Bleacher Report - Articles by Scott Malone

Phillies-Dodgers Game Three Preview

Scott Malone — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 15:43:39 -0400

So here we sit, two games into the NLCS, and the Philadelphia Phillies are on their way out to Los Angeles for, at most, three games in Chavez Ravine against the Dodgers.

The big question still remains. Will one of these two teams finally win a game away from home? Thus far, the Phillies and Dodgers have followed the script written to mirror their regular-season series, as each team was 4-0 at home and 0-4 on the road.

After two games in Philadelphia, the Phillies lead 2-0 thanks to Cole Hamels, Shane Victorino, and Brett Myers.

Hamels pitched a gem in Game One, going seven strong innings, surrendering six hits, two runs, and two walks while striking out eight. His offense capitalized on Derek Lowe's paranoia with a man on second base, with Chase Utley belting a two-run home run to tie the game, and Pat Burrell also going deep that same inning off of Lowe to give the Phils the victory.

Game Two saw much more immediate offense, as the Phils belted eight runs across after three innings, with Brett Myers and Shane Victorino combining for seven RBI.

The Dodgers made a late push, after Manny Ramirez belted a three-run shot in the top of the fourth. He continued to threaten even in the top of the ninth before Brad Lidge shut them down to give the Phillies a 2-0 series lead.

Now, with Game Three out in Chavez Ravine, the Phillies will throw out Jamie Moyer to match up with the Dodgers' Hiroki Kuroda.

Moyer has made one postseason start thus far, and went four innings, allowing four hits, two runs, and three walks while striking out three. Moyer was not as effective in that NLDS Game Three against Milwaukee, as he could not nail Brian Runge's corners of the strike zone, and thus needed 90 pitches in just those four innings.

Moyer's lack of success against an impatient Milwaukee Brewers lineup is very concerning, especially since he will be dealing with Manny Ramirez, Casey Blake, Rafael Furcal, and a good young Dodgers lineup.

If Moyer could not have success against a Brewers team that hit .253 on the season, fifth worst in the majors, I shudder to think what will happen against this Dodgers team that hit .264 on the season.

In addition, the Dodgers have struck out on average 6.37 times per game, compared to the Brewers' 7.43 strike outs per game.

Moyer's career numbers against the Dodgers look something like this: 10 starts, 3-4, 4.80 ERA, and a .277 BAA in 60 IP.

Kuroda has been phenomenal in his two career starts against the Phillies. He has pitched 13 innings, surrendering four hits, two runs, and two walks while striking out 15. He also has a 1.38 ERA, 0.46 WHIP, and .095 BAA in those two starts.

He pitched in Game Three of the NLDS against the Cubs, going 6.1 innings, while allowing six hits and two walks with four strikeouts.

Kuroda has been at his best at home, posting a 6-2 record in 14 starts, including two complete-game shutouts. He also had a 3.68 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, and .241 BAA in 88 IP.

Statistically speaking, the Dodgers have the edge over the Phillies.

L.A.'s starting pitcher has been better as of late and has been exceptional against the Phillies this season. They are also 48-33 at home this season, compared to a 36-45 road mark, and neither team has won a game on the road in any of their contests.

However, the Phillies have all of the momentum with a 2-0 series lead and have outscored the Dodgers thus far by an average of two runs per game, even without any serious form of contribution from Ryan Howard.

The keys to Game Three for the Phillies will be:

Be patient at the plate, and force Kuroda to throw pitches.
Get on base ahead of Utley, Howard, and Burrell.
Jamie Moyer must pitch better than his NLDS start.

For the Dodgers, the keys are:

The offense needs to score.
Kuroda must keep true to his regular season form against the Phillies.
Put men on base ahead of Manny Ramirez.

I have a hard time believing that the Dodgers will go down 3-0 in this series, and Kuroda's numbers against the Phillies are hard to argue against. In addition, Manny Ramirez has been hot as usual in the postseason, and I look for that to continue in Chavez Ravine.

Prediction: Dodgers take Game Three, 5-2

Phillies-Dodgers: NLCS Preview

Scott Malone — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 13:26:30 -0400

OK, so I did not exactly pick the Los Angeles Dodgers to beat, let alone sweep, the Chicago Cubs. Honestly, I do not think many people could have predicted a sweep of the Cubbies by the Dodgers—not with Ryan Dempster, Carlos Zambrano, and Rich Harden pitching in those first three games.

Well, it happened.

Now, after seeing the Philadelphia Phillies end their set with the Milwaukee Brewers today, I am slightly more upbeat and optimistic about the Phils' chances in the NLCS.

The key word there is "slightly."

While the Phillies have had great success against the Dodgers in Citizens Bank Park, going 4-0, they could not have bought a win against those same Dodgers out in Chavez Ravine, going 0-4, for a season series split of 4-4.

Sure, the Phillies had the better record of the season, finishing eight games ahead of the Dodgers. Yes, the Phils have names such as Jimmy Rollins, Shane Victorino, Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Pat Burrell, and Jayson Werth in their lineup. Oh yeah, and the starting pitching has been *gasp* stellar.

The problem is, most people do not realize that these Dodgers are for real.

The fact that the Dodgers have averaged seven runs per game this postseason is an eye-popping statistic. That is, seven per game against one of the more polished pitching staffs in the Majors.

The Phillies, who in the regular season scored 99 more runs than the Dodgers, have averaged just 3.75 runs per game against a Brewers' rotation that lacked Ben Sheets, and a mediocre Milwaukee bullpen.

The Phillies' inability to hit Dave Bush was not a good sign, especially since Derek Lowe should be towing the rubber for LA in Game One.

While Lowe has faced the Phillies before, back on August 11 when he allowed just 3 runs, 5 hits, 0 BBs, in 6.1 IP, this is a revamped Derek Lowe. Since that August 11 start, Lowe has allowed more than one run twice; the first time on August 26 against the Washington Nationals (2 runs), and the second being Game One against the Cubs (2 runs).

In that span, he also lowered his ERA from 4.11 to 3.24.

OK, so the Phillies' potent lineup must be able to hit this Dodger staff, right? I mean, just think about all those big names.

Well, those big names haven't been too hot this postseason.

MVP candidate Ryan Howard has had no hits this postseason. Absolutely none. Chase Utley is hitting .091 thus far in October. Pat Burrell is hitting .333, but thanks in large part to his 3/4 outburst today. Jayson Werth is hitting a measly .250.

Jimmy Rollins (.417), and Shane Victorino (.400) have helped to pick up the slack, but they will need help if the Phils want to get to the World Series for the first time since the Joe Carter incident.

I must say that the Phillies' starters have surprised me this postseason, which I have no problem with.

Cole Hamels, Brett Myers, Jamie Moyer, and Joe Blanton all did their part in getting this team to the NLCS. They did this by exploiting the impatience and inexperience of the young Milwaukee Brewers' lineup.

They will have a slightly similar task with the Dodgers' youngsters, but with the postseason monster known as Manny Ramirez in the middle of the lineup.

This postseason alone, Manny is hitting .500, with 2 HR, 3 RBI, and 4 BBs in just three games.

Ramirez will present some issues to the entire Phillies' pitching staff, which will try to limit the times that Ramirez will come to bat with men on base.

Cole Hamels and Jamie Moyer potentially could have some success against this Dodgers' lineup, once again utilizing their off-speed pitches to throw off and frustrate the young Dodgers. They will run into potential problems with Manny Ramirez, especially with men on base.

We will also have a chance to see whether the start from Joe Blanton was just a fluke, or whether he has found a groove.

The Dodgers also will have the benefit of Rafael Furcal hitting atop their lineup, which as a whole, catalyzes the rest of the offense. Furcal is hitting .333 for the series, with four hits in the final two games against the Cubs.

Part of the reason Furcal is so valuable to the Dodgers is his running game on the base paths.

In that same sense, Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino are both extremely valuable to the Phillies for their speed on base. While they were not utilized in the Milwaukee series, which is mainly a testament to Jason Kendall, the Brewers' catcher, I would look for them to be more active on the bases against Russell Martin.

Martin has caught just 25 percent of the would-be thieves on the bases. So, expect to see manager Charlie Manuel send speedsters Rollins and Victorino more often, especially since Chase Utley and Ryan Howard are hitting below .100.

The keys to the series for the Dodgers will be:

Rafael Furcal must get on base in front of the youngsters and Manny
The rest of the offense must continue to score to put pressure on the Phillies
The Dodgers' bullpen must continue to be solid

The Phillies' keys are:

Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino must get on base
Ryan Howard and Chase Utley need to hit
The starting pitchers must continue to pitch well to support the slumping offense

The Dodgers have the edge in postseason experience, with Manny Ramirez, Derek Lowe, and Greg Maddux all with an abundance of playoff games under their belt. The Dodgers also have the edge in momentum. Their offense has been red-hot lately and they just beat the best team in the NL—the Cubs.

The Phillies have better speed at the top of their lineup, and it seems like Chase Utley and Ryan Howard are both due to burst out of their postseason funk. The Phils also have the benefit of a better overall bullpen, including Mr. Perfection Brad Lidge, at the back end.

Ultimately it will come down to which teams' offense has more success off of the others' pitching staff.

In that case, I think that the Phillies have more threats in their lineup than the Dodgers do, even though the Dodgers are coming in sizzling.

Prediction: Phillies in six.

Phillies-Brewers: Game One Recap

Scott Malone — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 11:36:46 -0400

I was two-years old the last time the Philadelphia Phillies won a playoff game.

So, honestly, the Phillies might as well have not won a playoff game in my existence, seeing that I have no memory of the 1993 team.

Now, thanks to the 2008 team, the Phillies finally have won a postseason game in my 17-year existence that I will be able to remember.

Cole Hamels showed that he is truly the ace of this pitching staff, opening up Game One by retiring the first 14 batters he faced, before surrendering a single to Corey Hart in the top of the fifth.

Hamels also got some support from his lineup, which capitalized on the defensive miscues of the Milwaukee Brewers and the control issues of Yovani Gallardo.

In the bottom of the third, Carlos Ruiz hit a leadoff single off of Gallardo.

Cole Hamels came up to bunt. Upon laying down a bunt, Brewers' third baseman Bill Hall bobbled the ball, eliminating his option at second, and on his throw to first, Rickie Weeks dropped the ball, putting runners on first and second with nobody out.

Gallardo got an impatient Jimmy Rollins to pop up, and struck out Jayson Werth to get to Chase Utley.

Utley lined a high fastball to center field, where gold-glover Mike Cameron misplayed it, ultimately dropping the Utley liner, allowing Ruiz and Hamels to score, making it 2-0 Phils.

Gallardo lacked control of his fastball, and it showed in this inning, as he walked the bases loaded for Shane Victorino with two outs.

Gallardo then walked Victorino to plate Utley, making it a 3-0 game for the Phillies.

Hamels continued his dominance, allowing just two more baserunners for the rest of the game.

He exploited the Brewers' inexperience and impatience by utilizing his fastball and changeup.

The Brewers' lineup flailed helplessly like fish out of water at Hamels' changeup, who ultimately striking out nine.

Hamels pitched eight great innings, surrendering just two hits, one BB, and striking out nine with just 100 pitches.

In the ninth, Charlie Manuel handed the ball to "Mr. Perfection," Brad Lidge, to close out the game.

After a leadoff strikeout by Mike Cameron, pinch-hitter Ray Durham laced a fastball to right-center.

The other Brewers' hero, Ryan Braun, came up and laced a double down the right-field line, moving Durham to third. Durham then scored after Chase Utley slipped after leaping to cut off the throw from Jayson Werth.

