Phillies Insider: Werth Won't Overstay Stint On DL

Jayson Werth is on pace.

Werth, a valuable piece to the Phillies' offense and outfield rotation, has been on the 15-day disabled list with an oblique strain.

Hitting coach Milt Thompson told Phillies.com that Werth will likely start a rehabilitation assignment within the next couple days and should be back in the lineup June 8, the day he's eligible to return.

"He'll be ready to go when he comes off the list," manager Charlie Manuel told Phillies.com.

Werth is batting .260 with nine home runs and 26 RBIs. He had a career game May 17 when he belted three homers and tied the team's single-game RBI record with eight.

Game Reax: Hamels' Woes Continue In Loss To Marlins

Cole Hamels was pitching brilliantly in May

Was is the operative word.

After posting a 1-0 record and a 0.00 ERA in starts against the Braves and Nationals earlier in the month, Hamels has been ineffective in his last two outings. He surrendered six earned runs over four innings Sunday, May 25 against the Astros... but the Phillies' offense scored 15 runs and the team won in a rout.

Saturday night versus the Marlins, Hamels was supposed to bounce back like the No. 1 starter he's labeled to be. The 24-year-old even had the benefit of an extra day's rest.

Well, nothing seemed to work as the Fish pounded the left-hander and rolled to a 7-3 victory.

Hamels lasted only 5 2/3 innings and gave up seven earned runs on eight hits, including three home runs. In these two un-Hamels-like outings, Cole has seen his ERA balloon from 2.61 to 3.73.

Not good.

Hamels' problem against the Marlins, who regained their half-game lead in the NL East and snapped Philly's season-high five-game win streak, was get-em-over fastballs. The Marlins are a young, hungry and --for better or worse -- impatient team that can hit the heck out of a meatball. Hamels apparently missed that portion of the scouting report.

Hamels is scheduled to make his next start Thursday against the Reds.

Game Notes & Opinions

- Chase Utley belted his MLB-best 19th homer of the year in the eighth inning. Utley's dinger sealed his place in Phillies history. With the longball, Utley now has more home runs before the month of June than any other player who has donned the red pinstripes.

- Ryan Howard's run-scoring groundout in the third inning tied him with Houston's Carlos Lee for most RBIs in the month of May (30) in the National League. It's amazing that Howard, who has struggled just about the entire season, has 15 homers and 42 RBIs despite a .206 batting average.

- Even in a lopsided loss like this one, it's always great to see the bullpen get the job done. Believe me when I tell you that Philly's bullpen performance this year has been a godsend. Saturday night, Rudy Seanez (2.57 ERA) and Ryan Madson (3.60) combined to pitch 3 1/3 scoreless innings.

Phillies Insider: Golson Finally Living Up To The Hype

Centerfielder Greg Golson is having a great start to the season at double-A Reading

Golson, Philadelphia's 2004 first-round draft pick, is finally starting to show signs of becoming a legitimate major leaguer. The 22-year-old is batting .322 with six home runs and 32 RBIs through Friday, May 30.

Golson, who is often considered a better version of Michael Bourn, has struggled during his four-year tenure in the minors. He struck out 173 times in 571 at-bats a year ago and had a.260 career average coming into this season.

While the Phillies could use him now considering Jayson Werth's injury status, it appears that Golson won't be called up to the bigs until September at the earliest.

Actually, Golson's rise to the big leagues could happen a lot sooner if the Phillies entertain trade offers for one of their current outfielders. More on that later...

The Road is Long... and Scary

There's only one plausible explanation: in order to conserve jet fuel, the Braves left all that momentum that they rolled up on an 8-3 home stand and left it at Turner Field. How else does one explain a series loss to Milwaukee that included a stretch of 18 scoreless innings?

But maybe it's not that bad. Look at the all-star cast of pitchers that were out there for the Brewers. Sure, I believe any offense could get shutout for two games worth of innings when 16 of those scoreless innings were pitched by the combination of Dave Bush, Salomon Torres, Jeff Suppan, and Julian Tavarez... And after watching the NBA on TNT, I also believe that the combination of The Bill Engvall Show and House of Payne make up the funniest night on television. (Now that's funny!)

Along with many other Braves fans, I really thought that they would finally carry their momentum (and their offense) on the road with them, but it's obvious we were all wrong. I don't know at what point trend becomes plague, but I do know that there's no time like the present to start a new trend and win a road series this weekend in Cincy.

