So long: Brad Lidge signs with the Nationals

The Phillies have lost yet another member of their 2008 championship team: Brad Lidge has signed with the Nationals.  Lidge, who will be forever remembered for getting the final out in the World Series, signed a 1 year deal for around a million dollars with the Nationals.  There was some talk that Lidge would return to the Phillies but ultimately the Nats offered him more money and a bigger role in their bullpen.

Lidge will always be remembered in Philadelphia for his perfect 2008 seasons that ultimately led to the first title in the city in decades.  While 2009 was rough and last season was filled with injuries, Lidge leaves under good terms and should get a standing ovation when he returns as a National this season.

Phillies remain best in NL after sweep of Nationals

The demise of the Phillies offense has been greatly exaggerated. On Thursday, the Phillies finished off a sweep of the Nationals by beating them 7-3. While the Phils continue to get great starting pitching nearly every time out, the offense has awoken after a slow stretch, averaging 5.6 runs per game in their last 7. That's a big improvement over the 2.7 runs they averaged in the 11 games prior to that.

Raul Ibanez, of all people, has led the offensive resurgence, picking up 8 hits against the Nationals in 3 games. Raul, who was hitting an abysmal .154 before playing Washington, saw his average rise 60 points to .214 since Tuesday. He was quite the run producer in the series, hitting 3 doubles, 2 homers and picking up 5 RBI. Ibanez has been a streaky hitter throughout his career so hopefully this is the first step on the way to respectability after a miserable start.

While they looked great in sweeping the Nationals out of town, the Phillies next 9 games will tell us more about them. With 6 against the Braves and 3 against the Marlins over the next week, the Phils will be facing the two teams directly below them in the standings. It will be a nice early test and a good chance for them to create a little breathing room in the NL East.
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Phillies win home opener; lose Rollins, Werth to minor injuries

(Photo by Drew Hallowell/Getty Images)

It almost seems like nothing can stop the Phillies from winning this season. In their home opener on Wednesday against the Nationals, the Phils overcame a middling performance by a starting pitcher, an early offensive lull and injuries to two key players to still win the game, 7-4.

The injuries to Jimmy Rollins and Jayson Werth are likely to be the biggest story from the game. Rollins was announced as being in the starting lineup but was a late scratch due to a right calf strain. In his place, Juan Castro stepped in and played shortstop and led off. Werth's injury happened during the game; he left the game with hip soreness in the 7th after singling in the 6th. The Phillies have an off day tomorrow which will be good timing for each, though there is already talk that Rollins will have an MRI. I'm not one to speculate on injuries but both sound minor; we'll have to wait and hear about the results of Rollins' MRI but I would guess that neither player misses significant time.

As for the action on the field, it was really a tale of two innings. Cole Hamels looked solid for most of his 5 and 2/3rds innings but ran into issues in the 4th where he gave up three runs on a few weak hits by the Nationals, including a bloop double by pitcher Jason Marquis. While the good news for Hamels is that he wasn't hit particularly hard, the bad news was that he always seems to run into trouble at least once a game where he should have gotten out of an inning before any damage was done.

The Phillies offense also did most of their work in one inning as they scored 5 runs in the 5th. Juan Castro took advantage of the absence of Rollins and hit a one run double which was followed by a two run single by Placido Polanco and a two run home run by Chase Utley. For a Phillies offense that sleepwalked through the first three innings, they sure made up for Hamels' hiccup in a hurry.

The Phillies keep just keep on rolling through April. Sure, they haven't played a team with any real major league talent yet but it's still nice to see the Phillies beating up on teams they should have no problem with. You can only play the teams that are on your schedule and the Phillies are taking advantage of some weak opponents to help them get off to a great start. Hopefully it all continues when they play Florida and Atlanta next week.

Phillies start 2010 season best way possible

(Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)

You couldn't asked for a better Opening Day. The Phillies two biggest offseason acquisitions, Roy Halladay and Placido Polanco, contributed in big ways as the Phils crushed the Nationals, 11-1, to start off the 2010 season.

I think I can get used to this Halladay guy. Doc went 7 strong innings and struck out 9 as he cruised through the Nationals lineup after a slight hiccup in the first inning. If the game wasn't so out of hand, Halladay, who threw 88 pitches, could have stayed in the game longer and showed no signs of slowing down. Cliff who?

As for the offense, Polanco provided the biggest hit amongst many, hitting a grand slam in the 7th inning to blow the game open. The Phils knew what they were getting in Polanco, a professional hitter who makes contact and advances the runners, but the 6 RBI's he had today were just a bonus. Ryan Howard also hit his first jack of the season as every Phillie starter had a hit and scored a run.

Sure, it was just the Nationals, but the Phillies had just about the perfect start to the season. Hot starts are not a given with the Phillies, and it was just one game, but this could portend to a good April as they play the Nationals 5 more times and the Astros 3 times before they play any real competition.

With all that has gone on with the Flyers and Eagles, I'm glad the Phillies are back in action. It's nice to see a Philly sports team take care of business in a game they should win. 162-0, here they come!

Phillies win one for Harry

(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

The Phillies lost their voice today but it didn't stop them from winning against the Nationals. The Phils used three "It's Outta Here's", one each from Ryan Howard, Raul Ibanez and Shane Victorino, to squeak out a 9-8 win. It was the first of the season for Howard, who belted a 3-run shot that gave the Phils a cushion to work with in the later innings. For Ibanez, it was his team-leading 3rd homer.

It was an emotional game for the team as they paid respects to Harry Kalas. Before the game, several Phillies were seen smoking in the dugout in homage to Kalas and Victorino pointed to the broadcast booth after he rounded the bases following his home run.

Jamie Moyer turned in another mediocre performance for a starting pitcher this season, giving up 4 runs over 6 innings, but the Phillies offense did plenty to mask the poor pitching. Even Brad Lidge, who still hasn't blown a save as a Phillie, came dangerously close to losing the game after he gave up a 2-run homer to Ryan Zimmerman with no outs in the bottom of the 9th. Luckily, Lidge straightened up and got the next three batters out to preserve the win.

The Phillies now get an off day, a day that was supposed to be spent in the White House with President Obama, but after cancelling the visit, it will instead be a day to reminisce about all things Harry Kalas. Rest in peace Harry, everyone in Philadelphia mourns your passing.