On the final day of the regular season, the Phillies trotted out the B team to do something the A team hasn’t done since clinching the NL East: win a game.  Paul Hoover drove in the winning run in the bottom of the 1oth inning and the Phils beat the Florida Marlins 7-6.  JA Happ started the game, but it ended up being more of a pitcher-by-committee and Chad Durbin actually got the win after pitching a scoreless 10th inning.  Miguel Cairo homered and tripled to lead a balanced offensive attack, and Ben Francisco and Eric Bruntlett each added two hits.  The Phillies finished the regular season with a record of 93-69, which all things considered is not too shabby.  Here are some thoughts on today’s game and moving forward to the playoffs:

• Jayson Werth was in the lineup for this and every game since the Phillies clinched to try to get his 100th RBI of the season.  It didn’t work out, and Werth finished the season stuck on 99.  Now, 1) To be honest it doesn’t surprise me that Werth would be the guy chasing numbers late in the season.  2) It kind of tells you everything you need to know about why I wouldn’t mind seeing the Phillies trade Werth in the offseason to usher in the Michael Taylor era in rightfield.  3) Round numbers are stupid and finishing with only 99 RBIs doesn’t diminish the very good season that Werth had, and 4) When the Marlins walked Werth in the 10th inning with a runner on 2nd and 2 outs, that was kind of bullshit.  Jack Taschner didn’t walk Ross Gload with whatever pinch-hit record was on the line in the 8th inning.  He challenged him and got beat.  Come on, the game means nothing.  At least add some excitement to the proceedings and challenge Werth with a personal goal on the line.
• Like every other starting pitcher since the Phillies clinched, JA Happ’s start was an abbreviated tuneup for the postseason that didn’t go particularly well.  The only question for Happ is, what is he tuning up for?  Will he be a starter or a reliever in the postseason?  By only pitching 2 innings today, Happ is ready for either one.
• Miguel Cairo has certainly made a strong case to replace Eric Bruntlett on the playoff roster.  If it comes down to an either/or situation, I’d probably prefer Cairo.
• Ben Francisco was caught stealing 3 times in the game, the first two coming when he over-slid the 2nd base bag.  Oof.
• I’m concerned about Brett Myers.  He hasn’t shown anything that would make me feel confident that he could get the job done in the postseason.  However, based on his track record, I’d still like to see him included on the playoff roster.
• Meanwhile, Scott Eyre looked pretty good in the 9th inning today.  All indications are that he is as healthy as he is going to get this season, and I trust him to pitch in big spots this month.  I hope I’m right.

For the second game in a row since wrapping up the NL East, the Phillies looked disinterested and lethargic on their way to a second consecutive loss, this time to the Florida Marlins.  Joe Blanton started the game and gave up 5 runs in 6 innings.  He struck out 3 and walked 2.  Ryan Howard lead the offense for the Phillies, hitting a monster home run in the bottom of the 1st inning to account for the only Philadelphia runs of the game.  Howard went 3 for 4 on the day.  The Phillies are fighting the Dodgers and Cardinals for home field advantage in the playoffs, so while it is important that certain regulars get a rest, winning a game or two in the next few days wouldn’t be so bad either.  Here are a few quick thoughts on the game:

• News broke today that JC Romero and Chan Ho Park will not pitch for the Phillies in the playoffs.  Those are both tough losses, especially Park.
• Miguel Cairo started for Jimmy Rollins at shortstop and went 1 for 4.  There is a school of thought that Cairo should replace Bruntlett on the postseason roster, and I am inclined to agree.  Cairo is a veteran that is just as good defensively as Bruntlett and will give the team better at bats.  The only things Bruntlett would have going for him are his versatility (he plays more positions than Cairo can) and that he is a little bit faster on the bases in case the Phillies needed a pinch runner late in the game.  Since teams use one less starter in the playoffs and often fewer relievers, I’d almost be inclined to keep both players and leave off one of the relievers.  Especially given the way our bullpen has performed lately.
• Like Cliff Lee yesterday, Joe Blanton didn’t look very sharp tonight.  He settled down as the game went along, but I’m chalking both of those starts to wanting to work on some things and have one final tuneup before the playoffs.  That’s what I’m telling myself anyway.
• Scott Eyre didn’t look that great tonight either, but reports are that he is healthy and good to go for the playoffs.  That’s good news.
• The bad news is that Clay Condrey and Sergio Escalona will likey make the playoff roster.  I don’t have a whole lot of faith in either one of those guys.

