Another ex-Phillie joins the Astros: Brett Myers

Former Phillie and current Astros GM Ed Wade sure loves former Phillies players. Entering this offseason, Wade already had Michael Bourn and Jason Michaels on the roster of and he had since added Pedro Feliz. So, when the Phillies decided to part ways with Brett Myers, it became clear that Houston would be his next logical destination.

Pending a physical, the Astros have agreed to sign Brett Myers to a one year, 5 million dollar contract. Houston will likely give Myers a chance to earn a spot in the starting rotation but could also use his help in the bullpen should he falter. Myers is only 29, so he should have some solid seasons ahead of him, but I don't think anyone will miss him too much here in Philadelphia.

Like Scott Eyre yesterday, Myers deserves thanks for all he did in '08. He was with the organization since 1999 so he was here for the good and the bad and always gave everything he could on the field. While we could have done without some of his off the field stupidity, Myers should get a nice round of applause if/when he pitches for the Astros in Philadelphia this season.

Brett Myers is no longer a Phillie

We are only two days removed from the end of the World Series and the Phillies have already begun making moves for 2010. The first move the Phillies did was obvious as they picked up their option on Cliff Lee for next season. Their second move is a little more interesting as it means the loss of a longtime Phillie.

Brett Myers, who has been in the Phillies organization since he was drafted in 1999, has informed the media that the Phillies have told him he won't be back with the club. Myers is a free agent this offseason so the Phillies have decided that he isn't worth bringing back.

Myers' career with the Phillies was a tumultuous one to say the least. Myers had his fair share of off field drama and bounced around from the rotation to the bullpen but he was always loyal to the team. Despite his domestic issues, it was hard not to like the guy for everything he did for the organization. The Phillies won't bring him back because they feel they can use their money more wisely, not because Myers isn't a good clubhouse guy.

I'm looking forward to seeing Myers return to Philly next season wearing another uniform. He should get a nice reception at the Bank.

Ryan Madson, your new Phillies closer (for now)

The unthinkable might have finally happened. Charlie Manuel, who has been loyal to his players almost to a fault, may have finally had enough of Brad Lidge blowing games for the Phillies. After blowing 10 (!!) saves this season and nearly blowing another one on Tuesday night, Manuel appears to have turned the closer role over to Ryan Madson. At least for now.

It all started on Tuesday night when, after Lidge let two runners on and got one out, Manuel put Madson in the game and he threw 6 consecutive strikes to clean up Lidge's mess and earn the save. While that was the first sign that Manuel seemed to be turning on Lidge, the real news comes out of Wednesday night's game when Lidge was bypassed completely. With the Phillies clinging to a one run lead, Madson entered the game in the 9th inning for the save opportunity and, while he was a bit shaky, got the job done.

So, Ryan Madson now appears to be the Phillies closer. Will it last the rest of the season? I doubt it. Like I said before, Charlie Manuel is loyal to a fault with his players, so you can bet Brad Lidge will get another chance or two to close games for the Phillies. Of course, there is also the chance that Brett Myers finds his way into the closer role considering he has done it before and he has looked better and better with each outing. It would be extremely difficult but the best option for the Phillies might be to rotate closers, playing the hot hand and picking the right matchups. I don't know that I trust Manuel to weigh all the options correctly when choosing his closer on a given day, though, so that might not really be a good idea.

It's unbelievable how much drama now surrounds the Phillies closer situation. Whatever happens, whoever ends up taking on the role, I just hope it happens soon. The last thing the Phillies need is to be rotating closers in the playoffs. Just like rotating goalies in the NHL, rotating closers just doesn't work. Stick with one guy and he will get in the right mindset to get the job done. Jerk three guys around and they won't be able to get into a rhythm.

Who needs a closer? Ryan Howard saves the day!

It looks like Ryan Madson isn't the answer at closer, either. One day after Phillies fans called for Brad Lidge's head after he blew his 9th save of the season, Madson proved that he wasn't much better in the role after he blew a 1 run lead against the Pirates on Wednesday. Madson, who got the save opportunity because Lidge was unavailable after pitching four days in a row, entered the game with a 1-0 lead in the 9th inning before blowing the save by giving up a homer. It was the 5th blown save in 9 tries this season for Madson.

