Jamie Moyer suffers a possibly career-ending injury

While he isn't a Phillie anymore, the news is still sad: while pitching winter ball in the Dominican Republic, Jamie Moyer has suffered another elbow injury. Early reports from Moises Alou, the general manager of Moyer's Domican team, are that the injury could end the career of the 24 year MLB veteran.

Given his status as a free agent, Moyer decided to pitch in a winter league to test out his arm and show that he can still pitch in the majors. While it's still early and we don't really know the true extent of his injury, given his age, it's doubtful that Moyer would continue rehabbing if he had a major setback in his comeback attempt.

If his career is indeed over, what a sad way for the Old Man to go. While it was going to be tough seeing him pitch for another team next year, no fan of the Phillies or any team in baseball wanted to see things end like this for a guy like Jamie Moyer.

End of an era? Moyer to the DL as Phillies pursue pitching help

We may have seen the last of Jamie Moyer in Philadelphia. According to Todd Zolecki on Twitter, the Phillies will place Moyer on the disabled list due to the left elbow strain he suffered against the Cardinals on Tuesday. The injury is believed to be similar to the one J.A. Happ suffered that kept him out for three months, meaning Moyer's season could very well done. Since Moyer's contract also runs out at the end of this year, it's possible that he won't be suiting up for the Phillies ever again. While you can bet he will try to continue his career if he is able to, this would certainly be a sad way to see Moyer leave the Phillies.

As for who will replace Moyer in the rotation, the Phillies are expected to call up Happ, who was pulled early from his start at Lehigh Valley and will probably join the team shortly.

Of course, bringing up Happ is only one piece of the puzzle since the Phillies have another rotation spot to fill. According to Jayson Stark of ESPN, the Phillies are working on a major trade that could see them bring in a top starting pitcher and then ship out Jayson Werth in a separate trade to get some prospects in return. The pitching names rumored to be targeted include top pitchers like Roy Oswalt and Dan Haren as well as lesser choices like Ben Sheets and Jeremy Guthrie. Look for the Phillies to try to bring in someone who they will have under contract for at least another season beyond this year since bringing in a rental would be a waste of their resources.

Should the Phillies deal Werth, minor league sensation Domonic Brown will step into his spot and play every day. While Brown is yet another lefty bat to add to an already lefty-heavy team, with the way he is tearing up Triple A he deserves a spot on the big club.

Expect the Phillies to make these moves quickly and not wait until the trade deadline; Ruben Amaro needs to get something done quickly if he wants to keep the Phillies rapidly diminishing playoff hopes alive.

Phillies starting pitching woes continue: Moyer strains elbow

With the demotion of Kyle Kendrick, the Phillies were already on the lookout for a new starting pitcher. While the team could turn to J.A. Happ or bring back Nelson Figueroa to fill in, rumors are swirling that Ruben Amaro is close to making a deal for a top-flight pitcher, with the names Dan Haren and Roy Oswalt being tossed around.

Well, now things are about to get even more interesting as Phillies might have two rotation spots to fill: Jamie Moyer, who left Tuesday's game after just one inning, has a strained left elbow. While there has been no initial word as to whether Moyer will miss any time, I would be willing to bet that Moyer will miss at least his next start and could easily find himself on the disabled list.

Moyer hasn't exactly been great this season but his injury puts the Phillies in a tough position, basically forcing them to make a deal for some rotation help and bring Happ back to the team whether he is ready or not. Being forced to make a trade is not a position you want to be in; you can bet that other teams around the majors will try to take advantage of your desperation. As I've said all along, as long as Amaro doesn't move Domonic Brown, I'm all for the Phillies making the necessary moves to improve their rotation.

Add all of this speculation to the rumors surrounding the possible trade of Jayson Werth and we have the makings of a very interesting week and a half before the trade deadline. Of course, if the Phillies keep losing games, there might not be much of a point to them doing anything.

Moyer, Kendrick help Phillies exact some World Series revenge

With the way their road trip started, I'm sure everyone is happy that the Phillies somehow earned a 3-3 split in Boston and New York.

