It's not a rarity when the Phillies win a game using only the long-ball. It is a rarity, however, when the big shots come via lead-off man Shane Victorino and his No. 2 man Placido Polanco.

But that's exactly what happened Wednesday afternoon as the Phillies prevented what would have been the team's first real slump of the season.

Down 3-0 in the sixth, Polanco smacked a ball into left field with two runners on to tie the game up at three a piece.

Victorino then broke the tie in the eighth with a monster shot to right-center field. Jose Contreras then finished things off by recording his fourth save of the season in as many attempts.

Starter Cliff Lee had to battle through this game, giving up eight hits and three runs (two earned) along with one walk and only one strikeout in six innings pitched.


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J.C. Romero entered the game in the Phillies' 6-3 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers in the ninth inning, and could have seen his last action for at least a couple weeks according to Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Romero tried to field a ball knocked back up the middle by Ryan Braun, but missed as he tried to push himself off the mound and immediately began hopping around on his left leg before falling to the ground and grabbing at his right calf.

The trainer came out and Romero was led off the field in obvious pain. After the game, skipper Charlie Manuel and Romero himself made it clear the injury was just as bad as it looked.

"He's probably going to miss a little time," Manuel told the media after the loss.

Romero agreed, saying he would "probably" miss some time. "I don't know," Romero continued. "Hopefully it's 15 days or so."


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Closer Brad Lidge has been struggling a little bit in Spring Training, and now we know why. Philadelphia Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro, Jr. recently announced Lidge has tendinitis in his biceps.

The injury, however, is normal for Lidge this time of year. At this time last year the swelling from the tendinitis required a cortisone shot, and another in May.

Lidge battled through the pain in his arm and it showed in the first half of the year as Lidge didn't really get back to form until after the All-Star break.

But this year, as in others, Lidge and the entire organization is downplaying the severity of the injury.

"Just a little biceps tendinitis," Lidge told the media. "We'll let it calm down for a couple of days and then see how we feel - maybe play catch for a couple of days and then get back in there soon."


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The Philadelphia Phillies organization has tried to minimize the severity of the injury to second baseman Chase Utley and his right knee, and in doing so have helped to start a panic amongst the fans.

No one was too worried when it came out that he was having soreness in his knee again because it's only Spring Training. He'd sit the bench for a few games, work it out, and be fine.

But when the Phillies were forced to come out and admit they had found tendinitis, the talking started. Would Utley be ready for Opening Day? Would he even be the same this season?

Then when the Phillies informed everyone Utley had a cortisone shot in his knee because the tendinitis wasn't clearing itself up, the Philadelphia police department had to talk a couple people off some very high ledges.

Throughout the entire process the Phillies have played it cool, as they always do, but they appear to be going out of their way to show a calm demeanor when discussing Utley and his knee. They keep giving "the glass is half full" reports and acting as if they're not worried.


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According to Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com, the Philadelphia Phillies are getting closer to wising up and paying skipper Charlie Manuel whatever it is he's asking for in a new contract.

"It was productive," Manuel's agent Pat Rooney told Salisbury after an hour-long meeting with general manager Ruben Amaro, Jr. "We're getting closer. There was some give and take. Both sides made some movement, but we’re still a little ways away. They know our position so we'll keep working on it."

Manuel is 67 years old and is looking for a two-year extension. Under his current contract, which expires after the upcoming season, Manuel will make $2.4 million, but he and his agent believe he's worthy of a salary that would make him one of the top-five highest-paid managers in the league.

In order for that to happen, Manuel would have to make about $4 million per season, a number I find more than reasonable for a guy who has led his team to four straight division titles, two World Series appearances, and one win.


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It's exactly one month until the Philadelphia Phillies open the 2011 season and try for their second World Series title in four years. But, for now, it's all about Spring Training and putting together the best 25-man roster possible.

As is usually the case with a stacked team like the Phillies, there isn't going to be a ton of mystery as to who makes the roster. A lot of guys (Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins, etc.) are locks to make the roster, but there are a couple spots up for grabs.

