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Sunday chat: Phillies, Blanton try to stub out Mets

Behind Jamie Moyer, the Phillies guaranteed their first non-Nationals home series win yesterday with a 4-1 victory. Today, they go for the sweep of Johan Santana and the Mets. First pitch is 1:35.

The Phillies hope yesterday’s game is a sign of things to come for three players in particular. Moyer, who has been locating his pitches better than in the first two months, collected his seventh win, which leads the staff. Then there’s Jimmy Rollins, showing signs of breaking out of his funk by smacking the big two-run double in yesterday’s game; J-Roll's been in the flow the last three games. Lastly, Brad Lidge looked like the Brad Lidge of old with a crisp, aggressive ninth, popping it in at 95 to retire the side in order for his 15th save.

For the Phillies, the series has been about better pitching and a station-to-station attack, but the bigger story, of course, has been the return of Manny Ramirez. Kidding. No, it has to be the shoddy play of the Mets, tripping and falling all over themselves these first two games, and by extension, the entire season. They'll turn to Johan Santana (9-6, 3.34) to salvage a game, but the Mets' ace has had his own issues lately, ending a bad June with a loss to Milwaukee to put his ERA at 6.19 for the month, with opponents hitting .297. The Phillies counter with Joe Blanton (4-4, 5.08), who has made fairly steady improvements since the beginning of the season.

Eyre returns: The Phillies welcome back Scott Eyre today, who has been on the DL with a minor calf injury. Once again, Sergio takes the Escalona Express Shuttle back to Lehigh Valley.

Game chat: Bitter rivals unite under common flag

The Phillies and Mets continue their series in a July 4th matinee in our Nation's birthplace starting at 4:10 p.m. The Phils pay tribute to our founding fathers by handing the ball off to one of the original signers of the Declaration of Independence, Souderton's own Jamie Moyer (6-6, 6.05). Fernando Nieve (3-1, 2.25) goes for the Mets. Lineups are posted: The Phillies go with the same setup as yesterday, meaning Greg Dobbs and Paul Bako will start in left and behind the plate once again. Leadoff hitter Jimmy Rollins will look to build on a pair of multi-hit games.

Saturday thread: Rodrigo restores faith in Phillies

Right-hander Rodrigo Lopez completed the long journey back from Tommy John surgery, earning his first win since July 2007 and stepping off the field to a rousing ovation, as the Phillies eased to a 7-2 victory over the Mets.

Like an old pro, the 33-year-old former 15-game winner kept the Mets off the board through six innings by locating and changing speeds, keeping everything out of the middle of the plate. Lopez mastered Jim Joyce's tight strike zone by living in the black, spotting a good cutter and mixing in lots of stuff with tight sink. The former Oriole finished with the final line of two runs over 6 1-3 innings with four strikeouts. When he's on, Mets' starter Livan Hernandez follows the same blueprint Lopez followed last night, but he was lousy on this night, with the Phillies staking Lopez to a huge early lead and many opportunities to score more. Philadelphia's slumping bats also got a huge lift from several miscues by the Mets' defense.

With the win, the Phillies regained a one-game lead in the division. The two sides are back at it this afternoon starting at 4:10 p.m.

Game chat: Back at home, Phillies go with Rodrigo

Beer nuts: Identifying the next great Beerleaguer fave

What happens when you cross Gainesville, Fla., with Topton, Pennsylvania? You get a name like Cedrick Bowers, 31-year-old left-handed reliever with the IronPigs.

What’s not to love about a 1.43 ERA and .169 BAA over 37 2-3 innings? Mr. Bowers, a name that if you yelled loudly at the Kutztown Folk Festival, no fewer than 10 men would turn and look, was once a fourth-round pick Chuck Lamar’s Devil Rays in 1996 and, much like Les Walrond (the name you get when you cross Muskogee, Oklahoma with ... Walrond) has basically amounted to a Triple-A lifer, spending his best years overseas from 2004-07, plus time in Korea. Gainesville, birthplace of Bowers and home of the University of Florida, may seem to have the better stock, but don't discount Topton, home of former Astros hurler Wade Miller and the 2009 State Champion Brandywine Bullets.

With Happ, pitches before poise: Following another strong start in last night’s game, starter J.A. Happ earned high marks for his make-up. It’s true; Happ does keep an even-keel, but I remember hearing the exact same thoughts about Kyle Kedrick early in his rookie season. That’s why I’m most enamored with Happ’s stuff. Big, tall, his pitches don’t arrive like anyone else’s in the rotation, especially his slider, which has that nice downward tilt. I like him a lot. I wouldn’t trade him.

