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Postgame: This just in, Cliff Lee is really, really good

News bulletin: Cliff Lee is good. Really good. Really, really good. In summary, Cliff Lee is good.

The pitching: Lee (15-7) continued his incredible month of August by pitching 8 2/3 terrific innings to lead the Phils to their third straight win over the Reds, 3-0. Lee allowed only six hits in improving to 5-0 with a 0.45 ERA in five starts this month. He struck out seven and came one out away from his major league-leading sixth shutout of the season. To put that into perspective, only three other pitchers in the major leagues have more than two shutouts. And only two other National League pitchers have more than one shutout. But alas, Lee wasn't able to complete the blanking. He gave up a two-out double to Joey Votto in the ninth, followed by a walk - his only one of the game - and a hit batter. That prompted Charlie Manuel to summon Ryan Madson, who coaxed Yonder Alonso, the potential winning run, into a foul popup to end the ballgame. The win was the Phillies' 40th road victory of the season and their 19th shutout of the year.

The offense: Hunter Pence’s sixth-inning homer highlighted the offense for the Phillies on this night. The center-field blast was Pence’s seventh with the Phillies and 18th overall on the season. The team also scored runs on groundouts in the first and seventh inning. Carlos Ruiz finished 3-for-4 on the night.

Next up: The Phils and Reds conclude their four-game set Thursday afternoon with Vance Worley (9-1, 2.65) strapping on the goggles to face Mike Leake (11-8, 4.04).

Game chat: Phillies face familiar foe in Willis

It's been four years and a lot of anguish since Dontrelle Willis last saw the Phillies. The former Fish seeks his first win of 2011 when the Reds and Phillies continue their series. Cliff Lee (14-7, 2.71) goes for his sixth-straight win as the Phils look to ride another ace to victory this series. [Jump to the newest comments]

Mayberry back in lineup despite Ibanez's big night

Cholly won't call it a platoon, but actions speak louder than words.

A night after his best performance in a month, Raul Ibanez is back on the bench against the left-hander Dontrelle Willis and is replaced by John Mayberry Jr., who has cooled off in his last three starts. To this observer, it's a significant marker in Ibanez's third and final chapter with the Phils. Manuel has flirted with platooning Ibanez before, but one never got a sense he was fully committed to it. Ibanez's season OPS shot back over .700 to .706 following Tuesday's win, which isn't as bad as someone like Aaron Rowand (.621), who was finally cut from the Giants today. Ibanez is 1-3 lifetime against Willis and Mayberry, who is 1-for-his-last-12, has never faced him.

Tonight, the Phils go Victorino CF, Polanco 3B, Utley 2B, Howard 1B, Pence RF, Mayberry LF, Ruiz C, Valdez SS against D-Train, who hasn't faced the Phillies since 2007.

Notes: Rich Dubee suggested that Joe Blanton could be headed for a rehab with Lakewood during Tuesday's broadcast ... John Bowker will be in uniform tonight. He's a lifetime 22-73 (.301) pinch hitter. Jose Contreras was transfered to the 60-day disabled list to make room. If the Phillies felt like trading Scott Mathieson or Mike Zagurski to the Pirates to complete the Bowker trade, it would clear another spot on the 40-man roster for a last-minute deal. And would anyone care/notice? ... Jim Murphy and Jesse Biddle were named South Atlantic League All-Stars.

Wednesday: Braves are adding, Giants subtracting

A quick look at some happenings today around Major League Baseball:

The Braves have traded for old friend Matt Diaz, a right-handed hitting outfielder who was having an underwhelming season with the Pirates. However, it's not hard to imagine Diaz having a resurgence with Atlanta, the team he played for from 2006-10. Maybe that's just because everytime we see Diaz, he's dominating Phillies pitching to the tune of a .329/.364/.567 line with 8 HR and 31 RBIs over 58 games. Buster Olney speculated earlier today that the Braves may not be done dealing, though he later retracted that thought.

The Giants, meanwhile, DFA'd former Phillies OF Aaron Rowand and former AL MVP Miguel Tejada. Rowand, who is making $12 million this year and the same amount next year, would be a logical target for the Rangers, per Olney. The ESPN insider notes Rowand's numbers against left-handed pitching this season.

Meanwhile, Father Time might not be doing the Phillies any favors, so we'd better hope the John Bowker era is a good one.

Phillies acquire bargain bench help in OF-IB Bowker

The Phillies made a move prior to today's waiver trade deadline by dealing for Pirates Triple-A outfielder-first baseman John Bowker, who was hitting .308/.351/.487 with 15 homers for Indianapolis. The Pirates' haul has yet to be reported.

Beerleaguer: Bowker should be considered a minor addition, and just because he was added before Sept. 1 doesn't mean he's guaranteed a spot on the postseason roster. Still, the Phils are giving themselves another option if they believe Ross Gload, who has three hits in his last 30 plate appearances and no homers all season, can't contribute. Or the Phils may decide in short order that Gload and his frayed hip have had it. Expanded rosters give the Phillies flexibility and time to weigh their options and there's no question that Gload, for all his professional at bats, is basically a lost roster spot.

The addition of Bowker, a left-handed hitter, could also hurt Domonic Brown's chances of receiving a September call-up; 2011 has been a lost season for the top prospect and he's had a miserable time of it since the Hunter Pence trade bumped him back to the minors. We'll also need to see whether the Phils reward Lehigh Valley's best player, Brandon Moss, with a call-up, as discussed. Moss, 27 and a lefty bat, is hitting .268/.364/.510 with 23 homers and plays the outfield better than Bowker, who was hitting .308/.351/.487 with 15 homers after the Pirates demoted him at the end of April after htting .235/.316/.294 in 19 plate appearances.

In parts of four seasons with the Giants and Pirates, Bowker, 28, is a .237/.289/.390 hitter with 17 homers, his best season coming in his rookie season with the Giants (.708 OPS). He's considered a below-average defender better suited for first base although Gload, even in his state of deterioration, might be considered the better first baseman. Bowker is out of options and cleared waivers in order to be sent to the minors in April. He could already be in the running for Gload's job as primary pinch hitter next season; Gload is a free agent.

To make room on the 25-man roster, the Phillies optioned right-hander Michael Schwimer to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Schwimer pitched a scoreless ninth in Tuesday's 9-0 thumping of the Reds and is likely to return later in September.

Postgame: Vintage Halladay grabs win behind bombs

Pretty simple. Doc was a surgeon on the hill, the offense hammered out four homers and the Phils rolled to a 9-0 victory over the Reds.

Roy Halladay was perfect for five of his seven innings, with the only blemishes on the scorebook coming in the first and seventh frames. He allowed two walks and a pair of hits, striking out nine and throwing 69 of 108 pitches for strikes. Over the last 23 innings that he’s pitched against Cincinnati (NLDS no-hitters included), 15 have been hitless. As if his gem on the mound weren’t enough, Halladay helped his cause with the bat, plating three with a double in the sixth. The bases-clearing two-bagger upped his season RBI total to … three.

The rest of the offense followed Halladay’s lead and turned in a dominant performance of its own. Ryan Howard homered twice and secured himself a place in the club’s all-time record book. The home run pushed Howard’s 2011 RBI total to 101, making him the only Phillie in franchise history to drive in over 100 runs in six straight seasons. Hunter Pence and Raul Ibanez also went yard, and Ibanez finished 3-for-5 with two RBIs and a pair of runs scored. Pence’s blast was of particular note, as he leveled off on a letter-high fastball from Bronson Arroyo and drove it into the centerfield stands. Off the bat, it looked like a garden variety lineout, but the ball just kept going, ending up five rows deep and further demonstrating Pence’s ever more obvious strength at the plate.

Next up: Cliff Lee (14-7, 2.71) looks to make it three straight as he takes on Dontrelle Willis (0-3, 4.10) at 7:10 tomorrow night.

Chase Utley’s career line against the D-Train: 4-for-26 (.154) with 10 Ks

Vegas odds that Mini-Mart gets the start at second: 650-to-1

Game chat: Well-rested Doc hopes to carve up Reds

Preview: The last time Roy Halladay (15-5, 2.56) faced Cincinnati, he allowed a season-high 11 hits, though only three runs, over seven innings. The time before that, it was postseason magic for Doc and the Phils. Due to Irene, Halladay hasn't started since August 21 - and that outing was limited to five innings due to the weather. In all, the reigning Cy Young winner has thrown just 83 pitches over the last two weeks. Bronson Arroyo (8-10, 5.02) has horrible career numbers vs. the Phils, having gone 1-6 with a 7.13 ERA in nine appearances (eight starts). He also faced them in Game 2 of last year's NLDS, allowing three runs (one earned) over 5 1/3 innings.