With their 10-3 win over Houston last night, the Philadelphia Phillies clinched the NL East for the 3rd year in a row.  This year’s title felt different, but equally as satisfying as the first two.  This time, the Phillies were the defending champs.  They didn’t sneak up on anybody.  Everybody knew they would be good and they got other team’s best shot.  They didn’t get seriously challenged.  They battled complacency and a shaky bullpen, and still the Phillies were able to put it all together and win the division.

When you watch just about every single game of a 162 game season, the big moments like last night are rewarding in a unique way.  I almost felt like I had accomplished something even though I didn’t take a swing or throw a pitch.  But the reason I watch 162+ baseball games a year is not for the big things.  It’s for the little things.  Baseball rewards it’s fans with subtleties.  There are things you can’t glean from simply looking at statistics.  You get to see a young player establish himself in the big leagues.  A player entering his prime busts out with a career year.  A pitcher develops a new pitch and finds success.  A veteran loses a step or two but still finds a way to produce.

The Phillies clearly have some questions they need to answer heading into the postseason, but those are questions for another day.  Here, now, are my favorite things about the 2009 Philadelphia Phillies.

• The offense still revolves around Jimmy Rollins.  The numbers don’t back it up in any way, but he is and should be the Phillies’ leadoff hitter.  After an awful first half, Jimmy has picked up the pace and when he tripled in the 5th inning of last night’s game, I felt for the first time all year the way I felt during the World Series run last year.  For all of his flaws, Jimmy Rollins is the heart and soul of this era of Phillies baseball.
• Shane Victorino learned how to be an effective 2-hole hitter.  He has perfected the art of the grounder to the right side with a runner on 2nd.  Though his numbers are virtually identical to 2008’s, Victorino is a much smarter hitter.
• Chan Ho Park wanted to be a starter so his South Korean countrymen could watch him pitch on a regular basis.  He won the job out of spring train and was awful.  But instead of sulking when he was moved to the bullpen, he became perhaps the most reliable reliever the Phillies had this year.
• JA Happ lost the 5th starter’s spot out of spring training to Park even though he pitched very well.  He dealt with weeks of rumors that he would be traded to Toronto for Roy Halladay.  He almost lost his rotation spot again when Pedro Martinez was ready to pitch.  Through it all he exhibited a cool, calm demeanor and let his performance do the talking for him.  His recent injury might keep him from winning Rookie of the Year, but he has established himself as a part of this team’s core.
• RAAAUUUUULLL!!! Ibanez replaced a fan favorite in Pat Burrell and endeared himself to the fan base with a monster first half.
• Ryan Howard lost 30 pounds and drastically improved his defense even though he signed a 3 year, $54 million extension in the offseason.  He also stole 8 bases, which was fun.
• Chase Utley.  Just everything.  He is my favorite athlete of all time.
• Kyle Kendrick came up with a changeup and just might make the playoff roster because of it.
• Brett Myers rushed back from hip surgery as fast as he possibly could to try to help the Phillies out of the bullpen for the stretch run.  He’s a free agent after the year and could have taken it easy and not put his health at risk.
• Pedro Feliz, at age 34, reinvented himself into a smarter, more patient hitter and a reliable RBI man in the 7th spot in the order.
• The reaction of Carlos Ruiz whenever he guns down a runner attempting to steal.
• Eric Bruntlett’s unassisted triple play.  We’ve been killing that guy all season, and deservedly so.  It’s fitting that he would be the one to be involved with one of the rarest plays in baseball.
• Matt Stairs swinging for the fences.  Every.  Single.  Time.
• Cliff Lee’s first five starts in a Phillies uniform were what greatness looks like.
• Joe Blanton fully reached his potential this season.  He is a number 2/3 starter on a championship-caliber club.
• Pedro Martinez has been a joy to watch.  He came here with a bit of a diva reputation, but by all accounts he has been a fantastic teammate and seems to fully appreciate the opportunity he has been afforded this season.
• Brad Lidge has been awful this season.  But when he entered the game to get the final out last night, I got chills.  That was such a great moment.  Despite what I or anybody (everybody) else might think, Charlie Manuel obviously thinks that Brad Lidge is going to be an important part of the postseason this year.  If that didn’t help Lidge’s confidence, there is absolutely nothing that will.  I felt like I could have thrown 95 after something like that.  It’s things like that that make me appreciate that Charlie Manuel is the manager of this club.

