Mid Season Report Card: Offense

This is a midseason review, which is also featured on Phillies Nation. Visit Phillies Nation for the full feature, which includes other blogger's opinions.

Jimmy Rollins: C+

Since he missed most of the season due to injury, it's hard to put a grade on Rollins. Before he was first placed on the disabled list, he showed tremendous patience at the plate. However, after his second return, all his numbers dipped off. The injured calf is mainly to blame, but Rollins is a player who is capable of stealing many bases; he only has two this season. The Phillies are a much better team when Rollins is healthy; they need him to be the spark plug.

Placido Polanco: B+

Despite losing at-bats due to his injury, Polanco remains near the league leaders in average (.318). He's not going to hit for power, but his slugging percentage is up from where it was at this point last year (.386 midway through '09, .433 midway through '10). Defensively, he has adjusted fine from second to third. The Phillies have gotten what they expected from Polanco. It's just a shame he's hurt.

Chase Utley: B+

He's the best second baseman in baseball, but he's having a down year -- for Chase Utley. His month long slump put a toll on his stats. He's batting .277; he's usually around the .290 mark. He's slugging .466; he's usually over .500. His OPS is .849; it's usually over .900. It just shows how spoiled we are to watch a player like Chase. His "down year" is above average for most players. It hurts that he'll be out so long.

Ryan Howard: B+

His batting average is way up. His strikeout numbers are way down, but so are his power numbers. Decide which Ryan Howard you like more: the one that will hit tons of home runs but strike out quite a bit, or the one that will hit for average, strike out less, but will also hit less home runs? You decide. He's having a very good season, but I'd still like to see a bigger power display from him.

Jayson Werth: A

Werth has had his ups and downs, but he has put together a solid year at the plate. A line of .286 AVG/ .371 OBP/ .531 SLG/ .902 OPS isn't too shabby. He has 26 doubles midway through 2010; that was his total for ALL of last year. He has slumped, however when he is hot, he's on fire.

Raul Ibanez: D+

There have been a lot less "RAAUUUUUUUL" chants this year. Last season was one of Raul's better seasons, but this year he can't even come close to the numbers he put up with Seattle and Kansas City.

Shane Victorino: C+

I like that Victorino is attempting to steal. It seems like he is only Phillie that is attempting to. His slugging percentage is about where it usually is (.446), but his average (.252) and on-base percentage (.322) are lower than normal. The Phillies need him on base.

Carlos Ruiz: C+

Chooch was having one of his better years at the plate before suffering an injury. The backstop is known more for his catching abilities, and has done a tremendous job defensively behind the plate, from calling the game to making game-saving plays.

Bench: D+

During the offseason, Ruben Amaro gave the bench a whole new look, hoping to improve on 2009. Many of those bench players have turned into "everyday" players, thanks to numerous injuries. Charlie Manuel always says that he needs to give his bench players at-bats for them to do well. Players like Wilson Valdez and Juan Castro have done a decent job filling in for hurt players. However, when guys are called off the bench to pinch hit, like Ben Franciso, it usually doesn't end up in any sort of production. Filling in nicely, yes. Pinch hitting, not so much.

BoSox/Phils Preview; Rollins to DL

For full gameday, visit Phillies Nation.

The Boston Red Sox (22-21) face the Philadelphia Phillies (26-15).

Daisuke Matsuzaka, RHP (2-1, 7.89 ERA) starts vs. Kyle Kendrick, RHP (2-1, 5.24 ERA).

These aren't the same Boston Red Sox that we've seen in recent history, as witnessed in the Phillies' 5-1 win last night. At this time of year, we're used to seeing the Red Sox towards the top of the American League East, but instead they are quickly falling to the .500 mark.

Today, Jacoby Ellsbury will be coming off the disabled list for the Red Sox. Ellsbury will need to be watched on the base paths, but the speedy outfielder missed a significant amount of time due to broken ribs. On the other hand, Jimmy Rollins was placed back on the disabled list. Rollins re-injured his calf by running out of the batter's box in last night's game. The grade one strain is not said to be worse than the first injury, however Rollins is still expected to miss two weeks. Wilson Valdez was recalled to take his spot.

Daisuke Matsuzaka will take the hill for the Red Sox. Dice-K has had high expectations since coming over from Japan in 2007, but struggled last year and to this point this year. Dice-K faced the Phillies once in his career, and gave up four runs in as many innings.

Dice-K will be opposed by Kyle Kendrick, who is coming off a great start against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Kendrick has been up and down all season, so it's always a mystery as to what kind of performance the Phillies will get out of him. Kendrick is 0-2 with a very high ERA in his career against Boston. Kendrick would like to continue the Phillies' recent success on the mound. In May, Phillies starters are 11-4 with a 2.96 ERA. Starters went at least six innings in 18 of the last 19 starts, including 13 quality starts.

Tonight's Lineup: Victorino (CF), Polanco (3B), Utley (2B), Howard (1B), Werth (RF), Ibanez (LF), Ruiz (C), Castro (SS), Kendrick (P).

Castro Filling In Nicely

As seen on Phillies Nation.