First is right field. Currently it's a two-man race between Ben Francisco and the youngster Dominic Brown. The Phillies will tell you John Mayberry, Jr. is also in the mix, but we all know he doesn't have a legitimate shot at winning the starting job.

The bullpen has a couple question marks, but even that is set for the most part. Other than the bullpen, the spots open for competition are spots on the bench. The Phillies have serious injury concerns with Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, and Placido Polanco, so putting together a good bench could be the difference in whether or not this team is still playing in late October.

Enough talk. Let's get to it.


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Over the past two or three seasons, Jimmy Rollins has not been the guy at the plate the Philadelphia Phillies need him to be.

Instead of playing small-ball and just trying to get on base, Rollins has been acting like he's a power-hitter and swinging for the fences every time he picks up the bat.

This has become evident not only in his batting average, but in the way the Phillies have approached who they put behind him in the No. 2 slot.

Shane Victorino caught a lot of flack when he was hitting behind Rollins, but a lot of Victorino's problems seem to come from pressing at the plate because he felt he needed to make up for Rollins who had just gotten finished popping out to shallow center.

Since Rollins' MVP season in 2007 in which he hit .296, his batting average has dropped to a good-but-not-great .277 in 2008, then completely plummeted to .250 in 2009 and most recently .243 last season.


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Signing Cliff Lee to a record-making contract definitely shows a commitment to winning the whole thing once again in 2011, but it's the move of keeping Joe Blanton that really tells the story of the team's mindset heading into the upcoming season.

With Lee in the rotation along with Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels, there is no need to keep a fifth starter who is making $17 million over the next two seasons -- especially when the Phils have guys like Kyle Kendrick and Vance Worley making a fraction of that.

Granted, both guys aren't quite on the level of Blanton, but how much would it really matter with those four pitchers ahead of them?

It apparently matters enough to the Phillies management that they're not willing to risk Kendrick or Worley potentially costing them a much-needed win down the stretch just to save some money.

They're telling the fans and the rest of the league that they're going for the whole thing in 2011 and will be looking for their second World Series title in four years.


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Lee, unlike most athletes, put a title ahead of dollars.


In today's age of professional sports, it's not too often that you find superstar caliber players that truly value winning championships over the biggest, most lucrative contract one can get his hands on when testing the free agent waters.

Every pro athlete in every sport claims that their No. 1 goal is to win a championship. They claim that it's what they come to the ball park every day for, why they practice, why they play the game, however in most cases, it's not really why they're in the game.

It's all about money in today's generation.

With money taking over as the top priority of all in both sports and reality, it's rare to find a player or the average folk who would take less money to ensure happiness for their family. Nine times out of 10, the player/person is going to go where the money is at.

Not Cliff Lee.

Lee turned down about $20 million from the New York Yankees to sign with the Philadelphia Phillies because he loved his short time in Philly, and felt that they gave him the best chance to win a World Series over New York and Texas.

The Yankees reportedly offered the 32-year-old lefty a seven-year, $148 million contract to play in the Bronx. New York's contract would have guaranteed Lee $132 million. He signed a five-year, $120 million deal with the Phillies.

Another major factor in Lee signing in Philly was that's where his family would be the most happy. The Phillies fan base embraced Lee, and he became an instant favorite when they acquired him from Cleveland at the trade deadline in 2009.

Lee was 7-4 with a 3.39 earned run average in 12 starts with three complete games for the Phils. He wrote his legacy in Philly during the postseason when he was 4-0 in five games with a 1.56 ERA. He threw 40.1 innings with two complete games.

The name Cliff Lee reached legendary status in the city of brotherly love.

For the Phillies, it's not the first time a superstar turned down more money to come to Philadelphia. In fact, it's the second straight winter the top prize took considerably less money to play for the Phightens.

Last offseason, Roy Halladay agreed to waive his no-trade clause to come to Philly and signed a three-year, $60 million extension. It's a little bit of a different animal in Halladay's case because he was acquire in a trade, but it's still the same principal.