The lineup: Victorino CF, Polanco 3B, Utley 2B, Howard 1B, Pence RF, Ibanez LF, Ruiz C, Valdez SS, Halladay P. Of that group, the ones with good numbers against Arroyo are Howard (3-for-8, 2 doubles), Pence (11-for-32, 6 XBH), Polanco (8-for-19), Utley (4-for-11, HR) and in very small sample sizes, Ruiz (1-for-3, BB), Ibanez (2-for-5) and Victorino (2-for-6). Well, that's just about everyone, except for Valdez and Halladay, who have never faced Arroyo before. Should be some runs scored.

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Several Phillies battling to improve career lows

Ryan Howard, Placido Polanco, Raul Ibanez and Chase Utley would finish with their worst single-season performance as everyday players if the 2011 campaign ended today.

Lots of talk today about Shane Victorino's bid for league MVP based on an extremely consistent .308/.381/.544 campaign and a 6.2 WAR, which puts him right in the mix among other contenders like Joey Votto and Matt Kemp. Vic is one of three Phillies hitters, in my estimation, who've exceeded expectations, including Hunter Pence, who had an All-Star half year in Houston before coming to the Phillies and hitting .326/.400/.526, and John Mayberry Jr., who's had an amazing month and is hitting .262/.326/.517 with 12 homers in 224 plate appearances.

Jimmy Rollins, Carlos Ruiz and, for the sake of argument, Wilson Valdez, have been par for the course. If J-Roll can return healthy and light it up in September, he has a chance to have a better season than in 2008 (right now his OPS+ of 103 is the same as '08). Chooch isn't as good as he was last season, which will likely become his career year, but he's having another above-average season with the stick. Valdez, thanks to this recent surge, is mirroring his 2010 supersub effort.

This will be Ryan Howard's worst season if he can't finish with his trademark run in September. He's hitting .249/.338/.477 with a lot of strikeouts lately and only 18 hits this month. His .815 OPS is .112 under his career average.

Ibanez, meanwhile, made a lousy season respectable in 2010 by finishing strong and ending with a .275/.349/.444 (111 OPS+), which fit nicely with his previous 10 seasons. He'll need an insane finish to do this same in '11; he's hitting a paltry .238/.285/.410 (87 OPS+).

Polanco had arguably his worst game as a Phillie Monday night and was the culmination of about two months of poor performance. Since July 1, he's hitting just .230/.299/.230 with no extra base hits and only one extra base hit, a double, since June 16. The veteran third baseman is dealing with myriad ailments and it's really starting to show.

Utley, frankly, has become something of a middling power threat these last few seasons and has been largely invisible this month, hitting .258/.327/.371 with one homer. If he can't pull his numbers up in September, we're looking at four-straight seasons of declining production.

Pondering last-minute trade possibilities for the Phils

MLB Trade Rumors has compiled a list of players that have cleared waivers and can be traded to any team. The Phillies would have to trade for these players by tomorrow if they are going to be eligible for the playoffs.

With Jim Thome no longer on the board, here are some of the more intriguing names on the list:

Tom Gorzelanny, Nationals: Lefties are hitting .171/.209/.286 against him in 84 at-bats this season. He has made 15 starts and seven relief appearances for Washington.

Chris Capuano, Mets: On Friday, the veteran southpaw pitched a two-hit shutout with 13 strikeouts and no walks against the Braves. Lefties are hitting .216/.255/.313 against him this season, though only two of his 27 appearances have come out of the bullpen.

Bill Bray, Reds: The southpaw has been effective against both lefties and righties this season. Lefties are batting .192/.240/.247 against him, while righties are coming in at .229/.264/.304. He has allowed one home run to the 168 hitters he's faced.

Mike Gonzalez, Orioles: The lefty, who has been linked to the Phillies in the past, has thrown 13 consecutive scoreless appearances, spanning 12 1/3 innings. He has allowed a total of five hits and one walk in that stretch. Lefties are hitting .211/.240/.305 against him in 2011.

Johnny Damon, Rays: Probably unlikely given John Mayberry Jr.'s emergence, but he'd be an obvious upgrade over Ben Francisco and/or Raul Ibanez. There are other outfield candidates, as well, including David DeJesus and Angel Pagan.

Ryan Theriot, Cardinals: Given the injury concerns with infielders Placido Polanco and Jimmy Rollins, an upgrade to Michael Martinez - wouldn't that be just about anyone? - might not be a bad option.

Tuesday morning: Catching up with Domonic Brown

John R. Finger at CSNPhilly.com takes a look at Domonic Brown's rocky 2011 season. Among some of the noteworthy elements of the story is Ruben Amaro Jr. saying that “we did a little bit of disservice to him (because) he hasn’t had the development time needed." Brown, who is 21-for-88 (.239) with one HR since rejoining the IronPigs, also notes that he won't be playing winter ball this year. "This is my year to relax," he said, referring to the offseason. Also, Brown apparently talks in the third person now: “It’s only making Domonic Brown that much of a better player," he said. "I just come out here and work, man, and stay humble.”

Postgame: Hamels looks great as Phils slip by Reds

Cole Hamels erased any lingering concerns about his shoulder and Shane Victorino delivered a clutch home run as the Phillies overcame Placido Polanco's worst game of the season to nip the Reds, 3-2.

The pitching: Hamels was terrific in his first start since August 12. He threw 76 pitches (50 strikes) over six innings, showing no ill-effects from the shoulder injury that kept him out 2 1/2 weeks. Hamels gave up just one run, two hits and did not walk a batter. He struck out seven, many coming on changeups. Antonio Bastardo worked an impressive seventh inning and Michael Stutes logged the eighth, retiring Joey Votto with runners on first and third to end the frame. Ryan Madson pitched around a baserunner in the ninth to earn the save, snapping the Phils' brief two-game skid.

The offense: Victorino launched a first-pitch curveball from Homer Bailey into the right-field seats for a tie-breaking, two-run homer in the eighth. Hunter Pence, Carlos Ruiz and Wilson Valdez strung together hits in the fifth inning, leading to the Phillies’ first run.

The nightmare: On the other end of the spectrum, Polanco went 0-for-4. He grounded out to the pitcher, in addition to striking out three times in a game for the first time since July 3, 2009 in a 16-inning game between the Tigers and Twins. The last time he had three K’s in a nine-inning game was May 31, 2008 against Felix Hernandez. Furthermore, Polanco had two misplays at third base in the eighth inning - one on a hard-hit grounder and the other on a short-hopped throw to first base, allowing the Reds to make it a 3-2 game.

Next up: The Phillies continue their four-game set with the Reds on Tuesday night. Roy Halladay (15-5, 2.56) squares off against Bronson Arroyo (8-10, 5.02), who is 1-6 with a 7.13 ERA lifetime against the Phils.

Game chat: 33 games in 31 days begins tonight

The Phillies' compressed end-of-season schedule kicks off tonight in Cincinnati, where Cole Hamels (13-7, 2.62) takes the mound for the first time in 2 1/2 weeks.

Hamels is 7-0 with a 1.43 ERA in eight career starts against the Reds in the regular season. An earlier post noted his success against them in last year's NLDS. In case you're wondering, reigning NL MVP Joey Votto is 2-for-12 lifetime against Hamels. However, he won't be getting any sympathy cards from Brandon Phillips, who is 3-for-25 with seven K's against the Phils lefty. The Phillies, who haven't played since Friday and haven't won since last Tuesday, will look to avoid a third straight loss. They have enjoyed success in the past against Homer Bailey (7-5, 4.44), including a 10-4 loss on May 26 in which they chased the Reds' right-hander after only four innings. Raul Ibanez hit a three-run homer against him in that contest.

Lineup: Victorino CF, Polanco 3B, Utley 2B, Howard 1B, Pence RF, Mayberry LF, Ruiz C, Valdez SS, Hamels P.

Monday chat: Hamels makes his return to Cincinnati

The last time Cole Hamels took the mound in Cincinnati, the Phillies' left-hander twirled a gem as the team completed its first postseason sweep since ... well, since the beginning of time.

In that October 10 ballgame, Hamels yielded just five hits (four of them singles) in a complete-game effort. He struck out nine batters, including Scott Rolen on a high fastball to end it, and did not walk a batter in his 119-pitch masterpiece. Chase Utley's fifth-inning homer off Johnny Cueto highlighted the Phillies' offense in the 2-0 victory.