Former Phillies pepper AAA All-Stars: Andrew Carpenter and some dudes will represent the IronPigs in the Triple-A All-Star game in Portland, Ore. (Some dudes referring to Andy Tracy and Mike Cervenak). Once there, they can reminisce with some former teammates and ex-Pharmhands about all the great times they had down on the Phillies’ chain, including R.J. Swindle, Yorman Bazardo (cut during spring training), Justin Lehr (traded to the Reds and assigned to Louisville earlier this season and 6-0 with a 1.88 ERA since the trade), Jorge Padilla, Randy Ruiz and Nelson Figueroa.

Mazone debuts: Brian Mazone took the loss for the IronPigs in today’s game, allowing one run over two innings. The veteran lefty pitched the entire season in relief for Los Angeles’ Triple-A team and was on a pitch count.

Other notes: There’s been some discussion on bringing back Brett Myers as a reliever. The idea there is that he’s done it before, it would take less time to build back his strength and the ‘pen could really use the extra help. If this is the only way to get Myers back for September, I’m all for it. His inclusion in the bullpen would prove to be a huge boost at the season’s most crucial time. As an aside, I wonder if we can expect to see Andrew Carpenter and Carlos Carrasco earn September call-ups for the same purposes.

Breaking: Taschner DFA'd to make room for Lopez

After a so-so start, the bottom dropped out for left-hander Jack Taschner in June, who has been dropped from the Phillies' bullpen.

The 31-year-old departs with a 5.20 ERA and 17/20 K/BB ratio. The move signals a small vote of confidence for rookie Sergio Escalona, who stays on as the second lefty in the 'pen. Roster-wise it clears a path for tonight's starter, Rodrigo Lopez. The Phillies also moved Brett Myers to the 60-day DL. Beerleaguer: Once the Phillies returned home, it was only a matter of time for Taschner, who allowed runs in five of his last seven appearances. The fringe lefty wasn't a good pickup by Ruben Amaro Jr. and everyone said so. Everyone. Taschner will struggle to find takers.

Declare your independence from the 2009 Phillies

Shut off the TV and go to your picnics, and if you get the urge for some baseball, revisit the prime rib of '08 and forgo the dirty water dog of '09.

The Phillies are a lips-and-hooves-filled 39-37, fattened by a 10-2 record against the Nationals and a two-month binge by a 37-year-old outfielder. Their best pitcher is a rookie. We celebrate when the lead-off hitter gets a hit. The Phils, now tied with the Marlins in the National League East, are no better than rest of their counterparts caught in the divisional logjam. Good pitching will prevail, which is how the Braves swept the Phillies, and is the reason the Phils' shallow hold on the division is now gone. If the Phillies hope to repeat as champions, they need to close the lid on this entire first half and flush.

Game chat: Phillies hope to halt division freefall

Clinging to a half-game lead over the idle Fish, the Phillies send J.A. Happ (5-0, 3.00) to the mound hoping to stop Cooperstown-bound Martin Prado and the Braves tonight at Turner Field. First pitch is 7:10.

Preview: There’s no rest of the weary until the All-Star break, so the Phillies need to dig deep these next few days to keep pace with the Marlins, Mets and Braves, who have pulled to just three games behind the Phils after taking the first two games of this series. Happ has been one of the few bright spots for the Phillies lately, pitching a complete-game shutout his last start. Meanwhile, Jimmy Rollins extended the worst slump of his career last night and is now 0-for-his-last-27. He’ll have no easy task tonight against Javier Vazquez (5-7, 3.04), second in the league in strikeouts with 125. Lineups go like this: Rollins, Victorino, Utley, Howard, Werth, Dobbs in left field, Feliz and Ruiz. As of this writing, the Mets and Pirates are headed to extras thanks to a Frenchy LaRoche two-run croissant.

Ibanez will not take the field for Reading tonight

Raul Ibanez, out with a strained groin and eligible to come off the disabled list tomorrow, will err on the side of caution and sit out tonight's game in Reading. No further details were available from the R-Phils' PR staff.

Beerleaguer for breakfast: Taking stock

Cole Hamels joins the growing list of non-existent or injured cornerstones on a team that appears short on horses. Is it time to despair?

The season is a marathon and not a sprint and yada-yada, but there’s one important marker the Phillies must strive to reach: July 13, the first of a three-day All-Star break. This is a tired team, this is an anxious team, this is an increasingly desperate team, but as best as they can, they need to get through these next few games with some wins, get the confidence back and go into the break ready to start fresh.