That’s right folks, the Philadelphia Phillies are your 2009 NL East Champions!  The Fightin’ Phils rode a balanced offensive attack and a good relief performance from Kyle Kendrick to the win that clinched the division title for the 3rd consecutive season.  Pedro Martinez started the game and was lifted after giving up 3 runs in 4 innings.  Kendrick came on in relief and did not allow a run in 3 innings to earn the win.  He struck out 4 and didn’t walk anybody.  The Phillies, trailing 4-1 in the 4th, scored 4 runs in that inning to take a lead that they would not relinquish.  Jimmy Rollins, Shane Victorino, and Pedro Feliz each had two hits for the Phillies, and Raul Ibanez had 3 RBIs, including a 2-run homer in the 7th inning.  Here are some thoughts on tonight’s game:

• I still love when the Phillies play small ball.  They scored their first run of the game that way, and it was no surprise that Jimmy Rollins was prominently involved.  Rollins lead off the bottom of the 1st with a double, and Shane Victorino bunted him over to 3rd.  Chase Utley, who has been scuffling for the better part of a month, hit an RBI ground out to score the run.
• By the way, I’d be shocked to see Chase in the lineup tomorrow, and possibly even the day after that.  He looks like he could use a blow.
• Pedro Martinez was not very good tonight, but he made a few pitches when he needed to and kept the Phillies in the game.  I was a little surprised when he was lifted after 4 innings and 84 pitches.  I don’t know if he felt like he was spent, if he was hurt in some way, or if Charlie Manuel simply felt that he was done, but none of those scenarios are particularly good for Pedro’s playoff prospects.
• When Rollins and Victorino hit back to back triples in the 5th inning, I knew the game was over.  Even though the score was only 6-3 at the time and the Phillies have had a history of lackadaisical play and blown leads this year, I felt like something had changed.  When Jimmy slid into 3rd base, I felt like we were finally seeing the World Fucking Champions that we saw last season.  That is a very, very good thing.
• I’m impressed with the way that Kyle Kendrick has pitched since he got called up.  He’s done pretty well as a starter and in long relief, and it looks like he’s come up with the changeup that will be the key to his big league success going forward.  With so many question marks surrounding the health of the relief corps, I think that Kendrick has probably pitched himself onto the playoff roster.
• Part of the reason for that is that news broke today that Jamie Moyer will be lost for the season with a torn groin muscle.  He will have surgery in about a week or so and hopes to be ready for spring training.  It’s tough to imagine a man of his age bouncing back from an injury like that, but if there is one person who should not be counted out, it is Jamie Moyer.
• Charlie Manuel bringing in Brad Lidge to get the final out of tonight’s game was one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen in baseball.  The moment really gave me chills.  There was no real baseball reason behind the move; it was all about loyalty, respect, and an attempt to boost Brad Lidge’s confidence.  It’s obvious that Charlie feels that Lidge will be a big part of the Phillies playoff run, and if that did not give Lidge the confidence to succeed in October there is absolutely nothing that will.  I’ve been critical of Manuel’s continued loyalty to Lidge at times this season, but if this move works, Charlie can be my manager for life.  I loved the move.

Pedro Feliz hit a grand slam in the 4th inning that broke a 1-1 tie and Jayson Werth added a 2-run shot in the 5th as the Phillies held on to beat the Houston Astros 7-4 and reduced their magic number for clinching the NL East to one.  JA Happ started the game and gave up 4 runs (3 earned) in 5.2 innings to get his 12th win of the year.  He struck out 6 and walked one.  The Phillies’ season-long relief soap opera took another turn when Ryan Madson earned a 6-out save to seal the victory with Brad Lidge warming up the the bullpen.  Philadelphia can clinch the division tomorrow night with a win over the Astros.  Here are some thoughts on tonight’s game:

