Phils Proceeding Royally with Few Blemishes

The Phillies are presently as good as they've been all season, and the team's nucleus is the best Philadelphia has had since the late 1970's-early '80's, if not all-time. This is a team built for October. With a 7.5 game lead in the division and a month to play, even the most worrisome Phillies fans should breathe a sigh of relief (foreign as it may seem). The goal now is to get as good as can be before the Phils begin their 3rd-straight postseason. It's exciting to think that the days of missing the playoffs by a game or failing to land the Wild Card spot on the last day of the season are (for now, at least) behind us, and that this Phillies team can not only compete for a championship, but are defending one.

Some of the Phils oft-overlooked talents were on full-display on National Television Sunday. I'm talking, in part, about Jimmy Rollins' SS clinic for the 2nd straight game. In the 8th inning, he even turned an unusual, masterful double-play on the lead runner, usually an automatic to advance to 3rd in that situation. How about the ball he snatched out of the air, extending horizontal, in the 1st? If you look very carefully at the replays from last night, you can just barely make out his wings: "Rollins shows his range on defense" (click on 5th box under "More Videos").

For all of Rollins' remarkably inconsistent hitting (.167 in June/.313 in July), which has no-doubt been costly from the leadoff spot, he has remained both the team leader and an unmatched defensive force in the NL. Rollins (3 errors this season) will win his 3rd straight Gold Glove this year. When you watch hotshot, All-Star starting SS and potential batting champion Hanley Ramirez (Marlins, .359 with 8 errors) bobble and throw away balls and give away runs like ice cream on Free Cone Day, the value and rarity of Rollins' skills and current 75-game errorless streak at the most demanding position on the field is as underscored as it is too often undervalued. Whether Rollins is hitting .160 or .360, he is invaluable to his team, both in leadership and
getting outs.

In addition to the Phils MLB-best defense, the other under-celebrated star on the team, the pitching, was dazzling last night. In light of the teams' well-reported torrid offense, it's easy to overlook the fact that the Phillies pitching staff has posted a 2.75 ERA over the last 3 weeks. On a night like last night, when the hitters are meager, the Phils pitching really has a chance to shine. When you consider how dreadful the staff was in the early going, ranking at the bottom of baseball, and you consider they play in a 'hitters park', you see their 6th ranked 4.15 team ERA in a new light.

Joe Blanton continues to be the most consistent starting pitcher for the Phils this year, although limp run support hasn't enabled him to amass victories.

Blanton leads the team with 131 S.O., 7.37 per every 9 innings. Since May 21st, he has a 2.50 ERA and has allowed more than 3 runs in a game only once (4 on 6/18). That's consistency and reliability most teams can only hope for out of their Ace, and the elite teams may get from a #2 or #3 starter, but Blanton began the season as their #4. He is currently in the #2 slot behind Cliff Lee, and he deserves it.

Scott Eyre has been a gift, which is in part a compliment to how effectively Charlie Manuel has placed the lefthander. After posting a 1.88 ERA in his 1st year with the Phillies last season, Eyre posted a May, June and August 0.00 ERA for the Phils this year. He leads the team with a 1.65 ERA and Sunday recorded his 13th Hold (his last 3 appearances have been against Atlanta, all perfect). Eyre bailed out Ryan Madson, who got clobbered in the 8th and recorded 0 outs.

Madson's disturbing trend continues, with each visit to the closer role producing a major setback to what he does best, setup in the 8th. Madson has blown 5 saves this year, and his following appearance each time has shown his derailment, accumulating in 5 innings with 10 hits and 6 runs allowed. Those are conclusive numbers, which reveal the psychological impact. Chuck, don't use Madson as your closer anymore ('if it ain't broke...')

ESPN finally got it right and ranked the Phillies where they belong: #2 in MLB. For the 1st time this season, ESPN, who in April had the Phillies ranked 16th in the league, ranked the Phils behind only the Yankees among the elite.

Having shored up their starting rotation (despite Lee's stumble Saturday) and locked it down from middle relief (Tyler Walker, 1.99 ERA, continues to prove a pivotal addition), the well-documented closer quandary remains the team's only real question mark-- that and the 'now you see it, now you don't' disappearing act of Raul Ibanez's offense.

In June, he was accused of taking PEDs with rumors catching like wildfire overnight, even headlining ESPN's front page. He has never tested positive in his 14-year Major League career. So, you'd think he'd take the high road, brush it off with a shrug. I think that would have been more than sufficient for most fans. However, Ibanez exploded publicly (Ibanez incident in full) and appears to have imploded, personally. Most unnervingly, the well-advertised accusations about his numbers being reflective of PEDs corresponded almost script-like with 1) his elective move to the DL and 2) his wildly contrasting offensive productivity. Whatever the reason, the left fielder's decline has been monstrous:

Ibanez hit .359 in April and .312 in May with 17 HRs and 46 RBIs, a regular on highlight reels and perennial Player of the Week. In his 1st full month back from the DL, Aug., he batted .193 with only 1 HR and 4 RBIs. That is a shocking decline for him this season and contrasts unfavorably with his outfield counterpart, Jayson Werth, who had 7 HRs and 23 RBIs last month.

Ibanez is no Gold Glover at his position. The Phillies knew that when they acquired him, so he really needs to hit to perform. True, Ibanez's uncharacteristically dynamic April and May at the plate have his numbers right around his career averages (with an increase in HRs, a slight dip in average and a downward trend in RBIs), but the Phils are going to need his early season magic back by the end of September if he's going to aid their effort to win the Championship, which would be the Phils' 2nd consecutive and the 1st of Ibanez's career.

notes:

Bullpen injustice

As much as I respect his contribution to the Phillies' success in the 1st half of 2008, reliever Chad Durbin continues to support my claim that he has not earned a roster spot with the team since. In my post on 8.7.09, "Bullpen Justice," I wrote:

"Am I the only one who has noticed that Chad Durbin hasn't pitched well enough to be in our bullpen? Durbin has walked 33 in 48 innings. More troubling, Durbin hasn't been reliably effective since July of 2008, over a year ago. In Aug. '08, his ERA was 4.32. In September, it was 6.94."

Well, Durbin finished August with a 10.13 ERA, after posting a 6.75 ERA in July. There is no upward trend for him, having allowed 4 ER in his last 2 innings of work.

Future looks bright

Further sign that the Phils intend to insert Drabek in the starting rotation next season:

"Double-A Reading righthander Kyle Drabek, generally regarded as the Phillies' best pitching prospect, will not be called up after roster limits are expanded Tuesday.

In fact, the team announced Sunday that he has been shut down for the remainder of the season.

The announcement stressed that Drabek is not injured but that this was instead a “proactive” move to protect a 21-year-old who has already thrown 158 innings between Class A Clearwater and Reading this season (61.2 at Clearwater and 96.1 at Reading)."