Phillies Recap: Phillies-3, Braves-2

Game Recap:

Down 2-1 in the bottom of the eighth inning, the Phillies scored off of Jonny Venters, and Ross Gload plated Raul Ibanez in the ninth inning to give the Phils a sweep of Atlanta and push them to 10.5 games up in the division.

What went right?

Placido Polanco was 2-4 with the game tying RBI.

Raul Ibanez went 1-3 and scored the game winning run. He also homered in the second inning.

John Mayberry pinch hit in the eighth inning and scored the tying run.

Ross Gload had a pinch hit walk-off hit in the bottom of the ninth.

Roy Oswalt had a no-hitter going through five innings and finished the game allowing just two runs on four hits. He walked four and struck out seven.

Antonio Bastardo and Ryan Madson came in for the eighth and ninth innings and did well, allowing just two hits.

What went wrong?

Shane Victorino went 0-3 with three strikeouts.

Ryan Howard was 0-4 and struck out three times.

Chase Utley was 0-2 and left the game after being hit in the head by a ball in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Hunter Pence went 0-4 and struck out twice.

Game Analysis:

After two games of avoiding the best part of Atlanta's bullpen, the Phillies took it on tonight, and came out with another win. Their come from behind, walk-off win gave the Braves their first three game sweep of the entire season and pushed the Phils to ten and a half games up in the National League East. The magic number to clinch a playoff spot is now down to five for the Phillies, while the division magic number is 12.

While the last two games had the offense getting out to a quick start against the Atlanta starting pitching, tonight was a little bit different, as Raul Ibanez was able to give the Phillies a 1-0 lead in the second inning on a solo home run. From there, Brandon Beachy was solid, and Eric O'Flaherty kept the Phils off the board until the bottom of the eighth inning, when Jonny Venters was brought in to keep the lead for Craig Kimbrel. The Braves boast one of the best bullpens in baseball, and while O'Flaherty did his job tonight, Venters couldn't finish things off. The back end of the lineup managed to string together a hit by John Mayberry and a sacrifice bunt from Wilson Valdez, and then Placido Polanco did his part with a two out single that scored the tying run. It wasn't the most pretty inning, but it was good enough to get the run home, and that's all that matters.

The ninth inning was more of the same. Raul Ibanez walked with one out, and Carlos Ruiz singled him over to second base. Ross Gload came in to pinch hit, and considering his lack of success of late, I doubt people were expecting much. Instead, Gload grounded a shot past the first base bag and into right field that scored Ibanez and gave the Phillies a sweep over the Braves. The entire game summed up this series. It wasn't the best played, but it may have made the biggest difference in the regular season.

With the limited offense tonight, you can't take away from how the pitching did, either. Roy Oswalt took a no-hitter into the sixth inning, and while he allowed two runs in seven innings of work, he still looked solid, and was every bit the pitcher that the Phillies want him to be down the stretch. It's still a question of whether it's going to be him or Vance Worley as the fourth pitcher in the playoff rotation, so every last start helps right now. I'm keeping my mouth shut on that one for the moment.

The bullpen was solid once again tonight, too. Antonio Bastardo and Ryan Madson pitched the eighth and ninth innings and were excellent once again, with Bastardo using the double play to get out of a jam, and Madson picking up his fourth win of the season in walk-off fashion. The Phillies don't have the same buzz that the Braves do out of their bullpen, but when you look at Ryan Madson and Antonio Bastardo and link them up with the pitching that the Phillies have, it's almost a light's out situation. Every starting pitcher for the Phillies can go seven innings. If they leave at that point, the Phils can bring in Bastardo, who closed for a bit this season, and then Madson, who is the closer now. That takes care of the last two innings. The Braves might have a better overall bullpen, but the entire pitching staff makes the Phillies that much better.

The National League East race isn't over yet, but it's pretty damn close. The Phils did what they have done over the last five years and made a statement in a big series against a division rival. Usually, it's been against the Mets, but this year, the Braves will have to do. Now, the Phillies have 91 wins in the fewest games in team history, and are looking to set a team record for wins. It's likely going to happen, and there is not a fan around that would complain about it.

Enjoy the ride, everyone. It's going to be a fun one.

Tomorrow, the Phillies take their talents on the road to Milwaukee for a four game series with the Brewers. Their "prove it" week continues, as Cole Hamels (13-7, 2.63 ERA) pitches against Chris Narveson (10-6, 4.26 ERA).

Phillies Recap: Phillies-6, Braves-3

Game Recap:

Despite an almost two hour rain delay, Vance Worley pitched six innings to get his 11th win of the season as the Phillies took their second straight in a huge series against the Atlanta Braves. The National League East lead for the Phils is now nine and a half games.

What went right?

Chase Utley had a solo home run in the first inning, then reached base and scored the final run of the game in the seventh inning.

Ryan Howard went 1-3 with two runs scored and an RBI.

Raul Ibanez was great tonight, going 3-4 with three RBI.

Vance Worley didn't have his best outing, but he still pitched well, allowing two runs on seven hits in six innings. He walked three and struck out six.

Brad Lidge gave up a hit in the eighth, but struck out three in a rare four out inning.

Ryan Madson worked the ninth and picked up his 28th save with a quick inning.

What went wrong?

Brian Schneider was 0-3.

Michael Stutes had another rough outing, allowing a run in the seventh inning on a hit and a walk.

The Phillies left nine men on base.

Game Analysis:

One night after Cliff Lee shut down the Braves for his sixth shutout of the season, Vance Worley took his turn on the mound. While he didn't have the same stuff that Lee did, he had enough to hold the Braves to two runs in six innings, and the Phils did the rest. Raul Ibanez drove in three runs as the Phillies won their 90th game of the season with a 6-3 victory over the Atlanta Braves.

In two games in this series so far, the Phillies have outscored the Braves by a 14-3 margin. That's about as good as you can get for the two best teams in the National League. Though the Phils have had the edge in starting pitching, the Braves have countered with Tim Hudson tonight and Derek Lowe, two pitchers that aren't exactly scrubs. Tonight, Vance Worley pitched through some middle inning struggles and the Phillies scored runs when they needed to in order to get him a win. Without the offense, the Phils wouldn't have won tonight's game, it's that simple. They took advantage of Atlanta's mistakes and made them pay. It's what good teams do all the time. Last year, it's what the Giants did to the Phillies.

Just as they did the night before, the Phillies jumped on the Atlanta starting pitching early. Before the Braves hardly had a chance to react, the Phils were up 2-0, and it should have been more. Tim Hudson was able to pitch out of trouble and keep the Braves in the game, but after Atlanta tied the score, the Phillies took action with a two run bottom of the sixth inning that gave them the lead for good. Raul Ibanez just missed a two run home run in the inning, and he would drive in another run in the bottom of the seventh that would give the Phillies even more insurance against a potential Atlanta comeback.

The heart of this lineup has just been great in this series so far, but there's still a lot to do. Ryan Howard is playing hurt, and needs a few games off, and Hunter Pence is just coming out of a slump in which he was 0-10. Raul Ibanez is starting to show signs of life once more, which is a good sign, but there's no telling whether or not he's going to be able to keep this up throughout the rest of September and the playoffs. However, at the moment, this team is playing like most people thought that it would, and that's a very good thing.

The only question mark that I have about tonight has to do with Michael Stutes, who struggled again on the mound. Stutes has pitched more innings this year than he has in any other season since he was drafted, and fatigue has to be settling in. If the Phillies bring him with them to the playoffs, he could be a problem on the mound, especially in a tight situation. Tonight, he allowed a run, but the Phillies countered with two of their own in the bottom of the seventh inning. That's not always going to happen. If he struggles the rest of the way, having him in the playoffs might do more harm than good for this team. They need whatever help they can get in the bullpen.

Regardless of that, the Phillies are the best team in baseball right now. They have reached 90 wins in the shortest amount of time in team history, and are nine and a half games up in the National League East. This week is supposed to be their toughest coming down the stretch and so far, they've won both games, without Roy Halladay or Cole Hamels pitching. I like what I see at the moment.

Tomorrow, the Phillies try and sweep the Braves for the first time this season. Roy Oswalt (7-8, 3.80 ERA) will pitch for the Phillies against Brandon Beachy (7-2, 3.37 ERA).

Phillies Recap: Phillies-9, Reds-0

Game Recap:

Roy Halladay won his 16th game of the season and the Phillies recorded their 18th team shutout, winning the second game of their series against the Reds by a 9-0 score.

What went right?

Ryan Howard was 2-5 with two home runs and three RBI, giving him 100 RBI for the sixth time in this career.

Hunter Pence was 2-5, scoring two runs and hitting a solo home run.

Raul Ibanez started for the first time in almost a week, going 3-5 with a home run, two runs scored and two RBI.

Roy Halladay pitched seven shutout innings, getting his 16th win of the season. He allowed two hits, walked two and struck out nine, while also hitting a three run double in the sixth inning to completely blow the game open.

Brad Lidge and Michael Schwimer worked clean innings in the 8th and 9th innings to hold the shut out.

What went wrong?

Placido Polanco was 0-5.

Yep, that's all I've got.