• Charlie Manuel called a closed-door team meeting before the game tonight.  I’m not exactly sure what was said in the meeting, but it doesn’t matter.  The Phillies do NOT lose after Charlie calls a team meeting.
• JA Happ’s outing was pretty typical of what we see from him except that his pitch count was elevated by a pretty disciplined hitting Astros team.  He was moving the ball around well and mixing in his breaking stuff effectively.  He worked out of jams in the 2nd and 5th innings without getting hurt too badly.  He was just about spent when he came out for the 6th inning, but was able to get 2 outs before giving up a 2-run homer to Kaz Matsui that knocked him out of the game.
• The Phillies scored their first run of the game by playing a little small ball in the 3rd inning.  Paul Bako lead off the inning with a walk and he was bunted to 2nd by Happ.  Jimmy Rollins drove Bako home with a double and it’s no surprise that when the Phillies execute well offensively, Rollins is involved.  That’s part of the reason why I like him at the top of the order even though his stats don’t necessarily back that up.
• Of course, the home runs are great too.  Given the way the Phillies have played over the last few weeks, Pedro Feliz’s grand slam was huge.  It gave all of us fans, who were varying degrees of freaked out, a chance to breathe easy and enjoy the game without feeling like the Sword of Damocles was hanging over our heads.
• Jamie Moyer, who was fantastic in relief once again, left the game after recording the final out of the 7th inning with a groin strain.  The severity of the strain is not known at the moment, but that is a big blow for the Phillies.  After some initial resistance, Moyer seemed to have adapted well to the relief role.  He could have been a big part of the playoff run.
• Ryan Madson was impressive in needing just 9 pitches to get through the 8th inning, so Charlie Manuel ran him back out there for the 9th.  I don’t know that it was planned that way (Scott Eyre and Brad Lidge were both warming in the bullpen), but it was a great move.  More than anything, it was just nice to see Charlie do something that made sense.  Madson looked good in the 9th as well, using mostly his fastball to retire Astros hitters.

With the red-hot Atlanta Braves giving chase and seemingly unable to lose, the Phillies continued their uninspired play and lost to Houston 8-2.  Cole Hamels started the game and allowed 6 runs in 6.2 innings.  He struck out 5 and walked 3.  The offense was mostly unable to solve Houston starter Yorman Bazardo, and I don’t know who that is either, but he entered the game with an ERA of 9.00+.  Yet somehow the Phils were only able to muster 2 hits and 2 runs off of him.  When Bazardo left in the 6th inning, the Phillies didn’t do much better, finishing with just 4 hits for the game.  With 6 games left in the regular season, the magic number remains at 3 for the Phillies.  A major choke job still seems unlikely at this point, but with the way Atlanta and Philadelphia are playing right now it is not impossible.  But before we get too far ahead of ourselves, here are a few thoughts on tonight’s game:

• I liked the 1st inning small ball the Phillies used to score their first run of the game.  Jimmy Rollins lead off the game with a single and stole 2nd.  Shane Victorino moved him to 3rd with a grounder to the right side, and then Chase Utley drove him in with a sacrifice fly.  I really wish the Phillies would do this kind of thing more often.
• Cole Hamels looked good early in the game, but got blooped to death by the Astros.  He did a nice job of establishing the inside part of the plate early, and worked out of a 4th inning jam that could have been much worse.  He started to get hit harder in the 6th inning and then couldn’t make it out of the 7th.  His bullpen let him down in a big way and allowed all of their inherited runners to score as the Astros put 5 on the board in that frame.
• It’s always a good time when Ryan Howard decides to steal a base, but it also freaks me out a little bit too.  He may have lost 30 pounds or whatever, but that’s still a lot of man sliding into that base.  I just hope he doesn’t get hurt.
• Tyler Walker completely imploded when he came on for Hamels in the 7th inning.  He was so good pitching in situations of minimal importance earlier in the year, but now that he has been asked to pitch in bigger spots he has responded poorly.  I wonder if it’s even worth it to have him on the postseason roster at this point.  Walker has failed to record even an out in 2 straight appearances.
• JC Romero pitched the 8th inning, his first appearance since July 19th.  He looked rusty.  His velocity was fine, but his command was not very good.  It’s too late in the season for pitchers to be finding their footing, yet there are several key guys who need to find it in the next 6 games for the Phillies.  That is not good.
• I know I’ve given Ryan Howard a pass for swinging for the fences before, but it would be really nice if he’d shorten up his swing some with runners on 2nd and 3rd and 2 outs in the 8th inning of an 8-2 game.  A home run would be great in that spot, but a single works too.  Just put the ball in play.  There isn’t anything you can do with a strikeout.
• Brad Lidge pitched the 9th and didn’t look too bad.  He retired the first two hitters he faced before hitting a batter and allowing an infield single.  He then got the final out to record a scoreless inning for the first time in 6 outings.  I’m not exactly ready to give him the closer job back though, are you?

