By Kevin, on August 6th, 2010
Fellow Phillies fans,
Today I officially announce that Macho Row, after only a little over a season and a half (plus spring training), will be ceasing production effective immediately. The reasons for this decision are not based on the performance of the baseball team we love and I am not exactly ditching my coverage of the Phillies.
As you may know I have been splitting my attentions many different ways over the past few months, and the time has come to consolidate and focus more on what is best for me. Before the start of the 2010 season I joined up with some local newspaper companies to launch a community sports blog to focus not only on Philadelphia sports but the local sports scene. I believe that to ultimately get the most out of the site it would be unfair for me and my new partners to provide deeper coverage of the Phillies on a separate site, thus leaving the community page in the dark. So I have decided that the best move for all involved is to move forward concentrating more on Second String Blog and shut down Macho Row.
This decision was not a particularly easy one for me, but I feel confident that it is the right decision. Managing as many websites by a one man team has been a little more taxing than I initially planned, so taking Macho Row out of the mix, while not easy to do, will ultimately be a good move.
I thank you for your support as I grew the site from the ground up and expanded the reach of the site. If you have enjoyed Mcho Row I hope you will continue to follow my Phillies thoughts, opinions and coverage on Second String Blog, where I will be devoting just as much care to covering the Phillies the way I have been doing. There will be some changes and some adjustments made, but you will still hopefully feel at home on the new digs.
Again, thank you for your support and feedback. I have made some friends with many of you through this online forum and hope to continue with those relationships on the new home.
Go Phillies,
Kevin McGuire
By Kevin, on July 20th, 2010
Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com is reporting that Kyle Kendrick has been sent down to triple A. Andrew Carpenter will be recalled from the Lehigh Valley IronPigs.
By Kevin, on July 20th, 2010
Phillies open series with second consecutive loss on national TV
Kendrick unravels as Phils keep struggling – Todd Zolecki, MLB.com
Phillies fall to Cards, but Rollins says “It’s not over” – Jim Salisbury, CSNPhilly.com
Kendrick KO’s in frustrating fifth inning – Ryan Lawrence via The Reporter
Cards belt four homers, beat Phils – Derrick Goold, St. Louis Post Dispatch
Cardinals pound Kendrick, Phillies 8-4 – R.B. Fallstrom, AP via Yahoo! Sports
Another day, another game that will cause Phillies fans to see their hair turn gray, or pulled out. The Phillies jumped out to a 3-0 lead on Cardinals starter Blake Hawksworth and took a 4-2 lead in to the fifth inning. That’s when tings fell apart for Phillies starting pitcher Kyle Kendrick.
 Kendrick was roughed up in the loss. AP photo. A one out walk from Kendrick started a forgettable rally against Kendrick, who has put together some solid numbers against St. Louis in his career. None of that mattered in the fifth inning when St. Louis right fielder Jon Jay doubled home Felipe López to bring the Cardinals within one run. Mr. Cardinals himself, Albert Pujols, then launched a ball to deep right field to give the Cardinals the 5-4 lead.
Kendrick could not stop the damage in the inning, unfortunately for the Phillies. After getting the second out by getting Colby Rasmus to ground out to first Kendrick gave up back-to-back home runs to Allen Craig and Skip Schumaker. Allowing a towering homer to Pujols is one thing, but Craig and Schumaker now have a combined four home runs for the season. That should tell you all you need to know about Kendrick’s performance last night. Things just unraveled in front of our eyes during the fifth inning.
“I fell behind in counts and left pitches up,” Kendrick said. “I was behind 2-0, 3-1 all night and I paid for it in the fifth.”
Chad Durbin allowed a lead off home run to Randy Winn. As Jim Salisbury informs readers in his game recap on CSNPhilly.com, the Phillies have now allowed 102 home runs this season. That is second most in the National League.
Offensively the Phillies had the hits and base runners, but after the first inning just could not find a clutch hit anywhere in the line-up. The Phillies recorded 13 hits and had 17 base runners but could only put together four runs in their latest loss in the Midwest. Shane Victorino fouled out in the seventh, with Ryan Howard on third and Jayson Werth on first, to end an inning. Jimmy Rollins grounded in to inning ending fielder’s choices in the sixth and eighth innings with runners on first. The game ended with Howard grounding in to a double play.
The loss places the Phillies six games behind the NL East leading Atlanta Braves. Currently the Phillies are three games out of the NL Wild Card race. The Cincinnati Reds currently lead the Wild Card race.
