PHILLIES NEWS

The Phils finished off their 3 game set with the White Sox early today with a business person special. As mentioned rookie Kyle Kendrick got the start for the Phils and the youngster did a stellar job going 6 innings while allowing only 3 runs on 6 hits, and striking out 4. If that sounds familiar its because that's exactly what "the Rocket" Roger Clemens did for the Yankees yesterday. Now obviously Kendrick isn't the next Rocket yet, but today was a pretty good start, and if nothing else he's earned himself at least another start and consideration as the long term replacement for Freddy Garcia, if Freddy is in fact out for the rest of the season. Perhaps, the most remarkable aspect of Kendrick's performance though, is that the entire time he was in the game the Phils were trailing, yet he never got discouraged and kept his composure, until the Phils could rally in the 6th and 7th inning, after he left the game. Earlier on the White Sox led, scoring a run each in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd innings for a 3-0 lead. The Phils kept it close with an RBI single by Chase Utley in the first and solo homer by Wes Helms in the 2nd, yes he actually hit one for the first time in over 100 at bats. After Kendrick blanked the Sox for the next three innings, the Phils entered the bottom of the 6th only trailing 3-2. There Jayson Werth beat out an infield single, Wes Helms blooped a single to move Werth to 3rd, and Aaron Rowand lined a pinch hit ground out just hard enough to score Werth and tie the game at 3. Chase Utley then led off the 7th with a double, one out later and after a Pat Burrell walk , Abraham Nunez delivered a pinch single to score Utley and give the Phils a 4-3 lead. From there, things got wide open. After another out, Rod Barajas walked to load the bases with two out for ex-White Sox Aaron Rowand, who had stayed in the game to play centerfield after his pinch ground out. Two Strikes later Rowand greeted his old team with a grand slam, to put the Phils up for good 8-3. The Sox managed to add a run in the 8th to cut the lead to 8-4, but that would be all they'd get the rest of the day as the Phils won 8-4 to complete a sweep of Chicago. Unfortunately now that that's done the big boys are coming to town, as the defending AL Champion Detroit Tigers visit the Bank for the weekend and the Phils are then going to head to Cleveland to face the Indians to start next week. Both of those teams are loaded with talent and are likely headed to the playoffs this season, so if the Phils can get by them without losing too much ground, they might just prove that they're worthy of a division title or at least of a playoff berth. At any rate the Phils are now tied with Atlanta for 2nd in the NL East, and 2 games behind the Mets for first. Thus, life remains beautiful.