Game Analysis:

When you give Roy Halladay an eight day rest and put him up against the Cincinnati Reds, good things tend to happen. The last time it happened, Halladay pitched the second ever no hitter in playoff history, and tonight, while he didn't throw a no hitter, he did keep the Reds from crossing the plate and drove in three runs of his own to give the Phils their second straight win and push them to 39 games over .500.

After two straight starts without a win (neither of which was really his fault), Roy Halladay came out again tonight and showed how good he can be. The Reds mounted a little bit of offense in the first inning, but after that, Roy was cruising, and he had little problems through the rest of the game. He struck out at least one batter in each inning he pitched, and added to his own cause in the sixth inning with a bases clearing double that drove in three. The RBI were the first of the season for Halladay and put the final touches on Bronson Arroyo's night as well.

The rest of the offense did a good job tonight as well, giving Halladay more than enough runs to take care of business. After a lackluster game last night, Ryan Howard hit two home runs and reached 100 RBI for the sixth season in a row. He still strikes out a ton, and his batting average is on pace for a career low, but the fact still remains that Howard drives in runs and hit home runs. During the late months, he always seems to be able to put the offense on his back for stretches, and he can turn his power on like a light switch. Meanwhile, Hunter Pence has been simply outstanding as a member of the Phillies, hitting his sixth home run with the team tonight and driving in another run. Since he was traded, Pence has hit those six home runs, driven in 15 runs and scored another 16. Not bad for someone who had the weight of an entire city weighing on him when he got to Philadelphia.

Raul Ibanez had a good night as well as he returned to the starting lineup. Ibanez has struggled this season, and is going to see more of his playing time going to John Mayberry, but tonight, he looked like the Raul of old, hitting a home run and scoring twice while driving in two runs of his own as well. Though Ibanez isn't going to be the same hitter than he was when the Phillies signed him, they still need him to produce when he's in the lineup, especially against pitchers that he can hit. Tonight was one of those occasions, and Ibanez rose to the challenge. That's what the Phils need out of his bat the rest of the way. If they can get that, as well as production from Mayberry when he's in the lineup, then the offense is going to be just fine.

So far, so good when it comes to this series in Cincinnati. The Phils have held the highest scoring team in the National League to just two runs in two games, while scoring 12 themselves. Cole Hamels looked good in his first start off the DL last night and Roy Halladay was simply Roy Halladay on the mound tonight. With the Braves losing today, the lead in the National League East grew to 7.5 games, and with 30 games to play, the Phillies can go .500 the rest of the season and still win 100 games.

Sometimes, it's nice to be on top.

Tomorrow, Cliff Lee (14-7, 2.71 ERA) goes against Dontrelle Willis (Hey Remember Him? 0-3, 4.10 ERA). Seriously, this almost isn't fair right now.

No Baseball This Weekend

So, if you've been living under a rock this past week, the weather in the Philadelphia area isn't exactly that great right now. First, there's a hurricane and now, we're in the middle of a hurricane. Plus, you throw in the Phillies losing the last game of their series to the Mets, and losing last night to the Marlins, and it's not that good of a week.

Luckily, the Phillies already landed in Cincinnati for their series with the Reds after the double-header that was scheduled for today was called off, due to the hurricane. The rest of the weekend is going to be interesting for all of us in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Hopefully, all of you stay safe, and are good to go once this whole thing goes past.

This will likely be my last post of the weekend. I'm expecting to lose power tonight at some point, and I'm not using my phone unless I have to. Be safe out there, and let's be ready for the Phils and the Reds on Monday. Cole Hamels is off the DL and pitching in the first game of the series. I'll be ready.

Phillies Recap: Phillies-10, Mets-0

Game Recap:

Cliff Lee's seven shutout innings were the icing on the cake, as the Phillies scored ten runs against the New York Mets to move their record to 82-44 on the season.

What went right?

Shane Victorino was 1-4 with a two run triple.

Placido Polanco made his return from the disabled list and went 2-4.

Hunter Pence was 2-3 on the night with two walks, a two run home run and four runs scored.

John Mayberry went 1-3 with a two run home run and a bases loaded walk.

Carlos Ruiz was 2-4 and drove in two runs.

Wilson freaking Valdez continued to be one of the most clutch hitters that the Phillies have, going 1-3 with the game winning RBI. Sure, it happened in the second inning, but it still counts.

Cliff Lee pitched seven shutout innings to earn his 14th win of the season. He walked three, struck out seven and allowed three hits. He also went 1-4 at the plate and scored a run.

David Herndon pitched the last two innings of the game, giving up two hits while striking out one.

What went wrong?

Chase Utley went 0-4.

Ryan Howard was 1-4 with three strikeouts.

Game Analysis:

What the Phillies needed tonight was a good game against the Mets to follow their disappointing series against the Nationals this past weekend. What they got was not just a good game, but a great one, as the Phils blasted rookie Dillon Gee for eight runs in less than four innings for what turned out to be a 10-0 win.

Even with Jimmy Rollins going on the disabled list today, the offense was more than ready for the Mets. Shane Victorino had a two run triple in the second inning, and every Phillie, save for Chase Utley, had a hit in the game. Placido Polanco came off the DL and had two hits, and John Mayberry continued his incredible hot streak with a two run home run, giving him 11 on the season now, which is good for fifth on the team. That's not too bad considering he's only played in 75 games this season. The best part about that is that Mayberry only got the start tonight because Raul Ibanez was scratched from the starting lineup with a sore groin. At least Mayberry made it pay off.

Cliff Lee was on the mound tonight, and he pitched another solid start, making this August look like June did for him. While Lee did walk three batters tonight, he added to his career high in strikeouts for a season, and won his fourth game in the month of August and fifth game in a row. Even with his poor July showing, there's nothing to suggest that Lee won't be ready for the playoffs, and even if he does struggle in September, he's been great in every other month, so October will be right up his alley. That being said, giving up two runs in the entire month of August isn't too bad. Having 14 wins as the number two pitcher doesn't hurt, either.

All things considered, tonight was the best possible outcome for the Phillies. They not only bounced back from a bad series against Washington, but they completely destroyed the Mets, at home, and had Cliff Lee pitch seven shut out innings. Jimmy Rollins is on the disabled list for at least a few weeks, but with the way Wilson Valdez is hitting in the clutch, it might not matter right now. The night wasn't perfect, but very few are. With the win, the Phillies are still six and a half games up on the Braves for the division, and 15 games up in the Wild Card, if it comes to that.

Yeah, I think that this team is going to make the playoffs.

Tomorrow, the Phillies and Mets square off in game two of this three game series. Vance Worley (8-1, 2.76 ERA) will go against Jonathan Niese (11-10, 4.05 ERA).

Phillies Recap: Nationals-5, Phillies-4

Game Recap:

The Phillies had the Nationals down to their last strike, but Ian Desmond hit a game tying home run off of Antonio Bastardo, and then Jonny Gomes was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the 10th, giving Washington their second walk off win of the series against the Phillies.

What went right?

Chase Utley was 1-5 with his ninth home run of the season.

Raul Ibanez went 1-3 with a walk and two runs scored.

Carlos Ruiz was 2-4 with a two run home run.

Michael Martinez was 1-4 and put the Phillies ahead with his RBI single in the top of the ninth inning.

Michael Schwimer gave up a home run to the very first batter he faced in the major leagues, but then worked three innings of two hit baseball, including striking out the side in the seventh inning.

What went wrong?

Jimmy Rollins was 0-2 before leaving the game with a right groin strain. He's day to day at the moment.

Hunter Pence was 0-4 with a strikeout.

Antonio Bastardo struck out the first two batters he faced, and had Ian Desmond down to his last strike, but gave up a game tying home run in the ninth inning for his first blown save of the year.

Brad Lidge was in trouble early in the 10th and never got out of hit, giving up the rare walk off hit by pitch to end the game.

Game Analysis:

Boy, there haven't been many of these games for the Phillies this year, have there? I mean, aside from Friday's game, that is. The Phillies went into the ninth inning today with Antonio Bastardo having struck out the first two National batters that he faced. The remaining, rain soaked crowd was mostly Phillies fans, who were on their feet, ready for a final strikeout. The only problem was that Bastardo threw one bad pitch in the inning, and Ian Desmond hit it into the left field seats for a game tying home run. Brad Lidge did next to nothing in the 10th inning, loading the bases before recording a strike out of his own, and then hitting Jonny Gomes to end the game. It wasn't a good way to end the series for the Phils, that's for sure.

The weather played a factor once again, limiting Roy Halladay to just five innings of work. Halladay wasn't as sharp as he usually is, allowing seven hits and two runs in those five innings, but he was still pitching well enough to go another inning or two without a problem. Instead, the rain came in, and rookie Michael Schwimer got to make his major league debut. Two pitches into it, Danny Espinosa greeted him with a home run that tied the game.

Fortunately for the young kid, things only got better from there, as Schwimer retired eight Washington batters in a row, including striking out the side in the seventh inning. He didn't look bad at all out on the mound, giving up just two hits, both to Espinosa, and striking out four. All in all, it was a good first showing, and he was in line for the win today before the bottom of the ninth.