For the second day in a row, the Phillies jumped out to an early lead.  They tried to blow this game too, but a surprisingly competent effort from the bullpen, capped off by a Ryan Madson 4-out save, preserved the Phillies victory and reduced their magic number to 3.  Joe Blanton started the game and struggled for the most part, needing 124 pitches to get through 5.2 innings.  He gave up 5 runs while striking out 4 and walking 4.  Jimmy Rollins lead off the game with a home run and went 3 for 5.  Shane Victorino and Pedro Feliz each added two RBIs for the Phillies.  Here are some thoughts on the game:

• The best way to describe Blanton’s performance this afternoon is “labored”.  He threw a lot of pitches, didn’t have a single clean inning, and generally struggled to put away hitters.  The plate umpire’s strike zone was all over the place today, and that certainly didn’t help matters.  It appeared that Blanton was frustrated with this at times, but I’m not sure how much that effected his performance.  His command was completely gone by the 6th inning, when he allowed 4 runs and didn’t live to see the 7th.
• The Phillies got a couple of big hits early on from Shane Victorino (2-run double in the 2nd inning) and Pedro Feliz (2-run single in the 5th).  It appears the hitting with runners in scoring position has improved, which is a good thing because the Phillies have bigger problems right now.
• Of course, I say that but the Phils left the bases loaded in 4th, 5th, and 6th innings, left runners on 2nd and 3rd in the 2nd, and left men on 1st and 2nd in the 8th.  You’re not going to get all of those, but scoring a run in at least one of those situations would have helped out a lot today.
• The Phillies actually got some respectable work out of the bullpen from Sergio Escalona (entered with a man on base to face Prince Fielder and got him to ground out), and Chad Durbin (1.2 innings, no runs allowed).  I don’t think either of those guys are the answer to any of the questions the Phillies have right now, but I’ll take it.
• Ryan Madson did a nice job to record a 4 out save that the team desperately needed.  He got the benefit of some poor baserunning by Corey Hart for the one out he got in the 8th inning, and then was able to work around a Prince Fielder double in the 9th.
• The Phillies now return home for 4 games against Houston and finish up the season with 3 against Florida, who were officially eliminated from the division race today.  That is not an easy schedule.  Fortunately, they only need to win 3 games to clinch the NL East, but once they get to the playoffs they need to find a way for their bullpen to not murder them.

The Phillies played a sloppy defensive game and reminded everyone (in case we’d forgotten) that they don’t have a single healthy, reliable bullpen arm as they blew an early 4-0 lead and lost to the Milwaukee Brewers 7-5.  Kyle Kendrick started the game in place of Pedro Martinez, who was scratched with a stiff neck.  He allowed 3 runs (2 earned) in 4 innings of work.  He was lifted for Jamie Moyer after allowing the leadoff batter to reach base in the 5th inning.  Moyer worked 4 innings from that point and pitched fairly well, though he allowed 2 unearned runs as a result of some poor defense.  Tyler Walker then came on to pitch the 9th and allowed a 2-run walkoff homer to Ryan Braun without even recording an out.  Offensively, Paul Bako and Ryan Howard each hit home runs for the Phillies, but it wasn’t enough to win on a night when the pitching and defense were unacceptably poor.  Here are a few more thoughts on the game:

• Pedro Feliz went 2 for 4 in the game and in the process set a career high for hits in a season.  Good for him.  I like Pedro Feliz.  He’s got a $5 million option for next season, which seems a little high for a 35 year old third baseman in the current baseball economy.  I’m not sure whether the Phillies will pick it up, but if they don’t, his defense will be tough to replace considering they have so many pitchers on their staff who pitch to contact.
• Kyle Kendrick looked pretty good early, but seemed to unravel a bit in the 3rd inning.  He made a poor throw to 2nd on a bouncer up the middle that probably cost the Phillies a run, but was bailed out in that inning by a fantastic double play turned by Chase Utley.  Not a bad outing for Kendrick, but I agreed with him getting pulled when he did.
• It was interesting to me that Moyer came on with a runner on 1st and no outs because even thought he ended up pitching 4 innings (you can call that long relief for sure), it was the first time he entered a game without a clean inning and was brought in to face a tough lefty in Prince Fielder.  Moyer pitched very well (the 2 runs he allowed were the result of a bloop and an error) and probably deserves to be on the playoff roster.  I am convinced that he could be useful.
• Tyler Walker didn’t even put up a fight in the 9th inning.  He is not an option to close.  I don’t know who our options are, but it’s safe to say we know who they are not.

