Halladay

If I didn't know better, Raul, I would start taking your resurgence personally.

The Phils completed their sweep of the Nationals last night behind a host of hitters including Raul Ibanez, who went 8-11 in the series raising his average to .214. That's right, folks, all the way to .214.

The other news of the night, from my perspective, is that Roy Halladay again looked a lot less than sharp and overwhelming but certainly pitched well for most mortals. He was hit hard at times and struggled to put other batters away at times. He struggled so mightily against Jerry Hairston in one particularly troubling at bat, throwing nine or ten pitches, six or seven of which Hairston fouled off. Halladay simply could not put him away.

Now before you say, "Gimme a break, Goodman, the guy has a 2.19 ERA and is 5-1" let me direct you to the words "most mortals" above. There have been times when Halladay has been hit harder this season than I recall from last year. He gets good run support, which for "most mortals" can result in something of a mental letdown, but not Halladay. He bears down 24/7 as they say. If you don't think so, take a look at the tape when he finished the inning in which the Nats scored two runs. You can see him yelling at himself.

By the way, Jayson Werth was out at the plate despite the attempts by Sarge and Tom McCarthy to exonerate the umpire, who was out of position and could not really see what happened. Ibanez' throw did beat Werth to the plate and Dane Sardinha was a little late in blocking the plate with his right foot. But if one closely watches the replay, while Werth's leg does appear to get to the plate before Sardinha gets the tag down, the tape also shows Werth's leg sliding to the right of the plate by which time Sardinha did tag him.

Speaking of Sardinha, he was given the start for the demanding Halladay because of previous success, but in that inning in which Roy struggled, it was pretty clear they had trouble communicating. You can bet Halladay is trying everything within his power to help Carlos Ruiz recover. On that front, the news isn't good. Apparently, Ruiz tweaked his ailing back and now word has it he may go on the DL.

Coming up in May is some real competition for the Phils. It's a good thing they've been beating up on the lesser lights.

Reverse Curse Sighting And Other Matters

Me? I like my crow roasted and my humble pie warmed.

Raul, you old Reverse Curse maven, you are trying to fool us again.

Let's be serious though, folks. Two nights does not a turn-around make. Raul Ibanez has a lot more hitting to do before I am ready to put in my order.

Meanwhile, if Vance Worley continues to pitch like he has the first two outings, look for the Phils' alleged brain trust to start making it known a certain right-hander from Kentucky is available for the right price. OR, and this is contingent on whether or not he has a no-trade clause with the Phils, a smaller-framed right-hander from Mississippi might be available, too. I don't know the details of his contract, but Oswalt would seem to be expendable if the Phils think Worley is ready to be an every-fifth-day pitcher in the big leagues. And he might bring more than Kentucky Joe.

* * * * * * *

It is more than slightly astonishing the Phils have done so well. Yes, yes, I know about their great starting pitching, but they are missing so many key parts on offense and are still leading the pack. Of course, they've feasted on a diet of low-hanging fruit in the Mets and Nationals. Let's see what happens when they see more of the Reds, Rockies, Cardinals, Giants and the like.

* * * * * * * *

When Domonic Brown is finished his rehab, he is expected to go to AAA rather than join the big club. The Phils' alleged brain trust feel he needs more seasoning. They might have reached that conclusion after his first extended call up last season and his disastrous off-season experiences. One thing seems sure, however; Ben Francisco is an adequate replacement in right field but apparently not the answer. Defensively, Ben is a serious liability out there. Offensively, he is on a pace to drive in roughly 100 runs at his current pace, so it is hard to argue he represents a big drop-off from Jayson Werth in that category alone. Brown has to prove he can improve on those numbers before he gets a serious chance to take the job.

* * * * * * * *

Speaking of Reverse Curses, perhaps there is such as thing as the Reverse Reverse Curse, a.k.a., The Curse, when it comes to Danys Baez. Just when he was getting some positive mentions for his last few outings, he goes out there last night and gives up three runs in the ninth inning against the Nats. There's a reason he's with his sixth team.

