Back to .500

The Phillies have spent most of the 2009 season under .500 in overall record, and most of their games under the .500 mark in Win Expectancy. Consistently poor starting pitching can have that effect. But the Phillies rode their strong bullpen, and a pair of late-inning homers, to escape a 3rd inning WE of .108 (10.8%) in Sunday's 7-5 rubber game victory in Colorado. The Phillies have won consecutive games for the first time this season, reaching the .500 mark (3-3) for the first time.

Trailing 4-0 after the first inning, and 5-1 after three innings, Philadelphia pulled to within 5-3 after seven innings. Chase Utley (.348 WPA) tied the game in the 8th, with a two-run homer off Colorado setup man Manny Corpas, and pinch-hitter Matt Stairs (.245 WPA) gave the Phillies the lead with a two-run blast in the ninth off Rockies closer Huston Street. (Stairs' homer was the 255th of his career, second most among Canadian-born MLBers, and most among MLBers who have played for ten or more teams.) The Phillies bullpen combined for five and two-thirds scoreless innings, allowing only two hits and two walks, contributing a total WPA of .328. Brad Lidge picked up his second save of the year, and his forty-third save in forty-three regular season save opportunities as a Phillie.

Today's Phillies comeback would not have been possible (or necessary), were it not for Chan Ho Park's ineffective start. Park was horrendous, allowing five runs on seven hits and three walks, surviving only three and one-third innings. Park threw ninety-six pitches, fifty-five for strikes, and recorded only two strikeouts. DFA'd Villain/Baltimore Oriole Adam Eaton could have put up those type of numbers. (Actually, Eaton pitched against the Rays in Baltimore today, and allowed "only" four runs in four innings.) The early innings were played in a steady rain, and it seemed Park's best chance to avoid his first loss as a Phillie was a rain out. (A rain delay may also have given Park the opportunity to better Eaton's performance with the Rockies grounds crew on July 8, 2007, which may have been the $25 million free agent's greatest Phillies moment.) Despite Park's difficulties Sunday, he did face a tough lineup, under difficult weather (and altitude) conditions, and with the backup catcher (Chris Coste, subbing for DL'd starter Carlos Ruiz) behind the plate. It's too soon for the Phillies swap roles between Park and J.A. Happ. Perhaps after three Park starts...

Philadelphia will travel cross-country to play in the Nationals' home opener Monday afternoon. The Nationals are winless in their six games this season, but Nats slugger Adam Dunn believes all the team needs to do is improve their pitching and batting. Jamie Moyer gets the start, pursuing his first win of the season, and his two-hundred and forty-seventh career win. He will be opposed by Daniel Cabrera, who leads Nationals starting pitchers with forty-eight career wins. It should be a good opportunity for the Phillies to get their season record over .500, and to spend a game with their WE over .500.