How sweep it is! Sweeping Beauty! How Sweep is my valley? Ok, that's enough. The Phillies managed something they hadn't done all year, take every game of a series, last night against the Giants. It was shaky behind the always interesting pitching of Jon Lieber, but they held on.
The Phils took a quick 4-0 lead in the second on an Utley double, a Lieberthal single and egregious throwing error by Jason Ellison, a near homer by Lieber off the 398 sign in right center, and a for-real homer by J-Roll just inside the right field foul pole. Lieber gave that lead right back with a two out rally including back-to-back homers by J.T. Snow and Moises "Urine Good Hands" Alou. The Phils then quickly regained the lead in the third with a two-run bases-loaded wounded duck into short right field by David Bell. The Giants added a late run in the seventh off Rheal Cormier, who still hasn't got the "improved bullpen" memo. Daddy Wags closed out the 6-5 win with a 1-2-3 ninth. Back to .500. And thanks to a late comeback by the Nats, the entire NL East is now within 2.5 games of the lead.
It's June 3rd, and it may be early, but we are in what is known in baseball circles as a "pennant race". It's an alien concept in these parts, but I've seen them before, and they can be quite exhilarating. This is a particularly good one, involving five nearly indistinguishable and variously flawed teams. The Braves bullpen is a mess, the Marlins just lost 7 of 8 and are getting no production from Mike Lowell (yet) and Al Leiter is terrible, the Mets have weak pitching after Pedro, and the Nats are playing way over their heads. Despite our problems, which have been excruciatingly documented here, we've won 10 of the last 15 and have the only thing resembling momentum in the division, plus a favorable schedule. Now, Rheal, did you get the memo? I'll just forward you another copy, mmm-kay? Thaaanks. (that was my Lumbergh impression, in case you weren't aware).
Try as they might to shelter him and his 7+ ERA from Major League hitters, the Phils are forced to send Vicente Padilla to the hill tonight against the D'Backs Javier Vazquez. On the surface it doesn't look promising, but we're on a roll, and this is as good a time as any to see if Padilla can get it together. The good news is, it's raining. Keep raining! And CBP grounds crew, whatever you do, don't do this!
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