Time for Phillies to turn it on
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by Bberg11
From my blog, The Lazy Athlete
So, once again, the Philadelphia Phillies continue to play tug of war with our emotions. Whenever we think they're done and finished, they go on a little tear. And whenever we think they are on easy street toward their first playoff birth since 1993, they lose a few games, having all of their weaknesses exposed in the process. Thursday afternoon was another pivot point for the Phils.
The club's bullpen lost them a game in all too familiar fashion, and their best player was lost for a month due to a broken hand (I still haven't heard a straight answer on how long Chase is expected to be out. I've heard 3, 4, 6 weeks, and everything in between). But now, in the two games since, they have closed the gap on the division leading Mets, and are 3 1/2 games out. And now Brett Myers is back.
Saturday night, Myers pitched a scoreless ninth inning in a 10-5 victory. And if the Phils can close out the series with a sweep, they will be 10-4 since coming back from the All Star break; and 3-0 since losing Utley. No matter how you look at this team, they are right there in the hunt, and, now, the pitching staff appears to be solidifying.
Let's look at the pitching staff optimistically for a minute. Cole Hamels is the ace. And that is all there is to say about that. Jamie Moyer has been pretty consistent most of the year, and Adam Eaton looks to be a solid number three starter. Four and five in the rotation is where the optimism is really needed. Right now, its rookies Kyle Kendrick and JD Durbin. Kendrick has surpassed any and all expectations, and Durbin has won three in a row after a rough start, including a complete game shutout. Now, are these two guys going to continue to surpass expectations?
My heart tells me they can at least continue to keep their team in ballgames. And with this lineup (even with Utley out), and the way the bullpen is shaping up, that is all the Phillies need from their young starters. And that brings us to the bullpen. While it has been the Achilles heel of this team all year, getting Gordon and Meyers back from injury provides an extreme upgrade. If those two can consistently pitch in big situations, like they've shown they can, the Phils bullpen could go from liability to strength. Being able to shorten a game to 7, or maybe even 6, innings with this offense is a winning formula.
So, by most accounts, Utley should be back to start September. And if all goes right, Gordon and Meyers should back to full form by mid-august. And that timing couldn't be better, as the Phils close out the month of August with a ten game home stand against the LA Dodgers, San Diego Padres, and the NY Mets; a four game series. This stretch could very well determine the Phils fate. Obviously they are chasing the Mets for the division. But they also would most likely be chasing on of the other two teams for the wild card, as whoever doesn't win the NL West has a good shot at the wild card. A successful home stand there, and Utley should come back to a first place team, or at least a team within very close striking distance of a playoff spot with a month to go in the season.
