Improbable Comeback Stuns Reds

As seen on Phillies Nation.

Baseball is such an unpredictable sport. One team can have all the momentum, but in the blink of an eye, it can switch over to the other side. That's what makes the game great. Just when it can't get any worse for the Phillies, Greg Dobbs shines a light of hope. The Phillies pulled off an improbable 9-7 comeback on an evening with a huge turn of events. These are the comeback kids that the fans love. It's amazing how quickly boos turn to cheers.

There were several misplays on both sides during Thursday's game. The errors carried over immediately on Friday as Jimmy Rollins botched the very first play of the game. Several batters later, Johnny Gomes sent Joe Blanton's offering into the left field seats. Blanton never settled in.

Blanton got knocked around in 5.1 innings. He surrendered six runs, five earned, on a whopping twelve hits and two walks. The Reds were hitting shots off him; he never found a groove. Lately, Charlie Manuel has been critizied for leaving his starters in too long. If there was ever a good time to lift Blanton, it was in the bottom of the fifth. Instead, Manuel let Blanton hit for himself. Blanton allowed a few base runners in the top of the sixth before Manuel pulled him. Blanton tipped his cap to an upset crowd, and headed for the showers. Luckily, David Herdon avoided further damage.

In the meantime, Mike Leake cruised. The rookie who skipped the minor leagues looked like a long time veteran retiring batter after batter. At one point, Herdon's pitch count in a little over an inning matched Leake's through five. Leake dominated. He even went 3-for-4, having a much better night at the plate than most Phillies.

It looked like the game was over, and the Reds had an easy victory. Not so fast. All the trouble came in the ninth. Leake went out for the complete game, but ran into trouble: the return of the Phillies offense. Shane Victorino led off with a double, and Leake could not finish the game off. Ryan Howard drove in Victorino with a single, but the big momentum shift came off the bat of Dobbs. Since being designated for assignment, Dobbs has had a fire under his belt. He's starting to hit again, and boy did he get ahold of one. Dobbs smoked a three-run shot off the foul pole, putting the Phillies down 7-5. The damage was far from over.

Leake failed to close out the game, so Dusty Baker brought in closer Francisco Cordero. He didn't exactly get the job done either. Ben Francisco drew a huge two-out walk, bringing the tying run to the plate. Then, Cody Ransom earned his pinstripes. Cordero threw him an outside fastball, and he hit the ball where it was pitched; he sent it in the first row of the opposite field. The crowd turned electric as the score became even.

The Phillies were unable to score another in the ninth, but the six-run inning was plenty, sending the game into extra innings for the second straight night. Ryan Madson tossed a 1-2-3 tenth, striking out two, with his changeup looking better than ever.

In the bottom of the tenth, a lead-off double once again started a rally. Raul Ibanez greeted Arthur Rhodes with a double, but Howard topped that with an opposite field blast. Another day, another walk-off home run. Arthur Rhodes sure must hate facing the Phillies. He has given up six runs all year; five to the Phillies (revenge for 2006?).

As Howard rounded the bases, all sorts of excitement and emotion were released. This is the team that the fans want to see more of. This is the team that the city fell in love with. Perhaps these are the types of games that can turn a season around for the better.

Part II: NLCS Preview: Managers

Also featured on Phillies Nation.

For the second consecutive year, the Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles Dodgers will meet in the National League Championship Series. Both managers' decisions will heavily depend on the outcome of the series, along with the dependence of their coaching staffs.

Joe Torre’s success as a manager is well documented. The two-time manager of the year led the Yankees to 12 consecutive playoff appearances, six American League pennants, and four World Series titles. His 2,246 wins rank 5th on the all time leader board. This year, Torre’s Dodgers finished with a record of 95-67, the best record in the National League. The NL West champions swept the St. Louis Cardinals to advance to the NLCS.

"I'll celebrate when we get to the big one," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said when asked about hiding in his office during the NLDS celebration. Last year, Manuel celebrated the “big one” leading the team to a World Championship. This year, his team will try to repeat after they finished the season with a 93-69 record.

The Dodgers won the season series, 4-3. If not for two blown saves by Brad Lidge, the Phillies would have won the series. Manuel has shown respect by putting Lidge in for the final out of a clinching situation, but it is still unsure who will close games. Manuel "stuck to his closer" all year, which questioned how he managed the bullpen. Some moves this postseason have been controversial, such as bringing in Joe Blanton and J.A Happ from the bullpen in game two of the NLDS.

Manuel has made it known that he goes with his "gut-feeling." He closely studies matchups between a hitter and pitcher. Most of the time, his "gut-feeling" works; ask Matt Stairs. Manuel's benching of Jimmy Rollins in late June proved to be genius since Rollins turned around his struggles.