Next Up
The Phillies and Cardinals meet again tonight. Winning will once again be difficult as the Cardinals will send Chris Carpenter to the mound to oppose Jamie Moyer.
By Kevin, on July 19th, 2010
Looking forward, should the Phillies look back?
Last night’s Phillies game was not lost because of the bullpen, but it certainly was given no hope because of it.
 Ryan Madson is one question mark for the bullpen. AP photo via FanFeedr.com It is not often that Roy Halladay deserves to take a loss, but last night was one of them. Still, the Phillies found a way to put six runs on the score board, with four runs in the final three innings. You can say what you want about the Phillies doing so against some of the scrubs from the Cubs’ bullpen but the bats did something late in the game and the bullpen woes last night ensured that it did not matter.
J.C. Romero failed to record an out and was charged with two runs in relief of Halladay, who lasted just six innings and was hit for six runs (five earned) including a pair of home runs. Romero himself was charged with two runs in the effort after David Herndon could not stop the bleeding. Herndon was charged with three runs of his own in a catastrophic seventh inning. Danys Baez of all relievers had the most solid outing, going one full inning and allowing no runs on two hits.
In the series opener in Chicago it was Jose Contreras who was charged with five runs in two-thirds of an inning. Baez allowed four hits in the same game and allowed one run to score. Like last night, a four run rally in the ninth was rendered useless as the Phillies lost 12-6. For the series the Phillies bullpen allowed 11 runs in four games.
Not. Good.
If there is one area that needs to be improved before the trade deadline it is the bullpen. the players that are in the pen right now simply can not be trusted as a whole to hold a lead or keep the team within striking distance. Ryan Madson and Brad Lidge leave fans uneasy at the end of a ball game and Contreras and Baez have shown some nervous moments as well.
So what can be done?
A trade could be possible if Ruben Amaro can find the right deal. All of the rumors though involve the Phillies looking for a starting pitcher, which would mean one of the current starters coudl be moved to the bullpen. How would you feel about Joe Blanton or Kyle Kendrick being moved to a relief role?
 Could Brett Myers be a key acquisition by the Phillies? US Presswire Some names to keep an eye on for the Phillies are Javier Vasquez from the Yankees, Ben Sheets from the A’s, and Brett Myers from the Astros. Of those three players, Myers makes the most sense because the odds are pretty good they would be able to get him at a discounted price with Ed Wade making the decisions in Houston. But would the Phillies be willing to realign themselves with Myers, who they let walk unceremoniously in the off-season?
Myers is 7-6 this season with a 3.35 ERA and 93 strike outs and a 1.28 WHIP. He currently ranks sixth in the National League in innings pitched. Myers’ strikeout total would be third on the Phillies roster, behind Halladay’s 131 and Cole Hamels’ 113, and his 1.28 WHIP would also be third among starting pitchers, behind Halladay (1.06) and Jamie Moyer (1.09)
Myers signed a one year deal with the Astros and it remains uncertain what 2011 holds for him. Would he resign? Would the team want him?
What about Happ?
J.A. Happ continues to pitch with triple A Lehigh Valley and has yet to be considered an option for the team since being placed on the disabled list. The ideal scenario for the Phillies would be to have Happ prove that he is ready for major league action and revert to his 2009 rookie of the year form. If that were the case then the tension would be easier and a trade or free agent signing would not be needed as badly.
If Happ is to join the team he could try to be used as a starter, as he has been in minor league action, or he could be placed in the bullpen instead of Kyle Kendrick or Joe Blanton. Pick your poison I suppose is the best way to sum up that scenario.
Happ has struggled in rehab starts with Lehigh Valley and Reading, and has yet to show signs that he is ready to ake the jump back to the Phillies.
By Kevin, on July 16th, 2010
Pitching woes doom Phillies despite Howard’s efforts
Howard homers twice, but pitching falters – Louie Horvath, MLB.com
Moyer, Phils tagged by Cubs to open second half – John Finger, CSNPhilly.com
Cubs rout Phillies 12-6 – Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune
Ramirez, Lee lead Cubs to 12-6 win over Phillies – AP report via Examiner.com
The second half of the season started off with a bang, with Phillies first baseman slamming a two run home run out of Wrigley Field’s friendly confines to give the Phillies a 2-0 lead in the first inning. That lead was short lived though as Jamie Moyer allowed six runs over the first three innings and the Phillies could not fight back or stop the bleeding in a 12-6 loss to the Cubs.