Everything was going well for Jimmy Rollins. He was batting .391 with a home run. His improved patience led to an increased number of walks, and a .516 on-base percentage. His extra base hits gave him a .739 slugging percentage. Once he got on base, he scored. He was red hot. The last thing we all wanted to see was for him to get hurt. But it happened. Rollins landed on the disabled list with a calf injury.

Then, it became Juan Castro's turn.

During the off season, Ruben Amaro's task was to bolster the bench. Juan Castro, who had a minor league deal with the Dodgers in 2009, was available. It was known that defense was his strong point, and in 112 at-bats, he batted .277. Amaro signed Castro and he was almost guaranteed a major league roster spot. With a star-studded lineup, playing time would be scarce, unless an injury such as Rollins' were to occur.

Once Rollins went down, it was unclear as to how Castro would fill in. So far, there are not many complaints. He is no Jimmy Rollins, however he has a .324 average and seven RBIs in ten games. He has also flashed some leather on the field. Both offensively and defensively, Castro has been far better than last year's sub, Eric Bruntlett.

While we are all anticipating the return of Jimmy Rollins, there is no question that Castro has done his job. He has played very well in this short period of time. If his hitting continues, he could be a decent pinch hitter in the near future.

Blog of Note: We Should be GMs has an interesting letter to Roy Halladay.

Player Recap: Jimmy Rollins

This article was featured on Phillies Nation under 2009 Player Reviews.

The Philadelphia Phillies are usually playing their best baseball when their spark plug is productive. "As J-Roll goes, the Phillies go." 2009 was no different.

Before the season started, Rollins batted .417 with a home run and four RBIs for Team USA during the World Baseball Classic. With the hot start, it was thought that Rollins would carrying his success into the regular season. However, it was only a sample size of at-bats. Things didn't go as planned, and Rollins batted .229 during the first half of the season.

The Phillies started to struggle in Interleague play, and after an 0-for-28 slump in late June, Charlie Manuel benched Rollins for four games. His average plummeted to .205, so Manuel thought some time off would clear his mind.

Rollins returned and batted .358 in his next 13 games, which included seven multi-hit games. In addition, it led to a re-surged Phillies ball club. In July, Rollins batted .313 with a .924 on-base plus slugging percentage.

Rollins continued to improve as the season moved along. He hit .272 with 14 home runs in the second half of the season. In 155 games, he hit .250 AVG, .296 OBP, .423 SLG, .719 OPS, with 21 HR, 77 RBI, and 31 SB. Rollins batted .234 in the playoffs, but his walk-off hit in the National League Championship Series overshadowed everything.

As always, Rollins defense was stellar. His best fielding percentage among all shortstops led to his third consecutive Gold Glove Award. His defense was always there, but his offense only showed up for half of the season.

During this off season, the Phillies already picked up Rollins' $8.5 million option for 2011. If he keeps goin', so will the Phillies. Afterall, he's only the best shortstop in Phillies history.

Surfin', Beltre, Moyer, and MLB News

Looks like Jimmy Rollins found a new hobby. Rollins, who recently attended Shane Victorino's wedding, was caught surfing in Hawaii.

In Phillies related news:

The Phillies are targeting free agent Adrian Beltre. Money could be an issue; Beltre, 30, could be seeking a four-year deal. Additionally, Beltre is represented by Scott Boras.

Mark DeRosa, a personal favorite of Charlie Manuel, is still an option as well as Placido Polanco, Chone Figgins, and Pedro Feliz. A friend of Feliz says that he would like to sign elsewhere, possibly Seattle.

The Phillies signed DeWayne Wise and Wilson Valdez to minor league contracts. Both had a significant amount of major league playing time in 2009, but they will most likely spend most of 2010 in Triple-A.

Wise, an outfielder, is known for saving Mark Buehrle’s perfect game in July. The 32-year old spent most of the season as a defensive replacement. He batted .225 in 142 at-bats with the White Sox in 2009.

Valdez, a utility infielder, batted .256 in 86 at-bats for the New York Mets in 2009.

Jamie Moyer has been hospitalized at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital with recurring symptoms from his September groin surgery. Dr. Michael Ciccotti, the team doctor, said that Moyer is not seriously ill, however the pain in the area where he had surgery has increased since the weekend.

Moyer, 47, is being evaluated. “He’s completely comfortable and fine. We’re just taking appropriate precautions and also wanting to do what we can to make sure he’s on track for spring training,” Ciccotti said.

Around MLB, the Chicago White Sox signed Andruw Jones. Jose Lopez is likely to remain in Seattle. The Minnesota Twins are looking at Rich Harden.

The Red Sox might be making a push for Roy Halladay. They are also interested in Marco Scutaro and Kelvim Escobar.

Call of the Day: Travis Lee hits a walk-off home run in 2001.

"Well hit! Game over! 3-run homerun Travis Lee! Can you believe it? What a
tremendous comeback from the Fightin' Phils! A 10 to 8 win!"