Just like they did the entire series, the offense did a little bit, but had the Phillies in the lead going into the bottom of the ninth inning. Carlos Ruiz tied the game up in the second inning with a two run home run before Chase Utley gave the Phils the lead in the third with a solo home run of his own. Ruiz would help out again in the ninth, singling Raul Ibanez into scoring position for Michael Martinez. Mini-Mart singled back up the middle, scoring Ibanez and putting the Phillies on top once again.

Just the other day, I was praising both Ryan Madson and Antonio Bastardo. Well, in this series against the Nationals, Madson and Bastardo both blew saves and the Phillies lost both of those games. I don't think it's going to become a trend, since both pitchers have had stellar years, so I'm not too concerned. However, those two are going to be the back end of the rotation in the playoffs, so if they do struggle, it won't be pretty. For now, I'm willing to give them a pass on this series. The Nationals, for whatever reason, always have played the Phillies tough, and they now have 19 wins in their last at bat, so they don't give up easily. A series like this was bound to happen.

The bigger concern is about Jimmy Rollins and his strained groin. He's scheduled for an MRI tomorrow, and hopefully it won't reveal anything too major. Even with Placido Polanco coming off the DL tomorrow, the last thing that the Phils really need is another starter going out for a month or so. Rollins has battled through injuries before, so hopefully he can do the same with this one, but a groin strain isn't just something you can play through without discomfort. If he can't go, Wilson Valdez or Michael Martinez will obviously play in his place. For now, Rollins is day to day.

Everyone needs to just step back and breathe a little bit. Did the Phillies blow saves in two of the three games in this series? Yes they did, but before that, they had only blown one save all season long. Having three blown saves near the end of August isn't too bad, right? Besides, the Braves are still a way's back in the division, and this series should prove to have been a launching point for the rest of season. This isn't the end of the world, just remember that.

Tomorrow, the Phils are back at home to take on the New York Mets. Cliff Lee (13-7, 2.82 ERA) will pitch for the Phillies, while Jonathan Niese (11-10, 4.05 ERA) goes for the Mets.

Phillie of the Week: August 14-20

Due to weather, the Phils had a shortened schedule over the past seven days, only playing five games and going 3-2 in those five. While not that impressive compared to the rest of the season, the team still put up solid numbers. A few players stood out, including one young man who is looking for some more playing time. This week's Phillie of the Week is:

John Mayberry

Mayberry has been lights out since he came back up from the minor leagues, and this week was no different. In the five games he played, Mayberry had seven hits in 15 at bats, good for a .467 batting average, as well as driving in four runs and hitting a home run. He also walked twice and scored five runs. Not bad for a platoon player, right?

Want To Own Hunter Pence's Shoes? Now You Can!

Everyone's newest favorite Phillie, Hunter Pence, made quite a first impression with his new team when he showed up at the plate wearing his old Houston Astros spikes, only spray painted red to fit the requirements that the Phillies have about red spikes. Luckily, the Phils got him some red spikes after a few games, but Pence did wear them out onto the field for a few games against the Pirates.

Now that Pence has settled in with the Phillies, he's placed his old spikes on eBay, with the proceeds from the auction going to his baseball academy. The listing itself is great, so I'll let you check that out. Trust me, it's worth the read.

Anyone got $1,100 that they don't need so I can buy these bad boys? They'd make a great conversation starter.

Phillies Recap: Phillies-5, Nationals-0

Game Recap:

Roy Oswalt pitched eight shutout innings, striking out nine, and the offense plated five runs against John Lannan, giving them a win in the second game of their series in Washington.

What went right?

Jimmy Rollins went 2-4 and drove in two runs.

Hunter Pence was 1-4 with a home run.

John Mayberry had two more hits and scored a run.

Carlos Ruiz went 2-3 with two runs scored.

Wilson freaking Valdez did his job again, driving in two with a triple in the fourth inning.

Roy Oswalt looked like the pitcher the Phillies traded for last year. He went eight innings, giving up eight hits and no runs. He struck out nine and walked one.

Michael Stutes pitched a scoreless ninth inning to finish the game.

What went wrong?

Chase Utley was 0-3 with a strikeout.

Ryan Howard went 0-4 and stuck out once.

Game Analysis:

After the implosion by the bullpen in the ninth inning last night (that's all I'm going to say about that), the Phillies needed not only a bounce back game, but a good effort from Roy Oswalt to help keep the bullpen fresh. Tonight, they got both of those things, as Oswalt found his Fourth Ace form, pitching eight shutout innings and striking out nine as the Phillies beat John Lannan once again, this time by a 5-0 score.

Oswalt looked better in his last start against the Nationals, but tonight, he was on a totally different level. His nine strikeouts were the most since he was traded to the Phillies last season, and were the most he had in a single game since the 2008 season. He still gave up some hits, but was rarely in a lot of trouble, and looked excellent out on the mound. It's the kind of performance that reminds you why the Phils wanted to trade for him last year, and it makes you more confident going into this last month and a half of the season. Since coming back off the DL, Oswalt is 2-1 and has 18 strikeouts in 21 innings of work, compared to just four walks, and he's looked better in each start. He's getting his feel back out there on the mound, and it's only going to get better with every start from here.

At the plate, the Phillies still took advantage of the big inning, like they did last night, but this time, they had two innings with two or more runs. The first came in the top of the fourth, when Wilson Valdez drove in John Mayberry and Carlos Ruiz on a triple. Just like Oswalt's last start, the Phils took advantage of a mistake by Washington, as Ian Desmond committed an error when Mayberry attempted to steal second base. Without that error, Mayberry is out, and the inning is over. Instead, Ruiz walked, and Valdez brought them both in. Mayberry had a solid defensive play in the bottom of the fourth, throwing out Ryan Zimmerman at the plate and ending the last real threat that the Nationals mounted.

The sixth inning started out well when Hunter Pence led things off with a home run and Mayberry and Ruiz followed with back to back hits to chase John Lannan from the game. Wilson Valdez grounded into a fielder's choice, luckily avoiding grounding into a double play before Oswalt sacrificed Ruiz and Valdez over. Jimmy Rollins did the rest, driving them both in with a two run single that capped the scoring. Even though the Phillies didn't need any insurance runs, it was nice to see them added to the board, especially following last night.

This was exactly the type of game that the Phillies needed tonight. They bounced back well against a pitcher that they usually own, and they got a great showing out of their starting pitcher, which helped save the bullpen a lot of work. With the win, the Phillies move to 81-43 and still have a 7.5 game lead on the Braves in the division.

Tomorrow, Roy Halladay (15-5, 2.53 ERA) goes for his 16th win of the season as he faces off against Chien-Ming Wang (2-2, 4.22 ERA).

Phillies Recap: Phillies-4, Diamondbacks-1

Game Recap:

Rain kept Vance Worley from going more than three innings, but David Herndon and John Mayberry did the heavy lifting last night, leading the Phils to their 80th win of the season.

What went right?

John Mayberry was 1-4 with a two run home run.

Chase Utley was 2-4 and scored a run.

Raul Ibanez went 2-4 with two doubles and an RBI.

Wilson freaking Valdez went 1-3 with a walk and an RBI double.

Jimmy Rollins was 1-3 with a walk and a run scored.

For the three innings that he pitched before the rain came, Vance Worley looked excellent. He didn't allow a run while giving up just one hit and striking out two.

David Herndon pitched extremely well after the rain delay. He pitched three shutout innings while allowing one hit and striking out four.

Antonio Bastardo needed just eight pitches to get through the eighth inning, striking out one.

Ryan Madson worked a 1-2-3 ninth for his 23rd save of the season.

What went wrong?

Hunter Pence went 0-3 with two strikeouts.

Ross Gload was 0-4.

Brian Schneider was 0-3.

The Phillies left seven men on base.

Game Analysis:

In a game with a two hour rain delay, no Ryan Howard, Carlos Ruiz, Placido Polanco or Shane Victorino, you wouldn't have been too upset if the Phillies had taken a loss last night. Instead, using a lineup that resembled more of a Spring Training lineup and a bullpen pitcher that has struggled this season, the Phils took out Ian Kennedy with three early runs and won their 80th game of the season.

You can't really look into how Vance Worley pitched last night, because he only went three innings due to the rain delay. However, while he was in the game, he was solid. He struck out two and gave up just one hit and once again looked like a potential Rookie of the Year candidate. Last night's biggest story was David Herndon, the oft-maligned long relief pitcher who normally only comes into a game when the lead is too big for him to lose. Against Arizona last night, Herndon looked like a great pitcher, striking out the side in the fifth inning and working three scoreless innings of his own to keep the Phillies in front. It was very comforting to see Herndon pitch like that, because the Phils are going to need him more and more down this final stretch of the season. When other pitchers can't go, Herndon will need to step up again and again. Last night was a good start.

There's little else that needs to be said about Antonio Bastardo and Ryan Madson. The two of them have taken their roles as the eighth inning man and closer and ran with them this season. Bastardo has come into his own, allowing just seven earned runs so far this season while stranding 93% of inherited baserunners. Madson, meanwhile, has given up just ten earned runs this season and is 23/24 in save chances. When a team can have a rotation like the Phillies and then have the back of the bullpen like Bastardo and Madson, all the offense really needs to do is score three to four runs a night, and they're going to win. It's a good feeling seeing this pitching staff, especially compared to where they were not that long ago. The emergence of Bastardo and the dominance that Madson has had in the closer role this year have been two surprises that I'm very happy about.

