June 14 -- WATCHING FLASH

ST. LOUIS -- So, the Phillies scored 20 runs last night, pounding the Cardinals and marking the first time since 1900 that they've scored 20 runs in two games in the same season.

Yeah, those 1900 Phillies could really rake.

By now, though, you know all about the potency of these Phillies' bats. And while the back-to-back-to-back home runs by Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Pat Burrell, and the four hits by Carlos Ruiz, and the five RBIs for Howard, were impressive sights to see, we're going to focus our attention this morning on Tom "Flash" Gordon.

Without being asked, Charlie Manuel mentioned yesterday that he's going to be careful with Gordon's workload over the next few months. There's nothing wrong with Gordon's right arm, Manuel insisted. But Gordon is 40 years old, and there's a lot of mileage on that shoulder and elbow. He already has made 29 appearances this season, and in the interest of preserving his health for as long as possible, Manuel and pitching coach Rich Dubee want to make sure Gordon gets proper rest.

Sounds good, right?

Well, Gordon isn't so sure. I spoke to him for a few minutes before last night's game, and while he understands what Manuel is trying to do, his competitive nature tells him that it's never a good thing when your workload is diminished. But he won't make waves, either. If Manuel wants to turn some eighth innings over to Ryan Madson, Chad Durbin or J.C. Romero, Gordon won't complain.

"I've always been a guy that, the more I've pitched, the better I've felt," Gordon told me. "I didn't come here thinking I'd have 29 games at this point, but that's what my job requires sometimes. Whatever is best for the team right now is best for the team. I respect that. I'll do anything I can to help this team win."

So, what do you think? Good idea to monitor Gordon?

***
The Phillies wanted Kyle Lohse back. Lohse wanted to return. Yet Lohse is here, pitching for the Cardinals today.

So, what happened?

"It was a weird situation," Lohse said. "Whatever it was, things didn't work out."

"We did pursue him. We wanted him back, and we ultimately made offers that were far greater than what he signed for," assistant GM Ruben Amaro Jr. said. "I think, overall, based on the marketplace the year prior, there was a different expectation than ultimately what was agreed upon."

Translation: Lohse's agent, Scott Boras, misread the market. Unable to get the four- or five-year contract he desired, Lohse settled for a one-year, $4.25 million deal with the Cards.

"I really don't know how to describe how things went down [in the offseason]," Lohse said. "Obviously, a lot of teams need pitching, and for whatever reason, I wasn't on anybody's list. I've gotten past it. I think my performance has proved that. I guess you could say I'm out there enjoying the success that I'm having and showing people that I probably could've helped them out."

June 13 -- WELCOME TO 'BASEBALL HEAVEN' (UPDATED)

ST. LOUIS -- Sitting here in the press box at new Busch Stadium, looking out at the Gateway Arch and watching the rain fall. One forecast I saw indicates the weather will clear by gametime. We'll see.

A few notes before the clubhouse opens:

* Phillies won't have to contend with Albert Pujols this weekend. Pujols went on the disabled list the other day with a strained left calf, and the talk here is whether the Cards can stay close in the NL Central while Pujols and staff ace Adam Wainwright are out. Closer Jason Isringhausen (lacerated hand) is getting closer to returning from the disabled list, but there's no guarantee he'll be ready for this weekend.

* Today is a special day in Kyle Kendrick's life. It marks the one-year anniversary of his first major-league start. Nobody expected Kendrick to stay in the majors for very long, but here he is, getting set to open a three-game series in St. Louis.

* The Phillies got their 40th win last night in their 68th game. That's the fewest games to 40 wins since 1993 when, well, you know how far the Phillies got that year.

* Brad Lidge is 18-for-18 in save chances. That's a club record for consecutive saves to start a season since the present saves rule was instituted in 1975. Al Holland (15-for-15) set the previous mark in 1984.

* The Phils have signed two more draft picks -- right-hander Eryk McConnell (20th round from NC State) and outfielder Ruddy Rio-Nunez (35th round from Edouard Montpetit High in Montreal).

* We try to keep things Phillies-related here, but I just heard the terribly sad, terribly stunning news of Tim Russert's death. Russert was a big baseball fan (he was on the Hall of Fame's Board of Directors), and as a journalist, I've always thought his work on "Meet The Press" and other NBC/MSNBC programs was exemplary. "We are shocked and deeply saddened to learn of Tim's sudden passing," National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum Chairman Jane Forbes Clark said in a statement. "He was an integral member of our Board of Directors and its executive committee, and he cared about the Hall of Fame and its mission so much. We'll miss Tim's critical thinking and his unsurpassed passion for the game tremendously."

(Updated, 6:47 p.m.): Tonight's lineup against Cardinals right-hander Todd Wellemeyer (7-1, 2.93 ERA): SS Jimmy Rollins (.284/5/22), CF Shane Victorino (.276/2/17), 2B Chase Utley (.313/21/58), 1B Ryan Howard (.204/15/49), LF Pat Burrell (.281/16/42), RF Geoff Jenkins (.277/6/18), 3B Pedro Feliz (.254/8/30), C Carlos Ruiz (.217/2/16), RHP Kyle Kendrick (5-2, 4.87).

June 13 -- CATCHING MARLIN

SOMEWHERE BETWEEN MIAMI AND ST. LOUIS -- Good morning, all. Happy Friday the 13th. At the moment, I find myself in Atlanta. What am I doing here, you ask? Well, it's the connection point for my flight to St. Louis, which should be boarding in a few minutes.