At times, Torre mismanaged his bullpen, however the Dodgers' 3.14 relief ERA ranks first in the National League. Overall, their staff collected a 3.41 ERA, and a lot of credit can go to pitching coach Rick Honeycutt. The Phillies had a 4.16 ERA this season. Rich Dubee's many trips to the mound proved to settle down pitchers, helping them work through jams.

Like Honeycutt, Don Mattingly deserves to be praised. The Dodgers offense improved from last year, despite losing Manny Ramirez to a 50-game suspension. The team's .270 average, 145 home runs, and 780 runs are up from 2008's .264 average, 137 home runs, and 700 runs. Andre Eithier and Matt Kemp had career years, but the Dodgers' offense doesn't quite compare to the one behind Milt Thompson and Manuel. The Phillies strike out a lot and haven't done well with runners in scoring position, but improved during the Division Series. The Phillies batted .361 with RISP and struck out only eight times in the four NLDS games.

There are familiar faces at the corners: Mariano Duncan coaching first and the firey Larry Bowa at third. The Dodgers ranked third in stolen bases, and fourth in runs scored, which can somewhat be credited to those two men. However, the jobs done by Davy Lopes and Sam Perlozzo do not compare. The Phillies stole 119 bases (2nd) and scored 820 runs (1st). Lopes has done a tremendous job improving the players' baserunning abilities. Lopes' simple formula calculates the times of runners, pitchers and catchers, knowing the perfect time to run. The results showed; Chase Utley was not caught at all this season. Heck, even Ryan Howard stealing 8 bases shows what kind of job Lopes has done. Perlozzo knows when to send a runner. He is agressive, but has not made bad decisions like Steve Smith last season. Perlozzo also improved Howard's defense substantially.

Both Torre and Manuel have an old school style of managing, but they know how to win. Torre has made sure that there are no distractions with "Mannywood." Manuel, a player's manager, has kept this team close-knit, but will also put a fire under their belts when they needed it. One move can change the outcome of the game. Although they aren't the ones on the field, these two managers have a lot of work ahead of them.

Blog of Note: More Hardball made a photoshopped collection of some noun/literal Phillies players baseball cards. Cards includes Antonio Bastardo, Clay Condrey, Andrew Carpenter, Scott Eyre,Chan Ho Park, Paul Hoover, Drew Naylor, Matt Stairs, Tyler Walker, Ben Francisco, Miguel Cairo, and Jayson Werth.

Is There An Answer?

Originally featured on Phillies Nation.

On Wednesday night, Brad Lidge blew his league leading, eleventh save of the year. Should Brad Lidge continue to close? Most of us can agree that the answer is no. The question remains: who should fill his role? There is no answer; at least I don't have one.

Lidge can not continue to close games, but he will. Charlie insists on "sticking to his guy." Many believe that Lidge will be left off the postseason roster, but I do not see it happening. He deserves to be, but if Manuel is letting him close this late in the season, I doubt Lidge will be excluded during the playoffs.

Ryan Madson has struggled in the closer's role, blowing six saves. He was not much better when he filled in for Lidge. He is like LaTroy Hawkins. He can't close, but is a decent set-up man.

Brett Myers is hurt, as well as J.C Romero and Chan Ho Park. The Phillies don't envision Tyler Walker, Chad Durbin or Sergio Escalona as closers.

Phillies Nation mentioned that J.A Happ could close. It would be worth a shot and it is a strong possibility. At this point, anybody is better than Lidge, but no thank you. I think it could work out for the short term, but not for the long term. He doesn't have a go-to strikeout pitch like Lidge's slider (when it's good). I was never a fan of Happ relieving from the beginning. I'd rather get 6+ scoreless innings from Happ than one.

The closing situation is a big issue. It will be impossible for the Phillies to go deep into the postseason with this reoccurring nightmare. The bullpen is a problem, but answers are scarce.

A Healthy Offensive Mix

As seen on Phillies Nation.

Brad Lidge’s struggles are well documented. Before the game, Charlie Manuel discussed Lidge’s fate. Unsure if Lidge would pitch in the next save opportunity, Manuel said he would go with his gut feeling. It was not the prettiest game, but the Phillies edged the Nationals 6-5. The Phillies played small ball and long ball to beat the Nationals.

Cliff Lee looked like Cy Young during his first five starts with the Phillies. Since, he has cooled off. He was not as bad as he was in his last two starts, but he was not the Cliff Lee that we’re accustomed to seeing. He pitched seven innings and did not walk a batter. On the other hand, he gave up five runs (four earned) on ten hits. Five hits went for extra bases.

Adam Dunn’s RBI single gave the Nats an early lead, but Jayson Werth quickly tied it with a single of his own. The Phillies have been struggling getting the little-big hit, but leave it to Lee to help his own cause. Lee singled, collecting his first career RBI. It gave the Phillies a 2-1 lead in the second inning.