NL Gold Glovers Announced

Congratulations to the 2009 National League Gold Glove Winners:

C: Yadier Molina (2nd GG)
1B: Adrian Gonzalez (2nd GG)
2B: Orlando Hudson (4th GG)
3B: Ryan Zimmerman
SS: Jimmy Rollins (3rd GG)
OF: Shane Victorino (2nd GG)
OF: Michael Bourn Astros
OF: Matt Kemp
P: Adam Wainwright

Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino each won a National League Gold Glove Award at their respective positions. This is the eleventh time in franchise history that the Phillies have had multiple Gold Glove winners.

With the award, Rollins becomes the first Phillie to win three consecutive Gold Gloves since Mike Schmidt. Rollins led all shortstops with a .990 fielding percentage. His six errors were the fewest in baseball among qualified players.

Victorino wins his second consecutive Gold Glove. Victorino had the second best fielding percentage among all outfielders (.997).

While Rollins and Victorino were honored, Chase Utley was snubbed. Utley had a 10.8 Ultimate Zone Rating, which was the best among NL second baseman. Orlando Hudson, the NL second base Gold Glove winner, had a UZR of -3.3. With that being said, Victorino probably wasn't the best option either. He had a -4.1 UZR.

Blog Notes: Make sure you take the Swing and a Long Drive Survey! Also, in honor of Veterans Day, More Hardball has the best games at Veterans Stadium.

The Games That Got Us Here

As seen on Phillies Nation.

They’re back for seconds! The Philadelphia Phillies won the National League pennant, and are headed to the World Series for the second consecutive year. Their opponent will be the New York Yankees, the winningest team in sports history.

The Phillies finished their roller coaster season with 93 wins, but their never-say-die attitude in the playoffs has made for the most memorable postseason in franchise history.

The Phillies kicked off the postseason by beating the Colorado Rockies in four games during the National League Division Series. Cliff Lee’s nine superb innings set the tone for the playoffs. The Phillies took the first game, 5-1, but it was not the most exciting highlight of the series.

Colorado snow postponed the third game of the series, but at 2:14 a.m on a Monday morning, the Phillies took a 2-1 series lead in a game for the ages. Tied at five in the ninth inning, Ryan Howard hit a sacrifice fly to give the Phillies a 6-5 lead. It wasn’t Howard’s biggest moment of the series.

“Just get me to the plate, boys,” Howard said to his teammates, who were trailing 4-2 with two outs in the ninth. It appeared as if the Rockies tied the series, but two runners reached base to keep the Phillies’ hopes alive. Howard didn’t disappoint, smashing a game-tying double. Jayson Werth followed with a run batted in. Brad Lidge closed the doors to send the Phillies to the National League Championship Series.

The series against the Los Angeles Dodgers was filled with Carlos Ruiz clutch hits, Chase Utley throwing errors, another stellar performance from Lee, poor outings from Cole Hamels, and an 11-0 blowout. In addition, Howard tied Lou Gehrig’s eight game postseason RBI record. However, Howard, the NLCS MVP, didn’t get the biggest hit.

Once again, the Phillies were down to their last out, with a familiar nemesis on the mound: Jonathan Broxton. In game four of the 2008 NLCS, Matt Stairs famously hit a game-winning home run off Broxton. This time around, Broxton didn’t want any part of Stairs, and walked him. It proved to be costly for L.A, because Jimmy Rollins delivered with the biggest hit of his career. The Phillies stunned the Dodgers by winning, 5-4. Rollins’ game four walk-off made for one of the most unbelievable endings in postseason history.

A day later, the Phillies clinched the pennant. For the first time in franchise history, the Phillies won back-to-back National League championships. They can make more history by giving us another parade.

Walk-off Win Stuns Dodgers

As seen on Phillies Nation.

Never doubt this team. The Phillies were down to their last out, but another clutch hit led to another stunning victory. The 5-4 win gives the Phillies a 3-1 lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Championship Series.

Ryan Howard continues to sizzle. He greeted his former teammate with a 2-run first inning home run. The Big Piece tied Lou Gehrig for most consecutive postseason games with a run batted in. Howard's streak is more impressive because he did it in one year; Gehrig's was over two years. After the homer, Randy Wolf settled in and retired 14 straight.

Joe Blanton had a similar streak, retiring the first ten batters he faced. He allowed a walk to Matt Kemp, and then the wheels fell off. Two RBI singles tied the game in the fourth inning. An inning later, Kemp homered to give the Dodgers the lead. Blanton's struggles questioned why Charlie Manuel did not lift Blanton for Happ.

Blanton's line was decent: he allowed four runs (three earned) in six innings. He gave up six hits, walked two and struck out two. He was dominant until his pitches started to become flat. But Blanton wasn't the story.

Besides Howard's homer, Wolf only gave up one more run (Chase Utley's RBI single). The Phillies had plenty of chances to score, but the Dodgers' bullpen wiggled through jams. The biggest opportunity came in the eighth inning. With two on and one out, Howard struck out. The Big Piece can't always be the hero.

With two outs, a familiar face appeared on the mound: Jonathan Broxton. Broxton was able to strand the runners by getting Jayson Werth to fly out. The ninth inning was a different story -- a story that would define this Phillies ball club. With one out, Matt Stairs was called upon to pinch hit for Pedro Feliz. With game four of the 2008 NLCS fresh in mind, Broxton did not give in to Stairs. Following Stairs' walk, Carlos Ruiz was plunked.