* * * * * * * *

I digress...again.

The Fly Boys look like they are headed for summer vacation any day now. While it's popular to joke the Flyers have the Bruins right where they want them (Go on, admit you know they don't but still...just maybe....), but the truth is this team has been very inconsistent for several months now, especially in goal and especially when it comes to scoring. If the Flyers had a goalie of Tim Thomas' stature and consistency, they would be in a different position. If they had Chris Pronger regularly, despite his sarcasm and barely contained contempt for anyone with a pen, microphone or smart phone, they might be in a better position. If they had snipers who could put the puck in the next consistently, they might go deeper into the playoffs. But they don't and they won't!!

Ace Among Aces

Among the aces on this staff, Cole Hamels is second to no one. Hamels threw a complete game five hitter against Washington last night to improve to 4-1. Subtract his awful early-season meltdown against the Mets and Hamels has been superb in 2011. After the game, CSN commentator and former Phils' catcher Chris Coste said one of the chief differences between the current and former Hamels is his ability to command the breaking down down and away and down and in.

Hamels also contributed two hits on the night including a triple over Jayson Werth's head. Werth never could go back to the wall to his right. The ball looked catchable on replays but not with Werth on the case. Hamels then scored the first run of the evening on a rbi single by Jimmy Rollins, back in his familiar leadoff spot for the first time this season.

The Phils improved to 19-9 with the win.

Brother, Can You Spare A Hit?

Out like a lion...in like a lamb.

That, in a nutshell, is the storyline this season for your Philadelphia Phillies.

April was the most successful month in franchise history. May is starting out on a different note. After romping 10-3 over the Mets Friday night, April 29, the Phils managed only two runs in nine innings Saturday night, April 30, and one measly run in fourteen innings Sunday night in dropping the finale of the three-game set on May 1. The Phils collected all of seven hits for their effort in last night's futility fest.

Cliff Lee again struggled early but eventually righted himself. If he holds the opposition to a lone run in seven innings every time out he should expect to win, unless, of course, the offense fails to show up that night.

Raul Ibanez led the futility parade, failing to hit for the 34th straight at bat including leaving the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth after the Phils had tied the game. You could see Ibanez struggle in the at bat, swinging late or awkwardly. He finally grounded out to kill the threat. Charlie Manuel is notorious for sticking by his veterans but his loyalty to Ibanez goes far beyond anything reasonable. Ibanez is cooked. Unless he is injured or otherwise unavailable, Ross Gload should have batted in Ibanez' place last night. Charlie blew that one.

April Showers Bring Lots of Surprises

Yo, new month.

April was hardly the cruelest month in these parts.

Placido Polanco ended the month with 41 hits. F O R T Y O N E H I T S!! That is a club record.

Roy Halladay went 4 - 1.

The Phils won a club record 18 games.

They did all this without their unofficial leader, Chase Utley, at least on the field. Given how dedicated Utley is, even though he has yet to play a single inning in 2011, he has been in the dugout for every game.

They did this without their regular closer. Heck, they did some of this without their backup closer.

They did this without Jayson Werth. They also did it without his heir-apparent.

They did this despite being rained out only once in the wettest Spring in memory.

And most significantly, they did this with yours truly constantly nipping at their heels, complaining to all who would listen they couldn't hit.

Pitching And Hitting

Two kinds of pitchers give the Phillies fits: good ones and unfamiliar ones. Mike Pelfrey is neither.

The Phils crushed the Mets last night, 10-3, behind emergency starter Vance Worley, who pitched six strong innings. In the process they chased Pelfrey after 4.1 innings, getting eight of their ten hits for the game and four runs.