Tonight, Hamels makes his first start in Cincinnati since that night. More importantly, he's making his first start anywhere since August 12. He allowed three runs in five innings against the Nationals in that contest, walking four batters and admitting afterwards that he couldn't get loosened up. The diagnosis was shoulder inflammation and a DL stint - albeit a heavily retroactive and procedural one - was the result. But tonight, Cole is back on the mound. And all eyes will be on the Phils' left-hander, his velocity and his body language.

As CSNPhilly.com's Jim Salisbury notes: "You could make a case that this is the most important start that any Phillies pitcher has made this season."

Who would you rather have, Part 1: First basemen

Over the next couple of weeks, we’ll play this game with every position on the field. We'll list 10 players and let Beerleaguer nation debate who – if any – you’d rather have than the current Phillies player at that spot.

For argument’s sake, we are disregarding contract implications and any potential chemistry issues involved with replacing a key player late in the season. So, from a purely baseball standpoint, which of these players would you rather have than Ryan Howard for the rest of the season? You can pick as many as you'd like. Feel free to write in a vote, as well.

The options: Miguel Cabrera, Prince Fielder, Freddie Freeman, Adrian Gonzalez, Paul Konerko, Michael Morse, Albert Pujols, Mark Teixeira, Mark Trumbo, Joey Votto.

Hamels activated: As expected, Cole Hamels has been activated from the DL and will start tonight in Cincinnati. Pete Orr was shipped back to the IronPigs.

Young Phillies gain ground in prospect pecking order

Reading Phillies beat writer Mike Drago has published his annual end-of-season list polling industry experts and minor league scribes. Right-hander Trevor May, 21, takes over the top spot, but Beerleaguer has a different choice. [Full list]

Beerleaguer: Last year's first-rounder Jesse Biddle has the makings of an elite pitching prospect in the mold of Cole Hamels and would earn my vote as the top prospect in the chain. In 11 starts since the break, he's held Sally League hitters to a .202 average, posting a 1.75 ERA while striking out 63 in 61 2-3 innings, showing tremendous strides for a 19-year-old kid. Biddle, who was held to five innings his last start, is unlikely to appear again this season as the Phils try to limit his pitches. Meanwhile, Trevor May, who was named the best in the Drago poll, has been a Florida State League beast, running away with the league lead in strikeouts (197 in 143 1-3 innings) while going 10-7 with a 3.45 ERA. Stablemate Julio Rodriguez, who should crack most postseason Top 10 lists, is 16-7 with a 2.84 ERA and 150 strikeouts. The right-hander rates eighth in the Drago poll, which is dominated by young starters and high-minor relievers, like Phillippe Aumont, Justin DeFratus, Michael Schwimer and even Joe Savery, who has had one of the craziest minor league seasons in Phillies history, beginning as the hottest hitter on the planet in Class-A Clearwater and ending with a 1.86 ERA and 21/5 K/BB ratio in 19 1-3 appearances out of the IronPigs' bullpen.

Positionally, Sabastian Valle, Freddy Galvis and Jiwan James earned Top 10 nods. Overall, however, only Biddle and May smack of being elite, high-ceiling talents, but then again, nobody expected Vance Worley or Antonio Bastardo to do the kinds of things they've done this season.

Schedule FUBAR: Oddly enough, conditions might actually be playable if the Phillies' doubleheader with Florida had been scheduled to start Sunday afternoon. Of course, they couldn't have known and not that it matters anyway; the Phillies flew to Cincinnati Saturday to get ahead of Irene for their series beginning Monday. Both games of the washed out twin bill will be played as part of a day-night doubleheader Thursday, Sept. 15. The first game will begin at 2:35 p.m. and the second at 7:35 p.m.

What does it mean? It means the Phillies have lost their last remaining off day and will play 33 games in 31 days beginning Monday, which also includes a doubleheader with Washington. This will be a tired bunch once the calendar flips to October. As best they can, they'd do well to take their time with players like Jimmy Rollins and others.

Saturday chat: Irene knocking on Philly's doorstep

Preview: After a ninth-inning rally fell short in Friday night's loss to the Marlins, Roy Halladay and the Phillies look to get back on track this afternoon beginning at 1:05. However, the threat of rain looms heavily as Irene has already begun to dump heavy moisture across the region. If the game starts on schedule, the Phils will line up like this: Victorino CF, Polanco 3B, Utley 2B, Howard 1B, Pence RF, Mayberry, Jr LF, Ruiz C, Valdez SS. Wilson Valdez, who smacked his first homer of the season Friday, is having a good month, hitting .279/.333/.512 while filling in at both third and short. Valdez will continue to see time at short as Jimmy Rollins is unlikely to return Sept. 6, according to reports. Meanwhile, Halladay is having his worst statistical month, in large part because of a .410 August BABIP.

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Game chat: Phillies vs. Marlins, Irene eyes Northeast

The Phillies and Marlins have decided to scrap Saturday night's game in anticipation of Hurricane Irene. In the meantime, they'll play the first game tonight and hope for the best for Saturday's 1:05 portion of the proposed double-header. Roy Oswalt and Clay Hensley have the honors tonight beginning at 7:05. [Jump to the newest comments]

Braves threatening Phillies' division stranglehold

The Braves (79-53) are the hottest team in baseball and trail the Phillies by six games in the National League East.

Don't look now, but the Braves have been making a hell of a ruckus and have won 16 of their last 21, including Thursday's win over the Cubs. They're in the driver's seat for the Wild Card by securing a 9.5-game advantage in the race, which is almost unheard of in the National League. The reason for the recent tear? Maybe the best offense in baseball since the All-Star break, including five of the top 19 NL hitters since the turn, including Chipper Jones, Jose Costanza, Dan Uggla, Freddie Freeman and Michael Bourn, who had four hits Thursday and was praise by Brian McCann afterward as the missing piece.

“Man, what a pickup for us,” McCann told the AP. “He brings so much to the table. He plays a good center field and can fly. It’s everything we’ve needed around here for the last four or five years.”

Reason the second: Craig Kimbrel and their lights-out bullpen. Kimbrel recorded his 40th save Tuesday which tied the MLB rookie record. He and setup man Jonny Venters own the longest and second-longest scoreless inning streaks in baseball among starters and relievers.

The Braves have rolling, but could suffer a huge setback. Tommy Hanson left the team and returned to Atlanta to have his ailing shoulder re-evaluated by team doctors after a bullpen session showed no improvement. Hanson has been on the disabled list since Aug. 7 because of right rotator cuff tendinitis.

Capuano: With Hunter Pence helping strengthen the offense, the Phillies could turn their attention toward the bullpen, which has shown cracks this week. One intriguing name is Mets starter Chris Capuano (9-11, 4.71), who has reportedly cleared waivers and has pitched better than his numbers suggest. The lefty has pitched in the bullpen before and is holding left-handed hitters to a .233/.293/.364 slash line.

1964 parallel? "The Braves acquistion of Bourn reminds me of 1964 when the Cardinals picked up Lou Brock from the Cubs for Ernie Broglio. I hate to sound negative, but on August 25, 1964, the Phillies' lead in the NL was 6 games. It doesn't look like Atlanta is going to slow down any time soon. Why does it feel like we are chasing the Braves?" - Rich D

Phillies affiliates come down the home stretch

A minor league roundup with the seasons winding down:

LEHIGH VALLEY (AAA)

The IronPigs spent much of the last few seasons with the bottom feeders in the International League. That all changed this year with the arrival of Ryne Sandberg. The Hall of Famer added confidence and pulled together a team laden with veterans and youngsters almost immediately. Lehigh Valley spent much of this season in first place in the IL’s North Division before injuries, promotions and roster shuffling brought it back to the pack. Still, as the regular season draws to a close, the ‘Pigs remain locked in a battle with Pawtucket for first place and Gwinnett in the wild card race. Brandon Moss has been a pleasant surprise in the outfield, tying a career high with 22 homers, while slick-fielding infielder Freddy Galvis has discovered his stroke, hitting .307 through his first 21 games with the ‘Pigs. Dom Brown is just now starting to show signs of breaking out of the month-long slump he’s been in since coming back from Philadelphia but former first-round pick Joe Savery has thrived in his relief role, going 4-0 with a 1.86 ERA and a save in 14 appearances. He’s helped anchor what has been a generally very reliable, a bullpen that includes much-maligned Phillippe Aumont, who has pitched well this season when healthy.

