BY SCOTT LAUBERMIAMI -- So, if you were watching last night's game, you probably wondered what the heck was going on in the third inning when Brett Myers was told to put on long sleeves.
It's called gamesmanship, folks.
One inning earlier, Charlie Manuel asked the umpires to make sure that the Marlins base coaches were standing closer to their boxes. Manuel said later that he didn't want to make a fuss or outright accuse Marlins coaches of stealing signs. He just wanted to be sure that they weren't. Well, the Marlins countered by asking crew chief Joe West to tell Myers to put on long sleeves to cover a tattoo that curls around his left wrist. Myers has had the tattoo for 3-1/2 years and has faced the Marlins countless times. Never before has it been a problem.
"It's all to get in my head, but it didn't affect me," Myers said. "I'm from Florida. It wasn't a big deal. They don't want to get in my head. Not too many people have been successful getting in there, besides myself."
Indeed, Myers had bigger problems than his sleeve length.
Wearing short sleeves, he served up five first-inning runs before retiring a batter. With long sleeves, he allowed five fifth-inning runs and was knocked from the game before recording an out. The 10 runs added up to the worst start of Myers' career, and the Phillies slipped to a half-game behind the Mets in the NL East.
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The Phillies did, however, have their magic number to clinch a playoff spot reduced to 7 because the Brewers got pounded by the Reds. Milwaukee's collapse really takes the drama out of the playoff race. It appears the Phils and Mets will both make it, with one team winning the NL East and the other winning the wild card. If the Phils win the division, they would play the Dodgers in the first round. If they win the wild card, they would play the Cubs.
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Those of you who get an early edition of The Paper received this elongated note:
Upon being traded to the Phillies in mid-July, Joe Blanton brought a reputation for throwing strikes and logging innings.
Over the past six weeks, he hasn't done much of either.
But, after Blanton tossed seven solid innings last Sunday against the Brewers, pitching coach Rich Dubee revealed that the burly right-hander had been bothered for at least two starts by mild biceps tendinitis. Blanton is healthy again, though, and the Phillies expect him to pitch more like himself here tonight against the Marlins.
"I put in a lot of work in the bullpen before that last start, trying to get mechanically sound," said Blanton, who unknowingly compensated for the stiffness he had been feeling by altering his arm slot, a change that affected his control. "I felt like I got a good base, and in my last start, I was able to attack the [strike] zone."
Blanton is 2-0 with a 4.53 ERA in 11 starts with the Phillies. He allowed only one run over 14 innings in two starts Aug. 2 against the Cardinals and Aug. 8 against the Pirates, but in his next six starts, when his arm flared, he posted a 5.58 ERA, walked 18 batters in 30-2/3 innings and finished the sixth inning only once.
He yielded two first-inning runs last Sunday in the opener of a doubleheader before settling and earning the victory. Dubee said the Phils are confident enough in his health that they won't have him on a restrictive pitch count tonight.
"Blanton is pretty much healthy," Dubee said. "What he had, guys pitch through during the season all the time. It's regular wear and tear. It's not uncommon."
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The Phillies will field a Florida instructional league team that will play games against the Blue Jays, Pirates, Yankees and Rays from Sept. 22 through Oct. 15. Forty-two Phillies minor leaguers will participate. The roster: Right-handers Welinson Baez, Mike Bolsenbroek, Tyler Cloyd, Jarred Cosart, Kyle Drabek (2006 first-round pick), Jason Knapp, Trevor May, Jonathan Pettibone, Chad Poe, Julio Rodriguez, Robert Roth, Julian Sampson, Jesus Sanchez, Michael Schwimer, Reginal Simon, Kyle Slate, Vance Worley; left-handers Spencer Arroyo, Jacob Diekman, Yohan Flande, Joe Savery (2007 first-round pick); catchers Travis D'Arnaud, Ferrel Gomez, Joel Naughton, Sebastian Valle; infielders Tomas DeLosSantos, Freddy Galvis, Harold Garcia, Jeremy Hamilton, Troy Hanzawa, Anthony Hewitt (2008 first-round pick), Travis Mattair, Derrick Mitchell, Cody Overbeck, Nerio Rios; outfielders Leandro Castro, Zach Collier, Anthony Gose, Brandon Haislet, D'Arby Myers, Bernardo Solarte, Terrance Warren.
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Enjoy your Saturday, everyone.
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