 It was another off night for Jamie Moyer. AP photo/Nam Y. Huh The Cubs entered the series with an offense that was sluggish in the first half of the season but they came alive against Moyer, a pitcher who struggled to find his location or control early on. Moyer plunked Tyler Colvin and Marlon Byrd in the first inning and Aramis Ramirez lined a double down the left field line to score both free base runners. The tie was broken in the bottom of the second inning when Starlin Castro successfully stole home on a squeeze play following a triple to center field that traveled over the head of Shane Victorino. With starting pitcher Ryan Dempster at the plate Cubs manager Lou Pinella called for the squeeze. Dempster missed the bunt but the ball got away from Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz, allowing Castro to score easily.
The Cubs beat up on Moyer more in the third inning with Derek Lee connecting for a two-run home run to increase the Cubs lead to 5-2. Alfonso Soriano chipped in with one more home run off of Moyer, who recently passed former Phillies pitcher Robin Roberts for the all-time Major League Baseball lead in home runs allowed. It was just one of those bad nights for Moyer. Moyer was charged for five hits and six runs, all of which were earned, in just three full innings. He struck out just one, walked none but hit two batters.
“It’s not a good way to set a tone for the second half, in my opinion,” Moyer said. “And I’ll wear it. It’s my responsibility.” Moyer is right in that this was not the way you want to start the second half of the season, especially on a night when a win would have moved the Phillies in to second place in the NL East (the New York Mets lost to the San Francisco Giants on the west coast).
The bullpen did little to keep the Phillies within striking distance too. The man who took the brunt of the latest bullpen meltdown was Jose Contreras, who was charged for five runs on five hits. Entering the game in the seventh inning with the Phillies trailing 6-2, Contreras struggled to find a third out. After Colvin grounded in to a double play Contreras hit Byrd. This sparked the Cubs as Ramirez hurt the Phillies again with a two-run double, Soriano singled home Ramirez and Geovany Soto homered to cap a five run rally with two outs. The Phillies trailed 11-2 at that point.
Howard hit a second two-run home run to right field to wrap up a four run ninth inning for the Phillies, but the damage had already been done and it was too much to overcome. Manager Charlie Manuel summed it up best, saying after the game “We didn’t play good.”
Truer words were never spoken.
On-deck
The Phillies and Cubs get right back at it this afternoon at Wrigley Field. Joe Blanton (3-5, 6.41 ERA) will look to slow down the Cubs in the second game of a four-game series. The Cubs will call on Ted Lilly (3-8, 4.08 ERA).
By Kevin, on July 16th, 2010
Now is the time when Howard starts to heat up
 Howard got off to a good start in the second half, even though his team did not. AP photo. The start of the second half of the season may have brought a “pull-your-hair out and lose-your-voice” kind of frustration to your evening viewing last night, but let’s take a moment to reflect on a positive.
Ryan Howard hit two home runs, good for four runs batted, to highlight his three hit night. With the Phillies currently sitting in third place in the division (now 5.5 behind Atlanta) and the absence of Chase Utley continuing, the pressure is on for Howard to once again put the team’s hopes of playing in October on his shoulders once again. Fortunately for the Phillies and the fans, this is an area of expertise for the first baseman.
If history is any indication then Phillies fans should expect that Howard’s strike out totals will go up a bit over the next month and a half, but so will his offensive production. Howard has 133 career runs batted in during the month of August, and 141 in September.His home run total also starts to come around in the second half of the season, which accounts for a spike in total strike outs.
Here is a graph I put together before the start of the season.
 Graph does not include current 2010 stats. Howard already is leading the Phillies in home runs (19), RBI (an NL leading 69), runs scored (57), OPS (.881) and hits (104). True, Howard may be the leader in one or two of these categories due to his ability to avoid the injury list (Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley can not say the same), but his batting average is second only to Placido Polanco and is on the verge of being on the up side of .300. Howard has only hit above .300 once in his career, doing so in his MVP season of 2006.
After last night’s game Howard now leads the National League in RBI and is three shy of the home run lead. Adam Dunn of the Washington Nationals, Corey Hart of the Milwaukee Brewers and Joey Votto of the Cincinnati reds are tied for the league lead with 22 home runs each.
If there is one player I have faith in to help guide the Phillies back to the playoffs, it is Ryan Howard. As much of an impact Howard can make with his own bat though, he will need some support from the rest of the lineup.
By Kevin, on July 15th, 2010
Time to adjust the goals for Jimmy Rollins
Before the start of the season Phillies shortstop stated he had a couple personal goals for himself, which would ultimately benefit the team of course. They were to steal 50 bases, score 150 runs, and record 200 hits during the regular season. Sadly those marks are next to unreachable at this point as Rollins has missed 31 of the team’s 87 games.
