Hamels is King of 4 Aces' Hill

In the Phils' Season of the Pitcher, a familiar face and lifelong Phillie has stolen the show. His teammates call him, "Hollywood" and his box office numbers, this year, are 2nd to none-- even on his star-studded team. That's saying a lot when you consider the facts that defending Cy Young Roy Halladay pitches ahead of him and that Hamels, once the team Ace, pitches from the 4-slot in the rotation.

That Hamels is the #4 pitcher for the Phils, of course, speaks more about the quality of talent on the staff than it does about his potential, value or respect around the league.

"We knew he was good, but I didn’t know he was that good," All-Star Evan Longoria of the Tampa Bay Rays said about Hamels when the Rays were handcuffed by him in a 3-2 loss in game 1 of the '08 World Series.

Hamels would go on to become World Series MVP after winning NLCS MVP, making him only the 5th player to win 2 postseason MVP awards in the same year. He pitched 5 postseason games that year, going 4–0 with a 1.80 ERA and was regarded as having baseball's best change-up.

"Cole’s pretty good, man. I’m glad he’s pitching for us," said Phillies manager Charlie Manuel then. "When I send Cole Hamels to the mound I expect to look good."

The '08 offseason brought a heavy schedule of TV appearances and celebrity engagements, including with model and wife Heidi Strobel and Hamels, the star, was launched.

The following season, '09, brought soaring expectations for Hamels. He was a CY Young favorite by many and was drawing widespread comparison to Steve Carlton both in and out of Philadelphia, which didn't sit well with me at all.

It was true that Hamels had shined in the postseason like few pitchers before. However, his regular season record was 14-10 for a 91-71 championship team, compared with Carlton's 27 wins, 1.97 ERA and 30 complete games for a last-place Phils club that went 59-97 in '72. Frankly, comparisons to Carlton seemed most unfair to Hamels himself. That was Carlton's 6th full-year in the Majors, this was Hamels' 3rd. Carlton was a Hall-of-Famer, Hamels' potential was, as yet, unfulfilled and perhaps still unknown.

Where would he go from here? The sky seemed the limit. However, expectations were sky high.

Time would show that Hamels of '09 didn't resemble the player who had dominated the '08 postseason at all.

4.10.09 Hamels debuted for the season against the Rockies. He was pounded that night for 7 runs on 11 hits in just 3 2/3 innings. "I'm concerned about him," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said then. "He had a hard time locating pitches. He had a problem with his command, locating the ball where he wanted it."

On 6.4.09, I watched Hamels pitch at Dodger Stadium. He was brilliant. It was his best outing that year. In 9 innings, he shutout the Dodgers on 97 pitches. He struck out 5 and walked nobody. It was dominance, the kind he had made routine the previous Fall.

By August, however, he was reeling. He recorded no wins that month and in one 2-game span went a combined 10 1/3 innings, allowing 15 hits, 11 runs & 6 BB.

Yet, unflappably loyal manager Charlie Manuel continued to rely on Hamels in the playoffs, even after Hamels' dismal season: 10-11 for a 93-69, NL Champion team that was, literally, better without him.

Hamels lost game 2 of the NLDS vs. Colorado, allowing 4 runs in 5 innings, causing the team their only loss of the series. However, defying logic, Manuel stuck with him.

Then, on 10.31.09, Hamels lost game 3 of the World Series to the Yankees, giving up 5 runs in just 4 1/3 innings. Hamels told reporters in the Phillies' clubhouse: "I can't wait for [the season] to end. It's been mentally draining. It's one of those things where, a year in, you just can't wait for a fresh start."

Since the Phillies were relying on him to pitch 1 more game of the World Series they still hoped to win, that comment stung, led to a physical confrontation with then teammate Brett Myers and caused a major backlash against Hamels for a large segment of the Phillies' fan-base. Hamels had gone too far, twisting the knife of a horrid postseason: 1-2 in 4 starts with a 7.58 ERA, the mirror opposite of his electrifying 2008 playoffs.

However, his manager understood with poise and patience:

"This is all part of the process," Manuel said. "This is the first time that things have not gone his way, and he's [struggling with it]. He's never been through this before, and it's something that he will get through and probably be even better."

Hamels' disappointing '09 season would serve as personal motivation for a renewed effort and work ethic to reclaim his competitive edge.

“As competitive as he is and as much as he wants to succeed, the answer is yes,” Jimmy Rollins said when asked if he thought Hamels was using '09 to push him to new levels of success in '10. “It’s about how badly he wants to be great. And he understands that in order to be great you have to make sure those things don’t happen again. You have to take away from it 'what not to do' and store it in the back of your mind.”

2.23.10, I wrote:

"Hamels has new pitches, but does he have a new work ethic? ... He has risen and fallen. This juncture is where the great ones separate themselves with big-time performance. This pivotal crossroads is the crucial year in Hamels' career."