The Phils carried a shutout into the ninth inning when David Herndon yielded two home runs to account for all the Mets' runs. Over his last few appearances Herndon has shown the world why he was a Rule 5 player and doesn't belong on a major league roster. The Phils carried him on the roster last year for a number of reasons, not the least of which was the rule that would have forced them to return Herndon to his original club if he did not stick on the major league roster. This year there are no such excuses. The Phils may be undermanned in the middle of their bullpen, but Herndon's batting practice presence isn't going to solve the problem.

Worley, on the other hand, showed why he does belong. The young right-hander was filling in for Joe Blanton, who suddenly went on the Disabled List with an elbow impingement. Blanton was probably feeling slightly left out in the Phillies injury parade and wanted to make an appearance on the DL to show he belongs.

Worley pitched well, yielding two hits, walking four and striking out five thanks to mixing speeds well and a slightly generous strike zone at times. To cap off his evening, Worley also flared his first major league hit.

The batting heroes of the night were Ryan Howard, who belted two home runs including a grand slam for six rbi's and Placido Polanco, who set a new team record with his 39th hit in the month of April. He has one more game to add to his new record, which he previously shared with Chase Utley. Howard took over the league lead in rbi's with his evening's work. He struck out later, again with the bases jammed, losing a chance to add to his total. Oh, well, we shouldn't be greedy just because the offense is starting to show a little fight. Ben Francisco also had two hits and two rbi's for the evening, quietly raising his average to .272 and his rbi total to 18.

Rolling Polly

Wednesday afternoon was a typical day for the 2011 installment of our favorite baseball team. The hitters broke out; the pitchers were stellar; and another regular went down with an injury.

Carlos Ruiz, mired in a horrible slump at plate but not behind the plate, hurt his back swinging in his first at bat of the day. He was replaced by Brian Schneider. Now we will wait and see as the Phils' inimitable medical staff and PR department keep us guessing as to the extent of his injury.

One player who's health previously worried us but no longer is Placido Polanco, who raised his average to an MLB second best .389 with a four for five day. The one time he failed to reach safely he sent the centerfielder deep. Polanco is all that stands between complete offensive ignominy and something approaching major league respectability for this club. He just gets his bat on the ball. While that doesn't seem to be such a big deal for guys who make their living playing baseball, one need only look at Raul Ibanez on the other side of the equation for a prime example of not getting one's bat on the ball. Ibanez pinch hit in the seventh inning yesterday and swung futilely at some pretty mediocre offerings. Ibanez head isn't exactly screwed on right now; indeed, he seems to be leading with his head on every pitch. Surely there is someone in the minors who can at least put his bat on the ball occasionally.

Cole Hamels pitched effectively yesterday. Antonio Bastardo yielded his first earned run (a solo homer) of the year. Jimmy Rollins, Shane Victorino and Ryan Howard all homered for the previously punchless Phils. It remains to be seen how the Phils will fare against serious pitching. Yesterday's opponent, Joe Saunders, looked like he was throwing batting practice.

Not Too Soon To Worry

The Phillies' bats awoke last night. The pitchers went to sleep.

Roy Oswalt lasted three innings in the Phils' 7-5 loss to the Diamondbacks, their second straight defeat in the desert to a team that began the series with a losing record.

The Phils managed twelve hits but the starter and most of the relief corps couldn't solve the Dbacks.

Going into the game, the Phils had hit a combined .200 for their last fourteen games. TWO HUNDRED, as in, the Mendoza Line. If that futility wasn't cause enough for concern, two of the Four Aces lost the last two nights.

Folks, it isn't too soon to worry. Indeed, I for one started in January.

Power Rankings???

You can't face the Padres every night.

Still, if you have to settle for second best, Arizona would seem to have been a good choice. Nevertheless, the Phils anemic offense caught up with them as Ian Kennedy, heretofore never mistaken for Tom Seaver, shut them down on three hits while whiffing ten.

A quick perusal of the Phils' offensive stats shows a steady decline over the last two weeks. If Placido Polanco were not included, the Phils would collectively be flirting with the Mendoza line for the period in question. No one has been productive save Polly.

