Pepper

Jayson Werth is batting the ugliest .294 in the history of the game. The guy has come to life lately, but it wasn't long ago he looked utterly lost and over matched for weeks on end. "Streaky" doesn't begin to describe this guy.

Dominic Brown clearly has a flair for the dramatic. His major league debut matched the hype. Now, if he can do that for, say, the next ten to fifteen years, we'll all be quite happy.

Carlos Ruiz doesn't produce a lot of runs but his presence in the regular lineup is crucial to the Phillies fortunes.

Many teams suffer a rash of injuries but this year's installment of the Phillies have endured more than their share. It is astonishing they remain in the hunt for a playoff spot, perhaps even a division crown.

If the Phils are going to capture the NL East again, they have to beat the Mets and Braves. It's fine to beat up on a collapsing Colorado team and a Diamondbacks squad that never inflated in the first place, but head-to-head battles with their division rivals will settle this thing in the end.

Shane Victorino may really have injured himself when dancing around second base after a steal. He and Werth are the fastest bonehead running tandem I've ever seen.

Wilson Valdez has hit into an enormous number of double plays for a relatively speedy guy but he's also hit in some hard luck, stinging the ball but right at guys.

Roy Oswalt in a Phillies uniform? Well, it would give the Phils quite a trio at the top of the rotation but had they kept Cliff Lee they would be much better off. Amaro never gets a pass on that one. Period.

When Chase Utley finally returns, let's hope he brings his early season bat with him. Utley usually gets off to quite the torrid start before tailing off as the season wears on.

Ryan Howard is getting the usual heat for his inability to make the throw to second base. At this point it's a real mental block. He also got some heat for missing a pop fly recently although the wind played lots of tricks with that ball. But has he received kudos for his glove work on scoops? Not that I've read. He has improved in that department 1000 percent!

The Phils bench is the best it's been in a few years. Cody Ransom doesn't hit for average but there ain't nothing wrong with his timing for clutch hits. Valdez has been remarkably versatile and steady in the field. Ross Gload has had a good campaign. Ben Francisco simply doesn't get sufficient playing time to settle into a good groove, but he provides occasional lift. Greg Dobbs has struggled but remains resilient. Brian Schneider has done a credible job.