Hamels' '10, was everything his manager had forecast. While his win-loss was only 12-11, making him an underwhelming 60-45 for his career, his ERA ranked 12th in the NL at 3.06 and he finished 6th in S.O. at 211, a career high. He had clearly learned from his mistakes and turned a corner-- the right one.

He punctuated his transformation with a knockout '10 postseason debut, 2-0 win vs. the Reds. Hamels allowed 5 hits in 9-innings, S.O. 9 and walked none against the league's #1 offense.

Hamels began 2011 with a regressive '09-like loss, allowing 6 runs on 7 hits and 2 walks in just 2 2/3 innings against the lowly Mets. Would Hamels be taking a giant step back? The Phils had buffered the rotation and slipped Hamels, their once-Ace, all the way down to #4. He was no longer required to dominate or be the stopper, but his success was crucial to enabling a smooth ride to the once-hitting, now reshaped pitching team's greatest potential.

It proved a mere stumble. Since his opener, Hamels has gone 7-1, including a gem against the Mets in his most recent outing on Saturday, 5/28, when he went 7 innings, allowed 2 runs, S.O. 10 and walked none. Vintage Hamels, dazzling in the present, emerging from the shadow of an awe-inspiring, albeit briefly, past and growing into a future that still holds his potential like a butterfly whose one wing majestically emerges before the other, its body still cocooned, giving glimpse of all its potential glory, before its total beauty is visible in full.

Hamels is 7-2 overall in '11 with a 3.01 ERA. If you deduct that 1st game outlier, his ERA falls to 2.38. He has 78 S.O. (5th in the NL) and just 15 BB. His WHIP is a career-best 1.02, 3rd in the NL. Nobody in the NL has won more games than him.

You can't say he has pitched better than teammate Halladay, but he does have a better WHIP (-.02) and K/9 ratio (+.22) and has allowed fewer hits (-14 in only 9 fewer innings).

Hamels was asked, earlier this month, if boos show that a fan cares. “Yeah, they do,” he replied. “That’s the way I see it. Mike Schmidt told me that, when I was younger in the minors. Shoot, he’s probably been the most-booed person in Philly [history], and he’s the best player.”

That appreciation and understanding of Philly fans was a far-cry from Hamels' former claim that Philly fans were, "40% Passionate die-hards, 60% crazy lunatics and fair-weather fans."

But, then, this Hamels, version '11, is a far-cry from Hamels, version '09. If he continues on the path he's currently carving, he may find All-Star Games and more playoff glory ahead. For now, he seems appropriately focused on winning baseball games, one pitch at a time:

"I go for it every game," Hamels said. "I have high expectations of myself. I feel comfortable. I feel I’m meant to be out there."

"I was fortunate enough for the Phillies to draft me, knowing that they were trying to put together a really good team, and now being a member of what they were able to establish is something I can't thank them for enough.”

Note:

Rookie RF Dominic Brown, in his last 11 at-bats, is 7-for-11 with 2 doubles, 2 RBI and 4 runs scored.

Valdez Pitching, Lee at Plate Power Phils' 2 Wins

Valdez on Mound, Lee at Plate Power Phils to 2 wins in 28 innings in 16 hours

Wed. : Phils Win 19-inning Marathon

The Phillies pitcher electrified the crowd, sparked a late rally and led the team to victory. Only it wasn't defending Cy Young Roy Halladay, who started the game, but lasted only one-third of it. The hero on the mound, who enabled the Phils to maintain 1st place over the Florida Marlins (who were chomping at their heels and would've overtaken them), was 2nd Baseman-pitcher Wilson Valdez.

He had never pitched professional baseball before being asked to beat the team the Phils started the 2010 playoffs against. The 1st batter Valdez faced was defending NL MVP, Joey Votto. Valdez had never pitched in the minor or major leagues. It was such a bizarre and implausible confrontation that it lit a fire in the home crowd, many of whom were sleeping at the time-- literally.

“Let’s go, Wilson!” chanted the remaining fans, nearly 6 hours into the contest.

"I put him right down the heart of the order to see what he's got," manager Charlie Manuel would say later. "He passed the test."

Valdez threw 88 mph fastballs and 84-87 mph change-ups. At one point, he shook off the sign from catcher Dane Sardinha, which led to Ryan Howard laughing convulsively into his mit, while trying to play professional baseball, if that's what it was still being called after 2+ games of innings and no dinner.

"I was like, ‘What is he going to throw? What does he have?’" Howard said, after the game. " It was funny, but he got it done.”

What he had was a 90 mph fastball, which got Votto to fly out to center. Why did he challenge Votto, he was asked after the game. “If he hits a home run, they’re not going to say anything to me,” said Valdez, laughing.

Then, although by mistake, he gifted the home crowd by hitting Scott Rolen with a pitch. With that crowd-pleasing inadvertent beaning, it looked like the game might get away from him.