While I wait, let's talk about Jamie Moyer's performance last night.

Moyer lasted eight innings for the first time since April 19, 2007, absolutely flummoxing the Marlins at Dolphin Stadium. He took a no-hitter into the sixth inning, allowed only two singles and a walk and threw 102 pitches, most of them exactly where he and catcher Carlos Ruiz wanted them.

What? You expected something less?

Moyer is the Marlins' master. In nine career starts against them, he's 9-0 with a 3.03 ERA. In four career starts at Dolphin Stadium, he's 4-0 with a 1.30 ERA. He's so tough on Dan Uggla (2-for-21) that Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez held Uggla out of the lineup last night even though he belted a walk-off grand slam Wednesday night.

If Moyer knows why he has the Marlins so baffled, he isn't saying. But if the Fish can stay with the Phillies near the top of the NL East, Charlie Manuel will figure out a way to make sure Moyer pitches against them in every remaining series between the clubs. Actually, Manuel may do better than that.

"We'll see if we can't get that 45-year-old to throw two out of three," Manuel said.

He was joking. We think.

***
Pat Gillick was the Orioles' GM in 1997 when Baltimore took Jayson Werth in the first round, and during spring training, Gillick told me Werth may still be a catcher if their paths hadn't diverged after the '98 season. But Gillick left Baltimore and Werth was dealt to Toronto, where he was converted into an outfielder.

Werth still carries catcher's gear, though, and last night, he served as the Phillies' backup catcher with Chris Coste back in Philly with his wife Marcia and their newborn daughter Camryn. Coste is due back tonight, and nobody is more thankful than Werth.

***
OK, my AirTran flight is about to board, so we'll talk later from Busch Stadium.

June 12 -- TO BUNT, OR NOT TO BUNT?

FORT LAUDERDALE -- OK, here's the situation: Bases loaded, two outs, top of the ninth inning, game tied 2-2, Jayson Werth at the plate against Marlins closer Kevin Gregg.

And Werth bunts.

Good play? Bad play?

Werth's thinking was simple. He saw Marlins third baseman Wes Helms playing "farther back than back" on the infield, and everyone who saw the Phils last season knows that Helms is, well, defensively challenged. So, he figured he'd try to sneak a bunt past Gregg and down the third-base line. But it never made it past Gregg, who made the play to retire Werth and kill the rally.

Then, in the bottom of the ninth, Dan Uggla went boom against Tom Gordon, and the Marlins won, 6-2.

"I was trying to catch them by surprise," Werth said. "It was a play that I've been part of in the minor leagues actually to win a game. Helms was back. He was farther back than back. It's good play, bad play. It's good if it works and bad if it doesn't."

Said manager Charlie Manuel: "I want him swinging there. He hardly ever bunts. He saw the infield back and tried to make a play. If he gets the ball down, I'll be sitting here telling you it's a hell of a play."

So, what do you think? Good play or bad play?

***
Between opening day and last night, Gordon had gone 5-1 with a 2.13 ERA in 27 appearances. That's pretty darn good. So, it was strange to see him struggle so mightily with his command last night before serving up Uggla's grand slam.

"It happens," Cole Hamels said. "Flash has been doing well for us all year long. I know he doesn't take it personally. He might, but I don't, just because I know he's going to capitalize the next time he goes out."

***
Hamels vs. Andrew Miller was a sight to see. Just ask Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez.

"It was like old-time baseball for eight innings," he said. "Both pitched terrific. It was one of those matchups you read about, two young left-handers matching pitch-for-pitch."

More later from Dolphin Stadium.

June 11 -- KLINE OUT, MORE DRAFTEES IN

MIAMI GARDENS -- The Steve Kline experiment is over.

Kline, a veteran lefty reliever, has been released by the Phillies after going 0-2 with a 5.16 ERA in 20 appearances for Class AAA Lehigh Valley. Opponents were batting .298 against Kline, and lefties were hitting a whopping .341. He had been suspended by the Phils and the International League for bumping umpire Mike Estabrook during an argument earlier this week. The Phillies signed Kline to a minor-league contract in April.

So, there's that.

Also, the Phillies have signed seven more draft picks, including third-round Vance Worley, a right-hander from Cal State Long Beach. Others who signed: RHP Julio Rodriguez (eighth round), RHP Brian Rosenberg (13th round), LHP Sean Grieve (21st round), LHP David Noles (24th round), RHP Ryan Bergh (26th round) and LHP Spencer Arroyo (31st round).

And, finally, tonight's lineup against Marlins LHP Andrew Miller (4-5, 5.65): SS Jimmy Rollins (.280/5/22), CF Shane Victorino (.284/2/17), 2B Chase Utley (.311/21/56), 1B Ryan Howard (.211/15/49), LF Pat Burrell (.281/16.42), RF Jayson Werth (.268/9/26), 3B Pedro Feliz (.248/8/30), C Carlos Ruiz (.226/2/16), LHP Cole Hamels (6-4, 3.36)

June 11 -- AUDIOFILE

MIAMI GARDENS -- Got together with Mike Radano of the Camden (N.J.) Courier-Post to tape our regular audiofile. We discussed the Phillies' recent hot streak, and their winning formula: Starters keep the game close long enough for the offense to get a lead and the bullpen to hold it.