At the risk of repeating ourselves, good pitching won't be enough to overcome a nearly total lack of offense.

But that ain't the worst news.

There's trouble in paradise as GM Ruben Amaro seemed to suggest manager Charlie Manuel was overusing Jose Contreras, leading to an injured elbow. Amaro later backed off and said Cholly was handling the staff fine, but before this "retraction" Manuel bristled at the suggestion. While he was at it, the manager also complained in the press about Ryan Madson's request for a night off from pitching duties due to fatigue. Fatigue, Manuel wondered aloud. In April?

Charlie Manuel has never used the press to air his displeasure with a player. Make no mistake, this was a momentous turn of events, especially on an aging team that is, frankly, showing its age at the plate.

It isn't too much of a stretch to suggest the Phils will be awaiting the return of Domonic Brown with greater anticipation than ever. Ben Francisco has been an adequate replacement at best at the plate while in right field he has been fairly awful. Raul Ibanez' bat has slowed so badly over the last year and a half it wouldn't surprise me to see him become the most expensive pinch-hitter in MLB soon. The good news is he hasn't slowed in the outfield over the same period because, frankly, he already was slow. When Brown returns, he is going to get every opportunity to take the job in right. Francisco will then switch to left where he will platoon with another right-handed bat, John Mayberry. Let's face it, this is a bad outfield.

As long as we are facing "it" we should also note Ruben Amaro has made two very bad decisions over the last two off-seasons: letting Cliff Lee go the first time for very little in return; and, letting Jayson Werth go without replacing his bat and glove. If the Phils fail to make or advance in the playoffs this season, their GM's failure to shore up the offense will be the chief reason.

Meanwhile, back at the third hole, Jimmy Rollins has two rbi's out of this crucial spot in the batting order for the entire season! We should enjoy Jimmy's next four months in red pinstripes because at the current pace, it does not appear he will be with us next season. "As goes Jimmy, so go the Phillies" has long been the mantra around these parts. Looks like someone may be going.

Reports that Chase Utley has been running and taking some grounders are encouraging, but his availability is so shrouded in mystery one cannot count on a target date, if any exists, for his return. Instead, we are fed the occasional tidbit he's doing some running, taking batting practice and some ground balls. Put me down in the I'll-believe-it-when-I-see-it column

Cliff Lee hasn't exactly set the world on fire in some of his starts, but no matter what he does, he cannot win if his teammates don't score.

I noticed yesterday the Phils had reclaimed the number one ranking in ESPN's Power Rankings for the week. Good thing the voting took place before last night's futility in the desert. How the term "Power Rankings" could apply to this team is beyond me!!!!

No Apologies Necessary.

I was out of town or asleep for every one of the four-game set in San Diego but I've read a few commentaries suggesting the Phils' overall record is in large measure testament to the inferior records of most of its competition to date.

Well, here's my response to that interpretation: never offer an apology for beating up on the mediocre clubs. The Yankees made a habit of doing that throughout the fifties and they made out all right. Indeed, all winners play the tough clubs more or less evenly while crushing the second division squads. That's how winners manage a clip of .600 or better on the way to a championship. A team that wins 90 plus games loses around 70 other ones.

So the Phils, who aren't hitting much themselves, managed to outscore the Padres thanks in large measure to their superior pitching and somewhat better hitting. And that's what will carry the Phils throughout 2011.

The only question that remains is whether or not this combination will be sufficient. With the news Jose Contreras has injured his elbow and been placed on the 15-day DL pending further examination, the Phils have already lost two closers and it isn't even May yet.

Ryan Madson, a reluctant closer heretofore but perennially the closer-in-waiting, has taken on the role by default. It's time to see just how ready the lanky right-hander is.

Reverse Curse Update

Dashing here so no time for a lengthy post but I couldn't resist noting the reverse curse is alive and well. No sooner did I lament Ben Francisco's recent decline than the quiet right fielder hits a home run to lead off the second inning in last night's 3-0 white wash of San Diego. The hit obviously proved to be the game winner.