However, he calmly checked the sign and got the next 2 men out, routinely, for a 10-pitch 19th inning, which the Phils would make good on in the bottom half, enabling them to secure 1st place for one more day and giving Valdez (1-0) the win. He became the 1st position player to win a MLB game since 8/'00.

"He's such a great athlete," Raul Ibanez, who had the game-winning sac fly, said after the game.

Before he took the mound as the Phils' 9th pitcher in the game, Valdez made the most of each at-bat and eventually finished the game a team-best 3-for-6. He seemed locked-in, prompting ESPN color commentator and former infielder Nomar Garciaparra to say, earlier in extra innings, "Valdez has been my MVP of the game today. He's hit every ball hard." Little did he know, the best Valdez had was yet to come.

The Phillies collected only 13 hits over 19 innings, while Halladay allowed 11 hits in 7 innings, a far cry from the postseason no-hitter he had recorded against the Reds in October.

They played a full game, then another, then played some more. By the 19th, it felt like the 1st 3 games of a series-- all at once. The game lasted 6 hours and 11 minutes. It was the Phils longest contest since a 21-inning game in 1918. It was played during the Phils longest stretch of the year without a day off (20 games in 20 days) and the 2 teams had to return to the ballpark for a Thursday day game a few hours after completing their 19-inning extravaganza early Thursday A.M.

"What were you thinking with Valdez on the mound?" a reporter asked Ibanez.

"Right now, I can't remember much of anything," Ibanez said. "I'm hungry. I'm sure you are, too."

At one point, late into the night, Garciaparra said to the National TV audience after a commercial break: "If you're just joining us, where have you been?! We were worried sick!"

Charlie Manuel was asked why he chose Valdez, when he has said in the past he's against using position players to pitch. "It's the 1st time I ever did that," he said, bluntly. "I hate doing that."

Jimmy Rollins put on a highlight show in extra-innings, making one improbable play after another at Shortstop. It was further reminder that whatever Rollins is hitting, or not hitting, he belongs in the lineup for his fielding majesty. Rollins has a career .983 fielding %, and he, fittingly, had the winning run in the 19th inning Thursday morning.

It was a complete mystery what manager Charlie Manuel was thinking in the bottom of the 18th, when he pinch-hit for pitcher Danys Baez with nobody warming up in the bullpen. The best the ESPN commentators could come up with was the assumption that pinch-hitter Dane Sardinha was going to pitch. They hoped however, along with every Philly fan watching, that Manuel was finally removing Ruiz for pinch-hitting catcher Sardinha, especially since Ruiz had caught every Phillies pitch of the 18 innings, despite having just arrived from the DL for back pain.

Turned out Sardinha did stay in, but not to pitch. That would be ridiculous. Can you imagine a catcher pitching? Absurd. Manuel kept Sardinha in the game to catch the 19th. And, yes, Ruiz was finally going to go upright and salvage whatever was left of his knees and back. Manuel moved him to 3rd base. (You read correctly.) Meanwhile, 3B Polanco moved to 2B, a position, after all, he does have a .993 fielding % in over 1,000 games and 2 Gold Gloves playing. A position he played for the Phils, before (in '05) they traded him to make room for a young, charismatic 2B named "Chase Utley."

Ruiz took his assignment seriously. In his 2nd-ever game playing 3B, Ruiz chased a foul ball so far that he ended up spread like butter on toast across the dugout along the 3rd base line. It was comical, although cringe-worthy in context of his recent physical ailments. You had to respect the guy. Chooch being Chooch, giving everything he's got.

The Reds sensational 24 year-old RF Jay Bruce (wouldn't he look good in a Phillies' uniform right now?) nearly ended the game prematurely. Hours later, after the game, he would lament:

“It’s definitely the strangest game I’ve ever been a part of,” Bruce said. “All that effort and time-- and you lose. It’s tough.”

In the top of the 10th, the game appeared decided when the Reds took a 4-3 lead on Bruce's league-leading 13th HR to off Antonio Bastardo. Bastardo had been unhittable by left-handers until that point this season. Lefties were just 2-for-22 against him and his overall ERA was 1.04. Bruce tagged him and the game appeared decided. However, Ryan Howard changed all that in the bottom half of the inning with a monster HR that was replayed every couple innings for the next 9. It was a 434 foot HR to straight-away center that meant business and provoked many more hours of baseball.

Lucky Wilson Valdez. For him, it must have been some surreal dream-come-true. Can you pitch in the big leagues? 'Yeah, I think I can. Too bad we'll never know.' Well, Charlie Manuel changed all that with one flick of the wrist Thursday after midnight. Wilson Valdez can not only pitch in the big leagues, but he has. And he retired the side-- in order. And it's an order that leads the league in runs for the 2nd-straight year. And he started off big, as big as it gets: with defending MVP Votto. He got HR leader Bruce to fly out on 2 pitches.