Greg Dobbs made the second out on a soft liner. The crowd that had been silent for most of the evening had all eyes on Jimmy Rollins. And boy did he deliver. Rollins smashed Broxton's 1-1 offering into the right center field gap. Eithier chased, but Eric Bruntlett scored easily. Ruiz scored from first, sliding into home safely without a play at the plate.

Rollins was deservedly mobbed by his teammates, but the bullpen deserves some credit too. The 'pen threw three scoreless innings. Brad Lidge earned the win, striking out two batters in 2/3 of an inning.

This game will go down as one of the most unbelievable endings in postseason history. Jonathan Broxton blew game four of the National League Championship Series, and Cole Hamels will be on the mound for game five. Sound familiar? This is what October is all about.

Part II: NLDS Preview: Offensive Player Breakdown

This is Part II of a NLDS preview for the offense. For Part I, click here. Or, view the full version on Phillies Nation.

The Phillies and Rockies have very similar offenses. The lineups are almost identical to the ones that were seen two years ago, with the biggest difference being in left field. Matt Holliday is now with the St. Louis Cardinals and Pat Burrell has moved on to the Tampa Bay Rays.

The Phillies star-studded offense leads off with Jimmy Rollins. Rollins has come a long way since being benched in late June because of a career worst 0-for-28 slump. During the second half of the season, the former MVP batted .272 with 14 home runs. Rollins’ shadow, Shane Victorino, was the team’s leading hitter. Nobody can forget Victorino’s heroics in last year’s NLDS when he homered against C.C Sabathia.

The meat of the order is capable of doing a lot of damage. Chase Utley is currently in a 0-for-15 slump and batted .204 in September, but he is always a major offensive threat. Ryan Howard was tied with Milwaukee’s Prince Fielder for the most runs batted in the major leagues with 141. Jayson Werth finished a RBI short of reaching 100 for the season. He had a career high .879 on-base plus slugging percentage. Raul Ibanez had a monster first half, but struggled when he returned from a groin injury.

Pedro Feliz and Carlos Ruiz sit at the bottom of the order, but they are each capable of starting rallies and coming up clutch. Feliz has been arguably the team’s most clutch hitter, leading the team with a .325 average with runners on base.

The bench has been one of the Phillies Achilles’ heels. Matt Stairs’ home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2008 National League Championship will never be forgotten, but the big hacker is hitting .194. Like the NLCS blast, Stairs’ home run against the Rockies this season will always be remembered. The game-winning shot was Harry Kalas’ last home run call before tragically passing away in April.

An average under the Mendoza line isn’t strange for a Phillies bench player. Eric Bruntlett, a career .231 hitter, was left of the roster after Miguel Cairo made a strong push during the final weeks of the season. Ben Francisco, who was acquired with Cliff Lee, has been a reliable bat off the bench. Greg Dobbs set a Phillies record last season for the most pinch hits, but he has been plagued with injuries this season. Paul Bako has done a fine job as the backup catcher after Chris Coste was let go.

The Rockies will have to look out for the Phillies on the basepaths. They’ve had a healthy mix of speed and power throughout the season. They are second in the National League with 119 steals.

The Rockies lineup doesn’t feature as many big names, but they still have a potent offense. The Rockies start at the top with speed. Dexter Fowler and Carlos Gonzalez have spent time leading off for the Rockies. Fowler stole 27 bases this season, and Gonzalez batted .284 in 89 games. The outfield also includes Seth Smith. Smith batted .293 with 15 home runs and a .889 OPS.

The middle of the lineup features a possible future Hall of Famer, Todd Helton. Helton hit .325 this year, very close to his career average of .328. The 36-year old doesn’t hit the long ball like he used to. In 2001, he hit a career high 49. This year, he hit 15 home runs, ten below his career average. The Rockies lineup also includes Troy Tulowitzski. Tulo may be known for his defense and strong arm, but he can also rake. Tulo started the year slowly, batting .200 in April. Like Rollins, the shortstop turned his season around. He finished the season with a .297 average, 32 home runs and a .930 OPS. Following Tulo is one of the game’s most underrated hitters, Brad Hawpe. Hawpe batted .285 with a .519 slugging percentage. Hawpe finished the season with ten runs batted in during his final ten games.

Second baseman Clint Barmes slugged 23 home runs this season. Ian Stewart and Garrett Atkins have been sharing time at third base. Atkins, Chase Utley’s UCLA teammate, disappointed many with a .226 average and nine home runs this season. Ian Stewart’s average is not much better sitting at .228, however he smacked 28 home runs. Backstop Chris Iannetta has the same average, but he is still a dangerous hitter. It’s notable that he has a .804 OPS.

The platoons in the outfield and at third base make their bench deeper. The bench includes Ryan Spilborghs, who the Phillies almost acquired at the trade deadline. Yorvit Torreabla is the backup catcher, and the Rockies added Jason Giambi from the Oakland A’s. Giambi provides a left handed bat off the bench, much like Stairs for the Phillies.

The Phillies batted .302 with nine home runs in six games against the Rockies this season. Four of those home runs came at Coors Field. The Rockies cumulative lineup batted .251 with six homers against the Phillies this season.

