PHILLIES NEWS

The Phils welcomed the Pittsburgh Pirates to the Bank tonight to start a weekend series. Joe Blanton got the start tonight and was brilliant again, allowing just 1 run on 4 hits in 7 and 1/3rd innings. Meanwhile, the Phils only managed to score in the 3rd inning, but thanks to Blanton that was enough to win. The Pirates got things started with a bang as Garrett Jones absolutely destroyed a solo homer over the brick wall in center field with 2 outs in the top of the 1st. In the bottom of the 3rd, the Phils countered with their only runs on an error and a 2 run double by Jayson Werth, all with 2 outs. From there after Blanton cruised into the 8th inning, J.C Romero came in to finish off the 8th and Brad Lidge got the save in the 9th after allowing a 2 out solo homer. So the Phils hung on to win 3-2, their 3rd win in a row. Blanton can't possibly pitch any better than he is right now. This his 2nd start in a row in which he has gone into the 8th inning and he's now 6-4 overall. If there is a definite number 2 guy in the Phils rotation right now its Blanton. As it happens Werth was named to NL All Star team after all to replace Carlos Beltran. The addition of Werth thus gives the Phils 5 All-Stars, their first time with 5 All-Stars since 1995(Lenny Dykstra, Darren Daulton, Mickey Morandini, Tyler Green, and Heathcliff Slocumb). Also with Werth all 3 Phils starting outfielders are now on the All-Star team, making them the first team to send all 3 of their outfielders to the All-Star game since the 1995 Indians(Albert Belle, Manny Ramirez, and Kenny Lofton). By the way, the hitting coach on that 1995 Indians team was some guy named Charlie Manuel. Anyway so the Phils improve to 46-38 overall and now 3 games up in the NL East.