Pat Burrell left batting practice today with a stiff lower back. His status for Wednesday's Game 1 with Milwaukee likely won't be known until the morning.

But don't get down, Phils fans. Here's a playoff preview (someone asked me to do one for another website, I'll post here when I find out).



NLDS, Dodgers vs. Cubs
Cubs in 5
Carlos Zambrano, not good. Everyone else on the Cubs, good. Manny is Manny and underrated Dodgers nearly get the Cubs' goat.
But the magic of Wrigley prevails, even if Captain Curt doesn't believe in those high class strippers Mystique and Aura. (Personally, I think they're kinda hot).

NLDS, Phils vs. Brewers
Phils in 4
Milwaukee's best look like Phils Version '07. Cole Hamels, good. Brett Myers, not so much - but Happ to the rescue. Joe Blanton, yikes. Phils bats, however, batter Brewers pitching staff that's 11 CCs short of respectable.

ALDS, Red Sox vs. Angels
Angels in 4
Boston too banged up for this prognosticator's liking. J.D. Drew is hurt, huh. Really? REALLY? Josh Beckett too? No.... I like the Sox pitching anyway, but Delco's best manager (Mike Scioscia) likes the idea of an all-LA World Series, so he can stick it to the Dodgers, who had zero interest in hiring him and have hired 43 managers since. Angels pitching, good.


ALDS, White Sox vs Yankees...err...my bad, no New York teams made it this year. Sad.
White Sox vs. Rays
Sox in 3
I like the Rays, I really do. But can you pick against Jim Thome. He's a nice fella. I'm not picking against that guy. I'm watching him on TV now. He's just... NICE. White Sox bullpen, good. Despite the play of the best third baseman in baseball, Evan Longoria, Rays are deer in headlights.




NLCS, Cubs vs. Phillies
Cubs in 7
I feverishly begin writing my Game 1 World Series preview - 'Say Hello to 17-game winner Gavin Floyd' - in hopes of a Phils-Sox series that would have more story lines than a soap opera starring Lindsay Lohan and Brett Favre. But the Cubbies send me to an early vacation, and I raise a few Old Style Lights in Wrigleyville. Brad Lidge blows Game 7 win by serving up walk-off homer to Alfonso Soriano.


ALCS, White Sox vs. Angels
Sox in 4

Sorry, Scoscia, Dodgers are dead. So is your team, which hasn't had much of a pulse since clinching the division in June. White Sox ride the Rockies-like wave, clinching at the very last moment and running off on a win parade, which is scaring the Bartmans out of the North Siders. Chants of "1908, 1908" begin as riots begin when Sox fans invade Wrigleyville. Phils, BBWWA-accredited beat writers watch as a certain Phillies.com writer gets bloodied in the battle. Fun times.


World Series, Cubs vs. White Sox
Sox in 7
The White Sox come in with a 10-game winning streak. While Fox is showing constant highlights of Bartman and the goat (the goat also likes Old Style Light, apparently), there is a growing group of baseball fans that are suddenly sick of the idea of the Cubs collecting their first crown in 100 years. Jim Thome is a nice guy, damnit.... and this Griffey character also seems swell. Two Hall of Famers who don't need to go down like Ted Williams.

Sox win first game, sending The Cell's crowd in a frenzy. But Cubs take next two, ending the 11-game win streak and slowing the suicide rate on the North Side for a weekend. After Floyd evens the series up, Rich Harden fires a two-hit shutout - Cubs up 3-2 in the series.

But Fox's Jeanne Zelasko somehow allows the goat to escape in an exclusive, Game 6 pregame interview outside The Cell. The goat takes off, hops on the 'L' and gets off at the Addison stop.

The goat slips a five-spot in the drunken security guard's hand (the guard thought the Cubs already won the whole shebang). The goat is on the field! The goat it on the field!

