Phillies News & Notes

There are only 137 days until opening day, but there is still plenty of Phillies news during the off season.

The Phillies added Quintin Berry (OF), Yohan Flande (LHP) and Jesus Sanchez (RHP) to the 40-man roster.

Chan Ho Park wants to start in 2010. Park had his eyes on starting entering 2009. It didn’t work out for him, as he lost his starting job to J.A Happ. Park, a free agent, posted a 2.52 ERA out of the bullpen in 2009. The Phillies could use him back — as a reliever.

The Phillies are the favorites to land Mark DeRosa, but don’t buy into this too much. Weren’t the Phillies the “favorites” to land Roy Halladay? There are still other options: Chone Figgins, Placido Polanco, Adrian Betlre, etc. Pedro Feliz isn’t out of the picture either.

Pedro Martinez intends to pitch in 2010, but this time for the entire season. Pedro spent half of the season in the Dominican Republic, and he wasn’t happy about that. As of now, the Phillies fifth starter is Jamie Moyer (by the way, happy 47th birthday, Jamie!), but the Phillies could bring him back for 2010.

WS Game 6 Preview

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Philadelphia Phillies (2-3) at New York Yankees (3-2)

Pedro Martinez, RHP, vs. Andy Pettitte, LHP.

Once again, it's do or die. Cliff Lee and Chase Utley pushed this series to Game 6. Now, Pedro Martinez is handed the ball, needing to further extend the series. A win evens the series and keeps the Phillies' hopes of repeating alive.

Pedro Martinez lost to the Yankees in Game 2, but he pitched very well. He gave up three runs in six innings, but this is the type of situation "the most influential player that ever stepped into Yankee Stadium" thrives.

The Phillies owe Pedro. He has been excellent during the postseason, but the Phillies failed to provide him with run support. Chase Utley brings in a hot bat and could break Reggie Jackson's World Series home run record. Jayson Werth hit two home runs off Pettitte earlier this series.

Unlike Pedro who is pitching on normal rest, Andy Pettitte is pitching on three days' rest. In his career, Pettitte is 4-6 with a 4.15 ERA on short rest, with his last appearance coming in 2006. Pettitte has been perfect (wins-wise) this postseason. He won both clinching games of the postseason this year, and he has a chance for another.

It's a must-in. Keep the high hopes!

Phillies Lineup: Shane Victorino is in the lineup despite having a bruised finger. Raul Ibanez will DH with Ben Francisco in left. Pedro Feliz is batting seventh.

Rollins (SS), Victorino (CF), Utley (2B), Howard (1B), Werth (RF), Ibanez (DH), Feliz (3B), Francisco (LF), Ruiz (C).

Yankees Lineup: Jeter (SS), Damon (LF), Teixeira (1B), Rodriguez (3B), Matsui (DH), Posada (C), Cano (2B), Swisher (RF), Gardner (CF).

Game 3 Postponed

Game three of the National League Division Series between the Philadelphia Phillies and Colorado Rockies has been postponed due to snow.

The game is rescheduled for Sunday night at 10:07 p.m EST. Game four has been moved to Monday.

The postponement could turn out to be a good thing for the Phillies. Pedro Martinez was originally slated, but J.A Happ will start tomorrow. Also, Cliff Lee will have enough rest to make him a possibility to start on Monday.

Jamie Moyer will be released from the hospital today. Moyer has been in the hospital since Wednesday due to a type of blood infection. Ruben Amaro Jr. said that Moyer is okay.

Blog of Note: We Should be GM's celebrated the end of the decade by putting together the "Team of the 2000's."

Call of the Day: Jimmy Rollins' first major league hit.

"Jimmy Rollins is going to have his first major league hit. Off the fence and
watch him fly! It's going to be a triple! Rollins... heading for third... Head
first slide. He's there with a triple!"

Pedro Injured in 6-4 Loss

As seen on Phillies Nation.

The Phillies scored four runs in the ninth inning, but came up short in their 6-4 loss to the Atlanta Braves.