Of course, who needs a closer when you have Ryan Howard? Howard, clearly annoyed by the inability of his pitchers to close out games, crushed a 3 run homer in the top of the 10th inning to give the Phillies a 4-1 lead they would never look back from. The homer, his 9th in the last 13 games, was further proof that Howard is warming up with the weather. The Phillies went on to win the game as Madson pitched a second inning in the 10th and "earned" the win.

Lost in all the closer craziness is the fact that Cole Hamels pitched a solid game for the Phillies. Hamels pitched 8 shutout innings, and although it was against the lowly Pirates, it was still a better effort than he has shown in quite a while. Hamels allowed runners on base all night but kept finding a way to pitch out of every jam he found himself in. We will see if this is a turning point for Hamels or if it was just the result of Pirate terrbileness.

So, those that want Brad Lidge out, if Ryan Madson isn't the answer at closer, who do the Phillies turn to? Some have suggested Chan Ho Park, who saved 2 games for the Dodgers last season. Others point to Brett Myers and his outing in Double A on Wednesday, where he struck out 5 batters in two innings of work. If Myers is healthy in the coming weeks, he is certainly an intriguing option.

Myers is still a few weeks away, however, so Phillies fans need to make their peace with Lidge closing games for the immediate future. Of course, if Howard continues to rake the way he is right now, having a closer might not really be necessary.

What to do about Brad Lidge?

How much longer can Brad Lidge be a closer on a team that wants to win a championship? Last night, for the NINTH time this season, the Phillies had a lead late in the game, handed the ball to Brad Lidge, and then watched him blow a save. Many would argue that Lidge probably shouldn't have been in the game last night at all since he had pitched in three straight games already, but when you have a one run lead against the Pirates, your closer should be able to get the job done. While Lidge wasn't helped by Jayson Werth's botched play in the outfield last night, he still more than earned a blown save since he failed to get any of the three batters he faced out.

In the encore to a magical season last year, Lidge has been nothing short of a disaster in 2009, putting up numbers this season that are terrifyingly bad (0-6, 7.33 ERA, 1.80 WHIP), especially when compared with his numbers in 2008 (2-0, 1.95 ERA, 1.23 WHIP). For a team that has built up a large lead in their division like the Phillies, having a closer who has put up the kind of numbers that Lidge has is truly astonishing.

So, the question now is, what do the Phillies do? I'm all for taking Lidge out of the closer role, but who do you turn to? Ryan Madson closed a few games earlier in the year but wasn't terribly effective. J.C. Romero closes games from time to time but he's injured. Brett Myers, who is unfortunately at least a month away from contributing, has shown that he can be an effective closer, so he could be a good option if he has his head straight. There are really no other options on the roster after that.

With no obvious replacement available, the Phillies are forced to stick with Lidge despite how terrible he has been. With October right around the corner, however, if the Phillies have a Plan B closer up their sleeve, now is the time to show it.

The Brett Myers story changes. Again.

Here we go again, the story that changes daily seems to have taken the turn we all expected. Brett Myers, who missed a rehab start last weekend with a black eye, has been lying to the Phillies, according to Randy Miller of the Bucks Courier County Times. Originally, Myers said that he injured his eye while playing catch with his son, but later changed his story, saying he was embarrassed because he really got hurt while falling out of his car. Word came out later that Myers was involved in a dispute at a bar, but it wasn't believed to be a physical confrontation.

Well, the story changes now to the obvious conclusion, that, according to Miller, Myers got his black eye from being punched in the face in a bar fight. While we don't know the full story of the incident, like whether he was punched while fighting back or if he was sucker-punched or something, there is more to the story than Myers decided to share.

The fact that Myers got the black eye in a fight is not surprising, and it could even be forgivable. Given his past incident, one would hope that he had grown up, but it's not hard to picture Myers getting into these types of situations. The fact that Myers lied to the media, and presumably to the Phillies, is the part that is disturbing. If Myers had simply come out and told the truth, sure, he would have endured some ridicule in the media and amongst fans, but now that we know the truth and that he lied about it, Myers comes across much worse.

