No Tricks for Kendrick This Time

Kyle Kendrick battled Jamie Moyer for the fifth spot in the rotation during the entire 2010 spring training and came out on the short end of the stick. Moyer basically got the job because this will be about his 50th season in the majors, and he has some valuable experience (and a contract) that Kendrick doesn't have.

But with the recent news that Joe Blanton will be out for three to six weeks with a strained oblique, it looks as if Kendrick is going to be thrust into the starting rotation after all.

He is going to be taking the third spot in the rotation, making his 2010 debut on Thursday in the final game of the series at Washington. Yea, I know. He went from not making the rotation at all, to starting the third game of the season, but don't be alarmed. If Kendrick continues to play how he has played in the spring, Phillies fans have nothing to worry about.

Kendrick's spring training ERA was an astounding 1.66 in 21 2/3 innings pitched, the most innings of any Phillie. He had only five walks in those innings and gave up a measly 14 hits. Although spring training stats rarely translate to the regular season, it was good to see Kendrick pitching well early on. For Kendrick to be pitching this effectively shows that he was determined to make the ball club this season and worked hard in the offseason to accomplish that goal. Considering his 2009 spring training stats--9.20 ERA, 27 hits, in 14 2/3 innings-- Kendrick certainly proved that he deserved a spot on this team, and I'm glad he got it.

Phillies fans should all be excited to see what Kendrick can bring to the team while Blanton is out. And if Kendrick continues to pitch as well in regular season as he did in the spring, the Phils may have another pitching quandary on their hands. But this time, it will be a good dilemma to have.

Finally Back w/ a Prediction

Well I missed a couple of pregame predictions and a couple of post game analyses but I'm back. As far as game two goes, I do not at all blame Chase Utley. The game should have never gotten to that point. Charlie Manuel should have never taken out Pedro Martinez. He had pitched 7 innings of two hit baseball with a low pitch count. I could understand if Manuel took him out because they were really threatening offensively, but to put Ben Fransisco in when we had 1 out and the bases empty doesn't make much sense, especially the way our bullpen has been. It's tough to win any game though when your offense only puts up one run on a solo shot by post season RBI machine, Ryan Howard. But the domination in game three certainly made up for it.

Cliff Lee had another masterful performance and the offense exploded early for 6 runs in the first two innings. This game was a perfect example of how the Phillies are an extremely mature baseball team. They were able to put the disappointing game two loss behind them and go back on the field as if it were game one again. There's really not much one can say about this game other than the Phillies thoroughly manhandled the Dodgers.

Now to game four. The Phillies are looking to take a commanding three games to one series lead and all but punch their ticket to the series. Joe Blanton takes the mound for the Phillies and looks to prove that he still deserves to pitch in the post season and still has that magic that he had in 2008. The Dodgers throw former Phil Randy Wolf on the mound. He was one of my, along with most Phillie fans' favorites. The Phillies should know everything there is to know about Wolf considering he was originally drafted by the Phillies in 1997. With Blanton having something to prove, the Phillies knowing Randy Wolf and the cold weather, which really seemed to benefit the Phillies last night, I say the Phillies win game four and look to clinch in Philadelphia.

Prediction: 6-4 Philadelphia