Lately, players have been dropping like flies. For the second straight night, the Phillies lost their starting pitcher due to an injury. Pedro Martinez left the game after the third inning with stiffness in the right side of his neck. Martinez allowed three earned runs on seven hits. He walked one and struck out one during his three innings.

Matt Diaz broke the game open in the fifth inning with a two-run home run off Chad Durbin. In 2.2 innings, Durbin gave up three runs (2 earned).

Braves starter Javier Vazquez limited the Phillies to just three hits during his seven shutout innings.

The Braves had a 6-0 cushion headed into the ninth, but the Fightins rallied against Rafael Soriano. Ryan Howard put the Phillies on the board with his third home run of the series. Greg Dobbs and Jimmy Rollins each had RBI singles. However, with the tying run at first base, Ben Francisco flied out to end the threat and the game.

The loss ends the Phillies six-game winning streak. The Florida Marlins won, therefore the Phillies hold a seven game lead in the division. The Phillies are seven and a half games ahead of the Braves. The magic number remains at eight.

Pedro Means Rain

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Philadelphia Phillies (86-60) at Atlanta Braves (78-69)
Pedro Martinez (5-0, 2.87) vs. Javier Vazquez (13-9, 3.01)

Ryan Howard's big night and Kyle Kendrick's stellar relief appearance each played big roles in the Phillies' sixth consecutive win. The magic number stands at eight, as the Phillies close in on their third consecutive National League East crown.

Heavy rain is in the forecast, so that must mean that Pedro Martinez is on the mound. Lately, he has looked like the Pedro of old. Martinez is coming off a 130-pitch effort in his eight inning shutout against the New York Mets. Hoping Mother Nature does not strike, Pedro will try to improve to a perfect 6-0. Pedro's last start against the Braves was shortened due to rain.

Martinez will be opposed by Javier Vazquez. In his last three starts, he is 3-0 and has allowed two runs during that span. Against the Phillies this season, Vazquez is 1-1 with a 3.81 ERA. Ryan Howard, who homered twice last night, is batting .364 with two home runs against Vazquez this season.

Tonight's Lineup: Shane Victorino (gastrointestinal problems) and Carlos Ruiz (sprained wrist) are out of tonight's lineup.

Rollins (SS), Francisco (CF), Utley (2B), Howard (1B), Werth (RF), Ibanez (LF), Feliz (3B), Bako (C), Martinez P.

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?

Phils Seek Rebound

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Philadelphia Phillies (77-58) at Washington Nationals (47-90) Pedro Martinez (3-0, 3.52 ERA) vs. John Lannan (8-10, 4.09 ERA)

The Phillies look to rebound after being swept by the Houston Astros. Against the last place Washington Nationals, they have a fair chance. The Phillies are 10-2 against the Nationals this season. As a team, the Phillies are batting .305 with 19 home runs in 12 games against the Nationals. This is a perfect series for a struggling offense to resurrect.

Pedro Martinez out-dueled Tim Lincecum is his last start. Pedro may start off slow, but as the game moves along, he gets better. Martinez will be opposed by John Lannan. Lannan is 0-5 with a 5.86 ERA in his career against the Phillies. This year, he is 0-2 with a 5.17 ERA against them.

As always, the Phillies can't take this series lightly. Look what happened during the Pirates series. The Nationals seem to make games closer than they should be, but it is still a series that the Phils need to win.

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

We may not see Scott Eyre in relief tonight. He has a sharp pain in his pitching elbow, but is "not worried."

The Old Goat Beats The Freak

As seen on Phillies Nation.

Pedro Martinez is a three-time Cy Young Award winner. In his young career, Tim Lincecum already has one and is a legitimate contender for the award this season. Both pitchers proved why they have trophies on their mantles, but the Old Goat out-dueled The Freak.

On the very first pitch of the game, Eugenio Velez sent a fly ball into the right-center field seats. The Giants don't need much run support when Tim Lincecum is on the mound, who previously shutout the Phillies.

In the second inning, Jayson Werth hit his 30th home run of the year, an upper deck moonshot to left. The pitching took care of the rest.

Pedro struck out seven betters through the first three innings. He finished with nine strikeouts in seven innings. He allowed only one run on five hits. He did not walk a batter.

