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August 30, 2009

On the Beat

Weekend Roundup

by John Perrotto

The always plain-spoken Charlie Manuel won't come out right out and predict that his team will become the first from the National League to win back-to-back World Series titles since the 1975-76 Reds. However, the Phillies' manager likes his team's chances. "I do. Don't you?," he said. "We've got a good club and it's only getting better. If we can get to October, I'll stack us up against anybody and like my chances."

It would have been harder to make that case less than two months ago. The Phillies were 39-37 on July 2 and hanging on to the National League East lead by a thread. Since then, however, they have won 35 of 51 games. They are now 74-53 and cruising to their third straight division title with a seven-game lead over the Braves in the division title.

"It took us about half of the season to get our starting pitching straightened out," Manuel said. "Now we're in a situation where we can put a starting pitcher out there every day who can give us a good chance to win. That makes a big difference. You can have all the offense you want—and I'm a hitting guy—and you can have a good bullpen, but if the starting pitchers aren't keeping you in the game then you're in big trouble. Now, we're causing trouble for people."

A big reason behind the stabilization of the Phillies' starting pitching has been the emergence of left-hander J.A. Happ, who is the leading candidate to win NL Rookie of the Year. Happ has contributed 4.9 SNLVAR, which ranks 22^nd in the major leagues. From among the veterans, Joe Blanton has also been solid with a 3.4 mark. They have helped make up for left-hander Cole Hamels' feeling a hangover from carrying the Phillies' rotation through three rounds of post-season play last October. He pitched 262 1/3 innings in 2008, and the 25-year-old appeared to feel the effects early on this season, along with admittedly slacking off on his conditioning over the winter while enjoying his new-found fame as the World Series' Most Valuable Player.

The Phillies have also made two high-profile additions to the rotation since the All-Star break in trading for Indians left-hander Cliff Lee and signing right-hander Pedro Martinez as a free agent. Lee has made a major difference by contributing 2.2 SNLVAR in just five starts before the Braves got to him for six runs in five innings last night. "He's been amazing," Manuel said of Lee. "We knew we were getting a number one-type starter when we traded for him, but he's been unbelievable. He's got good stuff, he really knows how to pitch, and he's a good athlete who holds runners on, fields his position, and can swing the bat. What I like about him is nothing bothers him. A lot of guys might have put pressure on themselves coming over here, but it doesn't faze him at all. His first game with us, he had a no-hitter going through five innings at San Francisco. Well, you know the superstition about not talking about a no-hitter, but he comes in the dugout after that fifth inning and says, 'Hey, I've got a no-hitter going.'"