The first game of the series will open in Philadelphia, and head to Colorado for game three. The Phillies seek redemption after the Rockies swept them in 2007. When these two teams meet, slugfests are anticipated. It wouldn’t be a shock to see a couple of them in this best of five series.

Madson Saves the Nailbiter

As seen on Phillies Nation.

It’s never easy. The 6-5 win over the Milwaukee Brewers lowered the Phillies’ magic number to three. In addition, they eliminated the Florida Marlins from National League East contention.

Like he did in the 2008 NLDS, Jimmy Rollins set the tone with a lead-off home run. Ryan Howard and Shane Victorino each doubled in runs. For the second straight night, the Phillies jumped to a 4-0 lead. Unlike Saturday, the Phillies were able to provide an extra run — a Pedro Feliz RBI single — that was the difference.

The Phillies led 6-1, but the Brewers continued to fight back. Mat Gamel’s three-run home run off Joe Blanton made it a ball game again. Blanton, who expressed his anger in Dana DeMuth’s inconsistent strike zone, gave up five earned runs in 5.2 innings. He allowed seven hits, walked four, and struck out four.

After Ryan Braun’s RBI single in the sixth, Sergio Escalona was asked to escape a jam. With a runner on, Escalona was able to get Prince Fielder to ground into a fielder’s choice. Chad Durbin pitched 1.2 scoreless innings, before Ryan Madson entered the eighth inning with a runner on. Madson picked-off Corey Hart, and Howard applied the tag. After throwing one pitch in the eighth, Madson would attempt the four-out save. However, he’d have to get through the meat of the order.

Madson allowed a double to Fielder, but Mike Cameron was rung up to end the game. Madson pumped his fist, securing his ninth save of the year, and the big win.

The Phillies and Brewers split the series, two games apiece. They end the road trip an even 5-5. The Phillies return home for a big series against the Houston Astros, who swept them earlier this month. They’ll look to clinch as early as Tuesday.

Sloppy Defense Leads to Walk-Off Loss

As seen on Phillies Nation.

When Jimmy Rollins failed to make a basket catch in the sixth inning, Jamie Moyer put his hand over his face. It summed up the night for the Phillies. Sloppy defense was the biggest issue in the 7-5 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers.

Paul Bako opened the scoring with a two-run shot in the second inning. By the third inning, the Phillies led 4-0. In addition, Ryan Howard hit an upper-decker in the fifth inning.

Kyle Kendrick made a spot start for an ailing Pedro Martinez. In four innings, Kendrick allowed three runs (2 earned). Moyer pitched four innings in relief, and gave up two runs. Braden Looper allowed five runs (3 earned) in six innings.

The game was highlighted with four errors, two committed by each team. Raul Ibanez couldn’t keep a ball in front of him. Kendrick made an overthrow. Jayson Werth and Chase Utley miscommunicated on a blooper down the right field line. To top it off, Craig Counsell’s flair bounced off Rollins’ leg, tying the game at five.

The ninth inning must be cursed. Tyler Walker hoped to send the game into extra innings. With a runner on, Walker threw a meatball down the middle of the plate. That’s not something you want to do with Ryan Braun batting. Braun’s walk-off home run cleared the right center field wall.

The bad news doesn’t end. The Atlanta Braves and Florida Marlins each won, cutting the division lead to five. The magic number remains at four. Monday is the earliest the Phillies can clinch.

This ball club has been looking lifeless. They need to stop worrying about clinching. Instead, take it game by game and clean up their act. They’ll try to rebound tomorrow with Joe Blanton on the mound.

Good News Turned Bad

As seen on Phillies Nation.

From the get-go, it was a game of good news and bad news. The good news: Chase Utley returned to the lineup after missing Saturday’s game with a bruised foot. The bad news: Shane Victorino (knee) and Ryan Madson were unavailable due to injuries.

Jimmy Rollins greeted Bud Norris with a lead-off home run. After Lance Berkman’s RBI single, Ben Francisco homered. The Phillies regained the lead, 2-1. Good news.

There was more good news. Cole Hamels carried in a 19 consecutive scoreless inning streak. All good things come to an end, and for Hamels his streak halted at 21.1 innings. In the fifth, the ‘Stros took a 3-2 lead on Carlos Lee’s two-run double. Miguel Tejada followed with a RBI double of own.

Hamels didn’t pitch poorly. He pitched six innings and allowed four runs on eight hits. Despite Michael Bourn’s blazing speed, Hamels did not get help from his defense. Twice, Hamels had Bourn picked off. Even with a strong throw from Ryan Howard, Rollins was unable to apply the tag. Bourn scored both times, proving costly for the Phillies.

A fan reached out and snagged Jayson Werth’s 31st home run of the year, putting the Phillies within one. The late rally wasn’t in them. Rollins popped up the offering from Jose Valverde. He immediately put his head down and trotted to first base. That summed up the Phillies struggles. Berkman squeezed his glove for the final out, securing the Astros third win of the series. In eight of their last ten games, the Phillies have scored three runs or less.

The Phillies homered three times, but they were each solo shots. Their troubles have been with runners in scoring position, but they had only one runner beyond first base. While every bleeder fell the Astros way, the Phillies couldn’t find any holes.