"You'd like to get something going against him, but we didn't," Bruce said. "He actually had okay stuff."

"I told myself I had to go to the mound and throw strikes. I guess those guys were just too excited. I just moved the ball outside and they were chasing it," said Valdez. "It's something I'm never going to forget."

Valdez is 1-0 as a major-league pitcher. Maybe, if Utley really is back to stay, Valdez will get more work as a reliever for the Phils. Or, more likely, he'll retire knowing that he can and did, and that his pitching record is, literally, immaculate.

Thur. : Utley Homers, Lee Drives in 3

The Phils got as many hits Thursday in 8-innings as they did in 19-innings of their previous game against the Reds, a few hours earlier. Cliff Lee led the way with 2 hits and 3 RBI. Why not? If the hitter, Valdez, can pitch scoreless baseball and pick up the win, the least pitcher Lee could do was reciprocate at the plate. Lee pitched to his 4th win, allowing 4 runs in 8 innings. He's now 4-4 with a 3.50 ERA, noticeably just OK. His season is a blank slate, as yet undefined. Of course, he was re-acquired for October, and that's a long way off. If the Phils played every game like Wednesday's, October would be 2,128 innings away.

As stands, the Phils have completed 50 games this year. They lead the NL with 31 wins and the division by 1 game; the Marlins just swept a 3-game series in S.F. (WOW!), where the Giants were 13-5 coming in.

In the 8th inning Thursday, with the Phils leading 9-4, Utley hit his 1st HR in his 14th '11 at-bat on the 2nd pitch of the night from Reds' reliever Jose Arredondo.

Every time Utley steps up to the plate, the Phils' swagger multiples, pertinently. You can feel the potential in the lineup, the championship dream is within touch. After all, Utley inaugurated the '08 title season with 5 HRs in 5 straight games in April that year. Then, in the '09 World Series he hit 5 HRs in 6 games, tying an all-time World Series HR record (with Reggie Jackson, Yankees, 1977).

In '09, amidst Utley's incredible World Series HR barrage, Sports Illustrated wrote: "That swing is so quick. It's rattlesnake quick. Shell game quick. That swing is so quick, it should make a cracking sound, like the tip of a whip. That Chase Utley swing."

The Phils won 3 of 4 against the Reds this week and are on-pace to win 100 games. The 1976 and 1977 Phils won 101. If the '11 Phils want to top that, they'll need a healthy Utley much of the rest of the way. If they want title glory, his October contribution may be necessary.

Meanwhile, it was a crazy Wednesday night and Thursday afternoon. It was wild, wacky and victorious. It wasn't lost on Charlie Manuel, who responded enthusiastically when asked where Wednesday's 19-inning win ranked in his managing career:

"To win it, like we did... probably one of the better ones," he said.

Punchless Phils Losing Lead in East

'So, the Phils have lost 3-straight, so what?' sports fans from another town might think. Perhaps a disconnected Florida fan, who barely notices when its baseball team wins a title. Or a city where winning is the comfort zone. However, as Phillies fans, we're always looking over our shoulder for the cloud we know must be looming and, if we can't see it, we wonder where it's hiding.

Well, this season is unique, in part because this team is unlike any we've ever seen. For starters (and there are 4 worth mentioning), they're expected to win-- and win big.

The old Phillies, the 'old new Phillies' that is, the variety that began a slow climb toward respectability in '06 behind the charge of NL MVP Ryan Howard, was a slugging team opposing pitchers feared as 'Murderer's Row'.

That team dumped Bobby Abreu, among others, in a mid-season salary-slimming that braced for rebuilding years, then went on to surprise everyone with young homegrown players who loved to play hard and believed they could win, ascending mightily, posting baseball's best 2nd-half record, only to miss the playoffs on the season's final day.

Those Phils culminated 2 years later in a raucous celebration on Broad Street in '08 when they hit their stride in October, going 11-3 and, unforgettably, winning it all. Then, in '09, they were back for more, an unprecedented Phillies return trip to the World Series, losing there to the Yankees.

The '09 team hit 25 postseason HRs, a power display worthy of a champion. This '11 Phillies team? Not so much. Ryan Howard projects to 36 HRs at his present pace, Shane Victorino to 25. The power stops there.

This is a pitching team. We knew that coming in. What we didn't know is just how hitless this team would prove to be. The question remains: can they win a 7-game series with their present offense?

3-straight losses for the 1st time this year have many people wondering. Foremost, manager Charlie Manuel:

"We need for our lineup to get [physically] better, but we also need our lineup to hit better. We need some guys to have the kind of years they are capable of having." --5.11.11

Disturbingly, Manuel said virtually the same thing at the end of last season:

"I know Utley's capable of doing better, I know Howard's capable of doing better, and I know Victorino can do better. And I know Jimmy Rollins has to do better for us."

