Myers shuts down the Mets, Iguchi's back!

(AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

So, how do you beat the red-hot Mets? Not letting them score a run is a good start. The Phillies beat the Mets 3-0 as Brett Myers completely dominated New York in his best outing of the year, throwing 8 shutout innings while striking out 10 batters and allowing only 3 hits and 2 walks. Myers cruised all game long and continues to be a stud pitcher since his return to the majors. Tonight's performance makes for 9 straight good-to-great starts in a row. In that time he has allowed 11 runs in 63 and 2/3rds innings pitched for a sparkling ERA of 1.57. He has also gone 6-1 in that span and struck out 56 batters while walking only 15. And, one more stat for you: Myers has allowed only 2 runs in his last 31 innings. Myers is a beast and he has been the Phillies MVP since his return to the majors on July 23rd.

The Phillies struggled to get much going offensively. Chase Utley put the Phils on the board early with a RBI groundout while Greg Dobbs hit a two-run homer in the 7th to give them a cushion.

The win pulled the Phillies back within 2 games of first place. Tomorrow is the battle of the graybeards as Jamie Moyer takes on Pedro Martinez. I like the Phillies chances considering Pedro rarely lasts past the 6th inning anymore, meaning the Phils can feast on the Mets bullpen for a few innings.

The Phillies also got news today that a former player is returning to the fold. Tadahito Iguchi, a pivotal player in the Phillies 2007 campaign, has signed with the team for the rest of the season. Iguchi was recently waived by the Padres so the Phillies scooped him up for the stretch run. Iguchi has had an off year, batting .231 as he struggled with injuries. The Phillies won't be asking much of him, he will simply be a pinch-hitting option for them off the bench. Iguchi also won't be available for postseason play since he was brought in after the August 31st deadline, but he could have some key at-bats as the Phillies try to make their run for the playoffs. Besides, how fun is it to have Tadahito Iguchi and So Taguchi on the same team!