Halladay made a name for himself as the game's top pitcher for more than half a decade. Had he reached free agency, he would have been heavily rewarded with a huge contract. Let's just say, he would have made at least $60 more million than he did when he signed his extension with Philadelphia.

Doc cited that the reason he wanted to play in Philly was that he made enough money in his career, and at this point in his career, it was more important for him to have an opportunity to win a World Series.

The irony here is that Ruben Amaro Jr. traded Lee to Seattle when he acquired Halladay to replenish the farm system that lost seven players in obtaining Halladay and Lee at the deadline. It was not fully about the money.

That enraged Phillies fans even though they were getting the league's best arm. The reason was if it wasn't broke, why fix it?

Lee is the game's best southpaw, no question. His dominance the last couple years proves the point, and his play in the last two playoffs makes it even stronger. When you had a chance to go into a season with Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee atop your rotation, you're going to be the favorites.

Amaro opted not to do that because he didn't think he could resign Lee last winter, and wanted to get more prospects lost in getting both pitchers.

In trading Lee, Amaro acquired Halladay, Roy Oswalt and Cliff Lee.

Sounds like one heck of a master plan.
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Does Cliff Lee make the Phillies the NL's best team?


According to multiple sources, the Philadelphia Phillies have injected themselves into the bidding for Cliff Lee and currently have a slight edge over the Texas Rangers and New York Yankees -- the only two other teams still in the mix for the star lefty.

The Yankees especially are "extremely negative" about their chances to land Lee, according to the New York Post's Joel Sherman. The Yankees reportedly believe that the Phillies entering the picture late has effectively ended any opportunity they had to land Lee.

The details are of course very shaky right now, but the reasoning for Lee returning to Philly would be very interesting on his end. For the Phillies it's fairly obvious why they'd want him back, but he would almost certainly be turning down more years and money from the Yankees and Rangers.

According to an unnamed Phillies source, the team would not be willing to match the seven-year deal the Yankees offered Lee. However, they might be willing to offer the same $18 million per season the Yankees did.

Over the next three years, Roy Halladay -- who is undeniably a notch or two better than Lee -- is scheduled to make $20 million per season. So paying Lee $17-18 million per season would not be unreasonable.

The key is that the Phils have liked to keep years down. That way, should a player not pan out, they're not left paying his guaranteed contract for another three or four years down the road.

There are always the misses, however, and that brings us to Joe Blanton.

Apparently the Phils have gotten positive feedback regarding Blanton from teams around the league and now feel better about the prospect of trading him. The only caveat is the Phils would likely be asked to eat about half of the remaining $17 million he's owed.

Being able to part ways with his contract, even only half of it, might be enough to convince Ruben Amaro, Jr. that the expense related with Lee would be worth it to have him, Halladay, Roy Oswalt, and Cole Hamels all in the same rotation.

Then, with Blanton gone, they have cheap but effective options for the fifth starter in either Kyle Kendrick or Vance Worley, and can toss the guy who doesn't make the rotation to the bullpen or, in Worley's case, perhaps to Triple-A ball.

Blanton could be a piece the Phils put together in order to acquire a right-handed outfielder they can stick in the middle of the lineup.

With Lee in the rotation and a mid-level replacement for Jayson Werth out in right field, the Phillies would once again have to be considered the top contenders in the NL. Without Lee they are still in the upper-echelon, but with him the Phils became nearly unhittable in at least four of every five games.

UPDATE: Several sources are now reporting that the deal is done. Numbers are not yet available, but several guys "in the know" have confirmed it. Rejoice, Philly.

UPDATE(2): ESPN's Jerry Crasnick is reporting deal is for five years and will be worth over $100 million with an option for a sixth year.
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Has Jayson Werth played his last game as a Phillie?


The Philadelphia Phillies have exclusive negotiating rights with impending free agent Jayson Werth until midnight of Saturday, November 6th. After that time, any of the other 29 clubs are free to negotiate contract terms with the coveted middle-of-the-lineup righty and utility outfielder.

The feeling in Philadelphia right now is that one of those other 29 clubs -- namely the New York Yankees -- will take full advantage and Werth's run as a Phillie will officially end.