Lincecum was just as impressive, striking out eleven in seven innings. He gave up four hits and walked one, but Ryan Howard came up with the biggest hit of the night.

Chase Utley was plunked, which was followed by Howard's double into the right-center field gap. Utley hustled around the bases, scoring the go-ahead run.

It hasn't been easy when the game is left to the back end of the bullpen. Ryan Madson pitched a quick eighth inning, and it was up to Brad Lidge.

Lidge was able to get two quick outs and jump ahead 0-2 against Randy Winn, but Winn squeaked a single past the glove of a diving Chase Utley. Juan Uribe walked, and all of a sudden the go-ahead run was on base. Fred Lewis chopped a ball to second, but Utley played it perfectly and tagged out Uribe. Lidge secured his 28th save of the year, and third in a row.

The game flew, lasting only two hours and eight minutes. If you prefer pitchers' duels over slug-fests, then this was the series for you. Thanks to a stellar performance from a future Hall of Famer, the Phillies took the rubber-match of the series, 2-1. The Phillies only scored three runs during the entire series, but it was enough to take two out of three games.

No Rain In Forecast For Rubbermatch

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San Francisco Giants (73-60) at Philadelphia Phillies (76-54)
Tim Lincecum (13-4, 2.33) vs. Pedro Martinez (2-0, 4.50 ERA)

Pedro Martinez will be glad to hear that there is no rain in tonight's forecast. However, with Tim Lincecum on the mound, a long rain delay doesn't sound like a bad idea.

The Phillies bats need to wake up for the rubber match of the series. They've scored only one run during the entire series, and 11 in the last six games. It will not be easy to manufacture runs off, arguably, the best pitcher in the National League. Like Brad Penny last night, Lincecum pitched eight scoreless innings against the Phillies this season.

Ryan Howard has two home runs in his career against Lincecum. Randy Winn is 6-for-9 with 4 RBI against Pedro since 2004.

In case you have not seen David Wright's ridiculous looking helmet that is mandatory for all minor leaguers next season, don't be surprised to see Shane Victorino sporting a large, "Great Gazoo" type helmet. Victorino will be trying out the new helmet tonight. As usual, Shane will bat second in the lineup. Victorino is batting .267 with a home run in 15 at-bats against Lincecum.

Rain Delay Specialist Earns the Victory

As seen on Phillies Nation.

Call him the "Rain Delay Specialist." It was deja vu for Jamie Moyer, who relieved after Pedro Marinez's start was shortened due to rain. Thanks to Moyer, two Ryan Howard home runs, and a 1-2-3 Brad Lidge save, the Phillies beat the Atlanta Braves, 4-2.

After Martinez completed two scoreless frames, Howard hit an opposite field home run through the rain drops. With the rain falling at a steady pace, the tarp rolled out. After a brief delay, the tarp was removed even though it was raining heavier. The remainder of the inning was finished, but the tarp was put back on. A total of one hour and 48 minutes were delayed because of inclement weather.

Rain continued to fall throughout the evening, but not enough to pause play. Out of the bullpen, Moyer did his job. He pitched 4.1 innings, allowing one run on Matt Diaz's RBI double. He gave up four hits and struck out five. Since being demoted to the bullpen, Moyer has given up one run in 10.1 innings. He has struck out ten and hasn't walked a batter.

Howard (3-for-3) homered again, his 37th of the year. This time it was a two-run shot to center field. Pedro Feliz added a RBI bloop single in the seventh inning. With a 4-1 lead, Ryan Madson and Brad Lidge would have to close it out.

Ryan Madson got into a jam. He surrendered one run after allowing three hits and a walk. Adam LaRoche flied out for the final out of the inning, and the birthday boy escaped the bases loaded threat. There was only hope that Lidge would not blow his Major League leading tenth blown save.

With two quick outs, Lidge fell behind 2-0 to Diaz. He came back firing. Diaz chased the 2-2 slider, ending the game. Lidge secured his 26th save of the year. The win over the Braves extended the Phillies lead in the division to eight games.