After getting crushed by the Red Sox 12-2 and 10-2 last weekend, the Phillies looked like a team on the brink of a complete collapse. Thanks to Cole Hamels, the Phillies at least managed to salvage at least one win in Boston but things weren't going to get any easier for the Phillies as they had to travel to Yankee Stadium, the scene of their 2009 World Series failure.

After supposed Yankee killer Roy Halladay got roughed up in the first game, all seemed glum for the Phillies as they turned to soft tossers Jamie Moyer and Kyle Kendrick, who figured to get eaten alive by the patient Yankee hitters. No one, not even the most optimistic Phillies fan, could have predicted what would happen next.

First, Jamie Moyer became the oldest pitcher ever to beat the Yankees after he pitched 8 innings of 3 hit ball. Coupled with a Shane Victorino 3-run triple and back to back homers by Ryan Howard and Jayson Werth and we started seeing a glimpse of the old Phillies.

Of course, if Wednesday night was just a glimpse at the old Phillies, Thursday night was their triumphant return. Backed by Kyle Kendrick's best performance of the season and some amazing defense, the Phillies routed the Yankees, 7-1. It was easily the most well-rounded game the Phillies have played in a long while, from stellar glove work by Placido Polanco and Jose Contreras to some masterful situational hitting in the 9th inning that allowed the Phils to tack on 4 insurance runs and seal the deal.

So, as unlikely as it sounds, behind the pitching performances of Jamie Moyer and Kyle Kendrick the Phillies took 2 out of 3 against the Yankees and won their first series since taking 2 out of 3 against the Marlins back in late May. While they still have some work to do to get themselves atop the NL East where they belong, this series against the Yankees just might just end up being the turning point that gets the Phillies pointed back in the right direction.
(Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

Phillies officially name Moyer 5th starter

The race for the Phillies 5th starter is over and the Old Goat has beaten the upstart kid. Charlie Manuel announced the news today that the biggest battle in Phillies camp is over, confirming that Jamie Moyer will be in the rotation at the start of the season while Kyle Kendrick will be in the bullpen.

It was hardly an unexpected move, considering Moyer's salary and how well he pitched in his last few Spring Training starts. Whether he truly earned it with his spring performance, Moyer certainly deserved the first crack to prove he still has something left in the tank. At 47 years old, Moyer has already beaten Father Time back a few times, who's to say he can't do it again?

Kendrick's versatility might have been his downfall. While Moyer would not have been useful out of the pen given how long it takes him to warm up, Kendrick is still young enough to get his arm going on short notice. While it can be argued that Kendrick deserved to be the 5th starter given his performance this spring, he will certainly be the first arm on hand if an injury happens or if Moyer can't answer the bell at some point.

Whether you agree the Phillies decision or not, you have to take the time to appreciate Jamie Moyer and what he is able to do at nearly 50 years old. With this being his last year under contract, we are likely seeing the last of Moyer in Philadelphia. Of course, you never know, he could keep pitching for several more years. While many in Philly doubt his abilities at this point, never count out a guy who has proven the doubters wrong over and over again.

Jamie Moyer: out for the season

According to multiple reports on Twitter (@jrfinger, @HighCheese), Jamie Moyer is out for the season after he tore three tendons, one in his stomach and two in his groin. Moyer will undergo surgery to repair the tears and is out for an indeterminate amount of time. Some early reports are saying Moyer could be out 10 months while others say that he could return by spring training, but, either way, this injury could be a career-ender. Moyer will be 47 in November and you have to wonder if he has it in him to recover from surgery and get himself back onto a field again.

While Moyer wasn't likely to be on the Phillies postseason roster anyway, no one wants to see the Old Man go out like this. Even if Moyer is able to return by spring training, the Phillies can't necessarily count on him to be the 5th starter next season. With Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels, Joe Blanton and J.A. Happ holding down the first 4 spots in the rotation, the Phils will need to make sure they have other options with the last spot. Both Brett Myers and Pedro Martinez will be free agents but the Phillies should try to bring one back to lock down the rotation.