And for me, that would be just fine as long as the Phillies make Werth a fair offer first. But the big question is, of course, what constitutes a fair offer?

Well, my idea of fair and Werth's idea of fair isn't going to match up. He doesn't deserve what Jason Bay or Matt Holliday got but, then again, neither did they. Werth, overall, had an average season at the plate and, if we're being honest, that's where most of the money is earned.

There's no denying Werth's talents as an outfielder. He's got a great arm, is very good at reading the ball, and is very rarely caught messing up.

But at the plate, he lacks the ability to come up big in crunch time (as evidenced by his dreadful average with runners in scoring position) and because of that flaw does not separate himself from a guy like Holliday.

But with all that said, he is a powerful righty and letting him walk creates an obvious void in the Phillies' lineup.

The team could fill this void with a power guy to platoon with either Raul Ibanez in left or Dominic Brown in right -- such as Andruw Jones, Pat Burrell, or Jeff Francoeur -- but simply holding on to Werth would be much easier.

However, the $15 million per season he's looking for is simply too much. He wasn't good enough in 2010 to warrant that type of contract and it's a deal the Phillies would regret in short order.

A guy making that type of money needs to be someone who's driving in runs on a consistent basis and not just hitting solo home runs. Sure, those runs count as much as an RBI single, but more often than not Werth is striking out or popping out with guys on second and/or third than he is cracking a long ball with no one on.

For me, if I'm a decision-maker on the team, I'm more comfortable between $11-13 million per season, but there's no way Werth and Scott Boras (Werth's agent) accept that type of deal.

Werth was seeing dollar signs on his own, but with baseball's version of Drew Rosenhaus in his corner, he's feeling like Babe Ruth or Mickey Mantle on the open market and wants to hear a number that's going to make his eyes pop out -- not a realistic number that he deserves.

Which, of course, almost assures he's going to end up overpaid in New York.

I think, for the most part, Philly is ready to see what Brown can do in right field and would not be at all disappointed to hear the Phils offered Werth a five-year, $65 million deal and he turned it down to play for the Yankees, Red Sox, or another team with too much money.

That money could then go to shoring up the bullpen, maybe finding a fifth starter, getting a veteran fourth outfielder, and having some extra money in their back pocket for when Jimmy Rollins becomes a free agent after the 2011 season.

But if the Phillies fold and open up the checkbook for Werth, it won't be long before they and the entire city are wondering why a very good player is getting paid like a superstar.
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Romero could return to Philly, but it would a long shot.


File this under the "no, really?" category.

Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweeted Tuesday that the Ruben Amaro, Jr. and the Philadelphia Phillies have declined to pick up left-handed reliever J.C. Romero's outrageous $4.5 million option for 2011.

"As expected, the Phillies declined reliever J.C. Romero's $4.5 million option for 2011," Gelb writes on Philly.com "The left-hander will receive a $250,000 buyout and become a free agent."

To say Romero struggled with his command this season would be a bit of an understatement, but he did put up decent numbers with a 1-0 record, three saves, and a 3.68 ERA in 60 appearances.

Letting Romero walk leaves Antonio Bastardo as the only viable option as a lefty out of the pen at this point, but Amaro says solidifying the bullpen will be a top priority in the offseason.

Amaro also says Romero could be a part of that solidifying process.

"I think we can still have discussions with (Romero)," Amaro said. "Without question."

But if those discussions are ever going to get serious, it would mean Romero got almost nothing from the other 29 major league teams and would be willing to come back for about a third of what he would have made had the Phils picked up his option.

In fact, even that might not seal the deal. The Phillies are going to be very, very tight on money this year and will need to squeeze every penny they can. Other than Romero, the Phillies also have decisions to make on right-handed relievers Jose Contreras and Chad Durbin.

Jayson Werth is obviously another major piece that must be considered. If the Phillies decide to keep him around, it could mean skimping out a bit on the combined salary of the bullpen.

I would give Romero returning about a 10 percent chance, and that might even be a bit optimistic. It mainly stems from the lack of interest I'm assuming Romero will get on the free agent market. Guys like that usually wind up crawling back to their former team ready and willing to take a significant pay cut.

