Phillies getting hot at the right time

By Mike McDonald
Collegian Editor
August 28, 2008

A week and a half ago, everything was looking pretty bad for the Phillies. The offense couldn’t get anything going, Jimmy Rollins was stirring up trouble, and the Mets looked like they were ready to take charge in the NL East.

Then the Phils came home for a crucial nine-game homestand, and everything changed.

The underachieving Phillies’ 2-5 trip to the West Coast had been somewhat overshadowed by Jimmy Rollins’ unprovoked comments about the fans, and when the team got back to Philadelphia, it was Rollins who took most of the heat.

Maybe the team needed the pressure concentrated on a single guy, because everybody started to play better when they got back home. Even Rollins turned it around by the end of the homestand.

Now, the offense is running on all cylinders, and the team is competing for first. There’s still a lot of baseball left to be played, but the homestand has provided some reassuring signs that the previously hibernating offense could at last be coming out of its slumber.

Not only are the Phils getting more run production in general, but they are getting hits in key spots, which hasn’t been happening over the past month. Because of this, the pitching staff has had some room for error and has gotten the job done. The bullpen continues to be great.

Charlie Manuel, however, still makes puzzling decisions all the time, but the latest version of the Phillies lineup has been pretty successful. Then again, when the team is hitting the ball, it is bound to make the manager look good.

Jayson Werth, a part-time player at the season’s outset, has become a vital part of the team. He comes up with clutch hits and always seems to make things happen when it counts. His role has grown by leaps and bounds over the course of the season, but his best contributions could very well come in the season’s final month.

Shane Victorino and Pat Burrell have been pretty steady all season long, and although Victorino has fallen several places in the lineup,

his batting average remains among the best on the team. Burrell is still a good power bat, and he’s a great guy to root for.

The media are bound to build up the Sept. 5-7 series between the Phils and the Mets at Shea as being the end-all, be all of the NL East, and with good reason. This will obviously be a very important series, but the fact remains that there will still be three weeks of baseball remaining after that. In actuality, it will be a lot of games with the Braves, Marlins and Nationals that ultimately decide the race between Philadelphia and New York.

Ruiz at third

Carlos Ruiz saw some action at the hot corner in Tuesday night’s big extra-inning win over the Mets. Sources have confirmed that Ruiz has been taking infield practice for some time now, but it was just strange seeing him out there.

This could be the start of a whole new trend for Charlie Manuel. Who wouldn’t be entertained watching Ryan Howard shagging flies in center or seeing Pat Burrell diving after grounders at shortstop?

Lidge still automatic

Brad Lidge continues his trend of greatness. The Phillies have gotten through five months without losing a single game when leading after eight innings. This is an incredible statistic, especially when compared with the Mets, who have the league’s worst run differential from the seventh inning on.

This steady performance for the Phils can be attributed to Brad Lidge, who has been the league’s best closer all year long. He has resurrected his career as a ninth-inning specialist and made critics into believers. Michael Bourn is a nice player, but that trade has proved to be an incredible move by Pat Gillick. Oh, and he had a little help from our old friend Ed Wade, too.

mcdonaldm2@lasalle.edu