Werth needs only 482 home runs to reach Thome, Mantle

Bright side: The Phillies managed to split their four-game series against the Cubs. They won today, 5-3.

Not-as-bright side: They could have easily swept this series. But no more dwelling on that. Let's get to the good stuff.

Jayson Werth bashed the Cubbies again, driving in three runs and hitting another home run. Jamie Moyer continues to pitch unbelievable for a 45-year-old. And, oh yeah, maybe the Phillies were helped out just a little bit by the fact that Carlos Zambrano was scratched to save his "tired" arm for a few more days.

Now it's on to Washington, where the Nationals have won six in a row. I bet the Phils can cool them off.

The Phillies did pick up a game on the Mets last night, as Aaron Heilman walked in the winning run against the Marlins. But today, the Fish failed again, leaving Philadelphia one game behind New York in the standings.

Derrek Lee: Every time I hear his name, I wonder how his daughter is doing. After a quick search, I found out that she was misdiagnosed and will maintain her vision. I'm glad to hear it.

September call-ups: J.A. Happ, Greg Golson and Lou Marson will be joining the big-league club. Oh yeah, and Adam Eaton, too. Boo.

ANTM: Tom McCarthy was doing promos for the upcoming TV season, as the game was on the CW this afternoon. Gossip Girl, 90210, Tyra. Gary Matthews then chimed in.

Sarge: I like that show.

T-Mac: What, America's Next Top Model?

Sarge: Oh yeah.

And yes, he said it exactly how you're imagining it.

Red Sox: Former Phils Gavin Floyd and Jim Thome played a big part in the White Sox beating the Red Sox 4-2 today. And in honor of Thome hitting his 536th career homer, tying him with Mickey Mantle for 14th place on the all-time home run list, I thought it was only appropriate to revisit the 1995 cover of the Indians magazine. I have nothing to say about this picture - I think the snazzy white ensemble and footwear say it all.

The Red Sox open a series against the Orioles on Monday. The O's did the Sox no favors this weekend, as they were swept by the Rays, leaving Boston 5.5 games out of first. The Sox continue to lead the Wild Card by 2.5 games.

No word, that I can find anyway, on their call-ups. Sounds like they could use the reinforcements, though. In addition to half the team being on the DL, the other half had food poisoning this weekend. Blech.

Quick update

So the Phillies did pull off a win today. Jayson Werth, I think, continues to be the unsung hero of this 2008 team. I'm glad to have him around. Today he drove in four runs and hit two homers in a 5-2 win over the Cubs.

The stupid Mets are winning again. Come on Marlins, no more choking until this series is over. We need to pick up a game sometime.

The Phils released Kris Benson. I'm sure the Daily News is sorry that Anna never made it to town.

Fabio Castro seems to be the player to be named later in the Matt Stairs deal. Incidentally, Greg has been so busy working, he forgot that Stairs was on the Red Sox in 1995.

Red Sox: Won yesterday, winning again tonight against the White Sox. Top prospect Michael Bowden made the start and gave up two runs on seven hits in his five-inning major league debut. What a surprise, the Rays won as well. Wild Card lead is still at 2.5 games.

[Photo credit: Associated Press]

Vegging out

Before Greg left on his trip, he took another look through the Phillies yearbook. I'll be out and about today, so I may miss some of the Brett Myers-Ted Lilly match-up. If something wonderful happens, like the Phillies manage to beat the Cubs, maybe I'll check in later. In the meantime, join these couch potatoes for some TV watching.

While the Phillies may disagree which channel to watch, they all love their TV. Next up in our review of personal yearbook answers is the Phils' favorite TV shows growing up.

Topping the list was El Chavo del Ocho, The Kid from the (apartment no.) Eight, selected by Fabio Castro, Francisco Rosario and Carlos Ruiz. J.C. Romero picked El Chapulin Colorado.

The only sports show mentioned was Baseball Tonight by Kyle Kendrick. That's one of the president's favorite shows, too. {I hope that's the only thing they have in common.}

There's some cheese: Geoff Jenkins, like Christine, was a fan of Beverly Hills, 90210. Mike Zagurski opted for Saved by the Bell, and Clay Condrey liked the A-Team.

There weren't too many game shows: Family Feud by Ryan Madson and the Price is Right by Kris Benson.

Some liked cartoons: J.D. Durbin picked Transformers, along with Knight Rider; Shane Victorino and Jayson Werth liked G.I. Joe, and Adam Eaton and Chris Snelling picked my favorite, The Simpsons. Greg Dobbs liked all Saturday morning cartoons.

Some choices seemed obvious: Brett Myers picked Married... With Children; the Phillie Phanatic picked the Three Stooges; and Jamie Moyer liked Hawaii Five-O and Hogan's Heroes. Others left me scratching my head: Pat Burrell's favorite was What's Happening!! and Chase Utley liked Three's Company. So Taguchi picked Power Rangers (they originated in Japan, he noted).

Of course there were lots of classics: Cheers by Brad Lidge; Friends by Cole Hamels; Happy Days by Rudy Seanez; The Cosby Show by Ryan Howard and Eric Bruntlett; and The Jeffersons by Tom Gordon.

The only reader on the team? Pedro Feliz. That's my conclusion because he was the only one without an answer.

[Photo credit: Wikipedia]

Holiday weekend starts with a thud

My company has a flexible work schedule - if you make up the hours during the rest of the week, you can leave early on Fridays. With the long weekend coming up and a Phillies game starting just before 2:30, I was definitely eager to cut out early this afternoon.

I guess I should have stayed at work.

My apologies for sounding like a broken record: good outing by starter Joe Blanton, too many men left on base (10), ineffective bullpen, blah blah. Cubs 3, Phillies 2. Before a pitch was throw in any other game today, the Phils had managed to lose ground. Sweet.

A new extra man: The Phillies seem to have acquired Matt Stairs from the Blue Jays. Greg thinks it's a pretty good pickup. I'm indifferent. The losing has made me numb. (If Greg were home, he would have jokingly threatened to cut me off from the Phillies by now. Maybe I get a bit overly dramatic when they go on skids like this. But come on, the last three games have just sucked.)

Sarge: Gary Matthews didn't say Cubbies or Phillies when he sang during the 7th inning today. He just held the microphone out to the crowd and let them handle it. His grandson Denver joined him in the booth for the singalong.

Red Sox: Josh Beckett was put on the DL, but it's retroactive to August 18. He's tentatively scheduled to pitch next Friday in Texas. Terry Francona says that Beckett's elbow examination went well and that nothing bad was found. The team also DL'd Sean Casey because of a strained neck.

The Red Sox are leading the White Sox 1-0 in the 2nd at home. Maybe they'll fare better against a Chicago team this weekend.

They're killing me

The first baseball game that I remember going to was against the Cubs. I believe it was a group outing, perhaps through a church; my parents, my brother and I were sitting up high and I remember that it was a hot day. I also remember that game because it featured Greg Maddux vs. Mike Maddux; the elder brother was the victor because the bullpen managed to not blow the game.