Braves/Phillies Open Series

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Atlanta Braves (67-60) at Philadelphia Phillies (73-52)
Tommy Hanson (9-2, 3.12 ERA) vs. Pedro Martinez (2-0, 5.14 ERA)

Coming off a terrible series against the Pirates, the Phillies look to rebound against the Atlanta Braves, who sit seven games behind the Phillies in the National League East. Tonight is 70's night at The Bank and the Phillies would like to get a win, something they did 101 times during the 1977 regular season.

Pedro Martinez will start against the rookie phenom, Tommy Hanson. Martinez is coming off a win in which he allowed four runs in six innings. Martinez started off slowly, but improved as the game went on. Hanson will be one of J.A Happ's competitors for the 2009 Rookie of the Year campaign. He is 9-2 with a 3.12 ERA and 1.29 WHIP. Opponents are hitting .239 against him. He has allowed only 8 home runs, but he does average more air outs than ground outs. It will be interesting to see how he fares at Citizens Bank Park.

The offense is struggling for the Phillies, and it won't be easy to turn it around against the tough pitchers they will be facing during the series. Maybe a homecoming is exactly what they need to get the offense back on track.

Call of the Day: Jimmy Rollins extends his hitting streak.

"Ground ball, base hit. Jimmy Rollins has hit safely in 32 consecutive
games. An all time Phillies record."

Hated To Hero

Baseball is a crazy game. The totally unexpected happened from an unlikely source during the Phillies 9-7 win over the New York Mets. Eric Bruntlett had quite the eventful day, including a game ending unassisted triple play.

Before Pedro Martinez could take the mound, the Phillies threw up a six spot. Jayson Werth and Carlos Ruiz each hit three run home runs in the first inning against Oliver Perez.

Bad Ollie showed up. After allowing six earned runs on four hits and two walks in 2/3 of an inning, Jerry Manuel had enough. He pulled Perez in the middle of an at-bat, after falling behind 3-0 to Martinez.

Pedro wasn't completely dominant either-- at least to start. Angel Pagan led off with an inside the park home run. Unsure about Citi Field's ground rules, Shane Victorino raised his hand after the ball wedged under the padding. The umpires did not make a call, and Pagan rounded the bases. Raul Ibanez picked up the ball and threw it in, but it was too late. Even though it was beneath the padding, the ball was in play, according to the official rules. The Mets added another run on Jeff Francouer's RBI triple.

The Phillies tacked on runs with Martinez's RBI single, Jimmy Rollins' sacrifice fly, and a run scored by Matt Stairs on a couple wild pitches. But, the Mets kept adding on runs as well. Pagan homered again (this time over the fence), Daniel Murphy hit a RBI single and Anderson Hernandez's double kept it a close game, 9-6.

Pedro allowed four earned runs in six innings. He allowed seven hits, walked one, and struck out five of his former teammates. Pedro settled down after a rough first few innings; he retired the last six batters he faced.

With Chase Utley getting a regular day off, Eric Bruntlett got the start at second base. Not much is expected from Bruntlett, who entered today with a .128 average. He started off by going 3-for-3 and made some solid defensive plays.

In the bottom of the ninth, Bruntlett was robbed of his fourth hit. Jeff Francouer made a diving catch, but the umpire originally called it a trap. Heads up, Bruntlett hustled his way to third for a triple, but the play was overruled by third base umpire. It would have been a new career high for Bruntlett for most hits in a game.

Coming off a 1-2-3 save last night, Brad Lidge looked to make it back-to-back. Pagan grounded a single through the legs of Ryan Howard. On the error, Pagan advanced to third. Then, Bruntlett committed an error which scored Pagan. Next, Murphy grounded a single up the middle, booted by Bruntlett. Both of Bruntlett's miscues were plays that Utley would've made easily. The Mets were down two with two men on base and nobody out. With Lidge's struggles, the Mets were on their way to winning this thing.

On the 2-2 pitch, Castillo and Murphy were off. Covering second, Francouer lined a drive right at Bruntlett. Bruntlett stepped on second base for out number two. With Murphy on his way to second, Bruntlett applied the tag for the third out. An unbelievable, game-ending, unassisted triple play!

