After going another game without a strikeout, Ryan and his homer in essence rewarded the Phillies pitchers for a game well-played.  Adam Eaton pitched a solid 5+ innings allowing just two runs in his comeback, while Geary, Romero and Myers kept the Mets at 2 runs.  Tom Glavine to his credit had a masterful outing, scattering eight hits over seven innings; but the Phils feasted on Mets relievers for two runs in the eighth and tenth with two of the runs being scored by Shane Victorino. 

Yet, the series with the Mets continues and their shrinking 4 game lead over the Fightins' could easily inflate back to 6 without more heroics by the Phillies.  Jamie Moyer, who has allowed eight runs in each of his last two starts, looks to rebound tonight and keep the momentum going.  Go Phils!

Philly fans, as we tend to do, ate up every second of Utley's amazing performance.  Chase got a standing ovation when he came to the plate in the first inning and earned a curtain call after homering in the fifth.  Fans chanted "M-V-P" after his RBI double in the sixth.  Yet, like all superstars he made his teammates better.  Not to be outdone by Utley's solo shot, Tad Iguchi - Utley's replacement for the past month - made his presence known with a 2-run pinch hit homer of his own in the seventh.  Although, Utley's affect on the drama of last night's game can be easily overstated, it is impossible to deny the infectiousness of his return.  Shane Victorino, who sat out after tweaking his calf injury, was noticeably impressed as he danced around the dugout like a little schoolgirl.  "Chase coming out with a bang like he did tonight, people are probably going to be worried," Ryan Howard said.  Mets Coach Willie Randolph expressed his concern in saying, "I'm not looking forward to seeing him."

Ok, let's allow reality to set back in and recognize that the Phillies are still a long way from the playoffs.  As stated yesterday, Ryan Howard - who had two hits last night - must continue to reduce the strikeouts if the Phillies are to overcome their pitching woes.  Speaking of which, Adam Eaton returns to the hill tonight after a fortnight of mental and physical recuperation.  Plus there are rumors that Cole Hamels will also start this week.  The Phillies are coming back - first from injuries and hopefully next from five games behind.

Programming Note:  The comment tallies at the bottom of posts all list (1249).   You'll have to click on it to see if there are new comments.  We've been doing some upgrades in preparation for a redesign of the site and must have struck a power line or something.  We're working on fixing it so thanks for your patience.     

Fortunately Howard has been building a reputation of coming on strong towards the end of the season.  Last season he batted .387 in September, and the year before he hit 11 home runs that same month.  All season he has been battling strikeouts, amassing 152 coming into Sunday.  However in the past six games, he has struck out just 3 times, including going without a K in 4 of those games.  He must continue that positive trend this week with the Mets in town.

Another reason why Ryan should carry this team down the stretch is that it's a contract year for him.  Back in January he felt slighted as he watched Chase Utley signed a $85 million deal and he got a paltry $900,000.  Yet, Ryan Howard isn't the kind of guy that would be jealous of Chase in this situation, rather he would become motivated by the oportunity to prove a point - that he is a career home run hitter.  All indications from the Phillies front office last off-season seemed to center on the idea that if Ryan stayed healthy and continued to produce, he would become a wealthy man.  But all money issues aside, a resurgant Ryan Howard is maybe the only thing that can save this season.

Listen to Brian explain the Cole Hamels situation and flip-flop on the Phillies chances.

The Phillies distressing week started off poorly in Pittsburgh.  The club gave up four-run leads in two consecutive games and lost a series to a team they should have beat.  As the Wild Card picture became more opaqaue, I got to thinking, maybe it would be better to focus on the Mets in this playoff race.  Of course New York has won seven of ten, but at least the Phils would only be chasing a single team.  Also, not to look past the Padres, but the Phils open up a four game series with New York on Monday to close out this home stand.  Padres and Mets back-to-back, without Chase Utley and without Cole Hamels...is it even possible?

To listen to the interview click on the play button below.  If no bar appears, use the text link to download or stream it.

Brian talks about Phillies Nation and the Phillies chances this season on WNJC.

Wednesday Night - Tailgate Party at Phils-Nats game in DC

The Phillies meet up with the Nationals in the second game of the three game series on August 15 at 7:05 pm.  Rookie sensation Kyle Kendrick (5-2, 3.75) takes on Tim Redding (1-3, 2.86) and the rest of the Washington ballclub that is looking to move out of the NL East cellar.  We will be tailgate starting at 5:30 pm outside the stadium - looking at this map of the RFK parking lots, we are planning the party for Lot 3.  If you can't find the swath of people having fun in Howard-Utley '08 shirts, call me for directions at 215-510-0704.  Booze and food will be provided as well a Phillies Nation gear for a lucky few.

Thursday Night - Phillies Nation on Radio 1360 AM

For the Philly and Jersey folks, Thursday night at 9:30 pm, mute the game and tune into 1360 AM for an interview with yours truly.  I'll be talking with Mike from WNJC whose show runs Thursday nights from 9-10 pm.  Fans are encouraged to call into the program with questions and comments at (856) 227-1360.  For people outside the listening area, you can catch the interview at 1360 AM online.