Raul Ibanez continued his Nat swatting. His RBI double gave the Philliesa 4-1 lead. Ibanez is now 5-for-9 with three runs batted in during this series.

They are already eliminated from playoff contention, but the Nationals don’t quit. Phillies/Nationals games are always close. As expected, the Nationals fought back. Dunn’s RBI single made it a one-run game. Jorge Padilla’s bunt single barely stayed fair, and all of a sudden the Nationals had runners at the corners with one out. Christian Guzman looked like he had grounded into the inning-ending twin killing, however Chase Utley was unable to handle the late flip from Jimmy Rollins. Tie game.

Jayson Werth has displayed his power throughout the year, reaching the second deck at Citizens Bank Park and Rogers Centre. Once again, he reached new heights. Werth hit a towering drive to straight away center field to give the Phillies the lead. Pedro Feliz immediately followed with a solo home run of his own, to make it back-to-back jacks.

Trying to make his job easier, Manuel tried to stretch Lee through eight innings. However, the first two batters reached base, forcing Manuel to go to Chan Ho Park. Park allowed a walk, loading the bases with nobody out. Pete Orr’s sacrifice fly put the Nationals within one. That was all Park would give up, avoiding further damage.

Ryan Madson was called on to close. Although he converted Tuesday’s save, Madson previously struggled as a closer. Justin Maxwell greeted him with a single and stole a base. Madson was firing 98 mph fastballs, and struck out Guzman. Maxwell was dancing off second when Dunn lined a shot to Utley. Utley caught it, and flipped to Rollins covering second base. Maxwell was doubled off, ending the game.

With the victory, the Phillies have not only won their second game in a row, but clinched the series. Manuel’s gut feeling worked. They’ll look to sweep the Nationals tomorrow.

A Baseball Date

Philadelphia Phillies (78-58) at Washington Nationals (47-91)
Cliff Lee (12-11, 3.06 ERA) vs. Garrett Mock (3-7, 5.63 ERA)

It's a perfect date for baseball: 9/9/09. Nine innings. Nine men on the field. Who knows, maybe Miguel Cairo (#9) will come up clutch off the bench.

Cliff Lee would like to get all 27 outs, something he has done twice in a Phillies uniform. Lee's first five starts raised his expectations through the roof. However, Lee has been roughed up in his last two starts, allowing 12 runs in eight innings. Lee has a chance to rebound against the NL East bottom-feeders.

Lee will be opposed by Garrett Mock. In five innings in relief, Mock has allowed five earned runs against the Phillies this season.

Last night, Brad Lidge almost blew another save. Charlie Manuel said that he was going to stick to his closer, but if the Phillies are in another save situation, we may or may not see Lidge. Manuel said he is uncertain that Lidge will close in team's next save situation. "I'll just go with how I feel," Manuel said, regarding who will close.

Tonight's Lineup: Rollins (SS)/ Victorino (CF)/ Utley (2B)/ Howard (1B)/ Ibanez (LF)/ Werth (RF)/ Feliz (3B)/ Bako (C)/ Lee (P).

Call of the Day: 12 years ago today, Richie Ashburn passed away.

Solo Shots Lift Phils

As seen on Phillies Nation.

Brad Lidge was on the verge of blowing his eleventh save. Almost. When the lead-off runner reaches base, trouble is ahead. This time Charlie Manuel lost his patience and pulled Lidge. But would Ryan Madson escape the bases-loaded, one out jam with Ryan Zimmerman and Adam Dunn due up?

Before the ninth inning drama, Pedro Martinez pitched another gem. A strike away from finishing the seventh inning, Martinez allowed a solo home run to Willie Harris. Manuel called to the 'pen, but Martinez made the best of his 119 pitches. In 6.2 innings, he allowed three runs on seven hits. He walked one and struck out four.

Once again, the offense started slowly. The bats would wake up. Raul Ibanez loves to beat up the Nats. He homered to put the Phillies on the board in the fifth inning. In the seventh, Jayson Werth hit his 32nd home run of the year. Ibanez homered again, going back-to-back with Werth. Not only did Ibanez's two homers give the Phillies the lead, but they upped his home run total to 30. After Pedro Feliz grounded out, Carlos Ruiz homered. The Phillies hit three home runs in the seventh inning. For the first time in 70 innings, the Phillies had a lead larger than one run.

The lead didn't last long thanks to Harris' homer, but Chase Utley returned the favor with a solo shot down the right field line. Like Ibanez, the homer was Utley's 30th of the year. The Phillies now have four players with at least 30 homers (Ryan Howard, Werth, Ibanez, Utley).

All of the Phillies five runs came on solo home runs. The last time the Phillies had five solo home runs in a game was in 1999.