Good luck, Old Man Moyer. Let's hope you have one last comeback in you.

Jamie Moyer, Phillies relief ace

(AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

This Jamie Moyer would have never lost his spot in the Phillies rotation, that's for sure. In a game started by Pedro Martinez that was subsequently stopped by rain, Moyer had one of his best performances of the season, pitching 6 nearly perfect relief innings to lead the Phillies to a 5-1 win over the Diamondbacks.

Pedro started the game by giving up a homer but settled down nicely, pitching 3 innings and giving up only that one run. Then the rains came, delaying the game for over an hour, and out went Pedro and in came Moyer. The Old Man pitched amazingly, allowing only 2 hits, walking none and striking out 5 to earn the win, his team-leading 11th on the season. Moyer also helped out with his bat, getting a pair of singles to raise his batting average to .152, an average that towers over Eric Bruntlett's .129. (Why is Bruntlett on the team again?)

Pedro said it best in his post-game interview: "You never know what you get when you put two old goats out there. It's a scary combination" (quote via Todd Zolecki on Twitter). Pedro and Moyer, all 83 years between them, combined for one of the best pitching outings of the season. Baseball may be a game for kids, but these old guys dominated tonight.

Old Man Moyer was on a mission tonight, to prove that he still belonged in the rotation. Ultimately, this performance won't get him where he wants to be, but it's nice to know that he can be counted on after a long rain delay. Moyer knows that if he had pitched anywhere near like he did tonight at any other point in the last few months he would have never been in this situation to begin with. Knowing that he still has a few more good innings left in his arm gives the Phillies just one more weapon that will help them in their march towards another World Championship.

Offense helps Pedro earn win in Phillies debut

(AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

Pedro Martinez wasn't particularly sharp in his debut with the Phillies, but the offense made sure he didn't have to be. In fact, with the way the Phillies swung the bats on Wednesday, racking up 14 hits and 12 runs, anybody could have won the game.

Pedro looked good at times, but his final line wasn't impressive: 5 IP, 7 hits, 1 walk, 3 runs allowed and 5 strikeouts. His ERA for the night was 5.40, a number just lower than Jamie Moyer's ERA of 5.47 for the season. Pedro needed 99 pitches to get through 5 innings, about the length the Phillies should expect from him every time out. He needs a lot of pitches to get through each batter because he doesn't have overpowering stuff and needs to dance around the strike zone and mix his speeds.

The Phillies offense was explosive on the night, getting homers from Shane Victorino, Jimmy Rollins and Raul Ibanez. It was a total team effort with every starting position player had a hit and scored a run in the game, and all drove in at least one run except Jayson Werth.

The real story of the night may be the fan that threw a beer at Victorino when he was making a catch in the outfield. I will have more on that once I find some pictures of the incident (Click here for it), but I will say that if something like that happened in Philly, you would be hearing about it everywhere the next day. Chicago fans will get a pass because "they've had such hard luck over the years." Whatever.

In all, a decent debut for Pedro, but anyone, including Jamie Moyer, could have won this game. It will be interesting to see how Pedro does in a start where he has a little more pressure on him. When the game was close, he looked much sharper, but once the Phillies put a ton of runs on the board, he seemed to let up a bit. I give him a pass for his effort tonight, he did just about all you could expect from someone who hasn't pitched in the majors in nearly 11 months.

Jamie Moyer upset about demotion

One day after being demoted to the bullpen in favor of Pedro Martinez, Jamie Moyer made it clear that he was not happy with the Phillies decision. In an interview with several Phillies beat writers, Moyer stated that he felt "mis-led", that when he signed a two year contract with the Phillies after last season, the team guaranteed they wouldn't pull him from the rotation. Moyer also felt "disheartened", but also said that he didn't want to be a distraction to the team. Uh, sorry Jamie, but you making these public statements immediately makes you a distraction.