Got a few minutes? Listen here by clicking this link: R09_0003.mp3

June 11 -- THE MENTOR AND HIS PROTEGE

FORT LAUDERDALE -- Before we get to Brett Myers and the three home runs he served up here last night, I wanted to relate a story that I was told yesterday.

In the sixth inning Friday night in Atlanta, Shane Victorino tried to steal second base against Braves starter Tim Hudson with Ryan Howard at the plate. Victorino was thrown out -- or maybe he was safe. Either way, it was a close play. Too close. After the game, first-base coach Davey Lopes asked Victorino a simple question.

"What was your mistake there?" Lopes said.

Victorino talked about the placement of his hand on the bag when he slid. He wondered about his lead off first base. He even contended that he was safe and that second-base umpire Mike Reilly blew the call.

"What was your mistake there?" Lopes repeated.

"You ran," he said, before Victorino answered.

For two years, Lopes has been Victorino's mentor, the actual voice in his head when he gets to first base. And one of the lessons he has imparted to Victorino (and Michael Bourn last season) is that, regardless of how fast you are, there are times when you simply can't run. Some pitchers, like Hudson, can be too quick to the plate, making it almost physically impossible to steal.

"You can't outrun the baseball," Lopes said.

Lopes has gotten results. Last season, the Phillies led the majors with an 87.9 percent stolen-base success rate. This season, they've been successful 86 percent of the time. Credit Lopes for that. But also chalk up Lopes' return to the first-base coach's box for Victorino's hot streak. Three weeks ago, Lopes returned to the field after recovering from prostate cancer surgery. And, in the last 21 games, Victorino is batting .349 with 25 runs and seven steals.

"Having him there when I get to first base, I get a boost of confidence," said Victorino, who batted .234 with 16 runs and five steals in his first 31 games. "Just having him around, it's big."

***
OK, about Myers: "I pretty much stunk," he said, summing things up perfectly.

Myers thought he made two bad pitches -- on the home runs to Hanley Ramirez in the first inning and Mike Jacobs in the fifth -- but really, it was worse than that. Myers consistently fell behind hitters, hiking his pitch count and causing him to last only 5-1/3 innings. But what really bothered him was giving up two runs in the fifth after the Phillies had scored twice to cut the deficit to 3-2.

So, what's your level of confidence in Myers now?

***
This is online, but it didn't find it's way into print editions: Chris Snelling has accepted his assignment to Class AAA Lehigh Valley, good news for the Phillies' outfield and bench depth.

***
In case you were wondering, Mike Schmidt thought Charlie Manuel made the right move by benching Jimmy Rollins. At least that's what he wrote in his column for the Associated Press.

June 10 -- VOTING RESULTS

MIAMI GARDENS -- Just got to Dolphin Stadium, where we've received an update on the NL All-Star voting. For a third straight week, Chase Utley is the leading vote-getter with 1,284,961 total votes. That's nearly 175,000 more than Braves third baseman Chipper Jones, the next-closest player with 1,110,171 votes. It's also more than twice as many votes as the second-place second baseman, the Cubs' Mark DeRosa (589,637).

So, barring something completely unexpected, Utley will start at second base in the All-Star Game.

But Utley's teammates aren't faring as well in the balloting. Ryan Howard ranks fourth among first basemen with 368,012 votes, way behind Houston's Lance Berkman (1,046,249), the Cubs' Derrek Lee (771,516) and St. Louis' Albert Pujols (700,777). At shortstop, Jimmy Rollins ranks fifth with 442,885 votes. He's behind Houston's Miguel Tejada (726,835), Florida's Hanley Ramirez (607,528), the Cubs' Ryan Theriot (583,433) and the Mets' Jose Reyes (498,007). Pat Burrell has plummeted to ninth among NL outfielders with 487,131 votes.

***
Before eating lunch at one of the best BBQ joints in America, I read this comment about the Phils from old friend Wes Helms in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel: "They're hitting right now, and their pitching has stepped up the past few games. I wouldn't say they're the cream of the [NL East] crop. I think we can play with them any day of the week. We just hit a little spell here that took us three games behind them."

***
The Phillies have signed eight of their draft picks from last week, including 51st overall pick Anthony Gose, a left-handed hitting outfielder from Bellflower (Calif.) High. The others:
1B Jeremy Hamilton (fifth round pick), 3B Cody Overbeck (ninth round), 2B Daniel Hargrave (22nd round), OF Brandon Haislet (23rd round), RHP Jordan Ellis (28th round from Villanova), RHP Michael Cisco (36th round), OF Bryan Frew (43rd round).

June 10 -- SPELLING RELIEF

FORT LAUDERDALE -- So, I touched down in steamy Florida yesterday evening, just in time to check into the hotel and see highlights of Ken Griffey Jr. hitting No. 600 a few miles down the road at Dolphin Stadium. Great that it finally happened. Ridiculous that only 16,003 people were there to see it. Hard to blame fans down here for not supporting the Marlins, though. Every time the organization develops exciting, young players, management holds a fire sale and sends them packing. Perhaps that's beginning to change, though. Hanley Ramirez just signed a multi-year contract, and the club reportedly is discussing a deal for Dan Uggla.

But I digress...

A similarly small crowd likely will be on hand tonight to see the first-place Phillies, who have a four-game lead over the Marlins that could swell this week. There are many reasons for the Phillies' success, but really, the formula for winning has been simple: Stay close enough for the mighty offense to get a lead and the shut-down bullpen to hold it.