Then it became interesting. Charlie Manuel has made it clear that Brad Lidge is his closer. He may have finally changed his mind. Lidge loaded the bases with one out. The eventual outcome was pretty obvious. Manuel had enough, and made the call to Ryan Madson. Madson fired 96 mph fastballs before striking out Zimmerman on a changeup. Adam Dunn hit a grounder into the shift to end the game. Phillies win, 5-3. Pedro collected the win, and Madson recorded the save.

For the first time in September, the Phillies scored more than four runs. The Phillies halted their four game losing streak, but the question remains: has Charlie lost his faith in his closer?

Hot Streak Related To Benching?

Also featured on Phillies Nation.

June 24th was the last game Jimmy Rollins played before being bench by Charlie Manuel. At the time, Rollins was hitting .211 with a .254 on-base percentage and .328 slugging percentage. Despite his magnificent defense, Rollins wasn’t helping team; he was hurting them. Manuel benched him hoping that Rollins would clear his mind and come back fresh.

When Rollins returned on June 30, he went 0-for-5 against the Braves. He followed it up by going 0-for-3 in the next night. It appeared the benching didn’t help Rollins as his average plummeted to .205.

However, since July 2nd, Rollins’ production has increased by hitting .358 (19-for-his-last-53) with one home run. In addition, he has seven multi-hit games in a 13 game span. His numbers raised to .231/.286/.356. They are still bad, but the phrase “as JRoll goes, the Phillies go” is appropriate. After a June swoon, the Phillies are 11-3 in July.

Was Rollins due for hot streak, or is Charlie Manuel a genius by benching Rollins? (Or was it Chipper's bat?)

All Star Game Preview

The American League (36-41-2) will play the National League (41-36-2) tonight at Busch Stadium.

NL Lineup: Hanley Ramirez (SS)/ Chase Utley (2B)/ Albert Pujols (1B)/ Braun (RF)/ Raul Ibanez (LF)/ David Wright (3B)/ Shane Victorino (CF)/ Yadier Molina (C)/ Tim Lincecum (P).

AL Lineup: Ichiro Suzuki (RF)/Derek Jeter (SS)/ Joe Mauer (C)/ Mark Teixeira (1B)/ Jason Bay (LF)/ Josh Hamilton (CF)/ Evan Longoria (3B)/Aaron Hill (2B)/Roy Halladay (P).

Many of the best players in baseball meet up for the 80th Mid-Summer Classic! Charlie Manuel will be coaching the National League. Phillies managers are 5-0 all time in All Star Games. Manuel will look to make it 6-0 and stop the American League's streak of 11 consecutive wins (plus one tie).

There are five Phillies on the NL roster; starters Chase Utley, Raul Ibanez, Shane Victorino, and reserves Ryan Howard and Jayson Werth. The last time the Phillies had five All Stars was in 1995.

This one counts.

Is Benching Going to Help JRoll?

Originally featured on Phillies Nation.

After being benched for four straight games, Jimmy Rollins will be back in the starting lineup on Tuesday. Instead of giving Rollins a double-whammy by moving him down in the batting order, Rollins will return as the lead-off hitter.

Rollins had been struggling all season long, showing no signs of coming out of his slump. He has had some success when moved down in the lineup, however Charlie Manuel insisted that Rollins is the Phillies lead-off man and that he needed time to clear his mind and start fresh.

Manuel told Rollins he did not need to take batting practice. Rollins shagged fly balls on the first day, hit in the cages on the second day, and fielded grounders on the fourth day.

Manuel and Rollins have had numerous and long conversations, but Rollins has declined to comment publicly on the situation.

"I think it [helped him]," Manuel said. "That's why I wanted to do it. I think it's going to help. We'll see the way he performs and the way he goes about playing."

From the information gathered, it doesn't appear Rollins studied film, or focused on fixing his mechanics. The benching served as a mental break more than anything. Charlie Manuel knows his players, but how will the benching help Rollins?

Rollins Shouldn't Lead-Off

Originally featured on Phillies Nation.

Jimmy Rollins’ struggles in the lead-off position question whether manager Charlie Manuel should move Rollins down in the lineup. However, Manuel insists to keep Rollins as the lead-off hitter, a place he has hit his entire career.

Rollins is batting only .198 out of the lead-off spot. His on-base percentage is .257, terrible for a lead-off batter. He is also slugging a disappointing .332.

In games Rollins has not led off, he is batting .409 in 22 at-bats. He has as many home runs in those 22 at bats (3) as he does in 273 as a lead-off man. When batting sixth, Rollins is 5-for-8.

It isn’t like the Phillies have nobody else to lead-off. Shane Victorino has experience as a lead-off hitter.

Rollins’ struggles are frustrating because we know the type of play he is capable of after having his MVP season in 2007. In order for him to start hitting again, he should be moved down the order.

Phillies Swept To End Homestand

As seen on Phillies Nation.

The Baltimore Orioles beat the Phillies 2-1 to complete the three game sweep.