While the goat begins eating the ivy off Wrigley's hallowed walls (can walls be hallowed?), a sure-fire Jim Thome double-play ground ball goes right through Ryan Theriot's legs in the 7th inning. The Cubs 4-1 lead shrinks to 4-3.

The goat ate too much ivy. Not good. The goat leaves a special gift (it's browner and smellier than the remnants of that stuff Len Dykstra spit up here 15 years ago).
At the same time, Griffey takes Kerry Wood deep in the bottom of the ninth. White Sox win, 5-4.

That was just Game 6.

In Game 7, the Cubs are inconsolable after WGN runs highlights of the famed goat defecating on their field. Gavin Floyd throws first career no-hitter to clinch Sox's second World Series title in three years.



(this is strictly for entertainment purposes.... please do not bet on the goat crapping. he might hurl instead).

J.A. Happ is on the 25-man playoff roster.

Exciting for a rookie with four big league starts under his belt?

"Yeah, absolutely," Happ said, at 2:27 pm Tuesday afternoon, when media was cleared out of the Phils clubhouse.

With Happ on board, Rudy Seanez is likely the odd man out. The Phils likely went with Happ in the event they'll need a long man or emergency starter against the Brewers.

Phillies closer Brad Lidge may be a darkhorse for the National League Cy Young award.

But he's already taking home another postseason award plaque.

On Tuesday, MLB announced that Lidge won the 2008 National League Comeback Player of the Year award. Cleveland's Cliff Lee took the AL honors.

In his first season with the Phils, Lidge converted all 41 of his save opportunities. He was the only perfect closer in baseball.

Lidge was 2-0 with a 1.87 ERA, earning an All-Star big. In 69 1/3 innings, he recorded 92 strikeouts.

Acquired in the offseason in a trade with Houston, Lidge re-established himself as one of the elite closers in baseball this summer. In each of the two previous seasons, the hard-throwing right-hander was in and out of the closer's role with the Astros.

Lidge went 5-3 with a 3.36 ERA, converting 19-of-27 save opportunities, for Houston in 2007.

This just in: Gavin is better than Freddy.

Such a shame for the Phils, an off-day to bask in their second postseason berth.... and BLAM... one game on the docket, and it features one, former, prized prospect pitching against the overpriced, broken-down pitcher they traded him for. Yikes.

Gavin Floyd would look pretty good at your Game 4 starter, huh? (Or perhaps Game 2 - Brett Myers never won 17 games... for that matter, neither as tough-luck Cole Hamels).

Freddy Garcia would look pretty good... eh... still on the White Sox, huh?

As for the Phils-Brews series: hotshot right-hander Yovani Gallardo is starting Game 1 for Milwaukee. He was out with a knee injury for most of this season, but this kid's got serious talent.

You may remember this game.

For the second straight year, Chase Utley and the Phillies will get baseball's postseason underway.

Major League Baseball has unveiled the schedule for the first four days of the playoffs.

The Phillies will host the first game on the docket when they take on the wild-card winning Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday at 3 p.m.

The Phils will get to play under the lights (and avoid those pesky, late afternoon shadows) in the next two games. The second game at Citizens Bank Park - Game 2 - will begin at 6 p.m. Thursday night.

After an off-day to travel, the Phils and Brews will resume the series Saturday night at Miller Park in a game that begins at 6:30 p.m. (EST). (You may want to keep an eye on this Ryan Braun guy, by the way; he's been on a power tear of late.)

So if the Phillies get swept again (or do the sweeping), the series will likely be over before Saturday Night Live airs (you really should check out Delco native Tina Fey do her Sarah Palin impression... funny stuff).

If the series goes four games? Who knows... MLB hasn't got around to announcing the broadcast schedule beyond Saturday. But we do know it will be in Milwaukee on Sunday.

Game 5 would be back in Philly on Tuesday Oct. 7.


**** One other note: all of the games above will be televised on TBS.

You may have noticed the brief scare at Citizens Bank Park before the Phillies clinched their second straight division title Saturday.