It's hardly a revolutionary idea. The Yankees did it in 1996 with setup man Mariano Rivera and closer John Wetteland and throughout the 90s when the likes of Jeff Nelson, Mike Stanton and Ramiro Mendoza were setting up Rivera. The Angels followed suit in 2002 with Francisco Rodriguez and Brendan Donnelly setting up for Troy Percival. Then came the Red Sox in 2004 with Jonathan Papelbon and Keith Foulke, and last season with Hideki Okajima and Papelbon handling the late innings.

That brings us to the Phillies. Before Sunday's game in Atlanta, I was talking to Brad Lidge, who was part of a Houston bullpen in 2003 that featured Billy Wagner and Octavio Dotel. Lidge believes the Phillies' bullpen, which leads the majors with a 2.58 ERA, is better than that Astros bullpen. He may be right. And in the 50-center, we examine the many personalities that make up the Phillies' bullpen.

There's Tom Gordon, the intensely focused 20-year veteran. There's Ryan Madson, the paper-thin cut-up. There's the heavily tattooed Rudy Seanez, who is considering a post-baseball career in mixed martial arts. There's Chad Durbin, an entrepreneur who recently launched a recruiting Web site for scholastic athletes. There's Clay Condrey, the stereotypical Texan who likes fishing, hunting and camouflage clothes. There's lone lefty J.C. Romero, an outfielder in high school and college who relates as well with position players as he does with pitchers. And there's Lidge, the Notre Dame-educated flame-thrower.

But for all of their dissimilarities, they've come together as the best bullpen in baseball. A few numbers that reveal their dominance:

- In 56 games since April 6, they are 16-5 with a 2.35 ERA
- Lidge is 17-for-17 in save chances with a 0.96 ERA
- Gordon has a 2.13 ERA since opening day (3.86 overall)
- Romero has a 1.59 ERA in 28 appearances
- Durbin has a 1.67 ERA in 25 appearances
- Madson has allowed two runs in his last 16 innings (3.31 ERA overall)
- Seanez has allowed runs in only four of 19 outings (2.49 ERA overall)
- Condrey has a 2.45 ERA in his last eight games (4.56 overall)

Sure, the Phils would like to add another lefty reliever to ease the burden on Romero, but lefties have hit only .241 (14-for-58) with one home run off Madson. So, for now, the bullpen is the least of their concerns.

OK, what do you think? How good is this bullpen? Good enough to pitch the Phillies deep into the playoffs?

***
Celebrity sighting: Before I left Atlanta yesterday, I had a great lunch at Ted's Montana Grill, near the Centennial Olympic Park and CNN Tower. The restaurant is owned by Ted Turner, and as I was enjoying my bison burger, The Ted came strolling through the restaurant. He was seated promptly, of course, and ordered a tasty burger of his own. I thought about telling him that I really enjoy "Frank TV" and "My Boys" on TBS, but I restrained myself. (One complaint about "My Boys," which I also had about "Everybody Loves Raymond": Being a sports writer is nothing like how they portray it.)

***
More later from Dolphin Stadium. For now, here's a little something to get you set for tonight's series-opener against the Fish.

PHILLIES (39-26) at MARLINS (34-28)
Tonight, 7:10: RHP Brett Myers (3-7, 5.13) vs. RHP Ricky Nolasco (5-4, 5.05)
Wed., 7:10: LHP Cole Hamels (6-4, 3.36) vs. LHP Andrew Miller (4-5, 5.65)
Thurs., 7:10: LHP Jamie Moyer (6-3, 4.56) vs. LHP Scott Olsen (4-2, 3.44)
Hot: Phillies CF Shane Victorino is batting .370 (30-for-81) with 25 runs scored over the last 20 games; Phillies 2B Chase Utley is batting .367 (18-for-49) with six homers and 20 RBIs in the last 13 games; Marlins 3B Jorge Cantu is batting .429 (12-for-28) with three homers and seven RBIs over his seven-game hitting streak; Marlins SS Hanley Ramirez is batting .357 (10-for-28) with five homers and eight RBIs during his seven-game hitting streak.
Not: Phillies SS Jimmy Rollins has two hits in his last 18 at-bats; Phillies 3B Pedro Feliz has two hits in his last 20 at-bats; Marlins 1B Mike Jacobs is batting .194 (7-for-36) in his last 11 games; Marlins OF Jacque Jones is 4-for-33 (.121) since signing with Florida on May 19.

June 9 -- HOWARD HEATING UP?

ATLANTA -- Ryan Howard made a rather interesting observation after yesterday's sweep-clinching victory over the Braves at Turner Field.

"I think our best ball is still ahead of us," he said.

Really?

OK, the Phillies have won four straight games and 15 of their last 19. They're in first place in the NL East, 3-1/2 games ahead of the Marlins, 6-1/2 ahead of the Braves and 7-1/2 ahead of the swooning Mets. They're a season-high 13 games over .500 at 39-29, and they haven't had a better record through 65 games since 1993 when they went 45-20 en route to the World Series. They're averaging 5.29 runs per game, second-most in the NL behind the Cubs (5.50), and they're allowing 4.12 runs per game, third-fewest in the NL behind the Braves (3.97) and Cubs (4.08).