The John Mayberry bandwagon got a few more supporters on it last night as well. Mayberry, who is an extra base hitting machine, had another one last night with a two run home run in the third inning. Since he was called up from AAA at the start of July, Mayberry has hit seven home runs in just 75 at bats. With Raul Ibanez struggling this season, there's going to be more of a ground swell for Mayberry to get more time in left field, and he probably should, but I'm not sure how well he can perform as an every day starter. For the moment, at least, he's a very good option off of the bench or in a spot start situation, like he had last night for Shane Victorino. He's going to get some more time as the season finishes up, and that's going to help him for the playoffs and going into next year. However, Ibanez can get hot over stretches, and he needs to play for those stretches to happen. Plus, the Phillies have won 80 games with him hitting under .240 for the season, so he's not hurting the team that much at the plate. His defense leaves a lot to be desired, there's no questioning that, though.

It's difficult to break down rain delayed games, especially one that was delayed by almost two and a half hours. The Phillies didn't go out there with a full deck at the plate last night, but they still got the job done. They've already reached 80 wins on the season, and are still holding an eight and a half game lead in the NL East over the Braves. Their series winning streak continued, as they took two out of three from Arizona and now they have to wait and see if they meet up with the Diamondbacks again in October.

Tonight, the Phils head down to Washington, D.C. for a three game series with the Nationals. Roy Oswalt (5-7, 3.84 ERA) will be on the hill for the Phillies. Livan Hernandez (7-11, 4.21 ERA) will go for Washington.

Phillies Recap: Phillies-9, Diamondbacks-2

Game Recap:

The Phillies took advantage of mistakes by Arizona in the seventh and eighth innings to break away and win the second game of their series, 9-2. Cliff Lee pitched seven strong innings to pick up the win, his 13th on the season.

What went right?

Jimmy Rollins started the game with a home run on the very first pitch he saw, and finished by going 2-3 with two RBI, a run scored, a walk and a stolen base.

Shane Victorino went 2-4.

Hunter Pence was 2-2 with two walks and three runs scored.

John Mayberry went 3-4, scoring twice and driving in one.

Wilson freaking Valdez went 1-4 with a huge two run double in the seventh. He also scored twice.

Cliff Lee pitched very well, going seven innings and allowing just two runs on three hits. He struck out seven and walked two.

Antonio Bastardo and Ryan Madson worked the eighth and ninth innings and kept Arizona from coming back.

What went wrong?

Chase Utley was 0-5.

Yep, that's all tonight.

Game Analysis:

Those of you that were worried about the Phillies on offense after last night, please sit down. Tonight, the Phils only scored two runs in the first six innings, but came alive when the Diamondbacks made mistakes, scoring seven runs between the seventh and eighth innings for a 9-2 win. Couple that with the Atlanta loss, and the Phillies are once again eight and a half games up in the National League East.

It was just another good night at the ballpark for Cliff Lee, who has followed up a shaky July with a great August. Aside from a walk and home run that he gave up in the second inning, Lee was lights out all night long, and looked just like the pitcher who is second in the National League in strikeouts this season. Yes, believe it or not, Lee has somehow become even more of a strikeout pitcher this year, while still keeping his walk total down. Lee has struck out 184 batters this season while walking only 36. Think about that for a second. Tonight, Lee struck out seven and walked just two. That's not quite on par with his numbers for the season, but it's more than good enough for me. He's pitched well enough to win at least two or three more games than he has this year, and is two strikeouts away from a new career high. It's safe to say he's going to get there.

Aside from Lee, the bullpen pitched well once again tonight. Antonio Bastardo might be the most unrecognized great setup man in baseball at this point. When Bastardo comes into a game, you might as well start planning for the next inning, that's how good this guy has been this year. In 45.2 innings this year, he's struck out 51, walked just 16 and given up 18 hits. That's a WHIP of 0.74. Couple that with his eight saves, and you have a man that can pitch the ninth inning if he has to, and the eighth inning any day of the week. Ryan Madson pitched the ninth tonight to stay loose, and while he allowed a base runner, nobody crossed the plate, so it was a good night for him as well.

The offense had some issues in the middle innings, but was alive to start. Jimmy Rollins swung at the first pitch and took it into the stands for a lead off home run. After Arizona took the lead in the top of the second, Hunter Pence doubled to start the bottom of the inning, and John Mayberry drove Pence home, despite Pence's slide into third base. After that, it came down to taking advantage of the mistakes Arizona made. The Diamondbacks are a young team, and they'll slip up from time to time. Tonight was no different. In the bottom of the seventh, Pence started things with a walk, and went to third on Mayberry's single. Wilson Valdez drove in the eventual game winning run with a two run double, and Ben Francisco hit a near home run that ended up being a sacrifice fly that scored Valdez. It wasn't as pretty as home runs, but it worked. The Phillies had a 5-2 lead.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, it was more of the same, as the Phillies scored four runs, with only one of them being earned. That's what good teams do when they have to win. They take advantage of mistakes by the opposing team. Tonight, Arizona had two errors in the eighth inning that the Phillies turned into four runs to put the game out of reach. That's the killer instinct that this team was somehow missing last year against the Giants. This year, they seem to have found it again, at least right now anyway.

Save for the Brewers, the Diamondbacks are the hottest team in the National League, and the Phillies may have just cooled them off a little bit. We'll see what happens the rest of the season, but I'd rather see them in the playoffs than the Giants.

Tomorrow, Vance Worley (8-1, 2.85 ERA) tries to lead the Phillies to their 80th win of the season. He'll face off against Ian Kennedy (15-3, 3.12 ERA). Where the hell did Kennedy come from?

Phillies Recap: Diamonbacks-3, Phillies-2

Game Recap:

Roy Halladay struck out 14 in a complete game effort, but didn't get much support at the plate as Arizona scored twice in the top of the ninth to beat the Phils in the first game of a three game series.

What went right?

Shane Victorino was 1-4 with a two run home run, providing the Phillies with their only runs of the game.

Chase Utley went 3-4.

Roy Halladay was tagged with his 5th loss of the season, but it wasn't his fault. He allowed three runs on eight hits while pitching a complete game. He struck out 14 and walked just one while going 2-3 at the plate with his first career double.

What went wrong?

Jimmy Rollins scored on Shane Victorino's home run, but was 1-5 with two strikeouts, including a strike out to end the game.

Ryan Howard went 0-3 with two strikeouts.

Hunter Pence was 1-4 and struck out three times.

Michael Martinez was 0-3 with a strikeout.

Raul Ibanez was 0-4.

The Phillies left eight men on base, and only scored two runs on nine hits.

Game Analysis:

At first glance, you want to blame this loss on Charlie Manuel. After all, he let Roy Halladay go back out onto the mound after throwing almost 110 pitches through eight innings. By any stretch now in baseball, that's more than good enough for the win. After all, Halladay had already struck out 12 batters and hadn't given up a hit since the fifth inning. The Phillies were in great shape, right?

Well, not so much last night. The Diamondbacks have made a season out of late inning comebacks, and last night they did it against one of the best pitchers in baseball. Halladay managed to strike out another two Arizona batters in the ninth, but not before Lyle Overbay drove in the game winning run with a double into right. You can see why people would be upset with Charlie today. Halladay was gassed after throwing eight excellent innings, and after giving up back to back hits to start the ninth, Ryan Madson should have been warming up as quickly as possible in the bullpen. However, I'm not blaming Charlie or Halladay for this loss. Honestly, this loss falls on the offense, and their lack of run support.

When a team manages to get eight hits off of a pitcher in under seven innings, you would expect that pitcher to be out of the game fairly quickly, right? That wasn't the case last night, as the Phillies got eight hits and one walk off of Josh Collmenter in 6.2 innings, and only were able to score two runs. Both runs came on a home run by Shane Victorino, as he continued his excellent season. The problem wasn't Victorino or the top of the lineup, as Chase Utley went 3-4 in the game, but it was the middle of the lineup that had it's issues last night. Ryan Howard, Hunter Pence and Raul Ibanez went a combined 1-11 with five strikeouts.

The first lost chance game in the bottom of the third, when Pence struck out swinging with the bases loaded and two outs. In the bottom of the fifth, following Victorino's home run, Chase Utley singled, but Howard and Pence both struck out. Inning over. The bottom of the seventh started well, with Roy Halladay doubling and Jimmy Rollins advancing him over to third. However, Shane Victorino and Chase Utley couldn't drive home Halladay, and that lost chance ended up being the worst one of all. Just scoring Halladay there would have given the Phils an insurance run, and Overbay's double would have tied the game, rather than given Arizona the lead.

Despite the poor showing by the offense last night, everyone just needs to remember that this was one game in a long season. Even with the Braves winning last night, the Phils still hold a 7.5 game lead over Atlanta, and there's still a lot of time left to play this season. Tonight, Cliff Lee (12-7, 2.83 ERA) will try and get the bounce back win for the Phillies, as he faces off with Joe Saunders (8-9, 3.76 ERA).

