AND.. i agree… the Rockies lineup was AAA last night, outside of Helton and Atkins. Kendrick did a nice job, but lets see him keep it going. I think i heard they are 8-3 in his starts this year? Him and Moyer seem to be getting the job done. Myers will hopefully right the ship soon, but we’re winning despite the poor rotation, so lets hope they get it going soon and really start to post some W’s

Kendrick has a swagger about him and he is willing to learn. He isn’t bullheaded like Myers. This will keep him in the majors. He is one of the few young guys who knows that they cannot survive on talent alone.

It also begs the memory of what our rotation was the last half of the season LAST year when we made the playoffs…….
Hamels..Loshe..Moyer..Kendrick..Eaton.

And its hard to believe that we didnt have Hamels for the final month.

We are better now……and lets hope it gets better!!!

Exactly my thoughts on Myers. I was beginning to wonder if all those Myers’ detractors had “inside” info on the alledged injury (chuckle).

Granted his velocity was down earlier in the season. However post game reports on his last two starts (six innings each) indicated his fastballs were in the low nineties. His current problem is his command and location. He’s getting his pitches up and also falling behind in the count which favors the hitter.

I am reminded of an recent interview with John Smoltz and his comments on Myers and the difficult transition from closer to starter. He is quoted in part:

“There’s a big adjustment to be made,” Smoltz said. “[Myers] will make it. He’s been a darn good starter. It’s not like you are talking about someone who hasn’t had success.”

Phillies pitching coach Rich Dubee agrees.

“I think he’s too talented for it to last all season,” he said.

Smoltz said the most important thing Myers can do is block out the criticism. He said he faced doubters when he returned to the rotation, doubters who were singing a different tune after he was successful in 2005.

“You know what I remember? I remember everyone being right, and nobody being wrong,” Smoltz said. “They were all wrong. Every one of them. There wasn’t one person who said I could do it.”

Myers has a proven track record for success and these first two months should not be use as a measurement of his capability. I still have confidence that he will put everything together as the team heads to the next two thirds of the season. And on that note, it’s nice to see the Phillies’ offense running on all cylinders at the moment. At 30-24, they are having better success than last season and with the loss by the surprising Marlins (thank you Mets) last night, now have narrow the gap to a game and half from first place.

Hopefully, Eaton can follow up on a quality start in his most recent outing which he allowed only 3 runs and 8 hits in 7 innings in a 4-3 defeat at Houston last Friday.

Let’s Go Phillies!

i had said kendrick needed an out pitch, well it looks like hes getting one and im glad he did it on his own without having to be sent down or anything. good for him.

He pitched very well last night…he also helped himself with his glove twice, and Feliz and Rollins made a few nice plays behind him too! He’s ok.. he’s never going to give you much more than he did last night, but with everyone else in the rotation struggling at times, he picked a good time to throw a gem.

The offense keeps rolling.. nice production out of Dobbs, Jenkins, Feliz last night… Happ threw really well again his last start, you have to believe that he would get the call up over Bastardo… Is Myers def hurt, or everyone just assuming he is since his velocity is down??

Give a young a guy a string of starts until Benson comes. Plus, lets be serious here…….what are the chances that Benson doesnt have 2 or 3 more “setbacks” and when he does arrive the chances are 25/75 that he goes down with something else. He’s our version of Mike Hampton (albeit a lot cheaper).

Tim……we should have a contest to see who guesses the DL date for Myers the closest.