Furthermore, early during the 2010 season, former GM and team advisor Pat Gillick said, "Usually when a team gets into a slump, you see 1 or 2 players who are still hitting. But we've had a number of players who really haven't hit up to what they're capable of."

So, for more than a season, the Phillies philosophy on their offensive decline has been, 'Guys are capable of more and will eventually show it.' However, guys have gotten older and the numbers don't lie:

From '07 to '10, the Phils runs-per-game dipped from 5.51 to 4.77. Their HR production plummeted from 224 in '09 to 166 in '10. At present pace, they project to only 129 in '11. They scored 892 runs in '07 compared with only 772 in '10 and are paced to score only 676 in '11. Their slugging % was .447 in '09, compared with .413 in '10 and .387 thus far in '11.

In their 1st 40 games of '11, the Phils have posted 3 or fewer runs 21 times. Scoring 3 runs or less the majority of the time will not win this team a championship, especially not with Roy Oswalt on the DL and Cliff Lee at 2-4 with a 3.84 ERA.

Will Chase Utley change all that with one mighty swing of the bat? Or are the Phillies pinning too much hope on even his capable shoulders? Can he single-handedly bring back the productivity to this slumbering offense? He wasn't the answer last year, which isn't to say he wouldn't be now. Anything is possible.

Still, some troubling facts remain.

In a playoff series come October, the Phils better not score like they have against Atlanta. Remember, playoff pitching looks like Atlanta's, and the Phils are averaging just 3.11 runs per-game against the Braves this year. Startlingly, if you remove the outlier 10-2 Phils win against them on April 9th, Braves pitchers have held Phils hitters to 18 earned runs in the remaining 8 games played for a 2.25 ERA.

And it isn't only the elite staffs handcuffing the Phils. Monday night, it was the Cardinals' Jake Westbrook holding the Phils to 1 run over 7 innings. Westbrook's previous outing lasted 2 innings, wherein he was tagged for 5 runs. His ERA entering Monday's game was 6.92 with a whopping WHIP of 1.70.

However, 109 pitches later, he handed the Phils their 3rd-straight defeat. The Phils mustered a meager 6 runs in those 3 losses and have posted only 28 runs in their last 10; that's 2.8 runs per game.

That won't win you a playoff series against the Toledo Mudhens.

Defending Cy Young Roy Halladay has lost 2-consecutive complete games thanks to poor run support.

"We're gonna find some hitting. We'll get somebody," Charlie Manuel promised a few days ago. "We'll find people. We'll gawdamn look until we find somebody. Seriously. That's how I look at it. We'll keep experimenting until we get people."

Isn't that the familiar refrain? When will it end in moves or answers on the field?

Do they have answers other than a hopefully healthy enough Utley?

"We want him back as soon as possible," Manuel told reporters a couple days ago. "One person can mean a lot, especially the caliber of player Chase is. We're going to get better when Chase gets back."

One would hope. The Phils revolving door at 2nd Base is now affecting on-field wind conditions.

Meanwhile, the fish are hungry and waiting. I'm talking about those pariahs in a Marlins uniform. They're-- don't look now-- a single game behind and chomping at our feet. And don't count the Braves out. Dropping 4 of 6 to them has given them reason to hope for a return to NL East title grandeur:

“In a 7-game series against them in October, I’ll take my guys over their guys," Chipper Jones said. “I have no doubt in my mind, we’re as good a ball club as the Phillies.”

Cleveland now holds baseball's best record (25-13), followed by the Phils (25-15) and Marlins (24-16).

Halladay Looks to Win Series

Today: 135 pm EST

PHI: Halladay (5-2, 2.05 ERA, 66 S.O., 9 BB)

at

ATL: Hudson (4-3, 3.09 ERA, 0.64 WHIP in May)

The Phils enter Sunday with baseball's best record (25-13), but only a 2-game division lead over Florida. Today's game will determine who wins their 3-game weekend series with division rival Atlanta, currently split at a win apiece.

Shane Victorino (sore right hamstring) is the latest casualty in a season already rife with injury. He will not play today.

"We've got guys falling like flies," manager Charlie Manuel said. Carlos Ruiz, Chase Utley, Brad Lidge and Roy Oswalt are all out with injuries.

Saturday, Jair Jurrjens (5-0, 1.66 ERA) overwhelmed the Phils, who managed just 3 hits in the loss.

Ryan Howard, baseball's RBI leader with 35, is batting just .158 this season at Turner Field, despite his 2-for-4, 3-run HR night Friday. Hudson is a happy sight for Howard, who has feasted off the right-hander in his career with a .318 average, 6 HR, 13 RBI, 9 BB, 6 S.O. and a .750 SLG % in 44 ABs.

However, Rollins and Polanco will have to get on base for Howard to drive them in. Rollins is .211, while Polanco is just .111 vs. Hudson, lifetime.