No, not the dramatic inning that ended with Brad Lidge roaring like a lion after escaping a healthy heaping of trouble.

Two innings earlier, Shane Victorino collided with Jimmy Rollins on a shallow pop fly to center. Vic was down for a little while, and put hit glove over his face at one point.

He stayed in the game, legged out a single and scored on a double in the next half inning... but nervousness began spreading around the clubhouse a bit when he was absent from the postgame celebration.

Victorino was in the trainer's room.

"He's fine," Phillies head athletic trainer Scott Sheridan said Sunday. "He could play today if he absolutely had to."

The injury is diagnosed as a shin contusion. Victorino, who wore a small bandage around the leg Sunday, should be 100 percent when the playoffs begin Wednesday.

The Phillies season comes down to "one."

One more Mets loss.

One more Phillies win.

Either way, the Phils can wrap up their second straight NL East title Saturday. A Phils win/Mets loss will clinch the 11th postseason appearance in the 126 years of the Phillies franchise.

What else? If it happens Saturday, it'll give the Phils an opportunity to rest up ace Cole Hamels for Game 1, which will take place Wednesday at Citizens Bank Park (likely an afternoon game) against either the Brewers or Dodgers.

But let's try not to get ahead of ourselves. We're not at zero hour yet.

It's still one.

The smallest, simplest, loneliest number of all. It can begin (barring rain) to disappear at Shea Stadium at 1:10 in the afternoon when the Mets host the Marlins.

Or it can begin at 3:55, when Jamie Moyer (who helped clinched last year's title) and the Phils take on the Nats.

Either way, it only takes one. It'd be nice to have a meaningless Sunday of baseball, wouldn't it?

Throw back a couple of Advils... figuring out the playoff scenarios this morning, following wins by the Brewers and Mets last night, is sure to rack your brain around so much it'll be left feeling a little woozy.

Heading into Friday, the Phils are one game ahead of the Mets in the NL East. The Mets and Brewers are tied atop the wild-card race.

So plenty of things can still happen in the next 54 hours or so....

One thing to keep in mind: if the Phils and Mets are tied, they would only avoid playing a one-game playoff if the Brewers are eliminated. If both Philly and New York are guaranteed postseason berths, the Mets win the division thanks to their 11-7 head-to-head record against the Phils.

Here is each possible playoff synopsis for the Phils:

ALL TIED UP

1) If the Phils and Mets are tied for the division, and both have a better record than the Brewers: New York claims the division because of their 11-7 record against the Phils in the regular season. The Phils win the wild card and take on the Cubs.

2) If the Phils and Mets are tied for the division, and both have a worse record then the Brewers: The Phils and Mets play a one-game playoff at Citizens Bank Park Monday. The winner takes on the wild-card winner, Milwaukee, in the first round. The loser goes home.

3) If the Phils, Mets and Brewers all finish with the same record: The Phils and Mets play a one-game playoff Monday in Philly to determine the division winner; the loser takes on the Brewers Tuesday to determine the wild-card winner.



WILD CARD CHAMPS

1) If the Phils slip up and allow the Mets to overtake them in the division but fend of Milwaukee to take the wild card, Charlie Manuel's crew will take on the Chicago Cubs in the opening round of the playoffs, beginning Wednesday at Wrigley Field.

2) If the Mets overtake the Phils but Charlie Manuel's crew is tied with the Brewers for the wild-card lead, the Phillies host Milwaukee in a one-game playoff Monday.


DIVISION CHAMPS

1) If the Phils win the NL East for the second straight year and the Mets win the wild card, the Phillies will host the Dodgers in the first round of the playoffs, beginning Wednesday.

2) If the Phils win the NL East and the Brewers or Astros take the wild card, the Phils will host one of those two teams in the opening round, beginning Wednesday.

One of baseball's most skilled batsmen a half century ago, Mickey Vernon spent his final years still around the game.