READING (AA)

The R-Phils continue to chase New Hampshire for the Eastern League’s East Division title but catching the Fisher Cats won’t be easy. Austin Hyatt (11-6, 3.94) remains not only one of the premier pitchers in the league but in the entire Philly system. He’s the closest starter Philly has to the major leagues and could have an impact similar to that of Vance Worley once he gets there. Hyatt will likely start next season at Lehigh Valley – if Ruben Amaro Jr. doesn’t deal him over the winter – and he could be in Philly at some point next summer should the need arise. He’s tied for the league lead in victories, is second in strikeouts (157) and is fifth in WHIP (1.19). Fellow starter J.C. Ramirez continues to be a huge disappointment. He came over as part of the Cliff Lee trade with Seattle and leads the league with 13 losses. He has little or no future with the Phils and isn’t even among their top 10 pitching prospects at the moment. Matt Rizzotti’s numbers are down this season, but he still leads the team in homers and RBIs following his monster 2010 effort. Rizzotti has a keen eye at the plate and can drive in runs but his future lies somewhere other than in Philadelphia.

CLEARWATER (A)

The Threshers have featured some of the best pitching in the minor leagues all season and even now, with the loss of Jarred Cosart, they still haven’t missed a beat. Dave Buchanan came up from Lakewood after leading the South Atlantic League in victories and has filled in beautifully for Cosart. He’s 2-1 with a 3.09 ERA through four starts and has proven to be a nice complement to hard-throwing Trevor May, who has a franchise-record 197 strikeouts through 143 1/3 innings, and Jon Pettibone, who has a 3.08 ERA through 24 starts. Undoubtedly, though, the biggest surprise, not only at Clearwater but in the entire Philly farm system, has been Julio Rodriguez. His 15 victories lead the minor leagues. He’s got a 2.99 ERA through 24 starts and has only two no-decisions this season. He’s got a marvelous cut fastball with which opposing hitters just can’t seem to make contact. Though he’s not as big a strikeout pitcher as May, Rodriguez has emerged as one of the best and brightest in the organization this season and should be a nice fit at Reading in 2011.

LAKEWOOD (A)

The ‘Claws are also fighting to make the playoffs in the South Atlantic League but the defending champs don’t appear to have enough offense to complete their second-half run at the post-season. Like the Threshers, pitching has been at a premium in Lakewood this year. Former top pick Jesse Biddle has done a splendid job adapting to life in a full-season league. He picked up his seventh win on Wednesday while lowering his ERA to 2.94. Take out his four April starts and his ERA is 2.32. He’s allowed one earned run or less in 11 of his 23 starts. Garett Claypool’s record (4-7) is also deceiving. He’s pitched very well and has fanned 145 in 131 1/3 innings. Youngsters Lendy Castillo (4-2, 2.43) and Lisalberto Bonilla (4-4, 2.83) have been impressive all year and should be the anchors at Clearwater next season along with Biddle and Claypool. Catcher Cameron Rupp has had a big second half – he’s like Reading’s Tuffy Gosewisch only with a better bat – but players who were once considered top prospects continue to struggle. Zach Collier is hitting only .247, while Anthony Hewitt is hitting .230 with 142 strikeouts though he does have 34 steals.

WILLIAMSPORT (Short-Season A)

Many of this season’s top draft picks have started at Williamsport and some of them have struggled. Infielder Cody Asche was hitting .194 through 57 games, while outfielder Harold Martinez is hitting .249 through 56 games. Conversely, outfielder Pete Lavin has thrived, hitting .313 in 20 games since coming up from the Gulf Coast League. Catcher Bob Stumpo, a 2010 draft pick, has had a surprising season, hitting just above .300 for much of the year while driving in 22 runs. Aaron Altherr tops the club with 29 RBIs. The Crosscutters are also shooting for a playoff spot, battling with Auburn and Brooklyn for the a division title and wild card berth, respectively.

-Written for Beerleaguer by Kevin Czerwinski, who writes the blog On the Pharm for CSNPhilly.com

Odds & ends: Irene is coming, could Thome follow?

Hurricane Irene is on its way up the coast, forcing the Phillies to postpone -- is that the right word here? -- Sunday's game against the Marlins and instead try a scheduled day-night doubleheader on Saturday.

Saturday's games will be played at 1:05 p.m. and 7:05 p.m. The pitchers will be Roy Halladay in the opener and Cliff Lee in the nightcap. Not a shabby slate of pitching, huh?

Jim Thome: The Indians have been awarded the claim on the veteran slugger, who has played of course for both the Indians and the Phillies. If Thome does get dealt to the Tribe, the deal has to be completed by Friday at 1 p.m., notes Danny Knobler. Thome has a no-trade clause, as Ken Rosenthal points out, and he still hopes to end up in Philly. Thome, that is. Not Rosenthal.

Crybabies?: This is starting to make its way around the country. Sarge called the Mets "crybabies" during Wednesday's game following the very minor altercation between Placido Polanco and Mike Pelfrey. Is this even news? Terry Collins didn't seem too interested.

Thursday chat: Do 2011 Phillies lack a killer instinct?

I'll be honest: I'm not 100% sure that this is a fair point to make regarding the 2011 Phillies. But it's one that I'm going to make anyway. Interested in the Beerleaguer feedback.

Are the Phillies coming up small in the killer instinct department? I'm not talking about individual games and their ability to put teams away with insurance runs and late-inning relief. I'm talking more big picture, looking at their ability to close out sweeps this season.

So far in 2011, the Phillies have had 18 games where they've entered a series finale with an opportunity to sweep their opponent in the series (a two-game set, 13 three-game sets and four four-game sets). To this point, they are 7-11 in those games, including a 4-10 record in their last 14 opportunities to sweep an opponent. Charlie Manuel's team has yet to sweep a good team this year, as their broom resume includes the Astros, Padres (4), Nationals, Marlins (4), Pirates, Rockies and Dodgers. They have had several opportunities to sweep winning teams, but they came up short in finales against the Rangers, Cardinals, Red Sox, Blue Jays and Giants (4).

For a comparison, the Red Sox so far this season have swept a series from a winning team six times, compared to the Phillies zero, including road series sweeps in Anaheim (4), Detroit, Toronto and twice at Yankee Stadium. Much ado about nothing?

Odds and ends: The Vanimal for Rookie of the Year?

Is there any support out there for Vance Worley for Rookie of the Year? He probably has no chance, simply due to the Braves’ dynamic duo of Craig Kimbrel and Freddie Freeman and the Nats’ Danny Espinosa. But it’s still fun to wonder.

Worley is 9-1 with a 2.65 ERA and a .218 opponents’ batting average. The Phillies have won 12 straight games started by the Vanimal and they are 16-2 in games that he has pitched in this season. Let’s say Worley were to finish the year 13-2 with a 2.40 ERA for the best team in baseball. Would that be enough to win him the ROY award? Highly unlikely, but a goggled, mohawked kid can dream, can’t he?

Waiver wire: Heath Bell was claimed by the Giants, but the All-Star reliever tweeted tonight that he won’t be dealt by San Diego. Wandy Rodriguez was pulled off waivers by the Astros, so he won’t be going to the Rockies.

The All-Earthquake Team: I was going to post it yesterday, but I was kind of shaken up. Am I missing anyone?

Joe Land, Phillies minor leaguer, 1958

Don Landrum, Phillies center fielder, 1957

Nate Bump, Phillies minor leaguer, 2010-11

Bake “Shake ‘n Bake” McBride, Phillies outfielder, 1977-81

Rocky Childress, Phillies pitcher, 1985-86

Vick Power, Phillies first baseman, 1964

Boom-Boom Beck, Phillies pitcher, 1939-43

Costen Shockley, Phillies first baseman, 1964

Steve “Bedrock” Bedrosian, Phillies pitcher, 1986-89

…and in the on-deck circle for those of us on the East Coast...

Cyclone Miller, Phillies pitcher, 1884

Postgame: Not the Phils' finest effort in loss to Mets

A brutal first-inning error, a four-inning performance by the starting pitcher, six walks allowed by the Phillies staff, and runners stranded on base left and right. In the end, it was a forgettable 7-4 loss to the Mets on Wednesday afternoon.

The pitching: Kyle Kendrick allowed six runs in four innings, though all four runs he allowed in the first inning were unearned, compliments of an error by shortstop Michael Martinez. Kendrick surrendered a three-run homer to Nick Evans in the opening frame, as well as an opposite-field solo shot to David Wright in the third. The bullpen essentially held the fort the rest of the way, with five different pitchers logging an inning apiece.

The offense: After falling behind 4-0 in the first inning, the Phillies strung together three runs in the second inning against Mets starter Mike Pelfrey. Shane Victorino had a two-run single and Chase Utley plated a run with a base hit later in the frame. The Phillies had some opportunities thereafter but only managed one more run – on Hunter Pence’s RBI infield single in the seventh. Placido Polanco hit into a double play that killed a first-and-third rally in the eighth inning, though it was certainly more a terrific turn by the Mets than any failure on Polly's part. The Phillies brought the tying run to the plate again in the ninth, but Carlos Ruiz grounded out to end the game.