And like Tim Dierkes of MLBTradeRumors.com points out, the market of left-handed relievers includes guys like Scott Downs, Arthur Rhodes, and Pedro Feliciano -- a company in which Romero likely doesn't fit.

Even though the 2010 season ended in disappointment, the offseason is always an exciting part of the year -- especially with the Amaro running the show. Something tells me this offseason won't be any different.
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Rollins' hit was one of very few offensive bright spots.


I don't think I'm going to surprise or shock anyone when I say the Phillies' offensive production has been pathetic during the postseason. It's pretty clear to anyone paying attention.

But just to rub salt in the wound with stats, chew on the fact that the Phils have hit only .194 three games into the NLCS and have just seven hits overall, including only one extra-base hit, in 44 at-bats with runners in scoring position during the postseason.

The lone extra-base hit was Jimmy Rollins' three-run double after an ill-advised decision by San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy to walk the bases loaded in Game 2.

So other than the opportunity that was basically bottle-fed to them, the Phillies' offense has come up short much more often than not.

The slow start has caused them to fall into a 2-1 deficit to the Giants after getting shut out Tuesday night. Cole Hamels started the game and gave up three runs, but two of those runs were a direct result of Chase Utley's inability to play the ball and, overall, pitched well enough for the team to win.

At the end of the day, it rests squarely on the eight other guys to make some plays moving forward in this series.

But, if history tells us anything, it could already be too late.

From 1986-2009, one team in the NLCS has had a 2-1 advantage 19 times with exceptions coming in 1994, '95, '98, '99, and 2007. In those 19 series, the team falling behind has only one four times. One of those teams was actually the 1993 Phillies who went on to win the series 4-2.

Then there was the World Series and Joe Carter and #*%(!.

Deep breath. And we're back.

History tells us the Phils have about a 21 percent chance of coming back in this series. But if they can't even get their team batting average that high, 21 percent might be a bit generous.

Manager Charlie Manuel is showing faith in his offense by sticking with Joe Blanton for Game 4 rather than going with Roy Halladay on short rest, but that could prove costly. It's hard to imagine the Phils bats get moving this late, but they've done crazier things.

This team has kept things very interesting all year long, so nothing they do in the rest of this series would surprise me in the least. We can all just hope they do what they do best, which is make an entire city hold its breath and come to the edge of giving up hope, only to watch the Phils kick things into gear and start rolling.
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Roy Oswalt did everything he could to ensure a win.


It was easy to start panicking a little bit after the Phillies dropped Game 1 of the NLCS to the Giants on Saturday night. The offense didn't seem to ever find their way into the ballpark, and the pitching wasn't an incredible spectacle -- an odd sight over the past couple of months in Philly.

But Roy Oswalt wasn't worried. He got hit around a little bit in Game 2 of the NLDS and was looking for redemption. He also knew the team could not afford to fall to 0-2 to the Giants if they wanted to get to their third straight World Series.

He wasn't about to allow that to happen.

Oswalt carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning, and wound up allowing only three hits and one run over eight innings. The one hit was, of course, a Cody Ross solo home run.

I'm not exactly sure what this guy knows that no one else does, but he now has three home runs over two games against two of the best pitchers the league has to offer.

Fortunately for the Phils, he wasn't sharing his inside knowledge with the rest of the team.

But Oswalt's impressive night didn't stay on the mound. He also was able to score a run after hitting a single to get on base and then running through Sam Perlozzo's stop sign at third after a Placido Polanco base hit.

"I didn't see [the stop sign] until I got halfway down the line," Oswalt said after the game. "As soon as Polanco hit it, I read it pretty well off the bat and I thought I was scoring straight out. So I had the intention of scoring when I took off, and I wasn't even looking for a stop sign, so I was halfway down the line and I was hoping I'd get in there from there."

Two batters later, Jayson Werth came up to the plate with runners at second and third and two outs. We all know how poor Werth has been with runners in scoring position, but the Giants thought it would be a good idea to walk him and force Jimmy Rollins to bat from his left side.