Cole Hamels was outstanding. In eight innings, he allowed two earned runs on nine hits. He did not walk a batter and struck out ten. However, he was tacked with the loss as the Phillies could not provide run support.

Greg Dobbs put the Phillies on the board in the second inning with a solo shot, but that was all the Phillies managed to get off of Jeremy Guthrie. In seven innings, Guthrie limited the Phillies to only three hits including Dobbs’ home run.

The Orioles scored their only two runs on a bloop single by Adam Jones and an eighth inning RBI double off the bat of Brian Roberts.

In the bottom of the eighth, Charlie Manuel was ejected after arguing a call. Jimmy Rollins avoided a tag, however was called out. It proved to hurt the Phillies because Shane Victorino followed with a double that Rollins would have scored on. However, the Phillies had other opportunities to score throughout the entire game.

The Phillies finished their homestand a pathetic 1-8, finding a different way to lose each game. After an off-day Monday, the Phillies will look to redeem themselves on the road, where they are a Major League best 23-9.

What's Wrong With Lidge: The Sequel

Despite blowing six saves this season, including two in a row, Charlie Manuel says that Brad Lidge "will always be his guy."

"His stuff is good. There’s nothing wrong with his stuff. I think it’s important
for him to keep his confidence. I think the opposite of how some other people
think. My way of thinking is if you rest him or do something else with him or
put him somewhere else, I think that can hurt his confidence. I’m speaking right
from my heart. That’s how I look at it because I played 20 years. I think I do
know a little bit about it. His stuff is still good."

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Joe Toree thinks Lidge's problem is his location.

"Last year he was unhittable. I don't know if anybody has gone as perfect as he
did last year. But human beings play this game. His stuff looks good. It looks
quality. He makes good pitches. Right now he's just going through a bad streak."

However, the situation is becoming all to familiar for Brad Lidge. With the Houston Astros, he had a great year, followed by struggles before being traded to Philadelphia.

"The results are starting to frustrate me," he said. "It just seems to be one
thing. [Saturday] it was the slider [Andre Eithier] hit. I don't know. I feel
good, but I know something needs to change in terms of results. You've just got
to get it done, and right now for whatever reason it's not happening."

Even though Ryan Madson has a 2.30 ERA this season, the Phillies look to be sticking with Lidge, for now.

QUOTE SOURCE: The Zo Zone

Call of the Day: Manny Trillo hit a huge triple in the 1980 NLCS.

"One strike pitch.. Trillo a line drive! Fair ball, left field
line! (Runner) Scores.. (Runner) being waved around! He's going to
score! Manny Trillo has got a triple! Phillies lead it 7-5! What a
come back by the Phightin' Phils!"

Too Much Love For Phils, Not Enough for Raul

The Philadelphia fans have acted as a tenth player throughout the years. Just 9-13 at home, Charlie Manuel says the Phillies may be trying to do too much, but also has a message for the passionate Phillies fans.

"I notice sometimes when they're talking to us around the dugout, they're
always talking about last year and thanking us for winning and all that,"
Charlie Manuel said. "Of course, they're enjoying the game and they love us, but... well, maybe they should get on us a little bit."

"If you notice, our fans are still into everything. They fill our ballpark
up. And they stay. And that's good. I want them to keep coming to the
games. But I want our fans to start telling them, 'Hey, look: We've got to
win this year, too.'"

While the Phillies have been getting love, Raul Ibanez hasn't in terms of All Star voting. The best player in baseball this season is only sixth in the voting for outfield behind Ryan Braun, Alfonso Soriano, Carlos Beltran, Manny Ramirez and Mike Cameron.

While the break isn't for over a month and it may be still early to vote (I'll wait until the end of June), Raul is definitely a deserving starting All Star to this point.

Chase Utley is the leading second baseman for the National League. Ryan Howard and Jimmy Rollins both rank third among their positions.

QUOTE SOURCE: Philly.com

Manuel Speaks Out

The first few weeks of the season haven't gone the way the Phillies wanted. The pitching staff has been one of the worst staffs and baseball, the offense has had its ups and downs, as the Phillies are 5-6.

The Phillies had multiple off the field distractions and tragedies. During the offseason, they focused on their title. When the season came around, they continued celebrating the 2008 World Series with pre-game ceremonies. They mourned the loss of Harry Kalas and had multiple rain outs. They haven't been able to get on a roll, but when they had a chance too, something broke it up, and Charlie Manuel expressed his concerns.

"We haven't gotten in sync yet," Manuel. "But also, we've got some real good
players. We've got some very professional players. We've got some players that
love the game just like they always did. But we've also got some guys who need
to look back and think about how we got there and what we did to be a winning
team. I think that sometimes you can do things to get away from the fact that
the game is the first priority and winning the game is the first priority. The
game counts more than anything."