While I was one of several who felt that Moyer being sent to the bullpen was the right choice, that doesn't mean it was an easy decision for the Phillies. The Phillies do have Moyer under contract for another year after this one, while Pedro is only under contract for the rest of this season, so to move the guy that is here longer is a risky move. Moyer should know, however, that the fact that he was promised he would never be removed from the rotation means nothing. If he went out there and got rocked in every start, would he really think the Phillies would keep him in the rotation because they promised him?

This move by the Phillies does say something about their loyalty to their players. In professional sports, though, if you want to win, sometimes you have to make a decision that goes against a player you really like. Just ask the Eagles, who regularly dismiss players like Brian Dawkins and are constantly looking towards the future. Give the Phillies credit for making a difficult decision. Perhaps the move will help to motivate Moyer the next time he gets a start, because you know that will happen sooner or later. You do have to feel for the Old Man, but if only he had pitched just a little better the Phillies would never been forced to demote him.

Phillies rotation shake-up: Pedro in, Moyer to the bullpen

The Pedro Martinez era is about to begin in Philadelphia! The Phillies have finally announced who there starters will be for the next few games, selecting J.A. Happ for Tuesday, Pedro for Wednesday and Cliff Lee for Thursday. That news means that Jamie Moyer is the odd man out and will be demoted to the bullpen.

Moyer was the clear choice to leave the rotation, but that doesn't make this news any less surprising. The Phillies took a veteran pitcher who has done nothing but start games for two decades and shifted him to the bullpen, where he figures to be completely useless. As you know, Moyer is anything but young and will require a ton of stretching and preparing before he can be ready to pitch, meaning he can't just jump out of the bullpen and enter a game. Likely the Phillies will have to tell Moyer well in advance when he should be ready to pitch, like perhaps every 5th day when Pedro takes the mound.

The Phillies also made another move today, activating Chad Durbin off the disabled list and sending Rodrigo Lopez down to the minors. Durbin will be a welcome addition to the bullpen that has featured a little too much Tyler Walker and Chan Ho Park for my tastes. Yes, I know both have been effective at times, but it always seems like the Phillies are playing with fire when they enter the game.

So, the Pedro era is set to begin on Wednesday. While it took the removal of a pitcher we all like as a person, I am interested to see what Martinez has left in the tank. He has had some promising minor league starts that went well for 4 or 5 innings and then went south quickly, so the bullpen better be ready. It's nice to see that the Phillies made the right decision in keeping Happ in the rotation and bumping Moyer out instead of playing the loyalty card and favoring the veteran. Of course, Moyer better be ready because I have a feeling that he will get another start at some point this season, whether it's due to an injury or Pedro is a bust. I don't think we've seen the last of Old Man Moyer.

Breaking: Happ to remain in rotation

All of those fans who are demanding that Happ stay in the rotation can relax, at least for now. According to Phillies beat writer Todd Zolecki on Twitter, Ruben Amaro has said that Happ isn't going anywhere and he will remain in the rotation. Apparently the case Happ made yesterday proved that he belongs.

So, at least for now, Happ will remain in the rotation. Of course, we don't know if that means Happ stays in until Pedro Martinez comes up or if this is a permanent thing. Either way, Amaro still has one more decision to make about Pedro and Jamie Moyer. One of them has to go.

Happ makes his case, will it be enough?

(AP Photo/H. Rumph Jr)

Amidst all the discussion about what the Phillies should do with their starting pitcher "problem", the man that many thought would be pushed aside to the bullpen stood up and made his case for a permanent spot in the rotation. J.A. Happ pitched 9 innings of shutout ball against the Rockies, leading the Phillies to a 7-0 win. Happ needed 127 pitches to do it, but he only allowed 4 hits and 2 walks while he struck out 10 Rockies to pitch a gem. He even threw in a double at the plate for good measure.

So, what it all enough to secure Happ's spot in the rotation? With Pedro Martinez opening eyes with an 11 strikeout effort in a 6 inning start for Double A Reading, the question still lingers: What will the Phillies do? With Jamie Moyer of no use to the team except as a starter and Martinez looking ready to step into the big league rotation, the Phillies don't seem to have many options. Happ has spent some time in the bullpen already this season, so unfortunately in this case his versatility may be his downfall. The Phillies won't send Moyer to the pen and I can't foresee the team at least not trying Pedro out as a starter, so that leaves Happ as the odd man out, which is a ridiculous notion. How does someone pitch one of the most dominant games for the Phillies all season long and then get ousted from the rotation?