Next up: The Phils are off Thursday before opening a three-game set vs. the Marlins on Friday. That game, originally scheduled to be Cole Hamels’ return to the mound, will now feature Roy Oswalt (6-7, 3.51) against Clay Hensley (1-5, 5.47).

Game chat: Howard back in lineup for Mets finale

Preview: Ryan Howard, who has bursitis of the heel, is in the lineup for the Phils. They'll take the field looking like this: Victorino CF, Polanco 3B, Utley 2B, Howard 1B, Pence RF, Mayberry LF, Ruiz C, Valdez SS, Kendrick P.

Despite a head-to-head record of 4-5, Kendrick boasts a 2.88 ERA in 13 career appearances (10 starts) against the Mets.

Wednesday morning bummer: The White Sox are likely to snatch Jim Thome off waivers ... which means the Phils are unlikely to snatch Jim Thome off waivers. CSNPhilly.com has the report.

Wednesday: What is the future of NL East rivalries?

Unless it's Bears-Packers, Michigan-Ohio State, or Yankees-Red Sox, rivalries seem to come and go with regularity - in virtually every sport.

Of course, the Phillies' division rivals are the Mets, Braves, Nationals and Marlins. But depending on what year it is, the Phils' primary rival has essentially fluctuated between the Mets and Braves for the last 20 years. For a time, there was even talk that the Dodgers, who met the Phillies in the NLCS in both '08 and '09, could be in the mix. You could even argue that their biggest rival at the moment is the Giants. But as we take a look to the future, who do you see the Phillies' primary rival being in, say, 2013? What about 2016? The Nationals are coming on strong in terms of young talent, but the Braves have the combination of youth and experience that could give them more staying power. The Marlins seem to always be on the verge of breaking out, but it hasn't happened yet. And the Mets, well, it's nice of the Phillies to let them play baseball with them 18 times a year.

Postgame: Offense stays hot in another Worley gem

Despite a hairy start, Vance Worley authored yet another dominant performance, and a couple of bats continued to produce as the Phillies beat the Mets 9-4.

Worley: The Vanimal allowed just one run on five hits in seven masterful innings, pouring in 76 strikes in 109 pitches and punching out a career-high nine batters while walking just one. He pitched around a bases-loaded jam in the first and then struck out the side with men on second and third in the second. Beginning with those three Ks to end the second frame, Worley retired 15 straight Mets. He also went 2-for-3 at the plate with an RBI single and a pair of runs to help himself to his ninth victory of the season as all the sabermetricians out there continue to wonder when the “inevitable regression” will take place.

Offense: In years past, Chase Utley and Ryan Howard could be expected to carry the club through the stretch run, but over the last week, Shane Victorino and John Mayberry have become the team’s offensive sparkplugs (along with Hunter Pence). Maybe it’s the result of growing comfort with big-league pitching, or maybe some Space Jam scenario has occurred wherein he stole Howard’s homerun-hitting abilities, but Mayberry has been on an absolute tear since last Wednesday. He went 2-for-4 tonight with another homer and three more RBIs. In the last week, he is 9-for-22 (.409) with three bombs, a triple and 10 runs plated, prompting questions of everyday playing time.  Victorino, who went 2-for-5 with a triple, a homer and three RBIs of his own, has been equally hot at the plate, totaling nine extra-base hits in 69 at-bats in the month of August.

Next up: Kyle Kendrick (7-5, 3.24) gets the ball against Mike Pelfrey (6-10, 4.61) as the Phils go for the sweep in tomorrow’s matinee.

Game chat: Depleted Phillies meet threadbare Mets

Injuries have once again ravaged the Mets, and now the Phillies are suddenly the walking wounded. The Phils try to keep it cooking without Ryan Howard tonight when Vance Worley (8-1, 2.76) continues his rookie of the year push in the second of three from Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies lineup looks like this: Victorino CF, Polanco 3B, Utley 2B, Pence RF, Mayberry 1B, Francisco LF, Valdez SS, Schneider C. Read about all the injuries in the previous thread. [Jump to the newest comments]

Phillies cross Contreras off the list; surgery slated

This hasn't been a good week for aging Phillies.

The latest: Jose Contreras will reportedly undergo season-ending exploratory surgery, according to CSNPhilly's Jim Salisbury. All the reports I've see say there's no reason to think he can't be back by the start of 2012, but let's be real here, folks. He's 39 going on 43. In addition, Ryan Howard is out of tonight's line-up with heel bursitis and is likely to miss a few days, joining Raul Ibanez (groin) on the list of day-to-day Phillies. Earlier, Cole Hamels was placed on the DL with inflammation in his pitching shoulder, but the move has been made retroactive and he's likely to return early next week. Yesterday, the Phils placed Jimmy Rollins on the DL with a Grade 2 groin pull, but it is considered mild.

Beerleaguer: The two-year deal to Contreras has to be considered a pretty big mistake at this point. Veteran relief (Baez, Romero, Contreras) hasn't been the hallmark of the Amaro era, He should have taken 2010 and run regarding Contreras, or offered just the one guaranteed year. In Marti Wolever we trust for our future bullpen needs. It's not necessarily all Amaro's fault. You roll the dice with veteran relievers always.

Meanwhile, the Phils just need to keep beating up the patsies of the National League while everyone gets healthy. They don't have a tough series until Labor Day (Braves). Tonight, they move John Mayberry Jr. to first and start Ben Francisco in left, his first start since forever ago.

Hamels placed on DL with shoulder inflammation

Cole Hamels has been placed on the disabled list with left shoulder inflammation. The move is retroactive to August 13, meaning Hamels can come off the DL this Sunday, August 28. The Phillies have said that he will start on Monday against the Reds. Hamels threw a bullpen session last Saturday and reportedly felt good, according to Rich Dubee. He was scheduled to start this Friday against the Marlins. Hamels, a Cy Young contender for most of this season, is 13-7 with a 2.62 ERA in 25 starts.

The corresponding move is the recall of infielder Pete Orr from Triple-A. Orr has appeared in 29 games for the Phillies this season, batting .238 with three RBIs. He has a .271 batting average with five homers and 25 RBIs in 68 games for the IronPigs. Todd Zolecki speculates that Orr's recall is actually the motivation for the move, which gives the team an extra infielder with the injuries starting to mount.

Hamels is the first of the Phillies' big three starters to land on the DL in 2011. Other Phillies that have spent time on the injured list: Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, Placido Polanco, Shane Victorino, Domonic Brown, Carlos Ruiz, Brian Schneider, Roy Oswalt, Joe Blanton, Brad Lidge, Ryan Madson, Jose Contreras and J.C. Romero.

In other news, Raul Ibanez is day-to-day with a groin injury, according to Jim Salisbury.

Tuesday: Examining the love affair with Clifton Lee

Cliff Lee is a great pitcher – I totally get that and appreciate it. He’s one of the best pitchers of his generation and one of the best pitchers the Phillies have had in the last three decades. But I have a little bit of a hard time understanding why Phillies fans treat Lee like Yankees fans treat Derek Jeter or Cardinals fans treat Albert Pujols.

Monday night, when Lee caught a fairly routine pop-up, the fans erupted like he was Willie Mays in the ’54 Series. When he flew out to left field, Citizens Bank Park exploded like they just witnessed The Shot Heard 'Round the World. And whenever Lee does anything even remotely impressive, the Phils announcers all but take their shirts off and twirl them around their heads. Sorry for the visual.

In actuality, I do understand the love affair with Lee. He’s calm and cool, tough and determined, and obviously has terrific numbers with the Phillies this season, not to mention a superhuman effort to help the team reach the World Series in 2009. The fact that he also took less money to return to Philly last winter also is a significant factor.

But in the end, isn’t Cliff Lee trying to do what Cole Hamels already has done? Lee nearly pitched the Phillies to a championship. Hamels did it. Lee has only pitched two half-seasons for the Phillies. Hamels has been on this team for six years now. In short, Lee would trade Phillies résumés with Hamels in a second. But still, the fans act like Lee is the savior while Hamels continues to be somewhat of a lightning rod for criticism. I get that Lee is more “old school” and Hamels needs to be coddled a little bit. But in the end, isn’t it all about winning games (Hamels has 73 regular-season wins and 6 playoff wins, Lee has 20 and 4) and winning championships (Hamels – 1, Lee – 0). Maybe I’m wrong, but it just seems like Phillies fans need to take some of that Lee lovin’ and point it in Hamels’ direction. Not all of it, just a little.

