The Philadelphia Phillies need a reason to be optimistic. They have optimism now, after completing a four-game sweep of the Cincinnati Reds. The Reds had a team record of 49-37 going into the series as division leaders. After these four wins, the Phillies have a record of 47-40, still finding themselves 4.5 games out of first place in the National League East. While the Phillies won four games straight, there is still some room for panic.

For the most part, the pitching can be credited with why the Phillies took this series. The last two victorious were both 1-0 wins. So while the pitching heavily stepped up, the batting still looked pretty miserable. And with Utley and Polanco still on the disabled list, that will not get any better.

With the trade deadline approaching, the Phillies need to make a move. There is no point in acquiring a pitcher if the team cannot score runs. Adding a bat to the lineup should be a higher priority on Ruben Amaro’s list.

by David at the Sports Fan Blog Network

The Philadelphia Phillies have been struggling as of late, and many people will pin it on their batting. Statistics don’t lie; aside from Tuesday night, their batting has been pathetically bad as of late. But overall, it is the starting pitching that may ultimately let the team down.

Roy Halladay has been stellar, with eight wins, five complete games, and a low ERA of 2.08. There is nothing to critique about it, as he has been easily worth the investment.

To the surprise of some, Cole Hamels is not doing too badly this season. His numbers are fair, but what sticks out is the fact that he has let up 13 home runs in 12 starts. And just like in his last start, he pitched beautifully, and then proceeded to let up multiple home runs. When the Phillies send Hamels out on the mound, nobody knows which Hamels they are going to get. There is the Hamels who was the World Series MVP, and there is the Hamels who wanted last season to be over.

Like Hamels, 47-year-old Jamie Moyer has an ERA of 3.98. Moyer got off to a terrible month of April. But after posting a 3.66 ERA in May and a 2.00 ERA in his only June start, Moyer looks to be on the rise. But at Moyer’s age, injury and endurance will always be a risk. While he is playing well right now, who knows how reliable he will be in a few months.

Despite being above .500, Kyle Kendrick has been far from stellar so far. Opponents are batting .277 against him, which is not exactly something to brag about for Kendrick. He has walked 19 batters, next to just 27 strikeouts. Nobody is asking for him to be good. But being mediocre would be a start.

Lastly is the debacle that so far is Joe Blanton’s 2010 season. With a 1-4 record, nothing seems to be going right for Blanton. He loses control early, and certainly does not regain it. His 6.07 ERA makes him look like he should not even be in the majors. This is clearly not the Joe Blanton that the Phillies signed up for, and it is not the Joe Blanton that the Phillies are used to. A trip to the minors, or back to the DL would probably be best at this point.

The Phillies are underachieving so far, but it is only June, and there should not be too much worry. They are still a dangerous team, and could all catch fire at any given time. The batting has been struggling, but will absolutely come around. However, the starting pitching, aside from Halladay, could take a turn for the worse. Another phone call to Pedro Martinez could be in order. Or maybe Ruben Amaro can come up with another good trade as the season goes along. But whatever happens, this starting rotation is not looking too sharp. The rotation has come a long way since Robert Person and Brandon Duckworth, but it is not what it needs to be if the Phillies want to add another World Series Championship to their resume.

by David at the Sports Fan Blog Network

As a Phillies fan, there is no way I would rather have Cliff Lee than Roy Halladay right now. Both are starting off the season well, but Halladay was clearly a good acquisition. Plus, by only giving him a 3-year extension, the Phillies got themselves out of a possible mess a few years down the line. And, Lee stated in the past that he would be looking for a free agent deal similar to what C.C. Sabathia landed with the New York Yankees. Yes, it would be crazy to give that to Lee. But should the Phillies have kept Lee, and had both him and Halladay?