This incident is just the next in a string that will likely lead Myers out of town at the end of this season. He will be a free agent, but I wouldn't count on the Phillies wanting to put up with his crap anymore. As Charlie Manuel put it, "He’s a grown man; I’d like to see him be a professional.” Myers will continue his rehab this week and still looks poised to be in the Phillies bullpen come September. Let's hope he stays out of trouble until then.

Remember him? Brett Myers could return in August

He's the 12 million dollar forgotten man. Ever since his injury in late May, Brett Myers has basically been out of sight, out of mind for Phillies fans. With his hip injury likely to keep him out for the rest of the season and Myers set to be a free agent, most thought that he would never start a game for the Phillies again.

While Myers may not ever start a game for the Phillies again, there is a chance he will come back to the Phillies this season. As a reliever. According to Todd Zolecki, Myers is ahead of schedule on his rehab from hip surgery and is already set to begin bullpen sessions. He is so far ahead of schedule that doctors believe he could be ready to pitch for the Phillies again as soon as next month. Myers doesn't think he will be able to handle a 100 pitch workload again this year, but is willing to slide back into a bullpen role that isn't unfamiliar to him.

This news comes as a complete shock to me. Like many, I just assumed that was it for Myers with the Phillies, never once considering him a bullpen arm. The one thing we know about Myers, however, is that he is a gamer and he will do whatever it takes to help the Phillies win. While he wouldn't be the closer again, he would be a nice arm to have in the late stages of the game, alleviating some of the daily grind from Ryan Madson and J.C. Romero who seem to pitch almost every day. Of course, should Myers be added to the roster, someone else would have to be removed, and I don't think the Phillies want to just jettison Chad Durbin or Clay Condrey.

There is no guarantee that Myers will actually be coming back this season, but it is still an interesting situation for the Phillies, who all of the sudden are overloaded with quality pitching. With everyone healthy and the rumors of the Phillies adding pitching via a trade, there simply won't be enough roster spots for everyone. It's a nice problem to have, but one the Phils will need to sort out as they head to the postseason.

With Myers possibly out for the season, it's time for the Phillies to acquire another pitcher

Unless you haven't been paying attention today, you have heard the bad news: Brett Myers is likely going to have hip surgery and could miss the rest of the season. It appears that Myers will need the surgery at some point and now is determining whether he needs to have it now or if he can pitch through it. The way things are being discussed right now, the Phillies should assume Myers won't be coming back and they should start making adjustments to their rotation.

Losing Myers will hurt the Phils since he has been one of their more consistent innings eaters this season. He hasn't put up sparkling numbers, but he was someone that nearly always kept the team in the game. His loss means the Phillies have a decision to make. Should they look within for rotation help or try to acquire some help from outside the organization?

If the Phillies stand pat, they have two logical in-house candidates: Chan Ho Park and Kyle Kendrick. Both have tried their hand at starting for the Phillies and both have failed. Both should only be looked at as short-term replacements and not any kind of answer for the remainder of the season. Carlos Carrasco is one other dark horse candidate, but he still seems a year or two away from being ready.

That leaves the Phillies needing to make a trade for a pitcher that can resemble a number two starter. Jayson Stark of ESPN made a long list of possible candidates for the Phillies, including Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt and Jake Peavy. Apparently the Phils have already been scouring the league for starting pitching and this injury to Myers should only intensify that search. With trading chips like Carrasco, Jason Donald and Lou Marson, the Phillies have plenty of pieces that other teams want, it's just a question of whether they can pry away a big-time starter or if they will have to settle for a secondary option, like Erik Bedard or Brad Penny. It will be interesting to see what Ruben Amaro can pull off in his first big trade.

With Brett Myers likely out for the year, the Phillies have to make a move to remain a contending team. A rotation of Cole Hamels, Joe Blanton, Jamie Moyer, J.A. Happ and Chan Ho Park or Kyle Kendrick just simply won't get it done. While they are at a disadvantage because other teams around the league know they have to make a trade and will try to raise their prices, the Phils have to get something done. They only have so many more years with this amazing offensive nucleus hitting on all cylinders, it would be a shame if they wasted one because of bad starting pitching.