Then there are the dismal pitching stats - 23rd in ERA, 22nd in saves, 24th in shutouts, 23rd in WHIP.  The Phils pitching staff has allowed the sixth-most earned runs in all of baseball, while opponents have the 10th best batting average against and sixth best on-base percentage.  You usually can't blame the other eight fielders here, as the Fightins' consistently rank in the top third in most MLB-wide defensive categories. So it's the pitching that is keeping the Phillies from breaking out of the pack and securing a playoff spot - no new news there.  But can we also blame management?  Adam Eaton turned out to be a big bust and Freddy Garcia arrived in Philly as damaged goods.  There's been no added support, just subtractions due to injury.  Usually you can't pin the latter on management, but some critics say the fact that Myers and Madson went down with the same injury may prove a flawed training regiment.  Either way, the Phillies need consistent pitching because when you score 635 runs and allow just 581 you should win a few more games.

But even if Chase is ready August 27, will he be the same Chase Utley that went on the DL on July 27?  We all know Chase gives 100% in everything he does, but what if physically his hand is only at 80 or 90%?  There is a good chance at least for the first few weeks he is back that his offensive numbers will be lower, he might even be less inclined to lay out for a screaming grounder in the hole.  How Chase recovers from this injury will be an interesting clue into his status as a superstar.  He signed an $85 million contract in the off-season but an injury could mean the Phillies have a different player on their hands.  Good thing for Phillies and their fans that Chase Utley rarely disappoints.

There are 29 games remaining at home and 22 on the road.  Fortunately, this season the Phillies have finally begun to improve their record in Philadelphia (29-23 thus far).  To make it to 90 wins, they'd have to go 32-19.  In other words, the Phillies would have to win at least two games in each of their remaining 16 series.  A much more likely feat would be to reach Charlie Manuel's magic number of 85 wins and go 27-24 the rest of the season.  However, much of deciding how many games the Phillies can win revloves around the matchups they face.  We know how the Phils stack up any given day so let's look at their opponents.

Nine games remain against the NL West teams, save the one with Barry Bonds.  Then there is a three game series with the defending World Champion St. Louis Cardinals.  There are also 3 games against the Pirates at PNC Park in Pittsburgh which will involve a tailgate party with our friends from Philly Tailgate.  As always, the bulk of the schedule remains against the NL East with 35 games yet to play in the division.  Also as usual, the Phillies will wrap up September with some games against the Nationals.  Besides a DC tailgate party on September 22, we will have a group together for the games next week at RFK.  If any one from Washington, DC or the surrounding area is interested in going to the games August 14-17, let us know.  Although I'm not too worried about the 10 games left against the Nationals, the Phillies 18-19 record against the division does not bode well for reaching 90 wins.

• Shane Victonio came up limping with a strained right calf in yesterday's game after trying to beat out a double-play ball.  He left the game and is scheduled for an MRI today.
• Michael Bourn took a vicious header into the Wrigley Field bullpen after twisting both ankles attempting to reach a foul ball.  He finished the inning but soon after was removed from the game with a sprained right ankle.  This could hurt his chances of being traded, which in my opinion is a good thing.
• Ryan Madson who injured his shoulder on Sunday is not expected to be out as long as Brett Myers was.  This means there is a chance he could return in 3-4 weeks.
• The Phillies acquired right-handed starter Kyle Lohse yesterday in exchange for Reading's Matt Maloney.  Lohse - who is 6-12 with a 4.58 ERA on the season - is expected to take J.D. "The Real Deal" Durbin's spot in the rotation starting Thursday.
• The Phillies' NL East rivals Braves and Mets also made moves on Monday.  Atlanta traded for Mark Teixeira and Ron Mahay and are currently working on a deal for Octavio Dotel.  The Mets meanwhile picked up All-Star Luis Castillo.
• The MLB trade deadline is 4pm EST today.  Keep it here for breaking news...or Standing Pat silence.

Trading Deadline Update:  The Phillies picked up righthanded reliever Julio Mateo from the Seattle Mariners in exchange for Reading infielder Jesus Merchan.  Mateo, who is expected to start his Phillies career at AAA Ottawa, reminds me a lot of Brett Myers - and not in the good way. 

The new scorecard showcases Bourn, Victorino, and Rollins at the top of the order.  I attended Friday's game and witnessed the trio consistently on-base, including two bases loaded situations in the first three innings.  But that may be more due to the individual player performance rather than their spot in the lineup.  JRoll himself has claimed with all his swagger, "It doesn't matter where I hit in the lineup, it never has."  Besides the top of the lineup, other players have been picking up the load.  The often-maligned Pat Burrell has hit .529 with an astounding 1.449 OPS including eight RBIs in his last six games.

Although the innovation of the lineup change was bred out of necessity, Charlie Manuel has handled the task well thus far.  But before we crown Charlie Manuel the next Jim Leyland or Connie Mack, we must realize the small sample set of games were played against the last-place Pirates over the weekend.  This coming week will see a much more serious test against the NL Central leaders Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field and Milwaukee Brewers in Miller Park.