Also of note, Charlie Manuel looks like a genius for deciding to rest Carlos Ruiz last night. Second string catcher Brian Schnieder followed Francisco with a solo shot of his own as Roy Oswalt improved to 3-0 and 11-2 lifetime against the Padres.

State Of The Club

Two days, two aces, two different results.

Roy Halladay hasn't really looked all that sharp thus far this season. Yes, he's thrown a complete game and struck out plenty of batters, but he's been hit reasonably hard at times and hasn't appeared dominating.

Tuesday night he was hit early and often by the Milwaukee Brewers and had to be taken out of the game in the seventh inning. The bullpen then entered the fray and poured gasoline on every square inch of the playing surface it could find. Meanwhile, the Phillies' bats turned to sawdust on the way to a 9-0 shellacking.

Wednesday afternoon Cliff Lee took the hill and was also less than dominating, surrendering three runs, two earned, in six innings of work. This time, however, the Phils managed something of a rarity this season: they hit two home runs in a game, sufficient to propel them to a 4-3 victory.

Ex-Phil John Kruk, who always seems to bend over a little backwards in attempting to appear impartial when it comes to the subject of his former team, told the truth when he said this team just isn't the same one which relied on power and offense in the past. Without Jayson Werth and Chase Utley, and with a diminished Ryan Howard and fast-sinking Raul Ibanez, the Phils cannot score the old-fashioned way. And without enough situational hitting from Shane Victorino and Jimmy Rollins, they are going to have trouble manufacturing runs. Only Placido Polanco seems to get it.

Meanwhile, Ben Francisco's hold on the right field job appears to be tenuous at best. As soon as Domonic Brown has recovered, look for the youngster to get plenty of opportunities to win the job he lost in Spring Training. Francisco has made Bobby Abreu look like a Gold Glover (what?!! He was one?!!)and his recent funk at the plate clearly indicates it didn't take long for pitchers to get the word on him. Super sub Wilson Valdez has had his own adventures in the field lately, too. Expect John Mayberry to see more playing time in left field as Raul Ibanez plays out the string on his three year contract. Ibanez' bat always looks a little late these days. Choking up won't help.

No Big Leaguer

If it is safe to say every time one of the Phils' Four Aces starts his teammates believe they will win, it is equally safe to say that every time Charlie Manuel gives the ball to Kyle Kendrick his teammates believe they will lose.

Last night was proof positive.

Kendrick had a line that included wild pitches, hit batsmen, intentional walks, unintentional walks, base hits, throwing errors and full responsibility for the national debt. Oh, sorry, that last one was intended for another blog.

Kendrick was appearing in the twelfth inning of a game the Phils tied twice before losing so one can assume he was in there because the club had run out of other options. After the game Manuel noted Kendrick hadn't pitched in ten days. Small wonder. He isn't a big league pitcher by normal standards. Correction, he isn't a big league pitcher by any standards!

Had the Phils' bats come out of their recent doldrums a little earlier things might have been different. Indeed, they almost took the lead in the bottom of the 7th inning when with the score tied at two apiece, Placido Polanco hit a screamer back at the pitcher with men on first and second. The ball ricocheted off the pitcher's back and up into the air where a diving Yuniesky Betancourt grabbed it and turned to double off Michael Martinez. That was one snake-bit play if you were a Phil.

Joe Blanton, whose first two starts were awful, pitched well last night and deserved a better fate, but the Phils cannot generate any offense lately. Ben Francisco is mired in a pretty good slump, going 0-6 last night. Everyone except Polanco is scuffling pretty good while the starting pitching has been excellent.

Reversion To The Mean

A few weeks into the season and the Phillies seem to be settling down into expected patterns.