As for Myers, we could have seen his last game as a Phillie. He will be a free agent at the end of the year and likely wants a pretty hefty contract. The Phillies will likely make him some kind of offer, it will be interesting to see if he is willing to stay at a hometown discount. Of course, if the Phillies can make a move for another big-time starter, they may not want Myers back at all.

Fun with Phillies Projections, Pitchers Edition

Yesterday, I looked at some of the projections for the Phillies hitters and whether there was any shot they could continue at their current pace (Ibanez should easily hit 64, right?). Today, it's the pitchers turn. Let's take a look at some of the actual projected statistics for a selection of Phillies pitchers and see if there is any chance they can meet these numbers:

Brad Lidge
Current: 4 Blown Saves
Projected: 14 Blown Saves
14 Blown Saves would dwarf Lidge's previous career high of 8 BS in a season. Something is definitely wrong with Lidge, especially considering he didn't blow a single save last season and now he has completely fallen off the rails. I don't see any way he gets 14 blown saves this season because he will either turn it around or he will lose his job as a closer.

Brett Myers
Current: 15 HR allowed
Projected: 53 HR allowed
Myers' previous career high is 31 HR allowed. I have no idea what the all-time record is for homers allowed in a single season, but I have to think that 53 would be close to it. Myers could pitch well and still break this record, after all, who cares if he gives up a homer with no one on base?

Cole Hamels
Current: 2-2 record
Projected: 7-7 record
Obviously, King Cole will finish with at least 10 wins, but he will still rack up his fair share of no-decisions, especially if the bullpen continues to blow saves.

Ryan Madson
Current: 2-1 record, 1 save, 1.13 WHIP
Projected: 7-4 record, 4 saves, 1.13 WHIP
Perhaps he's the answer at closer while Brad Lidge is struggling? Madson has certainly been dominant.

Jame Moyer
Current: 3-5 record, 13 HR allowed, 7.42 ERA
Projected: 11-18 record, 46 HR allowed, 7.42 ERA
Moyer has had his worst season since 2004 with Seattle, when he put up numbers pretty similar to those projected numbers. That bodes well for a comeback for Moyer, since he has won 10 games every season since then, but it could also be a signal that he is in for a long year.

Hey, they're still the Champs!

So what if the Phillies lost their first game this season, 4-1 to the Braves?

Who cares that Brett Myers gave up three homers to the first 8 batters he faced?

So what if the Phillies looked feeble at the plate as they managed only two hits off Derek Lowe in 8 innings? And, so what if they were never really in the game until Lowe was pulled and the Braves turned to their closer, Mike Gonzalez?

And, who cares that Ryan Howard predictably struck out when he had a chance to tie the game? And so what if newly acquired Raul Ibanez did the same?

Who cares if they are 0-1?

At least Brad Lidge pitched a perfect inning.

At least Chase Utley and Pedro Feliz were healthy and in the lineup.

At least they made it interesting in the 9th inning.

At least they're playing baseball again.

The Phillies are still the WORLD CHAMPIONS! And don't you forget it!

I think we are all just glad that baseball is back. Let's go get 'em next time.

Myers' bat carries Phillies to 2-0 series lead

(Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

To win a World Series, teams need unlikely heroes to step up and make big plays. The Phillies had the most unlikely of heroes in Game Two when their pitcher led the team to an 8-5 victory over the Dodgers with his performance at the plate.

Of course, had that pitcher had a better night on the mound, the Phils wouldn't have needed him to come through at the plate like he did. Brett Myers started the game for the Phillies and gave up 5 runs in 5 innings of work, including a 3-run homer by Manny Ramirez. With the bat, Myers had as many RBIs as Manny, driving in 3 runs and scoring twice on 3 hits. Myers did his damage in three consecutive innings as he singled home a run in the second, singled in two more in the 3rd and added another single in the 4th.

This is the second time this postseason that Myers has been a hero at the plate. Against the Brewers in Game Two of the NLDS, Myers was able to have two quality at-bats against C.C. Sabathia where he worked the count and forced Sabathia to throw a ton of pitches. He earned a walk in that game that helped the Phillies beat the Brewers ace.

To put Myers' night in a little more perspective, Myers now has 3 RBIs in the playoffs which is triple the number of RBIs that Ryan Howard has been able to accumulate in 6 postseason games. Howard had 146 RBIs in the regular season but has only one so far in the playoffs.