With Prince Fielder at the plate, the pressure mounted for Brad Lidge. Fans had visions of Albert Pujols in their minds, but Lidge put those thoughts to rest with a 3-2 fastball to strikeout Fielder.

Lidge was not out of the woods yet, as he walked JJ Hardy and then saw Hardy and Braun move to second and third after a wild pitch.

With Corey Hart at the plate, the man who broke up Hamels' 14-straight outs in the fifth, Lidge focused in once more, and struck out Hart to seal the deal.

The keys to Game One were:

Cole Hamels kept the Brewers off balance over eight innings.
The Brewers' not-so-hot defense allowed the third inning to continue.
The Phillies' lineup capitalized on the Brewers' defensive mistakes and the wildness of Yovani Gallardo.

With a 1-0 lead in the series, the Phils can now approach Game Two in a more relaxed matter.

The potential of a CC Sabathia-Brett Myers showdown is huge, but I would not expect Myers to burst out back into his August self.

First pitch of Game Two is at 6:07 PM EDT.

Phillies-Brewers NLDS Preview

Scott Malone — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 09:23:29 -0400

The late-September scramble of National League teams has finally ended, with the Philadelphia Phillies and Milwaukee Brewers beating out the New York Mets for the final two playoff spots.

The Phillies finished off September scorching hot, winning 13 of their final 16 games to once again overcome the Mets and take the NL East, including a four game sweep of the Brewers in Citizens Bank Park.

Part of the late season surge was due to their offense, which pounded out 5.38 runs per game down the stretch. The Phils also held their opponents to three runs or fewer 12 different times.

The Brew Crew, however, needed every single part of the 162-game schedule to lock-up a spot in October.

Powered by the efforts of second-year star Ryan Braun and rental-ace CC Sabathia, the Brewers recovered from a dreadful start to September, in which they went 3-12 in their first 15 games of the month, eventually finishing off the season winning six of their final seven games.

Both of these teams rely on streaky offenses and some form of suspect pitching.

The Phils will likely throw out Cole Hamels, Brett Myers, and Jamie Moyer for their playoff rotation.

Hamels is clearly the ace of the staff, leading the rotation in innings pitched (227.1), strikeouts (196), ERA (3.09), and BAA (.227). The Phils second option, Brett Myers, was arguably the hottest pitcher in baseball after he was recalled from a stint with Triple-A affiliate Lehigh Valley.

In a stretch from July 29-September 19, Myers lost just one start, winning seven times in 11 starts. He had an ERA of 1.95 during that stretch of July and August. He also posted a BAA of .210.

Veteran Jamie Moyer continued to defy odds, winning 16 games for the Phillies, which led the staff. He also posted a 3.71 ERA, and was particularly effective against young lineups, such as Arizona, Florida, Washington, and San Diego. Moyer also threw 196.1 innings this season.

The Brewers will undoubtedly choose a rotation consisting of Ben Sheets, CC Sabathia, and Yovani Gallardo.

Sheets has had some slight health issues lately, and from what the Milwaukee Journal- Sentinel has reported, will likely be left off the NLDS roster due to right elbow discomfort.

Without Sheets, the Brewers will likely choose Dave Bush, Jeff Suppan, or possibly Manny Parra to fill out the final spot in their rotation.

Sabathia has been electric since his trade to the Brewers, posting an 11-2 record, pitching 130.2 innings in 17 starts, including seven complete games and three shutouts, while posting a 1.65 ERA and holding hitters to a .222 average.

That being said, Sabathia struggled mightily in the postseason last year with the Cleveland Indians. In three starts, he never pitched more than six innings, and allowed at least three runs each start. Sabathia struggled with his control as evidenced by 13 walks in 15.1 innings, all while posting an 8.80 ERA.

Gallardo was supposed to be the Brewers' number-two starter behind Sheets this season, until he tore a ligament in his knee. In the four starts this year, he has posted a 1.88 ERA in 24 IP, surrendering just five runs, three HR, while walking eight and striking out 20.

The Brewers will most likely go with Dave Bush in the final spot, since he is superior to Jeff Suppan in every statistical category, and due to the inconsistencies of young Manny Parra.

Bullpen-wise, the Phils have a clear edge.

They have a clear, legitimate closer in Brad Lidge, and have received great contributions from J.C. Romero, Ryan Madson, and Chad Durbin, all of whom are utilized to bridge the gap to Lidge.

The Brew Crew lack that kind of a reliable back of the bullpen, with Solomon Torres not even close to Lidge in production this season, and they have Eric Gagne. Todd Coffey has been a nice producer lately, and Brian Shouse has also been a good contributor.

The Brewers do have a lot of young arms that have been called up this year, in Parra, Mark DiFelice, Mitch Stetter, and Tim Dillard who all could play key parts coming out of the bullpen in October, along with Suppan.

Offensively, the Phils have the edge based on their speed.

Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino should be wrecking havoc on the basepaths this series, as October baseball seems to always thrive on small-ball tactics.

The Brewers' most prolific base stealer is Corey Hart, whose total sits at a respectable 23. Jimmy Rollins alone has double that number, swiping 47 on the season.

Shane Victorino has 36, just shy of the combined total of Hart and Mike Cameron's 40.

Most importantly, the Phillies lineup is more potent.

Both teams have two guys that can hit the ball out and hit it out frequently, Ryan Howard and Chase Utley for the Phils, Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun for the Brewers.

The difference lies in the rest of the lineup.

Mike Cameron, the Brewers' lead-off man, is posting roughly the same numbers as Ryan Howard in AVG and OBP. Ray Durham, Ryan Braun, Prince Fielder, and JJ Hardy have all been good, as well as Corey Hart.

The biggest problem with the Brewers is that they do not walk nearly enough; this is a sign of impatience.

Corey Hart is hitting a decent .268, but has a .300 OBP, so 3.2% of the time, Hart will reach base without a hit.

This trend is present throughout the lineup, which is a telling sign as to how youthful the Brewers still are. They've struck out 1203 times this year, or an utterly-awful 7.43 times per game.

In comparison, the Phillies have struck out 1117 times, roughly 6.9 times per game.

The Prediction:

The loss of Ben Sheets is huge, as is the Brewers' lack of a base stealing threat, and their weak bullpen. Their youthful lineup of impatience plays right into the hands of Cole Hamels and his changeup, and Jamie Moyer and his 82 MPH fastball.

Ultimately, CC Sabathia keeps it from being a sweep, and Brett Myers' recent struggles continue in Game Two, giving the Brewers their only win.

Phillies take the series in four.

Red Sox-Angels Preview, Part One: Battle of the Bats?

Scott Malone — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 09:02:53 -0400

This is part one of an ALDS breakdown between the Red Sox and Angels. Myself and Angels writer, Scott Fowler, will continue to preview the series and review each game.

Three days, seven hours, 59 minutes, 42 seconds.

October looms imminently like clouds before the storm.

Five teams have already punched their tickets to Baseball's promised land. Five more continue to battle for the last three spots.

In a year full of surprises and déjà vu, we are presented with the classic first round October match-up of the decade: The Boston Red Sox and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

The Sox have made the playoffs annually since 2003, with the exception of an injury-plagued 2006. The have gone on to become the first team to win multiple World Series titles in the new millennium.

The Angels made the playoffs in 2002, '04, '05, '07, and clinched their fourth division title in five years with a run-away clinching in August 2008.

In the past three years of October baseball for the Red Sox, they have faced and swept the Angels twice en route to their two World Series titles.

Both of those years, 2004 and 2007, saw the Red Sox's ability to defeat the Angels. In large part, this was due to their overall offensive superiority, specifically their ability to hit the home run.

2004 saw David Ortiz's power on full display. His walk-off two-run homer in the 10th inning of game one set the tone for the three-game sweep.

In 2007, Manny Ramirez knocked an inside fastball from Francisco Rodriguez over the Green Monster to give the Sox game two, leading a three-game sweep.

This time around, the Red Sox no longer had the future Hall of Famer Ramirez. Instead, they had replaced him with former Pittsburgh Pirates slugger, Jason Bay.

Last season, Manny hit .348, with four HR, 16 RBI, a .508 OBP, and a 1.160 OPS in just 14 postseason games. In 14 postseason games in 2004, he hit .350, with two HR, 11 RBI, and a .423 OBP.

Clearly, Ramirez's contributions played a part in the Red Sox playoff runs of 2004 and 2007.

His replacement, Jason Bay, has never played in a postseason game.

Nevertheless, in his first 48 games in Red Sox nation, Bay has hit for the second highest average of his career, and has topped 30 HR, 100 RBI, 100 R, and 150 H for the third time in his career. This, the first since his breakout seasons of 2005 and 2006 with the Pirates.

The Red Sox have gone 35-16 since the acquisition of Bay, who is sure to put up great numbers in the Sox lineup.

While Bay lacks the overall fear factor of Manny, the Red Sox lineup will be much more team-oriented this postseason.

They have plenty of young talent, with Jacoby Ellsbury, Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis, and Jed Lowrie, to complement the veteran presence of David Ortiz, Mike Lowell, J.D. Drew, Bay, and Jason Varitek.

The lineup that the Sox will use should look something like this:

Jacoby Ellsbury
Dustin Pedroia
David Ortiz
Kevin Youkilis
J.D. Drew
Mike Lowell
Jason Bay
Jason Varitek
Jed Lowrie

Should J.D. Drew not be ready to go with his oft-injured back, Mark Kotsay should take his spot, and move down in the order to No. 7 in the lineup.

Kotsay has played in seven postseason games, all in 2006 with Oakland, and hit just .200 in them.

Future shortstop Jed Lowrie also has never played in a postseason game, but he has been impressive thus far. He should continue to produce in the lineup in October.

Last postseason, the Sox scored 99 runs in just 14 games, resulting in a 7.7 runs per game average. They also averaged 10.64 hits per game in the playoffs, and averaged 1.29 HR per game.

As a team they had an OBP of .395, slugged .517, and had an OPS of .911 in their 14-game run.

I would look for this Red Sox team to put up similar offensive numbers to last postseason, even without the presence of Manny Ramirez behind David Ortiz. Jason Bay has been putting up similar numbers to Manny in the past couple of seasons, and should flourish in a lineup where he is not the lone threat.

The lineup has so many home run threats—especially with the power emergence of Dustin Pedroia this season—which collectively they have close to the same power threat as last season.

In addition, with Jacoby Ellsbury and David Ortiz each heating up at the right time, it seems as if this Red Sox team will put up more of a challenge than most people think.

After all, October is unpredictable.

Could they challenge the Angels?

The better question is: When will they challenge the Angels?

Los Angeles Angels' Playoff Preview: Are They Truly from Heaven?

Scott Malone — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 07:31:53 -0400

Well, I think we all could see this coming.

In a division filled with an abundance of disappointments and surprises, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are October-bound once again.

Coming into a season where the Seattle Mariners were expected to test the perennial elite of the AL West, only to fall flat on their faces as the season started, the Angels were supposed to be put to the test for the first time in more than a few years.

Before the regular season even started, they were without their No.1 and No. 2 starters, John Lackey and Kelvim Escobar, which prompted the sporting world to think that this might be the year that the Angels do not take the AL West.

Clearly, the Angels did not hear about this new widespread belief.

They acquired Torii Hunter, in a move to fortify the aging Angels in the outfield. They also acquired veteran righty Jon Garland from the Chicago White Sox for model citizen Orlando Cabrera, in an attempt to help shore up their already impressive pitching staff.

