Right now, I want to get to a team that just can't seem to find itself. Between all the injuries and the losses to the Pirates, there has been a lot of worry in Phillie land.
Until our All-Star ace Roy Halladay took the mound last night to shut down the Braves for his major League leading seventh complete game of the year. Last night's game was vital because it allowed the Phillies to pull a game closer in the NL East, after the Pittsburgh Debacle, the Phillies fell five games behind the Braves. Philadelphia now sits four games back with two games left in the series with Cole Hamels and Jamie Moyer pitching the final two games of the series.
Halladay picked up his 10th win of the season and leads the staff in wins and just gave up five hits on the night and only needed 93 pitches after allowing a career-high 13 hits to the Reds last Wednesday in a loss.
Roy is now 3-0 all-time against the Altanta Braves, a record that many Phillies fans like seeing with bigger battles with the Braves to come this season.
Tonight, Cole Hamels will take the mound for the Phillies after pitching well last Thursday against the Pirates but not getting much offense. Hamels is 6-7 on the season with an ERA a shade above four at 4.07. Cole hasn't been at his best in his last three starts though, as he has an ERA of 5.58 and lost two of the three decisions.
The Phils are at the mid-point of their season and have the same record they did a year ago, the difference being the tougher competiton the Phillies are facing this season in the Mets and a surging Braves team.
With one game in the bag, good pitching perfromances from Hamels and Moyer and a sweep of the Braves would calm the rising tension in the Delaware Valley.
It's good to be back and congrats to the three Phillies All-Stars: Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and Roy Halladay.
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