So, yeah, I'd say they're playing pretty well right now.

Maybe Howard meant that his best ball is still ahead of him, and of that, there's no dispute.

Charlie Manuel likes to say that the sweltering summertime weather is "hitting season" for Howard, and the numbers back that claim. Howard is a .280 career hitter, but after June 1, his average rises to .298. In April and May, he bats only .241. That dichotomy has been on display this season. Howard endured a dreadful six-week slump to start the season. He was batting .163 on May 7 and .183 as recently as May 20. But his three doubles and four RBIs yesterday hoisted his average to .214, the highest it has been since April 5. And over the past 18 games, he's quietly batting .290 (20-for-69) with 24 RBIs.

Can you imagine how much better the Phillies can be if The Big Man gets as hot as the weather?

The rest of the NL trembles at the very thought.

***
Adam Eaton pitched OK yesterday, and with the Phillies' offense behind him, OK usually gets the job done. But the Phils don't sweep the Braves without Chad Durbin pitching a scoreless seventh and eighth. Durbin told me yesterday that he's finally becoming familiar with being a reliever.

***
Here's how the 1993 Phillies compare to the 2008 Phillies through 65 games. Just something for you to chew on while we travel today from Atlanta to Miami:

1993
Record: 45-20
NL East standings: First place, 8-1/2-game lead over St. Louis
Team batting average: .267
On base-plus-slugging: .785
Runs scored: 357
Home runs: 71
Team ERA: 3.37
Runs allowed: 255
Opposing batting average: .236

2008
Record: 39-26
NL East standings: First place, 3-1/2-game lead over Florida
Team batting average: .263
On base-plus-slugging: .795
Runs scored: 344
Home runs: 93
Team ERA: 3.84
Runs allowed: 268
Opponents' batting average: .258

So, through 65 games, which team is better?

June 8 -- IT'S HOT!

ATLANTA -- So, from everything I hear, it's pretty steamy back home. 97 degrees today? Yikes. Sounds like a good weekend to be at the Shore (Jersey or Delaware). Better get out the sun block.

It's been sweltering here in Atlanta, too. Mid-90s. Humid. Absolutely disgusting. Then, there's the heat that's being given off by the Phillies, winners of three straight games, 11 of 13 and 14 of 18. It's a streak that's reminiscent of last September's roll, when the Phils won 13 of their last 17 games and landed in the playoffs for the first time since 1993.

So, are the Phillies hotter now than they were then?

Let's examine both streaks:

Sept. 13-30, 2007
Record: 13-4
Breakdown: 5-2 at home, 8-2 on road (1-0 vs. Colorado; 3-0 vs. Mets; 2-1 vs. St. Louis; 5-2 vs. Washington; 2-1 vs. Atlanta)
Runs scored: 102
Runs allowed: 68
Team batting average: .245 (146-for-596)
Team ERA: 3.44

May 20-June 7, 2008
Record: 14-4
Breakdown: 8-2 at home, 6-2 on road (2-0 vs. Washington; 2-2 vs. Houston; 3-0 vs. Colorado; 2-1 vs. Florida; 3-1 vs. Cincinnati; 2-0 vs. Atlanta)
Runs scored: 119
Runs allowed: 59
Team batting average: .281 (174-for-620)
Team ERA: 3.30

So, what do you think?

***
Jayson Werth was activated from the disabled list yesterday, which meant a return to Class AAA for Chris Snelling. Bummer for Snelling? Certainly. But the Phillies made it clear that they value him as a depth player. My bet is that he'll accept the assignment to Lehigh Valley, and we'll see him again later this season.

***
Within the MLB Sunday notes, Chipper Jones talks about his quest to bat .400. He doesn't think he can do it, but watching him over the past two nights, I see no reason why he can't. It's scary how well he's hitting the ball right now. He isn't the lineup today, though (no wonder Adam Eaton has been smiling). Chipper has a small tear in his right quadriceps, and the Braves are saying he could miss a few games.

***
By the numbers: 12 -- Pitchers used by the Phillies this season. That's the fewest in the majors.

Stay cool, and enjoy your Sunday.

June 7 -- VICTORINO VS. ... BIG BROWN?

ATLANTA -- Like most of us, Charlie Manuel picked Big Brown to win the Belmont Stakes today.

But if Shane Victorino was in the race, he would've picked him.

Especially after seeing Victorino gallop home from first base in the eighth inning here tonight. Chase Utley stroked a ball down the right-field line into the corner. Victorino, with his back to the play, kept running and running, like Forrest Gump, until he reached the plate and scored the go-ahead run in an eventual 6-2 Phillies win that sets up a potential series sweep Sunday.

"Shane might've outran Big Brown today," Manuel cracked after winning his 300th game as Phillies manager.

Added Jimmy Rollins, "I don't know about a mile-and-a-half, but in short sprints, yeah, Shane definitely gets him."

June 7 -- WERTH ACTIVATED

ATLANTA -- This just in: Jayson Werth has been activated from the disabled list and will be able to play tonight. Chris Snelling has been outrighted to Class AAA Lehigh Valley. He has three days to accept or reject the assignment. If he rejects, he becomes a free agent.

Snelling is 2-for-4 for the Phillies, and both hits were big ones. He homered in the ninth inning May 15 against Houston in an eventual 4-3 win, and he doubled to open the 10th inning of last night's 4-3 victory over the Braves.

