A hodge-podge of stuff today:

1) Emailer Estep Nagy checked in late last night wondering how Cliff Lee's performance has stacked up against that of Roy Halladay since the trade. Coincidentally, both men were in action last night, with Halladay allowing two runs on 11 hits in six innings of a 10-4 win over the Yankees and Lee pitching a complete game shut-out in a 5-0 win over the Nationals.

Before we look at the breakdown, a quick High Cheese Trivia Question, to be answered at the end of the post -- What is Roy Halladay's given name?

Lee since July 30: 9 GS, 7-2, 2.67 ERA, 64.0 IP .246 BAA, .272 OBP, 4 HR, 60 SO, 9 BB, 59 H, 3 CG

Halladay since July 30: 9 GS, 4-5, 3.82 ERA, 66 IP, .285 BAA, .310 OBP, 10 HR, 60 SO, 10 BB, 3 CG

But keep in mind that seven of Halladay's nine starts have come against three of the four top-scoring teams in baseball (Yankees three times, Red Sox twice, Rays twice). And eight of his 10 home runs have been allowed against those three teams, all of whom are in the top five in baseball in that department.

Lee, meanwhile, has shut down the Rockies (6th in RS), but also has pitched against the Giants (26th in RS), Nationals twice (21st in RS), Astros (25th), Braves (19th), Mets (23rd), Diamondbacks (20th) and Cubs (22nd).

2) Another e-mailer, George Devenny, asked for an early prediction of the postseason roster. Until now, I've resisted the urge to broach the subject. There are simply too many unknowns at this point in time, particularly concerning the statuses of lefty relievers Scott Eyre and J.C. Romero.

But since I was asked:

Definite Position (13): 2B Chase Utley, SS Jimmy Rollins, CF Shane Victorino, LF Raul Ibanez, RF Jayson Werth, C Carlos Ruiz, 1B Ryan Howard, 3B Pedro Feliz, OF Matt Stairs, C Paul Bako, OF Ben Francisco, 3B Greg Dobbs, INF Eric Bruntlett

Definite Pitchers (8): LHP Cole Hamels, LHP Cliff Lee, RHP Joe Blanton, RHP Pedro Martinez, LHP J.A. Happ, RHP Ryan Madson, RHP Brett Myers, RHP Chan Ho Park

That's 21 players who, according to my count, are stone-cold locks for the postseason roster. Although Eric Bruntlett hasn't had a plate appearance since Aug. 25 in Pittsburgh, he has five hits in his last 10 at-bats and proved his importance last season as a base-runner. He just hasn't had much of a chance to pinch-hit thanks to the success of the Phillies' starters down the stretch and the presence of Ben Francisco.

That leaves four open roster spots for the following pool of players:

RHP Brad Lidge, RHP Tyler Walker, LHP Scott Eyre, LHP J.C. Romero, RHP Clay Condrey, RHP Chad Durbin, LHP Jack Taschner, LHP Jamie Moyer

As you can see, the Phillies will be faced with some tough decisions. At least two pitchers who were on last season's postseason roster will not be there - at least to start - this time around. If the postseason started tomorrow, I expect the Phillies would keep Lidge, Walker, Durbin and Condrey. Moyer would be headed to Clearwater to stay sharp in case he is needed to fill in as a starter. J.A. Happ would slide into Moyer's role as a long man, plus would provide the team's only left-handed option in the bullpen. Would the Phillies really head into the playoffs without an experienced lefty reliever? At this point, they would probably have to. But again, there is a lot of baseball left to play. If Walker continues to pitch like he has -- 14 consecutive scoreless innings and counting -- I see no way the Phillies could keep him off the roster. That would likely be bad news for Durbin and Condrey, seeing as though Chan Ho Park and J.A. Happ can pitch multiple innings, and Park and two of Lidge, Myers, Walker and Madson can be your righthander in the seventh and eighth, depending on who is closing.