"I've seen some differences in guys.
I've seen some differences in the way guys go about their business. I've seen
some differences in how they act. Cockiness sometimes is good, but it's kind of
how you handle things, too. I've seen some changes. I've seen differences in a
lot of people around here, too."

Manuel said he didn't need to address the team or players individually, but wouldn't mention names, and didn't say if the changes were for better or for worse. Jimmy Rollins doesn't notice much of a change.

"We just haven't put the W's and the L's in the right order yet. We're still
playing solid baseball at times. It probably doesn't look that way because it
seems like we're behind a lot. That'll come around. Charlie's in the back a lot. He
comes in after the games. Sometimes managers just see things much differently
than everyone else. They have a lot of pressure on them."

Cole Hamels was the first to admit that he hasn't done well, and is taking the blame.

"I should be ready, and by not being ready I'm jeopardizing the team," Hamels said. "I think
that's what I've done the last two starts because I pretty much didn't fulfill
my end of the bargain and get ready the way I should have."

QUOTE SOURCE: Phillies.com, Philly.com

Manuel's Absence Revealed

Charlie Manuel was absent from Saturday’s and Tuesday’s game for undisclosed personal reasons. It turns out that the undisclosed reason is that he was preparing for a colonoscopy.

Manuel suffered from diverticulitis ten years ago and stressed that a colonoscopy is a routine procedure for those who have suffered from the serious colon condition.

Manuel is unsure when the procedure will occur, however says he feels fine and the reports are good.

Year In Review: August

The playoff race entered August, the dog days of summer.

Rudy Seanez was placed on the disabled list after injuring his shoulder on a diving tag play at first base. The Phillies soon acquired Scott Eyre, a left hander who had been released by the Chicago Cubs.

Pedro Feliz and Geoff Jenkins returned from the DL in August. Later in the month, the Phillies acquired Matt Stairs from the Toronto Blue Jays for Fabio Castro.

The big games:

August 8: Pat Burrell tied the game in the 8th inning with an RBI single against the St. Louis Cardinals. Later in the inning, Shane Victorino hit a 3 run home run to give the Phillies the lead. The Phillies hung on to win the game 5-4.

August 11-14: 4 games in L.A, 4 losses in L.A. The Phillies were swept by the Los Angeles Dodgers, all in close games. The Phillies lost most of those games in the late innings, the few games in which the bullpen did not hold up and were not able to turn the ball over to Brad Lidge. In game 3, Nomar Garciaparra hit a walk off home run off Clay Condrey.

August 22-25: A week after being swept by the Dodgers, the Phillies redeemed themselves. The Phillies blew out the Dodgers in the first 2 games. Game 3 lasted 11 innings. The Phillies were down 2-1 in the 9th inning. Pedro Feliz, who did not start the game, singled to drive in the tying run. In the 11th, Feliz struck again, but with a 3 run walk off home run as the Phillies won 5-2. On the 25th, Myers pitched 7 shutout innings as the Phillies swept the Dodgers at home.

August 26: The Phillies were down 7-0 against the New York Mets. Jamie Moyer struggled, allowing 6 earned runs. However, the Phillies started to come back slowly off Pedro Martinez, who lasted just 5 innings. Rollins and Howard each homered to put the Phillies closer. Down 7-6 With 2 outs in the 9th inning, Jayson Werth singled to get things started. Eric Bruntlett doubled to the gap in right center field as Werth scored, tying the game. In the 13th inning with bases loaded and one out, Chris Coste smoked the ball to straight away center field. Victorino scored the winning run in the Phillies 8-7 come back win.

Other highlights:

August 9: With a 3-1 lead, and one out away from finishing the 8th inning, Charlie Manuel decided that Brett Myers was finished for the evening. Myers left the mound with a few words. Manuel confronted Myers in the dugout, and the two exchanged words, but it was all over after the game.

August 10: Chase Utley breaks the tie in the 7th inning with a 2 run home run to help captivate a Phillies win. How can we forget Jamie Moyer hustling down first base running over umpire Randy Marsh?

August 15: In a game for the ages, Jamie Moyer beat Greg Maddux in a 1-0 pitchers duel in San Diego.

August 19: Tied at 4 in the 8th inning, Jayson Werth hit a solo home run to give the Phillies the lead. As usual, the Phillies held on in the 9th inning to win.

August 20: Brett Myers pitched a complete game shutout against the Washington Nationals. Myers had a season best, 1.65 ERA in the month of August.

As a team, the Phillies did not hit well, batting .231 as a team. The pitching staff collected a 3.34 ERA. The Phillies managed to win games, entering the month of September one game back from the National League East.

Mets Sign K-Rod; Other Updates

The Winter Meatings have begun and teams have already made significant moves.