Werth has been sidelined since May 23 with a strained abdominal muscle.

June 7 -- FEELING THE FORCE

ATLANTA -- During spring training in 2007, I wrote a feature about Jamie Moyer in which I called him "the Yoda of the Phillies' pitching staff" because he's forever giving advice and counsel to younger pitchers.

Turns out, Moyer doesn't know much about Yoda.

But Brad Lidge does.

After last night's wild-and-crazy finish in a game that saw the Phillies come within inches of losing in the ninth inning and before winning by mere inches in the 10th, Lidge offered only one explanation.

"The Force was with us tonight," he said. Moments later, he added, "If you want things in the season to go good, you need to have some of those Force-be-with-you moments."

From now on, I think Lidge should be required to talk like Yoda. For instance, if he's asked about the Phillies' challenging June schedule, in which they play their next 17 games against teams with winning records, Lidge could say, "Play well, we must."

***
What is it about games in Atlanta?

Before last night, the Phillies' most recent game at Turner Field was last Sept. 5. You remember that day, I'm sure. The Phillies will never forget it. They were leading 5-0 after the second inning and 8-2 after the seventh, then allowed four runs in the eighth and three in the ninth on a flurry of broken-bat hits and infield flares and lost 9-8. That was the day that Chris Roberson forgot his sunglasses, misjudged a fly ball in right field and probably guaranteed that he wouldn't be back with the Phils this season.

"It's mind-boggling," Charlie Manuel said of that game. "I don't know what to say. I've seen some strange, weird games. I've seen balls find holes. I've never seen anything like that. I can't believe what happened. I'm totally amazed, really."

Said setup man Tom Gordon, "A game like that can take all the breath out of you."

The same could be said for last night.

From Kelly Johnson dropping Chris Coste's pop fly on the sure-fire final out of the game in the ninth inning to Shane Victorino's go-ahead triple in the 10th and his perfect peg to the plate to throw out Gregor Blanco with the would-be tying run and end the game, it was a breathless finish.

***
Jayson Werth went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts last night for Class A Clearwater, but he was removed from the game in the eighth inning after being hit by a pitch. Assuming he didn't reinjure himself, Werth is eligible to be activated from the disabled list today. We'll get an update for you in a few hours.

***
Finally, Gordon related a poignant moment from Thursday night when his 19-year-old son, Devaris Strange-Gordon, was drafted in the fourth round by the Dodgers. Last week, in The News Journal and on The Blog, we told you about how Devaris' mother, Devona Strange, was shot and killed by a boyfriend in 1995. For years, Devaris has wanted to pay for an ornate headstone for his mother's grave in their hometown of Avon Park, Fla.

"[Thursday] night, I said to him, 'You remember that [tombstone] you wanted to buy,'" Gordon said. "I said, 'I think you might have the money now to buy it.' He said, 'Yeah, you're right. That's the first thing I'm going to do.'"

June 6 -- WELCOME TO HOTLANTA

ATLANTA -- So, we've touched down in the Land of Chipper Jones, where the Phillies will kick off a three-city, nine-game, 10-day road trip tonight against the Braves, who seemingly never lose at home. More on that later, but before we look ahead to this weekend's series, let's do a quick review of the 10-game homestand.

What began with a 20-run offensive outburst against the Rockies on May 26 ended with a Cole Hamels three-hit, complete-game shutout against the Reds yesterday. In between, the Phils won two of three from the Marlins and took over first place in the NL East. Charlie Manuel talked about wanting the Phillies to be like Big Brown in the Preakness. Get a lead in the division and pull away, leaving everyone else in your dust. And a good road trip, particularly the stops here and in Florida, would go a long way toward making that happen.

To me, the homestand was really divided into two parts. Check out these numbers:

First six games (May 26-June 1)
Offense: 57-for-201 (.284), 55 runs scored, 10 home runs
Pitching: 4.17 ERA, 25 runs allowed, .251 opp. batting average

Last four games (June 2-5)
Offense: 28-for-125 (.224), 13 runs scored, 5 home runs
Pitching: 2.00 ERA, 8 runs allowed, .149 opp. batting average

As Martin Frank wrote in The Paper today, Hamels sent the Phillies off with a brilliant performance that, unfortunately, got overshadowed slightly by the Jimmy Rollins situation. It was the third straight stellar outing for a Phillies starter, following Adam Eaton on Tuesday night and Brett Myers on Wednesday night. Tonight it's Jamie Moyer's turn.

***
My take on the Rollins benching: It was a pivotal moment for Manuel, who probably couldn't have done something like this last season when he was a lame-duck manager. But it shows he's in complete control over the clubhouse. It also sends a warning sign to Rollins and others that complacency won't be tolerated. Not with a pivotal road trip dawning. Manuel always says he'll relax when the Phils have a 10-game lead with nine games to play. Until then, he won't allow his players to get too comfortable either. That's a good thing.

Better still was the way Rollins and Manuel handled the situation. Manuel talked to Rollins privately and didn't make a big deal about it with the media, and Rollins issued a mea culpa after the game. This could've been a Reggie Jackson-Billy Martin blow-up, but instead, everyone remained calm and handled it professionally.

***
Just a coincidence that, on the day Rollins was benched, the Phils drafted a shortstop in the first round. The bigger issue is whether they will be able to sign Anthony Hewitt, a 19-year-old Yankees fan from the Bronx who has a scholarship awaiting him at Vanderbilt University. Hewitt said yesterday that he'd like to sign with the Phillies and start his pro career, but it's going to take some big money.