Phils-Marlins: Game 3 Preview

When the smoke cleared Tuesday, the Marlins had tripped the Phils, whose lead in the NL East had slipped to 2 games over Florida after the 2-1 loss.

The deciding game 3 of the series is tonight at 7:10 ET and features a pitching matchup that, on paper, favors Florida:

PHI: Lee (2-3, 3.69 ERA, 60 S.O., 7 BB)

FLA: Nolasco (3-0, 3.23 ERA, 38 S.O., 7 BB)

Nolasco is 5-1 with a 2.92 ERA in his last 7 games vs. the Phils, with a .210 BAA (Batting Average Against).

Lee improbably S.O. a career-high 16 in his last 7 inning outing on May 6th, but allowed 9 hits and recorded a 1.43 WHIP on the day. Nolasco similarly S.O. 11 in 7 innings on May 6th and has a 1.08 WHIP thus-far in '11. Winner takes the 3 game series, currently split at 1-1.

Game 2: Tuesday Recap

Florida baseball fans are notoriously absent at Sun Life Stadium in Miami. A paltry 21,955 tickets were sold (56.9% of the stadium's capacity) to see 2 of baseball's best of the best square off in a classic pitcher's duel. Roy Halladay, defending CY Young, ace of 4 aces for the Phils against 27 year-old Josh Johnson of the Marlins. The game lived up to its bill as a pitcher's feast, lasting only 2:36. The 2 teams combined for 11 hits and only 2 earned runs.

Ryan Howard's HR to LF in the 2nd gave the Phils a 1-0 lead. Meanwhile, Halladay allowed just 5 hits over 8 innings, struck out 9 and walked just 2. He allowed only 1 earned run. However, disappointingly for a team with World Series aspirations, the Phillies could not convert his dominating performance into a win.

"It's big because we can win the series," said Josh Johnson, who got a no-decision Tuesday, beating Halladay, who fell to 5-2. "It's not any bigger than that. We're not going to say it's stepping-stone to anything."

The Phils are batting .226 and averaging 2.4 runs per game over the last week. They have won 5 and lost 5 of their last 10 games, humbling and suspiciously mortal for the team who topped ESPN's Baseball Rankings for the 3rd straight week Monday.

LF Raul Ibanez has been red hot and has improved his season average 77 pts. to .231 in the last 8 games by going 14 for 30 (.467) with 4 doubles, 2 HRs and 5 RBIs.

Phils Battle Fish for 1st

Tonight in Florida, 7:10pm ECT, the Phils will try to make it 2-in-a-row against the league's 2nd best team, division rival Florida. The Phils currently hold a a 3 game NL East lead over the Marlins thanks to last night's win.

It will be each team's ace, 2 of baseball's best on the mound:

PHI: Halladay (5-1, 2.19 ERA, 57 S.O., 7 BB) @
FLA: Johnson (3-1, 1.68 ERA, 46 S.O., 15 BB)

Joe Blanton was barely sufficient Monday, when he got his 1st win of the season in game 1 of the 3 game series. Blanton, fresh off the DL, walked 2 and allowed 8 hits in 5 innings. He is now 1-1 with a 5.83 ERA vs. Vance Worley's 2-0 with a 1.20 ERA. He has the Phils and fans alike routing for his success-- so his trade value will go up. With his $10.5 Million salary, injury issues and best years behind him, he's looking like a tough sell.

Cole Hamels' loss to the Braves Sunday dropped him to 4-2. He entered the game with a 2.68 ERA in his previous 34 starts, one of baseball's best during that span. His contract expires this year.

Chase Utley went 5-for-7 with 2 HRs in an extended exhibition game over the weekend, sending fantasies of heroics through everyone's mind. 1-for-7 in his next outing hardly quelled them, as he ran hard and well. There's no secret that what the Phils need now is a big bat. The hope is that Ibanez will continue to get hot, Mayberry Jr. will show consistency or Utley will come back to save the day. Otherwise, trading for an outfielder is the only option. (Unless, Dominic Brown has matured a few years this month.)

RF Ross Gload went 2-for-3 with 2 RBIs Monday in game 1 of the series against the Marlins. However, as the Phils found out last year, his problem isn't hitting. That, he does exceedingly well. Gload's inability to stay healthy (chronic back problems) is what has kept him off Major League starting lineups for years.

Jimmy Rollins has continued to produce from the leadoff spot. He is hitting .313 in May with 7 BB to 3 S.O., a rarity for Rollins, who tends to walk seldom and strikeout much more than a leadoff hitter should. His discerning eye must be catching manager Charlie Manuel's, because Manuel has left him atop the order-- for now.

Worley Elevates Phils

An unexpected feather in the cap of the Phils' starting rotation this season has been dynamic rookie hurler Vance Worley. The 23 year-old from Sacramento, CA went to college where Chase Utley went to high school in Long Beach, CA, an hour North of Cole Hamels' hometown, San Diego.