A chart in today's Inquirer tracks the progress thus far of the Four Aces. With the exception of two horrendous outings, one each by Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels, this quartet of pitchers have performed pretty much as expected. They are a combined 7-2. Lee and Hamels have righted themselves and are pitching very strongly. Halladay has been...well..Halladay, throwing complete games, pitching effectively though not dominating. Roy Oswalt has had two good outings.

The offense got off on a tear to begin the season but is also reverting to the mean lately, scrambling for hits and runs.

The bullpen began 2011 on such a high note there was nowhere else to go but down. Some middle relief is showing cracks, especially Denys Baez who doesn't belong on a big league roster any longer. Emergency closer Jose Contreras has done a fine Brad Lidge imitation on occasion, especially yesterday afternoon versus the Marlins, but he has gotten the job done. How well he'll hold up as the days get hotter and calls to put out fires get more frequent remains to be seen.

The bench also began the season on an extraordinary binge, delivering key pinch-hit after pinch-hit. They, too, had nowhere to go but down and have begun to do so.

Supersub Wilson Valdez has performed well in the field and at bat though he hasn't shown the range he did last year.

With the pitching staff performing as expected in the main, and pending the extent of Oswalt's injured back, the Phils will always be in the hunt. The big questions, hitting and relief pitching, remain. It's early, but not to early to be playing to form.

Exception To The Rule

You could see this one coming from miles away.

Roy Oswalt was cruising through five innings, nursing a no-hitter. Meanwhile, the Phils had scored two runs against Javier Vasquez and hit a number of long, hard outs. History tells us a two run lead against the Marlins is never enough. History has a way of repeating itself.

Sure enough, Logan Morrison smoked a long home run to right center field in the bottom of the fifth and the Marlins were on the way back. Oswalt would leave the game an inning later with a back strain following a bunt attempt. If you have a history of back troubles, you can throw it out at any time, doing anything. Reaching down for the soap in the shower is all it takes. Oswalt went to the Disabled List in 2009 with back problems. His preliminary prognosis was hopeful. This, he said after the game, was a mid-back rather than the lower back strain that sidelined him before. Let's hope he is the second Doc on the staff.

Meanwhile, back at the game we saw coming from miles away, the bullpen failed to hold the young Fish in check as they came back for a 4-3 victory. J.C. Romero did nothing to quiet skeptics and Denys Baez did even less. Of course in Baez' case, there are no skeptics any longer. Anyone who has ever watched baseball knows this guy has been cooked for more than a year now. His continued presence on a major league roster is testament to the stubbornness of baseball insiders who think a guy who throws hard is always capable of getting outs. I'm here to tell you Baez is one of many exceptions to that rule!

Efficiency Expert

There is something soothing about Cliff Lee. He works quickly and efficiently. He shows little emotion other than to sprint on and off the field in a manner uncharacteristic of the fraternity of hurlers, who prefer to stroll.

Lee doesn't fret publicly. When he was rocked in Atlanta last week, he neither offered nor made any excuses. Rumors about possible injuries or arm slot issues received as much confirmation from Lee as they would from Chase Utley; maybe even less!

In last night's start Lee took the ball, threw it back to his catcher quickly, struck out twelve Nats, and hurled a three-hit, complete-game shutout.

Next.

Doc & Polly

The doctor, fortunately, is always in.

Roy Halladay is, as Mike Schmidt correctly observed recently, not the intimidating presence of a Bob Gibson or Nolan Ryan. No, he's just your ordinary, garden-variety superb pitcher who begins with a plan, works quickly to implement it, commands his pitches and knows himself.

All of that adds up to a status as the ace of aces on the Phillies staff, indeed in the game itself. As Paul Hagen pointed out in his piece this AM, Halladay takes the ball and gives his team the feeling they will win every start he makes. It is difficult to find many pitchers in baseball, past or present, who afford their mates such comfort.

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Had lunch with good friend Jason Weitzel yesterday and I opined that Placido Polanco is one of the true professionals to come along in a long time. It was difficult to see him leave several years ago when Chase Utley was coming into his own; it was a pleasure to see him return. Polanco gives the Phillies an excellent glove (ask Roy Halladay about his third baseman's performance just last night)and a contact hitter who never gives away an at bat. He always is in the game, aware of the situations defensively and offensively.