The season is quickly passing Hamels by. Readers speculated that his velocity has never quite come around to where it was a season ago. Others think he needs another pitch. I’m hesitant to go along with that. I see elevated pitches and a lot of good swings at him. There will be no Cy Young for the ace of the Phillies’ staff, who at this point, appears to be letting too much get to his head, including the officiating. He needs to get back to basics. His fastball/change-up combination is a devastating mix. It’s how he won the World Series and NLCS MVP, and it's how he’ll break out of this slump. He doesn’t need to be throwing breaking balls to the opposing pitcher, for example.

I see a lot of the same issues with the offense, which managed just two hits. They’re overanxious and chasing everything. Jimmy Rollins is a desperate hitter and an easy target for pitchers to pitch away. They’ve been lost without Raul Ibanez, their first-half cornerstone and best run producer, who said he's feeling significantly better, but still hasn't taken the field.

Maybe instead of a closed-door meeting, the Phillies should huddle-up and watch videotape of themselves in the Yankees series. This is a smarter team than what they’re showing. As expected, they’ve struggled through a very rough patch of the schedule. What should have been a fairly pleasant homestand to split long road trips, with games against Toronto and Baltimore, turned into an unpleasant grind. They’re clearly feeling the aftereffects at the end of this roadtrip.

One can only hope it’s fatigue, but the fact is they’re missing too many key components to compete at a high level, with Rollins' rally-ruining 0-for-27, Brad Lidge’s struggles, Hamels, the loss of Brett Myers and Ibanez’s injury. The Phillies are in a very bad spot.

Game chat: Phillies try to maintain pace in NL East

The second-place Marlins completed a sweep of the Nationals today, while the Mets shutout the Brewers 1-0 behind Mike Pelfrey. The Phils turn to Cole Hamels tonight as their series continues in Atlanta. Jair Jurrjens goes for the Braves. 

Phillies announce Rodrigo Lopez as Friday's starter

Signed to a low-risk/high reward minor league deal in March, the 33-year-old right-hander last pitched in the majors in '07 and owns a career 65-65 record and 4.80 ERA.

Twice a 15-game winner with Baltimore, he's two years removed from Tommy John surgery. In 13 starts at Lehigh Valley, Lopez, who was the pitcher reportedly proposed in a 2006 deal for Pat Burrell that was reportedly nixed by Burrell, was 5-4 with a 3.91 ERA in 13 starts at Lehigh Valley, allowing just two earned runs total over his last three starts.

Beerleaguer: I like the move. He's experienced and has competed at a high level with the 15 wins. He's pitching as well as anyone in the minors. I'm not concerned about losing him to waivers if he flops. Sink or swim. And it keeps the kids like Carrasco and Carpenter cooking in the minors.

Madson’s overstated slump; AA All-Stars named

Ryan Madson didn’t have a bad month, but a trio of blown saves made it feel that way.

Madson may have the most fickle fan support of any Phillie, but that’s the life of a reliever, where only a handful of blow-ups can lead to a statistical and perceptual tailspin. There isn’t a more detrimental stat in the court of public opinion than the blown save, and Madson had three of them in June, the most in the National League. ESPN’s Jayson Stark gathered Madson’s numbers since June 16 last night on Twitter: 9.52 ERA, three blown saves, one loss that wasn't a blown save, 16 baserunners in all but 5 2-3 innings. That’s poor, no question, but a little perspective reveals that a). pitchers will often struggle, b). June of 2009 actually wasn’t as bad as Madson’s July of 2008. July basically comprised the entirety of Madson’s struggles: a 1.71 WHIP and .298 BAA. Madson has allowed runs in four games since June 16, but before that, the last time he allowed a run was May 16. His final June totals were 3.55 ERA, 1.66 WHIP, .255 BAA. Maybe we’re being too hard on Mad Dog.

AA All-Stars announced: Outfielder Michael Taylor, third baseman Neil Sellers, lefty Joe Savery and righty Vance Worley have all been named to the Eastern League All-Star team.

Wednesday thread: A busy news day in Baseballtown

Outside of Atlanta, the center of the Phillies’ universe is in Reading, where the R-Phils are set to welcome two members of the big club.