Such is the conundrum that the Phillies now face. I would expect every blogger and Philly related website to have their take on this situation, so I might as well weigh in with my opinion. With the 6 game lead they have opened up in the NL East, the Phillies are going to inevitably make the playoffs. They need to figure out who the best four starters are for the team and make sure that each is in the rotation for the rest of the season as they prepare for a playoff run. Happ has certainly done enough to prove that he belongs in the playoff rotation, along with Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels and Joe Blanton, so what happens to Pedro and Moyer? The Phillies need to see what they have with Pedro, so, sadly, they need to figure out something to do with Jamie Moyer. Whether it's some kind of phantom injury that sends him to the DL or the Phillies begin transitioning him to a coaching role, Moyer has to step aside. It's a tough call to make, but if the Phillies want to give themselves the best shot to win this year, Moyer can't be a part of the rotation.

Look, I like the Old Man as much as the next person, but even he has to see the writing on the wall. The Phillies have to go with the best option to win now, and Jamie Moyer isn't in the mix. One only needs to look at what Moyer did on Tuesday against the Rockies and compare that to Happ's performance on Wednesday and realize there is no question: Happ needs to stay in the rotation. I hope the Phillies realize that Happ has to stay and they can figure out a way to end things nicely with Jamie Moyer. Unfortunately, I have a feeling the Phillies won't have the guts and instead will force the kid to the bullpen. Let's hope I'm wrong and the Phillies do what's best for the team: Save Happ.

Old Man Moyer mows down Marlins

(AP Photo/J Pat Carter)

Recognize the headline? I'm pretty sure I've used it before, possibly every time Jamie Moyer has faced the Marlins, a team he is now 13-2 lifetime against. Moyer once again led the Phillies past the Marlins in a 4-0 Phillies win.

Who needs Old Man Pedro when you still have Old Man Moyer, anyway? Moyer got his 255th career victory by pitching 7 innings of shutout ball, allowing only one hit and one walk and striking out 4 Fish. He just simply owns the young Marlins, who just aren't patient enough to wait out his pitches.

Offensively, the Phillies had a few fireworks. Raul Ibanez hit a pair of homers and Ryan Howard hit his 200th career shot, which turned out to be an historic one. Howard became the fastest player to reach 200 home runs when he did it in his 658th game, crushing the previous record of 200 homers in 706 career games by Ralph Kiner. Howard isn't the youngest player ever to 200, but this milestone is still quite an achievement.

The Phillies won their 6th straight, and their 10th of their last 11, and now have a commanding 5 game lead over the Marlins. With three left against Florida, the Phillies could really open things up in the NL East.

POLL: Don't forget to vote to the left for how many wins you think Pedro Martinez will have with the Phillies. For the record, I think he'll end up with 4.

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.

Is it over for Jamie Moyer?

(AP Photo/Tom Mihalek)

The end might finally be coming for Jamie Moyer. The 46 year old pitcher for the Phillies enjoyed a remarkable season last year when he won 16 games and helped the Phils win the World Series. After that effort, many talked about how Moyer had several good years left and how he could possibly pitch into his 50's.

Flash forward to this season and things have gone downhill fast. Moyer has made 7 starts this year and has had only one where he has given up fewer than 4 earned runs. Including Wednesday night's effort against the Dodgers, here are the number of earned runs Moyer has given up in each start: 4, 4, 4, 1, 5, 7, 7. The one good outing he had was against the Florida Marlins, the team Moyer has owned the last few seasons.

With his ERA sitting at 8.15, we now have to wonder if it's time for Moyer to ride off into the sunset, or, at the very least, take a few starts off to clear his head. With the recent emergence of Chan Ho Park, Moyer has certainly become the weakest link in the Phillies rotation, and with capable pitchers like J.A. Happ and Kyle Kendrick waiting in the wings, perhaps Moyer should come up with some phantom injury so he can take some time to straighten himself out.