There was no sibling rivalry tonight, of course, but there was a decent starting pitching match-up between Cole Hamels and Ryan Dempster. Cole left with a 4-1 lead after seven innings. Unfortunately, his bullpen couldn't handle the three-run lead and lost it in the 8th. Cubs 6, Phillies 4.

This is getting pretty scary. The bullpen has been outstanding all year, and now it keeps blowing leads in the 8th inning. The Phillies won't be going anywhere unless the bullpen straightens itself out.

The Phillies also missed a chance to move into a tie for first with the idle Mets. They are now a full game back.

Singing update: For some reason Jim McMahon sang "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" tonight instead of Gary Matthews. Sarge will be featured tomorrow afternoon. Yes, after killing me with late games every day this week, the Friday game will be played at 2:20 p.m.

Josh Beckett: The Red Sox starter is going to have his elbow examined tomorrow by Dr. James Andrews in Alabama. Dr. Andrews, I just learned, is a specialist in Tommy John surgery. Uh-oh.

Meanwhile, the Red Sox relief pitchers are experiencing the same bad mojo as the Phils. Boston lost the game in the 9th on a walk-off single by Jason Giambi. Yankees 3, Red Sox 2.

The Rays won, putting the Red Sox at 4.5 games out. Their Wild Card lead is two games.

Series split a major letdown

Sigh. I don't want to talk about it.

The Phillies had several chances to add to their early 3-1 lead but couldn't pull through. Then, Rudy Seanez and Brad Lidge allowed four runs in the 8th, giving the Mets a 6-3 win. All base runners in the 8th came with two outs. Carlos Delgado had two home runs and drove in half of the Mets runs.

So, in five series against New York this year, the Phils are 5-10. They have beaten the Mets just once in each series, usually in dramatic fashion. Four of the five wins were the first game in the series. What does this mean? I don't know. Phillies stink. They're a half-game out again and start a four-game series against the Cubs on Thursday. Let's hope the bullpen is refreshed by then.

Broadcast notes: Gary Matthews will be singing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" tomorrow night in Chicago. Tom McCarthy dared him to say Phillies instead of Cubs during the song. ... Chris Wheeler annoyingly kept referring to Daniel Murphy as David Murphy. Then he acknowledged that he was accidentally doing this and told some story about a kid named Danny Murphy from his high school. Then he called Daniel David for the rest of the night. Stop talking, Wheels.

Red Sox: They crushed the Yankees 11-3. Dustin Pedroia hit a grand slam, his first, during a seven-run 8th inning.

But, as usual, the Rays also won. The Red Sox remain 3.5 games back in the East. It's almost time to stick a fork in the Yankees. They are now 10.5 games back and 7 games out of the Wild Card; the Sox have the Wild Card lead, 2.5 games up on the Twins.

When will it end??

We love how Charlie Manuel can burn through his bench players early in the game. So imagine my delight when Carlos Ruiz ended up playing third base in the top of the 9th, so that Cholly could save his last extra man, Eric Bruntlett, to use as a pinch hitter, if needed, in the bottom half of the inning. Thankfully, Brad Lidge pitched a 1-2-3 inning, with no balls being hit to Ruiz.

Bottom half of the inning, with two outs and Jayson Werth on first, Bruntlett was needed and smacked in the tying run.

And that's where we still stand. Philles 7, Mets 7. In the 13th inning. Almost all players from both teams have been used. I can't even begin to recap this marathon: the huge comeback, all the hits, all the men left on base, the great defense, the poor starting pitching. I'm afraid that I'm going to have to leave this entry incomplete, as I'm struggling just to stay up and watch the game, let alone write about it. Phils are coming to bat now at 12:16 a.m. Let's win this now.

12:30 a.m. update: Phils win! First place! Chris Coste finally put this one to bed, 8-7 final. Sorry, it would take hours to break down this game, and I won't ever attempt to do it. If you missed it - Greg - you're just out of luck. Todd Zolecki has a nice roundup of all the craziness.

(Small note: Very annoying that Tom McCarthy kept talking about Aaron Heilman's history "here at Shea Stadium." Your true colors are showing, T-Mac.)

Red Sox: I can offer no insights into this game. They beat the Yankees 7-3. Tim Wakefield earned the win in his return from the DL, and Jonathan Papelbon picked up a save. The fantasy team thanks you for your efforts, Papelbon.

In off-the-field news, the Sox picked up Mark Kotsay from the Braves, pending a physical, to fill in for the injured J.D. Drew.

Day-late recap

I wish I could say that we stayed for the end of Sunday night's game. Not even close.

With Greg out of town, I made plans with a friend to go to the game. Unfortunately, her kids and husband passed a cold onto her, so she was unable to make it. So my mom went to the game with me. This is now two games that she's been to in the past two weeks - other season ticket holders in our section are probably gossiping about Greg's whereabouts. Before these games, she hadn't been to a game since 2004 (see sidebar below).

We stayed until the end of the 7th before bowing out. I was driving back to my house during the bottom of the 9th when Pedro Feliz singled home Shane Victorino and was settled in front of the TV when he slammed his three-run home in the bottom of the 11th. Phillies 5, Dodgers 2.

Greg would have enjoyed the game - a little sloppy to be called a pitcher's duel, but he loves low-scoring match-ups. Joe Blanton threw 29 pitches in the 1st inning, allowing one run, before settling down to pitch better over the next five innings. There were also some nifty defensive plays on both sides, including Ryan Howard's sliding grab in foul territory and Victorino's snag in deep center.

I admit that I was getting a little nervous about a no-hitter before Carlos Ruiz singled in the 5th, which led to the Phillies first run.

Notes and observations: I did buy a scorecard, but filled in only the 1st inning. I mostly just needed something to jot down some notes. ... The boos for Manny Ramirez were unbelievable. You would think that he were a Met or J.D. Drew. Is Sox hatred that deep, or is it just Manny? ... The Phanatic did a mid-inning salsa with current Dodgers first base coach and former Phillie Mariano Duncan. I always liked Duncan, but I suppose I have a soft spot for most of the '93 team. ... Speaking of the Phanatic, he drove his four-wheeler right by us near the right field gate as the crowd was streaming into the ballpark before the game. ... The West Chester Community Chorus performed the anthem. It was well-received. ... Chris Coste's fan club is called Coste's Ghosts. I wonder if they were still around in the 10th when he came into the game. ... During one of the mid-inning scoreboard video displays, Jason Bay and Cole Hamels were listed as "Who's Hot." Odd, because I thought Bay had been cooling down. ... My mom likes Kashmir for Chase Utley's intro music. She think it works well.

Sidebar: My mom and I used to go to a lot of games in the early '90s. What better way to spend a beautiful Sunday afternoon than at a ballgame? General admission tickets at Veterans Stadium were only $5, and that's when I first learned that even though the seats may be high, as along as you're behind home plate, all is good. We also brought my younger cousin to quite a few games. We used to tell him that they locked the gates and that we weren't allowed to leave before the 7th inning. It worked, and we would usually manage to stay for the whole game.