Myers' hits were just part of a pair of big innings for the Phils, who batted around and scored 4 runs in both the 2nd and 3rd innings. Even more remarkable was the fact that, after scoring all of their runs on long balls in Game One, the Phillies scored 8 runs in Game Two without hitting a single home run.

Shane Victorino was the other hero of the night as he drove in 4 runs on a single and a triple and made a spectacular catch in the 7th inning to help prevent the Dodgers from getting back into the game. Victorino has been the Phillies best hitter in the playoffs so far, hitting .304 and driving in 9 runs. His performance has made up for the way Howard and Jimmy Rollins have been swinging the bat. Both have struggled to get going so far.

The Phillies are now riding high after taking the first two games against the Dodgers and they now travel to L.A. for the next three games of the series. For the season, both teams have won every game they have played at home so it will be up to the Phils to try to break that trend. They will be fine if they can win at least one of the games in L.A. and come back home with a 3-2 series lead. Of course, it would be more ideal if they can take care of the Dodgers as quickly as possible and wait for the winner of the ALCS, which gets under way tonight.

The Phils should revel in their victory that was brought to them by an unlikely source, but they need to start figuring out how to get Howard going at the plate. If Howard can start hitting like he did for the final month of the season, the Phillies won't need any other unlikely heroes to step forward. You have to believe it's only a matter of time before Howard crushes a few and the Phillies ride him into the World Series.

Victorino's slam puts Phillies in the drivers seat

(AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)

The Phillies had one mission in Game Two of their series with the Brewers: get to C.C. Sabathia early and get him out of the game quickly. Thanks to a 5-run second inning highlighted by a Brett Myers walk and a Shane Victorino grand slam, the Phillies suceeded in running the Brewers ace out of the game after only 3 and 2/3rds innings. The Phils didn't do any damage against the Brewers bullpen, but they still held on to win 5-2 and take a 2-0 series lead.

Victorino was the hero tonight with his grand slam but Brett Myers deserves a ton of credit not only for what he did on the mound, but how he kept the Phillies second inning rally going. With two outs and Pedro Feliz on third base, Myers made Sabathia work by fouling off a series of pitches before earning a 9-pitch walk. Here was the sequence of pitches for Myers:

Pitch 1: Swinging strike (0-1 count)
Pitch 2: Swinging strike (0-2 count)
Pitch 3: Ball (1-2 count)
Pitch 4: Foul (1-2 count)
Pitch 5: Ball (2-2 count)
Pitch 6: Foul (2-2 count)
Pitch 7: Ball (3-2 count)
Pitch 8: Foul (3-2 count)
Pitch 9: Ball (WALK)

Myers was able to climb his way out of an 0-2 count and get on base. That opened up the inning for the Phils as Jimmy Rollins walked and Victorino followed with his grand slam. Myers completed his solid effort at the plate later in the game by getting a single and also forcing Sabathia to make 10 pitches to him in one at bat before he flew out.

Myers was great at the plate but he was even better on the mound. He went 7 strong innings and allowed only two hits and 3 walks. Myers allowed one run in the first inning but he was able to bounce back and didn't allow another Brewer to cross the plate until the 7th inning.

The Phillies are now in complete control of the series. With a 2-0 lead and the Brewers not able to pitch Sabathia again until the 5th game, the Phils appear poised to go to the NLCS. The only alarming thing for the Phillies at this point is how all 8 of their runs in this series have come from two innings. Besides two big innings, they have been shut out for the other 14 innings of the series. It hasn't mattered yet, but a few more crooked numbers up on the board would make everyone a little more comfortable.

What a difference a year makes. After two playoff games last year, the Phillies and their fans were searching for answers. Now, everyone is starting to look ahead at who the Phils might face in the next round. As the series shifts to Milwaukee, hopefully the Phillies do what the Rockies did to them last year and eliminate them immediately. They can't let the Brewers stick around and force a Game 5 back in Philly. Something tells me if C.C. Sabathia gets another shot at the Phils things will turn out quite different from this game.