The New York Mets are close to finalizing a deal with the single season all time saves leader, Francisco Rodriguez. The deal is reportedly worth $37 million over 3 seasons, much less than what K-Rod was expected to get.


K-Rod completed 62 saves in 2008, passing Bobby Thigpen's record set in 1988 at 59 saves. In his career, K-Rod has a 2.35 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, and 587 SO in 451.2 IP (an average of 11.70 K/9). Opponents have hit just .186 off the 26 year old.

So, what does this mean for Phillies fans? Obviously, K-Rod is a great closer, but can be overrated due to his saves. Don't fall into the saves stat too much as its more team dependent than originally thought. K-Rod will only help the Met's bullpen, but the Mets still have to get to K-Rod, as they still need to improve their bullpen. As long as the Mets opponent is winning, Franky Rodriguez won't get into the game.

Another Major League closer is close to a deal. Kerry Wood. Wood, former Cub, Rookie of the Year, and starter who once threw 20 strikeouts in one game, is close to a deal with the Cleveland Indians. Wood has been bothered his entire career with injuries, but the Indians are taking a chance with him.

Former Indian, Casey Blake signed a 3 year deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The 35 year old third basemen is a career .264 hitter.

The Cincinatti Reds traded Ryan Freel, minor leaguers Justin Turner and Brandon Waring for Ramon Hernandez. In 2008, Hernandez batted .257 with15 HR and 65 RBI. Freel missed a lot of time do to injury.

The Red Sox appear to be making a big push toward free agent Mark Teixeira. As for CC Sabathia, the Los Angeles Angels and San Francisco Giants are interested. Count So Taguchi off the Astors list.. They aren't interested.

In Phillies news, the Phillies picked up Charlie Manuel's 2010 option. Manuel will manage the Phillies through 2010. The Phillies, along with the Yankees, appear to be the big suitors for Derek Lowe. Another rumor involves the Phillies getting Mark Derosa in a 3 way trade in which the Cubs would get Jake Peavy. J.A. Happ or Chris Coste would be traded for DeRosa.

That is the latest from the hot stove as it keeps heating up.

Mixed Emotions

Every single emotion possible was expressed today at Citizen's Bank Park. Whether it was excitement before the game, the laughter during the game, the nerves in the 9th inning, the happiness of a win, or the tears of sadness in the Phillies clubhouse, every emotion was felt at The Bank.

Charlie Manuel managed the game heavy hearted after he found out about the loss of his 85 year old mother. Manuel was the oldest of 11 children. His father committed suicide when Charlie was just 19 years old. Manuel, who is known to get emotional after the Phillies clinched, was tough today as he managed the game. He did not address the media, and its unsure whether Manuel will join the team in Los Angeles.

The players wanted to win this one for their manager. Charlie has been there for them all year, and this would be a way the players could give back to him. The Phillies would need some help from Brett Myers, Friday's starter for the Phillies. Myers would have to limit Manny Ramirez and the Dodgers in order to have a good game, as the Phillies faced Dodgers ace, Chad Billingsley.

Myers' curveball to start the game was excellent. As the game went on, he lost some of his command.

The Dodgers were the first to score as Blake Dewitt grounded out after Andre Eithier singled, and James Loney doubled off the right field wall. The Dodgers took a 1-0 lead, but it did not last very long.

In the bottom of the second, Greg Dobbs reached with a 2 out singled under the glove of shortstop Rafeal Furcal. Carlos Ruiz followed with a double in the gap that scored Dobbs to tie the game.

Brett Myers, who had an amazing at bat that against CC Sabathia in game 2 of the NLDS which led to Shane Victorion's homerun, was at it again. This time on the first pitch, Brett slapped a single into right center field which scored Carlos Ruiz.

The hit parade started, and the Phillies batted around on a 2 out rally. Rollins and Victorino each singled, and the Phillies took a 4-1 lead. In the process, Myers even went first to third, despite almost tripping over his own feet.

The Dodgers would get a run back on a James Loney RBI single.

The Phillies answered back in the bottom half of the third. Myers wasn't done. With one out, Myers hit a single past the drawn in, diving James Loney which scored 2 runs. Shane Victorino followed with a triple, and the Phillies had a comfortable 8-2 lead.

Once again, the Dodgers responded in some way. Myers looked as if he got through an easy 4th inning, until Furcal reached first on a drop third strike. 2 batters later, Manny Ramirez hit a 3 run homerun just over the fence, and just like that, it was a ball game again.

In the first inning, Myers threw behind Manny. Manny wasn't a happy camper, but Brett insisted he was trying to throw hard and pitch inside, and the ball simply slipped. Either way, Manny got a little revenge.

Myers lasted just 5 innings, as he gave up 5 earned runs. He may have been gassed after running the bases. After the game, he also said he sprained his ankle a bit after he went from first to third. Myers gave up 5 hits and 4 walks. He struck out 6.