I'm not going to break down every series the Braves play the rest of the year, but I will certainly break down the big ones, and I think every road series is big for the Braves, at least until they win one...

Game 1
Tom Glavine (2-2, 4.76 ERA) vs. Edinson Volquez (7-2, 1.31)
Easily the most losable game in the series for the Braves. However, if they do win this game, it could turn out to be the difference between a rather unimpressive series win against a last place team, and the HUGE boost of a sweep and a winning road trip. Don't forget that the Braves have been giant killers when it comes to star pitchers this season. Atlanta is 4-0 in 2008 against Volquez, Johan Santana, and Brandon Webb...Of course the Braves pitchers in those four games have been Smoltzie, Jurrjens, and Hudson (twice); not Tom Glavine.

Game 2
Jair Jurrjens (5-3, 2.86) vs. Josh Fogg (1-2, 9.00)
Game 2 is easily the most important game of the series. If the Braves win game one, they cannot afford to have a major let down in their most favorable pitching matchup of the weekend. If the braves lose game one, this will be as close to a must win in a non-division game as you'll ever see on the first day of June.

Game 3
Tim Hudson (7-3, 2.90) vs. Johnny Cueto (2-5, 5.56)
If you're betting on just one Braves win, this game is the one that will most likely do it for you. Hudson has stepped up and become the Braves ace exactly as he was needed to with the Smoltz injury. I don't see any scenario where Hudson lets down in this game. Maybe the offense could sputter again, but that's the only way the Braves don't win on Sunday, and if they can push more than two runs across, "Huddy" will do the rest.

Well, now I got the first one out. Since I didn't do it at the beginning, I'll take the opportunity now to say hello to those reading as well as to my fellow bloggers. The key to a fun blog from the writer's perspective is readers that are involved and enjoy exchanging witty banter... or at least some kind of banter. I look forward to discussing all things Braves (and NL East) throughout the rest of the season.

Phillies Insider: Previewing the Marlins Series

After scoring a mind-boggling 48 runs in their last four games, including a 20-run splurge Monday against the hapless Rockies, the Phillies entertain the first-place Marlins in the teams'
first meeting of the season.

While the Phillies have been rolling as of late, the Marlins certainly deserve their first-place ranking in the highly competitive NL East. At the start of the season, Phillies manager Charlie Manuel predicted that the Fish would be better than expected. Sure enough, we're in late May and suddenly a Philadelphia-Florida series is a must-watch.

For the Phillies to succeed (and, consequently, unseat the Marlins), they'll need to accomplish a few things. Here are three keys to the series.

Brett Myers Must Step Up

Myers has been plagued by a few things this year -- lack of velocity, weight gain, confidence issues.

Personally, I don't think Myers has adjusted back to being a starting pitcher. He's the livewire type -- impatient when he has to sit around for four days without game action. A source close to the team told me recently that Myers "wants to be a help to the team in any possible way. That said, he loved being the guy getting the final three outs every other day. He may never, ever fully accept not being that guy."

Granted, my source assured me that final sentence was "pure speculation," but it's an interesting thought. Is Myers' self-loathing hurting his performance? Hey, with a 2-6 record and an ERA approaching 6.00, it's an argument worth making.

For the Phillies to repeat as NL East champion, they need Myers to step it up. And there's no better time to do it than tonight against the Marlins, against whom he is 5-7 with a 5.01 ERA in 25 career games.

Phillies Bats Must Stay Hot

There shouldn't be concern about this considering Philadelphia's offense heats up as soon as the weather in the Northeast does. However, taking into account the team had an off day Thursday, a hiccup wouldn't be unexpected.

Still, the Marlins don't exactly present the toughest challenge in terms of starting pitching. Mark Hendrickson is a surprising 7-2 this season, but he's a career fifth starter, and the Phillies pounded the former 76ers draft pick to the tune of seven runs in three innings last July. On Saturday, Philly faces Ricky Nolasco (4-3, 4.70 ERA) and good-looking young left Andrew Miller (4-4, 5.53 ERA) in the getaway game Sunday.

One concern is the fact the Marlins will showcase a pair of left-handed hurlers. Of course, arguably Philadelphia's best two hitters -- left-handed hitters Chase Utley and Ryan Howard -- need to be up to the challenge.

Keeping Hanley Ramirez, Dan Uggla At Bay

Ramirez has struggled since signing a huge multi-year contract extension earlier this month. He is 7-for42 in his last 11 games, including a 1-for-12 showing in Florida's recent series against the Mets.