Phillies sweep their way to Wild Card tie

(AP Photo/Tom Mihalek)

Just when you think they're done, they drag you right back into it. Just a few days ago, things seemed dismal for the Phillies, who trailed the Mets by 4 games in the NL East and trailed the Brewers by 4 games for the Wild Card. With around 15 games left to play, those leads seemed nearly insurmountable.

Of course, when we are talking about the Phillies, no lead seems insurmountable. The Phillies took 4 straight games from the Brewers and vaulted their way to a tie for the Wild Card. In the process, the Phillies have also climbed back to 1 game behind the Mets for the division lead. Now, with 12 games remaining, the playoffs are back in play in a big way for the Phillies.

The Phillies finished off their sweep of the Brewers with a pair of wins in a Sunday doubleheader. In the first game, the Phils got a solid outing from Joe Blanton and then broke a 3-3 tie in the bottom of the 8th by scoring 4 runs to carry them to a 7-3 win. Ryan Howard homered in the 6th inning, his 5th homer in 7 games, and Shane Victorino hit a 3 run shot in the 8th to give the Phillies a big lead to work with.

The second game of the doubleheader was all about Brett Myers. Myers needed only 95 pitches to pitch a complete game 2 hitter and led the Phils to a 6-1 victory. Myers, who pitched on 3 days rest, was efficient as he threw strikes and let his defense do most of the work. 65 of his 95 pitches went for strikes as he coasted to victory.

Things look up again for the Phillies in another topsy-turvy season. With the sweep, they greatly increased their chances of making the playoffs as both the division and the Wild Card are now in their sights. While the Phils have no games left against either the Mets or the Brewers, only 3 of their remaining 12 games are against opponents that are above .500. Here are the schedules of the Phillies and the two teams they are in closest competition with for the playoffs:

Phillies: 3 @ Braves, 3 @ Marlins, 3 vs. Braves, 3 vs. Nationals

Mets: 4 @ Nationals, 3 @ Braves, 4 vs. Cubs, 3 vs.

Marlins Brewers: 3 @ Cubs, 3 @ Reds, 3 vs. Pirates, 3 vs. Cubs

The hardest schedule amongst those three is the Brewers slate, as they have to play the Cubs 6 more times. The Mets schedule is slightly tougher than the Phils because they have to play the Cubs while the Phils get 6 against a weak Braves team. The Mets also have two more games than the others and no days off.

With 12 games left, the Phillies are right where they want to be. They have to keep playing hot and they don't have to rely on someone to take a nosedive for them to get into the playoffs. The next two weeks should be very exciting!

Bullpen, offense fail sliding Phillies

(AP Photo/Tom Mihalek)

Brett Myers has been nearly unstoppable since his stint in the minors, posting an ERA below 2 and striking out batters at a high rate. Myers finally looked human today against the Marlins as he gave up 4 runs, but he still pitched well enough to give the Phillies a chance to win. Unfortunately, the offense came up small for the Phils and the bullpen imploded in the late innings as the Phillies lost 7-3.

Myers did strike out 9 batters, but his performance was slightly overshadowed by his Marlins counterpart, Ricky Nolasco. Nolasco allowed 3 runs in his outing and looked sharp as he fought out of jams. The Phillies offense did their part in helping Nolasco out as they grounded into double plays, struck out (7 times) and were caught trying to stretch singles into doubles (Chase Utley in the 1st). The biggest positive offensively for the Phils was Ryan Howard, who hit his major league-leading 42nd homer.

The bullpen was the biggest culprit in the loss. With the Phillies down 4-3 in the 9th, the bullpen was unable to keep it close, allowing the Marlins 3 more runs to blow the game open. Chad Durbin, who seems to have worn down after a long season of tons of innings, gave up a lead-off single and then intentionally walked a batter. He was then yanked in favor of J.C. Romero, who also seems to be wearing down, and he allowed 2 runs to come in on a double.

The Phillies are fading at exactly the wrong time. Their loss today puts them 3 games behind the Mets and 4 behind the Brewers. While they are still in striking distance, they can't count on a team like the Mets to completely fade down the stretch, so they need to step up and start winning games. With a four game series with the Brewers this weekend, the Phillies could go a long way towards solidifying their Wild Card chances with a strong showing. Of course, if they lose three of four or even all four games, their season would basically be over.