The Halos also made the biggest splash at the trading deadline, landing star first baseman Mark Teixeira from the Braves, giving them more pop to protect Vladimir Guerrero.

The Angels are known for playing baseball the right way: utilizing great pitching, fielding, baserunning, contact hitting, and baseball fundamentals in a formula that grants them a spot in the postseason year after year.

The formula is clearly working again this year, as they burst out of the gates with a 20-9 mark in April, and currently sit at 92-57 with the division under wraps.

So now the question comes: Can they actually succeed in the postseason?

They have made the playoffs five times in this decade, four times via a division title. The only time in their franchise's history that they got the AL Pennant was in 2002, when they came in as the wild card and knocked out Barry Bonds and the San Francisco Giants.

Ever since, the month of October has not generated kind memories for them.

They were swept in the ALDS in both 2004 and 2007 by the eventual World Series Champion Boston Red Sox. In 2005, they lost in five games to the Chicago White Sox in the ALCS, who also went on to win the World Series.

The prime reasons for the Angels' postseason struggles have been their lack of protection for Vladimir Guerrero, a lack of overall pop in the lineup, and some relative inexperience of their younger players.

However, this year, the Angels are led by a core group of veterans that are infused with young talent. Youngsters Ervin Santana, Joe Saunders, Jered Weaver, Jose Arredondo, Sean Rodriguez, and Jeff Mathis could all play key parts this postseason.

Santana, Saunders, and Weaver are all candidates to be behind John Lackey in the playoff rotation. Arredondo teams up with veteran Scot Shields to bridge the gap to Francisco Rodriguez. Sean Rodriguez and Jeff Mathis are both starters, at second base and catcher respectively, and will have to produce to help out the offense.

Oh, and then there's that guy Teixeira. He has played in just six playoff games, hitting .591 (13/22), with a home run and six RBI.

The Halos will square off with either the Red Sox or Tampa Bay Rays in the ALDS, and as for that, only time will tell whom.

Against the upstart Rays, the Angels have the advantage of greater playoff experience, better all-around pitching, and the crucial home-field advantage. The Rays are a meager 35-38 on the road, compared to 53-22 at home. The Angels are equally tough at home and on the road, posting a 49-29 and 43-28 mark respectively.

Against the Red Sox, the Angels will have to get the monkey off their backs at some point. Having been swept the past two times they have met in the postseason, the Angels will still have it fresh on their minds.

The Red Sox, like the Rays, are not so good away from home. The Angels will have the advantage there and in their pitching depth, especially in the bullpen. The Red Sox have a more potent lineup, even without Manny Ramirez, and benefit from more playoff experience.

The Angels should beat the Rays in four, or the Red Sox in five.

In the ALCS, they will probably face the other AL East team who played the White Sox, since I do not believe that Chicago can manufacture runs as well as either team in tight situations.

The Angels will get to their second ever World Series, and will take on the Chicago Cubs.

In what will be one of the best World Series to watch in recent memory, the Angels will battle for six games before clinching their second ever title in Angel Stadium.

Phillies' Brooms Not Dodge-Able

Scott Malone — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 15:59:40 -0400

Two weeks ago, the Phillies were swept in their four-game series in Los Angeles against the Dodgers.

After that series was finally over, a glance at the Phils' schedule revealed that they would be playing the Dodgers in another four-game set, this time in Philadelphia. Everyone who noticed this thought "Well, there goes our playoff chances".

Clearly the Phillies had revenge on their minds.

They won four of their six games after the sweep, against the two worst Major League offenses in San Diego and Washington.

The confidence carried over to this rematch with LA.

Friday night saw the Phillies leave just three men on base, putting up seven runs on the Dodgers' newest acquisition Greg Maddux.

Kyle Kendrick and the Phillies' bullpen surrendered just five hits, two walks, and one run. The run came on Andre Ethier's first inning home run.

The Phils' offense received key contributions from Ryan Howard and Chris Coste, who combined to drive in six runs en route to an 8-1 Phillies win.

On Saturday, Pat Burrell got the offense started early, with a three run home run off the left field foul pole, giving Cole Hamels some early run support.

Hamels went seven strong innings, allowing five hits, two runs, and getting five strike outs. He positioned himself for his 11th win of the season.

While he allowed Russell Martin to hit a two-run shot to left in the third inning, the offense came back to support him.

Pat Burrell, Ryan Howard, and Shane Victorino combined to add on six more runs over the final four innings, leading the Phitins to a 9-2 victory.

On the day, Burrell carried the offense with his five RBI effort, as well as getting three hits and three runs.

In the national spotlight of Sunday Night Baseball, the Phillies had their closest contest.

Joe Blanton and Hiroki Kuroda each pitched six strong innings in a surprise pitchers' duel.

Blanton allowed six hits, one run, and three walks while striking out four.

Kuroda was able to silence the Phillies' bats. He surrendered just two hits, one run, and two walks, while fanning five Phils.

The Dodgers took a seventh inning lead, thanks to a Jeff Kent RBI single off of J.C. Romero.

The lead stood until the bottom of the ninth, when LA closer Jonathan Broxton came in and lacked command of his fastball.

Pedro Feliz took advantage of Broxton's lack of control, stroking a meatball pitch into center to plate Shane Victorino and tie the game.

Feliz was the hero again in extra innings.

In the bottom of the 11th, Feliz was able to knock a Jason Johnson pitch into the left-center field seats, giving the Phils the 5-2 victory.

Once again in the spotlight of ESPN, the Phillies looked to pull out the brooms against the Dodgers on Monday.

Jimmy Rollins had been slumping for the past few series, and he seemed to rediscover his swing.

He was 5-45 in his at-bats leading up to his appearance in the bottom of the second.

Rollins was able to come through and drive in Pedro Feliz and Jayson Werth with a single to shallow center, giving Jimmy a key boost of confidence.

He proceeded to lead off the fifth with a double to right field. He moved to third on a Chase Utley single. Rollins then scored on Pat Burrell's double play ground out, making it 3-0.

Rollins then tripled to left, thanks in large part to the lack of mobility on the part of Manny Ramirez in left field.

He reached base all five times, including being hit by a pitch and walking.

Jayson Werth and Chris Coste knocked in the final two Phillies' runs in the seventh, making it 5-0.

That would be the final score, as Brett Myers pitched another gem. He went seven shutout innings, surrendering nine hits and three walks while striking out eight.

The Dodgers were carried in this game by Matt Kemp, Russell Martin, and Angel Berroa, all of whom had at least two hits.

After the game, Rollins was asked if he had changed anything to burst out of his slump. He said that he "went back and watched his highlight tape" to help him focus on the things he did right, instead of the wrongs.

The keys of this series were as follows:

Phillies pitching allowed a combined five runs in 38 IP
The offense put up runs to support their pitchers
Manny Ramirez went just 2-14 in the series
The Dodgers left 35 men on base, while the Phils left 29

The Phillies currently trail the New York Mets by 0.5 games in the division, thanks in large part to the Houston Astros who split their four-game set with the Mets.

The Phils now wait for the Mets to arrive for a key two-game set at the Bank.

The Phils will throw out Jamie Moyer to counter Pedro Martinez on Tuesday, and Kyle Kendrick will square off with Johan Santana on Wednesday.

Role Reversal In The NL East?

Scott Malone — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 08:03:07 -0400

Yes, everyone knows what happened last year.

As of September 17, 2007, the Mets had a 2.5 game lead over the hot Phillies in the National League East, with a record of 83-66.

They proceeded to lose eight of their next 13 games, and promptly finished a game behind the Phillies for the division at season's end.

This time last season, the Mets sat at 71-54, and were playing a San Diego Padres team that was also in the playoff hunt. They had just come off of an easy stretch facing the Braves, Marlins, Nationals, and Pirates, and were heading into a slightly more difficult part of their schedule.

The Phillies sat at 66-58, 4.5 games back, and were in the process of dropping their series with the Los Angeles Dodgers at home. The Phils also were coming off an easy stretch, facing those very same teams as the Mets.

This year, the Mets currently are 71-57, 2.5 games up, and are heading into the final stage of an easy stretch against rebuilding teams. They have won nine of their last ten, beating up on the Nationals, Pirates, and Braves, and now head into a four game set at home against the Houston Astros.

The Phils once again are playing the Dodgers at home, and are 68-59 entering a brutal part of their schedule, with a four game set against the Dodgers, two against the Mets, and four at Wrigley.

It seems that the circumstances are eerily similar to this point last year, just with the two teams slightly closer in the standings.

However, unlike in previous seasons, the Phillies are actually cooling off in August. They were 17-12 in August last season, finishing on a six game win streak.

This year, they sit at 9-10 with the previously mentioned brutal schedule looming.

The "Amazin's" have been red hot in August, having gone 13-7 thus far, compared to last year's 15-13 mark for the month.

The Mets' offense has also turned it on. In this month: Jose Reyes is hitting .282, David Wright is hitting .316, Carlos Beltran is hitting .307, and Carlos Delgado is hitting .271. In addition, each of the big four has an OBP in the .370's or higher for the month.

By contrast, the Phillies' big four has been slumping. Chase Utley is hitting .243. Pat Burrell: .167. Ryan Howard: .164. Finally, Jimmy Rollins is hitting .211. All have OBP's less than .310, with the exception of Utley (.346).

The Mets, while having bullpen issues, continue to get quality starts by their rotation, even without the presence of John Maine. Their offense continues to produce runs, led by their big four as well as their rookies.

The Phillies only deserved to win one game of their past series with Washington, and that was Brett Myers' shutout performance.

They were bailed out in game one by Shane Victorino and Jayson Werth.

In the final game, they played sloppy defense all game, and as a result lost to the Nationals, who previously had not won in 12 games.

Until the Phillies' big four can learn how to hit again, the Mets have a great opportunity to make people forget about last season, and to bury the fading Phillies for the September stretch.

Final Prediction: Mets take division by three games.

But Phillies fans do have something else to do instead of close their eyes and hope: They can countdown to Eagles' opening kickoff.

Can Ryan Zimmerman Be Saved?

Scott Malone — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 14:36:18 -0400

Let's face it: The Washington Nationals are the worst team in baseball.

The team, as a whole, is just offensively anemic, with the worst record and offense in all of baseball.

This team has steadily gotten worse and worse since 2006, in terms of quality talent on the field.

Granted, their pitching has been decimated by injuries. They also have a good, young prospect in Ross Detwiler, who is soon to be major-league material.

However, ever since the departure of Alfonso Soriano after the 2006 season, the weight of the offense has been carried by one man: Ryan Zimmerman.

With Soriano on the team, and in his first full season, Zimmerman put up impressive numbers. He hit .287, with 21 HR, 110 RBI, and 11 SB in 157 games.

Last year, the franchise player hit .266, with 24 HR, 91 RBI, and 4 SB in 162 games.

His '08 campaign has been plagued by a shoulder injury, which kept him out from May 26 to July 22. He has put up lackluster numbers when he has played though, posting a .267 AVG, 8 HR, 33 RBI, and 1 SB.

Clearly, his numbers were significantly better when he had some help in the lineup.

Now, Zimmerman has an opportunity for escape.

His one-year, $465K deal expires at the end of this season.

He is presented with two choices:

1) Re-sign with Washington, since they will want to keep him as their franchise player, even if it means enduring mediocrity for more years,

2) Follow the path of Alfonso Soriano and bolt for the free-agent market, in the hope that he will be signed by a better team.

