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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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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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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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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Polanco's RBI knocked the Phillies into first place.


With an 8-7 win over the Florida Marlins on Tuesday night, the Philadelphia Phillies got back to a place that many people thought they might never see again -- first place in the NL East.

The game was winding down when the result of the Atlanta Braves' game came in. The Braves dropped a game to the lowly Pittsburgh Pirates 5-0, and first place was just sitting there in front of the Phils waiting to be taken.

Mike Stanton and a Ryan Madson wild pitch gave the Phillies a scare, but they did what a first place team should do and pulled it out in the end with some clutch hitting and baserunning by Shane Victorino and Placido Polanco.

But now that they're in first place, the hard part starts. They have the bullseye on their backs and can't afford to get into a funk at any point in the final three weeks (or so) of the season. One wrong move and they could find themselves behind the Braves without much of a shot at redemption.

The Phils and Braves both close out the season with a gauntlet of NL East teams, including six games against one another, so Charlie Manuel's group will have to play their very best baseball every single game.

You can bet the Nationals, Mets, and Marlins will be doing everything they can to play spoiler and would love nothing more than to knock one of their NL East rivals out of the playoffs altogether.

If you're looking for a guy to watch, make it Victorino.

If Manuel keeps him in the leadoff spot, a spot in which he's flourished, the Flyin' Hawaiian can do some serious damage. Hitting him in the seventh spot hasn't had the effect they've wanted, and with Jimmy Rollins showing a lot of versatility in the lineup, Victorino could remain at the top of the lineup.

If you're looking for a guy who could potentially be the goat, look no further than Joe Blanton or Jayson Werth.

Blanton has been unbelievably erratic on the mound, either giving up nothing or putting his team into a huge hole right from the get-go. He's played well down the stretch in the past, but he hasn't done a lot this year to breed any confidence that he'll be able to make a turn-around.

In that same vein, Werth has not been nearly as good as his numbers would suggest. Most of his hits have been meaningless with the bases empty, and anyone even showing menial interest knows the historic struggles Werth has been having with runners in scoring position.

The last thing Werth has been is clutch, and at this point I'm about as confident that Werth will get the clutch hit as I am that Cole Hamels will.

So even though the Phils are in first right now, they've shown how easy it is for a team to sneak up and steal that spot. It's important that Manuel doesn't allow his team to get complacent in the slightest, or it could turn into an ugly September.
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This tag was the result of a beautiful Shane Victorino throw.


Charlie Manuel considered benching Shane Victorino before Saturday night's game against the San Diego Padres because of his struggles as of late against right-handed batters. But Manuel, loyal to a fault, decided to keep Victorino in the lineup and give him one more chance to get out of his funk.

Victorino backed up Manuel's decision by going two for four with two RBIs, a run scored, and an impressive throw from center field that quickly had Nick Hundley questioning his decision to round third and try for a run.

The Flyin' Hawaiian was having none of it and got Hundley by a mile. Brian Schneider applied the tag and that was that.

Victorino's performance, along with a fantastic outing by all four of the pitchers the Phils used Saturday night, gave the Phillies their second consecutive win over the NL West-leading Padres.

That's right. The team that couldn't squeeze out a single win against the Houston Astros has now won two games back-to-back against the Padres, arguably the best team in the NL this season.

But, that's the Phillies for you.

Joe Blanton scattered six hits over six innings, walked one and struck out three. Blanton has suddenly found his groove and has looked great in back-to-back starts, and this time, with some backup from Victorino, he was able to turn it into a win and even himself out at 6-6 for the year.

Jose Contreras, Ryan Madson, and Brad Lidge all pitched one perfect inning to end the game.

They allowed no hits, no runs, and each struck out one guy. Lidge, coming off an embarrassing balk that resulted in his fifth blown save of the season, got his 18th save of the year by retiring the side in order.

Lidge, another guy Manuel has been 100 percent loyal to, also seems to be justifying the faith Manuel has in him. He just has to cut down on the silly mistakes that really get him into a pinch.

Cole Hamels takes the mound Sunday afternoon for the Phils, so without even seeing the game I can safely surmise that the Padres will win 2-1 after Hamels takes a no-hitter into the sixth and has it blown up by a solo home run.
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Brown certainly lived up to the hype in his first game.


After suffering an injury that most thought would keep him out a few days put Shane Victorino on the DL, the Phillies' top prospect, Domonic Brown, made his presence felt immediately.

In his first major league at-bat, Brown nearly went deep with a man on base. Instead, he knocked one off the right center field wall, legging out a double and plating Jayson Werth. Later in the inning, a Wilson Valdez groundout allowed Brown to cross home plate for his first career run.

Brown later showed that he can also run the bases and isn't just a power bat as he scored from first on a Carlos Ruiz double in the sixth inning.

Overall, Brown went two for three, with two runs and two RBIs. Brown batted sixth in the lineup and played right field, while Werth was kicked over to center in Victorino's absence.

But for as exciting as it was for everyone to finally see what Brown could do in the majors, the news on Victorino has to take some of the wind of the sail.

"I'll say about two weeks, but it may be at least three weeks (before Victorino returns to the lineup)," manager Charlie Manuel said.