Now is the time for the Phillies to pull off some of the magic tricks they used last year to vault into the playoffs. They better start winning before it's too late.

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!

Phillies Weekend in Review: Werth helps Phils earn split with Cubs, Benson released

(AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

After a rough start to the series against the Cubs, the Phillies finished out strong this weekend, winning a pair of games against the best team in the National League. They were helped on Sunday by the late scratch of Cubs starter Carlos Zambrano, but the Phillies played some good baseball to earn both victories.

Jayson Werth was the story of the weekend, going a combined 5 for 8 at the plate with 3 homers and 7 runs batted in. Werth's red-hot bat single-handedly carried the offense and he is starting to put together some great numbers on the season. He now has 21 homers and 56 RBI to go with a .282 batting average. Pretty good numbers for a guy who doesn't play every day.

The pitching staff also deserves credit for a solid effort this weekend. On Saturday, Brett Myers continued his dominating ways in striking out 8 batters and earning his 5th win since his return to the majors. Myers looks better than he ever has and is still sporting an ERA well below 2 since his return. The bullpen was huge as well, with J.C. Romero getting the Phillies out of a big jam on Saturday and Brad Lidge saving both games in perfect 1-2-3 fashion.

The Phillies remain 1 game behind the Mets for first place but they now get a break with a series with the Nationals starting Monday. The Mets, on the other hand, will face a tough Brewers team before welcoming the Phillies to New York for a big series next weekend. With 25 games left, every game is huge from this point forward.

Benson gone Sorry, Anna Benson fans, the Kris Benson era is over in Philadelphia. Benson signed a minor league deal with the Phillies with the hope that he would be the first player called up should they need rotation help but he took so long to get healthy that several better options emerged. Benson didn't fit into the Phillies plans for the rest of the year, so the team simply released him. This isn't really that big of a loss considering the Phillies simply took a flier on Benson and he didn't pan out. Perhaps he'll catch on with another team desperate for pitching, or desperate for Anna.

Sweep Revenge for the Phillies

(AP Photo/Tom Mihalek)

Two weeks ago, the Phillies started a four game series against the Dodgers in Los Angeles. All four games were close, but the Phillies got swept by Manny and the Dodgers. Fast forward to today, and the Phillies rode Brett Myers and Jimmy Rollins to a 5-0 win to complete a four game sweep of their own over those same Dodgers in Philadelphia. Most of the games in this sweep were not even close as the Phillies got great pitching and finally found their missing bats.

Myers was huge in tonight's game, just like he has been since his return to the majors. Myers pitched 7 shutout innings and struck out 8 batters. He did allow a bunch of runners on base, but he got some timely strikeouts and ground balls that turned into double plays that helped keep the Dodgers off the board. Including his performance tonight, Myers now has 4 wins and an ERA of 1.66 in his 7 starts since returning from the minors. He has also struck out 38 batters in 48 and 2/3rds innings. Those are impressive numbers and prove that Myers is back to the ace he once was.

Jimmy Rollins also had a big night that should, at least temporarily, silence all the boo birds. J-Roll fell a homer short of the cycle, going 3 for 3 with a single, double and triple to go with a walk and a hit-by-pitch. Rollins drove in a pair of runs and also scored once himself. He also hustled his butt of to get a triple when Manny Ramirez lazily went after a ball in left field. When Rollins hustles like that, good things always happen.

The Phillies remain a half game behind the Mets, who they will play in a short two game series on Tuesday and Wednesday. The pitching match-ups favor the Mets, who will send Pedro Martinez and Johan Santana to the mound to face Jamie Moyer and Kyle Kendrick. Moyer versus Martinez is the battle of the old pros who either lost their velocity or never had it. Santana has a big edge over Kyle Kendrick who, besides his last start, has been pretty terrible in his past few outings. It's a big series for both teams, hopefully we will have a new division leader after Wednesday.

Myers finally gets his complete game, shuts out Nationals

(AP Photo/Tom Mihalek)

Two starts ago, Brett Myers publicly displayed his dismay with being taken out of a game he thought he could finish himself. Tonight, Myers got his chance to complete a game as he struck out nine Nationals in a 4-0 Phillies win. It was his first complete game of the season, and his first since September 20th, 2006.