The answer to that question is simply, yes. Right now, except for Roy Halladay, Philadelphia has a very shaky pitching situation. Cole Hamels can go from looking like an ace to a scrub within a one-week change. Jamie Moyer looks like he will be playing forever, but not in a good way. J.A. Happ has been hurt, and Kyle Kendrick shouldn’t even be in the big leagues. If Cliff Lee was on this team, that would be a surreal 1-2 punch. Even though he would leave in the off-season, that would be an incredible World Series push. Once players such as Howard and Utley get old, this team will go through a rebuilding face. So depleting the farm system to have both Halladay and Lee on this team would have been worth it. Philadelphia has one ace, but two aces beats one.

by David at the Sports Fan Blog Network

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Philadelphia Phillies Sports Memorabilia
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Davey Lopes started things in the fifth inning Tuesday with a simple question for Cole Hamels: When was the last time you slid? “It’s been a long time,” Hamels replied. Hamels, who was on first base, knew exactly why Lopes was asking. He wanted Hamels to steal second base.


Lopes has been the Phillies’ first-base coach since 2007 and is a major reason why the Phillies have been the most successful basestealing team in the Majors. The Phillies have stolen 85.1 percent of their bases the past three seasons. No other team in the Majors is better than 79.2 percent. Lopes is good because he has a knack for picking up a pitcher’s tendencies, much like a poker tell. A shift in body weight, a simple head movement, can tell Lopes if a pitcher is about to throw a pitch, which means a baserunner can take off without fear of being picked off. He also instills confidence in his baserunners that they can steal a base if they want.

Click here to read the full article – By Todd Zolecki of MLB.com

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If the Phillies cannot trade for Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee or Jarrod Washburn before Friday’s Trade Deadline, they will have to rely on what they have to try to win a second consecutive World Series.

That means they need Cole Hamels to be Cole Hamels. Hamels has battled injuries and inconsistency for much of the season, but lately he is looking up to the challenge. He allowed four hits and one run, striking out nine in eight impressive innings in a 4-3 victory Tuesday over the D-backs at Chase Field. The victory maintained the Phillies’ seven-game lead over the Marlins in the National League East.

Click here to read the full article – By Todd Zolecki of MLB.com

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If Cole Hamels gets on track, the Philadelphia Phillies will be even more dangerous.

Hamels pitched seven effective innings, Jayson Werth and Pedro Feliz had three hits apiece and Philadelphia beat the San Diego Padres 9-4 in a makeup game Thursday night. One day after their 10-game winning streak ended, the NL East-leading Phillies moved 6 1/2 games up on Atlanta and Florida with their 15th win in 17 games.

Click here to read the full article – By Associated Press of ESPN.com

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The Phillies continue their pursuit of Roy Halladay before the July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline because they obviously feel they are a much better team with a formidable 1-2 punch atop their rotation.

Cole Hamels hopes to get back on track after rain shortened his start Friday in Florida, where he allowed one run and four hits in five innings. It looked like Hamels was turning a corner after what had been a rough July. Hamels is 1-1 with a 5.74 ERA this month. He allowed seven runs in four innings July 1 in Atlanta before he allowed one run in seven innings against the Reds on July 6. But then the Pirates scored five runs against him in six innings on July 11 before his rain-shortened start after the All-Star break Friday.

Click here to read the full article – By Todd Zolecki of MLB.com

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To repeat, first-place club’s starting pitching must improve

The Phillies enter the second half of their season Thursday in Florida in first place in the National League East. In many ways, it is easy to see why. They have one of the best offenses in baseball and have played great defense. Five of their everyday players earned a spot on the National League All-Star team: Chase Utley, Raul Ibanez, Ryan Howard, Shane Victorino and Jayson Werth. It was just the fifth time in franchise history the Phillies had five players at the All-Star Game.

Click here to read the full article – By Todd Zolecki of MLB.com

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The Phillies’ pitchers head into the all-star break off their best 10-game stretch of the season, illustrated by the 2.70 earned run average during a 9-1 homestand they completed yesterday with a methodical 5-2 win over the Pirates.

Nonetheless, the staff obviously needs to be anchored by Cole Hamels, whose first half of the season almost defined inconsistency. Hamels’ shaky performance Saturday night was overshadowed by the dramatic five-run ninth inning that gave the Phillies an 8-7 win. But he gave up five runs in six innings.

Click here to read the full article – By Ray Parrillo of The Philadelphia Inquirer

Philadelphia Phillies Sports Memorabilia
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Below are links to memorabilia available for Cole Hamels.