The Blanton Watch Has Begun

Jason Werth certainly has a flair for the dramatic, but one has to wonder why he wasn't more grateful to rather than vengeful of his old mates. After all, didn't they allow him to walk away and into all those riches?

Werth was the hero in his new home town last night as the Nats beat the Phils handily, 7-4. Joe Blanton was again the goat. We can assume the Phils' alleged brain trust is already ramping up its monitoring of a replacement for Blanton. From this observer's perspective, Kentucky Joe has only a couple of more starts to get his act together before the Phils bail on him. The worst part about Blanton's rotten season to date is that his trade value is diminishing with every pitch.

Meanwhile, Livan Hernandez looked very good against the Phillies last night, a very sad commentary. When a pitcher can get you out on a 61 MPH curve, you know you are in for a long night.

Werth entered the game with his batting average exactly on the Mendoza line. He then proceeded to get a few hits including a line drive home run and a walk against his former team. The Inquirer headline read "Werth 1, Phillies 0" but the truth is the score was really Werth 1, Blanton 0. Things might have been different if a few Phillies could have delivered key hits in key situations, but they didn't.

So, the guy who has been touted since his arrival a few years ago as an "innings eater" was again the prey not the hunter. We aren't going to have Blanton to kick around much longer judging from his two starts in 2011. Past performance, as the brochures warn, is no guarantee of future returns but with Blanton it may sadly be the case.

Second-Hand

I was out-of-town last weekend and missed seeing any of the Phillies-Braves series live. Instead, I depended on the usual second-hand sources (ESPN, local newspapers) for reports. On balance the Phils enjoyed a good weekend in Dixie, taking two of three from the Braves including an encouraging rebound by Cole Hamels, who bested Derek Lowe on Sunday.

Cliff Lee appears to have had a rocky start that still might have been salvaged had Shane Victorino caught Chipper Jones deep fly ball that knocked in three runs. Reports in various sources suggested the ball was catchable.

Still, if the Phils can go on the road and play .667 ball, they're going to be fine. Thus far this early season the offense has been more than a pleasant surprise while the pitching has varied between expected pleasure and rough patches.

Next up is Washington and old friend Jayson Werth, who is struggling along exactly even with the Mendoza line as of this posting. All those millions might be salve enough for Werth as he longs for even some of the pitching his former team throws out there on a nightly basis...but I'd be willing to bet the losing will get to him.

Who's Ahead?

There's a reason Joe Blanton has been the forgotten man in the Phillies' starting rotation and it was on display for all to see last night. Staked to a 7-0 lead, Blanton imploded in the fifth inning allowing the Mets to tie the game. The Phils' offense bailed him and the rest of the team out by tacking on three more runs for a 10-7 victory.

Kentucky Joe has a reputation as an innings eater but over the last one plus seasons it sure has looked more like the innings are eating him! Strong at the beginning of the game, as the innings wore on Blanton left more and more pitches up in the zone and the Mets started taking batting practice. I write "as the innings wore on" but the hard truth is he fell apart in the fifth inning, hardly deep into the game.

Besides the offense, which collected 16 hits, the middle and back of the Phillies' bullpen was outstanding including JC Romero, Antonio Bastardo, Ryan Madson and Jose Contreras. In essence, everyone did his job in the pen as they halted the hemorrhaging and allowed the offense to take over.

Speaking of that offense, the Phils have certainly provided far more of it at this early juncture of the season than was expected. Let's see what happens when they face good pitching. The only certifiably good pitcher they've faced thus far is Brett Myers, who stymied them but good! Meanwhile, the Phils' starting pitching has given up fourteen runs to the Mets in two nights.

Tell me again, who is supposed to be ahead at this point in the season, pitching or hitting?