Postgame: Lee, Herndon pitch Phillies to 17th shutout

Cliff Lee was his typical dominant self and the offensive support came fast and furious as the Phillies rebounded from a disappointing weekend in Washington by thumping the hapless Mets 10-0.

The pitching: Lee (14-7) allowed three hits – all singles – in seven scoreless innings. He did walk three batters in a game for the first time in nearly three months, but ultimately he threw 72 of 105 pitches for strikes in winning his fifth straight start. So far this month, Lee is 4-0 with a 0.58 ERA. He also struck out seven batters to give him 191 on the season, a new career high with five weeks to go. David Herndon pitched the final two innings to complete the team's 17th shutout of the season.

The offense: The Phillies scored multiple runs in four of the first six innings, most of the damage coming against rookie right-hander Dillon Gee. John Mayberry Jr. hit a two-run homer in the third, while Hunter Pence added a two-run shot in the sixth. Shane Victorino had a two-run triple in the second inning, and Carlos Ruiz also plated a pair of runs with a fourth-inning single. Pence finished with two hits and two walks and came around to score all four times.

The defense: Ryan Howard made perhaps his best defensive play of the year with a twisting over-the-shoulder catch in foul ground to end the fourth. Placido Polanco made a nice play behind the third base bag in the fifth, showing no ill-effects of the sports hernia injury. Wilson Valdez, starting at short in place of Jimmy Rollins, was lazy with his footwork on a first-inning grounder, earning his eighth error of the season. From a Mets standpoint, shortstop Ruben Tejada’s full-sprint catch-and-crash into the tarp was one of the best defensive plays against the Phillies all year.

Next up: The series continues Tuesday night with Vance Worley (8-1, 2.76) squaring off against Jonathon Niese (11-10, 4.05). The Mets handed Worley his only loss of the season on May 29, when the Vanimal was pounded for eight runs and 12 hits in three innings at Citi Field.

Game chat: Polanco in, Ibanez out tonight vs. Mets

Preview: Placido Polanco was activated today, but Raul Ibanez was scratched from tonight's lineup with a groin strain. "A groin strain?" You might ask. "Isn't that the same ailment that recently sent Jimmy Rollins to the DL?" Why, yes it is. Moral of the story: Old guys strain their groins in late August. It's the way of the baseball world. That said, the Phils will replace Ibanez with a relatively young guy in tonight's batting order, which looks like this: Victorino CF, Polanco 3B, Utley 2B, Howard 1B, Pence RF, Mayberry LF, Chooch C, Valdez SS, Lee P.

Lee is 1-0 lifetime against the Mets with a 0.68 ERA. In two starts against New York, he has allowed just one earned run and 14 hits over 14 innings. Lee has won each of his last four decisions.

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Phillies place Rollins on DL with strained right groin

The Phillies on Monday placed shortstop Jimmy Rollins on the disabled list with a strained right groin and activated third baseman Placido Polanco, who had been on the DL with a sports hernia.

Polanco is batting second in tonight's series opener against the Mets. Rollins left Sunday's 5-4 loss to the Washington Nationals in the third inning seemingly after straining his groin fielding a bouncing ball behind second base before pirouetting and throwing out Nationals catcher Jesus Flores at first base. He underwent an MRI Monday morning. In 121 games this season, Rollins has 58 RBIs and 14 home runs. His recent six-game hitting streak was snapped as a result of leaving Sunday's game. - CSNPhilly.com

Contreras suffers setback: Jose Contreras (forearm) is headed back to the doctor after experiencing a setback during his bullpen session Monday, tweeted Jim Salisbury on Monday.

Weekend in review: Ranking the Phillies' concerns

Here are five potential concerns for the Phillies at the moment. On a scale of 1-10, where 1 is "Honestly, this is no big deal at all" and 10 is "That's it! We're screwed!" where do you rank the following issues:

Jimmy Rollins' groin injury: The Phils' shortstop left Sunday's game early with a groin strain. He is listed as day-to-day and hopefully we'll know the results of his MRI shortly. UPDATE: As several of you have noted in the thread, Rollins tweeted that he has a mild grade 2 strain of his groin. He was officially placed on the DL just now. Placido Polanco was activated to take his place.

Cole Hamels' shoulder injury: Obviously this isn't a development from over the weekend, but it's worth including. Hamels had a bullpen session on Saturday that went well apparently, leaving him on track to return Friday against Florida.

Ryan Madson: His ERA went from 2.06 to 3.25 with Friday's nighmare outing in which he blew his second save of the season. He gave up six runs in 2/3 of an inning, capped by Ryan Zimmerman's walk-off grand slam.

Antonio Bastardo: He gave up the tying homer to Ian Desmond on Sunday with the team one strike away from a series victory in front of their home crowd in D.C.

Brad Lidge: He followed up Bastardo's effort by allowing two hits and a walk, in addition to a game-ending hit batter, in the 10th inning on Sunday.

Beerleaguer: In my opinion, the J-Roll injury is an 8. Anytime you have a 32-year-old shortstop with a history of lower-body injuries and he gets another one with 5 weeks to go before the playoffs, it's not a good thing. Obviously the team can get by with Wilson Valdez or Michael Martinez for a little while, but Rollins was swinging a good bat, and players are always rushed back from groin injuries, leading to one or several re-aggravations. ... The fact that Hamels remains on track to start Friday is encouraging, but I still have to give it a 5 just because he's such a huge piece of their championship puzzle. I want to see how he looks against the Marlins and what his fastball velocity is at before I calm down... Ryan Madson gets a 2, only because he's been so great all season. He's entitled to one of those outings. ... Antonio Bastardo gets a 1. He's the least of my concerns right now. ... Brad Lidge gets a 7, simply because I think the Phillies are making a huge mistake if they count on this guy - on any level - in the playoffs. A pitcher of Lidge's caliber should, in my opinion, not be a regular part of the bullpen for a team with World Series aspirations. Hopefully Charlie Manuel is starting to realize this too.

Sunday chat: Phillies seek another road series win

Preview: The Phillies haven't lost a road series since their interleague set in Seattle on June 19. They'll try for their ninth-straight road series win when they send Roy Halladay (15-5, 2.53) to the mound Sunday in DC. First pitch is 1:35 with Chien-Ming Wang (2-2, 4.41) scheduled for the Nationals. Halladay, of course, has never lost to the Nationals / Expos dating back to 2004. Doc took the complete-game loss his last start in a game that featured plenty of second guessing about Charlie Manuel's decision to let Halladay keep pitching the ninth. Statistically, Halladay is having his worst month; opponents are hitting .294 against Halladay in August, but his strikeout numbers have been solid (25 in 22 1-3 innings).

Standings: The Braves (75-52) have kept pace and continue to ride the hot bat of Dan Uggla, who homered twice in the Braves' 8-1 win over the Diamondbacks Saturday. They're tied with Milwaukee for the second-best record in the National League and are 7.5 games behind the Phils in the National League East. The Diamondbacks and Giants have each struggled on their roadtrips. Milwaukee is red hot right now.

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Oswalt, Phillies spare bullpen with shutout victory

Roy Oswalt twirled eight razor-sharp innings and combined with Michael Stutes on a 5-0 victory over the Nationals, marking the Phillies' 16th shutout of the season.

Oswalt used a zesty fastball to collect a season-high nine strikeouts in what can only be considered his best start of the season. Just a few weeks ago, the veteran right-hander was ailing from chronic back problems and painting a grim portrait of his future. But after tonight, he's pitching more like the firecracker the Phils acquired last season at the deadline and is reasserting himself as a vital piece to the postseason puzzle.

Offensively, the Phils staked Oswalt to a lead using a Wilson Valdez two-run triple, a Hunter Pence solo shot (15) and a Jimmy Rollins two-run single. Meanwhile, John Mayberry Jr. had another signature night. Has Mayberry officially worked his way into a permanent role?

By sparing the bullpen, the Phils bought a much-needed breather for their bullpen, just in time for the next weather system to move through tomorrow.

Heilman, Cust released at Triple-A: The Phillies have released veterans Aaron Heilman and Jack Cust after brief auditions with the IronPigs, which is quite telling considering that rosters are set to expand in a matter of days. Their careers appear to be over. [Link]

Saturday chat: Phillies try to forget Friday's collapse

The Nationals' six-run rally ended Ryan Madson's run of spotless save attempts in an 8-4 defeat on Friday night. It wasn't as bad as it looked.