The bad news was that the Phillies lost 4-3. However, the good news is that their magic number decreases to 21 thanks to Ryan Zimmerman’s walk-off home run against the Florida Marlins. So take the good news with the bad.

2009 Summer Recap

As featured on Phillies Nation.

In the heat of a pennant race, the Philadelphia Phillies have a comfortable 7.5 game lead in the National League Eastern Division. As they paraded down Broad Street last October, there is much anticipation for a repeat. The summer has been a roller coaster ride for the reigning World Champions.

When summer started, the Phillies were in the midst of a slump. In June, they had a record of 11-15, which included a six game losing streak and being swept multiple times. They were beat up during Interleague play, going 5-12 against the American League. The slump forced manager Charlie Manuel to bench the team's catalyst, Jimmy Rollins. Rollins had been batting .211 and suffered from a career worst 0-for-28 streak at the time.

Rollins returned to the lineup and turned around his struggles (batting .272 with 10 HR after the All Star Break). So did the Phillies. The Phillies went 20-7 in July, which included a 10 game winning streak, and a historical 22-1 pounding against the Cincinnati Reds. Also during the month of July, the Phillies sent five players to the All Star Game: Chase Utley (.304 AVG, .976 OPS) Raul Ibanez (.278, 27 HR), Shane Victorino (.305 AVG), Ryan Howard (37 HR, 111 RBI), and Jayson Werth (29 HR). With a solid offense filled with all star caliber players and a decent pitching staff, the Phillies were cruising along. But, they were still missing a piece to the puzzle: another starting pitcher.

Cole Hamels, the 2008 World Series MVP, has been very inconsistent this season (7-8, 4.52 ERA). The Phillies did not have the ace they once had. As the July 31 trade deadline approached, it was thought that Roy Halladay, one of the top pitchers in baseball, would be wearing red pinstripes. The price was too expensive, so the Phillies acquired Cliff Lee in addition to Ben Francisco from the Cleveland Indians for a package of second tier prospects (Lou Marson, Jason Knapp, Jason Donald, and Carlos Carrasco). The deal proved to be the right move. Lee pitched a complete game in his first start as a Phillie, and continues to mow down hitters.

Since the All Star Break, the Phillies starting rotation turned it around after shaky first half. J.A Happ is a heavy favorite to win the National League Rookie of the Year Award, and has been the Phillies most consistent starter (10-3, 2.63 ERA). It's hard to believe that Joe Blanton once had an earned run average over seven this season. He has been an inning eater and has lowered his ERA dramatically thanks to a string of solid outings.

Like Chan Ho Park, Jamie Moyer transitioned from the starting rotation to the bullpen after future Hall of Famer, Pedro Martinez joined the team. Upset about the Phillies decision to demote him because of his struggles, Moyer responded out of the 'pen and has pitched magnificently since the move.

The Phillies still have question marks, especially surrounding the closer, Brad Lidge. After going a perfect 48-for-48 in save opportunities in 2008 (postseason included), Lidge has the highest ERA and most blown saves of any relief pitcher in baseball. The bullpen has been plagued with injuries (J.C Romero, Chad Durbin, Clay Condrey, etc.), and hasn't been as dominating as they were last season.

As the weather gets hotter, so does Ryan Howard. For whatever reason, Howard takes hitting to a whole new level in August and September. He's already in the midst of another late-season surge. With an ace in Lee and a hot bat in Howard, the Phillies look for another exciting September. The dog days of summer are quickly coming to a close. All that is left is to clinch the division and start another magical October run.

Lidge Blows the Comeback

Also seen on Phillies Nation.

Baseball's an interesting game. As we saw with Eric Bruntlett's unassisted triple play, a player can make a mistake, but turn into the hero. A pitcher could be the best closer in baseball one year, but the opposite the next. A team could gain momentum, but it can be reversed quickly.

The Phillies managed to come back in the ninth inning, but just like Matt Capps, Brad Lidge ultimately failed to convert the save in the Phillies 6-4 loss.

On the very first pitch of the game, Jimmy Rollins' line shot cleared the right-center field seats to put the Phillies on the board. On the first pitch in his second at-bat, Rollins homered again. Two pitches, two home runs.

Joe Blanton pitched a quality start; he lasted six innings allowing three earned runs. However, all three runs came on home runs: Ryan Doumit's solo shot and Steve Pearce's two-run blast. Blanton gave up six hits, walked two, and struck out seven.

Ross Olendorf was just as effective. He pitched 6.1 innings and gave up two runs on five hits. The Phillies were 2-for-14 with runners in scoring position and stranded eight men on base. The Phillies trailed 3-2 heading into the top of the ninth.

Capps had trouble in his last appearance against the Phillies. In that game, he blew a 7-3 lead thanks to home runs by Matt Stairs and Ryan Howard. Tonight, neither were due up in the inning, but the bottom of the order provided the damage. Carlos Ruiz started the rally with a double. Ben Francisco drove Ruiz home to tie the game at three.