Now, should he bolt for the open market, Zimmerman could receive some good offers. He is only 24, has proven that he can produce when given help, is an excellent defensive third baseman, and he will play over 90 percent of the season.

There are also teams that would like to add a third baseman to fill a void. The Phillies have had a black hole at third ever since Scott Rolen left, and adding the young Zimmerman to their already potent lineup would increase production and give them, possibly, the best infield in baseball.

The San Francisco Giants could also be interested in Zimmerman becoming a part of their youth movement.

However, the Washington Nationals are sure to offer Zimmerman a pretty sizable pay raise to stay in DC for a little while, if only so that he cannot go to a division rival like the Phillies.

Jim Bowden has watched Alfonso Soriano walk, failed to pony up enough to entice Aaron Crow to sign, and he could be seeing Zimmerman for the last time in a Nats uniform.

Top-Six National League MVPs from Losing Teams

Scott Malone — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 08:10:29 -0400

As the pennant chases heat up and the weather cools off into the October chill that we all enjoy, the discussion of MVP comes into play.

Traditionally, fans see the MVP as a player with great stats on a team that made the postseason, or a team that was in contention until the very end.

However, after reading another article about someone's NL MVP prediction, I decided that I would search for the player that truly met the MVP criteria.

A true Most Valuable Player is someone that a team cannot afford to lose. Without his production, the team would descend into the depths of the league, never to be heard from again until Spring Training next season.

In my opinion, an MVP could, but does not have to, come from a winning team.

I believe this because even though he is on a winning team and putting up good-to-great numbers, he is doing so because he has a lot of good players around him. He is not the central component to the team's production.

So, without further delay, here are the players I believe should be considered for MVP.

Note: None of these players would be considered for MVP, as all are on losing teams or teams who will not make the playoffs.

Matt Holliday, OF, Colorado Rockies (57-69)

.339 AVG, 23 HR, 72 RBI, 87 R, 19 SB, .427 OBP.

Truth be told, the Rockies surprised everyone last season with their magical late-season run that carried them to the World Series. This year, the Rockies were held to higher expectations.

Their young pitching staff was looked upon to improve upon last season's numbers. The young lineup was supposed to be better, now that they had more experience. They were expected to contend for the NL West and possibly contend for another World Series.

However, the team did not exactly live up to those expectations. They went 11-17 in April and 9-18 in May. They have only had one month with an above-.500 mark, July, when they went 17-11.

The one constant in this season has been Holliday. He leads the team in runs scored, doubles, HR, walks, AVG, OBP, SLG, and OPS. He would also be first in hits and RBI if he did not have an injury that cost him time. The Rockies would definitely be a lot worse without him in their lineup.

Adrian Gonzalez, 1B, San Diego Padres (48-76)

.277 AVG, 28 HR, 89 RBI, 72 R, .354 OBP.

The Padres have made a complete about-face since last season. They have gone from the doorstep of October baseball to the cellar of the National League. This season, their pitching staff has been decimated by injuries, and their anemic offense continues to do nothing, as they are the second-worst offense in baseball.

They are averaging 3.8 runs per game with Gonzalez. Without him crossing the plate once, they average 3.2 runs per game. Their 457 RBI lose a huge piece if Gonzalez does not play, as it is reduced to a far-and-away league worst 368. He leads the team in AB, R, H, HR, RBI, SLG, and OPS. Without Gonzalez, the Padres might not have even won 40 games by now.

Chipper Jones, 3B, Atlanta Braves (56-69)

.363 AVG, 19 HR, 61 RBI, 65 R, 2 SB, .460 OBP.

The biggest buzz around the Atlanta Braves this season has been Chipper's flirting with a .400 AVG come season's end. The Braves were originally thought to be a dark horse contender for the NL East in Spring Training, but injuries to John Smoltz, Tom Glavine, their bullpen, Yunel Escobar, and Chipper have made this a tough season in Atlanta.

It culminated in the trading of Georgia native Mark Teixeira to the Angels. While his season has been riddled with injuries, Chipper has continued to hit. While he will probably not hit .400, he will still have a very good average by the end of the season—in the low .360s or high .350s.

He leads the team in H, R, BB, AVG, OBP, SLG, and OPS. Even though the Braves are clearly out of the playoff hunt, Chipper has continued to play well, even though he has only played in 98 games.

Brian McCann, C, Atlanta Braves (56-69)

.302 AVG, 21 HR, 69 RBI, 52 R, 4 SB, .378 OBP.

McCann has continued to prove that he is one of the best catchers in the major leagues. He leads all catchers in doubles, HR, RBI, SLG, and OPS. He and Chipper Jones have helped to lead this struggling Braves team through the tough times this season, and he will continue to be a leader on this team and one of the premier young catchers in the game today.

Lance Berkman, 1B, Houston Astros (63-62)

.330 AVG, 25 HR, 89 RBI, 96 R, 15 SB, .428 OBP.

"The Big Puma" was involved in early MVP, triple crown, and .400 talks, with fellow switch-hitter Chipper Jones in May and June. While those talks have somewhat subsided, Berkman has continued to put up very good numbers for the Astros. Berkman leads the 'Stros in R, H, 2B, 3B, BB, AVG, OBP, SLG, and OPS. With Berkman guaranteed $14.5M for the next two years, we should look to see this consistency from Berkman continue in Houston.

Carlos Lee, OF, Houston Astros (63-62)

.314 AVG, 28 HR, 100 RBI, 61 R, 4 SB, .368 OBP.

Overshadowed in the NL Central by the Cubs, Brewers, and Cardinals, and overshadowed in Houston by Lance Berkman, Carlos Lee has quietly put up big numbers for the Astros this season.

Even though he was recently put on the DL with a broken finger, Lee is considered co-MVP in Houston with Berkman. Without these two players, who combine to lead just about every offensive category, the 'Stros would most likely be somewhere in the mid-40s in wins.

Like Berkman, Lee is locked up in Houston with $18.5M a year until 2012. Unless the Astros are presented a golden offer for either or both of these two, Lee and Berkman will continue to put up big numbers in Houston.

Well that's my list. If you have any others, feel free to leave them in a comment.

Open Mic: Manny Eh? Ramirez For Bay Paying Dividends For All

Scott Malone — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 11:47:45 -0400

Well, the Red Sox finally did it. They traded Manny.

After years of deadline rumors that the Sox would trade Manny to Baltimore for Miguel Tejada, or for Alex Rodriguez, or any other variety of names, the Red Sox got Jason Bay from the Pittsburgh Pirates to take Manny's place in left field.

What the Red Sox got in the form of Bay, was a guy who is most likely happy to be out of Pittsburgh and in a pennant race for the first time in his career.

He runs everything out. He plays better defense. He does not have any "Jason-being-Jason" moments.

Instead, he will be able to produce in one of the best lineups in baseball, with the likes of Jacoby Ellsbury, Dustin Pedroia or Kevin Youkilis, David Ortiz, Mike Lowell, and J.D. Drew all in front of him.

Considering what he has been able to do in Pittsburgh: hit .280 or better, with 20-35 HR and 80-110 RBI in a much weaker lineup, his production has a chance to go through the roof in a talented lineup.

Comparing his numbers to Manny's more recent numbers, Bay is matching up well considering he had no protection with the Pirates.

Last season, both struggled. Bay hit just .247, with 21 HR and 82 RBI. Manny also had a bad year by his standards, hitting .296, with 22 HR and 80 RBI.

In 2006, both put up almost identical numbers, with Bay producing a .286 AVG, with 35 HR, 109 RBI, and over 100 walks, while Manny put up a .321 AVG, with 35 HR and 102 RBI.

Another reason that the Red Sox accepted this trade was definitely because Jason Bay is seven years younger than Manny, but Bay also is a good bargain for next year ($7.5 million) compared to Manny's $20 million option.

The loss of Manny means that the Red Sox will have freed up some money with which they can resign youngsters Kevin Youkilis, Dustin Pedroia, Jacoby Ellsbury, Jon Lester, Jonathan Papelbon, Manny Delcarmen, and Clay Buchholz, as well as Jason Varitek.

In addition, it frees up the possibility of money being available to resign Bay after next season, mainly because of the anticipated loss of Julio Lugo, who should be replaced by Jed Lowrie full time for next season.

Bay should be able to fit in nicely with this group of guys, and with management, as the show that is Manny Ramirez has left Boston, which is allowing the organization to exhale and enjoy the chase.

Terry Francona was quoted as saying, "After our first team meeting, we felt like we had a true team of 25 guys, all with the same goal in mind."

Although the Red Sox acquired Bay, they had to give up promising youngsters Brandon Moss and Craig Hansen.

Moss got the short end of the stick in Boston, mainly because he was the fifth outfielder behind Manny, Coco Crisp, Jacoby Ellsbury, and J.D. Drew. As a result he was not able to get a lot of playing time.

He has been starting everyday in Pittsburgh thus far, and has made some impressive flashes of leather. While his hitting has struggled a little bit thus far with the Pirates, it will certainly turn around as he gets used to facing the new pitchers in the NL.

Hansen was destined to be the Sox's future closer back before they found Jonathan Papelbon. However, the discovery of Papelbon and his lack of consistent control have made Hansen lose his high ranked prospect status.

His poor control has already reared its ugly head in Pittsburgh, as he has allowed 6 walks in just 4.2 IP as a Pirate, without any strikeouts.

Nevertheless, Moss and Hansen will eventually become good players for the Buccos.

And as for Manny, he was last seen missing in the top of the ninth in Monday's home game against the Phillies.

His excuse?

"I had to go to the bathroom".

Maybe they should just build a green monster in Dodger Stadium anyway.

Phillies jump out to early lead, Catch Marlins' lineup napping

Scott Malone — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 16:29:00 -0400

The Philadelphia Phillies were not eager to be shut down again by another Florida Marlins young gun.

Last night Josh Johnson shut down the dangerous Phillies lineup, and the Marlins were putting Anibal Sanchez out on the mound to try and duplicate Johnson's success from the night before.

The Phillies would not stand for it.

They jumped out to an early 1-0 lead courtesy of an RBI double from Chase Utley, driving in Shane Victorino from first in the bottom of the first inning.

The Phils scored two more in the second, courtesy of an RBI double by Eric Bruntlett and an RBI ground-out from Kyle Kendrick to widen the gap to 3-0.

Ryan Howard tacked on a fourth run by depositing an Anibal Sanchez offering into the left-center field seats to make it 4-0 in the third.

The Phils got their fifth and final run in the sixth, courtesy of a pinch-hit RBI single by Mike Cervenak, his first Major League hit and RBI.

That would be all the Phillies needed, as Kyle Kendrick gave six solid innings, scattering four hits and five walks while striking out four.

His counterpart Anibal Sanchez seemed to struggle, lasting only five innings, surrendering five hits, four runs, walking three and striking out two.

After Kendrick's departure, both teams' pitching staffs took over, with Mark Hendrickson, Chad Durbin, and Ryan Madson combining to allow four base runners over the course of 5.2 IP.

The Phillies also got some great defense behind Kendrick, with Jimmy Rollins and Eric Bruntlett leading the way, both making several plays, and making some impressive plays respectively.

The Phillies took the second game of the three game set with the Marlins by a score of 5-0.

The Phils look to take the series tomorrow afternoon, and send Cole Hamels to the mound to face off against Marlins' starter Chris Volstad and the Marlins lineup.

NL Central: Cubs Starting To Break Away From Brewers and Cards

Scott Malone — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 11:55:14 -0400

The North Side of Chicago is rejoicing. Wrigleyville is packed with fans, ready to see their Cubs better their already impressive 42-16 home record.