The State of the Eagles

Admit it, it's ok. Going into the NFL offseason, you had no idea what was going to happen with the Eagles this coming season. It's alright to say it, because no one did. No one was sure that the season would even start on time, and if it did, what players the Eagles would try and pick up. Luckily for us fans, a deal was made, the NFL only lost the Hall of Fame Game, and tonight, the Eagles start up their preseason with a new look team that no one expected to see on the field even a month ago.

The first step was taken in the NFL Draft, when the Eagles took offensive guard Danny Watkins with their first round pick. There were a lot of issues that arose right away, specifically, the fact that Watkins is 26, and will be 27 in November, making him one of the oldest rookies in NFL history. However, Watkins is also very talented, and should be able to pick up his blocking schemes right away. The Eagles needed an interior lineman badly to help with the running game and protect Michael Vick, so Watkins, if you can look past his age, is a solid choice. They addressed a lack of depth at safety by picking Temple's Jaiquwan Jarrett in the second round. Jarrett's a good safety net to have if either Kurt Coleman or Nate Allen have any injury issues, especially Allen, who is coming off of a nasty knee injury that ended his rookie season.

The next two impact picks came in the fourth round, where the Eagles took Casey Matthews, brother of Clay Matthews. You know who he is. He's the guy that knocked Kevin Kolb out of the first game of last season and allowed Michael Vick to get going. If he's anything like his brother, this was another good pick, and from where he is on the depth chart (more on that later), he's already looking like a steal. The other pick was Alex Henery, a kicker out of Nebraska. He's the highest kicker taken since Stephen Gostkowski by the Patriots, but he certainly could be worth it. First and foremost, Henery's selection spelled the end for David Akers as a member of the Eagles. However. Henery has a great leg, hitting a 57 yard field goal last season for Nebraska, and is the most accurate kicker in NCAA history. It's not a bad start, even for a rookie. The rest of the draft helped the Eagles fill a few more needs, such as a backup running back in Dion Lewis and a solid backup fullback from USC named Stanley Havili.

Then came the lockout, and a long period of waiting. Everyone wanted to see what the Eagles were going to do with Kevin Kolb, how they would address their pass rush and whether or not they could land Nnamdi Asomugha, the biggest free agent to be on the market. Three long months went without any sort of deal, and then it happened. Finally, the players and the owners reached an agreement, and the NFL was back on schedule. Now we don't have to deal with any sort of labor situation for ten years, and that's good enough for me. The salary cap for the season was set at $120 million, and with the Eagles only having about $80 million in contracts on the books, they had room to work. Everyone expected them to come out and make a big splash, considering they pretty much said that they were going to once free agency began.

On July 27, free agency began, and the moves started coming in. Not one involved the Eagles, save for their announcement that they would not be bringing back any of their unrestricted free agents, meaning that players like Stewart Bradley, David Akers, Quintin Mikell and Sav Rocca would be finding new homes. Leonard Weaver was also let go after he could not pass his training camp physical. The NFL year was only one day old, and fans were already getting restless. Why hadn't Kevin Kolb been traded? What was taking so long bringing in a big name free agent? The team has money to spend, why aren't they spending any?

After another day with no big moves, things started to come into focus for the Eagles. Talks were in place for a Kolb trade, and there were rumbles about a few of the bigger free agents possibly coming to Philadelphia. What Eagles fans got instead was a tidal wave of moves that hasn't stopped yet. Let's break them down, one by one.

Jason Babin signs a five year, $28 million deal.

This was a great first move by the Eagles, and was probably one of the ones that a lot of people saw coming. The Eagles had a need for another pass rusher opposite Trent Cole, and Babin had his best success last year with the Titans, where current Eagles D-line coach Jim Washburn was last year. Babin is 31 years old, but the contract only has $5-6 million worth of guarantees, which means it won't cost that much to let him go if he does turn out to be a one year wonder or he starts to slow down in three or four years. Regardless, Babin fills a huge need for this team, and as one of the best pass rushers on the market, the Eagles got him for a great price. Just look at what the Panthers paid to keep Charles Johnson in Carolina.

Eagles trade Kevin Kolb to Arizona for Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie & a 2^nd round pick.

Now, this was what every Eagles fan was waiting for. The only questions about this trade were where Kolb was going to end up, and how much would the Eagles get back for him? Arizona was the most likely destination, and the Eagles managed to get not only a second round pick for Kolb, but also Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, a Pro Bowler back in 2009 who is only 25 years old. DRC is a tall, fast corner, though he does have some issues with tackling. In that regard, he's more like Asante Samuel, who goes for the pick and the big play rather than the tackle. There's nothing wrong with that, but it does put more pressure on the safeties to make sure that they can make a play if the corners don't. I like Kolb, I really do, but the fact remains that he's still an unproven quarterback. He's struggled at times during his few starts, and he's looked great in others. No one's sure what he's going to be, but he'll figure it out in Arizona. This was a good trade for both sides in my mind.

Vince Young signs a one year deal.

Who better to have back up Michael Vick than Michael Vick, Jr.? Young was released by the Titans at the start of free agency and quickly found a home with the Eagles. The deal is only for a single year, but Young has a chance to learn the West Coast offense, or whatever it is that the Eagles are running now, and mature more as a player. Young has looked great at times, but he can be a bit of a head case as well. Signing him as a backup puts little pressure on him, and allows him to relax more and fit into the system that the Eagles have going. This was a nice, low risk pick up by the Birds.

Just these three moves made fans happy, but the Eagles weren't done yet. The very next day...

Nnamdi Asomugha signs a five year, $60 million deal.

Just when everyone thought that the Eagles were out of the running for Asomugha, they swoop in and steal him away from the Cowboys and Jets. After getting DRC in the Kolb trade, no one thought that the Eagles would make a move for Asomugha, because they didn't think they needed him. The fact of the matter is that Asomugha wanted to come to Philadelphia. He left money on the table to sign with the Eagles for a chance to win right now. Where Samuel and DRC are more big play corners that can shut down opposing receivers, Asomugha is the best shut down corner in the NFL, save for maybe Darrell Revis. He's strong and can bang with bigger receivers, meaning that the Eagles can put him in the slot to face off against the strong tight ends that the NFC East just loves to have. Asomugha does give up big plays from time to time, but other teams just don't even throw at his side of the field in some games. He's that good. When you look at the Eagles' depth at corner, aside from Samuel and DRC, you were looking at players like a Trevard Lindley or Joselio Hanson. They're not bad players, but compared to Samuel, DRC and Asomugha, a lot of corners look weaker. In this more vertically based offense that is running through the NFL right now, there's nothing wrong with having three Pro Bowl cornerbacks.

Cullen Jenkins signs a five year, $25 million deal.

Another day went by, and the Eagles made another huge move in free agency, picking up Cullen Jenkins. Jenkins played on the end in Green Bay's 3-4 defense, but will be moved to DT with the Eagles in the 4-3. Either way, it doesn't really matter. Jenkins is a beast of a player that can get after the quarterback very well. His biggest issue is staying healthy, but even in just 11 games last year, Jenkins had seven sacks, a new career high. Jenkins was also one of the leaders on Green Bay's defense and helped the Packers win the Super Bowl last season. When you stack him up against Mike Patterson and Brodrick Bunkley, there's not much to compare, which leads to the next move the Eagles made.

Eagles trade Brodrick Bunkley to Cleveland Denver for a 2013 late round pick.

The original trade for Bunkley was to the Cleveland Browns, but Bunkley refused to report, so the Eagles sent him to Denver for a late pick in the 2013 NFL Draft. The plus to this is that the Eagles got anything of value for Bunkley, who had worn out his welcome with the Eagles and never really played up to his potential. He looked like a stud coming out of Florida State, but could never put it all together when he was with the Eagles. Maybe a change of scenery is what he needed. Good trade by the Eagles, just to get anything out of it.

Ronnie Brown signs a one year deal.

After letting Jerome Harrison walk, the Eagles turned around and signed former Miami starter Ronnie Brown to a one year deal. Brown is a good power back, but he's had injury issues in the past, and had his worst season as a pro last year. However, as a backup to LeSean McCoy, there's not many people that you could find out there that would be better. Not getting as many carries should help him stay healthy, and he'll be great down at the goal line and in short situations. He can start in a pinch as well and can be used in the Wildcat formation if need be. This was another out of nowhere signing, but this free agency period was full of them for the Eagles, and they weren't done yet.

Ryan Harris signs a one year deal.

Not many people noticed this move, but it might be one of the best ones that the Eagles made in their spending spree. Harris was a starter in Denver and was pretty solid, but had some injury issues and has missed ten games in the past two seasons. However, when he's been healthy, he's looked like one of the best young offensive tackles in the league. This is a one year deal, which means he could just be here for this season, or, if he impresses, he could sign an extension and be in Philadelphia long term. Right now, the Eagles already have him as their number one right tackle, ahead of King Dunlap and the PUP Winston Justice. He's fitting in well with new offensive line coach Howard Mudd's scheme, and looks like a steal already.

Steve Smith signs a one year, $4 million deal.