He'd watch the Phillies nightly on television, he'd keep up with the rest of the league, too... and he would make the occasional trip to Citizens Bank Park. I had the pleasure of meeting the former Washington Senators great just a few months ago in the Phillies clubhouse. He was a big fan of Phils slugger Ryan Howard.

So it's with a heavy heart I'm writing that Vernon passed away today. He was 90 years old.

"He was a wonderful, down-to-earth man, just so gracious," said Phillies Hall of Fame broadcaster Harry Kalas, who grew up idolizing Vernon.

A two-time batting champ who hit .286 in his 20-year career, Vernon died Wednesday afternoon at Riddle Memorial Hospital in Media, Pa., six days after suffering a stroke.

Vernon is among 10 former players on the Veterans' Committee ballot for consideration for next year's Hall of Fame induction class. The voting will take place at baseball's winter meetings in December.

This was Ryan Howard's approach to the Phillies losing to the Atlanta Braves Tuesday night - all is well, remain calm.

So I'll use the same phrase, "all is well, remain calm," in reference to the bomb scare at Citizens Bank Park this afternoon.

Michael Stiles, the Phillies senior vice president of administration and operations, confirmed there were three suspicious packages at the first base gate of the ballpark. But the police and boms squad were called in, the packages were destroyed... and the packages did not contain any explosive materials.

This, dear readers, was the Phillies taking every precaution to ensure everyone would be safe for a night of baseball.

So, once again, repeat after me: ALL IS WELL, REMAIN CALM.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As far as the baseball on the field is concerned, Brett Myers takes the ball tonight following arguably the worst start of his career.

Myers gave up 10 runs in four innings Friday in Miami. I've said it before and I'll say it again: Myers is the key to this team's success. If he returns to the ace-like form he's showed for the majority of the second half of the season, the Phillies will win tonight and clinch a playoff berth before too long.

And if he carries over that success into the playoffs, a 1-2-3 punch of Myers-Cole Hamels-Jamie Moyer leads me to think they'll have some staying power in the postseason. That is, of course, as long as the offense doesn't hit the snooze button again.

With six games to go in the regular season - beginning tonight at home against Atlanta - the Phils are sitting pretty in the NL East, 1 1/2 games ahead of the New York Mets.

It's the Phils' biggest lead in the division since August 11. While there's still time for them to cave, the odds are they'll hold off the Mets, who seemingly can't go seven games without their bullpen imploding a few more times.

So let's assume the Phillies win the division. Would you rather play the Dodgers or Brewers?

Odds are the Phils will host L.A. The Brewers, off today, are 1 1/2 games back of the Mets in the wild-card race. And at the rate Milwaukee is going (they have just five wins this month), they would have to do a 180 and right their season in addition to getting help from the Mets.

(The Cubs, the NL team with the best record, will play the wild-card winner... unless that winner is Milwaukee. Teams can't play a division rival in round one.)

The Dodgers are 2 1/2 up in the NL West. If the Phils win the division and the Mets hold off Milwaukee for the wild card, Charlie Manuel's crew will host the Dodgers for the first two games of the division series next week.

If the Brewers upend the Mets in the wild card and the Phils win the division, the Phils host Milwaukee.

So again, who would you rather play? I'll say L.A.

Why? If Ben Sheets regains his health, the Brew Crew can throw a scary 1-2 punch of CC Sabathia-Sheets at you. The Dodgers don't have one ace, let alone two.

Plus, if I'm going to travel to one of the two cities, I prefer In-and-Out burgers to brats (although you can't get enough of the sausage race, right?)

Former Phillies third baseman Mike Schmidt visited the Phillies dugout before tonight's game against the Marlins at Dolphins Stadium.

No, he did not lead a pep rally or give a stirring, Knute Rockne-like speech.

It was more Tinkerbell-like.