Entering action Tuesday August 6, the Cubs were five games up on the Milwaukee Brewers, six ahead of the rival St. Louis Cardinals, and 13+ ahead of the Houston Astros, Cincinnati Reds, and the Pittsburgh Pirates.

These Cubs know how to play at home, averaging over six runs per game, as well as hitting .303, sporting a team ERA of 3.65, and have held opposing hitters to just a .239 AVG.

On the road the Cubs have struggled, averaging just under 4.5 runs per game, and hitting just .259 as a team. The pitching staff has slightly worse road numbers, posting a 3.95 road ERA, and a .248 opponent AVG.

Nonetheless, there is a lot of optimism surrounding these Cubs, as they have a great offensive attack, and can shut down opposing lineups with their pitching.

With a lineup that contains so many weapons, the Cubs were expected to score runs. They got off to a good start offensively and have picked up their hitting with the return of leadoff man Alfonso Soriano.

The pitching for the Cubs has been the real surprise. Carlos Zambrano has continued to prove he is the ace of the staff, and the front office went out and got a 1b starter in Rich Harden from the Oakland A's, giving the Cubs a formidable one-two punch.

In addition, Ryan Dempster has been phenomenal, posting 12 wins, 150 IP, 133 SO, a 2.93 ERA, and a .209 BAA.

The bullpen has also been good to the Cubs, receiving key contributions from Kerry Wood, Carlos Marmol, Jeff Samardzija, Chad Gaudin, and Neal Cotts.

The Cubs are getting set for a three game set at home against the Cardinals before they play 12 of their next 15 games against sub .500 teams.

However, down the stretch in September, the Cubs play their final 13 games against the Brewers, Cardinals, and Mets, with seven of those games on the road, and six against the Brew Crew.

If the Cubs can stay healthy, and take advantage of their upcoming series, I believe we will see them in October.

The Brewers have been working on recovering from the beating that the Cubs gave them at Miller Park for four games.

They have won four of the past six, and are also heading into an easy stretch to finish up the month of August, as they play just five of their next 21 games against opponents with above .500 records, and are currently getting set to host the Washington Nationals for four games in Milwaukee.

Make no mistake: this Brewers team is good. They are also young, and relatively inexperienced as evidenced by their second half collapse last season.

Still, with the addition of CC Sabathia to help solidify their rotation, they have a shot of matching up with the Cubs in another head-to-head series, which they will have two of in September.

Until that time, the Brewers are poised to try and make up some ground that they lost courtesy of the Cubs.

However, the Brewers seem to be an all or nothing offensive team.

They hit just .254, and average over seven strikeouts per game. They also average just over one home run per game, and average 4.6 runs per game.

The starting pitching has been average, but most likely would have been better if not for the injury to Yovani Gallardo early in the season.

The bullpen is the true weakness for this ball club. They have three arms in Solomon Torres, Brian Shouse, and Mitch Stetter that have all been reliable this season. However, they lack a reliever with over 40 IP aside from Torres—their closer. They still have Eric Gagne and have no immediate move for him in sight.

If the Brewers want a shot at the division, and especially the playoffs, they will need to beat these weak teams ahead on their schedule, because if they do not, they leave the door to the wild card wide open for the Cardinals, as well as the NL East, as they have only a one game lead on St. Louis, three on Florida, and three and half on New York.

The bullpen needs to improve, as does the team's offensive consistency, if they want to make any sort of run in October.

The St. Louis Cardinals have shocked a lot of people with how well they have played this season.

The Cards sit just a game behind the Brewers for the wild card, and six back of the Cubs for the division.

Offensively, they score just under five runs per game, have five starters hitting .300 or better, and as a team hit a respectable .276. They have gotten key contributions from Ryan Ludwick, Troy Glaus, and Rick Ankiel to help Albert Pujols carry the offensive load.

Their pitching staff has held the ship together, allowing ace Chris Carpenter to come back healthy, and now await the return of Adam Wainwright, who is expected to be back some time this month.

The problem for the Cards has been their closer. Jason Isringhausen has not been able to effectively shut the door as he has in past years, and neither have Ryan Franklin or prospect Chris Perez.

While Tony La Russa has been able to keep this ship afloat, he might consider putting Adam Wainwright into the closer role to give this team some sort of bullpen stability. By doing that, it bumps Isringhausen and Franklin up to set-up or middle relief, possibly resulting in better performances on both parts.

The Cards lack the easy schedule that division rivals Chicago and Milwaukee have to finish out August, and for the rest of the season. They do have a slightly easier month of September, where they play the Cincinnati Reds six times, the Pirates three, the Diamondbacks seven, and the Cubs six.

The Cards have done well to this point, but I just do not see them making the playoffs. I do not believe they have the starting pitching depth of the Cubs or Brewers that they will need to compete for the division or wild card.

As for the Astros, Reds, and Pirates: the Astros' management still believes that they could make a run, but they wont because they too lack starting pitching depth.

Both the Reds and Pirates have been thinking about the future for the past couple seasons, and that trend continued this year, with each team selling off veteran parts (Junior, Jason Bay, Damaso Marte, Xavier Nady) in return for prospects to help build for the future.

The division crown will be fought for by the Cubs and Brewers, with the Cubbies ultimately winning out over the Brew Crew.

The Cubs are geared up for a playoff run, and have a real shot at the World Series, provided nobody pulls a Bartman, or they do not let a goat into the stadium.

Fighting Fish: Marlins Knock Off Phillies, Now 1.5 Back

Scott Malone — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 15:41:22 -0400

The Philadelphia Phillies went into Tuesday night looking to help widen their lead over the Florida Marlins and New York Mets in the NL East. Before any action, the Phillies led the Marlins by 2.5 games and the Mets by three.

They were entering into a crucial three game set at home against those Marlins, part of a six game home-stand that also includes a three game series with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The Phillies were 7-3 in their last ten, and had just taken the final two games of a three game series in St. Louis against the Cardinals.

The pitching match ups have the Marlins putting three of their young pitchers on display. Game one and two showcase Josh Johnson and Anibal Sanchez, two young stars that made their debut two years ago and just recently came back from arm surgeries. Thursday will see young gun Chris Volstad.

The Phillies will throw out Jamie Moyer, Kyle Kendrick, and Cole Hamels to counter the young Marlins.

Moyer is 10-0 in his career against the Marlins in ten starts, with a career 3.03 ERA.

The Marlins looked determined to break through against the ageless lefty Moyer, sparked by a lead-off double on the first pitch in the top of the second. Moyer then proceeded to hit catcher John Baker with a pitch.

Moyer then coaxed a weak pop up from Alfredo Amezaga, before pitcher Josh Johnson bunted Uggla and Baker to third and second respectively. Moyer then intentionally walked Hanley Ramirez to load the bases. Moyer then walked Jeremy Hermida on a 3-2 count to plate Uggla and give the Marlins the early lead.

Moyer was not getting the calls on the corners of the plate from umpire Ron Kulpa, and as a result struggled.

In the fourth, Hanley Ramirez got on base again with an infield hit, and Moyer then hit Jeremy Hermida to put men on first and second with nobody out. Moyer struck out Jorge Cantu, but then saw Hanley Ramirez steal third. He then was driven in on a would-be inning-ending double play, but scored thanks to the hustle of Josh Willingham who beat out the throw to first to keep the inning alive.

Moyer's struggles are shown by the fact that he needed 96 pitches to get through just five innings, and only 55 strikes. However, Moyer was able to strand nine Marlins on base in his five innings.

On the other end, the Phillies were not able to get anything going off of Josh Johnson. The hard-throwing righty kept hitters off balance with his sinker, two seam fast ball, and slider, resulting in six scoreless innings, scattering five hits and four walks while striking out three.

The Marlins tacked on two more runs in the seventh, with a bases loaded, two out single by Alfredo Amezaga over the leaping Greg Dobbs.

The Phils had a rally going in the bottom of the seventh, however with one man on So Taguchi hit a line drive headed towards the gap, but Dan Uggla made a leaping grab, and then doubled up Carlos Ruiz at first.

The Phillies did get to Renyel Pinto, with a two out single by Jimmy Rollins, and then Shane Victorino hit a deep line drive down the third base line, and what appeared to be just foul past the pole was called a home run, decreasing the deficit to 4-2.

The Fish answered back in the eighth, with an RBI single by Jeremy Hermida to score Hanley Ramirez from second base to make it 5-2.

Florida did not settle at just five runs, and put up three more in the ninth on J.A. Happ courtesy of a sacrifice fly by Hanley Ramirez and a two RBI single by Jeremy Hermida.

The Marlins were able to put 22 men on base, through 13 hits, seven walks, and two hit batsmen. However, they stranded 13 in a game that could have been much uglier than it turned out to be.

The Phillies could not break through against the underrated Marlins pitching staff, and a well played defensive game from the Fish.

The Phils' offense grounded into three double plays, and mustered eight hits but just could not get anything across the plate.

After a game one loss, the Phils will look to come back strong tomorrow night.

Clearly these Fish refuse to be fried by the heat of the dog day stretch.

Trades In Review: A Divisional Breakdown of the NL East

Scott Malone — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 11:20:35 -0400

For those of you that have been living under a rock for the past weeks, the non-waiver trading deadline has passed in Major League Baseball. With it, every team now hopes that their decision to buy, sell, or stand pat, will pay off in the long haul down the stretch.

The Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets, and Florida Marlins headed into the trade deadline as the three contenders atop the NL East, as the Nationals and Braves struggled to stay close to .500.

The common perception was that these three contenders would each try and address their weaknesses as the deadline neared. Surprisingly, the most talked about trade did not involve any of these three teams.

The show was stolen by the Atlanta Braves, who traded star first baseman Mark Teixeira to the L.A. Angels for their starting first baseman Casey Kotchman, and a minor league pitcher.

The Braves currently sit nine games back of the leading Phillies and 7.5 back of the third place Marlins. In addition, with stars Tim Hudson and Chipper Jones on the DL, the Braves must simply look forward to next year for any possibility of contention in this division.

The Phillies made the first move by acquiring struggling right hander Joe Blanton from the Oakland A's in an attempt to help bolster their weak starting rotation.

Since his arrival in the City of Brotherly Love, Blanton has continued to struggle. In his two starts, he has gone a combined eight innings, allowing 11 hits and seven runs, while walking four and striking out two, all with a 7.88 ERA. In addition, hitters are hitting batting practice off him, posting a .333 AVG.

So far Blanton has done nothing to invoke some Brotherly Love from the fans. All he has done is give them headaches with the thought that either he or Adam Eaton has to pitch every fifth day in August and September.

The Phillies look to hold their slim one game lead over the Mets as they head to St. Louis for a three game set against the Cardinals. Which is before a six game home stand against the Marlins and Pirates.

The Marlins were believed to be the chief suitor for Manny Ramirez and were up until July 31 when the negotiations between them and the Red Sox hit a snag over Manny's contract for the remainder of the season.

Instead of getting a future Hall of Fame slugger, the Fish got a left handed reliever in Arthur Rhodes who they hope can help shut down the powerful left handed bats of their division rivals late in the game.

Rhodes has a history of being inconsistent year in and year out. However, he seems to be in the middle of a good year, posting a 2.86 ERA in 36 appearances totaling in 22 innings while holding hitters to a .227 AVG.

The Marlins will probably use Rhodes as a situational lefty, putting him in to go after lefties Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, and Carlos Delgado in an attempt to keep the Fish in or ahead of the game.