At this point I'm wondering exactly why they think Rollins at the plate with the bases loaded is better than Werth at the plate with two runners in scoring position, but what do I know?

After a three-run double by Rollins, I'm thinking I could be the Giants' manager.

Ryan Madson would take over for Oswalt in the ninth inning and close the game out, making the 6-1 lead stick and drawing the Phils even with the Giants at 1-1.

Cole Hamels will start Game 3 against Matt Cain, and if he can duplicate Oswalt's performance from Sunday night, the Phillies should be on their way to a 2-1 advantage and a clear path to the World Series.
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JRoll is perfecting the art of the (very) ugly strikeout.


Not once, but twice.

Unfortunately, I'm not talking about the number of no-hitters Roy Halladay threw in back-to-back playoff postseason appearances. Instead, I'm talking about the number of home runs Cody Ross had in back-to-back plate appearances against the aforementioned Halladay.

Ross has his name in the record books, and now the Phillies must regroup, look ahead to Roy II and his start on Sunday night and find a way to prevent themselves from falling to 0-2.

But in order to do so, they'll have to look back and figure out what went wrong in Game 1. The maddening part is it's not a long list and it's the same issues the Phils have had all year long.

If the pitching can't get the job done, the odds are against the bats picking up the slack.

For whatever reason, the offense has simply not been there. Overall the numbers aren't bad for the year, but even in baseball there's a lot to look at past the stats.

The clutch hits don't seem to be there as often anymore. The support for their pitcher when he has an off day hasn't been as prevalent. The big-name bats just simply are not pulling their weight and instead they're relying on Carlos Ruiz to produce for them out of the eight hole.

Shane Victorino, Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Raul Ibanez, and Jimmy Rollins were a combined 2-19 with 9 strikeouts and only one run scored. Jayson Werth -- who probably slumped harder than anyone on the team in the regular season -- was the only other guy to show up.

Werth, along with Ruiz, hit a home run. Both players accounted for all three RBIs on the team.

Someone needs to pull aside Victorino and Rollins and inform them that their game should be small-ball. They need to get on base and work from there. They are the fast guys who can score from first or steal a couple bases and walk home from second. Instead they're constantly trying to smack the ball out of the park and it results in nothing but strikeouts most of the time.

I recall closer to the beginning of the season when Rollins first hurt himself and the cameras caught him talking to Juan Castro before he went to the plate. Rollins pointed at the scoreboard and said something to the effect of "See that zero in the home run column? You have to change that. Just go for the fences."

I almost went through the roof.

Clearly Rollins' mentality all year has been to swing for the fences. He's not focused on hitting the ball in the gaps and running the bases. He wants to take the stroll with the fireworks in the background and doesn't seem to understand anymore that he's not that guy. Never has been.

It becomes quite evident his priorities are messed up when he's trying to convince Juan-freaking-Castro that he just needs to swing for the fences because not having a home run is a travesty.

Even the guys who are known for their ability to hit home runs quite often -- Ibanez, Utley, and Howard -- are trying for the long-ball too often. If they would just head to the plate thinking they're going to take whatever the pitcher gives them (especially against a guy like Tim Lincecum) they would be much better off as individuals and for the team.

But right now, the only guys doing that are Ruiz, Werth, and Wilson Valdez. No offense intended to any of those three players, but they're not the guys who are going to decide who wins and loses a World Series. Or, more to the point, who gets to play in the World Series.

If this team is going to make history they're going to need better decision-making from their superstars and get them back into the mentality that they're going to play as a team and for the team rather than seeing themselves on SportsCenter.

(Notice, by the way, I haven't said anything about Placido Polanco. He's really just a guy at this point and is playing as such. Not too much can be expected of him -- especially when the guys around him can't even make contact.)

This team going 0-4 with runners in scoring position and leaving seven on base is just not acceptable. There is far too much talent at every spot in the lineup for that.