Last week, we told you about the major-league aspirations of Tom Gordon's son, Devaris Strange-Gordon. Well, yesterday, he was drafted by the Dodgers with the 127th overall pick. Also, Seaford's Derrik Gibson was drafted in the fifth round by the Red Sox.

***
In case you missed it, Class A Lakewood right-hander Drew Naylor struck out a career-high 13 batters last night. Naylor, one of the Phils' top pitching prospects, is 5-2 with a 2.61 ERA and 91 strikeouts in 82-2/3 innings. Also, Jayson Werth went 1-for-3 with a single for Class A Clearwater. Werth, out since May 23 with a strained abdominal muscle, is expected to play again tonight and could be activated tomorrow.

***
The Braves are 25-8 at Turner Field this season. 25-8! Here's a preview to get you set for tonight's series-opener. More in a few hours from the home of the Braves.

PHILLIES (36-26) at BRAVES (32-29)
Tonight, 7:35: LHP Jamie Moyer (6-3, 4.65) vs. RHP Tim Hudson (7-4, 3.01)
Saturday, 7:05: RHP Kyle Kendrick (5-2, 5.00) vs. LHP Jo-Jo Reyes (2-3, 4.78)
Sunday, 1:35: RHP Adam Eaton (2-3, 4.63) vs. RHP Jorge Campillo (2-0, 1.79)
Hot: Phillies 2B Chase Utley batted .378 with six home runs and 17 RBIs on the 10-game homestand; Phillies RF Geoff Jenkins is batting .344 with four homers and nine RBIs in his last nine games; Braves 3B Chipper Jones is 8-for-13 in his last three games, raising his average to .418; Braves SS Yunel Escobar is 7-for-17 (.412) with six RBIs in his last four games.
Not: Phillies SS Jimmy Rollins is batting .196 with three RBIs in his last 11 games; Phillies C Carlos Ruiz has one hit in his last 18 at-bats; Braves C Brian McCann has two hits in his last 18 at-bats; Braves LF Matt Diaz has one hit in his last 14 at-bats.

June 5 -- MANUEL BENCHES ROLLINS

So, this is how Charlie Manuel acts when he has a long-term contract.

Manuel did, in fact, bench Jimmy Rollins in the fifth inning today, two innings after he didn't run out a pop fly that wound up being dropped in shallow left field by Reds shortstop Paul Janish. Not only was it the right message to send at the time, but Manuel and Rollins couldn't have handled it any better during the postgame session with the media. This could've been an explosive situation at the end of an otherwise wildly successful 8-2 homestand. But Manuel didn't embarrass Rollins, and Rollins took full blame for what happened.

"There is no explanation," Rollins said. "I just didn't do it, and sometimes, the manager gets you. I know better. I'll just go out there and make sure I don't do it again. He's the manager, and that's what he's supposed to do. He has two rules: One, be on time. Two, Hustle. I broke one of them."

Asked if he was upset with Manuel's discipline, Rollins said he wasn't. "It's like breaking the law and getting mad when the police show up," he said. "He's been here four years, and we've probably talked about it twice. Three strikes and you're out, I guess. I'm not going to be a distraction. This is the team. I did what I did. When you do something, you get caught, and it is what it is. Problems only occur when they keep reoccuring."

For Manuel's part, it's hard to imagine he would've benched the reigning NL MVP last season when he was a lame-duck manager with one year left on his contract. But, now, he has the security of a two-year contract and a club option for 2010. Manuel didn't publicly chastise Rollins. Instead, he said only, "Jimmy and I took care of that. I thought it was time for him to come over and sit." Pressed on the situation, he said, "I don't have to talk any more about it."

So, what do you think? Did Manuel make the right move?

June 4 -- WHERE'S J-ROLL?

Campaigning for Barack Obama?

Not yet, although he'd like to.

Jimmy Rollins, who started today's game at his usual shortstop position, was lifted before the fifth inning after not running hard on a pop fly to shallow left field in the third. The fly ball was dropped by Reds shortstop Paul Janish, and Rollins wound up only on first base. It seems highly unlikely that Charlie Manuel would pull the reigning NL MVP for lack of hustle, but thus far, we've received no status report on any possible injuries. Typically, when a player is injured, we receive an update a few innings later.

Stay tuned.

***
On an unrelated note, it seems Cole Hamels has adopted Chase Utley's batting stance, right down to tapping the bat on his left shoulder as he awaits the pitch. Imitation is the highest form of flattery, I suppose. We'll ask Hamels about it after the game.

June 4 -- FEELING A DRAFT

So, we could open today's post -- the 1,000th in the 3-year history of The News Journal's Phillies blog -- with a breakdown of Adam Eaton's third straight superb start (I'm fairly certain those words have never appeared in this space). Or we could talk about the oddity of last night's 3-2 victory, only the fourth time in 60 games that the Phils have won when they've scored less than four runs.

Instead, we'll start with a few words about the MLB draft.

For the past week, Phillies scouting director Marti Wolever and his band of merry men have been hunkered down at the Bank, pouring over scouting reports, assembling a draft board and making phone calls to agents to determine if the players they'd like to select this week are "signable." It isn't a job they take lightly. The Phillies have seven selections in the first 136 picks, giving them their best opportunity in years to replenish a farm system that has been depleted by trades and free-agent signings.