The Marlins look to stay in contention, currently 1.5 games back, as they begin a three game series with the Colorado Rockies tonight. They will then go on a six game road trip to Philadelphia and New York to face their division rivals.

The New York Mets were one of the bigger disappointments at the end of this past trade deadline. They were the only team in the division that did not make a trade. Yes, even the Washington Nationals were able to make a trade.

The Mets needed to strengthen their outfield, and had heavy interest in Raul Ibanez and Xavier Nady, only to see their cross town rivals the Yankees get Nady. Also, they were not willing to include premium prospects in a trade for Ibanez.

This lack of a move puts the Mets in a difficult position, as they must now await the return of Ryan Church. He has been their most consistent producer thus far and is currently on the DL due to Post Concussion Syndrome. They hope to have him back in the next week or two.

Until his return, the Mets will have to rely on Endy Chavez and Fernando Tatis to play well in order to keep their offense going to support their strong starting staff.

The Mets currently sit a game back of the Phillies and open a three game set with the Houston Astros before returning to Shea to host the lowly San Diego Padres and the Florida Marlins. They also have a makeup game with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The Washington Nationals have had a horrendous season. They currently have less than 40 wins (38) and exactly 70 losses in a disappointing season. The Nats have lost three players for the season to injury all ready in Nick Johnson, Chad Cordero, and Wily Mo Pena. In addition, they have Dmitri Young, Aaron Boone, Shawn Hill, and Ryan Wagner all still on the DL since early August.

When they lost franchise player Ryan Zimmerman to a shoulder injury in late May, he continued to lead the team in RBI with 27 until mid to late June. That alone can attest to how poor the offensive production of the Nationals is. They average under four runs per game and as a team have hit just .241.

They also traded the physically intimidating Jon Rauch, who at the time was having a good year, to the Arizona Diamondbacks for second base prospect Emilio Bonifacio, who was called up today.

If the Nationals want to climb out of the cellar any time soon, they need to get some more offensive production from their lineup and need to stay healthy. As for the rest of their season, they just hope that they can get above 50 wins.

My revised prediction is that the Mets will be able to pull out the division based on the strength of their starting rotation and assuming their offense continues to support the starters.

The Marlins will stay in contention to the end possibly coming in second if they play their cards right.

The Phillies have the offense that can cripple opposing pitching staffs but their starters have no consistency and have had difficult times trying to handle the other dangerous lineups in the division, especially after their unusual hot start.

While none of the players brought to this division are capable of carrying a team on their back, they each should play a key role in their team's stretch run towards the playoffs.

Ivan Rodriguez: The Next Big Name on the Move

Scott Malone — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 11:02:29 -0400

Another big name player is on the move as the trade deadline looms just over 24 hours away.

The Detroit Tigers were in search for a bullpen arm to help patch up the hole being created by Todd Jones, Joel Zumaya, and Fernando Rodney.

They got another arm Wednesday, as they acquired Kyle Farnsworth from the New York Yankees in exchange for catcher Ivan Rodriguez.

This trade helped both sides, with the Tigers getting another arm to add to their struggling bullpen, while the Yankees acquire a veteran catcher to help replace Jorge Posada. This trade comes just days after Posada announced that he would have season-ending arthroscopic surgery on his shoulder.

While Rodriguez is past his prime, he still offers a strong veteran presence in the clubhouse and will fill Posada's spot in the lineup. Pudge has been hitting .295, with five HR and 32 RBI through 82 games with the Tigers this season.

Farnsworth has put together a good season by his standards, holding a 3.65 ERA through 44.1 IP. If he can keep up his pace, this will be only the fourth time in his nine year career that he has kept his ERA under 4.00, a feat he has not accomplished since the 2005 season with Detroit & Atlanta.

Look for Farnsworth to be next in line for the closer's seat in the Detroit bullpen, should Fernando Rodney not be able to hold down the position.

The Yankees got a good deal with the 13 time Gold Glove winner Rodriguez, who also brings a career .302 AVG to the Yankees.

Farnsworth is ever so inconsistent, as shown by the fact that he has been with four teams in his nine year career, and a 4.42 career ERA.

The Yankees have added another piece, in the hopes that they can catch the Rays and Red Sox, or at least keep the gap close.

Brave Move: Mark Teixeira Traded to Angels

Scott Malone — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 13:27:15 -0400

The 2008 campaign is officially over for the Atlanta Braves.

Sitting 7.5 games out of the National League East lead, and with stars Chipper Jones and Tim Hudson recently placed on the DL, the Braves traded slugger Mark Teixeira away to the American League West, where he will join Vlad Guerrero in the middle of the Los Angeles Angels' lineup and the playoff hunt for the remainder of this season.

The Angels gave up fellow first baseman Casey Kotchman and minor-league pitcher Stephen Marek in exchange for the slugger.

Teixeira had been hitting .283 with 20 home runs and 78 RBI for an injury-ridden Braves team that saw veteran starters John Smoltz and Tom Glavine each go down early in the season. In addition, they had the injury bug bite Chipper Jones, keeping him out of the lineup this past weekend against the Philadelphia Phillies. The series was primed to show which way the Braves would go at the deadline: If they won, they might have kept Teixeira, but they lost and fell out of contention behind three teams in the action-packed NL East.

While that series was a good indicator, the injuries to Jones and Hudson are ultimately what made the Braves front office decide to sell Teixeira to the highest bidder.

In return for for the former All-Star, the Braves received Kotchman, who had been starting at first for the Angels, and Marek, who will likely be added to the Atlanta bullpen. Kotchman had been putting together a nice season with the Halos, hitting .287 with 12 home runs and 54 RBI. Marek, 25, had been 2-6 with a 3.66 ERA and three saves with the Angels' Double-A affiliate Arkansas.

Teixeira gives the Halos the bat that they've long coveted to help protect Vlad Guerrero in the middle of the lineup and put some more pop and production behind their stellar pitching staff.

The Angels hope to receive the numbers Teixeira put up in 54 games with Atlanta after being traded there last season. In that brief stint, he hit .317 with 17 homers and 56 RBI.

Now with more offensive production, as well as a great defensive player, look for the Angels to make a deep run in October.

Philadelphia Phillies Need To Buy As Deadline Approaches

Scott Malone — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 13:55:41 -0400

As the Philadelphia Phillies approach the All-Star Break, the mood in the City of Brotherly Love is content.

Ryan Howard is heating up, Chase Utley is having an MVP-type season, Brad Lidge and the rest of the bullpen have been phenomenal, as have Pat Burrell and Jayson Werth.

Nevertheless, the city and its team keep looking over their shoulder all too frequently at the progress of the New York Mets and Florida Marlins.

The best way to strike down the fear that we as Phillies fans seem to hold would be for the organization to acquire a reliable starting pitcher, maybe even two.

As of right now, the Phillies' playoff rotation will look something like this:

Cole Hamels, Jamie Moyer, and Kyle Kendrick.

Brett Myers is left off the rotation, seeing that he is currently not at the Major League level. Even if Myers were, the playoff rotation still would look skeptical with Hamels, Myers, and Moyer.

The league and all baseball fans know the Phillies will score runs, albeit sometimes inconsistently, and their defense and speed are also above average. In addition, the bullpen has dramatically exceeded expectations.

Thus, it is time the front office addressed the need for more starting pitching.

The trades in the National League have already started, as the Milwaukee Brewers acquired C.C. Sabathia from the Cleveland Indians in exchange for a handful of prospects. The Chicago Cubs acquired Rich Harden and Chad Gaudin from Oakland for a handful of prospects as well.

So, as the other contenders in the National League start to show that they are ready to win now, will the Phillies follow suit? If they want to forget about their three-game sweep at the hands of the Rockies in the Divisional Series last season, they should step up and acquire a starter.

Recently, rumors have pointed that the Phillies are considering going after Blue Jays starter A.J. Burnett. While Burnett has great stuff which leads to his high strikeout total, he is injury-prone and gives up a lot of fly balls (as attested by the 23 HR he allowed last season).

This last fact is something that screams "DON'T BRING HIM TO PHILADELPHIA," as he would be destroyed in the pinball yard of Citizens Bank Park.

A guy the Phillies might be able to get at a low price is Joe Blanton. Currently, he is 5-12 with a 4.96 ERA.

However, he is 28, and has shown that he in fact can be a good pitcher, shown by his record (14-10), ERA (3.95), and 34 starts. In addition, he pitched 230 innings, and gave up just 16 HR and had 307 ground outs.

In return for Blanton, A's GM Billy Beane will probably demand prospects, in which case he will want Phillies' top prospect Carlos Carrasco, in addition to at least one more prospect.

The reason that there is the slightest chance of this trade happening, is that Billy Beane is almost unpredictable, and while he dealt his staff ace in Harden, he might very well trade Blanton as well.

In addition, Blanton could be had for a lower price now than during the past offseason.

In terms of prospects, the Phillies should keep catcher Lou Marson and pitcher Joe Savery. These two should be kept to fill in, Marson for Chris Coste or Carlos Ruiz, and Savery for the day Adam Eaton's contract finally expires.

They could offer top prospect Carlos Carrasco, as most teams that look at the Phillies would want either him, Shane Victorino, or Jayson Werth.

The Phillies have plenty of outfield depth at the Major League level and could be able to deal some of it away for more pitching.

Honestly, the loss of a Shane Victorino or Jayson Werth would not be catastrophic, as the team would still score runs, and only needs one of them to play center field.

Rumors also pointed to the Phillies having interest in Erik Bedard, but that interest has died down as Bedard was put on the DL this week with yet another injury.

As much as the city would like to see a legitimate No. 2 starter behind Cole Hamels, the market is not very good this season with the two top pitchers already having been traded.

The Phillies are now fighting with contenders who all have superior farm systems and might not be able to land that top starter they need.

Well, until the 31st, I'll just enjoy the fireworks Ryan Howard is providing and pray that the pitching holds together.

Open Mic: Why Baseball GMs Have the Most Difficult Job

Scott Malone — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 18:01:24 -0400

Being a General Manager is not an easy thing to do. You must put up with your boss's whims (the owner(s) of the franchise), you must acquire talent that will make your team better, and you must monitor and scout the most players in any sport in order to acquire a player.

While all GMs must do these things, as well as win, to succeed, only one sport has a breed of General Manager which tops all the rest.

That sport is baseball.

First off, there is the task of trying to satisfy your owner's whims and goals for the franchise. In no other sport has there been a more difficult owner to work for than former New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner.

Not only did Steinbrenner have ridiculous standards, but he also had very strong demands. Just ask Brian Cashman, the current Yankees GM. Cashman had to deal with possibly the most insatiable man in sports, and now must deal with a slightly smaller version of George in the form of Hank Steinbrenner.

Side note: this is not meant to bash the Steinbrenners, this is just an example.

I mean, how many other sports do you see that have had such a dominant and demanding owner that the media takes time to cover "what George might be angry about today?"

Otherwise, owners in most other sports are acting purely as managers, or baby-sitters for lack of a better name, over their GMs.

Secondly, there is the acquiring of talent.

In no other sport, possibly with the exception being soccer, is more time spent scouting players from all over the world than baseball. Not only are GMs scouting players in high schools and colleges across the U.S., but they are also scouting in Japan, as well as in the Caribbean and Latin American countries for that next top talent.