As I got older, there were fewer game opportunities because of work and other vital young-adult obligations. We had plans for the three of us (Greg, me and my mom) to go to the last game at the Vet, but she wasn't able to make it because of a family emergency.

When 2004 rolled around, Greg and I decided we wanted to bring her to brand-new Citizens Bank Park on her birthday. With tickets in short supply that year, we had to turn to Ebay to make it to a Saturday afternoon game in July. We settled into our seats with food and got ready to enjoy the game.

Coincidentally, Greg's dad was also at the ballpark that day. His company was holding a regional meeting, and the ballpark was deemed to be a central location for all the participants. So after their meeting in one of the park's conference rooms, they adjourned to a suite to take in the game. We were in our seats, they were in the suite, and his dad gave us a call. He could get us into the suite.

We rushed down to the suite level, and there was a little problem trying to convince security that we did have tickets to be there, if they would just let us go get them from the people in the suite. But at that moment, his dad came out, flashed some tickets and we were in. Were they really extra tickets or just someone else's who was already there? Who knows? Who cares? We were in a suite in the new Phillies ballpark.

It was heaven. Indoor and outdoor seating. Televisions wherever you looked for a better view of the game. And all the food and drink that you could want. We sat outside and enjoyed quite a bit of food; I know Citizens Bank has some of the highest-rated ballpark grub, but this was even better. Best part of the day: The Phillies won.

[That was also the day the 2004 Red Sox took their first steps toward a championship. It was the day Jason Varitek shoved his glove in Alex Rodriguez's face. They had the game on in the suite, but there was no sound so we had no clue what was really going on.]

Now, every game, when we ride up the escalator past the suite level, I look longingly at the closed doors, knowing the good stuff that goes on behind them. I don't know how, but we will find ourselves back in a suite again sometime.

Tonight's action: The Phillies shut out the Dodgers 5-0 to complete the four-game sweep and get some revenge after their last meeting. Brett Myers had yet another good outing, and Jimmy Rollins remembered how to hit, going 3-for-3 and reaching base in all five at-bats. He was rewarded with copious cheers. The Mets beat the Astros 9-1, so the Phillies are still a half-game out in the standings.

Tomorrow night the Mets come to town for a quick two-game series. Pitching match-ups are Pedro Martinez vs. Jamie Moyer and Johan Santana vs. Kyle Kendrick. If Greg were here, I'm sure he would come up with some sort of insights, but I'm not that creative. I'm just looking forward to reclaiming first place.

Red Sox: They also won in 11 innings on Sunday, 6-5 over the Blue Jays. They are off tonight and stand 4.5 behind the also idle Rays. They lead the White Sox and Twins by one game for the Wild Card. The Sox start a series Tuesday against the increasingly irrelevant Yankees. Greg's bummed that he won't be able to watch or listen to the games.

[Varitek photo credit: Associated Press]

Road trip

I have to hit the road for a two-week business trip today. Christine will keep the blog running. But I figured the occasion merits a look at my first trip to Fenway some 20 years ago.

By 1988, my Yankee-loving family had realized my Red Sox fandom wasn't a fad and offered to take me to Fenway. We got bleacher seat tickets for the Aug. 17 game against the Mariners.

The 1988 Red Sox were a sorry lot for a division winner. John McNamara, one of the goats from 1986, was fired mid-season and replaced by Joe Morgan (no, not the Hall of Fame second baseman who now poorly broadcasts for ESPN). When we saw them, Morgan's Magic hadn't yet propelled them to first, but they were on their way, just two games out.

Their big stars were Roger Clemens, Wade Boggs, old-timer Dwight Evans and newly acquired Lee Smith. Ellis Burks and Mike Greenwell were up and coming for a team that barely won the AL East with an 89-74 record before getting swept by the A's in the division series.

Their opponents that night were even sorrier: the eventual 68-93 Seattle Mariners. Things were so bad for that squad that former Sox Rey Quinones was considered one of their five stars despite a .284 on base percentage. They did have not-yet former ESPN broadcaster Harold Reynolds leading the charge.

That night featured Billy Swift vs. Bruce Hurst. The Sox won 7-2 in a rain-delayed game. No Red Sox really stood out at the plate, but five (Marty Barrett, Evans, Greenwell, Jody Reed and Rich Gedman) had two hits.

Geddy homered. Homering for the M's was Steve Balboni. My sister embarrassingly cheered because he used to be a Yankee.

I forget when it rained, but it was a lengthy delay. My folks were willing to wait it out even after someone offered to adopt me out of the Yankee family. He had a pool. I always liked that memory, but now it seems a little creepy. I recently learned he was drunk. What did I know, I was 11.

The game resumed, and I was looking forward to seeing the big man in the bullpen finish it off, but we left in the 8th because my parents thought the subway closed at midnight or something. In later years I learned that the trains do close rather early in Boston, but that they keep them open on game nights.

Prices: $1.50 for the scorecard; $5 for bleacher tickets; $14 for box seats.

SoxandPhils connections: A 23-year-old Mike Jackson pitched 1 1/3 innings for the Mariners. ... An ad for the Rolaids Relief Award congratulates the 1987 NL winner Steve Bedrosian. ... Best of all is this beer ad featuring Greg "The Bull" Luzinski, who doesn't like ewers for some reason. It's such a slice of '80s cheese. Christine joked that one day this could be Pat Burrell, but then we decided they don't do beer ads like this anymore.

Today's game: Even though I'm on the road, Christine is going tonight. She'll post tomorrow, but maybe not with the same amount of detail as I write (I told her she doesn't have to keep a scorecard).

Cole in control; Sox trounced in Toronto

The Phillies are halfway to revenge for being swept by the Dodgers in Los Angeles last week, as Cole Hamels was his usual fine self today and got plenty of run support for a change. Phils 9, Dodgers 2.

Hamels gave up two earned on five hits while striking out five over seven. All starters got a hit or run except for Chris Coste. Pat Burrell was the big star, going 3-5 with a homer while tying his career high with five RBI.

Rudy Seanez had a four-pitch 9th inning.

Competitors: The Mets play later.

Red Sox: Their young lefty ace didn't fare so well. Jon Lester was shelled for seven runs and couldn't finish the 3rd inning. Blue Jays 11, sinking-out-of-the-playoff Red Sox 0. Yaz is recovering. Josh Beckett's elbow is inflamed.

Competitors: The Rays beat the White Sox (actually a good thing because Chicago is a half-game out of the Wild Card). The Twins and Yankees play later.

More Hamels: Young Cole had an extensive Q&A with Yahoo's Answer Man. He admits his salary comments this spring were immature, says Shane Victorino would be jailed at an Eagles game and claims he's smoked only one (legal) cigarette in his life.

Playoff tix

Our playoff ticket order form arrived today. The Phillies beat the Dodgers 8-1. Coincidence? Probably, but here's my crazy conspiracy theory: The Phillies brass knew season ticket holders would be getting their orders today, so they threatened to withhold the team's paychecks unless they started hitting, raising the fans' playoff hopes again. Voila. Ten hits in an easy win.