A lot could depend on who the Phillies face. For example, Clay Condrey has allowed five hits in 33 at-bats against the Rockies current roster. Todd Helton is 1-for-7 lifetime against him while Brad Hawpe, Yorvit Torrealba, Chris Iannetta and Troy Tulowitzki are a combined 0-for-14. But the Dodgers' current roster has hit a robust .429 off of Condrey in his career including Matt Kemp's 7-for-8, Rafael Furcal's 3-for-5, Andre Ethier's 3-for-8 and Juan Pierre's 4-for-8.

Walker, meanwhile, has a .275 BAA against the Dodgers (0-for-12 against Juan Pierre, Russell Martin, Rafael Furcal, Andre Ethier and Casey Blake, but 8-for-14 against Manny Ramirez, Matt Kemp and Orlando Hudson) and .196 against the Rockies (4-for-26 against Brad Hawpe, Clint Barmes, Garrett Atkins, Troy Tulowitzki and Ryan Spillborghs, 3-for-9 with a HR against Todd Helton). Looking forward, Walker is 2-for-12 against the Cardinals Matt Holliday.

Long story short, it's way too early to make any projections.

Even if the Phillies clinch early, the battle in the bullpen will provide a certain level of intrigue through the close of the regular season. If one, or both, of Romero or Eyre is healthy, it will make things really interesting. The Phillies really need one of those two, or else they will be forced to either use Happ as their lone lefty out of the 'Pen, or add Taschner - who isn't a true situational lefty - or rookie Sergio Escalona. The Phillies could still call up LHP Antonio Bastardo.

3) The Phillies' magic number is 12. They are a game behind the Cardinals for second place in the National League. They are seven games ahead of the Marlins, 7.5 ahead of the Braves.

4) High Cheese Trivia Answer: Roy Hallday was born Harry Leroy Halladay.

How did you spend your second-to-last off day of the Phillies' regular season? I spent it trying to calculate their magic number (numbers aren't my thing, although some of you would argue that words aren't either). With 20 games remaining in 20 days, it's that time. We here at High Cheese have avoided any mention of magic number to this point, mostly because the Phillies entered Sunday's doubleheader with the possibility of seeing their divsion lead slip to 3.5 games, but also because of the aforementioned aversion to math.

But in two days, the Phillies have built their division lead to seven over the Marlins, who lost last night to the Cardinals, which means they enjoy the very real possibility of being able to clinch the division at some point on a 10-game road trip that begins this weekend in Atlanta.

Without futher adieu:

1. Phillies 82-60, 0 GB
2. Marlins 76-68, 7 GB
3. Braves 75-68, 7.5 GB

Magic Number: 13

As you all know, the magic number is the combination of Phillies wins and Braves/Marlins losses it will take to clinch. Thirteen straight wins by the Phils and they have 95 wins, one more than the Marlins or Braves can manage. Thirteen straight losses by the Marlins and Braves, and they have 81 losses, one more than the Phillies can manage. The Braves host a three-game series with the Mets starting tonight before hosting the Phillies this weekend. The Marlins finish their series with the Cardinals tomorrow, then start a four-gamer with the Reds before hosting the Phillies next Tuesday and Wednesday. The Marlins and Braves face each other Sept. 28-30.

The earliest the Phillies can clinch, according to my calculations, is next Tuesday's doubleheader against the Marlins. Of course, that would require them sweeping the Nationals and Braves (six wins), and having the Mets sweep the Braves (six losses) and the Cardinals and Reds sweep the Marlins (six losses).

^

I'm interested to see how the Phillies' rotation sets up over the next week or so. They can use yesterday's off day and the off day next Monday to do a variety of things. A lot of it depends on when they project J.A. Happ being ready to return.

Will the Phillies start Jamie Moyer against the Marlins next week?