With two outs, Shane Victorino tripled, scoring Francisco from second. In Little League, coaches stress that the first step is always back. Center fielder Andrew McCutchen did not follow those rules and took the first step in. It was costly. The ball sailed over his head and the go-ahead run scored. McCutchen would get that run back... and more.

With Lidge closing, nothing is a sure thing. Capps already blew his save, but the truth is Lidge has been worse this year. Luis Cruz singled to start the inning against Lidge. That was the beginning of the end.

Brandon Moss singled to right fielder, Jayson Werth. Werth went to scoop up the ball, but bobbled it. Pinch runner, Brian Bixler, rounded the bases and scored from first. Werth fired to the plate. The throw beat the runner, but was off-line so Ruiz could not apply the tag quick enough. Tie game. Blown save, Brad Lidge.

The next batter was McCutchen, who had a chance to redeem himself. He did that, and more. He hit a long drive to straight-away center field. Victorino kept going back, but so did the baseball. It cleared the fence for a walk-off home run.

Lidge blowing saves is becoming a re-occurring nightmare for the Phillies. He is now 0-6 with nine blown saves and an ERA standing at 7.33. There has to be thought as to whether Lidge's days as a closer are numbered. Either way, the Phillies dropped a game to the lowly, last-place Pirates, a team they must take advantage of.

PHOTO COURTESY: The Fightins'

Francisco's Homer Makes Up For Lidge

It was fitting that Ben Francisco caught Alfonso Soriano's fly ball to end the game. After all, Francisco played hero by picking up the pieces for an offense that continued to struggle with runners in scoring position, and a closer that failed at a save attempt.

The Cubs were the first to get on the board. Jake Fox's RBI single in the third and Soriano's sacrifice fly gave the Cubs a 2-0 lead.

J.A Happ allowed only two runs, but wasn't the J.A we're used to seeing. He lacked command, but wiggled out of jams. He gave up seven hits, walked four, and struck out three in six innings. A couple key double plays helped Happ avoid further damage as the Cubs left a total of 12 men on base throughout the evening.

On the other hand, Rich Harden was dealing. He was perfect through five innings. In the sixth, Carlos Ruiz drew a huge walk. Not only did it end the perfect game, but Jimmy Rollins followed with a home run to end the no-hitter and the shutout. The homer tied the game at two.

The Phillies were 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position and left five men on base. However, an important run came without a hit. Ruiz drew another big walk. Shane Victorino was plunked, and Chase Utley walked to load the bases.

Surprisingly, Lou Pineilla did not have a left-handed pitcher ready to face the Phillies lefties. Instead, he left it up to Carlos Marmol, who was having trouble finding the strike zone. Patient, Ryan Howard drew a walk to bring the run home. The Phillies took a 3-2 lead.

Lidge has the highest earned run average and the most blown saves among any reliever in baseball. The Phillies would have liked some insurance. Ruiz came close to it-- well, not really. Ruiz hit a fly ball to left field that was clearly foul. Originally, the umpire ruled it fair, but it was reviewed and overturned. Ruiz grounded out to end the inning.

Lidge started the ninth by walking Kosuke Fukudome. With the wind blowing in, the Cubs played small ball, and Ryan Theroit bunted him over. Next, Milton Bradly singled which drove in Fukudome. It tied the game at three, and Lidge blew another save. Lidge didn't give up anything else, so the game headed to extra innings.

Tyler Walker and Scott Eyre did a tremendous job keeping the game knotted at three. In the 11th, it looked like Milton Bradley won the game for the Cubs as he started his trot around the bases. Victorino lined up against the ivy wall and made the catch. Walker and Eyre got hitters out and gave the offense a chance.

Kevin Gregg left a curveball in Francisco's wheelhouse, and he drove a bomb into the left field basket. The Phillies took a 4-3 lead in the twelfth inning on Francisco's twelfth home run of the year. Francisco now has more homers in the month of August (2) than Utley, Howard, and Raul Ibanez combined (0).

Chad Durbin finished with the save to secure the 4-3 win. It was a long night filled with a range of emotions, but the Phillies pulled this one off.

Bako's Homer Lifts Lee in Home Debut

As seen on Phillies Nation.

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.

Rollins/ Howard Video

One lucky fan got to spend some time with Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard. It turned out the fan wasn't so lucky.

Baseball Fantasy Camp with Ryan Howard and Jimmie Rollins - watch more funny videos

COURTESY: The 700 Level

Call of the Day: Brett Myers pitches a complete game shutout in 2008.

"2 balls and 2 strikes with 2 outs. Fastball, struck 'em out! Complete game
shutout, Brett Myers. His 9th strikeout of the night. Brett's 7th complete game
of his career. And he shuts 'em out. He is our Chevorlet player of the game."

JRoll Slams Past Cards

As seen on Phillies Nation.
There is no doubt the Phillies have been clutch with the bases loaded. Jimmy Rollins joined the club. His sixth inning salami gave the Phillies the lead in their 14-6 win. It also was their eighth grand slam of the season, which tied a franchise record set in 1993 and 2005 for most grand slams in a season.

It didn't take long for the Phils to jump on their former teammate, Kyle Lohse. Raul Ibanez and Pedro Feliz's RBI singles gave the Phillies a 3-0 lead in the first inning. Lohse lasted only four innings. He gave up three earned on four hits and three walks. Luckily for him, he was not tacked with the loss because Julio Lugo tied the game at three with a RBI double.