"I shook a few hands and said good luck to them. I've always been a little bit of a lucky charm," Schmidt said. "I never planned it or anything. I've been to a lot of games. I hope it stays that way. I might not have come if they won last night.

"I felt like I needed to come and sprinkle a little Phillie dust on them."

The last time the Phillies met Florida, the Fish wrapped a series win, taking two out of three at Citizens Bank Park on Sept. 10. But since the Marlins were 8 1/2 games back of the division, All-Star second baseman Dan Uggla basically waived the white flag.

"Our chances are pretty slim-to-none right now about getting into the postseason, so anybody we can take down with us, we're going to have a little bit of extra effort," Uggla said. "If we ain't going, we don't want anybody else to go."

Nine days later, the Phils and Marlins meet again... and the Fish aren't exactly dead. They're actually the hottest team in baseball, winners of eight straight.

The Phils have won seven in a row. Someone has to lose, right?

With three games against the Phillies this weekend, the Marlins - who enter 5 1/2 games back - are basically in the same position the Phils entered last weekend against Milwaukee. They have a golden opportunity to gain ground.

Are the Fish dead?

"They’re not out of nothing yet. Five games out That can still be made up," said Phils manager Charlie Manuel, whose team has nine games remaining entering Friday. "You don’t take anything for granted. I remember one time we were in Charlotte with a four or five game lead with 10 to play, someone asked me if I’m comfortable I said I’d be comfortable when we had a 10 game lead with nine to play."

Through five innings, J.A. Happ has made the Phillies look pretty good.

Picked to take Kyle Kendrick's spot in the rotation a day earlier, Happ has a three-hit shutout going. Not bad for a rookie in his fourth big league start, even if he bombs out here in the last few innings.

When asked about Happ, Phillies pitching coach Rich Dubee always goes back to Spring Training, when he felt the minor-league lefty began to mature into a pitcher sure of his stuff.

Here's a look at how Happ was looking at things back in February in Clearwater.

The Phils have unveiled a tentative schedule for the 2009 season.

It's not exactly an easy schedule, given the way the season finishes and a crowd of AL East teams.

Unlike this year, when the Phils were matched up with the so-so AL West, they'll take on AL East powers the Red Sox, Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays, while also hosting Baltimore and playing two series with Toronto.

The season also ends with a pretty tough stretch -- 20 straight games without a day off to finish the year. The Phils will wrap up the season at home with four games against Houston and three with Florida.

The Phils are scheduled to have just one day off in September and only two days off between August 18 and the end of the season.

The Phillies will open the 09 season at Citizens Bank Park for the fifth straight season. They'll host three games with the Braves before hitting the road to play Colorado and Washington.

The Phils play 16 of their first 25 games at home in 09.

It's official: Ryan Howard is on a tear.

He hit another home run Tuesday night - in a big spot, no less - to catapult the Phillies into first place in the National League East.

If Reggie Jackson is Mr. October and Derek Jeter is Mr. November, Mr. Howard can surely make a case for being Mr. September.

In his career, he is hitting .320 with 41 home runs and 101 RBIs in 118 regular season games in September and October. **

That's eight more home runs than he's hit in any other month. Even more stunning, his batting average is 37 points higher in September than in any other month.

In 2008, Howard has 8 home runs and 22 RBIs in 14 games. He's hitting .396 (21-of-53).


Say hello to Mr. September.






**(Baseball-reference.com includes regular season Oct stats in its monthly splits)**

JA Happ named starter for Wednesday.

More later...

I've got this buddy who is a Mets fan.

We were going back and forth texting last weekend when the Phillies were in Shea. Despite the Phillies series win, "Mr. Met" was feeling confident with his team.

Not anymore.

His two messages last night - after the latest, blow-bullpen Mets defeat - were far shorter and pessimistic.

"Mets at it again," he wrote.

"Pedro is this year's Glavine," he chimed in again.