Myers didn't dominate the game but fought his way through several jams. He gave up nine hits and wasn't helped by some terrible defensive plays, including a bad misplay by Pat Burrell. Burrell gets a pass, though, for throwing out Ryan Zimmerman at home in the first inning. I think we can officially call Brett Myers back now, considering he hasn't given up more than 3 earned runs in any start since he came back to the big leagues on July 23rd. By my calculations, Myers has a 1.94 ERA (9 earned runs in 41 and 2/3rds innings) since his return, showing that he is rounding back into the form of an Opening Day starter.

Offensively, the Phillies didn't get much, but they didn't need much. Greg Dobbs homered and Chris Coste had a pair of singles and a pair of runs. Jimmy Rollins had a rare caught stealing, his second of the season, as he over-slid at second base and got tagged out.

The Nationals have lost 12 games in a row, and the Phillies will look to push them to 13 straight tomorrow night. The 4 game set with the Nationals starts Friday, so the Phils better pad their record while they can.

Victorino's homer leads Phillies past Cardinals

(AP Photo/Tom Gannam)

It took some late heroics, but the Phillies managed to take the rubber match in their series with the Cardinals by a score of 5-4. The Phillies were shut out for the first five innings of the game as Cardinals starter Todd Wellemeyer plowed through the Phillie hitters. Chase Utley finally broke through with a solo homer in the 6th inning to get the Phillies on the board, and then Shane Victorino belted a three-run homer in the 8th to put the Phils ahead for good.

Brett Myers started the game for the Phillies and looked shaky but effective. He had trouble locating his fastball at times, but the Cardinals swung early and often at his pitches to help him stay out of jams. Myers' velocity still hasn't come back to him, although he did hit 93 on the radar gun on a few pitches. In all, Myers has to be commended for only giving up two runs and keeping the Phillies in the game. He will certainly remain in the rotation as long as he pitches like this, leaving J.A. Happ stuck in the bullpen.

Brad Lidge got his 28th save of the season, but made things very interesting in the 9th by giving up a solo homer to Troy Glaus and then loading the bases with only one out. He subsequently struck out the next two batters to end the game. He came incredibly close to blowing his first save of the season, but made some great pitches to get himself out of a jam.

With the win, the Phillies continue to open up the gap between themselves and the rest of the NL East. Both the Marlins and the Mets lost today, giving the Phils a 2.5 game lead over the Marlins and a 3 game lead over the struggling Mets. The Mets, losers of 4 straight, got some more bad news today as they placed John Maine on the DL and learned that Billy Wagner needs an MRI on his forearm. Just as quickly as the Mets jumped back into the NL East race, they seem to be fading right back out. Not that I'm counting them out, but their one big advantage the Mets had over the Phillies was their pitching staff and as the injuries mount, they are losing that edge.

The Phils are off tomorrow as they come home for a six game homestand that starts Tuesday against the Marlins. With the NL East lead on the line, it's another important series for the Phillies. After they play three against the tough Marlins, they are rewarded with a three game series against the terrible Pirates.

The Nationals: the cure for all that ails the Phillies

(AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

Playing against the last-place Nationals brought the best out of two Phillies who have been struggling lately. Both Brett Myers and Chase Utley played there best game in quite a while in leading the Phillies to a 2-1 win over the Nationals on Tuesday.

Myers had his best outing since early June as he went 7 innings and only gave up 1 run on 4 hits. Again, it was against the Nationals who can't hit, but it just might give him the confidence to return to form.

Utley supplied all of the Phillie offense in tonight's game, hitting a 2-run homer in the 3rd inning, his first homer since July 7th and just his third of the month. Utley nearly blew the game with a costly error in the 8th inning, but at least he had a good night with the bat. Perhaps his hip isn't bothering him anymore, or maybe it never really did, like Charlie Manuel said.

Anyone worried about the Phillies chances in staying at or near the top of the NL East will be happy to know the Phils will play the Nationals 11 more times this season. Washington is just awful. The Phillies will need to get the bats going a little more than they did tonight, but they could easily win 8 or 9 of those 11 games.