For the sake of posterity let’s take one final look at the Jimmy Rollins Goal Tracker before the second half to the season starts up tonight in Chicago.
  
In addition Rollins stated that he would like to hit .300 for average. With a career high of .296 that was not completely out of the question. Rollins got off to a great start but since coming back from his lengthy stay on the disabled list Rollins’ batting average has diped to .254 for the start of the second half of the season.
In the unlikely event that Rollins does reach these previously stated goals then Phillies fans are in for one hell of a second half like none ever seen before. But let’s be realistic. Rather than cling to these numbers let’s adjust the goals for the second half of the season.
Stolen Bases -16
Given that Rollins has stolen three bases in his 31 games played, he has an average of 0.1 stolen base per game (rounding to the nearest tenth). If Rollins plays each of the team’s remaining 74 games that would put Rollins on pace for 7 stolen bases in the second half, and ten for the season.
If Rollins is in good form then I think we can expect a little more out of the franchise shortstop. Would 13 second half stolen bases be too much to ask for? He has stolen at least 30 bases in each of his full seasons with the Phillies excpt for 2003. His numbers are in a bit of decline in recent years but I still believe that Rollins has what it takes to record 15 stolen bases for his shortened 2010 campaign.
Let’s see him shoot for 13 stolen bases in the second half, giving him 16 for the season.
Runs Scored -51
Rollins has scored 18 times this season, coming out to an average of 0.21 runs per game. At that rate Rollins will cross the plate just 15 or 16 more times this season. That is a scary thought if you ask me. I think that if the offense stays on the right track and doesn’t go dry like they did most of the summer we will see more Rollins runs.
Having Ryan Howard heat up at his normal rate in the second half will help, as well the return of Placido Polanco. If Jayson Werth can get back to what he was doing in the beginning of the season I see no reason to not expect to see Rollins score 30 runs in the second half.
I may be setting the bar a bit high here, but I’m putting Rollins’ goal at 33 runs in the second half. That would be a little over a run every two games for Rollins. That would give Rollins 51 runs for the season, which would still be below his average for runs per game through his career.
Total Hits -112
At the break Rollins has 30 hits, just under one per game he has played. His career average is 1.15 hits per game so we’re not too ar off here. Assuming Rollins hits more for his career average for hits per game you can reasonably suggest he will have 86 hits in the second half of the season. That would ensure Rollins his tenth straight season of 100+ hits. He currently only needs 70 to reach that mark.
I will meet you somewhere in the middle and set the bar at 112 total hits for the season. That means Rollins needs to record 82 more hits in 75 games.
Your Take
Let me know what you think about these numbers. Are the adjusted goals too high? Too low? What do you think is a realistic goal for Rollins in the second half? Let me know and if enough people voice an opinion that a number should be changed I will consider it.
By Kevin, on July 15th, 2010
Phillies begin second half of the season in Chicago
 Under Charlie Manuel the Phillies have traditionally been a second half team and deficits in the NL East are nothing new to this team. If the Phillies are going to make a run at a fourth consecutive NL East division crown then it would be wise to get off to a good start to the second half of the season this weekend in Chicago. The Phillies visit the Chicago Cubs for a four game set in historic Wrigley Field.
Of course the Phillies begin the second half of the season with some questions and challenges ahead of them. Winning a fourth straight division title will not come easy, especially now that the Atlanta Braves appear to be making moves to put them firmly in the driver’s seat. The Braves traded for Alex Gonzalez from the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for Yunel Escobar and Jo-Jo Reyes and the move is widely seen as a push to send manager Bobby Cox out on a high note. Cox is retiring at the end of the season and the Braves will start the second half with a four game lead in the NL East. The Phillies trail the Braves by 4.5 games.
The Phillies will have to make do with what they have for now unless general manager Ruben Amaro is able to make a move. Will he focus on pitching? The starting pitching of late has been pretty good, but a move for Arizona’s Dan Haren would be a welcome addition to the rotation. Roy Halladay and Cole Hamels will lead the rotation in the mean time while Jamie Moyer hopes to continue his success in the second half of the season. The concerns surround Joe Blanton and Kyle Kendrick. Blanton has struggled to get in good form for a complete outing since returning from injury, although his track record suggests he is a second half player. Kendrick continues to fill out the starting rotation in the absence of J.A. Happ. Happ was expected to be the team’s fifth starter this season but since dealing with an injury toward the start of the season Happ has struggled in rehab assignments. He was taken off of the disabled list recently but remains in Lehigh Valley looking for his command.
