National League Championship Series Bound

Pat “The Bat” Burrell.  This is my call to re-sign him RIGHT NOW.  Patrick Brian Burrell, in a contract, performed bigger then any Phillie in the biggest game of the season to date.

After struggling to swing the bats through the first three games of the NL division series, Philadelphia’s offense broke out in a big way against the Brewers in Game 4 of the NLDS series.  Jimmy Rollins led off the game with a home run and Pat Burrell connected twice to break out of his postseason slump and Jayson Werth added a solo shot to seal the deal and move the Phils one step closer to a World Series run.

Let’s not forget about Joe Blanton who had possibly his best outing in a Phillies uniform since coming over in the deal with the Oakland A’s earlier this season.  He threw six innings, allowing one run on five hits while striking out seven to get the victory.

After the game Charlie Manuel spoke about how proud he was of this team and also added how he feels about the Phils chances against the upcoming Los Angeles Dodgers:

I think we can hold our own with them. Actually, I think we can beat anybody in the National League, really.

Some Fast Facts (courtesy of ESPN.com):

• The Phillies, who won a postseason series for the first time since the 1993 NLCS, set a postseason team record with four home runs.
• Jimmy Rollins started the game with the Phillies’ second postseason leadoff homer in team history. Rollins belted the other in Game 2 of the 2007 NLDS.
• Prince Fielder’s homer was the first by a Brewer in the postseason since Ben Oglivie’s in Game 7 of the 1982 World Series. It was the Brewers’ only extra-base hit of the game.
• The Phillies recorded 17 extra-base hits in the four-game series. The Brewers, who hit .206 in the set, had four.

Phils Beat Fish: 1 1/2 Back

Jayson Werth hit a three-run homer, Jimmy Rollins had three hits and three steals and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Florida Marlins 8-6 on Monday night.

The Phillies closed within 1½ games of the NL East-leading New York Mets. They remain two behind in the loss column.

“Every game is a must-win,” manager Charlie Manuel said. “We have to win more games than they do.”

Joe Blanton (2-0) pitched five shaky innings to earn his first win since Aug. 2. Blanton allowed four runs and five hits in his 10th start since Philadelphia acquired him from Oakland.  Blanton really scares me as we near the home stretch of the season.  Every time I checked back to the Phils game (watching MNF, some fantasy ramifications on the line) he had given up more hits and more runs.  He needs to get his ass in gear if he expects to pitch in the playoffs.  After averaging 1 walk per 9 IP in the AL for his career, he is now averaging 4 walks per 9 IP in the NL, an easier pitchers league, explain that.

Mets News: Billy Wagner is out for the rest of this season and will likely miss all of 2009 too.

The New York Mets closer will have surgery after an MRI on Monday showed a torn MCL in his pitching elbow has gotten worse during more than a month of rehab. His injury could send the Mets into the free-agent market for a top reliever this winter.

Phillies Show Interest in Blanton

According to the Inquirer’s Jim Salisbury the Phils seem to have interest in Oakland A’s starting pitcher Joe Blanton.  This year Blanton is sporting a 5-12 record with a 4.96 ERA this season. Sounds like another crappy pitcher that’s already in our rotation.

This move does not seem to help us in any way shape or form.  Your smarter then that Mr. Gillick.  There are a lot better options out there than Blanton. He’s struggled in Oakland this year, one of the best pitchers parks in the league, please explain how’s that going to translate to Citizens Bank Park?

In other Phillie News: Brett Myers’ next minor-league start will be Friday night in Florida for single-A Clearwater at Brevard County. The plan is to have Myers join the Phillies the next day in nearby Miami and return to the starting rotation July 23 against the New York Mets at Shea Stadium.

Sikahema KO’s Canseco

Onetime Oakland A’s bash brother Jose Canseco was the one getting bashed this past Saturday. The disgraced former major leaguer was knocked down to the mat by former Philadelphia Eagle Vai Sikahema in the first round of a celebrity boxing match in Atlantic City.

The 5-foot-9 Sikahema, who’s 45 and works these days as a sportscaster, swarmed the 44-year-old Canseco, who stands 6-foot-4, as soon as the opening bell sounded. He knocked the admitted steroid user down twice before the fight was stopped. The crowd stood and roared.

“When you step inside the square circle,” Sikahema said, “don’t ever think that your size is going to matter because in Philadelphia, we will chop you down.”

Represent Vai.  And the famous clip of Vai chopping down the goalpost after a kick return.