Domonic Brown is back!

The Domonic Brown era has resumed in Philadelphia. With the placement of Shane Victorino on the disabled list, the Phillies have called up Brown, who has been recovering from a broken hand since spring training. The Phils were apparently hesitant to call up Brown, who hit .341 in Triple A, but with the offense struggling over the last few weeks, he was the only useful piece they could call on. I would expect Brown to spend the rest of the season with the Phils and work his way into one of the starting outfield spots sooner rather than later.

In another roster move, the Phillies called up David Herndon and sent down Scott Mathieson. This move is just a precursor to Joe Blanton eventually being placed on the disabled list and Vance Worley being recalled.

Jason Giambi (??) single-handedly destroys the Phillies

Thursday was turn back the clock night for Jason Giambi, who seemingly took a time machine back to the year 2000 before facing the Phillies. In his first three at-bats, Giambi crushed home runs deep into the ballpark as he accounted for all 7 runs in the Rockies 7-1 win.

Remarkably, entering Thursday's game against the Phils, Giambi had just one homer on the season and 4 total RBI in 31 plate appearances. In just 3 swings, the 40 year old not only more than doubled those totals but he also saw his batting average jump from .115 to .194.

Giambi's performance was the only notable performance from an otherwise soggy and nondescript game. The Phillies offense was its typical punchless self while the pitching was everything you would expect from a game that Kyle Kendrick was forced to start. Kendrick, who took over for Joe Blanton after he was scratched from the start, put the Phillies behind immediately in the first inning when Giambi hit his first home run.

As for Blanton and his injury, don't be surprised to see Big Joe land on the disabled list soon due to his wonky elbow. With Vance Worley waiting to take over his rotation spot, there is no reason for the Phils to worry about whether Blanton can answer the bell in four days. Given Worley's numbers this season, he has done more than enough to earn a start every 5th day.

Things don't get any easier for the Phillies as the Texas Rangers come to town tomorrow for the start of Interleague play. While the Phils still cling to the best record in the NL, that will change if the offense doesn't wake up during the next seven games against the Rangers and the Reds.
(AP PHOTO)

Blanton back in usual form in return from DL

In what can only be called an adequate effort, Joe Blanton was victorious in his return from the disabled list as the Phillies beat the Marlins, 6-4. Blanton, who hadn't pitched since April 23rd due to elbow issues, pitched 5 spotty innings, giving up 3 runs on 8 hits and 2 walks. While it wasn't exactly pretty, it was good enough to keep the Phillies in the game, which is about all we can expect from big Joe.

When he's healthy, Blanton may never dominate on the mound but he's certainly good enough to pitch 6 or 7 innings and give up something in the range of 3 to 5 runs. If the Phillies lineup can give him any kind of support, like they did Monday night, he should be good enough to win about half of his games. That's pretty decent for a number 5 starter.

The Marlins did their fair share to lose this game, from baserunning mistakes to fielding gaffes to poor pitching. With a below-average lineup and a rotation with only one stud, they hardly look like a team that is going to compete in the NL East. Still, expect a great game tomorrow as the two best pitchers in the NL, Josh Johnson and Roy Halladay, face off. First team to score a run wins?
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Phillies place Blanton on DL, call up Worley

In a move that seemingly came from nowhere, the Phillies have announced that Joe Blanton, who was supposed to start tomorrow against the Mets, will go on the disabled list due to a medial impingement in his right elbow. In his place, the Phillies have called up Vance Worley, who will immediately join the rotation and will face the Mets tomorrow.

There had been no news about Blanton being injured until today and there is no information about how long he will be out. The injury doesn't seem too serious, with surgery not a likely option, so Blanton could be out for just a short time. While he is out, the Phillies don't figure to drop off to much with Worley. Besides the fact that Blanton hasn't exactly lit the world on fire this year, Worley was very good in the 2 starts the Phillies gave him last year, posting a 1.38 ERA and .923 WHIP. While those numbers are not going to continue, there is no reason why Worley can't give the Phils 6 solid innings each start.

The disabled list just continues to grow for the Phillies, as Blanton joins fellow pitchers Jose Contreras, J.C. Romero and Brad Lidge on the DL. Add in Chase Utley and Dominic Brown, plus the recent injury to Carlos Ruiz, and the Phillies have a ton of talent just sitting on the sidelines. The fact that they are still in first place without all of these guys is a real testament to their starting pitching.

Good Phillies vibes continue: Blanton activated and will start Monday

We're only 24 games into the 2010 season but it already feels like the Phillies have ridden quite a rollercoaster ride. First, there was the excitement of the 7 wins in the first 8 games. Then, there was the lull that saw the injuries pile up along with the losses. Now, after crushing the Mets in back to back games, the Phillies are back atop the NL East and everything seems pointed in the right direction.