Uggla, who is often compared to Utley in many categories, had only three hits at hitter-friendly Citizens Bank Park last season.

The strikeout-prone Uggla is 1-for-9 with five K's over the last two games. However, lifetime against Myers he is 7-for-18 with two homers against Myers. First baseman Mike Jacobs is a basher and is also 7-for-18 all-time against Myers.

If Ramirez and Uggla continue their recent woes, it would be a huge boost for the Phillies' pitching staff and would increase the chances of Philly winning the series.

Have the Mets turned the corner?

Before heading out on a seven game swing to Atlanta & Colorado, the Mets swept a rain shortened 2 game series from the Yankees at Yankee Stadium. After the sweep, it was off to Atlanta where the Mets got swept, and then on to Colorado, where they lost 2 out of 3. It was right before that trip when Mets Manager Willie Randolph made his controversial comments that prompted a meeting with Mets brass on Memorial Day. Mets General Manager Omar Minaya said that the meeting was held to give Randolph a chance to explain himself, and to find ways to make the Mets a better ball club.

After the meeting, the Mets went out, and lost the first of a three game series to Florida 7-3. SNY, the Mets television network, said during the second game of the series against Florida, that Mets management might have told Wille to tinker with the lineup to try and spark the team. So, tinker with the lineup he did. He started Ramon Castro at Catcher. Damion Easley at 1st base, and Fernando Tatis in right field. It turns out that those three drove in 5 RBI's in a Mets 5-3 victory on Tuesday, May 27th.

Coming into the game last night, May 28th, the Mets looked like they had a bit more bounce in their step. They got off to a fast start using the same lineup as the night before, as they jumped out to a 2-0 lead against Florida, thanks to a 2-run HR by Luis Castillo in the bottom of the first. The score stayed that way until the top of third, when Mike Rabelo of the Marlins hit a solo shot off of Oliver Perez to tie the score at 1. Oliver pitched a good game, but left in the top of the seventh trailing 5-4 after a 3 run HR by Cody Ross.

On came the bullpen, which has usually been a headache for Mets fans. However, Scott Schoeneweis relieved Perez and did an outstanding job. Schoeneweis was relieved by Aaron Heilman, who also did an excellent job by striking out four of the six batters he faced. In the bottom of the ninth, Randolph decided to use Endy Chavez as a pinch hitter. It turned out to be the right decision, as Chavez hit a tying solo homer over the right field wall.
The score remained tied until Alfredo Amezaga hit a go ahead solo HR off of Duaner Sanchez to give Florida a 6-5 lead in the top of the 12th. Many Mets fans I'm sure thought that the game was over at that point. However, that's why they call it "last licks"

After a walk to David Wright, and a single by Carlos Beltran, Fernando Tatis, one of Willie's "super subs" as SNY's Ron Darling calls them, hit a game winning two run double into deep left field to win the game, and send the Mets fans home happy. So, heading into a 4 game set against L.A., the question has to be asked: Have the Mets turned the corner?

Fish Still Swimming

To kick things off, I'd like to start with a general post about the Marlins' early season success and their potential to continue it. The Fish have been in first place for most of May, which has come as a surprise to everyone (us fans included). However, many have raised questions about the team's winning ways, and understandably so. How could the lowest-paid team in baseball keep this up all season?

Well here are the issues. The Marlins' starting rotation has the 26th highest ERA in MLB (5.00), lowest amount of innings pitched (277.1) and next to last in quality starts (18). Obviously, the starting rotation is a weak point for the Marlins, which causes the bullpen to be overworked. While the Fish pen has been outstanding thus far, with the sixth best relief ERA (3.15) and the third best opponent batting average (.225), they are also fourth in innings pitched (188.2), which is bound to catch up with them in the form of fatigue and injuries.

While Mark Hendrickson and, up until recently, Scott Olsen, have been the workhorses of the rotation, Ricky Nolasco, Andrew Miller, and Burke Badenhop have been inconsistent in their ability to go deep into games. Miller really turned things around in May, going 3-2 with a 2.43 ERA and striking out 8.49 batters per nine innings, but the rest of the rotation has really wavered. Badenhop could, and probably should, be out of the rotation, and I wouldn't be surprised to see Doug Waechter (1.35, 7.09 K/9) jump in as the fifth starter for the time being. There is some help on the way, as Anibal Sanchez could return to the team around the All-Star break, but Josh Johnson won't likely pitch in the majors this year. Top prospect Chris Volstad, who stunned in spring training, could get a midseason call-up, as could Ryan Tucker. One thing for certain is that this team will need more stability from its starters in order to contend all year.