Cliff Lee buried the Phillies early and the offense could not dig out of the hole in an 8-4 loss to the Brewers.  Lee gave up 7 runs in 6 innings, including 3-run homers to Mike Cameron and Prince Fielder.  He struck out 6 and didn’t walk anyone.  Ryan Howard paced the Philly offense with 3 RBIs.  The loss, combined with a Braves win, reduces the Phillies lead in the NL East to 6 games and the magic number to clinch a playoff spot remains at 4.  Here are a few thoughts on tonight’s game:

• The biggest problem with Cliff Lee on nights like tonight is that he is always around the strike zone no matter what, so if his command is off and he isn’t locating pitches like he wants to, he gets hit hard as opposed to some guys who miss their spots and walk guys.  Lee is always in the zone, it’s just a matter of whether he is throwing his strikes or their strikes.  Tonight, he was throwing their strikes.
• Ryan Howard came through with a big hit with runners on 2nd and 3rd and 1 out in the 4th inning.  Remember when those situations were almost a guaranteed zero for the Phillies?  Anyway, the official scorer tried to call the play an error at first, which would have meant that Howard was credited with one RBI instead of two.  By the way, Howard is battling Prince Fielder for the RBI crown down the stretch.  Think that had anything to do with it?
• Paul Hoover, making his Phillies debut, went 2 for 3 in the game.  Good for him.  Also, his middle name is Chester.  So there’s that.
• Brad Lidge pitched in the 7th inning of a 7-2 game, which seems like the right spot for him at this point.  It doesn’t matter when he pitches.  He’s not that good.
• The Phillies got a little frisky in the 9th inning, down 8-4.  Gregg Dobbs and Andy Tracy lead off the inning with back to back singles, and Trevor Hoffman was summoned.  Hoffman got Matt Stairs and Jimmy Rollins to pop out, and then Shane Victorino grounded out weakly to 2nd to end the game.  So much for that.
• Pedro Martinez was scratched from his start tomorrow as his neck is still sore.  So we’ll see Kyle Kendrick.  There is a part of me that thinks that Pedro is making up the stiff neck story because he secretly hurt his arm as a result of his 130 pitch outing.  I have no evidence to back that up.

The bats were out in force tonight and JA Happ had a solid outing coming back from an oblique injury as the Phillies defeated Milwaukee 9-4.  Happ pitched 5.2 innings and allowed 2 runs, while striking out 7 and walking 2.  The offensive attack was spread throughout the lineup.  Jimmy Rollins lead the way with a 3 run homer to cap off a 6 run 5th inning.  Pedro Feliz and Shane Victorino had 3 hits each for the Phillies, and Paul Bako chipped in with 2 of his own.  The win reduces the Phillies magic number to 4.  Here are some thoughts on tonight’s game:

• JA Happ looked sharp early on.  He was using his slider/offspeed stuff more often and with better results, which was an adjustment that he would have had to make eventually anyway.  He wasn’t going to get guys out with that high fastball forever.  He seemed to struggle a little bit after allowing a triple to Jason Kendall (!) in the 3rd inning, but did well to allow just the one run in that frame.  He was eventually pulled with runners on 1st and 2nd and 2 outs in the 6th inning after throwing 91 pitches.  It was probably for the best, as he got a solid outing under his belt heading into the postseason.
• Chase Utley scored from 1st base on a Ryan Howard single in the first inning.  Who runs the bases better than Chase?
• Jimmy Rollins’ 3-run shot in the 6th inning was his 20th of the season.  Jimmy’s numbers aren’t befitting a leadoff hitter at all (his OBP is .292), but I still wouldn’t move him out of the top spot in the order.  He’s a leadoff man, damn the numbers.
• Paul Bako absorbed a pretty good collision at home plate from Corey Hart in the 6th inning, but still hung on to the ball a recorded the out.  A lot of Phillies fans I talk to are down on Bako, but I don’t know what people want out of their backup catcher.  He’s above average defensively and seems to call a good game (remember who caught Cliff Lee’s first 5 starts?).  He might not hit much, what backup catcher does?  And don’t bring up Chris Coste, who only hits theoretically and is not good at all behind the plate.  Coste is a better human interest story than a baseball player.
• Tyler Walker, whose name had been bandied about as a closer candidate after Lidge’s meltdown last night, pitched the 8th inning of a 9-2 game.  He loaded the bases and came within roughly 3 feet of allowing a grand slam that would have made the score 9-6 and forced Charlie Manuel to think about bringing Lidge into the game.  So maybe not Tyler Walker.
• Also, Clay Condrey looked terrible pitching the 9th inning.  Everyone in the Phillies bullpen is either hurt or sucks.  Awesome.