GMs must have scouted enough players in the States that they can create and fill a draft board that lasts 50 rounds, compared to the much shorter NBA and NFL drafts. Not only are there the regular draft picks, but there are also some compensation rounds for teams who lost players to free agency that occur early on in the draft. A prime example of how important the draft can be throughout its entirety is Mike Piazza, who was the Dodgers' 62nd round selection, and turned out to be the best hitting catcher of all time.

Also, GMs must scout in other countries, like the Dominican Republic, Cuba, and Japan, for rising stars which they can hope to sign.

In addition to the draft and international scouting, there are also the July 31st trading deadline and the GM Winter Meetings in Florida.

Both are times that see baseball gain a huge focus from the media, as potential deals are always being rumored and discussed, and the action from the Winter Meetings is monitored heavily.

The current installment of drama surrounding the trade deadline involves ace CC Sabathia and the Cleveland Indians. The Indians GM Mark Shapiro must decide whether he will attempt to re-sign Sabathia in the off-season, or try and trade him for top level prospects. This saga around Sabathia will consistently garner media attention up to, and even a few days past, July 31st.

While baseball GMs do not have to worry about a salary cap like NHL, NBA, or NFL, they do have to fill out five levels of baseball players, from the Major League team all the way down to the Rookie League team.

Since they do not have a salary cap, baseball GMs are forced to budget their money towards player development, potential free agents, contract negotiations, and space to take on a player's salary through a trade.

GMs also keep tabs on basically every player in the Major League, as well as a good portion of the Minor Leaguers. This duty is epitomized in the "big board" each GM has in their office, with the names of every Major League player on it, as well as the names of some Minor League players.

Also, these GMs must monitor the production and development of their Minor League teams and players if they are to have a successful farm system which stems from good scouting, and can lead to a good and successful future.

All things being considered, baseball GMs have the most difficult jobs due to the pure amount of players that they must scout and work with on an everyday basis. Also, MLB draft picks usually take at least half a year, if not more, to fully develop, as contrasted to the likes of NBA draft picks where a top selection can have an immediate impact (see Chris Paul).

Truly, as much fun as it would be to be a General Manager for a Major League Baseball franchise, having to deal with so many players can in fact be difficult.

MLB: Red Sox Earn a Win in Philadelphia

Scott Malone — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:32:26 -0400

Game two of the inter-league series between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Boston Red Sox truly showed how important good pitching is.

Before the first pitch had been thrown, the pitching match-up hinted that it would be a much closer game than game one had been, featuring a much more balanced battle of hurlers.

The match-up was a battle of lefthanders, featuring Jon Lester for the Red Sox and ageless wonder Jamie Moyer for the Phillies.

The way the Phillies pounded the mistakes made by the Red Sox pitchers in game one, the consensus entering game two was that the Phillies' offense would produce once again.

However, Jon Lester did his best to silence the Phillies' bats while Jamie Moyer had trouble dealing with the small strike zone being provided by home plate umpire Brian Knight.

Moyer required 106 pitches to finish five innings of work, and he produced a stat line of four hits, two earned runs, five walks, and four strikeouts, while giving up a two run home run to Coco Crisp in the top of the second inning.

After Moyer was replaced by Ryan Madson in the top of the sixth inning, the Red Sox pushed across another run after Julio Lugo doubled to left-center field to score Coco Crisp from second base.

Jon Lester pitched seven great innings, scattering just six hits and walking one while striking out five. Lester was able to hit his spots, and used his cutter incredibly well in attacking the Phillies hitters on the inside part of the plate to record outs.

Hideki Okajima came in for Lester in the eighth inning and despite allowing a one out double to Jimmy Rollins, he was able to rebound and strikeout Chase Utley to end the inning after a hard fought at bat.

For the ninth inning, Jonathan Papelbon came in and was able to just blow away the three hitters that faced him, striking out the side by gunning down Ryan Howard, Pat Burrell, and Jayson Werth.

The Boston Red Sox looked a lot better today, mainly due to the efforts of Jon Lester, and were able to pull out a 3-0 win.

The Phillies were not hitting well tonight and had difficulty handling Lester's cutter. But, aside from the first two innings, the Phillies did not show a lot of patience or will to fight at the plate. After the first two innings, Lester did not have another inning where he threw more than 15 pitches.

Another big problem for the Phillies was the production of their 3-4-5 hitters. Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, and Pat Burrell went a combined 0/12, with eight of the Phillies' ten strikeouts in game two.

The last game of the series is tomorrow at 1:05 and features a match-up of pitchers who look for ground ball outs in Justin Masterson for the Red Sox and Kyle Kendrick for the Phillies.

Philadelphia Phillies Fans: Have No Fear, the Worst is Over

Scott Malone — Tue, 27 May 2008 03:52:54 -0400

Well Phillies fans, the early part of the season is over.

You all know what I'm talking. Those first two months when the Phillies have already broken our spirits with dreadful starts that leave us counting down the days to training camp. Not that we don't do this, but it is a bit ridiculous to start this countdown in mid-May.

However, as much as the Phillies have tried to replicate these failures again this season, they are yet to truly have that collapse.

They have not had a catastrophic injury to their big four of Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, and Cole Hamels.

They stand above .500 for the season, and in both April and May, which has put them at 2.5 games out of the division lead.

At the end of April last season, the Phillies were 11-14 with 12 losses coming against division foes. What a great way to show that they were "the team to beat".

They followed this lackluster performance in April with a 15-13 showing in May, while dropping just three of eight games against divisional opponents, with a result of 10-10 against out-of-division opponents.

This time last year, they were 26-27 and the city was already counting down to the start of training camp.

In June, they gave us a 15-13 performance with an impressive 15-10 stretch in July.

Whether they try to or not, the Phillies always seem to test the city's patience every year until they get to June or July, when they look like those Oakland A's of the late 1990s and early 2000s. Those A's always made an impressive run in the second half to make the playoffs.

Well, I don't know about the rest of Philadelphia, but I would rather not have to worry about whether or not the Phillies will find that second half switch every season.

So far this season, I am pretty optimistic. They are three or four wins higher in the standings compared to last year, when they finished just one game above the Mets for the division title.

They have been carried by the early season hot streaks of Pat Burrell, who has fizzled out, and of Chase Utley, who continues to show that he is a legitimate threat for NL MVP.

Now, the pitching has been decent.

Three of the starters, Brett Myers, Kyle Kendrick, and Adam Eaton, all have ERAs above 5.15. In addition, Cole Hamels has as many wins on his own as those three starters have combined, with a total of five.

Granted, the bullpen has been solid. Brad Lidge is showing the lights-out form he had before he met Albert Pujols. J.C. Romero is showing what we all saw in his stint with the Twins, and both have ERAs under 4.80.

It also helps that they are currently in a series with the Rockies, who are without Troy Tulowitzki and Matt Holliday. Especially since Holiday was on a 10-game hitting streak, and he is hitting .391 at Citizens Bank Park in his career, with six HRs and 11 RBI in six games.

It also helps that they have been playing offensively hapless teams like the Padres, Giants, and Blue Jays.

But the biggest thing that is just starting to happen for the Phils, is that Ryan Howard is starting to find his stroke again.

He started out slowly, as usual, hitting just .172 with a .279 OBP, and five HRs with 37 strikeouts at the end of April. Since then, he has raised his average to .207 with a .313 OBP, and has amassed 14 HRs and a whopping 75 strikeouts.

He is heating up, and Chase Utley is still white hot this season.

The Phillies have a good-looking product starting to show up on the field. The offense is starting to click, and would be better, I believe, if Shane Victorino hit leadoff and Rollins hit second, but I digress.

I still have concerns about the starting pitching though, and I believe it will come down to the Phillies and the Atlanta Braves for the division title in September. I've said before that I think the Braves will win the division, and as much as I hate to say it, I still think they will, but I think it will be close.

However, the Phillies will be in the playoffs after finishing two games behind the Braves due to the two late-season series against the Braves. The Phillies should get the Wild Card, assuming they don't have a second half meltdown.

No matter what, I feel that the worst is over, and that maybe, just maybe, the Phillies will start a new trend of starting well and finishing well.

The Atlanta Braves Are Starting to Get it Together

Scott Malone — Thu, 22 May 2008 02:41:42 -0400

Whether you have noticed it or not, the Atlanta Braves have been climbing back into the top of the division.

After a run that consisted of 14-consecutive division titles, the Braves were not in the postseason for back-to-back seasons in 2006 and 2007. This year, with all of the Spring Training focus placed on the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies, the Braves have been able to play pressure-free baseball.

The result: they are now just 1.5 games behind the division-leading Florida Marlins.

It is not just that they are so close to the division lead that they can taste it, but the Braves are riding a small hot-streak, having won four straight and seven of their last ten. The truly remarkable thing is that Mark Teixeira has not found that production that we saw last season just yet.

The Braves, to this point, have been carried by a healthy Chipper Jones and franchise catcher Brian McCann.

The world of baseball knows all about what Chipper has done already this season. All he is doing is hitting .410, with 12 HR and 34 RBI, and not to mention a .687 slugging percentage. The talk is that he could contend for the triple crown with Lance Berkman and Albert Pujols. The way Jones is playing, he could very well do that, provided he remains healthy.

But overshadowed by the play of Chipper Jones is the play of catcher Brian McCann. McCann has quietly put together a noteworthy stat line of .331 AVG/ 8 HR/ 31 RBI, along with a .606 slugging percentage.

Mark Teixeira has gotten off to somewhat of a slow start, but has put up decent numbers so far through 44 games. He is hitting .274 with five HR, 26 RBI, and a respectable .365 OBP.

The Braves are hoping to get the production they received from him in just 54 games last year. Last season, with the Braves, he hit .317, with 17 HR and 56 RBI, with a .404 OBP and .615 slugging percentage. If the Braves can get him going, they could have the division firmly under their control by the end of August.

Along with the play of these three sluggers, the Braves have been helped out by their young middle-infield duo of Yunel Escobar and Kelly Johnson.

When the Braves traded away Edgar Renteria, I was truly curious as to whom they would put at shortstop. Having seen the play of Escobar this season, I am now truly impressed with what the Braves have done by trading Renteria. Escobar has produced pretty well thus far, hitting .315 with four HR and 20 RBI, along with playing quite well defensively.

But it is not just the play of Escobar that has been noted. The play of Kelly Johnson also has caught people's attention.

Kelly Johnson was wowing people with his ability to get on base at a prolific rate last season with a .276 AVG and a .375 OBP. This season, he is hitting .287 with a .352 OBP. Not to mention the fact that he has five HR and 20 RBI.

Basically, the Braves are set offensively, provided that they can stay healthy. The only part of this Braves team that looks like it could be slightly problematic is the pitching.

Now, before I say anything else, the Braves do have Tim Hudson, Tom Glavine, and Jair Jurrjens in their rotation, and John Smoltz slated to become a reliever when he comes back from his shoulder inflammation.

All of that being said, the Braves still have some weak points.

They do not have a definite closer. They have survived on a closer-by-committee basis with Manny Acosta capturing three saves of their seven. When John Smoltz recovers, he will most likely be slated as their closer, so that need will be taken care of.

The rotation beyond Hudson, Glavine, and Jurrjens also could be better, and it most likely will. With Chuck James and Jo-Jo Reyes occupying the last two spots, there is room for improvement. James has an ERA of 8.22, which will most likely come down as the season goes on. As for Reyes, he has pitched decently thus far with a 4.12 ERA.

As for the bullpen, the Braves also could use a slight improvement, with the exceptions being guys like Jorge Campillo, Peter Moylan, Will Ohman, and Manny Acosta.