The last Phillie to turn an unassisted triple play was Mickey Morandini in 1992. Bruntlett's was the first in National League history that ended the game. The last game ending unassisted triple play was turned by Johnny Neun in 1927.

The Mets keep finding new ways to lose and today was no different. Eric Bruntlett went from hated, to hero, back to hated and hero again. Who knows, maybe he can do something shocking again tomorrow. After all, Charlie Manuel has already stated he'll play tomorrow giving Jimmy Rollins a break.

Originally posted on Phillies Nation.

Call of the Day: The Phillies turned a different type of Triple Play in 2007.

"Smashed. Ooh, that's a double play ball. That's a triple play! That's a triple
play, DiNero called him out. DiNero called him out at third base. He didn't have
to re-tag him. And that is a triple play! What a way to start a game! Here it is
again, take a look. Now DiNero immediately raises his arm saying that he
caught it, so it's an out there. Now, he-- Dobbs didn't have to re-tag him
here. But at any rate, nothing caused for Colorado."

Pedro's Return

Philadelphia Phillies (70-50) at New York Mets (57-66)
Pedro Martinez (1-0, 4.50 ERA) vs. Oliver Perez (3-3, 6.06 ERA)

Pedro Martinez will be making his first start against his former team. Martinez spent four season in New York, winning 32 games and posting a 3.88 ERA. Pedro's last outing was cut short due to a rain delay.

Pedro will be opposed by Oliver Perez. Perez is 2-3 with a 3.55 ERA in 13 starts against the Phillies. Sometimes Oliver Perez will dominate. Other times he will get lit up. Perez faced the Phillies earlier this year and lasted 1/3 of an inning. He gave up four runs on five hits and six walks.

Chase Utley will not be in today's lineup, recieving a day off against the left-hander. Lefties are hitting .205 against Perez this season. Eric Bruntlett will start at second base.

In injury news, Greg Dobbs was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a minor tweak to his right calf. Miguel Cairo was called up from Triple-A. To make room for Cairo on the 40-man roster, Antonio Bastardo was transferred to the 60-day disabled list.

In other injury news, Brett Myers is scheduled to pitch in a rehab appearance today. J.C Romero and Clay Condrey are scheduled to throw tomorrow.

Out of Bullpen, Moyer Dominates

As seen on Phillies Nation.

Jamie Moyer was clearly upset about the team's decision to move him from the starting rotation to the bullpen after the addition of tonight's starter, Pedro Martinez. Moyer isn't a left handed specialist. He is there to serve as a long man. Tonight, Moyer pitched in relief, but had the line of a starter.

The Phillies had a chance for a big inning in the bottom of the first with the bases loaded and nobody out. The problem for the Phillies hasn't changed; they continue to struggle with runners in scoring position. Ryan Howard struck out, Jayson Werth popped out, and Raul Ibanez grounded out to end the inning. The Phillies were 2-for-9 with runners in scoring position, and left 11 men on base.

Stephen Drew greeted Pedro with a lead off home run, but he settled down. He pitched three innings, allowing one run. He gave up two hits and struck out three until the rain came down in buckets. A one hour and six minute rain delay halted play, but when it resumed, the Phillies quickly got on the board.

As shown during the series in Arizona, the Diamondbacks' defense is horrible. Tonight, the Phils were able to capitalize on Ryan Roberts' mistakes. He misplayed Jason Werth's double which scored Chase Utley, tying the game at one. Roberts made a throwing error on Pedro Feliz's RBI single. It gave the Phillies a lead, and moved the runners up. Carlos Ruiz's single gave the Phillies a 3-1 lead in the third.

Because of the thunderstorm, Pedro was forced to stop after three innings, however Jamie Moyer filled in nicely. He made his first appearance out of the bullpen since 2004 and officially became the oldest non-knuckleballer to pitch in relief since 1945. Moyer already had success against the Diamondbacks earlier this year, shutting them out in 6.2 innings.