This move just happened last night, and shocked more Giants fans than Eagles fans. Smith was expected to stay with the Giants, even after having micro fracture knee surgery in the offseason. However, last night the Eagles managed to sign Smith, leaving Giants fans angry and scratching their heads. While Smith probably won't be able to play for six weeks at least, he's another solid pick up, especially if he can come in at even close to what he was with the Giants. Smith is another great slot receiver, and if you pair him up opposite Jason Avant, opposing teams are going to have a hell of a time trying to stop both of them going over the middle. There's two trains of thought on this deal right now. There's people that love it and those that hate it. As you can tell, I love it. Smith is only guaranteed $2 million, so if it doesn't work out, there's no big loss. If he's healthy, the Eagles just stole another Pro Bowl player.

Those were just the biggest moves that the Eagles made, but there were more. Evan Mathis, Donald Lee, Jarrad Page, Akeem Jordan and Johnnie Lee Higgins all signed as well. Mathis is a solid backup guard, Lee is a good backup tight end and can provide insurance for Brent Celek, and the same goes with Page at the safety position. Jordan was the only free agent that the Eagles actually did bring back, and Higgins might be one of the fastest players in the NFL. He's a good kick returner and will help take DeSean Jackson out of those plays. Higgins is certainly an upgrade from Ellis Hobbs last year.

With all of these moves, the Eagles certainly do look like a completely different team. However, there are still some questions that surround them that could throw the entire season off the rails.

Is there enough depth on the defensive line?

Just after the trade that sent Brodrick Bunkley out of town, Mike Patterson had a seizure during a practice. An MRI revealed that he has a tangled cluster of blood vessels in his brain. While there are thoughts that he might be able to come back soon, his health has to be his number one priority. Cullen Jenkins also has had injury issues, leaving third year man Antonio Dixon as the potential last man standing at DT. The depth doesn't get much better after that, with Trevor Laws being pretty much the only name that most people have heard of, and that's not a good thing. Laws hasn't exactly panned out with the Eagles either. Hopefully, Dixon and Jenkins can stay healthy, and Patterson can come back, but if more injuries to happen, the Eagles will need to address that depth.

What is going to happen with the linebackers?

Right now, according to the Eagles depth chart, the starting linebackers are set to be Jamar Chaney, who played well at the end of last season, starting the last three games, including the playoffs. However, that's the start and finish of his starting time with the Eagles. Chaney was a seventh round pick just last season, and still has a lot to prove. On the other end is Moise Fokou, a seventh round pick from 2009 that started 11 games last year and picked up 51 tackles. In the middle is rookie fourth round pick Casey Matthews, who is slower than Chaney and Fokou, but has shown good ability in camp so far. Out of every position on the Eagles, linebacker scares me the most. There's potential in the three starters, but potential doesn't win games or pay the bills. Sometimes, having “potentially” good players out on the field can lead to more problems than anything else.

There's still a few options out on the free agent market, like Lofa Tatupu, who would be the best fit for this team right now. Tatupu would bring more experience and some leadership to the Eagles at linebacker, which is something that they do need. I like Matthews, but I'm never sold on a rookie being the leader on offense, unless it's a Ray Lewis or a Brian Urlacher type of player. These three guys in the middle of the defense are going to be the glue that holds the unit together, so they need to play well. If they don't gel, things could get bad.

Are DeSean Jackson and Asante Samuel going to be happy all year?

Jackson just reported to camp this week, and the Eagles are hopefully going to get negotiations going on a new deal with him. Honestly, Jackson has outplayed his current contract, which is paying him the veteran minimum without incentives this year. He's worth more than that, just as a returner. While having him back in camp is a good thing, you have to wonder how much he's bothered by the Eagles spending all this money on other players. He knows he's worth more than what he's making, and to see the Eagles, who have never spent like this before in free agency, break the bank for a lot of players could be seen as disrespect. I'm not saying that anything bad will happen, and hopefully a deal gets done, but we've all seen what happens when a wide receiver makes a stink about a contract. I don't want to go down that road again.

As for Asante, the additions of DRC and Asomugha have started rumors that he might be traded for a linebacker or draft picks. To say that he wasn't happy about the rumors might be a bit of an understatement, but for the moment, things seems to have died down on that end. The Eagles haven't made a deal to send him out, and they seem happy to keep all three Pro Bowl corners on the roster. On the depth chart, Samuel is positioned as a number one, opposite Asomugha. That's just amazing to look at, so I wanted to point it out. DRC is on the second team, but he'll see plenty of time on the field. Managing these egos at that position will be tough, but if all three can stay happy all season, then opposing defenses are going to have a rough time.

What's going on with Jeremy Maclin?

Maclin was late to camp because he's battling an undisclosed illness. Today, he left camp again to get more tests done to see what can be done to make him better. When you combine that with DeSean Jackson just getting into camp, the wide receiving corps looks a little thin. Steve Smith can't play yet, and there's talk that he was brought in as insurance in case Maclin's issues are worse than expected. Hopefully, he can get back on the field at 100% this season, because he was the best receiver that the Eagles had last year. Plus, if he can't, and Jackson goes down with another injury, the depth chart suddenly turns to Jason Avant and Riley Cooper as the starters if Smith isn't healthy yet. I like Avant and Cooper, but not as the two starting wideouts. At this point, I just want Maclin to get healthy and fix whatever's going on with himself.

How do the Eagles do this season?

That is the biggest question on everyone's mind right now. After adding all of these pieces and hoping they fit, all anyone has been hearing about is the Super Bowl. Honestly, it should be what people are talking about. The front office, after years of hearing about how they don't spend money, went all in at the table this year and brought in free agent after free agent after free agent. The offensive line looks a lot different than last year, and Howard Mudd was brought in to help fix that unit, while the defense is completely overhauled. The talent is there, that's for sure, but now it's up to the team to come together and win games. Chemistry usually isn't an issue with the Eagles, but this year, they might have some problems. There's just so many new players, none of us have ever seen this kind of movement with this team before. Can they all gel right away? Of course, but there could be issues along the way as well.

Then there's the regular season. Signing all of these players is one thing, but you don't win a Super Bowl in the offseason. If you did, the Redskins would have five in the past decade. The real test comes in September, when the games count and everyone plays four quarters. Looking at the Eagles schedule, it does seem pretty favorable. Before all of these moves, I would have pegged the Eagles as a 9-7 or 10-6 team this year. They'd probably have gotten into the playoffs through the backdoor and then gotten knocked out in the first round, like last season. Now, after all the moves, I see something different.

The biggest challenges on the schedule should be Week 2 in Atlanta against the Falcons, Week 12 at home against New England, Week 15 at home against the Jets and Week 16 in Dallas against the Cowboys. Of course, that doesn't mean that the Eagles can't win all of those games and lose others. The week after the New England game, the team travels on a short week to Seattle to play the Seahawks. That could be a trap game right there. Then, there's the fact that they play in the NFC East, one of the toughest divisions in the NFL where any team can take out one of their rivals any time. The Giants have more motivation now that the Eagles signed Steve Smith, Rex Ryan is already flapping his gums down in Dallas and Washington has Rex Grossman...who thinks the Redskins can win the division. He's so cute when he's delusional. The schedule does benefit the Eagles as well, as they only go out west one time for the Seahawks. The 49ers and Cardinals both come to Philadelphia, as do the Patriots and Jets, the two toughest AFC opponents the Eagles have this season.

So, how will the Eagles do this year? I have them at 12-4, with 13-3 not out of the picture. If everyone can stay healthy enough, and the linebackers find their way, this is going to be a good season. I'm not going to tell you all to expect a parade in February, but it's certainly in the back of my mind. One thing is certain, though. It's going to be a hell of a ride, and it starts tonight.

Phillies Recap: Phillies-9, Dodgers-8

Game Recap:

Vance Worley had his worst start of his young career, putting the Phillies down 6-0 by the third inning. The Phils came back with runs in the next three innings and completed their biggest comeback of the season by holding on for a 9-8 win.

What went right?

Jimmy Rollins started the game with a 15 pitch at bat, and went 2-5 with a run scored.

Shane Victorino was 2-4 and scored a run.

Chase Utley only had one hit, but it was a two run single in the sixth inning that tied the game at 7-7.

Ryan Howard scored three times, walked twice and had the game winning two run home run in the sixth inning.

Hunter Pence went 1-4 with a two run home run.

Raul Ibanez was 1-5 with an RBI and had a great catch in the ninth inning that possibly saved the game for the Phillies.

David Herndon needed just five pitches to get through the bottom of the sixth inning.

Antonio Bastardo came in for Brad Lidge in the seventh inning and pitched very well, allowing no hits and striking out a batter in 1.2 innings of work.

Ryan Madson looked like someone that had pitched the previous two nights, but he closed out the Dodgers for his 22nd save of the season.

The Phillies went 9-1 on a ten game road trip for the first time in team history.

What went wrong?

Vance Worley got rocked today, allowing six runs on seven hits in just four innings of work. He struck out six and walked three.

Brad Lidge only managed to record one out in the seventh inning before being taken out. He walked a batter, allowed a hit and struck out one.

Game Analysis:

Just take a minute to sit back and think about this game. After having Chad Billingsley throw 30 pitches in the first inning, the Phillies couldn't score a single run. Vance Worley had an even rougher go in the first, allowing five runs in the frame before finally recording three outs. The Dodgers would add another run in the third inning, and the Phillies were looking at a 6-0 hole early.