 Happ when his turn in the rotation arrives (Friday at Atlanta). They have a track record of playing it safe with injuries, and Happ has already thrown a lot of innings this season. The question is, assuming Happ does not start against the Braves, how do the Phillies proceed? He threw a bullpen session yesterday, which normally occurs on the second day after pitching. The Phillies could let Jamie Moyer pitch against the Braves Thursday, or they could go with Kyle Kendrick, who has pitched well against Atlanta in his young career and is coming off a superb 7 1/3 inning effort against the Mets. Either way, the Phillies will likely have the option of starting Moyer against his favorite opponent, the Marlins on Monday or Tuesday. Do the Phillies feel Happ is healthy to the point where he only needs a couple of extra days of rest? They could let Moyer or Kendrick face the Braves, and then start Happ a couple of days later. Or, they could let another turn in the rotation pass by, which would allow Moyer/Kendrick, Pedro Martinez and Cliff Lee to face the Braves, followed by Joe Blanton, Cole Hamels and Moyer against the Marlins. Happ could then get back on the mound against the Brewers. If the Phillies project him in their playoff rotation, they could get him another start on the last day of the season, which would give him three after returning from the injury. Or they could use the eight days in between his start in Houston and the start of the NLDS to transition him into a relief role.

As good as Happ has been this season, and as relatively inexperienced as he is in the bullpen, right now the safe money is on Happ entering the postseason in the bullpen. Lefthanders Scott Eyre and J.C. Romero both seem intent on pitching through the pain in their arms, but the Phillies have no idea how effective either one will be. If Eyre and Romero struggle, the Phillies would be left with veteran Jack Taschner, who was ineffective in the first half of the season before being sent to the minors, or rookie Sergio Escalona as their lefty options in the bullpen (the Phillies have not used Jamie Moyer at all as a situational lefty).

The mere mention of the word playoffs to manager Charlie Manuel will prompt a lengthy soliloquy on how the Phillies are simply focused on making the playoffs. But after taking three out of four games from the Mets, and with 20 games in 20 days over the next three weeks, there is no reason why we, the general public, cannot think about the playoffs. In fact, as much as the Phillies tell you they aren't thinking about the playoffs, it is a pretty good bet that they will play these last three weeks while trying to set themselves up for an ideal rotation in October.

This begs the question: What is the ideal rotation?

Here are three fearless predictions:

1) Cole Hamels will be the Phillies' Game 1 starter

I'm tempted to say that this has nothing to do with the fact that Cliff Lee has allowed 17 runs and four home runs in his last three starts while allowing opponents to hit .397 against him. But if Lee were still undefeated with a 0.68 ERA and .175 BAA, as he was in his first five starts with the Phillies, Manuel might try to find a way to get him the Game 1 start. As it is, Hamels has allowed just five runs in his last 29 2/3 innings, and despite the age difference, has a lot more postseason experience (six starts) than Lee (0 starts).

2) The Phillies will host the Rockies or travel to L.A.

OK, this one isn't exactly fearless. In fact, it looks like a lock right now. If the Phillies finish with the third-best record among division winners, they will travel to the Dodgers, assuming the Rockies are the Wild Card. If they finish with the second-best record, they will host the Rockies.

Either way, I think the road to the World Series will run through Los Angeles. I know the Cardinals are the story of the second half, and that Matt Holliday has transformed their line-up. Chris Carpenter is pitching like he wants to steal Adam Wainwright's Cy Young.

 But last I checked, the Dodgers still had the best record in the National League (by one game over the Cardinals, two over the Phillies). Furthermore, 12 of their last 18 games are against the Pirates, Nationals and Padres. They also host the Giants, from whom they took two out of three last weekend, this weekend.

The Cardinals, meanwhile, are coming off a three-game sweep at the hands of the Braves and have three-game sets remaining against the Marlins, Cubs and Rockies, all of whom have winning records.

Since Aug. 5, when they split a two-game series with the Mets and were tied for the NL Central Lead, the Cardinals are 25-9. But 23 of those wins have come against the Pirates, Reds, Padres, Astros, Nationals and Brewers. So they are 23-5 against six teams who are a combined 323-390 (.453) and 2-4 against everybody else (Braves and Dodgers)

On paper, the Phillies don't have an easy road either. They face the Nationals (12-3), Braves (6-9), Marlins (7-5), Brewers (1-2) and Astros (0-4) to close out the season.

The way I see it, they'll be battling the Cardinals to avoid the Dodgers in the first round.

3) Pedro Martinez will be in the playoff rotation.