Wednesday, the day after Hamels threw one of his career best, a 1-run complete game complemented by 2-hits by the pitcher, Worley completed 6 1-run innings of his own and added a single and a run scored in the 5th, helping the Phils to their Major League-leading 20th win of the season.

It was a gem by the young right-hander, who recorded a 0.67 WHIP on the night. Worley has now allowed a total of just 1 earned run in his last 3 starts combined. He may be no Roy Halladay, but then, the Phils don't need him to be. With his marked contribution in Blanton's absence, Worley's hot hand has the Phils pitching staff at an unrivaled height.

Worley gave up 0 runs on April 29th, then Halladay yielded 1 in 9 innings the following night. Next, Cliff Lee surrendered 1 in 7 innings, followed by Hamels' 1 in 9 and finally Worley's 0, again. Phils starters, sans Blanton, are firing on all cylinders, 1-5 in the rotation, top to bottom, perhaps in unprecedented fashion.

Worley debuted in the Majors on July 24, 2010, against the Colorado Rockies, retiring the side in order and striking out 2. Wednesday, 2 of Worley's strike outs were against former Phil Jayson Werth, public enemy #1 in Philly, these days.

Worley was rewarded for his impressive Major League debut in '10 with a return trip to the minors after the game to make room for J.A. Happ, who was a Rookie of the Year candidate at the time, an honor for which Worley can now dream of competing for with the Phils.

He raised doubts in his previous start, last week, when he walked 4 in just 6 innings, while striking out 5. This time, in a remarkably quick adjustment and turnaround, Worley struck out 7, while walking none in his 6 innings of work.

“He’s got good stuff, keeps his composure and stays focused on what he’s doing,” Manager Charlie Manuel said. “Worley shows that he can pitch.”

The Phillies pitching staff has lived up to its bill so far and with Worley it may be exceeding it. The team now leads MLB in WHIP (1.14), Quality Starts (21) and is 2nd in team ERA (3.00) and 3rd in Batting Average Against (.229).

Meanwhile, Raul Ibanez, who finally broke through a startling 0-for-35 slump yesterday, had 3 hits, including a home run over the head of RF Jayson Werth:

“The only way I have to function is to pretend that it never happened and just move forward,” said Ibanez, who raised his average to .192. “I feel better at the plate and I’m starting to feel comfortable and I’m seeing the ball better.”

“He stayed on the ball better, his bat looked quick, and he moved a little closer to the plate,” Manuel said. “A lot of it is definitely mental, but at the same time, he’s starting to get some hits and that’s how you get your confidence, that’s how you starting seeing the ball good again. Every day is different.”

Jimmy Rollins, who was also slumbering at the plate lately, had his 2nd straight 2-hit night from his newly re-acquired leadoff spot. All of the sudden, the Phils seem more complete as a team, even with Utley, Lidge, Contreras and Blanton in the wings and Jayson Werth on-field at Citizens Bank Park in an opposing red uniform. If the Phils can score runs with more consistency, especially with Rollins at the top of the order, they will instill confidence and sustain this impressive, dynamic start.

“With Jimmy first and Victorino second, we can use our speed more,” said Manuel. “Plus, they’re both switch-hitters. We’re trying to get some balance.”

Of course, it has been 2 of the league's worst teams they've won 5 of 6 from the last several days. Last season, the Phils feasted on Washington, taking 12 of 18 games against the Nationals.

Still, a win is a win and hot streaks for Rollins and Ibanez are terrific signs of more good to come. Next up for Washington, as if 1 run scored against 15 innings of Hamels and Worley wasn't enough for them to want to get out of town quickly, defending Cy Young Roy Halladay will try his luck for win #5 of the early season to close the series on Thursday.

Then, it's a weekend series with the Braves, followed by a mid-week series May 9th-11th in Florida, against a red hot Marlins team that is 19-10, the 3rd best record in baseball. The Phils won more games vs. Florida than any other team in 2010, finishing the year 13-5 against the Fish. This year, the supreme Phils and a much improved, impressive Marlins team split a series April 15th and 17th, sandwiching a rain-out, with each team scoring 6 runs, total, in the 2 games.

Worley, Halladay and Lee are slated to pitch in Florida.

Phils' Offense Hits New Low

The Phillies bested the Mets 2 out of 3 in their weekend series amidst the bigger accomplishment of achieving a franchise best-ever 18 April wins. They managed this despite failing to score more than 4 runs in a game between April 9th and April 26th.

However, in Philadelphia on Sunday Night Baseball, in spectacular nationally televised fashion, the Phils floundered by managing only a single run over 14 grueling innings of non-offense.

The N.Y. Mets' pitching staff came to town ranked 29th in baseball with only 10 Quality Starts, ranked 25th in ERA at 4.58 and 28th in Batting Average Against: .272. Yet, the team that entered Sunday with baseball's best record, the Phils (now 18-9), mustered a mere 1 run in 14 innings against this group of downtrodden throwers.