Kyle Kendrick pitched decently - one earned on three hits and two walks with three strikeouts - to beat Greg Maddux, who was making his first start as a Dodger since 2006.

Ryan Howard, Chris Coste and Chase Utley homered.

Competitors: The Mets won (again), the Marlins are losing, and the Phils are still stuck 2.5 games out.

Red Sox: They beat the Blue Jays 8-4. Druggie Paul Byrd got his first Red Sox win. Christine's not happy that Shaun Marcum got beat badly because he's on our SoxandPhils fantasy team. Five RBIs came from the top spots in the lineup - Jacoby (slump's over) Ellsbury and Dustin (what's a slump?) Pedroia. Jason Varitek, who may also be rebounding a bit, was 2-3 with a homer.

Unfortunately, we may be a man down in the outfield for the rest of the season. All-Star Game MVP J.D. Drew has a herniated disc. He hopes to avoid the DL. I haven't seen a team so ravaged by injuries since the great 2008 Yankees.

Competitors: The Rays are winning (again) against the White Sox, the Twins are scoreless in the early innings, and the Yankees won.

Sloppy-ass game

That's Christine's take on today's 4-3 loss against the Nationals. The box score says the Phillies committed two errors, but that seems like awfully generous hometown scoring.

Poor play ruined yet another solid Jamie Moyer outing, whose stubble made him look even more like the grizzled veteran tonight. Jimmy Rollins, who had one of the non-errors, stared distantly in the on-deck circle before Chris Coste grounded out to end the game with the potential tying run on third. J-Roll's expression reminded us of when Pat Burrell sucked; he would sometimes looked petrified about the prospect of coming up in a big spot with the game on the line.

I'd like to say no big deal, they won the series. But time's running out, the Mets keep winning, and we're talking about the feeble Nationals. Maybe the Phillies were saving the sweep for the last series of the year to clinch the pennant.

Other games: The Red Sox were one of many teams off tonight. The Mets won, and the Marlins lost; the Phillies are now 2.5 games out. The Yankees lost, the Twins just started, and the Rays and White Sox are off. The Sox are 4.5 games behind the Rays and will either be tied or a game up on the Twins for the Wild Card depending on what they do against the Angels.

Brett's back

I'm not the biggest Brett Myers fan out there. Actually, I'm hardly a fan, but I absolutely love his curve ball when it's on. The curve is my favorite pitch, and Brett has one of the best in baseball.

Tonight it was on - that little lollipop into the catchers mitt that freezes hitters or makes them swing through it.

I've been hesitant to proclaim young Brett redeemed, especially after his recent spat with Charlie Manuel, but I feel we're out of the woods now. He tossed his first shutout since 2004, giving up nine hits and a walk while striking out nine. Phillies 4, Nationals 0.

Myers has made six starts since returning from the minors, and this was his fifth consecutive good outing. With the Phillies hitting as well as Jimmy Rollins ingratiates himself with the fans, it's a good thing young Brett has finally decided to join Cole Hamels atop the rotation.

And, I didn't hear, but Christine said he was saying all the right things in his postgame interview - even thanking Cholly for letting him finish.

Competitors: The Mets won, the Marlins play out West. The Phils are still 1.5 out.

Red Sox: It appears Josh Beckett's numbness may be under control, but Clay Buchholz isn't under control. He was booted in the 3rd inning tonight, and the Red Sox trail the Orioles 11-6. Young Clay may need another stint in the minors. The Angels beat the Rays. The Twins, White Sox and Yankees also won.

Cheers, boos and prayers

The Phillies bats bailed out Joe Blanton and gave the front-running Phillies fans something to cheer about. Jimmy Rollins, though, got the expected boos after ripping the fans last week. He was hitless tonight.

Jayson Werth won the game with a solo home run in the bottom of the 8th. Phillies 5, Nationals 4. Incidentally, Jason Bergmann started for the Nats. He started for them against the Phillies on the last day of 2007. I remember because we recently popped in the DVD of that game. It made Christine sad to remember when Chase Utley could hit, J-Roll could lead and the Phillies could win.

Competitors: The Mets won; the Marlins are winning. Phils are 1.5 out.

Illness and ailments: Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski is said to be doing well after triple bypass surgery. Get well, Yaz. ... Curt Schilling's pendulum is swinging toward retirement. If that's it, I'm pleased that his last game ended with a tip of the hat in Fenway during a World Series win. ... And Josh Beckett's arm is numb. That doesn't sound good.

Games: Daisuke Matsuzaka had one of his typical high-pitch, low-inning starts but improved to 15-2 as the Red Sox beat the Orioles 7-2. It looks like all competitors will win. The Rays, White Sox and Blue Jays are in the books; Twins look like a lock with a 13-2 lead late over the A's. That means we'll stay 4.5 out of first, 1.5 up in the Wild Card.

Game 1 starter?

Maybe I'm overreacting to Josh Beckett's embarrassing outing on Sunday, but if the Red Sox make the playoffs, should Jon Lester be considered for Game 1 honors?

He won again tonight (12-4) as the Red Sox beat the Orioles 6-3, keeping pace with the red-hot Rays. The White Sox are winning; Twins are losing.

But the story is Lester. A day after Beckett couldn't come through, Lester put up his predictably fine line: one run on four hits and a walk with five strikeouts over seven innings. He's just money. Manny Delcarmen tried to blow it for him, but Jonathan Papelbon bailed him out with a four-out save.

NL: The Phillies and Marlins were off; the Mets lost, so the Phils gained ground. They're just 1.5 games out. Yea!

One ace down, one up

I thought the Red Sox had been scuffling until I saw a list of the hottest teams in August. Coming into today, they were second in the league at 10-4 for the month. Unfortunately, the Rays were first at 11-4. I guess that explains why I have felt worse about their performance than it really is.

But then we get a game like today. Ace Josh Beckett should have shut down the Blue Jays like their ace did to us last night. Nope. He's gone in the 3rd inning, and the Sox are embarrassed 15-4. At least Shawn Marcum got the win for my fantasy team.

The loss drops the Sox 4.5 behind the Rays, who won again tonight. There's a race again for the Wild Card, as the White Sox and Twins (each won today and they're tied for the division) are just a half game behind.

Phillies: They still can't hit. Although they hit .193 tonight, a slight improvement on the .190 they posted for the first six games of the road trip. But they gave Cole Hamels just enough to beat the Padres 2-1.

Good game for young Cole - one earned, seven hits, no walks and three strikeouts in eight innings. He's finally won his 10th game; he's been trying since July 3 but has been largely stymied by his own hitters. The Phils have an off day tomorrow to shake off this funk. Don't forget to show your support for Jimmy Rollins on Tuesday.

The Mets and Marlins won, so Phils are still two out.

Druggie debuts ...

... and loses.

Roy Halladay once again demonstrated his mastery of major league hitters, tossing a 4-1 complete game win over the Red Sox.