While I hold out hope that this isn't the end for Old Man Moyer, it feels like we are getting closer and closer to that point with each terrible outing. Perhaps he is just in a funk or in a post-World Series hangover, but whatever the problem is, his career depends on him figuring it out. Hopefully, if he realizes he has nothing left in the tank, he will do the graceful thing and bow out of the game rather than try to fight it. Jamie Moyer has had such a great career, it would be a shame if it had to end with a series of drubbings.

Do the Phillies know the 2009 season has started?

Boy, the Phillies really are doing their best to make us forget about how magical last season was, aren't they? I know it's way too early to start complaining, but has there ever been a defending champion that started out their season with such a dud? Two games are in the books for the Phillies and all they have to show for it is 1 run and 10 hits. This is the same team we always see that gets the slow start in April and starts picking up steam when the weather changes, I'm not sure why I was expecting something different this year just because they won the title last year.

You do have to hand it to the Braves, though. Their pitching looks fantastic with a pair of solid starts by Derek Lowe and Jair Jurrjens backed by a nearly flawless effort from their bullpen. The Braves offense also looks pretty good with all 5 of their most important offensive players homering already this season. Count on Atlanta being a contender in the NL East.

As for the Phillies, we can only hope they salvage at least one win in this series tomorrow afternoon after they get their World Series rings. We can only hope that Joe Blanton get through the inning unscathed, something both Brett Myers and Jamie Moyer have failed to do. Of course, giving up 4 runs a game isn't the end of the world when your lineup isn't filled with a bunch of cold bats. Really the only thing the Phils have going for them right now is their bullpen, which hasn't given up a hit in 7 perfect innings so far.

Let's wait a week or two before we pronounce that the sky is falling in Philadelphia. That's not to say that everything is sunny in Philadelphia because while it's too early to panic, it isn't too early to worry.

Phillies re-sign Old Man Moyer

The old man will be back. Right on the heels of the Chan Ho Park signing, the Phillies agreed to a two year deal with Jamie Moyer. Moyer is 46 and can barely throw faster than his age but he was an extremely valuable member of the Phillies Championship rotation. Not only did he win 16 games for the Phils last season, he also served as a mentor for the rest of the pitching staff. Having Moyer around is basically like having a second pitching coach.

While one might question how effective Moyer will be at the end of the deal when he is 48 years old, we should all know by now that Moyer's pitching style isn't one that should degrade. For 2009, he will slot in as the 4th pitcher in the rotation behind Cole Hamels, Brett Myers and Joe Blanton and will hopefully leave Park out of the mix. I would look for Carlos Carrasco, J.A. Happ or Kyle Kendrick in the 5th spot of the rotation.

This signing likely completes the Phillies pitching rotation and will be the last big move of the Phillie offseason. They may still look for some complementary parts but they won't be signing any other everyday players. Your 2009 Phillies will look nearly the same as the 2008 version, not that that's a bad thing!

Late heroics give Phillies 2-1 World Series lead

(Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

Hope you stayed up for this one! After blowing a 3-run lead earlier in the game, the Phillies fought back in the bottom of the 9th and, at about 1:49 AM, scored the game-winning run to come away with a 5-4 victory and a 2-1 series lead.

There was no individual hero in the 9th, although some credit has to go to Eric Bruntlett. Bruntlett led off the inning, got hit by a pitch and then advanced all the way to third after a wild pitch and wild throw to second. The Rays then loaded the bases after a pair of walks, leaving Carlos Ruiz at the plate with the bases loaded and no outs. The Rays then employed a 5-man infield, but Ruiz hit a dribbler down the third base line that allowed Bruntlett to score the winning run.

The Phillies needed the late heroics after they blew a 4-1 lead. They were cruising heading into the 7th inning when the entire game turned after the first base umpire blew a call. Carl Crawford hit a squibbler down the first base line that Jamie Moyer scooped up and tossed with his glove hand to first base, clearly getting Crawford by half a step but the ump called him safe. That missed call led to the Rays scoring two runs in the 7th and getting back into the game.