Now, the MLB draft isn't like the NFL or NBA drafts, where all the top-rated players are well-known long before their names are called. The MLB draft is a relative crapshoot, featuring players from the high school and college ranks. Some years, the draft is rich with talent. In 2002, for instance, B.J. Upton, Zack Greinke, Prince Fielder, Jeff Francis, Jeremy Hermida, Joe Saunders, Khalil Greene, Russ Adams, Scott Kazmir, Nick Swisher, Cole Hamels, James Loney, Jeremy Guthrie, Jeff Francoeur, Joe Blanton and Matt Cain were all selected in the first round. Other years, the draft is fruitless. In 2000, the only first-round picks who made a significant impact in the majors were Adrian Gonzalez, Chase Utley and Adam Wainwright. Wolever talked with us beat writers yesterday and said he thinks the '08 draft will be deep. He hinted that the Phils may use their first-round pick (24th overall) to select a hitter, but if there's a pitcher they like available at that spot, they'll take him.

It'll be interesting to see if the Phils reach for some tougher-to-sign players. The commissioner's office issues recommendations for what players in the top five rounds should be paid, and while the Phillies have heeded those suggestions, several teams, like the Tigers, have signed players for above their slotted value. Last year, the Phillies met pitcher Julian Sampson's $390,000 request to keep him from going to the University of Washington. But they failed to sign pitcher Brandon Workman, their third-round pick who wound up going to the University of Texas.

Meanwhile, Wolever told an amusing story about some misdirection that he orchestrated to make sure the Phillies got Hamels in 2002.

***

Incidentally, Eaton was the Phillies' first-round pick (11th overall) in 1996. But if Eric Chavez had fallen one more spot, Wolever said the Phils probably would've wound up picking him. With a 66-58 career record, Eaton has never quite met those first-round expectations. But he has pitched superbly in his last three starts, and last night may have been his best in 42 starts since signing the infamous three-year, $24.5 million contract with the Phils before last season.

Eaton's numbers from his last three starts: 2-1, 2.29 ERA, 19-2/3 IP, 15 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 11 K

Do you believe in him yet?

***

Chase Utley's homer streak ended at five games. His RBI streak, however, is alive and well. Utley has driven in at least one run in his last nine games, one short of matching the franchise record. Pinky Whitney (1931) and Bobby Abreu (2005) had RBIs in 10 straight games. From the Elias Sports Bureau, Utley is only the third player to have two five-game homer streaks in the same season. The others: Harmon Killebrew (1970), Frank Thomas (1994) and Barry Bonds (2001).

***

Utley leads the majors with 21 home runs, but according to HitTracker.com, that total has been inflated by homer-friendly Citizens Bank Park. So, what do you think? Does Utley benefit from the Bank?

***

Check out a photo gallery from last night's game.

***

Finally, reliever Tom Gordon elected to walk Ken Griffey Jr. on four pitches in the eighth inning last night, absolutely the correct stategical decision in a one-run game. Yet fans at the Bank booed, wanting a chance to see history made. "It's good for the game," Charlie Manuel said, "but we definitely didn't want him to hit there." I couldn't agree more.

And while Griffey remains one homer short of his 600th, we're celebrating our own milestone today -- 1,000 posts. Thanks so much for reading. Let's go for 1,000 more.

June 3 -- AUDIOFILE

During batting practice, I got together with Michael Radano of the Camden (N.J.) Courier-Post and taped another audiofile. So, if you have a few minutes, give a listen. This week, we talk about Chase Utley's impact on the team and a homestand that has been wildly successful.

To listen to the audiofile, click here: R09_0020.mp3

June 3 -- VOTING UPDATE

No, I'm not talking about today's pivotal Democratic primaries in South Dakota and Montana. I'm talking about the latest All-Star balloting update.

Chase Utley continues to be the leading NL vote-getter with 847,628 votes. That's more than 500,000 ahead of Cubs second baseman Mark DeRosa (333,920). The next-highest vote-getter is Braves third baseman Chipper Jones (708,515).

But Utley's teammates aren't doing as well. Ryan Howard ranks fourth among first basemen with 248,849 votes (Houston's Lance Berkman leads with 585,369). Jimmy Rollins still is only fifth among shortstops with 293, 567, behind Florida's Hanley Ramirez (418,197), Houston's Miguel Tejada (410,553), the Mets' Jose Reyes (340,590) and the Cubs' Ryan Theriot (331,811). And Pat Burrell is sixth among outfielders with 349,795 votes, behind the Cubs' Alfonso Soriano (635,013) and Kosuke Fukudome (552,287), Cincinnati's Ken Griffey Jr. (490,597), Colorado's Matt Holliday (369,692) and the Mets' Carlos Beltran (360,639).

(Update, 5:55 p.m.): No Griffey again tonight. He is available to pinch-hit, though. The Phillies lineup against RHP Aaron Harang (2-7, 3.81): SS Jimmy Rollins (.289/3/18), CF Shane Victorino (.291/2/14), 2B Chase Utley (.320/21/52), 1B Ryan Howard (.209/15/43), LF Pat Burrell (.286/13/38), RF Geoff Jenkins (.288/5/16), 3B Pedro Feliz (.260/8/30), C Carlos Ruiz (.228/1/15), RHP Adam Eaton (1-3, 4.99).