Paul Byrd, pitched decently in his Sox debut against the Blue Jays but not good enough against Halladay. He went 7 1/3 innings, giving up four earned on 10 hits. No walks, nor strikeouts. This was the first of three consecutive starts Bryd is slated to make against the Blue Jays. The Globe reported that would be the first time since 1958 a pitcher has made three starts in a row against the same team.

Competitors: The Twins and White Sox won; the Rays are losing.

Phillies: They're playing late again. I feel asleep before the conclusion of last night's game (Christine was dozing but woke up for the bottom of the 9th). The Phillies actually won a game, 1-0 over the Padres. I'm glad the game lived up to the stature of the two starters, Jamie Moyer and Greg Maddux.

Tonight, they're leading 2-0 in the 2nd.

Mets won again.

No more angry puppy

Because it isn't directly related to the Red Sox or Phillies, I wasn't going to mention the divorce of Mike and the Mad Dog. But the Red Sox are rained out, the Phillies are playing out West again, and I'm still bummed that my favorite radio show is no more.

When I first heard the rumors, I believed Chris Russo when he said it meant nothing that he wasn't talking to the vacationing Mike Francesa. I thought no big deal, it'll be another summer when they're barely on at the same time. I thought they would be back together by September, just in time to add another level of enjoyment to the impending Yankees and Mets collapses.

This morning, however, when I flipped on WFAN, I was jolted by callers blaming the station for getting rid of the Mad Dog. An institution for most of my life was gone.

I like Francesa. He's one of the few Yankee fans I can tolerate. I used to think he was the voice of reason, but recently I've grown more fond of Russo. His angry puppy shtick has toned down, and if you get past it, he usually makes a lot of sense. Plus, you have to love someone who started the Crack Committee to make sure the Empire was vanquished on a pro-Yankee station (this was back when the Yankees won championships).

I'll miss Fatso and Fruit Loops. I even already miss their cheesy jingle. Listening to Francesa on the way home mid-show, I kept hoping they would play it. Thankfully, we have You Tube if you want to hear them "going at it as hard as they can."



Games: The Rays, Twins and White Sox are winning. The Mets remain in first place with a win over the Pirates. The second-place Phillies are scoreless in the 4th inning in San Diego as two elder statesmen, Jamie Moyer and Greg Maddux, match wits.

Season's over, no need to watch

After Hank Steinbrenner declared his team dead when the Yankees were five games out at the three-quarter mark, Jimmy Rollins now says fans shouldn't boo because the Phillies are already in the playoffs.

Huh? What did I miss? When I woke up, I heard the Phillies blew Wednesday night's game, their third consecutive loss, and are now tied with the Mets for first place.

The whole thing was, look, here we are in the playoffs, we’re at home, we’re in first place. There’s really nothing to boo about. We’re not going to win every game, as long as we win by one when it comes down to the finish. But, go out there and support us. When [struggling catcher] Carlos Ruiz comes up to the plate, don’t boo him because you want [backup Chris] Coste in the game. This man has a job to do today. Encourage him to do his job to the best of his abilities.

And that was the clarification of calling Philly fans front-runners. He said he was sticking up for his teammates, not himself. Yeah, that's because the Philly fans haven't booed the MVP, even though he hasn't played well this year - not even after he was benched for not showing up on time for a game against the Mets. I have a feeling that's going to change next week at Citizens Bank Park, especially if the Phillies continue to play like they have been against the Dodgers.

Christine always gets indignant when national media drums up decades-old incidents to paint Philadelphia fans in a bad light. I think it's worse when they're done in by a man they have really cheered for. A player, by the way, who spoke so highly of the fans' passion in Phillies commercials this year.

Games: Phillies trail the Dodgers 1-0 in the 4th. I'll recap the loss tomorrow. Oops, I'm being a front-runner again. The streaking Mets won; Marlins lost.

Red Sox: Good game by Daisuke Matsuzaka. Dice-K, now 14-2, went seven innings, giving up six hits and five walks, striking out five. His pitch count was decent considering the number of walks: 115.

The Red Sox beat the Rangers 10-0. Nine of those runs came in the 2nd inning, highlighted by a three-run homer by David Ortiz.

Competitors: The Rays won a tough game, but might have lost Troy Percival to injury. It's weird; I want the Red Sox to win, but I'm also rooting for the Rays to make the playoffs and show Hank that it's possible for a team decimated by injuries to gut it out and win. White Sox won, Twins were off. We're three behind the Rays, but lead the Twins for the Wild Card by three.

Wave that white Hank-y

Less than two weeks after the Yankees' brass popped open champagne to celebrate Manny Ramirez being shipped off to Los Angeles, Hank Steinbrenner is already saying wait 'till next year.

We're going to win it next year. If we need to add a top veteran pitcher, we'll do that. We'll do whatever we need to do. Next year we'll be extremely dangerous.

He said that Tuesday when the Empire was five games behind the Red Sox for the wild card with about a quarter of the season left to play. Hank says it's because the 2008 Yankees have been decimated by injuries more than any other squad in history. I really feel sorry for the $200 million men, especially when the low-budget, first-place Rays have lost Evan Longoria and Carl Crawford to injuries this week.

I have complimented the Yankees for making Joba Chamberlain a starter, but can we see him pitch, I don't know, maybe one full season before proclaiming him the most dominating starter in baseball? What an idiot. (Hank, not Joba.)

Red Sox: They were on ESPN tonight, but we didn't notice until the top of the 9th. I missed out on watching Jon Lester give up three earned on seven hits and a walk with six strikeouts in 7 1/3 innings. Lester improved to 11-4 as the Red Sox beat the Rangers 8-4.

Mike Lowell was placed on the DL again. The Rays are waiting for a phone call from John Henry to concede the division.

Competitors: The Twins beat the Yankees (although according to Hank, the Twins' opponent tonight is irrelevant), and the Rays and White Sox are winning.

NL: The Phillies lead the Dodgers 6-1 in the 2nd. Ryan Howard, Greg Dobbs (not pinch-hitting) and Jayson Werth have each hit two-run homers. Mets won; Marlins lost.

Fool me once ...

I don't think Theo Epstein read the Mitchell Report, which included this e-mail to Theo from one of his own scouts.

Some digging on Gagne and steroids IS the issue. Has had a checkered medical past throughout career including minor leagues. Lacks the poise and commitment to stay healthy, maintain body and re invent self. What made him a tenacious closer was the max effort plus stuff ... Mentality without the plus weapons and without steroid help probably creates a large risk in bounce back durability and ability to throw average while allowing the change-up to play as it once did ... Personally, durability (or lack of) will follow Gagne

After that e-mail, Theo still gave up three good prospects for a washed-up roider whose appearances down the stretch were downright frightening last year. Today, Epstein traded for another druggie, Paul Byrd. Usually this blog is happy when there's a new induction to the SoxandPhils fraternity, but I remember Paul Byrd standing in Fenway right before Game 7 of the 2007 ALCS answering to a report that he took HGH.

This deal won't blow up like Gagne did, but you'd think Theo would want to avoid players in the Mitchell Report. It sort of took some of the juice (bad pun, I know) from the excitement of 28-year-old knuckleballer Charlie Zink's major league debut.

