But the speculative talks of a Roy Halladay trade and a Pedro Martinez signing, along with the political-style hoopla surrounding Shane Victorino's quest for an All-Star spot, and the return yesterday of Raul Ibanez from the disabled list (which prompted the release of popular Chris Coste) hasn't seemed to harm the team at all.

Maybe they are all just pleasant diversions to the everyday task of going out and playing baseball, because the Phils beat the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates last night, 3-2, their seventh win in eight games.

Joe Blanton, pitching on a cool night with another sellout crowd (45,246, the 35th of the season) surrounding him, threw with the quickness of Jim Kaat and the effectiveness that could make those talks of Halladay and Martinez subside a bit (yeah, right). The burly righty threw 71 of his 103 pitches for strikes in his 7 1/3 innings, and struck out six while walking just one. In his last two starts, which encompass 14 2/3 innings, he has allowed only eight hits and one earned run with 11 strikeouts.

"I've been working on my pitches, pretty much throwing anything in any count," Blanton said as teammates rushed out of the clubhouse to take in the fireworks and after he improved his record to 6-4. "I'm just getting back in the zone, really."

The only blemish of his night came on a first-pitch, mammoth home run by Pirates' leftfielder Garrett Jones, one of his three hits, in the first inning that landed close to Ashburn Alley in right-center. Shots like those are normally reserved for the likes of Ryan Howard.

"He hit it a long way," Blanton laughed. "Hey, if you're gonna give 'em up, give 'em up, I guess. I'll take one of those in seven innings of work and if that's the only run I give up every outing . . . "

But Blanton didn't flinch after that shot and allowed only five baserunners through the next 6 2/3 innings on two singles, a hit batter, a walk and an error.

When he gave up a one-out double to Freddy Sanchez in the eighth, Charlie Manuel gave him the night off in favor of J.C. Romero, who got both Jones and Ryan Doumit to ground out and end the threat. Romero also got the first out of the ninth, against lefty Adam LaRoche, before giving way to Brad Lidge, who allowed a Brandon Moss home run and a broken-bat single by Jack Wilson between two outs for his 18th save of the season.

"Blanton's aggressive," said Manuel. "He's a bulldog and he used his changeup and slider and his curveball tonight. He's not fearful. When he's good, like tonight, he's usually keeping the ball down. Before, he'd have one bad inning and it would get him in trouble. His last three or four starts, he's been pretty good."

Jayson Werth, who earlier in the day added to the off-field craziness by being named to his first All-Star Game as a sub for injured Mets outfielder Carlos Beltran by Manuel, continued his torrid hitting by knocking in two runs in the third with a double to left-center.

After his hit, Werth strolled a few steps, looking at his bat as though he may have broken it. Shows what a hot hitter he is to have hit a ball close to the wall with shattered lumber. It was his 55th and 56th RBI of the season; he had a career-high 67 last season. In the eight games on this homestand, he is 8-for-25 with 13 RBI.

Before Werth's hit, two of his All-Star teammates used their speed to produce the Phils' first run. After Victorino singled to left, Chase Utley singled to center. Victorino never hesitated and motored toward third, perhaps distracting centerfielder Andrew McCutchen who bobbled the ball for an error which allowed Victorino to score and Utley to go to third on the throw home. After a walk to Howard, Werth knocked him and Utley in with his double.

The Pirates got a very solid outing from starter Zach Duke (8-8), who allowed only five hits and three earned runs in his eight innings. But as has been the case during this successful homestand, the Phillies' pitching was outstanding. They have allowed just 18 earned runs over the 72 innings (2.25 ERA) during this eight-game stretch at Citizens Bank Park.

Maybe the talks of adding a pitcher will subside slightly.

"You just go out and pitch," said Blanton, when asked about the talks of Martinez and Halladay. "They're [management] gonna do what they're gonna do. If I go out and throw a shutout every game or if I go out and give up eight runs every game, they're gonna do what they're gonna do."

And maybe, just maybe, the off-the-field whirlwind has been good for the club?

"I don't know," said Manuel. "I think the guys are happy that they made the All-Star team and they're playing good and lately we've started to get used to winning again. When we were in Atlanta, we were finding ways to lose games. After we came home, we've been finding ways to win. When we get a lead, we've held it. We've been able to hit the ball at the right time, catch it at the right time. That's what winning is. That's what makes you play consistent." *