Jamie Moyer still deserves credit for pitching a hell of a game. Moyer used all of his tricks to keep the Rays off-balance and held them to 5 hits in 6 and 1/3rds innings pitched. While he didn't earn the win, he earned a ton of respect for bouncing back with the performance after having a pair of shaky starts earlier in the postseason.

The Phillies also have to be happy with getting a homer from Ryan Howard. Chase Utley hit a homer in the bottom of the 6th and Howard followed him with a homer of his own. If this is a sign of things to come for the big guy, the Rays are in serious trouble.

The Phils blew their chance at earning an easy victory, but they still squeaked out a win in dramatic fashion. Hopefully the momentum will carry them into Game 4, which starts in what seems like only a few hours.

Phillies clinch second straight NL East title!

Why wait until the last game of the season when you can do it in the second to last game of the season? Last year the Phillies all made us wait until the last day to wrap up the NL East division but this season the Phillies managed to do themselves one better and clinch the division on the penultimate day of the 2008 season.

The similarities between last season's clinching game and this season's were numerous. The Phillies clinched against the Nationals at home both times. Jamie Moyer was the winning pitcher in both contests. In both games, the Phillies closer was on the mound for the final out, although last season Brett Myers cruised in the 9th inning while Brad Lidge ran into some trouble this season. Lidge came dangerously close to blowing his first save of the season, loading the bases with only one out in the 9th. Luckily, he forced Ryan Zimmerman to ground into a game-ending double play to earn his 41st save of the season.

The Phillies now enter the postseason for the second straight year. The last time they made the playoffs two years in a row was 1980 and 1981. Hopefully the Phils will fare better this postseason than last season, although they would only need to win a single game to have a better showing. Who they will play has yet to be determined.

With the Mets winning today and the Brewers losing, the two teams are now tied for the Wild Card. The Phillies would play the Brewers in the first round of the playoffs if they win the Wild Card and they would play the Dodgers if the Mets win the Wild Card. The Dodgers are the better opponent with a quality pitching staff, but the Brewers have C.C. Sabathia and a formidable lineup.

We'll worry about who they will play later. For now, enjoy the Phillies, the TWO TIME NL EAST CHAMPIONS!!!!

Phillies edge Marlins, stretch NL East lead

(AP Photo/J. Pat Carter)

After losing the first game to the Marlins, a game that dropped them into second place, the Phillies won the remaining two games against Florida to push back into first place in the NL East. With the Mets losing again to the Braves today, the Phils lead currently sits at 1.5 games.

The Phillies won for the 9th time in 10 games due to solid starting pitching and clutch hitting. Jamie Moyer had a strong outing, just like he always seems to have in big games, going 6 innings and only giving up 1 run. The bullpen relieved him in the 7th, and although they did give up a run in the 7th, they managed to lock it down in the 8th and 9th to preserve the victory.

Offensively, Jimmy Rollins had a nice game, going 3 for 5 with a stolen base, a run scored and an RBI. Chase Utley also hit a homer, his first since August 22nd, and Pedro Feliz added a pinch-hit two-run shot in the 8th to give the Phils a nice cushion late in the game.

With 6 games left to play, the Phillies appear to be closing in on a playoff spot. They have a 1.5 game lead in the division, and if they should falter, they would be leading the Wild Card by a couple of games as well. The Mets still have one extra game which could help them cut the gap or fall even further back. New York still has a tougher schedule than the Phils, considering they have to play two competitive teams in the Cubs (although they have clinched their division already) and Marlins while the Phillies get to play the Braves, who they have owned this season, and the last place Nationals. Here is the remaining schedule for the 3 teams battling over 2 playoff spots in the National League:

Phillies: 3 vs. Braves, 3 vs. Nationals

Mets: 4 vs. Cubs, 3 vs. Marlins

Brewers: 3 vs. Pirates, 3 vs. Cubs