Beerleaguer: When Madson was auditioning for the closer role the previous two seasons, his innings unfolded a lot like Friday. He had his first two batters, Jayson Werth and Danny Espinosa, buried in the count and couldn't put them away; Werth worked him over for 11 pitches before singling, Espinosa then dunked one into center field after falling behind 0-2 in the count. And that's basically the point where the Nationals pinned Madson against the ropes; Madson's third appearance in a row had already become a long inning just two batters into the frame. Jonny Gomes then singled in Werth. Later in the frame, Madson again had Ian Desmond buried 0-2 and let him off the hook; Desmond dinked one into right to tie it up. Frankly, the grandeur of Ryan Zimmerman's walk-off slam had far less to do with the final outcome than Werth and Espinosa's at bats.

Needless to say, Madson will be unavailable tonight. Antonio Bastardo has also pitched three-straight games and is also likely out. It's no coincidence that Madson's meltdown came after a string of weather-screwed games and three-straight appearances, a situation the Phils have largely avoided all summer. His stuff was maybe a little worse than normal, but not terribly different. Tip your cap to Werth, in particular, who displayed his best overall attribute as a ballplayer with that excellent at-bat.

The Phillies need innings from Roy Oswalt (5-7, 3.84), who will be looking for his second-straight win, while the Phils will look to continue their assault on left-hander John Lannan (8-8, 3.55), who had a miserable time of it last week in Philadelphia.

Game chat: Howard, Ruiz return to lineup vs. Nats

Preview: The Phillies' lineup gets a boost tonight when Ryan Howard (hand) and Carlos Ruiz (unspoken masculine injury) return against Livan Hernandez (7-11, 4.21) and the Nationals. Hernandez shut down the Phillies over 6 2/3 innings last Friday, allowing just one unearned run. He was particularly abusive against Hunter Pence, who swung and missed at five pitches between 66 and 69 mph in the 4-2 loss. Roy Oswalt (5-7, 3.84) goes for the Phillies. He defeated the Nationals last Saturday for his first win since June 12. Shane Victorino is still out, as he serves the back end of his two-game suspension.

The lineup: Rollins 6, Mayberry 8, Utley 4, Howard 3, Pence 9, Ibanez 7, Ruiz 2, Valdez 5, Oswalt 1.

Elsewhere: In an article about the NL MVP race, the names Shane Victorino and Roy Halladay are mentioned, though the context is basically that WAR is a misleading stat. And if you're looking for 2 minutes of Phanatic entertainment, here is a video from last night.

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40 questions to be answered over the last 40 games

Without a doubt, the Phillies (80-42) have more answers than questions at this point of the season. Still, there are questions to be answered over the final 40 games. Here is a look at 40 of them, rapid-fire style:

Pitching

(1) Is Cole Hamels’ shoulder injury more serious than the team is letting on? … (2) Would the team be better off letting Hamels sit out a few weeks to get fully healthy? … (3) Are Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee pitching too many innings? … (4) Should the team consider a six-man rotation over the last six weeks? … (5) Should Vance Worley or Roy Oswalt be the team’s fourth starter in the playoffs? ... (6) Is there any chance Joe Blanton returns down the stretch? … (7) Do we even want Joe Blanton to return down the stretch? … (8) What about Jose Contreras, what can he contribute at this point? … (9) Is Brad Lidge someone that Charlie Manuel can count on in the postseason? … (10) Is Michael Stutes leaking oil at this point? … (11) How much confidence do you have in Ryan Madson in a big spot in a playoff game? … (12) If Madson starts to struggle, who would be next in line to inherit the closer’s job? … (13) Can the team get by with Antonio Bastardo as the only lefty in the ‘pen? … (14) Who else is even out there? … (15) Is there any value in having both Worley and Kyle Kendrick in the bullpen during the playoffs? … (16) Given the team’s starting pitching depth, how many relievers do the Phils even need in the postseason?

Hitting

(17) Is a Raul Ibanez/John Mayberry Jr. platoon definitely the way to go? … (18) Or should Mayberry be playing two-thirds of the time, including starts against right-handed pitching? … (19) Given the Phillies’ lead in the division, should players like Jimmy Rollins, Ryan Howard and Chase Utley get an extra day off here and there? … (20) Did the Phillies mishandle the Placido Polanco sports hernia injury? … (21) Should Polanco have undergone surgery already, putting him back on track to return potentially in mid-to-late September? … (22) If Polanco is unable to play in October, should Wilson Valdez or Michael Martinez see the bulk of the playing time at third base? … (23) Any consideration to splitting up Utley and Howard with the right-handed Hunter Pence? ... (24) If they go with that strategy, should Utley-Pence-Howard bat 2-3-4 in the order? ... (25) What does Ben Francisco offer this team that Mayberry doesn’t? … (26) What does Ross Gload still offer the team if he’s not hitting well? ... (27) Is Shane Victorino, more than Utley, Howard or Rollins, the key to the offense down the stretch? … (28)How will Pence fare in his first pennant chase and his first postseason? … (29) In a big spot, is there anyone you’d rather have at the plate than Carlos Ruiz?

Other

(30) What moves will Ruben Amaro Jr. make between now and August 31? … (31) Is there any chance that Jim Thome or Jason Giambi could make it all the way through to the Phillies on the waiver wire? … (32) What about Johnny Damon or Hideki Matsui? … (33) Are there any September call-ups capable of helping this team down the stretch? … (34) Who will the Phillies end up playing in the NLDS? … (35) Even though the Giants are injured and scuffling, would the Phillies be better off if the defending World Series champions missed the playoffs? … (36) Are the Brewers or the Braves the team that the Phillies need to avoid in the postseason? …  (37) What Phillies will win a Gold Glove? … (38) Will one of the Phillies’ starting pitchers end up winning the NL Cy Young Award? … (39) What about the Vanimal for Rookie of the Year? … (40) And finally, is there any support out there for Charlie Manuel for Manager of the Year in the National League?

Postgame: Soggy victory puts Phillies at 80 wins

John Mayberry Jr. hit a two-run homer and the Phillies' pitching staff pieced together a three-hitter as the Phils became the first team to 80 wins with a 4-1 victory over the Diamondbacks.

The overview: This won’t go down as one of the Phillies’ five best wins of the season. It won’t even be remembered as one of their 10 or 15 best wins of the season. But it is a sneaky great victory for the Phils, who didn’t have Shane Victorino, Ryan Howard or Carlos Ruiz in the lineup against Arizona ace Ian Kennedy. They didn’t have Vance Worley for more than 30 pitches due to a lengthy rain delay. And they didn’t have Kyle Kendrick available to work after the delay because he’s starting on Saturday.

The pitching: Prior to the delay, Worley tossed three scoreless innings, allowing one single. David Herndon took over after the storm, pitching three scoreless frames of his own and giving up just a double. Michael Stutes and Antonio Bastardo bridged the gap to Ryan Madson, who had no problems in the ninth.

The offense: Mayberry hit a two-run homer – his 10^th of the season – off the left field foul pole in the third inning. The Phils also got RBI doubles from Wilson Valdez and Raul Ibanez. Chase Utley and Raul Ibanez finished with two hits apiece as the Phillies took the rubber game from the NL West leaders.

Next up: The Phillies open a series in Washington on Friday. The matchup is Roy Oswalt (5-7, 3.84) vs. Livan Hernandez (7-11, 4.21). Oswalt just defeated the Nationals last Saturday, yielding three runs over seven innings.

Game chat: Phillies' lineup offers a new look vs. 'Zona

Preview: The Phillies are without Shane Victorino, who will begin his two-game suspension (just reduced from three games) tonight against the Diamondbacks. They also won't have Carlos Ruiz, who is still out with a painful lower-body injury, and Ryan Howard, who is dealing with a hand injury. However, it appears that both Ruiz and Howard are available tonight off the bench, if needed. Ross Gload will start at first base, while Brian Schneider will be the catcher. The lineup, hot off the presses: Rollins SS, Mayberry CF, Utley 2B, Pence RF, Ibanez LF, Gload 1B, Schneider C, Valdez SS, Worley P. Sir Goggles (8-1, 2.85) takes the mound for the Phillies, looking to rebound from a rocky start against the Dodgers. The D-Backs are going with ace Ian Kennedy (15-3, 3.12), who Beerleaguer readers have decided is as much a Cy Young Award candidate as Danys Baez. Meanwhile, Ken Rosenthal suggests Johnny Damon as a possible addition for the Phils.

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Is tonight's opponent a legit Cy Young contender?

A potential candidate for the NL Cy Young Award will be on the mound at Citizens Bank Park tonight, but his name isn't Roy, Cole or Cliff.