The highlight of Brett's night was not on the mound. It came at the plate. Myers had only 4 hits in the entire season this year. He matched that total in 5 postseason at bats. Myers is 4/5 with 4 RBI this postseason. He has more hits in the NLCS than Ryan Howard does.

Watching Myers hit was hilarious, and he knew it. His reactions were priceless. He shrugged his shoulders after he reached first base implying that he had no idea how he hit the ball. In the dugout, he put his hands over his eyes as he made a swinging motion showing how he hit.

The Phillies bullpen did their job holding the Dodgers to just 1 hit. The Dodgers had a chance to do some damage with 2 on and 2 out for Casey Blake. Blake hit a deep fly ball to center field, however Victorino made an outstanding catch as he leaped up against the wall.

Like the Phillies bullpen, the Dodgers bullpen was lights out as well. The Phillies did not manage any runs off their bullpen.

Brad Lidge made it interesting in the 9th inning. He walked 2 batters, and with one out, the tying run was at the plate. Luckily, he escaped the jam as he struck out the side to earn the save to give the Phillies the victory, and a 2-0 National League Championship Series victory.

The game lasted 3 hours and 33 minutes, although the 2nd and 3rd inning took up a good portion of that time.

The Phillies were excited that he got the win for their heavy hearted manager, but moments after the game, the Phillies learned that one of their players would be down. Shane Victorino learned that his grandmother had passed away during the day.

The Phillies teammates are there for Manuel, Victorino, and their families. The Phillies are a close knit group, and they feel as if they lost someone to their own family. Our condolences to Manuel and Victorino.

Obviously upset after the game from the passing, Victorino said maybe his grandmother or Charlie's mom helped him make his catch.

Emotions flew high all around Philadelphia. Excitement, happiness, laughter, nerves, sadness. Every emotion, you name name it, occurred in South Philly. A roller coaster of emotions indeed.

The Reaction

Too boo, or not to boo? That is the question. For Jimmy Rollins, there was a little bit of both.

When first announced, Rollins got a mixed reaction from the fans. He received boos with some cheers mixed in. Some even gave him a standing ovation.

The boos got louder for Jimmy as the game went on. Rollins went 0-4, including a ground out into a double play.

For Jimmy Rollins, the boos don't affect him.

"You go up and you're on deck and people are already on you, talking to
you. If you go up there and getting booed, sometimes it gets hard to concentrate
on what you need to do..."

"Then, instead of your concentration being on what you need to do, you
might lose it for literally a split second. That's all the time you get to swing
a bat, and that results in an out. Not that you wouldn't make an out if you were
100 percent concentrated, but it's just the added things that make it more
difficult..."

Manager Charlie Manuel felt that the fans here aren't much different than fans from any other fan base.

"Fans have been here all summer," Manuel said. "They stay until the game is
over. That's what baseball is supposed to be about. I've said this before, the
only difference I see [in Philadelphia fans] is they swear more here. Outside
that, they're the same. In Japan, they're a little bit quieter, but they'll
throw balls at you."

Manuel feels that Jimmy Rollins will be able to handle the attention around him during this time.

"Some guys can handle it better," Manuel said. "If you can focus on what
you're doing, you can completely block it out. You don't hear it. It's like
grabbing a shell off a beach, it's just a roar. Every now and then, when it gets
quiet and you're coming off the field, and somebody yells at you, you hear it.
Outside of that, you don't hear nothing."

I'll have to agree with the manager on this one.

QUOTE SOURCE-Phillies.com

Big "W"

It didn't take long before the Phillies ended their 23 scoreless inning streak.

Jimmy Rollins led off the bottom of the 1st with a leadoff triple. The next batter, Shane Victorino, doubled in Rollins. Ryan Howard would drive in Victorino to give the Phillies an early 2-0 lead. Brett Myers and the Phillies wouldn't look back.

Myers pitched excellent. He pitched 7.2 innings allowing just 1 earned run on 5 hits, and just one walk. He struck out 6. His command was excellent, and his curveball was filthy and effective.
Leading 4-1, with 2 outs and a runner on first in the 8th, Charlie Manuel made the call to take Myers out and go to J.C Romero. Myers was not happy about being taken out. He tipped his cap high to a standing ovation as he walked off the field. He was upset and cursing that he was lifted. Charlie wasn't happy about Brett's reaction and had a few words for him in the dugout. Charlie and Brett got into a heated argument, up in each others faces, and hitting coach Milt Thompson had restrain Charlie from Brett.

This fire from Brett might actually be a good thing. This is the fire Brett Myers lacked before he was sent down to the minors, in the first half of the year. Now he has his swagger back, and pitching well. When he's mad, he's an effective pitcher.

Romero would get out of the inning, and Chad Durbin would give up a run in the 9th, but get the save for the Phillies as they won 4-2.