There are 12 games left in the baseball season for the Phillies (13 for the Mets). Through the first 150 games, all everyone has talked about is last year, and the effect the Mets collapse would have on this season.

It may be premature (although Mr.Met sounding off could be a sign, too), but the Mets mental makeup may be doing them in again. It's like that self-fulfilling prophecy idea I learned in PSYCH 101 back in college: if the Mets go into the final three innings of every game thinking the bottom is going to fall out, the bottom will fall out.

But as Phils sage veteran Jamie Moyer has said all season, his team can't be concerned about what the Mets or any other team is doing. Because if the Phillies don't take care of business on their own end, none of that matters.


The Phils (1/2 game back of the Mets in the division, tied with Milwaukee in the wild-card race) will begin their final 12-game stretch tonight in Atlanta, where they're 6-0 this season. Moyer, a model of consistently this season, takes the ball.

While they'll surely try to take care of things on their own end, my guess is the Phils will peak at the out-of-town scoreboard sometime close to 9:30 tonight to see if the Mets meltdown continues...

...and I'll check my phone for more, ready-to-jump-off-the-bridge text messages from Mr. Met.

Surely you recall the last day of the regular season last year...

Jamie Moyer pitched a gem, Brett Myers finished with a flourish and the Phillies and their fans rejoiced in a postgame celebration on a day when the team clinched its first postseason berth in 14 years.

Well there's a chance the season could come down to the final day again - the Phillies entered Sunday's day-night doubleheader 2 games back of wild card-leader Milwaukee and 2 1/2 games back of NL East leader New York.

And the Phillies may not be able to celebrate if they win on that final day. Blame Ike.

The Hurricane that whipped threw Texas this weekend has moved the Astros-Cubs series to Milwaukee today and tomorrow. But that's just two games... if the third game of the series is needed (the way the Astros are playing, I believe it will be), it won't be played until Monday, Sept. 29 --- the day after the final day of regular season play for all teams.

And it will be played in Houston.

If the Phillies overtake the Mets in the next 14 days, it won't matter. But something tells me these Mets won't fold, and all eyes are going to be on the wild card in the last weekend of the season.

The last weekend... and now Monday, too.

The nonstop rain here at Citizens Bank Park has postponed Friday night's Phils-Brewers game.

According to Phils union rep Jimmy Rollins, the two teams have agreed to make up Friday's game as part of a day/night double header on Sunday. The first game is at 1:35. The nightcap is scheduled for 7:35.

Tickets fans had for Friday night's game can be used Sunday night.

But there is more rain scheduled for Saturday.

If Saturday's game is also postponed, Sunday's double dip will be followed by a game on Monday, when the two teams were originally scheduled off.

Rain, rain. Go away.

Ryan Howard, National League MVP.

Sounds crazy, huh? But is it that far-fetched?

Believe me, it's pretty easy to waive your hand dismissively at the suggestion. Howard was hitting below .200 when the Phillies visited Houston for a four-game series over Memorial Day weekend.

Here are his numbers since memorial day: .263, 29 home runs and 95 RBIs in 95 games.

If the Phillies somehow sneak into the playoffs, I'm pretty sure Howard's power surge, if it continues, will help get them there.

And if a player leads all of baseball in HR and RBI, which Howard does right now with 43 and 129, and his team makes the playoffs, isn't he automatically a top candidate for MVP?

That was my logic before the season, when I picked Howard as the NL MVP. I figured he'd lead the NL in HR and RBI and the Phils would make the playoffs. Easy enough, right?

But then Howard slumped big time, and his batting average hasn't recovered a whole lot (he's hitting .243 heading into Friday). He's also played shoddy defense for most of the season. And, yes, he strikes out quite a bit.

But he's hitting .307 with 81 RBIs in 166 at-bats with runners in scoring position this year.

My preseason pick may turn out to be true, again, if the Phils push their way into the postseason.



Just please don't ask me who I chose to win the AL MVP. Charlie Brown has a better shot at winning.