Mike Drago of the Reading Eagle reports that reliever Scott Eyre will begin his rehab assignment by starting tonight’s Double-A game against Altoona, then handing it over to Kyle Drabek (4-0, 2.54) for the second inning. Meanwhile, Raul Ibanez, sidelined with a strained groin and already working out in Reading, will be a game-time decision. Not to be outdone, the regular members of the R-Phils are rolling, finishing June 17-11 after a 6-5, 12-inning win last night to go 44-32 on the season. To read more about left-hander Yohan Flande’s Double-A debut last night, click here. (Photo by Jeremy Drey)

Phillies can't fend off Braves, lose 5-4 in 10 innings

Martin Prado capped a 4-for-5 night with a walk-off single as the Braves got some breaks and finished on the winning side of a back-and-forth opener.

Beerleaguer: It's been a couple seasons since we've seen this phrase and now seems like the proper time to revisit it: "losses attributable to the bullpen." In the next few days, I'll go back and count, unless someone has the energy to assign the losses objectively. Because after tonight, the tally is certainly mounting. Their two most trustworthy relievers to end last season are suddenly among their most unreliable. Ryan Madson, whose throwing error advanced the eventual tying run into scoring position, was charged with a blown save in the eighth after John Mayberry and Pedro Feliz positioned them for the win with back-to-back homers. Chan Ho Park couldn't hang on in the 10th.

This wasn't an especially tough loss, but the problems with the pitching continue to run deep.

Game chat: J-Roll expected to start tonight's opener

If Charlie Manuel keeps his word, Jimmy Rollins will resume lead-off and shortstop duties tonight at Turner Field, where the Phillies won all nine games against the Braves last season. Right-handers Joe Blanton and Derek Lowe have the ball starting at 7:05. Lowe is 5-0 with a 2.14 ERA in his last seven starts against the Phillies, including a dominant performance on opening day.

Phils list Happ for Thursday, undecided about Friday

Tonight’s pre-game notes have been released, listing the upcoming probables as Cole Hamels for Wednesday, J.A. Happ for Thursday and a TBD for Friday’s home game against the New York Mets. Happ would be on regular rest due to the off-day. By pushing the open start to Friday, it opens the door for Rodrigo Lopez, who could pitch on normal rest after pitching a seven-inning, one-run start on Sunday. Andrew Carpenter, who pitched Saturday, would have five days rest. Carlos Carrasco would have six days. Gustavo Chacin pitched yesterday and Kyle Kendrick is listed for tonight.

Report: Phillies reacquire former farmhand Mazone

Lefty Brian Mazone, 32, was 0-1 with a 8.44 ERA in 13 injury-shortened appearances with Triple-A Albuquerque (Dodgers), all in relief. He had spent the previous three seasons with the Phillies, nearly earning a call-up in 2006 after going 13-3 with an International League best 2.03 ERA. Over 232 games, including 181 starts, the junkballer is 81-56 with a 3.67 ERA. Mazone figures to round out the Phillies’ Triple-A rotation or pen, which is bracing for the promotion of one of their starters to Philadelphia. The Phillies, in turn, have promised future considerations.

Beerleaguer for breakfast: Hot stove open thread

To get you started, here are some names spotted recently on MLBtraderumors.com and other sites.

The Phillies could be looking to address bullpen help even before they wrestle away a starter. Luis Ayala is available now, having been designated for assignment by Minnesota June 22. Keeping in the American League, Seattle's Miguel Batista is reportedly on the block as someone with a rubber arm to devour middle innings. Closer Joakim Soria is reportedly unavailable, but the Royals may be prepared to trade pitching. Former assistant Mike Arbuckle was spotted scouting Phillies' farmhands. David Murphy of the Philadelphia Daily News speculated that right-handers Gil Meche and Brian Bannister might be potential targets for his former associate Ruben Amaro Jr. Other starters floated recently include Arizona's Doug Davis and New York's Chien-Ming Wang. There's a report that the Blue Jays want to get out from under Vernon Wells and Alex Rios. Neither would be a fit for the Phillies' needs, but Austin Kearns and Josh Willingham of Washington might. Kearns is having a horrible season, but might fit as a 25th man off the bench. Willingham, the worst-fielding outfielder I've seen all season, represents my idea of a great 4th outfielder with right-handed pop. The price may be too high for him; Willingham belongs in the American League.

Breaking news: Bastardo to the DL; Escalona recalled

A strained shoulder will send left-hander Antonio Bastardo to the 15-day disabled list. Once again, Sergio takes the Escalona Escalator back up from Lehigh Valley. Carlos Carrasco is considered the front-runner to assume the vacant spot Thursday in Atlanta, but nothing has been finalized. The Phils will need to make another roster move at that time. (Murphy defeated Zolecki by seconds in the race to tweet the news first).