The offense will have to keep some kind of rhythm going without second baseman Chase Utley. Utley is not expected back in the lineup until late August at the earliest, with a realistic return looking to come in the beginning of September. That is a long time to go with Wilson Valdez and Juan Castro plugging the void at second. The good news is Placido Polanco is hopeful to return to the team as early as this weekend. Polanco told the media that he was hoping to play in a rehab game or two before returning, and is hoping that comes today and Friday. That would target Saturday for Polanco’s return to third base, which would be a help.
Ryan Howard should be heating up as well. His numbers take it to the next level after the All-Star break so watch out for the big bat. If Jayson Werth can break out of his funk then the offense should be in good form for the next month. The Phillies start the second half of the season with the 21st best batting average in the majors (.255) but rank in the top ten in home runs (9th, 91 HR) and are 12th in runs batted in (390). The Cubs are struggling on offense as well. Chicago starts this series ranked 22nd in batting average (.254) and 24th in runs batted in (349).
Emergence of Marlon Byrd
 Marlon Byrd in his younger Phillies days. The Cubs have given former Phillies prospect and outfielder Marlon Byrd new life. Byrd was drafted by the Phillies in the 10th round of the 1999 draft and made his debut with the Phillies in 2002, making his first full season in the majors in 2003. In 2005 the Phillies traded Byrd to the Washington Nationals in exchange for Endy Chavez. The young Byrd struggled with Washington and signed with the Texas Rangers as a free agent for the 2007 season. Byrd put up some good numbers in the Texas offense. In three seasons with the Rangers Byrd averaged .295 at the plate with 196 runs scored, 402 hits, 40 home runs and 212 runs batted in. Despite some success with Texas the Rangers let Byred walk, and the Chicago Cubs came calling.
This season with the Cubs Byrd has hit .317 and leads the National League in doubles with 27 (tied with Werth). He currently leads the Cubs in runs scored, with 47 and is coming off his first all-star appearance. Byrd struck out once and walked once in his time in Tuesday’s All-Star game, managed by Charlie Manuel. Byrd was the insurance run on Brian McCann’s three-RBI double to give the National League a 3-1 lead late in the game. He also may have made the defensive play of the game, throwing out Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz at second base.
Season series notes
The Phillies and Cubs have already played their series in Philadelphia for the season. A mini-two-game-series was played at Citizens Bank Park back on May 19 and May 20, wiht the teams splitting the two games. The Cubs took game one of the series on a night the Phillies offense was quiet. At the time the Phillies offense was just thought to be having a bad night but this was the beginning of what would be an excruciating run of poor offensive showings by the club. The Cubs held the Phillies to one run, which came in the eighth inning, on five hits and the bullpen allowed two insurance runs to cross the plate for Chicago in the ninth inning to put the game out of reach.
The Phillies rebounded the next day as Jose Contreras picked up the save. Raul Ibanez broke a tie in the bottom of the eighth inning with an RBI single. Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley drove in four runs on two home runs to lead the way but rhe Cubs rallied in the seventh and eighth innings to tie it up aginst Joe Blanton and Antonio Bastardo. Ibanez’s single lifted the team and helped to keep the Phillies secure in first place in the NL East.
Pitching Probables (descriptions via MLB.com)
Thursday, July 15 – Jamie Moyer (9-8, 4.51 ERA) vs. Ryan Dempster (7-7, 3.61 ERA)
  A year ago at this time, left-hander Jamie Moyer’s spot in the Phillies’ rotation appeared shaky at best. That proved true as right-hander Pedro Martinez replaced him in August. But Moyer has done a better job, solidifying his spot in 2010.
In his final start of the season’s first half, Dempster allowed three D-backs runs on eight hits and fanned six over five innings. He threw just 98 pitches, but that was by design: Lou Piniella said it was the prudent thing to do, given the righty’s long lay-off.
Friday, July 16 – Joe Blanton (3-5, 6.41 ERA) vs. Ted Lilly (3-8, 4.08 ERA)
  Right-hander Joe Blanton had a disappointing first half. He started the season on the disabled list with a strained right oblique, and has struggled for most of the season. The Phillies will need a much improved Blanton in the second half if they hope to catch the Braves.
Lilly has struggled in his last two starts, giving up 16 runs over 10 1/3 innings. He’s having issues with his mechanics and his pitches are flat and over the center of the plate. It’s not a good combo.
