy for a catcher to come up and learn a whole new set of pitchers, but Marson's defense is impressive. In limited Major League playing time, Marson has already thrown out three runners attempting to steal. That may have to do with runners being unfamiliar with him, but he has a cannon. He has thrown out 18 runners with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs.

It isn't like Marson is a stranger to the Phillies. Marson was found in the middle of the NLDS clincher celebration, in the bullpen catching various pitchers during the postseason, and in the World Series parade despite not being on the playoff roster. He knows what a playoff atmosphere is like, despite not playing in one. He also played in the Olympics, where he batted .308 against some of the world's finest.

At 37, Bako has the experience over the 23 year old Marson. It has been a vicious cycle that the Phillies upper positional prospects are blocked and don't make an impact until their mid-to-late 20's (see Chase Utley being blocked by Placido Polanco). Is it time for the Phillies to go with a young guy? Who should the Phillies rely on as their backup catcher, Paul Bako, or Lou Marson?

Amazing Ninth Inning Comeback

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Over the years, the Phillies have taught us to never give up on them. We may not always listen, but even if they are down 5-0, they are capable of a big comeback.

Good start. Bad start. Good start. Bad start. That has been the pattern for Cole Hamels and Ross Ohlendorf. If the pattern continued, Hamels was due for a bad start, and the opposite for Ohlendorf. That was exactly what happened.

The Pirates took a 5-0 lead on home runs by Garrett Jones, Delwyn Young, and Andrew McCutchen. Cole Hamels’ line: 6 innings, 7 hits, five earned runs, no walks, six strikeouts. The long balls hurt him.

The Phillies didn’t get to Ohlendorf until the sixth inning. In his first start since coming off the disabled list, Raul Ibanez’s RBI double put the Phillies on the board. Greg Dobbs’ sacrifice fly and Paul Bako’s RBI single made it a 5-3 game. Ohlendorf’s line: 5.2 innings, five hits, three earned runs, four walks, five strikeouts.

The bullpen was not able to have a “shutdown inning” in the seventh. Chad Durbin loaded the bases (with the help of few mental mistakes by third basemen Dobbs), and Scott Eyre could not clean up his mess. The Pirates extended their lead, 7-3.

Trailing in the ninth, the Phillies had no chance against Matt Capps. It would take a miracle. Matt Stairs hit a meaningless home run. 7-4. But was it? The rally caps broke out and the fans rose to their feet. They didn’t sit for the remainder of the game.

Jimmy Rollins walked and Chase Utley singled. With one out and two on, Ryan Howard gave us all a preview of the Home Run Derby. His three-run home run tied the game at seven.

Ibanez followed with a double and Pedro Feliz singled. With runners at the corners and one out, Bako was due up, with Stairs on-deck. It was time for Bako to show why the Phillies kept him on the roster. Bako’s walk-off single scored Ibanez to cap off an unbelievable five-run ninth inning.

Bako was deservedly mobbed at first base by his teammates. The 8-7 come-from-behind win once again proved why to never give up on the Phightin’ Phils. Will Pittsburgh’s announcer be walking home tonight?

Amazing 9th Inning Comeback

Also seen on Phillies Nation.

Over the years, the Phillies have taught us to never give up on them. We may not always listen, but even if they are down 5-0, they are capable of a big comeback.

Good start. Bad start. Good start. Bad start. That has been the pattern for Cole Hamels and Ross Ohlendorf. If the pattern continued, Hamels was due for a bad start, and the opposite for Ohlendorf. That was exactly what happened.

The Pirates took a 5-0 lead on home runs by Garrett Jones, Delwyn Young, and Andrew McCutchen. Cole Hamels' line: 6 innings, 7 hits, five earned runs, no walks, six strikeouts. The long balls hurt him.

The Phillies didn't get to Ohlendorf until the sixth inning. In his first start since coming off the disabled list, Raul Ibanez's RBI double put the Phillies on the board. Greg Dobbs' sacrifice fly and Paul Bako's RBI single made it a 5-3 game. Ohlendorf's line: 5.2 innings, five hits, three earned runs, four walks, five strikeouts.

The bullpen was not able to have a "shutdown inning" in the seventh. Chad Durbin loaded the bases (with the help of few mental mistakes by third basemen Dobbs), and Scott Eyre could not clean up his mess. The Pirates extended their lead, 7-3.

