Phillies Semi-Weekly Report Card #15

Record since last Report Card:  7-0

Overall Record:  92-61 (1st in division, 6 ahead of Atlanta)

I could go on and on about what a great week this was, what a great month it’s been, and how good this team is, in general, but let’s cut right to the chase:  the Phillies are the team to beat.  Not in the division, not in the National League, but in all of baseball.  At no point in this incredible run of success that they’ve had over the last few years have I made that statement, but I made it after Monday night’s win, and obviously two more wins over a very good Braves team did nothing to change that opinion.

With all due respect to the other contenders, especially the Yankees and Rays, I see no reason why the Phillies, especially with home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, shouldn’t be the favorite to win the World Series. 

Of course, that doesn’t mean they’re some sort of lock to win it, or even win the pennant again.  I’ve heard some Phillie fans dismissing the thought of a team like the Reds or Giants beating the Phils in the first-round.  In a playoff series, anything can happen.  But with the pedigree of this Phillies team, the way they rise to the occasion again and again and again, with three aces in the rotation, and a back-end of the bullpen that is rounding into shape, they are the most likely team to win it all next month.

On to the grades:

Position Players:  A stellar week with the bats, highlighted by 19 runs combined in the first two games of the week (vs. Marlins and Nats) and a 4-run 9th inning to beat the Nats 7-6 on Sunday.  Seemingly in the middle of it constantly were Jayson Werth and Raul Ibanez.  Werth’s power stroke has come back in a big way, as he hit 4 homers this week en route to a .440 (11-25) average.  His two-run bomb completed that comeback on Sunday. 

Ibanez delivered key RBI hits in the Atlanta series.  His two-run double in the 6th on Tuesday gave the Phils a 3-run cushion, and his RBI double in the bottom of the 8th on Wednesday accounted for the only run of the game.  He hit .464 (13-28) on the week, and over the last two weeks, he’s hitting .440 with 10 extra-base hits.

Utley and Ruiz each had another nice week, while Wilson Valdez continued to contribute, hitting .360 (9-25) with his usual handful of jaw-dropping plays at short.  Who knows how many runs this offense would have put up this week if the table-setters, Victorino and Polanco, hadn’t struggled.  Those two combined to hit .200 (12-60), with just one extra-base hit.  Polanco’s elbow injury continues to effect his power, as his homer-less drought has now reached two months, and he has just one long ball since May 9th.

Grade:  A-

Starting Pitchers:  Very similar to the last few weeks here, and that’s not just a good thing, it’s a great thing.  Oswalt and Hamels again vied for Start of the Week, and the nod has to go to Oswalt for his effort against Atlanta on Wednesday night, even though he got a no-decision.  He went 7 shut-out innings, allowing one hit and striking out eight.  In his other start of the week he beat the Nats by allowing one run in six innings.

Hamels lone start of the week came on Monday against Atlanta, when he set the tone for the series with 8 excellent innings, allowing one run.  Stat of the Week:  Cole has now allowed one run or less in 10 of his last 14 starts, including the last 5 in a row.  Halladay had two more good-but-not-great starts, allowing three runs in each and going 6 and 7 innings, respectively.  He’s allowed at least 3 runs in six consecutive starts.  It would be nice to see him throw up a real gem here in one of his final starts to go into the playoffs feeling strong.

Blanton and Kendrick were both decent, going 6 innings apiece against the Nats over the weekend.  Blanton allowed four runs and Kendrick gave up two.  In all, the starters combined for a 2.73 ERA, and struck out 44 batters while walking just 7.

Grade:  A-

Bullpen:  What an electrifying performance Lidge gave to close out the game on Monday.  He came in with a two-run lead, with the Bank rocking like a playoff game, and he was facing the 2-3-4 hitters in the Braves line-up.  His slider was diving like we haven’t seen in a while, and he had complete command of it.  He was very shaky in a non-save situation last Wednesday in Florida, but that could be chalked up to the old “closers struggle in non-save situations” phenomenon.  He converted four save opportunities after that.  His consistency is not at the level that it was in ’08, but for the most part he very much resembles the guy he was two years ago.

Yet another dominating week for Ryan Madson, who allowed no runs in his four outings.  There’s been a lot of talk about him being over-used, and there’s something to be said for that, but it’s worth noting that he missed two months with that toe injury early in the year, so his season innings total is still well below what it was the past two years.  Jose Contreras had a couple good outings and should have the 7th inning role locked down.  Not that the Phils need a 7th inning man that often considering how good their starters are.

Grade:  A-

Up Next:  An off day on Thursday before the Mets come to the Bank for three and then a trip to D.C. for three before going to Atlanta to close out the regular season.  To be frank, the division race is all but over.  These next 9 games will be mostly about answering certain questions going into the playoffs.  For example:  What will be the order of the aces in the rotation?  Can J.C. Romero be trusted in key situations?  Will Jimmy Rollins be ready to go, and where will he hit in the batting order?  Will Mike Sweeney, Greg Dobbs, and/or Dom Brown be on the playoff roster?