Adding to those good feelings will be the return of Joe Blanton, who will make his season debut on Monday night against the Cardinals. Blanton, who had been on the disabled list with an oblique strain since spring training, will hopefully help solidify a Phillies rotation that has been, with the exception of Roy Halladay, more than a little shaky. At least with the return of Blanton we know the Phillies will be getting 6+ consistent innings every 5th day.

Blanton's return sends Antonio Bastardo back to the minors and it will push Nelson Figueroa back to the bullpen, an interesting move considering how bad Kyle Kendrick has been and how adequate Figueroa was in his one start. Perhaps the Phillies want to give Kendrick one last shot to prove himself or maybe they simply feel he won't be of any use to them coming out of the bullpen. Whatever the case, as soon as J.A. Happ comes off the disabled list, Kendrick will be packing his bags.

As frustrated as some fans were over the lull the Phillies went through in the end of April, it's important to remember all of the injuries played a major part in their mediocre play. It's difficult for any team, no matter how good, to lose their leadoff hitter, 2/5ths of their rotation and most of the back of their bullpen and still keep on winning games. It's a testament to just how good this team is that they are even in first place at all. Now that the cavalry is starting to come back, expect this Phillies team to really start rolling.

Early pitching depth test: Phillies place 3 pitchers on the DL

The depth in the Phillies pitching staff will be tested early this year as the team placed 3 pitchers they are counting on in 2010 on the DL today. Two of them were expected as the Phillies finally made official what we all knew about Brad Lidge and J.C. Romero; the other was surprising considering it is Joe Blanton, who hasn't spent a day on the disabled list in his six major league seasons.

Lidge and Romero both weren't on track to start the season with the Phillies but neither is expected to be out for too long. In their absences, David Herndon and Antonio Bastardo will make the club and Ryan Madson will be the closer. The bullpen will definitely be shorthanded as the season starts.

As for Blanton, he will miss 3 to 6 weeks as he deals with a mild oblique strain. While this is good news for Kyle Kendrick, who jumps from the bullpen to the rotation, losing Blanton will be a blow, even if it's only for April. Since acquiring him in 2008, Blanton has been an anchor in the Phillies rotation, a guy that can be counted on every 5th day to go 6 innings and give up 3-4 runs. While Kendrick had a solid spring this year, there is no telling what the Phillies are going to get from him.

With Blanton going to the DL, a spot on the roster has opened up. The early word via the Phillies beat writers is that Andrew Carpenter will be called up to join the bullpen for Opening Day.

Losing Blanton hurts but it isn't crushing. He will only miss 4-8 starts right at the beginning of the year so it's hardly something that will hold the Phillies back for long, if at all. It's usually actually a good thing to get injuries like these out of the way in April and let guys get 100% healthy before they start their season. Of course, there is always the worry that an injury lingers all season long but Blanton has been nothing but healthy throughout his career so that might not be an issue with him. Lidge and Romero might be another story, though, hopefully their aches and pains don't turn them into question marks in the bullpen.

Blanton signs 3 year extension with Phillies

Cross another one off the arbitration list. According to Todd Zolecki on Twitter, Joe Blanton, who was asking for 10 million in arbitration, agreed to a 3 year, 24 million dollar contract with the Phillies. The deal will keep Blanton with the Phillies through 2012, meaning the Phillies top 4 starters (Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels, Blanton, J.A. Happ) will be together for a few more years.

Another solid move for the Phillies. Getting Blanton, a steady number 3 starter, signed for 8 million dollars a year, isn't a steal but it is a fair deal for both sides. Blanton has been an incredibly consistent anchor in the middle of the Phillies rotation and has made 30 plus starts in each of his 5 full seasons in the MLB. While he hasn't been spectacular by any means, at least, with Blanton, you know what you are going to get: about a dozen wins and no injury issues.

The Phillies still have two more players to deal with in arbitration: Shane Victorino and Carlos Ruiz. There is talk that both are going to get locked up in multi-year deals very soon.

Phillies sign Victorino, Blanton to 1 year deals

And then there were three.

When you are one of the key players on a World Series winning team, you can expect a big raise, and that is exactly what Shane Victorino and Joe Blanton got from the Phillies. Both players avoided arbitration and signed one year deals with the Phillies. Victorino, who made 480,000 last year, will make 3.125 million in 2009. Blanton signed for 5.475 million, a raise over the 3.7 million he made last year. Both deals are solid moves for good prices considering how important each player is to the team.

Victorino will be worth every penny as a sparkplug in the lineup who provides speed and even the occasional homer. I would have liked to see him sign on for longer but he won't be going anywhere because the Phillies still own his rights for a few more years.

Blanton will solidify the back end of the rotation as he will assume the 3rd or 4th starter spot. He brings consistency with the knowledge that the Phillies will get a strong start from him every 5th day.