Trailing in the ninth, the Phillies had no chance against Matt Capps. It would take a miracle. Matt Stairs hit a meaningless home run. 7-4. But was it? The rally caps broke out and the fans rose to their feet. They didn't sit for the remainder of the game.

Jimmy Rollins walked and Chase Utley singled. With one out and two on, Ryan Howard gave us all a preview of the Home Run Derby. His three-run home run tied the game at seven.

Ibanez followed with a double and Pedro Feliz singled. With runners at the corners and one out, Bako was due up, with Stairs on-deck. It was time for Bako to show why the Phillies kept him on the roster. Bako's walk-off single scored Ibanez to cap off an unbelievable five-run ninth inning.

Bako was deservedly mobbed at first base by his teammates. The 8-7 come-from-behind win once again proved why to never give up on the Phightin' Phils. Will Pittsburgh's announcer be walking home tonight?

Bats Support Moyer in 9-6 Victory

As seen on Phillies Nation.

After a lack of offense in their previous two games, the Phillies' nine runs lifted them over the Cincinnati Reds, winning the final game of the series. Jamie Moyer struggled, but the bats backed him up.

The Phillies were having trouble with runners in scoring position in the past two games. The streak continued in the first inning. With one out and the bases loaded, Micah Owings escaped the jam untouched. The Reds took advantage of the situation in the top of the second, taking a 2-0 lead on Edwin Encarnacion's triple. Micah Owing's sacrifice fly made it 3-0.

Chase Utley has proved he can hit home runs out of the park. He hit a long drive to deep center field off the angled wall and it richocted to right. As always, Utley hustled from the box. He rounded the bases with an easy inside-the-park home run, the second inside-the-parker of his career. Not only did it pump up the crowd, but the boys in the dugout.

Jayson Werth's double made it 3-2, but Encarnocian's home run gave the Reds a little cushion. Even though Shane Victorino was elected into the All Star Game via Final Vote, he still had to prove why he deserved it. His two run single off the glove of Brandon Phillips tied the game at four a piece. Phillips wanted those runs back, so he hit a two run shot giving the Reds a 6-4 lead. The first five innings were like a see-saw.

Moyer was done after five. He allowed six runs on eight hits and two walks. The Phillies relied on Chan Ho Park to keep the game close, and he pitched three hitless innings.

Feliz's RBI single made it a one run game, so the Phillies called on Paul Bako after Carlos Ruiz left the game with an apparent injury. It looked like Bako grounded into an inning-ending double-play, but the pitcher covering missed the bag on the relay to first. Bako was safe, and the tying run scored. Jimmy Rollins followed with a RBI single, bringing in the go-ahead run.

The Phillies kept tacking on runs, winning 9-6. Werth hit his 20th home run of the season. He homered in every game of the series. In addition, with Utley's and Werth's home runs, the Phillies now have four players with 20 or more home runs before the All Star Break.

Phillies Note: Raul Ibanez went 1-for-3 (doubled) in a rehab start with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. Ibanez drove in two runs and walked twice. Ibanez plans on playing tomorrow against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Lidge To DL, Bako Up

The Philadelphia Phillies placed closer Brad Lidge on the 15 day disabled list this afternoon with a sprained right knee.

Lidge missed some time in late April, early May with inflammation, but received cortisone shots. Lidge also missed the beginning of the 2008 season after surgery to the same knee.

Lidge said he was healthy, or at least healthy enough to the point where he could pitch without pain or "effecting his pitching performance". However, Lidge is 0-3 with a 7.27 ERA, the fifth worst ERA in baseball among relievers. He has blown 6 saves this season, including two in a row.

The move isn't too surprising with his recent injuries, but it could also be a combination of injury and performance. The Phillies might think some time off can help his mental state of the game.

Catcher Paul Bako was called up. Bako, 36, was batting .357 with 10 RBI with Double-A Reading and is expected to be in uniform tonight against the New York Mets.

In 11 major league seasons, Bako is a career .231 hitter.

UPDATE (10:45 PM): MRI revealed inflammation, but no structural damage and that his knee has improved since last MRI. Lidge received a cortisone shot and will begin rehab tomorrow.