Some breaking news from the dugout: as expected, Jamie Moyer will start Thursday against Milwaukee... on three days rest. More later...


Also, Geoff Jenkins has been activated and will be available to pinch hit in this afternoon's game.

Kyle Kendrick's bid to win back a spot in the rotation didn't last very long.

Kendrick's final line: 1 1/3 IP, 6H 7ER, 2BB, 1K, 1HR

It's hard to believe the Phils will throw Kendrick back out when his spot would come back through in the rotation Sunday.

The team could opt for Happ, who would be on the same schedule after throwing 3 1/3 innings of relief for Kendrick Tuesday. Or they could call on Adam Eaton.

Unless they can get Carlos Carrasco on a plane (he's reportedly in Venezuela), expect to see Happ.

Sunscreen?

Check.

Big breakfast?

Check.

Eye drops?

Check.

Caffeine?

Check.

There's nothing quite like a day-night doubleheader. I'm pretty sure it's not what Ernie Banks had in mind when he said "Let's play two!"

But this is big business baseball, no more 2-for-1 deals for fans...

So what does it all mean? For working folks like myself, a 14-hour day at the ballyard. If not more. Fun stuff.

But that's it for the complaining... on to what matters, the pivotal final two games of the final, regular-season series between the Phils and Mets.

You could say the most difficult part is over for Charlie's Fightins. Brett Myers was brilliant Friday night in leading the Phils to a must-win victory over the New Yorkers, drawing the visitors two games back in the NL East standings with 21 games to play.

As long as the Phils win at least one of two today, they're sitting in pretty good shape, in my mind. If they can keep sending Myers and Cole Hamels out to the mound, I'm seeing a lot of wins in the season's final three weeks.

Since the All-Star break, the Phils 1-2 punch is a combined 9-3 with a 2.10 ERA. Not too shabby.

Throw in Jamie Moyer, this afternoon's starter, the the Phils' threesome of starters are 13-4 with a 2.50 ERA since the break.

Pitching wins, folks. And if the Phils can score for these three, they're winning the NL East.

Thanks (or no thanks) to Tropical Storm Hanna, the Phils-Mets game today at Shea has been postponed.

The two teams will go back at it tomorrow - twice. The first game of a day-night doubleheader begins at 2:15 p.m. with Jamie Moyer up against Pedro Martinez.

The nightcap, featuring Cole Hamels vs. Johan Santana, begins at 8:05.

The Phillies have added another bat to their bench Friday.

The team added Tadahito Iguchi, who was released by the San Diego Padres Monday. Iguchi will join the Phillies Saturday.

Iguchi, of course, was the second baseman the Phillies traded for just before the trading deadline last season, when Chase Utley missed a month with a wrist injury.

Iguchi hit .304 with three home runs and 12 RBIs in 45 games with the Phillies last season. In 81 games with last-place San Diego this year, Iguchi batted .231 with two home runs and 24 RBIs.

A few years ago, during the Larry Bowa managerial era, t-shirts were being passed around in the Phillies clubhouse that read "Now is the time."

But let's get real: February isn't crunch time, no matter how many years a team has played without playoff baseball.

But when it's September, and you're three games back with 22 to play, and you're playing the team directly in front of you in the standings, it is time to put up or shut up.

Sink or swim. Do or die. Name another cliche. Must-win? Sure.

The Phillies don't have to sweep the Mets this weekend, but they better walk out of Shea Stadium on Sunday with at least two wins under their belt if they have any aspirations of staying in the race.

And there's no use thinking about the Wild Card. The Phils are further back from the Wild Cardthan they are in the NL East.

Even as the Brewers have struggled lately, they still hold a four game lead over the Phillies.

My bet here is the Phils take two out of three. Regardless of who is pitching for the other team, I'd take my chances with Cole Hamels and Brett Myers right now. They're pitching arguably better than any other 1-2 punch in the league right now.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dotting the "i's" and crossing the "t's."