Tonight's game: I'm sure that Zink won't forget his debut against the Rangers, although he will want to. There have been some who attribute his success this year to the fact that minor leaguers aren't exposed to knuckle balls; they say his stuff won't cut it in the majors. He started off with a perfect 1st, then watched his mates score 10 runs in the bottom of the inning, including two homers by David Ortiz.

The fun stopped there. This in-game musing on the Boston Globe's blog sums it up: "Has a team ever scored 10 runs in the first inning and lost?"

Answer: I don't know, but the Red Sox came too close for my comfort. They actually had to come back to win, 19-17.

Competitors: White Sox won, Rays losing and the Yankees are beating the Twins.

NL: The Phillies lead the Dodgers 3-1 in the 5th. Mets won; Marlins winning.

Poor John Danks

Good win for the Red Sox, 5-1 over the White Sox. Josh Beckett pitched eight strong innings, making John Danks a tough-luck loser. He carried a perfect game into the 6th and a no-hitter into the 7th before Kevin Youkilis broke it up with a single and then J.D. Drew later hit a two-run double.

Competitors: The Rays were off but had to DL Evan Longoria today after losing Carl Crawford on Sunday. The Twins beat the Yankees. We're four out of the division lead, two up on the Wild Card.

Phillies: They're playing on the West Coast tonight. Bad news: Gary Matthews was left on the East Coast, meaning Chris Wheeler has to broadcast nine innings. Worse news: They're losing 6-1 to the Dodgers in the 4th. Prediction from Christine: She's not guaranteeing a Phillies win, but a no-decision for Kyle Kendrick. {Um, I'm starting to rethink this prediction. It's now 7-1 and probably an L for K.K.}

Competitors: Mets and Marlins lost. The Mets lost spectacularly with another bullpen disaster.

Other than the rain, great game

I imagine the Phillies will soon begin pestering us to renew our season tickets. Perhaps they should offer better weather as part of the deal. Once again, we spent a Sunday afternoon in the bowels of Citizens Bank Park waiting for a downpour to end. The start of the game was delayed by 1 hour, 45 minutes. It washed out the pregame event: the Phillies Alumni Batting Challenge featuring Ricky Jordan, Ricky Bottalico, Milt Thompson, Mitch Williams, Ozzie Virgil and Tyler Green. The Phanatic was so eager to get things started, he helped the grounds crew roll up the tarp.

At least the game was a neat and tidy three hours as the Phillies wrapped up a series against the Pirates with a 6-3 win thanks to a clutch homer by Chase Utley, a typical Jamie Moyer outing and not-so-typical Jamie Moyer baserunning.

Christine and I sat apart today. Her Mom got a pair of tickets in the 203 section, so she sat with Christine in our usual seats while I sat with Joe Wolf's Vertical Jump in right field. See if you can spot us in this picture Christine took from 400 feet away. (Christine and I won't sit together for the Aug. 24 game either because I will be on a business trip.)

We did see a good game today. The Pirates struck first in the 2nd when former Red Sox Brandon Moss and Doug Mientkiewicz each doubled with two outs. The Phillies came back in the bottom of the third thanks to one of the craziest plays I've ever seen. Carlos Ruiz, who didn't make an out today, led off with a walk. Jamie Moyer bunted to move him into scoring position, but the pitcher, Jason Davis, threw the ball away trying to get Moyer out at first. Moyer kept running toward second, but collided with the umpire. He shoved the man in blue down and motored to second. Former Phillie RF Jason Michaels threw the ball away, allowing Moyer to go to third. The winded 45-year-old hustled home on a Jimmy Rollins sacrifice fly, giving the Phils a 2-1 lead. Moyer then landed on the bench for a much deserved breather.

The game cruised until the 6th when Jason Michaels had a two-out, two-run double, giving the Pirates a 3-2 lead. But in the 7th, the Phillies finally had some extra base hits. Ruiz, for the third time of the day, got on to lead off an inning, this time a double. Greg Dobbs, who set the Phils' team record today for pinch hits in a season, doubled him in. J-Roll and Shane Victorino got out, but Utley homered, putting the Phils ahead 5-3. They scored a final run in the 8th without a hit as former Red Sox Craig Hansen walked three and threw two wild pitches.

Scott Eyre, making his Phillies debut, got the win with a perfect 1/3 of an inning to escape a Clay Condrey jam. Ryan Madson, the closer of the day because Brad Lidge has a sore shoulder, nailed it down.

Observations from the stands: Pat Burrell got a rare day off but had a pinch-walk in the 9th. ... Bill Dancy got the Phils' annual John Vukovich award. ... Four Harmony did the anthem; it was OK. ... Fomer Phillie Rod Barajas is one of baseball's hottest hitters; too bad Bubba Burger can't spell his name. Another former Phil, Marlon Byrd, also made the cut. ... Poor showing by the Phanatic today. Some Olympic-themed bit about a guy from Pittsburgh trying to break the world's weight-lifting record. The Phanatic pulled down his trunks and threw powder in his face. I dunno, not the furball's best effort. ... I took a break during the 7th-inning stretch, and the game broadcast was on in the bathroom. They talked about how Jason Davis was in line for his first win as a starter since 2005. Larry Andersen said, "He's in line for it, but he's not going to get it. Just a hunch." I was back in my seat in time to see his prediction come true.

Biggest cheers: The few times the sun decided to show up.

Biggest boos: The ball girl who misplayed a slow easy grounder. The left field "You suck Moss" chant that increased substantially after he dropped a fly ball.

Other game notes: There were five double plays: the Pirates turned three and the Phils turned two. ... Ryan Howard had a strange day in the field. He dropped a foul ball in the 1st. He turned a nifty 3-6-3 DP in the 4th (he hesitated before realizing he should get the lead runner before tagging first). And on a ground out in the 7th, he jumped off the bag to make sure he had the throw. He made the catch and quickly jumped back on the base. He made the correct call, but it was scary to watch. ... Jason Davis made a great play on his butt in the 4th on a comebacker hit by Eric Bruntlett.

Competitors: The Mets lost to the Marlins and trail by two. The Marlins are 2.5 out.

Red Sox: Couldn't really follow the score today because you can't see the large out-of-town scoreboard when you are sitting in the outfield. The Red Sox lost to the White Sox 6-5 thanks to another poor outing by Clay Buchholz. Tim Wakefield has some shoulder tightness and is heading to the DL; no word on who will start Tuesday.

Competitors: The Rays won their franchise-best 71st game. The Twins and Yankees lost. The Sox trail the Rays by 4.5 but lead the Twins by 1.5 games.

Brett Myers: Even when he's good, he's bad

Christine and I didn't watch baseball together tonight. She stayed upstairs to watch the Phillies, and I was downstairs watching the Red Sox on WGN. (I forgot how bad the homer White Sox announcers are; they're probably worse than tonight's birthday boy Chris Wheeler.)