It took only 69 pitches for Moyer to pitch six shutout innings. He did not walk a batter and struck out five. At the plate, Moyer had two hits-- the same amount of hits he allowed. It was Moyer's first multi-hit game since May, 2008.

There was talk about Moyer and Martinez sharing the fifth rotation spot, and it worked like that tonight."You never know what you get when you put two old goats out there. It's a scary combination," said Martinez. Since Martinez did not pitch at least five innings, Moyer was credited with the win. His 257th career win was his sixth win in relief, and first since 1996.

Werth homered in the 5th inning, and Carlos Ruiz homered in the sixth. Werth's 25th homer of the year set a new career high for the 30 year old.

Moyer came out of the bullpen with a vengeance, and dominated in the Phillies 5-1 win. Against the Diamondbacks this year, Moyer has shut them out in 12.2 innings. Although he relieved, he pitched like a starter tonight.

Sluggers Heat Up In Time for Dbacks/Phils Series

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The Arizona Diamondbacks (54-65) play at the Philadelphia Phillies (66-49).

Jon Garland (6-10, 4.28 ERA) starts vs. Pedro Martinez (1-0, 5.40 ERA).

After a six game road trip, the Phillies return home for a quick stint with the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Phillies took two out of three against the D-backs at the end of July. It isn't as hot as it is Arizona, but with the warm weather, the ball will be flying out of Citizens Bank Park.

Pedro Martinez will make his home debut in his second start of the season. He pitched well against the Cubs, allowing three runs in five innings. Garland was backed by horrible defense when he faced the Phillies earlier this year. He gave up six runs (three earned) in six innings.

As it gets closer to September, Ryan Howard is starting to heat up. He has four home runs in the last four games. He is batting .381 will 11 RBI over the last seven days. Howard has Garland in his book, homering off him in July. The Diamondbacks have a big bopper as well. Mark Reynolds has homered in three straight games. He is batting .285 with 38 homers and a .981 OPS on the season. With the humidity, expect a power (or strike out) display, especially from these two sluggers.

Rotation Set; MLB News

Pedro Martinez will start on Wednesday at Wrigley Field. Jamie Moyer has been sent to the bullpen.

J.A Happ will pitch on Tuesday and Cliff Lee will start on Thursday. The lefties are now split up: Happ, Martinez, Lee, Joe Blanton, and Cole Hamels. Also, if the rotation stays, Pedro could find himself pitching against the Mets at the end of August.

In addition, Rodrigo Lopez has been sent to Triple-A and Chad Durbin has been activated from the disabled list.

J.C Romero had a MRI today which revealed no structural damage. However, he has tendinitis and will not throw for at least eight days. Then, he will begin rehab in Clearwater.

In other MLB news, Bronson Arroyo and Aaron Harang of the Reds have cleared waivers. Christian Guzman of the Nationals also cleared waivers.

Chris Coughlan is first rookie with 8 straight multi-hit games since Dan Driessen for the Reds in 1973.

Moyer Should Be Odd Man Out

Also featured on Phillies Nation.

The Phillies are in a good situation; they have six starters, but five spots. Many teams wish they were on the same stage, but somebody must go. The only question is, who?

J.A Happ has made his case to stay in the rotation, coming off a complete game shutout. The young lefty is a legitimate Rookie of the Year candidate, posting a 2.74 earned run average in 115 innings. With an 8-2 record, he has given up 1.12 walks and hits per innings pitched. Opponents are batting .222 against him. There is no doubt Happ deserves a spot in the rotation, but he could find himself in the bullpen, where he started the season. He has a 2.49 ERA in relief this season.

The more Pedro Martinez pitches, the better he gets. Last night, he struck out 11 batters in six innings in a rehab appearance with Double-A Reading. He gave up two earned runs and threw 59 out of 83 pitches for strikes. The way he is progressing, the future Hall of Famer will bump somebody out of the rotation. The easy target is Happ because of his bullpen experience, but why not Jamie Moyer?

We all love Moyer, just not the way he has been pitching lately. He has ten wins, but that further shows the flaws of the win-loss stat. His ERA is 5.55 and his WHIP is 1.47. It is predictable as to what teams he will succeed against: young, free-swinging clubs like the Florida Marlins. Any other team is trouble.