Saturday, July 17 – Cole Hamels (7-7, 3.78 ERA) vs. Randy Wells (4-7, 4.61 ERA)
  Left-hander Cole Hamels had a rough April, but has looked like the second half of the 1-2 punch the Phillies hoped they could team up with right-hander Roy Halladay before the season started. If Hamels keeps it up, few teams can boast two pitchers like the Phillies.
Wells has had success vs. the NL East, posting a 1-1 record and 1.80 ERA in three starts. He seems to have bounced back from a rough June in which he was winless in five starts. His home/road ERA numbers are identical.
Sunday, July 18 – Roy Halladay (10-7, 2.19 ERA) vs. Tom Gorzelanny (4-5, 3.16 ERA)
  Right-hander Roy Halladay has lived up to the billing. He has thrown a perfect game. He has third-best ERA in the National League. The only thing that has held him back is run support. If the offense picks up in the second half, Halladay should win a lot of games.
Gorzelanny is coming off a win against the Dodgers in which he struck out seven over six innings. It was his third start since returning to the rotation and he’s looked better each outing.
Injury Report
Phillies
15 Day: Chad Durbin (strained right hamstring), Antonio Bastardo (left elbow ulnar neuritis), Placido Polanco (sore elbow), Chase Utley (sprained ligament in right thumb)
Cubs
15 Day: Esmallin Caridad (right elbow strain), Brian Schlitter (right shoulder impingement)
60 Day: Angel Guzman (torn shoulder ligament)
Day-to-day: John Grabow (sprained left knee)
By Kevin, on July 14th, 2010
National League wins for first time since 1996
Howard, Doc happy to be part of NL’s win – Todd Zolecki, MLB.com
Manuel, NL finally end All-Star game drought – Jim Salisbury, CSNPhilly.com
National uprising: NL wins All-Star game – Lyle Spencer, MLB.com
 Charlie Manuel looks on at the 81st Al-Star game as manager of the National League for a second straight season. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images) The last time the National League was victorious in the mid-summer classic it was played in Veterans Stadium. With last night’s long overdue victory for the senior circuit the winner of the National League pennant will be awarded home field advantage in the World Series. The National League defeated the American League in Anaheim by a final score of 3-1, and unfortunately it was largely without the significant contributions of any Phillies, except for Charlie Manuel.
The Phillies sent two players to the All-Star Game, Ryan Howard and Roy Halladay. Chase Utley was voted in as the starting second baseman but sat out and skipped the trip due to his recovery from a thumb surgery. Howard was the designated hiter for the National League, hitting behind Albert Pujols. Both power hitting first basemen went 0-for-2 on the night before being replaced by Adrian Gonzalez of San Diego and Joey Votto of Cincinnati. Both of them also went 0-for-2 in the game. Howard struck out against Tampa Bay’s David Price to lead off the second inning and grounded out against former Phillies pitcher Cliff Lee in the fourth inning.
Roy Halladay’s night was brief, as it tends to be for pitchers in the All-Star game. Manuel brought Halladay in for the sixth inning and he lasted just two-thirds of an inning. Halladay allowed two base hits, to Derek Jeter of the Yankees and Josh Hamilton of the Texas Rangers. Jeter singled to right center on the first pitch he saw from Halladay and was replaced by Texas Ranger Elvis Andrus as a pinch runner. Andrus was caught stealing second base off of Halladay for the first out on what ended up being a double play. After striking out Paul Konerko of the White Sox, catcher Brian McCann threw to second baseman Brandon Phillips of Cincinnati. Andrus had done enough to steal the base but he slid past the bag and Phillips applied a tag before Andrus placed his foot back on the bag. After Hamilton singled to right field Manuel relieved Halladay of his duties for the evening, and thus brought an end to the Phillies’ participation on the field for the 2010 All-Star Game.
It was a couple of former Phillies though who scored some important runs. With the National League trailing 1-0 with two outs in the seventh inning, McCann lined a bases clearing double in to right field to score Scott Rolen (to tie the game), Matt Holliday ( for the lead) and Marlon Byrd (for insurance). The only way that combination would be tougher to swallow for a Phillies fan would be if a New York Met were involved. But with a pair of former Phillies, a catcher from the rival Braves, and a 2007 playoff pest all involved, it is still bittersweet to a point.
By Kevin, on July 12th, 2010
Just a quick question for Phillies fans today.
If you had to give the Phillies a letter grade for the first half of the season, what would it be? Leave your grade and an explanation in the comments section.
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