She came downstairs to report that Brett Myers was pitching well. That's nice, I thought, I can compliment on him on his third consecutive good start, which I will do. He pitched 7 2/3, giving up one earned, five hits and one walk with six strikeouts as the Phils beat the Pirates 4-2.

The only problem is that when Charlie Manuel lifted him in the 8th with only 93 pitches, Myers threw another hissy fit. Cholly obviously wanted J.C. Romero in with a lefty coming up and a man on second in a 3-1 game. But young Brett, who sometimes confuses himself with Pedro Martinez circa 2000, was yelling and screaming all the way to the dugout.

Cholly, who seems tired of being shown up by a pitcher who had to be demoted this year, went right after him in the dugout, poking a finger in his chest. The manager needed to be restrained. I think it's obvious whose side this blog is on.

In his post-game comments, Cholly took the high road, calling it a disagreement between two strong-willed people and a sign that Myers' confidence is back.

We wondered whether they gave player of the game to Jimmy Rollins because of Myers' outburst, although J-Roll did have a good game, 4-4 with two runs, two triples and a stolen base.

Competitors: Mets beat the Marlins and trail the Phils by one. Florida dropped to 2.5 games out.

Red Sox: As I said, I actually got to watch them tonight. I thought they would automatically be the lead story since it was a rare chance to write about them from observation, rather than box score. Thanks, Brett.

Anyhoo, Daisuke Matsuzaka was the story tonight, improving to 13-2 with a 6-2 win over the White Sox. It wasn't a typically ugly Dice-K win. Other than allowing four lead-off hitters to reach base, Matsuzaka was actually efficient. With only 106 pitches through eight, I was surprised Terry Francona didn't let him go out for the 9th. I hope Matsuzaka didn't go Brett Myers on Francona.

In his eight innings, Dice gave up one earned on four hits and three walks with four strikeouts. David Ortiz went 3-5 with a run and three RBIs, which came on a bases-loaded double. Jim Thome hit a meaningless home run in the 9th - I mention because I picked him up this week for my fantasy team.

Competitors: The Twins won, the Yankees lost and the Rays are losing early in the game.

When Joe Blanton doesn't give up a run ...

THE PHILLIES SHOULD FRIGGIN' WIN!!!

What a disgrace. Joe Blanton went seven innings, giving up no runs, one hit and two walks. Usually, when you have a world-class offense, that means an easy win. No, the Phillies lost 2-0 in 12 innings. They're now scoreless in their last 23 innings.

Oh, and did I mention tonight's futility came against the Pirates? The Pirates. The team that gutted its roster at the trading deadline and is about to tie the Phillies franchise with most consecutive losing seasons.

Former Sox Doug Mientkiewicz had the first hit, Craig Hansen got the save, and Brandon Moss made an excellent diving catch and then doubled off Shane Victorino at first to end the game. Christine's not happy with me for saying this, but if the Phillies traded Pat Burrell for Manny Ramirez, those guys wouldn't be on the Pirates. And I bet Manny could have driven in at least one run tonight.

In a match-up of NL East teams that seem to understand there's a pennant race going on, the Mets beat the Marlins 3-0.

Not much better: The Red Sox lost to a Wild Card competitor, the White Sox, 5-3. That was Jon Lester's first loss since May 25, which was his first start after his no-hitter.

The Rays and Twins are winning; the Yankees are losing.

[Photo credit: Associated Press]

Not a good day

It's a good thing Adam Eaton has struggled in the minors or there might be a clamor to have him replace Cole Hamels, now winless in his last six starts. But I know, there's no reason the Phillies shouldn't win when they give up only three runs.

Cole wasn't at his best, but two earned in 6 1/3 should get the job done. The offense is another story. They were blanked by the Marlins 3-0, shut down by Chris Volstad. Chris Volstad? Never heard of him.

That's shutout No. 7 this season against the vaunted Phillies offense through game No. 114. Last year, there were three. In 162 games. And three playoff games (they did manage to score in each of them).

All the good from yesterday was erased: The Marlins are 1.5 games out and the Mets pulled to two. Have no fear, Scott Eyre will fix things.

Red Sox: They're off but still made news. They might be getting Brian Giles. I'm indifferent. And looks like the commissioner's office is investigating whether Manny purposely played his way out of Boston. A) How do you prove something like that? B) If you can prove it, then what?

Competitors: The Yankees are winning, the White Sox are losing, the Rays play in Seattle. Twins are off.

Sometimes players should take a "no comment"

Phillies minor leaguer Adam Eaton has been getting torched. In two starts (A and AA), he has lasted a total of seven innings with a 12.85 ERA and a 1.71 WHIP.

But the $24 million man says it's not all bad after his latest outing against the Portland Sea Dogs (Red Sox affiliate):

But the way I felt and the way I made the adjustment throwing breaking balls for strikes (later in the game) and (the fact I was) able to get ahead and put some guys away with the slider and curveball ... I take positives from that.

And:

I made a few bad pitches. Definitely would like to have one back, the grand slam. Learned from that mistake and ended up striking him out the next time.

Yeah, way to show those AA'ers who's the boss.

In the bigs: Kyle Kendrick won his 20th career game in typical fashion: He allowed a lot of baserunners, but kept them off the scoreboard. He kept the Phillies in the game, and the offense provided just enough to comfortably beat the Marlins, 5-0. With a Mets loss, the Phils' leads are 2.5 over the Fish, three over the Metropolitans.

A really good start by Tim Wakefield has the Red Sox beating the Royals 8-2. Hopefully, they will hold on to remain three games behind the Rays, who scored six in the 9th this afternoon to come back on the Indians. The Yankees, who lost Joba Chamberlain last night and Ivan Rodriguez tonight, are winning in Texas. The Twins won and the White Sox are winning. One night, all the contenders will finish their games early so I can get my head around the standings.

It's easier rooting for someone else's team

My friend always likes to remind me that he had faith the Red Sox would come back from 0-3 against the Yankees in the great 2004 ALCS. I always counter that it's easy to be optimistic when it's not your team you're suffering with.

Simarly, last year Christine hoped the Phillies would clinch before the last game of the year so she wouldn't be too nervous in the stands during that game. I told her the night before the final game that it was the best possible scenario - odds were on ending the season in the tie, but I felt good about the Phils clinching outright, which they did.

I mention because I thought the Phillies were in good shape tonight, even when trailing 2-0 in the 7th against the Marlins. Christine disagreed, noting the Phillies kept hitting into double plays whenever they had a man on. Even though Clay Condrey and the Phils-debuting Les Walrond each gave up a run in the 7th, I still thought they'd come back when Shane Victorino hit a foul ball the umpires called a homer. But J.A. Happ, pitching for the first time in what seems like months, gave up four more. Marlins 8, Phillies 2.

Jamie Moyer took the loss, dropping his career record to 10-1 against the Marlins.

The Marlins cut the lead to 1.5 and the Mets, with new closer Aaron Heilman, held on to win and pull within two games of the Phils.

Red Sox: They're beating the Royals, but it looks like they won't gain ground on the Rays, who are also winning. The Yankees, at least, are losing. For the Wild Card, the White Sox are losing, but the Twins are winning.