Forget his last three starts, when he has allowed four runs in 21 2/3 innings. His stuff has looked excellent. But it is the playoff experience that will convince the Phillies to give him the start in Game 3 or Game 4, particularly if the opponent is the Dodgers. This is a guy with 11 career postseason starts under his belt -- on a sidenote, it is kind of crazy that Hamels is only five starts behind him in career postseason starts -- in which he has posted a 3.40 ERA. Sure, his last appearance came five years ago. But you can't ignore the experience.

One caveat: In four career starts at Coors Field, Martinez is 1-2 with a 4.97 ERA and has allowed seven home runs. Of the 12 runs he has allowed this season, four have come on home runs.

But Happ has never started a game at Coors, nor has Blanton.
 

He's going to take me out. That was Pedro Martinez's first thought. With two out in the eighth inning of a 1-0 game and the tying run on second base, he is going to take me out.

"I didn't like it," Martinez said later.

I'm not going to take him out. That was Charlie Manuel's first thought. With two out in the eighth inning of a 1-0 game and an injury-depleted bullpen at the tail end of a doubleheader and a future Hall of Famer on the mound pitching like he did when he was 32, no way in hell am I going to take him out.

"When I went to the mound, I was leaving him in anyway, because I liked him on their hitters," Manuel said later.

As the manager made his way from the dugout to the mound, the infielders converged to meet him. Trotting in from second base, Chase Utley saw the look in Martinez's eyes.

"He might not get you," Martinez later recalled Utley saying. "(Utley) asked me if I wanted the guy, and I said yeah I want him."

And, sure enough, Manuel asked him the same thing.

"You got anything left?" the manager asked.

"I want him," the pitcher answered.

And then the meeting broke, and the manager trotted back to the dugout, and the infielders returned to their positions, and Martinez toed the rubber and stared in at Jeremy Reed.

"Just looking in his eyes told me that he wanted him," Manuel recalled later.

Two pitches later - the 129th and 130th of the evening for the 37-year-old Martinez - the inning was over, as Carlos Ruiz blocked an off-speed pitch in the dirt, then picked it up and threw out Daniel Murphy trying to take third base. Martinez pumped his fist and walked off the mound to a standing ovation, eight scoreless innings behind him.

Later, after Ryan Madson capped off a pivotal doubleheader sweep by closing out the ninth inning of a 1-0 victory, Manuel walked wearily to a podium deep in the bowels of Citizens Bank Park.

"Whew," he said into the microphone.

The Phillies had entered the day facing the possibility of letting their lead in the National League East slip to 3.5 games. But by the end of it - after six hours of baseball and 15 1/3 innings of starting pitching and a 2-for-15 performance by the line-up with runners in scoring position -- their record had grown to 82-60, and their lead in the divison to 6.5 with 20 left to play.

Plenty more in Monday's paper.

Sometimes, the most difficult part of an injury is not the injury itself -- athletes are used to physical pain; they aren't used to being away from their teammates for two months, forced to follow the ebbs and flows from afar. When Clay Condrey first went on the disabled list with an oblique injury in June, he talked about how he felt guilty not being able contribute to the bullpen. Since then, he has appeared in just three games, the last coming in mid-July.

"I haven't slept in eight weeks," Condrey said yesterday.

He'll have at least two more sleepless nights, as the Phillies have decided to send him to Class A Lakewood to pitch in a playoff game tomorrow. Condrey pitched the first inning of the Reading Phillies' 9-3 loss to Akron in the Eastern League playoffs yesterday, allowing two runs on two hits, one of them a two-run home run to Beau Mills.

The Phillies had hoped to activate Condrey prior to today's doubleheader against the Mets, but have decided to get him at least one more outing. Condrey said his oblique reacted well after his outing.

"It felt good," he said. "It reacted pretty good today. I'm sore, but it's a good pitching sore."

He said the Phillies want to give him another chance to refine his control, but, Condrey said, "I don't think it's a problem."

"I'd like to say I'm ready right now," he said.

Assuming he suffers no physical set-back tomorrow, expect him to be activated after Monday's day off.

^

Ben Francisco is starting in right field in place of Jayson Werth in the first game of today's doubleheader, which features the return of Kyle Kendrick to the mound.