Victorino was placed on the 15-day DL, so it's possible he returns once his stint is up, but no one sounds too optimistic -- including Victorino.

"I'm hoping (to be out only) 15 (days)," Victorino said. "It's sore today."

With Victorino gone, and Jimmy Rollins currently riding the bench with a foot bruise, the Phillies are short on contact-hitting base-runners. So unless Rollins is able to return soon, Brown's play could be overshadowed by the fact the lineup is now dominated by power-hitting lefties.

But, for now, the Phils are riding a seven-game win streak and look as good as they have all season long. Whether or not they can overcome the constant stream of injuries to the All-Star players and overtake the Braves has yet to be seen, but it's now safe to say they're out of their slump.

However, as we've seen with this team, they can fall back in at any time.
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Manuel needs to get this team back on track ASAP.


If it's not one thing with these Phillies over the past two weeks or so, then it's another. If the pitching is spot on, then you can be sure the offense will struggle to muster a single run.

And then once the hitting finally gets going, the pitching and defense begins to struggle and you're stuck with that Padres game from Sunday.

The Phillies had no business losing that game the way they did, especially since the offense lit it up in the first two innings. Granted, the Padres quickly pulled Kevin Correia, their starter, after the second inning, but there's no reason for San Diego's bullpen to be as shut-down as it was.

They've turned themselves into a pretty decent team and the bullpen isn't anything to scoff at, but this Phillies lineup should be able to hit any bullpen in the league -- especially when they're forced to eat up eight innings.

But, then again, perhaps I'm being too optimistic by thinking the hitting is coming back. Perhaps Correia was simply that bad. Maybe if the Phillies had actually been on, they could have tagged him for 15 runs and not five.

I'm just not sure. Right about now, you're basically reading the thoughts of a man who has absolutely no idea anymore. First I thought it was just a funk they'd get out of, then I thought it was about complacency, and now I'm telling you I have no idea and I'm not sure anyone in the organization does, either.

The players, the coaches, and the front office seem truly stumped. The only thing they can tell us is that they're sick of talking about it as Shane Victorino recently told the media.

Well, Vicky, I'm about as anti-Philly media as they come, but if even one of the eight of you would start connecting with the ball like we all know you can, there would be no questions about why in the world the most talented lineup in the National League is struggling.

And then as far as the pitching goes, there doesn't seem to be much of an answer there, either.

One thing I do know, however, is that when every aspect of a team is beginning to fall apart, it's time to look at the coaches. No, I'm not going to start a "Fire Charlie Manuel" campaign, but it's on him to get this team headed back in the right direction.

Given his track record, I believe he will, but he's certainly taking his sweet time about it.
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Every home run Werth hits this season is bittersweet.


According to Howard Eskin and his brand new Twitter feed, the Phillies are seriously considering trading Shane Victorino in order to free up some money and resign Jayson Werth.

It makes sense on the surface as finding a way to keep Werth has to be on top of Ruben Amaro's to-do list, and trading Victorino would free up $7.5 million next year. The Phils would then just insert Dominic Brown to play either center or right field, depending on where they feel he's best suited, and move on from there.

However, trading Victorino seems to create more problems than it solves. Sure, they probably free up enough money to keep Werth, but what do they do once Ibañez moves on and they're forced to replace him in left field?

And even more importantly, how do you replicate Victorino's fantastic defense? Brown is probably a much better hitter than the Flyin' Hawaiian, but Victorino is one of the best defensive center-fielders in all of baseball.

He often helps cover the fact that Ibañez can't cover as much ground as he once could and is routinely making difficult plays look, well, routine.

Then add in the fact that he's crushing the ball better than he ever has and you've got a guy who is very difficult to get rid of. Since becoming a starter in 2006, Victorino has never hit more than 14 home runs in a season; This year, however, he's gone yard seven times and we're only getting into May.

And for all the hype Brown gets as a hitter, he's still got two less than Victorino playing Double-A ball in Reading.

It's obvious the Phillies need to keep Werth around to protect Ryan Howard and to be the power righty in the lineup, but moving Victorino is not the way to do that. It solves one problem but creates a lot more in the long run. The problem here is that Amaro overpaid for Ibañez and now it's catching up to the team.

Speaking purely out of instinct, I think Amaro will find a way to keep Werth around. Paying Howard all that money doesn't make much sense if you're not going to have someone worthy of the fifth spot, so I would have to believe Amaro already has a plan in place.

The most likely scenario (other than simply letting Werth walk and trying to groom someone else) is that the Phils move Ibañez and eat up some of his contract. Then with the money they'll save in the long-run they can pay Werth the $15-18 million per season he's going to demand and have a natural fit for Brown in the lineup behind Werth at six.

This would also mean getting rid of Jamie Moyer's inflated contract and giving Kyle Kendrick a cemented spot in the lineup. A move that, despite Moyer's wonderfully flukey two-hitter, is long overdue.

Then in 2011 the outfield would be Werth in left, Victorino at center, and Brown in right, with Werth batting fifth, Brown batting sixth, and Victorino batting seventh.

In a perfect world, that's how everything would fall. However, as the Yankees showed us all last October, it's certainly far from a perfect world.
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