They made it through the regular season and the NLDS with an underachieving offense, but the Giants' pitching staff is too good to allow them to just waltz their way into the World Series. They will have to earn it this year perhaps more than any other year, and can't rely on Halladay, Roy Oswalt, and Cole Hamels to do it for them.

Yes, Halladay could have been better, but he's only human. These guys should be able to bail him out at least once since he's done it countless times already -- including the night of his no-no.

And I leave you with this thought: what if Oswalt is as shaky Sunday night as he was for Game 2 against the Cincinnati Reds?

Oh boy.
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It wasn't a no-hitter, but a shut-out isn't bad I suppose.


I would have never believed that as a Philadelphia Phillies fan a sweep in the NLDS would feel about the same as a win in mid-June.

There's certainly excitement over the series win, but this is an expected step back to the World Series at this point. The Cincinnati Reds are a good team, but there was never any real anxiety that the series would turn out any other way.

The Phillies top three starting pitchers couldn't allow it. Roy Halladay and Cole Hamels were absolutely lights out, and even though Roy Oswalt looked very uncomfortable at times during his Game 2 start, he pitched well enough for the Phils to roll and get an early start preparing for whomever they might face in the NLCS.

At this point, it looks like a re-match of NL East foes isn't going to happen and the Phils will face off against a team that has the same type of feel in the San Francisco Giants.

Both teams rely on great pitching and have been able to count on their offenses to do just enough this season to allow them to win games.

But for as great as the Giants' pitchers can be, they just don't match up with the Phillies' staff.

Even if we call Halladay vs. Tim Lincecum a wash, I don't think many people would argue that Matt Cain is better than Oswalt or that Barry Zito or Jonathan Sanchez are better than Hamels at this point.

Hamels has been a bit erratic throughout his career, but he's been spectacular this season and is coming off a complete game shut-out to send the Phils into the next stage of the playoffs.

And if the Atlanta Braves happen to steal the series from the Giants, we've seen what the Phils can do to Bobby Cox and his squad. The Phillies' offense has to be a cause for concern at this point, and Charlie Manuel must make sure they aren't becoming complacent, but they can stand with either the Braves or the Giants.

Anything other than a World Series appearance will be a disappointment. In fact, just appearing in the World Series for a third consecutive season likely won't be enough for the fans of Philadelphia. The talk is of a Phillies dynasty, and it's what everyone wants to see.

If Oswalt can pick up his play another notch, there isn't anything other than themselves standing in the way of that dream becoming reality.
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Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels have a tough act to follow.


Roy Halladay, the Philadelphia Phillies' prized offseason pick-up via trade with the Toronto Blue Jays, got his first postseason start Wednesday evening in Game 1 of the NLDS against the Cincinnati Reds.

And Wednesday night, Halladay became just the second pitcher in MLB postseason history to pitch a no-hitter.

So much for playoff inexperience and nerves getting the best of him, huh?

Even with NL MVP Joey Votto coming to the plate three times, Halladay did not allow a single Reds hit, and didn't allow a baserunner until the fifth inning with two outs. The runner was Jay Bruce, who walked on six pitches.

It was the only thing that came between Halladay and his second perfect game of the season.

And if the no-hitter wasn't enough, Halladay accounted for one of the Phillies' four runs when he hit an RBI single in the second inning to make it 2-0 and put the nail halfway into Edinson Volquez's playoff coffin.

Volquez would give up two more runs and survive only 1.2 innings as the Phillies offense did just enough to earn a 4-0 win and put the Phils up 1-0 in the five-game series.

Shane Victorino(2 RBIs) and Chase Utley(1 RBI) both contributed to the final score, as well.

Getting Game 1 is always the most important part of a playoff series, but the Phillies bats are going to have to be better if they're going to realize their dream of making their third straight World Series and winning their second in only three years.

Doc can't pitch every game -- even though there's no much of a drop-off to Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels -- so the offense will not be able to get by on only four runs for the entire series.

But, for now, Phillies fans were able to witness history and watch their team take one small step toward their ultimate goal.
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Halladay probably enjoyed this win more than usual.


It's become expected around Philadelphia over the past couple of seasons that the Phillies will win the NL East. Anything else is just not acceptable -- to the team or the fans. But for Roy Halladay, it's a brand new experience.