Offensively speaking, the Braves will probably remain around their level of production so far this year, as Mark Teixeira will heat up and Chipper Jones might just cool down.

Nevertheless, the Braves look very strong in a division full of surprises, with the Mets and Phillies yet to get all of their components together, and the Marlins currently leading the division.

Come September, I believe the Braves will have another pennant to hang in Turner Field.

2007-08 Philadelphia Flyers' Season in Perspective

Scott Malone — Mon, 19 May 2008 08:01:21 -0400

The "Vengeance Now" billboards and ad campaigns look foolish now.

After last night's crushing Game 6 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Flyers' magical season finally ended.

The ad campaigns demonstrated a new attitude that this Flyers team would display this season. An attitude of toughness, and a show of vengeance.

What would be a better way to show this new attitude than losing five of their first eight, and in the process accumulating some impressive suspensions (Steve Downie and Jesse Boulerice) for rough play on the ice?

Both the physical step-up and the idea of vengeance were clearly apparent as the Flyers were solid against the New Jersey Devils on September 17 to win their inaugural game of the season. This was a road game against a Devils team that always seems to beat the Flyers when the game matters most.

It was after that game that the Flyers seemed to lack a true identity or presence on the ice, as they dropped five of their seven remaining games in the month of September.

However, the Flyers quickly rebounded to win seven of their 10 games in the month of October. This pulled their record to 10-15 at the end of two months, having accumulated 20 points.

Think about that for a second. 15 of the Flyers' 29 losses in regulation on the season occurred in the first 25 games of the season. So, mathematically speaking, they had over half of their regulation losses in their first 25 games of an 82-game regular season.

So clearly they turned things around, losing just 14 games in regulation over the next five-and-a-half months of the season. They also had 11 OTL, resulting in a 32-25 combined record for the remaining 57 games after the first 25.

So they had 75 of their 95 points in the 57 games after October.

If only they could have played like that for the entire season, then the season would truly be classified as special.

However, the season showed encouraging signs for the future, as R.J. Umberger showed some very good glimpses, as did Jeff Carter. In addition, everyone saw what the front office saw when they decided to give Mike Richards a 10-year contract.

Not to forget the play of goalie Martin Biron, who clearly showed that he can be a number one goalie in the NHL, and that he was the best option for the Flyers between the pipes.

But what really showed the true character of this team was the playoff run the players enjoyed until meeting the Penguins.

In their matchups against Washington and Montreal, the Flyers looked good when it mattered most, usually when they were trailing by a goal or two and needed a pick-me-up.

It was when they were killing penalties or trying to protect a one-goal lead that they looked rather lackluster.

And the Penguins exploited these two weaknesses in their five-game annihilation of the Flyers.

Despite all this, the Flyers have an encouraging future ahead in the next few years. If they had not run into the Penguins they would most likely be in the Stanley Cup Finals against, most likely, the Detroit Red Wings.

As a Flyers fan, I do not look at the loss entirely as a disappointment, but as an encouraging sign for next season. Then these Flyers can hopefully bloom to their fullest, led by Umberger, Carter, and Mike Richards.

Until then, the only thing I can ask for is this: please, do not create a slogan for next year's team. There is no way it could truly capture what this season was all about.

NL East: Monthly Review

Scott Malone — Fri, 16 May 2008 06:17:47 -0400

Apparently, the end of the world is near. The Florida Marlins, yes, that hapless franchise in south Florida, are atop the NL East.

Not the Philadelphia Phillies, or the Atlanta Braves, or even those New York Mets.

These Marlins hold a three-game lead over the fourth place Braves, a two-and-a-half-game lead over the third place Mets, and just a one-game lead over the Phillies.

The question that perplexes everybody is: how have the Marlins pulled this off?

Usually the only reason the Marlins are winning games is the play of star shortstop Hanley Ramirez. This fact still has not changed, as Hanley is hitting .327 with nine HR, 23 RBI and 14 SB.

However, there are other players on this team that have been significant in the results the Marlins have achieved thus far. Some of this has been the play of second baseman Dan Uggla.

Uggla is looking eerily similar to the numbers he put up his rookie year of 2006. That was the season when the Marlins contended for the Wild Card until almost the very last day of the season.

In his rookie campaign, Uggla hit .282 with 27 HR and 90 RBI. This was his best overall season, as last year he hit just .245 and struck out 167 times. So far this year, Uggla is hitting .299 with 12 HR and 29 RBI, with his usual high strikeout rate, currently with 42 in 39 games.

It has not been just Uggla and Hanley. There have been key contributions made by Jorge Cantu and Mike Jacobs in terms of hitters.

However, the real surprise is the pitching.

Scott Olsen has been better than expected so far this season. His ERA is just 2.63, while his past two seasons have had ERAs of 5.81 and 4.04, respectively.

It also helps that relievers Justin Miller, Renyel Pinto, Logan Kensing, Doug Waechter, and Kevin Gregg all have ERAs below 3.26, which more than makes up for the rather poor performances by the starters who are not named Scott Olsen.

The scary thing is, the fish still don't have Josh Johnson and Anibal Sanchez back from their respective surgeries.

It was in that magical season of 2006 that hitters hit just .217 off of Sanchez, resulting in a 10-3 record and 2.83 ERA. Johnson held hitters to a .236 batting average in 157 innings with a 3.10 ERA.

Also, the Marlins still have not brought up star prospect Cameron Maybin from AAA.

It also helps their case that Jimmy Rollins has been injured and Ryan Howard has gotten off to a very slow start in Philadelphia. Also, the inconsistent play of Jose Reyes and the Mets offense, and their abysmal bullpen, have slowed down the New Yorkers. And the injury to John Smoltz hurts the Braves, as he is planning on coming back as a reliever.

Oh yeah, and there are those Washington Nationals. The "softball team" at the bottom of the division. At least Ryan Zimmerman has found his power of late, and they took three out of four from the Mets in Shea stadium.

Overall, as much as I hate to say it, I still have the Braves winning the division. Their pitching will only get better as the days pass. They will see Smoltz and Rafael Soriano come back, and they have a potent offense to support Tim Hudson and Tom Glavine in their rotation, as well as they guys that have to fill-in.

So, it is not QUITE the end of the world, as the Washington Nationals are still at the bottom of the division. Though I do expect the Marlins to contend with the heavyweights in the division until about August, and make the city of Philadelphia have numerous heart attacks due to the thought of the Marlins winning the division as "the team to beat".

Philadelphia Phillies' Remedy: Good, Young Pitching Means More Wins

Scott Malone — Sun, 11 May 2008 13:54:29 -0400

It's a common consensus here in Philadelphia. Everyone knows about it, and everyone in the Major Leagues always wants the same thing. Everyone wants pitching.

Those who have it feel like they have the world on a string. Those who don't look for it desperately around the trading deadline and over the offseason, or in the form of prospects.

The Philadelphia Phillies have done the former two, by looking around at the trading deadline a lot like everyone else in baseball and over the offseason. They haven't seemed to have made any sort of extraordinary effort towards acquiring good pitching.

They signed Adam Eaton before the start of last season for three years, and traded away Gavin Floyd, the former top pitching prospect in the Phillies' system who is now flourishing in Chicago. They signed Kris Benson over the offseason, who has already been injured twice now in the minor leagues.

So, now the Phillies have tried to look for pitching at the trading deadline, and been left trying to compete with teams offering good minor leaguers. Over the offseason, it seems as if the Phillies are outspent by the other teams for the good pitching, and spend too much on the not-so-good options like Adam Eaton or Kris Benson.

At the end of this season, they will be free of Pat Burrell's ridiculous $55 million contract. However, the Phillies will undoubtedly resign Burrell to a two or three year deal, probably worth around $20 million, which would leave $35 Million for their other issues. What the Phillies desperately need if they want to win more games, is pitching.

This cannot be made more evident by the two series they have had against the San Francisco Giants, where the Phillies have been in one-run games with the Giants in four of the six games. The other two games, the Phillies won by three in one and lost by six in the other.

How have the Phillies, the offense that has scored the fourth most runs in the league, been kept to one-run games with one of the worst offenses in the leagues? The answer is simple: pitching.

The Giants have a good, young pitching trio of Matt Cain, Tim Lincecum, and Jonathan Sanchez. They faced Lincecum twice, and both times Lincecum pitched very well against them.

They faced Cain once, and he pitched pretty well. By the time Jonathan Sanchez was removed in today's game, he had pitched decently. It is this type of a group of good, young pitching that the Phillies lack, a group similar to the one the Giants boast and the one that the Cincinnati Reds have in progress.

The Phillies have a guy in Carlos Carrasco who could be a decent No. 3 starter, but as of right now, the Phillies lack a good rotation, let alone a good top three.

Though the Phillies do have a guy in Cole Hamels that is a legitimate number one starter. Brett Myers has been anything but consistent thus far as the No. 2 starter so far this year. Jamie Moyer does not get hit very hard, but still gets hit. His career is very close to being over. The back of the rotation, with Kyle Kendrick and Adam Eaton, sees Kendrick gets hit often, while Eaton is just a huge mistake.

Nevertheless, it is still possible for the Phillies to acquire pitching, though at the cost of some Major League talent. Financially speaking, the Phillies will have some big issues and decisions to make.

The Phillies still have to think about whether they will offer a big contract to Ryan Howard or to Cole Hamels. If Burrell is not re-signed, the Phillies have $55 million to work on locking up either Howard or Hamels, with the type of a contract that Jimmy Rollins or Chase Utley received.

They lack the funds to lock both Hamels and Howard up, even if Burrell is not re-signed. In that case, they should re-sign Hamels because the Phillies need pitching more than offense, especially because the Phillies play in a pinball yard known as Citizens Bank Park. Whichever one they cannot or do not lock up, they should try and trade away for prospects, or pitching or even better: pitching prospects.

Ideally, they trade away Howard because it is much easier to find a power hitting first baseman than a good pitcher. They could look at trading Howard to a team like the Angels, who have been and are still looking for a big bat to protect Vladimir Guerrero. They could also look at trying to trade Howard possibly to the Texas Rangers, who lack a big bat and could use a first baseman.

In either scenario, they could receive multiple players in return, whether they be pitchers or not. If not, they can use those prospects to try and trade for some pitching, as they will be in either process stocking up their farm system.

There is another good reason to pursue good young pitching: look at the past few World Series champions. The Angels in 2002, the Marlins in 2003, the White Sox in 2005, the Cardinals in 2006, and the Red Sox in 2007 all had good young pitching and good young position players.

In addition, looking at the teams that are in the top ten in Baseball America's farm system rankings for this season, over 50 percent of the teams are currently fighting for playoff spots and all of them have good shots at making the playoffs.

Despite the fact that the Phillies made the playoffs last year, they lost to a Colorado Rockies team that was all about good, young pitching with the likes of Jeff Francis, Ubaldo Jimenez, Franklin Morales and Manny Corpas and young position players like Troy Tulowitzki, Garrett Atkins, Matt Holliday and Brad Hawpe all on their way to the World Series.

Clearly the Phillies have missed the memo about how good young pitching can lead to a strong future for a team, and never has this been made more evident than Saturday’s loss to the Giants, whose starter Tim Lincecum, just 24 years old, went eight innings, allowing four hits and two earned runs on two solo home runs, while walking just one and striking out eight.

So what are the Phillies waiting for? They need to jump on the bandwagon that the Major Leagues have been jumping on for the past few years, and go get some pitching. If they do, they will not have to count on another late-season collapse by the New York Mets or by the good looking Atlanta Braves to get into the playoffs.