When the Phillies saw Rick Ankiel earlier in the year, he landed on the disabled after making a fantastic catch, running into a brick wall. He has given the Phillies a lot of trouble in this series. He went 3-for-4 with three runs batted in during the opening game. Today, he homered to give the Cardinals a 4-3 lead in the sixth. Ankiel finished the day 3-for-5.

Then, Jimmy Rollins struck. With two outs, and two on, Greg Dobbs had a great at-bat fouling off pitches and worked a walk to load the bases. Rollins didn't disappoint, breaking his 0-for-8 streak with the bases loaded by clubbing a go-ahead grand slam to right field. Victorino immediately followed with a homer to make it back-to-back jacks. The Phillies lead 8-4 and did not look back.

The Cardinals inched a run closer in the seventh after a brief delay because a fan shined a laser on Julio Lugo. The delay may have took Chan Ho Park out of his rhythm. He allowed a RBI double to Matt Holliday (2-for-4), but escaped further damage by getting out of a jam.

The runs kept pouring in for the Phils, who scored 11 runs in the sixth and seventh inning combined. Carlos Ruiz singled, Rollins (2-for-5) doubled, Victorino (4-for-4) singled, and Howard (2-for-5) doubled, each driving in runs.

The Phillies 14 runs were plenty for Rodrigo Lopez and the depleted bullpen. Lopez made it through six innings, allowed four runs (3 earned) on 10 hits and a walk.

Call of the Day: Phillies clinch the 1980 NLCS.

"Swing and a drive to right center field. Maddox is there!"

Werthy of a Walk Off

As seen on Phillies Nation.

Last month, the Phillies were finding different ways to lose each game. This month, the Phillies are finding new ways to win.

It was an Oakland Athletics reunion as former teammates Joe Blanton and Rich Harden were in the midst of a pitcher’s duel. Blanton allowed one earned run on five hits in seven innings. He didn’t walk a batter and struck out five. Harden also pitched seven innings and allowed one earned run. He allowed four hits, walked two, and struck out six.

The runs came on Jimmy Rollins’ solo home run in the third inning and Kosuke Fukudome’s RBI double in the fourth. Blanton and Harden took care of the rest.

Ryan Madson and Brad Lidge combined for two hitless innings out of the ‘pen. Lately, everything has been falling the Phillies way. Aramis Ramirez attempted to steal, but Fukudome grounded into a double play. The ball bounced off Lidge's leg. In perfect position, Rollins caught the ricochet and turned the twin-killing. An inning later, Raul Ibanez made an unbelievable diving catch. The defense was key.

Chan Ho Park was a big factor in the win, eating three innings. He did not allow a baserunner and struck out five. His spectacular performance gave the Philliesa chance to win. The bullpen was tremendous. The problem was the nine men the offense left on base.

After Clay Condrey tossed a 1-2-3 top of the 13th, Jeff Samardzija got two easy outs to start the bottom half of the inning. Walks to Ryan Howard and Raul Ibanez gave Jayson Werth a chance for his first career walk-off home run. He didn’t disappoint. He crushed a fly ball to deep left. He knew it; the crowd knew it. Game over!

The exciting 4-1 win was the Phillies tenth consecutive win. It has been eighteen years since the Phillies won ten straight. There couldn’t have been a better site in Philadelphia tonight than watching Werth being mobbed at home plate by his teammates.

Blowout Leads to 9 Straight

As seen on Phillies Nation.

What's up with the Phillies? They're on fire! Their 10-1 blowout over the Chicago Cubs extended their winning streak to nine consecutive games, tying their longest streak since 2006.

In the first inning, Raul Ibanez clubbed his 25th home run of the season, a three run shot. Rodrigo Lopez and the Phillies didn't look back.

Carlos Ruiz's home run in the second inning made it 5-0. He drove in another run in the fourth inning with a double. He finished 2-for-4 with a homer, double, two runs scored, and three runs batted in.

Jimmy Rollins' sacrifice fly, Alfonso Soriano's error on a fly ball, and Chase Utley's RBI single made it 8-0 in the fourth. Rollins (1-for-3) proved to be a big factor in the win. He led off the game with a single, and when Rollins gets on base and scores runs, the Phillies win.

Ted Lilly's four game winning streak was snapped after getting rocked in his shortest outing of the season. His ERA jumped from 3.18 to 3.59 after the Phillies pounded nine runs in four innings.

Lopez didn't have his most commanding stuff, but in six innings he gave up only one run on five hits and three walks. The only run came on Ryan Theriot's RBI single in the fifth, taking away the shutout. Lopez struck out five.

Everybody in got into the action except Ryan Howard until his "oppo boppo" in the eighth. His 24th home run of the season put the finishing touches on the Phillies 10-1 blowout.

Chad Durbin was able to eat innings out of the bullpen. He allowed one hit in his three shutout innings, earning the save.

The Phillies are finally .500 (23-23) at home. They will attempt 10 in a row tomorrow. The last time they won that many games in a row was in 1991 when they won 13 straight.