winning pitcher: John Maine, losing pitcher: Ryan Madson, save: Billy Wagner

home runs: Geoff Jenkins, Shane Victorino, Jose Reyes

It looks like Brett Myers isn’t done being bad at pitching yet.  sigh.  Can the Phillies go all the way to the World Series with a partial pitching staff?  I don’t think so.  Myers needs to get back to his good form or things just won’t go to the next step for this team.  The hitting can only make up for so much bad pitching!!!

winning pitcher: Chad Durbin, losing pitcher: Joe Smith,  save: Brad Lidge

home runs: Shane Victorino, Ramon Castro, Carlos Delgado

In a crazy turn in the 9th, the Phillies took advantage of Met issues on the field to score 6 runs and turn a 6-2 loss into a 8-6 win.  Never count the Phillies out!  Joe Blanton didn’t pitch great his first outing as a Phillie, allowing 5 runs over 6 innings of work.  But the Phillie bats took on the challenge and got themselves back up on top, including on top of the NL East standings!  They’re one game ahead of the Marlins and Mets and have 2 more games in Shea Stadium before going on to face Atlanta.

Let’s just hope the return of Brett Myers is the return of the REAL Myers, instead of the one who’s had the problems throughout the season…

The Phillies dropped a particularly difficult game today to the Marlins in the 11th inning.  Cole Hamels pitched 8 great innings but it was tied up from the 8th to the 11th, when Clay Condrey was pitching.  Yesterday the Phils lost 9 to 5 but Friday, in their first game back after the All Star break, Jamie Moyer led the team to a 4-2 win.

Moyer doesn’t have the crazy fast ball but crafty, off speed pitches that confuse the heck out of the opposing team.  He’s basically the Phillies’s #2 pitcher behind ace, Cole Hamels, at this point.  Age and experience is helping to hold this team and its pitching staff to a higher standard!  If only Hendrick and Happ can follow his lead…  Tuesday is Joe Blanton’s debut with the Phillies in Shea Stadium (what a welcome!) and Wednesday Brett Myers is scheduled to return.  It’s shaping up to be an interesting week.

The Phillies are half a game ahead of the Mets today and the Mets are playing a game tonight. Ryan Howard definitely needs to get his head around the whole batting average idea in the second half or he won’t be a first round fantasy player next year. Chase Utley and Pat Burrell, who is finally living up to his promise, can’t carry the entire offense. Brad Lidge is the bullpen and a very good one he makes! JC Romero is doing well overall and Cole Hamels is just lights out.

Time for Jimmy Rollins, Pedro Feliz, and the rest of the pitching staff to start living up to their potential and give the Phillies another post season. We, the fans, expect a team like this amazing group to go far. Adding Joe Blanton could help but without the rest of the team making it happen, they will fall aside like the 2007 Mets.

Go Phils!

winning pitcher: Pedro Feliciano, losing pitcher: JC Romero

home run: Ryan Howard

The Phillies took at 1-run lead into the 8th inning then JC Romero came into the game.  He allowed 2 singles and one out before Tom Gordon came into the game.  Gordon then made a wild pitch and a double to allow 3 runs to come in and the Phillies were down 6-4 and they stayed that way.  Pitching gave up 3 more runs in the 9th to seal the deal and they were done with this game!  So two more nights with the Mets at home and here come the Cardinals!

winning pitcher: Brad Lidge, losing pitcher: Duaner Sanchez

Shane Victorino won the game for the Phillies in the 9th inning with 2 outs and Pedro Feliz on second base.  Instead of keeping Johan Santana in the game, they brought in Sanchez and he got the first two outs but couldn’t finish up the game.  So Brad Lidge gets the win instead of a save because he pitched the 9th inning to keep the game tied.  So the Phillies took charge and won the game in the 9th!

Phillies 4  Braves 1

winning pitcher: Cole Hamels, losing pitcher: Jair Jurrjens, save: Tom Gordon

home run: Pedro Feliz, Chase Utley, Ryan Howard

The Phillies turned Turner Field upside down and blasted through the Braves for three games.  Admitedly, pitching has turned around and hitting is actually happening.  This bodes well for the Phillies before the all star break.  They’re keeping their first place standing and chugging along as one of the best teams in baseball.  Hopefully this trend will continue and the mini-shakeup with pitching that’s going on, bringing up JA Happ, will inspire them and they’ll really shake up the rest of major league baseball!

winning pitcher: Adam Eaton, losing pitcher: Jorge Campillo

home run: Pat Burrell, Ryan Howard, Ryan Gotay, Chipper Jones

Another win for the Phillies to stay ahead of the Marlins tonight.  Ryan Howard made a couple of errors but Brad Lidge pulled it out in the 9th inning.  Pitching is up in the air right now with Myers in the minors so who will be the 5th starter for now?  Decisions are being made so it should be an interesting few days ahead!

winning pitcher: Kyle Kendrick, losing pitcher: Charlie Morton

home run: Pat Burrell, Shane Victorino

It looks like the Phillies have come home to roost!  They hit around the Braves for 4 runs in the 3rd inning and 3 runs in the 9th inning to win this game in an easy way.  Could the Brett Myers news have given them somewhat of a boost?  Don’t perform and we’ll demote you to the minors?  Yes, it’s to work on his pitching but it’s been so bad this season that anything would be good at this point!

Mentally, I think Brett Myers needed to move out of the spotlight in Phillie so he could focus on the pitching and get himself back to fighting form.  Otherwise, he’ll just be floundering.  Tonight the bats picked things up and hopefully this is the turning point.  The Phillies are a game and a half ahead of the Marlins so it’s a matter of keeping up their winning ways!

Saturday, Phillies 8  Rangers 6

winning pitcher: Cole Hamels, losing pitcher: Vincente Padilla, save: Brad Lidge

home runs: Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Michael Young

Sunday, Phillies 1  Rangers 5

winning pitcher: Eric Hurley, losing pitcher: Jamie Moyer

home run: Chris Davis

Finally the Phillies are admitting that Brett Myers can’t cut it as a starter this season.  They’re looking at putting him into the bullpen and pulling JD Durbin in as a starter.  Other options are to pull some players up from the minors but that’s less likely as Cla Condrey would have to go on waivers, which they don’t want.   So they’re finally getting to the point where they realize that they just can’t let this continue!

The bats started to actually do some hitting on Saturday but it’s just not enough when they face a pitcher who just is dialed in and has their number on Sunday.  They head to Atlanta Tuesday night to take on the Braves as the Marlins are starting on their own winning streak, looking to take away first place.  But unless Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, and Ryan Howard can keep a streak alive together, this offense will continue to be flat.  Come on, guys!  Make it happen.  Take a break in a couple of weeks and come back renewed and kicking butt!  and in first place….