The pitcher that most consider the best in baseball will get his first opportunity to pitch in the postseason after pitching a two-hit shutout against the Washington Nationals that officially clinched the Phillies' fourth consecutive NL East title.

This is the coolest thing I've ever been a part of,'' Halladay said. "It's fun. It's great. It's everything that it is cracked up to be. The lineup scored runs and made it easy for me tonight.''

His 21st win and the impact it had might have also been enough to wrap up the NL's Cy Young award for Halladay. He's been absolutely spot on over the past month or so and, were it not for a huge funk for the offense, would have about 26-28 wins at this point.

"This is the place where we thought we'd be way back in February,'' said Jayson Werth, who made his presence felt alongside Halladay in the game that won the East with a home run and four RBIs. "But we still have a long way to go to where we want to get.''

Halladay, along with Cole Hamels and Roy Oswalt make up the best pitching rotation heading into the postseason in either league, and with the bats finally moving at a pace acceptable for this team, the prospect of the Phils winning their second World Series title in three years is within reach.

The Phils will enjoy home-field advantage through the playoffs and, thanks to an All-Star game win for the NL -- coached by Charlie Manuel -- would get home-field advantage in the World Series as well should they get that far.
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The Phils should not try to rush Rollins into action.


At this point, Jimmy Rollins has missed eight straight games after tweaking his hamstring about a week and a half ago. Overall, Rollins has only played in 82 games this season, is on injury number four, and is only hitting .245.

All of that, combined with the way Shane Victorino has responded as the lead-off hitter and the way Wilson Valdez has been playing the field, makes me think the Phils should just sit Rollins down until the playoffs.

That allows them to keep the lineup the way it is so they don't risk messing up the rhythm these guys have established, and it helps Rollins get ready for when the team will really need him. As of now, they're doing just fine holding off the Braves and have themselves in position to win the NL East.

With the expanded roster, they can probably even afford to sit him down without having to put him on the DL, making him available to pinch-hit or pinch-run if he's truly needed. There's always the risk he could re-tweak his hammy doing that, but the option is available to the team should they feel obligated to use it.

But even that might not be necessary with Ross Gload, Ben Francisco, Brian Schneider, and (soon) Dominic Brown available to hit off the bench.

So put Rollins on the bench and let him get to 100 percent. He hasn't been great during the regular season, but as we've seen over the past couple of seasons there might not be a more clutch guy in the postseason than Rollins.

And if the Phils are able to head into the second season with him at full strength and a guy like Wilson Valdez in the dugout just in case, Charlie Manuel's team could be the deepest and most talented squad in the tournament regardless of league.
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How long can Cole Hamels keep this incredibly hot hand?


Well, the scoreless streak was certainly impressive and fun to watch while it lasted, but sadly it had to come to an end eventually and it didn't take long against the Florida Marlins Tuesday night.

Hamels gave up his first run in 25 innings in the first inning, but to the delight of everyone in Philadelphia and Phillies fans everywhere, it was the only run he would give up. It's a good thing too, since his offense was only about to score two runs.

The latest terrific outing by Hamels included 13 strikeouts, the most by any NL pitcher this year, and a career-high 127 pitches. Charlie Manuel will give Hamels an extra day of rest so he can be the first guy to pitch when the Phils begin a three-game series with the Atlanta Braves on September 20th.

Roy Halladay and Roy Oswalt will follow Hamels in the series.

Hamels is tied for second in the NL with 201 strikeouts -- oddly enough with teammate Roy Halladay. Those strikeouts are a big part of why he's been so great this year. He's striking guys out in key situations and getting ahead of nearly every batter he faces.

Adding the cutter has certainly helped, as well. Not only because it has given him an extra weapon in an already-strong arsenal, but it gives batters something else to think about when they step up to the plate.

Halladay and Oswalt dominating is all but a given, but now that Hamels is dominating as well, the Phils are set up nicely to put the Braves away once and for all and enter the playoffs as perhaps the most feared team in any league.
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