As for the offense, the Fish have had little problem scoring runs. They are second in home runs (76) and fourth in extra base hits (181), with the fifth highest team OPS (.779), despite missing significant time from Josh Willingham, one of the better cleanup hitters in the NL. However, the team is second in strikeouts (437), which has led many writers to believe this team will severely slump when the homers stop flying out. I can't say that I agree, as the team has done reasonably well in pressure situations (.259/.371/.473 with RISP and 2 outs). The team has shown the ability to "manufacture runs" [thanks, Joe Morgan] with several successful hit and runs and suicide squeezes this year. This offense has the ability to adapt to different situations, and I can't see why they won't continue mashing, especially once Willingham returns. As for the strikeouts, Arizona is third place in the majors behind Florida, and we haven't heard any warning flags about the Dbacks' offense. Yes, this team will strike out a lot. But they will also hit homers and score runs.

On to the defense. The Fish are tied for second worst in errors (45) and have the lowest fielding percentage (.977). The biggest perpetrators have been 3B Jorge Cantu (11 errors) and SS Hanley Ramirez (8). Cantu is definitely on the field because of his bat and not his glove, but he's not without peers. David Wright, last year's Gold Glove winner, has just two fewer errors (9) at the hot corner, so the dropoff in defense from other 3B is not astronomical. Hanley is an interesting case, because he makes some incredibly athletic plays at short, but occasionally boots routine grounders and airmails throws. He certainly has the athleticism to be a solid defender, but needs more focus to get there. The rest of the team is below-average defensively, with the exception of Alfredo Amezaga, who has been Superman in center field. The Marlins' defense hasn't hurt the team in the win column yet, but it will be an ongoing concern for the rest of the year.

Phew! And I thought that would be a quick post! Overall, this team has the ability to win the NL East. Unfortunately for them, so do the Phillies, Mets and Braves. This division will be incredibly competitive come September, and I fully expect the Marlins to be in the race. They won't remain in first place from here on out, but they will contend for a playoff spot this year, especially once the rotation has been shored up (Thanks, Joe Girardi) and players return from injury. Disagree? I'm sure you do, so feel free to comment.

Welcome!

This post officially kicks off the start of the NL East Blog. This is the 2nd blog launched in a network of 6 divisional blogs, as it joins the AL East Blog as part of the No Bias Network. Our goal is to be your one-stop shop for anything NL East related. Whether you use this site to follow your team or keep an eye on your rivals, we hope you enjoy.

I would like to do a short introduction of all the writers on staff here. We will have one writer representing each team, however there is no Nationals writer as of now. If anyone is interested in covering the nationals please email me at nobiasnetwork@gmail.com

The Staff:

Braves - Jared Turner
I'm a lifelong Atlanta resident and Braves fan that's a senior in college. I have an extensive trivial knowledge of baseball in general and the Braves specifically. I follow the organization from top to bottom, so i'll have plenty of updates on the hot minor league prospects as well as the big guys. I would describe my outlook as a fan as being mostly optimistic with a healthy dose of cynicism, and no, I'm not related to a certain former team owner.

Marlins - Matt Wilson
I have been an avid Marlins fan since the team's inaugural year in 1993. I was a writer for the original No Bias Baseball and am a regular member of FishStripes.com. I have also coached a middle school baseball team with Matt Bishoff for the past two years here in Gainesville. I have a Master's in Business Management and a B.A. from the University of Florida, and hope to provide informative and thoughtful commentary on my beloved Fish.

Mets - Joseph Arculeo
I'm a 28 year old graduate of Hofstra University in Hempstead New York. I have a Bachelor of Arts degree in Print Journalism. My career aspirations are to write for the sports section of a major newspaper, which is why I was interested in becoming the New York Mets blogger. I've been following the Mets since their championship 1986 season, and have lived and died with them through the 1988 NL East Championship to the World Series appearance in 2000, to the historic collapse of 2007. The Mets are my passion, and that is why I can't wait to get started on writing about them for the blog.

Phillies - Matt Smith
A lifelong Phillies fan, Matt Smith comes from the Philadelphia suburbs with a bachelor's art degree in communication studies and a minor in journalism from West Chester University (Pa.). Matt makes a living as a sports writer for the Delaware County Daily Times, a 100,000-circulation daily newspaper in Pennsylvania. Matt has covered a variety of beats, including all high school and college sports, and professional teams such as the Phillies, 76ers, Phantoms and Soul.