If there's one thing about this team that makes them even that much better than the last two years, it's the fact that no one even seems to give up. Today, Hunter Pence, the newest Phillie, got things started with a two run home run in the top of the fourth. Michael Martinez reached base on an error and Vance Worley added an RBI single of his own, and the lead was cut in half. Another error in the fourth inning turned a potential double play into a fourth run for the Phils, and Raul Ibanez made it 6-5 with an RBI single of his own.

Los Angeles got one back in the bottom of the fifth, but the game belonged to the Phillies after that. Chase Utley and Ryan Howard did what the number three and four hole hitters are supposed to do, driving in two runs each in the sixth inning, and just like that, a 6-0 deficit had turned into a 9-7 lead. That's what makes this team the best in baseball this year. Not the pitching staff, or the offense that people still think isn't that good, but really is. It's the heart that these guys have. They never give up, and never think that they're out of a game.

All you have to do is look back to the first game of this road trip, when they were down to their last strike. John Mayberry drilled a two run home run that tied the game in Colorado. Shane Victorino led off the next inning with another home run, and the Phils never looked back. They swept the Rockies, took three of four from the Giants and swept the Dodgers in Los Angeles for the first time since 1995. That's one hell of a good road trip.

Anyone that thinks that this team isn't at least the best team in the National League needs to get their head checked. The Phillies just wrapped up a 20 day stretch of games, and finished 16-4, with three of those losses coming against Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain, and Lincecum has two Cy Young Awards to his name. Since the All Star break, the Phillies have gone 19-6, and have taken every series but one. That's amazing, but the World Series isn't won in the regular season. The last time the Phils were 37 games over .500, like they are now was 1977, and they didn't win the World Series that year. Anything can still happen, but with the heart and skill that this team has, it's just fun to be along for the ride. For most of us fans, this is the first time we've ever seen a Phillies team play this well in the regular season, and it's a damn good time.

The Phils have a deserved off day tomorrow, and then take on Jayson Werth and the Nationals on Friday. Cole Hamels (13-6, 2.53 ERA) goes against Livan Hernandez (6-11, 4.41 ERA).

Phillies Recap: Phillies-5, Dodgers-3

Game Recap:

Roy Halladay won his 15th game of the season as the Phillies took care of the Dodgers to win their 75th game of the season. They're 7-1 on this ten game road trip.

What went right?

Jimmy Rollins was 1-4 with a two run double.

Shane Victorino went 3-5, scoring three times and driving in one with a solo home run in the ninth.

Ryan Howard went 2-5 with two RBI.

Hunter Pence was 2-3.

Roy Halladay didn't have a great start by his standards, but it was still good enough to win another game. He allowed one run in 6.1 innings while giving up nine hits. He walked two and struck out four.

Ryan Madson worked a scoreless ninth inning for his 20th save of the season.

What went wrong?

Raul Ibanez went 0-4 with a strikeout.

Michael Stutes had a rough night, getting charged with two runs and an error while recording just a single out in the eighth inning.

Brad Lidge pitched the rest of the eighth, but he looked more like the 2009 Brad Lidge, giving up a walk and a base hit.

Game Analysis:

It wasn't always pretty, but the Phillies won their 75th game of the season last night behind Roy Halladay and some big hits by the offense. Halladay didn't have his best stuff and allowed nine base hits, but they were all singles, and just one Dodger was able to score with him on the mound. So it wasn't a perfect Roy Halladay start, but it was still pretty damn good.

Considering the lack of success that the Phillies have had against Hiroki Kuroda in the regular season, it was very nice to see them jump on him in the first two innings. Shane Victorino set the table in the first, and Ryan Howard brought him home with a single, and then Carlos Ruiz and Michael Martinez came around in the second inning on a double by Jimmy Rollins. Howard would drive Victorino in again with the eventual game winning run in the seventh inning, giving the Phils four runs off of Kuroda last night, which was a good showing for them. Kuroda normally has the Phillies' number, so to get three runs early off of him and another one late was a nice bounce back after facing Tim Lincecum on Sunday.

Like I said before, Halladay didn't have his best stuff last night, but he still pitched well. Just like in his last outing against the Rockies, Halladay gave up a lot of hits, and last night, he had just one 1-2-3 inning. The good thing about Halladay is that he can pitch himself out of trouble very easily, and he did that last night. The Dodgers couldn't get a real rally going until the eighth inning, and by then, Halladay had been lifted and Michael Stutes and Brad Lidge were doing their best to let the Dodgers back into the game. Fortunately, Lidge got out of the eighth inning jam, and Ryan Madson shut the door in the ninth. It was a good team effort from the pitching staff, who did exactly what had to be done to ensure another win.

Through 115 games, the Phillies stand with a 75-40 record. That's not just good, that's franchise record good right there. Their 8.5 game lead on the Braves is by far the largest in baseball, and with the way the pitching staff is working and the offense is getting together, things are only going to get better as the rest of the season goes along. There's still 47 games to go in the regular season, so buckle up. It's going to be a fun ride.

Tonight, the Phillies play their last 10:10 game of the season. Cliff Lee (11-7, 2.96 ERA) goes against Ted Lilly (7-11, 4.86 ERA).

Phillie of the Week: July 31-August 6

Last week was one of the best all season for the Phillies, as they carried their winning streak up to nine with a 2-1 victory over the Giants. There are plenty of candidates for the Phillie of the Week this time around, but I'm going to give it to the newest member of the team. This week's Phillie of the Week is:

Hunter Pence

Since being traded to Philadelphia by Houston, Pence has made himself right at home in the number five spot in the lineup. He had a hit in every game last week and has already become a fan favorite. In the seven games the Phils played this past week, Pence hit .413 with two home runs and six RBI. Not too bad for the new guy in town.

Phillies Fight Night Recap: Phillies-9, Giants-2

Game Recap:
The benches cleared in San Francisco last night, and when all was said and done, Hunter Pence, John Mayberry and Shane Victorino hit home runs, and Vance Worley won his eighth game of the season as the Phillies won their season high eighth in a row.

What went right?

Jimmy Rollins was 1-4 with two RBI and two stolen bases.

Placido Polanco was 2-4 with an RBI and one takedown defended.

Shane Victorino went 2-3, hit a home run and was ejected in the sixth inning for his part in the fight.

Hunter Pence was 2-5 and hit a home run for the second straight game.

John Mayberry went 2-5 with a two run home run and two runs scored.

Brian Schneider was 1-3, scored a run and drove in one.

Vance Worley pitched seven innings, allowing two runs on seven hits. He walked one and struck out six.

What went wrong?

Aside from Victorino getting tossed from the game and likely suspended, nothing went wrong last night.

Game Analysis:

Well, where do I start with this one? I was all set to write about how the Phillies had dominated the Giants for a second straight night when Shane Victorino gets hit by a Ramon Ramirez pitch in the top of the sixth inning. Next thing you know, the benches clear, Eli Whiteside fails to tackle Placido Polanco and all hell has broken loose. At least the Phillies still won.

I'm only going to say a little bit about the fight, since so much has been made about it already. The blame for this has to lie with the Giants. Just because Ramirez was getting hit doesn't mean that he should throw at the last batter he's going to face in the game. Yes, the pitch to Shane was intentional, don't even try and say otherwise. It was a cheap shot, and Ramirez should be suspended for it. The Giants turned around and blamed the whole thing on Jimmy Rollins stealing second base with the Phillies up 8-2, saying that Rollins violated some "unwritten rule" of baseball. Don't even start with that. First of all, this was the sixth inning, not the top of the ninth. The Giants still had 12 outs to work with. Just because their offense sucks doesn't mean that they should start throwing at the Phillies.

Just yesterday, I was saying that this matchup was becoming a rivalry. Well, I was wrong. It's a rivalry now. These two teams just don't like each other any more. The Giants try to show you up each and every time one of those bearded freaks takes the field, while the Phillies just go about their business. There was a time when I actually respected the Giants, because they hadn't won a championship since the Willie Mays era. That time is well past now. The Giants are quickly moving up my list of teams I can't stand, and it's the same with a lot of Phillies fans this morning.

Honestly, this is a worse situation for the Giants than it is the Phillies. Victorino is likely going to miss some games because of the way he got back into the fight, but the Phils have the best record in baseball and are eight and a half games up on the Braves. The Giants are locked in the middle of a race for the NL West or the Wild Card. They can't afford to have anyone get suspended, especially their hopped-up little catcher that can't even tackle Polanco.

Anyway, that's enough about that. Other than the fight, it was another great showing by the Phillies, who have done nothing but win since Hunter Pence arrived in town. Pence hit the exclamation point home run last night to put the Phillies up 9-2, but it was Victorino and Mayberry's home runs in the fourth inning that put the Phils ahead to stay. Before the fourth, Jonathan Sanchez was pitching a gem, but, as has been the case for him throughout his career, he came undone in the fourth inning, allowing four runs to cross the plate. After Polanco drove in Jimmy Rollins in the fifth inning, Sanchez's night was over.