As I drove through scenic Flushing this afternoon, I happened to drive by Citi Field as they were raising the "T" in CITI on the soon-to-be-completed stadium. The place actually looks pretty nice...

Then again, with Shea next door, you could put Tropicana Field next door and it would look like a peach.



(the picture here is what it should look like when it's finished).

Phils manager Charlie Manuel named his starter for Sunday - Cole Hamels.

UPDATED: Twenty-four hours after Indecision 2008 began - when the Phillies weren't ready to commit to Cole for this weekend - the team decided to keep their ace on his normal, four days of rest in between starts.

Hamels, who tossed 7 1/3 shutout innings in the Phils 4-0 win Tuesday night, will pitch Sunday night against Johan Santana and the New York Mets on ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball.

"This kid has prepared himself well all year and he’s preserved himself well," Phils pitching coach Rich Dubee said. "I think right now he’s physically fit to do this, I know he’s competitive enough."

By moving Hamels after Jamie Moyer in the rotation, the Phillies skip the struggling Kyle Kendrick and brush aside the chance to give Cole an extra day of rest. The Phils are off Thursday.

The oft-injured Hamels, who appeared to have been leaning toward wanting the extra day a night earlier, said Wednesday afternoon that he's ready to take on the Mets. He wants to be the guy his team can count on in a big game.

"Of course. That's the way it was in high school, when you have two pitchers and one is your main guy, which is what I was," Hamels said. "The main guy when it's the playoffs, the championship, the big division rivalry. T

"That's what I want to be, and that's what I've been able to learn. Finally, I get that time to step up to the plate. I definitely know I'm ready for it."






(Sorry for no details earlier, I just wanted to get the news up as early as possible, so I filed from my phone in the dugout).

So I've arrived in D.C. after a day off in between cities - crucial to have such days of rest to sustain your sanity during the never-ending road of a 162-game season.

Obviously the topic du jour in Philliesville is how the rotation will lineup in the final regular season series for the Phils at Shea Stadium.

The Phils are off Thursday, and thus, can pitch Cole Hamels on his, normal, fifth day Sunday. Just last week, however, the team decided against that plan, opting to give Hamels an extra day.

Guess what? It's too late in the season for extra days of rest. Every game is must-win, especially those against the team that sits ahead of you by two games in the standings.

Starting Cole on Sunday would mean skipping Kyle Kendrick, or at least moving KK back a day.

It's difficult to imagine the Phillies will make the same choice they opted for last week.

Kendrick hasn't been very good lately (he has a 9.42 ERA in his last five starts, and has pitched more than five innings in just one of those games). Cole is the ace.

It's not a tough call to make. It's just a question of when the Phillies will make it.

They'll likely wait to see how Hamels' start goes tonight against the Nationals. If Cole is his normally, efficient self (7-8 innings, no more than 110 pitches), he'll pitch Sunday night on ESPN opposite Mets' ace Johan Santana.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A new feature on Phollowing the Phillies: "You Play Manager!"

Okay, here are a three quick multiple-choice questions. There is no right or wrong answer (or is there??).

You're the manager...

1. As you fill out the lineup, which name do you pencil into the starting catcher's spot?
(a) Carlos Ruiz
(b) Lou Marson
(c) Chris Coste
(d) Bob Boone

2. Your team has the bases loaded, you're down by three runs... and the pitcher's spot is up. Who do you send to the plate? (Dobbs, Werth, Stairs, Taguchi and Burrell aren't available).
(a) Carlos Ruiz
(b) Lou Marson
(c) Greg Golson
(d) Cole Hamels

3. You're at Citizens Bank Park and your club is down 9-1 in the third inning. You call to the bullpen for a 'long' man. Who do you choose?

(a) Clay Condrey
(b) J.A. Happ
(c) Adam Eaton
(d) Carlos Ruiz