Brown Gives Phils Hope

Brown rounds bases for 2nd time 5/29.

Domonic Brown has finally, officially arrived.  It was well-know that Spring Training brought the seeming coming out of long lauded prospect.  Now the bell has been answered.  Tonight at Citizens Bank it rang four times, twice for Domonic Brown.

On May 26th, Brown was named NL Player of the Week.  In the 3 days since, he has hit 4 Home Runs.

Last week, Brown hit .348 (8 for 23) with two doubles, a triple, two homers and seven RBIs in six games.  In the last 3 games, he has hit .333 (4 for 12) with 4 HR and 5 RBI in 3 games.

Brown looks like the player we were all told he would be, should be, could be.  After years of short, disappointing trips to the Majors, then back down again for a dismal stretch in the minors, Brown is making good on his former #1 prospect status and all those reports that said he was the Golden One.

Now, he looks like a cleanup hitter-- or at least a #5 hitter.  In the last 5 games, Ryan Howard has struck out an improbable 12 times in 18 at-bats.  Amidst yet another injury, Howard is fading, while Brown is swelling.  Brown has doubled Howard's HR production and is showing a veteran's poise at the plate while the veteran Howard demonstrates desperation.  Brown has 35 S.O. to 9 walks.  Howard? 60 S.O. to 9 walks. It is clearly time Brown is given a regular higher slot in the order.

"He'll let me know when it's time for him to move," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said before Tuesday's game. "He's headed that way. Really, I mean that. I've developed a lot of players through the Minor Leagues and big leagues. I've had some of the best players who have ever been in baseball."

Brown-Kratz went back-to-back vs. Nationals 5/25.

"In my head, I always feel like I'm up to the task of being in the top of the order," Brown said. "That's Charlie's decision, and whenever he thinks I'm ready for it, I'll move up. Right now I'm fine where I'm at."

Brown credits a shorter, quicker swing for much of his success.  "Being around guys with short swings," he said. "You can definitely see the difference with guys like Jimmy, Utley, those guys. With that being said, I can get on the plate like those guys. Me being [6-foot-5], longer arms, I've got to be short to the baseball. Just going out, watching a lot of film and being around coaches, it's a little bit of everything."  Brown is now 2nd in the NL in HR (1 behind Atlanta's Justin Upton) and 12th in RBI.

Catcher Erik Kratz has hit 3 HR in his last 4 games and is batting .306 in May.  Brown and Kratz, who went back-to-back in the 2nd on 5/25 vs. Washington, did it again against Boston in the 4th on Wednesday.

With their win Wednesday and the Braves and Nationals' losses, the Fightin' is now 5 1/2 out of First and just a game out of 2nd.  However, there is a key statistic which is troubling:  Atlanta has outscored their opponents by 42 runs, while the Phils have been outscored by 40.   That widens the gap between First Place and, well, wherever the teams that miss the playoffs go.

The Phils are 13th out of 15 NL teams in batting and 12th in pitching.  When Jonathan Pettibone and Cliff Lee aren't pitching the team is 17-25.  Thanks to Lee (6-2, team 5-0 since May 6th when he takes the mound) and Pettibone (3-0, team 6-1 behind his starts) the Phils are within a game of .500.  The last time the Phils were at .500 was all the way back on April 14th, when they were 6-6.

Starting Pitcher Jonathan Pettibone is undefeated.

The Phils could reach .500 again Thursday in Philadelphia, while winning the series vs. Boston with a victory.  Good Luck Charm Pettibone will be on the mound.  Domonic Brown will be at the plate.

7:05 PM ET

Red Sox

(32-22, 15-10 away)

Phillies

(26-27, 12-12 home)

BOS:   Morales (0-0, 0.00 ERA)

PHI:   Pettibone (3-0, 3.21 ERA)