Don't look now, but Arizona right-hander Ian Kennedy is 15-3 with a 3.12 ERA. He leads the NL in winning percentage and is tied for the league lead in victories. Kennedy is seventh in the NL in innings pitched and eighth in WHIP. If the season ended today, he wouldn't win the Cy Young Award, but he's certainly right in the thick of the conversation, along with the Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw and the Phillies' big three. A win tonight could go a long way toward vaulting Kennedy toward the top of the Cy Young conversation. Keep in mind that Kennedy already shut out the Phillies on April 25 in what was by far his best start of the season. That outing, in which Kennedy pitched a three-hitter with no walks and 10 strikeouts, earned him a game score of 91. If WAR is your cup of tea, then you're probably not feeling Kennedy as a Cy Young contender. His WAR is 3.2, behind 11 other NL pitchers, including all of the aforementioned pitchers, as well as non-contenders such as Madison Bumgarner, Jordan Zimmermann and Matt Garza.

Postgame: Valdez, Phils pull away late vs. D-Backs

Recap: Wilson Valdez hit a go-ahead two-run double in the seventh inning and Jimmy Rollins also drove in two runs, including a leadoff homer in the first, as the Phils pulled away late to defeat the Diamondbacks 9-2. Cliff Lee allowed two runs in seven innings before Antonio Bastardo and Ryan Madson finished it off. The "highlight" of the game was Hunter Pence scoring from second base on a second-inning base hit by John Mayberry Jr. on a play in which Pence slid into third for some reason before sprinting home. Arizona had won seven straight games. Next up: Vance Worley vs. Ian Kennedy in Thursday's series finale.

Game chat: Lee looking to extend scoreless streak

Cliff Lee (12-7, 2.83) tries to pad his impressive 2011 resume tonight when the Phillies and Diamondbacks play the second at Citizens Bank Park. Lefty Joe Saunders (8-9, 3.76) has the honors for the streaking D-Backs.

Preview: To this observer, Lee has become the most exciting player on the Phils. It's no wonder he's become the jersey of choice. Here's what he's done in his first full season as a Phillie: He's got the longest active scoreless streak by a starter for the second time this season, this one at 17 innings; he last allowed a run July 30 against the Pirates. He'll set his career high in strikeouts if he gets just eight more. His five shutouts are the most by a Phillie since Lefty did it in 1982, and he was the first Phil to do it three straight times since Hall of Famer Robin Roberts back in 1950. He's also thrived at home, pitching to a 2.26 ERA. Sufficed to say, he's assembling the best single-season highlight reel from this historically good Phillies club, in my opinion, and I think he's your team MVP at this point.

Ruiz out, Raul sits: Here's the lineup: Rollins SS, Victorino CF, Utley 2B, Howard 1B, Pence RF, Mayberry LF, Valdez 3B, Schneider C. Chooch was evaluated by doctors and it was reported that he has a testicle contusion. Testicle contusion. Testicle contusion. Testicle contusion. I'm getting woozy. Anyone else?

Transaction: Joe Blanton moves to the 60-day disabled list to clear 40-man roster space for Michael Schwimer. The International League All-Star wears the red pinstripes for the first time tonight, but hopefully Cliff keeps him on the end of the bullpen bench.

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Combing the waiver wire: Who could be available?

We've got two weeks left for the Phillies to acquire a player who could potentially help them down the stretch (and be eligible for the playoffs). But who might be available?

Third basemen: With Placido Polanco's status up in the air, would you be interested in the Phillies acquiring Dodgers third baseman Casey Blake or the Rockies' Ty Wigginton? Or would you be OK with Mini-Mart and/or Wilson Valdez starting at third base in Game 7 of the World Series? Or maybe you're not concerned with Polanco's sports hernia injury.

Bench players: Jim Thome of the Twins has now reached 600 home runs, so perhaps he could be moved. Charlie Manuel would love to have Thome, but how much of an upgrade is he over Ross Gload? What about Jason Giambi of the Rockies? Also, there is the Dodgers' Jamey Carroll and the Mets' Scott Hairston. Any interest?

Potential lefty relievers: According to MLBTradeRumors.com, five lefties that have cleared waivers to this point are Chris Capuano, Jason Vargas, Bruce Chen, Tom Gorzelanny and Ted Lilly. The site also mentions Brian Fuentes and Mike Gonzalez as possibilities, in addition to eight other names, including John Grabow, Joe Beimel and J.P. Howell. Here is the site's list from two days ago that lists players that have cleared waivers to this point.

Beerleaguer for breakfast: Schwimer by the numbers

Twenty-five-year-old right-hander Michael Schwimer gets his first shot at the bigs today, as confirmed by several sources. Here's the tale of the tape.

Schwimer is having his best professional season, ratcheting up nine relief wins and a 1.88 ERA and 10 saves in 46 appearances to lead the IronPigs bullpen. He's only two strikeouts off the team lead in the category with 86, compiling a  86/22 K/BB ratio across 67 innings. He's been murder on Triple-A right-handers; they're hitting just .062 against him, but lefties have handled him, hitting .303. But no question; he's been a horse.

How does all this translate to the Majors? Who knows. Based on the numbers, and based on past auditions, he should have been promoted weeks ago, ahead of guys like Scott Mathieson and Andrew Carpenter, and that raises some flags. Lots of relievers can bedazzle Triple-A hitters and pump up incredible numbers, then they can't cross the line. The scouting mags have never given him much love, so there's that. Yet Michael Stutes never got top billing either, so there's that. And like many other minor leaguers before him, Schwimer has become something of a Beerleaguer comment thread superstar, which is a horrible omen. So we'll see.

Snakes bite Halladay as Polanco bobbles on to DL

The surging Diamondbacks staged another late-inning comeback to extend their winning streak to seven Tuesday in a 3-2 victory over Roy Halladay and the Phillies. After the game, the Phillies finally surrendered Placido Polanco to the disabled list. (Bobblehead pictured right)

Beerleaguer: I used to pull my hair out over losses like these in the early days of Beerleaguer, only the bullpen was the guilty party back then, not a starter who lasted nine innings while tying a career high with 14 strikeouts. They should have won it, but take comfort in knowing these types of losses have become a rarity. The Phils are typically a lock when leading after a certain point, and when Charlie Manuel lets out the leash on one of his aces, they'll usually nail it down. Not to mention the Phils had a chance to rally in the ninth (as they often do) after Chooch got aboard with a leadoff walk. Mini Mart dropped a perfect bunt, but J.J. Putz struck out Ross Gload and Jimmy Rollins to put out the fire. I was expecting J-Roll to deliver the clutch hit there, but no such luck.

Iunno. Bleh. Whatever. Worst part about it is extra wear on Halladay in a losing cause. It looked like he was toast from the outset of the inning. He's at 184 2-3 innings on Aug. 16. Where do you draw the line? ... Moving on, the word from the park is the Phils will make a corresponding roster move tomorrow to replace the faberge egg known as Placido Polanco. With all this stalling, I wonder if they're trying to make a move. They could use a little help there, no question. I don't know that Polanco helps them much the rest of the way, whether he has the surgery or not.

Schwimer? According to a reliable Twitter source, game on for the minor league right-hander. More details tomorrow ...

Game chat: Well-rested Doc faces D-Backs in opener

Preview: Roy Halladay is trying to win his fifth straight start tonight, more than a week since his last outing, as the Phils open a three-game set with the Diamondbacks. Halladay (15-4, 2.51) has had seven full days off since his last outing - a 5-3 win over the Dodgers - due to a pair of off-days and a rainout. Halladay has won all three of his career starts vs. Arizona, notching a 2.61 ERA with an 18:3 K/BB ratio in those outings. In his last 10 home starts - all wins for the Phils - Halladay is 7-0 with a 2.01 ERA. However, he'll have to contain D-Backs slugger Justin Upton, who has 13 hits, including three homers, in his last six games. Arizona, which enters on a six-game winning streak, will give the nod to Josh Collmenter (7-7, 3.51). The rookie right-hander is 0-3 with a 7.08 ERA in his last four road starts. If the playoffs started today, the Phils and D-Backs would meet in the NLDS.

Lineup: The Phillies will go with Rollins 6, Victorino 8, Utley 4, Howard 3, Pence 9, Ibanez 7, Ruiz 2, Martinez 5, Halladay 1.

Shoulder inflammation forces Cole from next start

Comcast SportsNet's Leslie Gudel tweets that an MRI on Cole Hamels' left shoulder revealed only mild inflammation, but the team will err on the side of caution and keep him out of his next scheduled turn in the rotation. Hamels previously described his arm as being "heavy," typical of dead-arm symptoms that plague many pitchers at this point in the season. The left-hander is 13-7 with a 2.62 ERA and is third in the league in innings pitched with 172. Meanwhile, the Phillies are reportedly still weighing their options with Placido Polanco and whether surgery is the best tact for his sports hernia or if the third baseman should simply shake it off like the rest of us. That decision will reportedly be made very soon.