The Phillies were just getting started, as they scored three times in the previously mentioned sixth innning off of Ramon Ramirez. Every starting player, including Vance Worley, had a hit during the game and everyone helped produce last night. That's the kind of effort at the plate that you want to see from a team coming down the stretch. You don't want to always have to rely on home runs, though they are nice. You want to be able to produce runs with hits, bunts and stolen bases. That's what the best of the best do.

What else can be said about the way Vance Worley has pitched this year? He came into this season, unsure if he would even be on the team, and he's gone 8-1 with an ERA of 2.35 as a fifth starter. Some of his success is likely due to teams not seeing him yet, but the majority of it is because of the fact that Worley is just a good pitcher. You can't teach talent, and Worley has that. With Roy Oswalt coming back off the DL on Sunday, the Phillies are going to have the best starting rotation in baseball. Forget the Four Aces, they might have to make room for Worley.

Worley pitched well again last night, bouncing back from a rough start against the Pirates his last time out. Though he gave up a run in the first inning, he came back and shut down the Giants for the rest of the game, allowing only a solo home run by Eli Whiteside in the fifth. Michael Stutes and David Herndon did the mop up work in the eighth and ninth innings, and the meat of the Phils bullpen hasn't even seen the pitcher's mound in this series yet. That's a good thing.

Later on today, the Phillies and the Giants will be playing some afternoon baseball. Cole Hamels (12-6, 2.62 ERA) will try for his 13th win of the season as he takes on Matt Cain (9-7, 3.10 ERA).

Phillies Recap: Phillies-3, Giants-0

Game Recap:
Hunter Pence hit his first home run as a member of the Phillies, and Cliff Lee pitched a complete game shutout, giving the Phils the first win in their four game series against the Giants.

What went right?

Shane Victorino was 2-3 with a walk and a run scored.

Hunter Pence went 3-4 with a home run and a double. He finished the game with two RBI and a run scored.

John Mayberry went back to back with Pence in the second inning, hitting his eighth home run of the season.

Cliff Lee was outstanding, pitching a complete game shutout in only 106 pitches. He allowed seven hits, didn't walk a batter and struck out eight.

Cody Ross went 0-4 with four strikeouts. Why am I putting this here? I don't like Cody Ross.

What went wrong?

Ryan Howard was 0-4 with two strikeouts.

Carlos Ruiz was 0-3 and grounded into a double play.

Wilson Valdez was 0-2 and was caught stealing once.

Game Analysis:

Almost two years to the day that Cliff Lee made his first Phillies debut with a complete game effort in San Francisco, he did it again last night. Lee looked every bit like the top free agent pitcher from last offseason, and the Phillies gave him just enough offense to pick up the win against the, dare I say it, rival San Francisco Giants in the first of a four game series.

Quite simply put, Lee was outstanding last night. He didn't have a rough inning until the eighth, when he allowed two men to reach base with just one out and the Phillies holding on to a two run lead. What did Lee do? He struck out the next batter and got the following one to ground out to second to end the inning. That was the most trouble that he had in the entire game. No Giants player reached third base in the entire game, and the only extra base hit that Lee allowed came with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning. That's not exactly the ideal time to be getting your first double of a ballgame.

Cliff Lee has always been known for pitching fast games when he's got his best stuff, and last night was another example of that. He needed just 65 pitches to get through six innings, and until the trouble in the eighth, he was averaging just over ten pitches per inning. That's not just good, that's amazing. The Giants have had plenty of problems on offense this season, but they handled Lee during the World Series last year, and I think a lot of their fans were expecting to see more of the same this time out. Instead, what they got was the Cliff Lee from the regular season against the Giants, where he's 4-0. Lee also threw his fifth shutout of the season, which is more than the Giants have as a team. Last night showed why the Phils went out and spent all that money on Cliff Lee during the offseason. He's worth it.

Right now, Hunter Pence is worth it, too. The newest member of the Phillies continued his hot streak in red pinstripes, going 3-4 last night. Madison Bumgarner has had issues with getting started in games, and the Phils jumped on him early in the first, but were unable to produce any runs. Pence changed that on the first pitch of the second inning, hitting his first home run as a member of the Phillies and giving his team a 1-0 lead. John Mayberry only needed four pitches to take Bumgarner out with his eighth home run of the season in the next at bat, and just like that, the Phillies had all the runs that they would need on the night. Pence would strike again in the ninth inning, as he drove home Shane Victorino with a single to add an insurance run. Remarkably, it was the first earned run given up at home by Santiago Casilla all season long. That's why Pence is so important for this Phillies team. He is the right handed bat that was missing from this lineup, and his production so far is proving it.

The offense did struggle last night, but that was to be expected against the Giants, who have allowed the second fewest runs in baseball, behind the Phillies. On a night where Cliff Lee pitched like he did, you could tell that only a run or two would be enough, and that's what the Phillies got. This game was a pitcher's duel, and last night, the Phils were the last team standing.

Tonight, Vance Worley (7-1, 2.33 ERA) tries to make it eight wins in a row for the Phillies as he faces off against Jonathan Sanchez (4-5, 3.81 ERA).

Phillies Recap: Phillies-8, Rockies-6

Game Recap:
The Phillies completed their three game sweep of the Rockies this afternoon behind a four RBI game from Ryan Howard and seven innings on the mound from Roy Halladay.

What went right?

Jimmy Rollins went 1-4 with a walk, two runs scored and an RBI.

Shane Victorino was 1-4 with a walk, an RBI and a run scored.

Chase Utley was 2-3 and scored twice.

Ryan Howard had an interesting day playing defense, but went 2-4 with a two run home run and a two run double. He finished with four RBI.

Hunter Pence continued his modest six game hitting streak, going 1-4 with an RBI.

Roy Halladay didn't have his best stuff, but still got through seven innings, allowing five runs (four earned) on eight hits. He walked one, struck out seven and scored a run on a wild pitch.

Brad Lidge kicked it old school and recorded a 1-2-3 ninth inning for his 1ooth career save with the Phillies.

What went wrong?

Ryan Howard was an adventure at first base in the first inning, recording a rare double error on one play that allowed an unearned run to score.

The Rockies stole two bases in three attempts off of Roy Halladay and Carlos Ruiz.

Antonio Bastardo had a rough eighth inning, allowing a Todd Helton home run to put the Rockies within two.

This game shouldn't have been nearly as close as it turned out. The Phillies left seven men on base.

Game Analysis:

Five games with Hunter Pence, and all of them have been wins. Now, I'm not saying that it's a coincidence. After all, the Phillies have played the Pirates and Rockies since he was traded to Philadelphia, but it's still a good sign for the rest of the season. Pence contributed again today with a sacrifice fly in the first inning, and Ryan Howard did the rest of the heavy lifting at the plate, driving in four more runs to pace Roy Halladay's 14th win on the season and put the Phillies 32 games over .500.

Let's just get one thing out of the way right now: today was a sloppy game from both teams. Jason Hammel walked the bases loaded in the first inning, only for the Phillies to score just a single run. Roy Halladay wasn't much better in the first inning, but he got little help from his defense. Ryan Howard recorded two errors on the same play, first while trying to field a Dexter Fowler ground ball, and then when trying to throw the ball to Halladay at first. Eric Young scored on the play, and Fowler would come around later in the inning. Halladay couldn't get out of the weeds for much of the game, but the best part about having a pitcher like Halladay on your team is that, even when he doesn't have his best stuff, he can still go deep into the game. He did that today, pitching seven innings and keeping the Rockies at bay every time they seemed to get close enough to take the lead.

Fortunately, Howard was able to make up for his defensive miscues with his bat once again. He broke open the game in the second inning with a two run double that made everyone forget about his two errors, and then finished the scoring off for the Phils with a blast in the sixth inning. Howard's home run in the sixth was his first all season against a left handed pitcher and was to the opposite field, another sign that he's getting hotter at the plate at just the right time again this year. He has four home runs in the last five games, as well as nine RBI, and he's looking more and more like that work horse the Phils turn to every September. I don't know what it is about the end of the season, but something switches on in this guy. It's a good thing, regardless.

The top of the lineup performed well today, scoring five of the eight runs for the Phillies and recording three walks. That's what the top three hitters in this lineup, Chase Utley included, need to do. They need to get on base, with Utley driving in Rollins and then let Howard, Hunter Pence and Raul Ibanez drive them in. They've done that these last six games, and the Phillies have won them all. It's the kind of play that this team wasn't getting last year, and they've been getting it much of this season. The proof is in the results, and a 71-39 record speaks for itself.

There were some nervous people out there today when Brad Lidge came in to close the game out, instead of Ryan Madson, but Madson was not available for personal reasons. Luckily for the Phillies, Lidge pitched like it was 2008 once again, recording a perfect ninth inning for his 100th save with the Phillies. It was good to see Lidge back out there in the ninth, doing what he needed to do. In his limited appearances this season, Lidge has only allowed a run in one showing this season, and it looks like he's got a good bite on his slider this year, which is a very good thing, especially if he needs to step into the closer role at any point during the rest of the season.

This team is on a roll right now, there's not much else to say about that. The offense is clicking and the pitching is on another planet. The next series is going to be a really big test to see how the rest of the season is going to go. It's time to return to San Francisco.

Tomorrow night, Cliff Lee (10-7, 3.14 ERA) faces off against the Giants and Madison Bumgarner (6-10, 3.80 ERA).