Jammin'

Besides their rediscovered winning attitude, the Boston Globe today noted another difference with the post-Manny Red Sox. They've gone country.

That, combined with an 8 p.m. start for the Sox and an off-day for the Phils, reminded me that I've been neglecting the Phillies yearbook answers. Next up: "Musical group or artist you'd like to jam with."

Surprisingly, only two Phils have similar tastes as the Red Sox: Kyle Kendrick (George Strait) and Cole Hamels (Keith Urban). I didn't think young Cole would go country. I thought Clay Condrey would, but he went with Bruce Springsteen. Also staying local was So Taguchi with Bon Jovi.

Only two bands got more than one mention: Black Label Society by Rudy Seanez and Brett Myers, who also listed Pantera, and Pearl Jam from Chris Snelling and Greg Dobbs.

Some other oddities: Geoff Jenkins admitted to liking Journey. Chase Utley listed Pussycat Dolls - maybe it's the animal thing. And Brad Lidge went with Breaking Benjamin and Rage Against the Machine, not his favorite band Drowning Pool. I can't believe he wouldn't pick them; he has hung out with them and uses "Soldiers" for his intro song, as a tribute to the troops.

Phanatic: The fuzzy mascot wants to jam with the Reading Phillies Mascot Band. I mention because I omitted his answers for the first two entries. His favorite gadget is the hot dog launcher (it doesn't make it up to our 400 level) and his biggest annoyance is other teams.

Not answering the music question were Tom Gordon, Jayson Werth, J.C. Romero and Pat Burrell, who is the only Phillie yet to answer a single question. Jimmy Rollins answered, but he shouldn't have: "I don't do jammin'," he said, apparently too cool for the team bus and too cool to jam.

Games: The Red Sox lost to the Royals 4-3, blowing a chance to gain a game on the Rays, who also lost. Jason Bay came up with the bases loaded in the 9th but could only muster an infield single. The Yankees are tied at the moment; Joba Chamberlain left the game with a shoulder injury.

The Phillies, Marlins and Mets were all off.

Congrats: In the off-season, I thought Jon Lester would be a solid major leaguer. I didn't think he'd be one of the best in the league and worthy of pitcher of the month.

Lidge tried, but couldn't blow his first save as a Phil

After Shane Victorino's three-run homer in the 8th gave the Phillies a 5-2 lead over the Cardinals, it seemed like a safe lead for the usually dependable bullpen.

But Chad Durbin, J.C. Romero, Ryan Madson and Brad Lidge weren't at their best in the 8th and 9th, allowing the Cardinals to load the bases in each inning before Lidge got out of his own jam: Phillies 5, Cardinals 4.

Because of the ugliness of the pen and the offense's late arrival to the party, Brett Myers' second good start in a row may be overshadowed: two earned, four hits, no walks and three strikeouts in six innings.

Since there has been talk that J.A. Happ is in Philadelphia because brass might want him to replace Myers or Joe Blanton in the rotation, each of the young veterans has pitched well. I'm willing to waste Happ's developmental time if it's the push these two starters need.

The competitors both lost, so the Phils have some breathing room heading into their series against the second-place Marlins, who trail by 2.5 games. The Astros, led today by former Phillie Randy Wolf, completed a sweep of the Mets for the first time since 1993, leaving the Mets three games out.

So what: I can understand a player getting one, I repeat one, standing ovation from the crowd if he used to play in a city. But I don't get the St. Louis fans going nuts every time So Taguchi pinch hits against the Cardinals. Tonight was especially inexcusable because he came up in the 7th with two men on and the Cardinals up by a run. Christine and I rooted for him to turn those cheers into jeers, but he didn't come through.

Red Sox: Three in a row for the new-look Red Sox as they completed a sweep of the A's with a 5-2 win. Another good game for Jason Bay (2-4 with two runs). Jed Lowrie is getting plenty of RBI opportunities hitting behind the new guy.

I'm probably overly critical of Daisuke Matsuzaka. He pitched well today: two earned, four hits, two walks, eight strikeouts in six innings. He wasn't terribly inefficient at 105 pitches. He didn't come out for the 7th after a rain delay.

The competitors both had dramatic comeback wins, so the Sox didn't improve their standings. (I incorrectly read the standings yesterday - I've had a lot on my mind.) They trail the Rays by three and lead the Wild Card by two over the White Sox and 2.5 over the Yankees.

Shrewd acquisitions

For the second straight night, mid-season pickups starred for the SoxandPhils.

Country Joe Blanton picked up his first National League win with his first solid start in three outings for the Phillies. And Jason Bay continued to slug in his new digs. He is quickly earning the type of appreciation that makes you understand why Manny Ramirez reportedly wanted to stay.

Since I've been accused of ignoring the Phils, we'll start in the senior circuit. Blanton pitched well - four hits, two walks, one earned with five strikeouts over seven innings. He got his NL ERA under five (4.80). It didn't matter that the Phillies offense no-showed tonight; solo homers by Greg Dobbs and Ryan Howard were enough for the 2-1 win over the Cardinals.

The Marlins won but the Mets lost, so the Phillies lead the now-in-second-place Marlins by 1.5 and the third-place Mets by two.

Red Sox: Jon Lester won his 10th as the Sox blew out the A's 12-2. Bay gave the Sox the lead in the 1st with a three-run homer. He scored another run on a walk. All starters had a hit. Addition by subtraction.

The Rays and Yankees won; Twins lost. We still trail the little doodles (my affectionate nickname for small-market teams trying to defy the odds) by three. We lead the Twins for the Wild Card by a half game and the Yankees by 4.5.

Back to Bay-seball

Now that the Red Sox are a team again, it's time to refocus the blog back on the field, especially since new left fielder Jason Bay had a memorable debut tonight - scoring both runs in a 2-1, 12 inning win over the Athletics.

{Yes, Greg has been glossing over the fact that before tonight, the Phillies were playing good baseball on the field as a team. It matters only when Boston plays well.}

In the 12th, Bay came up with two outs and tripled. After J.D. Drew was intentionally walked, Jed Lowrie hit an infield single to end the game.

Before the game, Theo Epstein said the players felt like a team again. I'm sure a win like this will only solidify those feelings and let them forget the cloud that has been over them.

The Sox remain three games behind the Rays, but expanded their Wild Card lead to 1.5 over the Twins and 3.5 over the Yankees.

Phillies: Not so good tonight. They couldn't gain ground on the Mets and Marlins, who both lost. They still lead the Mets by one game and the Marlins by 1.5, but on a night when Cole Hamels matched up against Kyle Lohse, the young ace should have been able to beat the guy who is having a fluky good year.

Lohse wasn't dominant but kept his Cardinals in the game while young Cole got knocked around for the second straight start. Cardinals 6, Phillies 3.

We couldn't believe the ovation the Cardinals fans gave So Taguchi. Man, if they love him that much, I'm sure the Phils could have dealt him back.

[Photo credit: Associated Press]