The Phillies have to do what is best for the team, not what is "right" or the "classy" thing to do. Taking Moyer out of the rotation would not be fair for the 46 year old, but the Phillies need to do whatever it takes to win. Yes, Moyer acts as a pitching coach to young pitchers, but he has struggled. Baseball is a business.

Would Happ strengthen the bullpen? Absolutely. But with him as a starter, the rotation becomes stronger and the bullpen is used less. All the Phillies starters are capable of going deep into games. If Moyer and Pedro were both in the rotation, that would take a toll on the bullpen because each of them may not go longer than five or six innings. Happ and Martinez looks a lot better than Martinez and Moyer with Happ in the bullpen.

There are many options for the Phillies: a six man rotation, somebody could be moved the bullpen, somebody placed on the disabled list, or Moyer and Martinez share time as starters. If the Phillies do what they should, Moyer should be the odd man out. They just need to decide what to do with him.

Pedro Pitches; Brown Promoted

Pedro Martinez made his second rehab appearance; only this time with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. Martinez struggled in the IronPigs 9-6 loss to the Columbus Clippers.

“I got better, and it showed that I got better as it got going,” said Martinez.
“Without a doubt, I’m going to have to pitch a little more to get to the
consistent level I’m used to being.”

In five innings, Martinez allowed five runs, four earned, on three hits and three walks. He struck out four and allowed a home run to Michael Brantley.

Former Phillies farmhand, Carlos Carrasco earned the victory against his former club. He allowed four earned runs on eight hits in 5.1 innings. He walked one and struck out six. Michael Taylor homered off him.

QUOTE SOURCE: IronPigs Official Website

In other Phillies organizational moves, Dominic Brown has been promoted to Double-A Reading.

With the Gulf Coast League and Clearwater Threshers, Brown batted .310 with a .394 OBP, and .532 SLG. He hit 11 home runs and had 44 runs batted in. He stole 15 bases and his on-base plus slugging percentage was .926. Many scouts believe that Brown is a better prospect than Michael Taylor.

Pedro's Start Cut Short

Pedro Martinez's first minor league rehab appearance was cut short due to inclement weather. Martinez pitched 1.1 innings for the Clearwater Threshers. A downpour halted play against the St. Lucie Mets.

After a half hour rain delay to start the game, Martinez hit a batter and allowed a hit in a 20 pitch first inning. He struck out a batter and threw 14 of 24 pitches for strikes. He hit about 87-91 on the radar gun. He had very good command and his changeup remains impressive.

The Phillies asked Martinez to finish his pitches, so he threw about 50 pitches in a simulated game afterwards.

The Threshers lead 2-0 before the game was called. Some of his minor league teammates for a day were very excited to meet and play behind Pedro.

Postponed & Pedro

After a 90 minute rain delay, the umpires decided to postpone the Phillies and Marlins game. The Marlins led 2-0 after one and a half innings. The lead will be erased (will start at 0-0) once the game is made up. No make up date has been announced, although late September is a possibility.

Also, Joe Blanton will start on Tuesday night.

Pedro Martinez took the next step to be in the Phillies rotation by throwing a 55-pitch bullpen session. Despite not throwing for a week after a fluid injection for an arthrogram, Pedro was pleased with the session saying it went better than he thought. Martinez felt little soreness in his shoulder, but was able to throw all his pitches. Charlie Manuel said Pedro had good command.

"You know, since I've been here, I just get the feeling that we're going to win
every night," Martinez said. "This team is so relaxed and is so confident that
it seems like we're going to win every day. I can do whatever, and we're going
to win. That's it. I can just take off in the fourth, fifth inning, and they're
going to win."

Pedro should feel confident. The Phillies are 2-0 since the Phillies inked Martinez to a one year deal on July 15. No date has been scheduled for when he will rehab in a minor league game nor has their been a timetable as to when he makes his Phillies debut.

In former Phillie news, the Los Angeles Angels released Rudy Seanez. The 40 year old was signed to a minor league contract in May.