With these two players signing, the Phillies are left with just three arbitration-eligible players: Chad Durbin, Ryan Howard and Jayson Werth

The Phillies are one win away from easing 25 years of heartache

(Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

We may be one day away from what we have all been waiting for for 25 years. The Phillies won Game Four against the Rays 10-2, and now have a commanding 3 games to 1 lead in the World Series. With their ace Cole Hamels, who has been absolutely dominant this postseason, taking the hill in Game Five, the Phillies appear poised to win the World Series and end all of the grief and anguish that Philly fans have had to endure for a quarter of a century.

Game Four featured a pair of heroes in Joe Blanton and Ryan Howard. Blanton was a hero on the mound and at the plate, going 6 innings and giving up only a pair of runs while helping his cause at the plate with a home run. Many criticized Pat Gillick for giving up prospects to get an "average" pitcher like Joe Blanton, but Blanton's performance makes Gillick look like a genius. Just think about the options the Phillies would have had if they never acquired Blanton: Adam Eaton, Kyle Kendrick or J.A. Happ. Um, thanks but no thanks.

Howard continues to awaken with the bat as he hit a pair of homers, one in the 4th inning, a 3-run shot that gave the Phils a big lead, and another in the 8th inning to give the Phillies a commanding lead. The Big Man is back, and the Rays don't stand a chance.

One other Phillie that is heating up is Jimmy Rollins. Rollins has come up small repeatedly in these playoffs, but on Sunday night he got on base three times with two doubles and a single. He came around to score all three times and seemed to be at the heart of every rally.

Now the Phils stand on the precipice of ending the Philadelphia title drought. For 25 years, we have all heard about how our teams can't win the big one. We've heard about the Curse of William Penn. We've anguished over Mitch Williams, Ronde Barber, Donovan McNabb puking and Joe Carter. Well, in about 20 hours in South Philadelphia all of that could end. All we need is one more good outing from King Cole. Cole, a longing city turns it's eyes to you.

Phils take over first place with big come-from-behind win over Mets

Charlie Manuel called out his hitters and their ability to hit in the clutch, and the Phillies responded. Down 5-2 entering the 9th inning, the Phils took advantage of some poor Mets fielding and got timely hits in a 6 run inning that gave them a 3-run lead that they hung onto for an 8-6 victory. The key hit in the 9th came from the most unlikely source: So Taguchi. Taguchi, who doesn't really have a role with the Phils and rarely sees any playing time, came up with the bases loaded and the Phillies down by 2 and delivered a clutch double that tied the game. Jimmy Rollins would then follow with a double of his own to score two more runs and put the Phillies ahead for good. Brad Lidge gave up a run in the 9th but held on to earn his 22nd save of the season.

Joe Blanton made his Phillie debut and failed to impress, going 6 innings and giving up 5 runs on 8 hits and 3 walks. I'll give Blanton a pass for now because he was put into a difficult situation in his first start with the Phils, but Adam Eaton could have done what he did. Johan Santana had a good start for the Mets that was wasted by the bullpen that was without closer Billy Wagner who is out with a shoulder injury. The Mets are talking about trying to acquire another bat before the trade deadline but after tonight it's clear they need some help in the pen.

Game Two in the series is tomorrow, with Brett Myers returning to take on John Maine. With Florida winning tonight against the Braves, the Mets have fallen back into a tie for second place, but the NL East is still tight all around.

Highlights from the game, including interviews with Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino:

The Phillies get their arm: Joe Blanton

After the Brewers and Cubs made major moves to bolster their rotations, you knew it was only a matter of time before the Phillies responded. While the Phils weren't able to pick up a top line starter, they were able to acquire Joe Blanton, a serviceable pitcher, from the Oakland Athletics. The Phillies gave up three prospects in the deal: infielder Adrian Cardenas, pitcher Josh Outman and outfielder Matt Spencer.

Blanton has been below average this year, accumulating a 5-12 record and sporting an ERA of 4.96. He was much better last year when his ERA was below 4, so the Phillies are hoping a change of scenery can help him return to form. Blanton is more of a number 3 starter than the top flight starter the Phils hoped to acquire, but he is an innings eater and he will be a big upgrade over Adam Eaton, who looks to have lost his spot in the rotation with Brett Myers returning next week.

While the Phillies were able to hold on to their best prospect, Carlos Carrasco, A's GM Billy Beane always seems to come out on the better end of these deals. Cardenas has the most upside of these players and Outman was seen as a possible option for the rotation down the road. That's a pretty big price to pay for a pitcher having a terrible year but it was one the Phillies thought they had to make to go for it all.

On the surface, it looks like the Phillies gave up way too much for a slightly above average pitcher, but if Brett Myers can come back and be the number 2 starter we all thought he could be and Joe Blanton assumes the number 3 role, then the rotation might actually round into something pretty good. That's a big "if", though. Blanton is under contract until 2010, so we will have plenty of time to find out if he is worth the price the Phillies paid.

Click here for Blanton's complete career statistics.