The Phils thumped the Mets in game 1 of the series Friday behind 6 RBIs, including a Grand Slam by MLB RBI leader Ryan Howard (28 RBIs). The game featured an injury fill-in start by 23 year-old Vance Worley, who escaped the 4 walks in 6 innings he allowed en route to an impressive 6 innings of shutout work. Worley picked up where he left off last October, when he threw a 5 inning, 1 hit shutout against Atlanta.

Next, Roy Halladay threw 18 straight strikes to open game 2 of the series Saturday, an eventual 9-inning gem 2-1 victory that improved the defending Cy Young to 4-1. He is now 6-0 with a 1.89 ERA vs. the Mets. Saturday, Halladay became the 1st pitcher to throw 18 consecutive strikes to begin a game since the Mets' Sid Fernandez on 8/16/91. At the conclusion of the game, he embraced his catcher, Dane Sardinha and asked the question on everyone's mind: "Who are you and how did you get on the field?" Followed by, "Can you pronounce your name?!"

Finally, it was up to Cliff Lee, the man the Phils wrapped a good portion of their cash-flow around for the next 5 years. Lee, a local hero, has been underwhelming thus-far in '11 at 2-2 with a 3.66 ERA. On Sunday, though, he gave one of his better performances of late, surrendering just 1 run on 8 scattered hits over 7 innings. It was hardly domination, but it was good enough. Or was it?

Somehow, when you hold the league's best record, are the popular choice to compete in the World Series and your pitching staff holds the opposition to 1 lonely run over the 1st 13 frames, you ought to muster a 'W'. That sort of expectation goes with the territory. Not so for the Phils Sunday night, before a nation of eyes confused and suspicious.

Millions must have wondered, as they squinted at their TV sets to see if they were mistaken in what they saw, why the batters the Phils trotted out in the bottom of the 14th were the ones this Championship team was placing their hopes in:

Bottom of 14th, Phils trailing 2-1:

1) 2B Pete Orr [Photo, left: looking as bewildered as anyone that he's a Phillies' starter-- where's Joe Millette when you need him?]

2) PH Cole Hamels [Remember when his offensive strengths for a pitcher were a nice bonus rather than the Phils' best hope for a game-winning hit?]

3) OF John Mayberry Jr. [The Phils prematurely gave up on him last year, before the Werth departure, the Brown debacle and the Player Formerly Known As Ibanez.]

Perhaps, the mind of the average non-Philly viewer went something like this:

'Their 2B is due up in the bottom of the 14th. That'll be Chase Utley. I voted for him the last 5 All-Star Games. No, wait a minute, he's out with an injury-- indefinitely. So, it's that guy... Valdez. Or is it the one they got from NY?'

Strike one looking to Orr.

'Pete Orr. Who's that?!'

Pop-out to shortstop. 1 down.

Next:

'Alright, who's on-deck, that folk hero of theirs, Matt Stairs? Or is it Carlos Ruiz, I haven't seen him in this game. They always have some good bench hitter [ala Dobbs in '08]... Cole Hamels?! Wait a minute, do I need a new prescription?'

Strike swinging, strike looking, 0-2 hole...

'Hamels pinch-hitting? That's the best the Phils got right now?'

Ground out to second. 2 away.

Finally:

'Now, the Phils are down to their last out, against an 11-16, last-place team, one of baseball's worst. Who are they gonna bring in to be their hero? Their right fielder! Who is it... Werth? Oh, no, he's gone. It's... May-berry. Well, that fits, 'cause it's May 1st today.'

Three pitches: Strike, strike, strike. Game over.

18 April wins is nothing to shake a stick at, especially for the only professional sports team to have amassed 10,000 losses. At this clip, Raul Ibanez's incredibly shrinking average (last seen plummeting to.154 and sinking fast in an 0-for-34 slump) will pass the Phils' win total quicker than you can say, "Mid-season waivers."

Still, it was best of 3, and the Phils-- who sit atop ESPN's Baseball Rankings-- bested the once-proud New Yorkers twice.

ESPN.com's lead clip Sunday night was Phils-Mets commentators sitting at their microphones at Citizens Bank Park after the game, reflecting on how powerfully affecting and uniting it was when 45,000 Philly fans cheered and chanted "U.S.A." when they saw the news flash on the big screen that Osama Bin Laden had been killed.

Now, maybe they'll stop remembering us as the fans who booed Santa Claus in 1968. "Some of these people would boo the crack in the Liberty Bell," baseball legend Pete Rose once said of us.

If it was wearing a Mets' uniform, it would have deserved it.

Cole Hamels was asked earlier this month if boos show that a fan cares. “Yeah, they do,” Hamels replied. “That’s the way I see it. Mike Schmidt told me that when I was younger in the minors. Shoot, he’s probably been the most-booed person in Philly, and he’s the best player.”