We won how? Phils starters, Ruiz, take series from Yanks

Well that was certainly an exciting series, and CERTAINLY more exciting than it should have been. You had great pitching, lots of HR, a couple plays at the plate, clutch hits, blown saves, a first-MLB-game HR and Phillies fans outcheering Yankees fans. 

The Phils won 2 of 3, but it really should have been a sweep, with Brad Lidge giving up 3 runs before getting even the 2nd out on Saturday. But you can’t do too much complaining about getting 2 out of 3 in New York against a team coming in on a 9 game winning streak. 

2009: 24-18
2008: 23-19
2007: 21-21

Player of the Series: Carlos Ruiz (6 for 8, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 SB, 2 caught stealing, 2 plate blocks)
Goat of the Series: Brad Lidge ( 1.1 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 2 Blown Saves)

The Good News

• It was a great relief to finally, 40 games into the season, get 3 good starts in the same series. Against a really good, really hot offensive team no less. 
• The best sign was JA Happ’s start. It’s almost as if he should have been in the rotation earlier! He was tough to hit using mostly his fastball, was efficient with his pitches (75 in 6 IP) and obviously wasn’t easily rattled. I really, really hope this is the start of a several-year stint in the rotation for him. 
• Aside from Lidge, we really played well this series and it reminded me of the playoff games where we won with our pitching and defense and our offense got enough hits to get the wins. 
• Myers has given up 3 ER or less in 6 of his last 7 starts. 
• John Mayberry’s HR was the best moment of the series (even though Fox kept showing the wrong person for his dad). He seems to have a long swing like Howard, which tells me he can hit some HR, but is also probably slump-prone. I wish we could see more of him. 
• Carlos Ruiz looked like the Ruiz of the playoffs. His average went from .236 to .302 and he really showcased his defensive abilities. He must like the big stage. 
• Our defense shined this weekend, and we continue to lead the NL in least errors. 

The Bad News

• In a world without salaries, reputation and emotion – Ryan Madson supplants Brad Lidge as (temporary) closer tonight. Not sure Charlie is ready to go there yet though. Like Moyer, I don’t know how long you can keep parading him out there when he’s pitching so poorly. Send him to Lehigh or put him in the 6-7th inning role for awhile. But he can’t “work it out” in these big time situations. Luckily, we get JC Romero back in just 8 games. 
• I would have liked to see more of Sergio Escalona before they sent him back down. 

Series Preview: Marlins at Phillies

So the question will be: Can the Phillies avoid a letdown series after what must have been an emotionally draining series in New York? The Marlins come in at 9-24 since their 11-1 start, but the Phillies have both Moyer and Blanton on the mound, so who knows. 

Three Questions for the Series

1. Already said it…can we avoid a letdown series?
2. Will Lidge get a chance to shake off his past 2 outings?
3. Can the Phillies finally start playing at home like they have on the road?

Prediction

The last two series I’ve predicted losses and we’ve won them, so now I’m all mental about this thinking I should keep picking against them so they win. But, I can’t start predicting like that, so I’m going to go with a series win. Moyer has handled the Marlins and hopefully won’t get shelled, and the Marlins have been one of the worst teams in baseball for the past month or so, so we really, really should take 2 of 3 at home. 

May 25, 2009