Charlie Manuel doesn't address the media prior to day games, but it is pretty clear he wanted to give Werth the first game off while also keeping his best possible defense on the field. That's likely why the left-handed hittting Matt Stairs isn't in the line-up against righthander John Maine.

Stairs, Werth and Francisco have never faced Maine in their careers. Chase Utley is 7-for-22 with a home run off Maine, while Shane Victorino is 6-for-19 with a home run, Carlos Ruiz is 4-for-11, and Pedro Feliz is 3-for-7 with a home run.

Ryan Howard is 5-for-23 with two home runs off Maine, while Jimmy Rollins is 4-for-25.

I wouldn't be surprised to see Stairs in the line-up tonight against Tim Redding in place of Raul Ibanez. Stairs is 2-for-10 with a home run off of Redding. Utley is 10-for-22 with two home runs, Feliz is 7-for-20 with a home run, while Werth is 3-for-16 with a home run. Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard are a combined 9-for-64 lifetime against Redding.

Well, the Phillies finally have some good news regarding their injury-depleted bullpen. Condrey, who has not pitched since July 22 after straining his oblique, was scheduled to pitch in a playoff game for Double-A Reading today. But because that game was rained out, the Phillies are hopeful that he will pitch for them tomorrow, general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said.

Condrey had made just three appearances since June 18, when he strained the oblique for the first time and missed a month. He returned to pitch three games in late July, before re-aggravating the injury and going back on the DL.

Condrey was one of the team's most reliable relievers for the first two-and-a-half months of the season. Overall, he is 6-2 with a 3.41 ERA, although that number is skewed by his final two games before his first DL stint, when he allowed six earned runs while recording just one out.

Amaro said that if Condrey pitches tomorrow and shows no ill-effects, he could be activated in time to pitch in Sunday's doubleheader against the Mets.

Also, righthander Andrew Carpenter has been recalled to help pitch in this weekend.

Just a few quick notes before I run across the street to do Daily News Live:

1) Charlie Manuel said he has been told that the steady rain that has been falling all day on South Philadelphia is expected to diminish around 6:30, leaving an opening that the Phillies believe will be big enough to play tonight's game against the Mets. Then again, Manuel was told the same thing before Game 5 of the World Series last year.

2) J.A. Happ is improving, but Manuel said that the lefthander could miss a third start due to the innercostal strain that has sidelined him since Monday. Happ was throwing lightly off of flat ground in right field today.

"It sounds like he is going to miss another one, but I'm not sure," Manuel said. He later labelled the chances of Happ returning in time for his scheduled start next week "50/50."

3) Clay Condrey said he felt good today and ready to return to competitive action, but said he did not know what the Phillies' plan for him was.

4) Scott Eyre has a bone chip in his elbow, but he said that he is determined to play through the pain. He will get a cortisone shot within the next couple of days, then try to get back on the mound. Eyre, who said he hopes to play again next season, said that doctors have told them there is a procedure they can perform in the offseason to alleviate the sharp pain caused by the chip.

The call came just before 10 o'clock tonight. Bullpen coach Mick Billmeyer answered. Brad Lidge was already beginning to get loose, still wearing his warm up jacket but stretching his legs for what until now had been the inevitable notification that the save situation was his.

But this time, Billmeyer relayed the message to Ryan Madson, who Tuesday night relieved Lidge with the bases loaded and one out in a 5-3 game, retiring the final two batters to record the save. Madson walked to the mound to warm-up. Lidge, meanwhile, disappeared beneath the stands, then re-emerged a few moments later. He took a drink of water, then walked to join the rest of the relievers seated in plastic folding chairs as Madson readied to enter the game.

Is Ryan Madson the new Phillies closer, replacing a struggling Lidge who has blown 10 saves while posting an ERA of more than a touchdown? He was tonight.

After allowing a leadoff single to Justin Maxwell, he struck Cristian Guzman out looking, then got Adam Dunn to line into a game-ending double play, preserving the 6-5 victory.

Charlie Manuel addressed the media an hour ago. As expected, the topic of conversation centered around Brad Lidge, whom Manuel removed from the game with the bases loaded and the ninth inning last night.

Is Lidge still the Phillies' closer?

"I'm going to sit down somewhere along the way and talk to him and whatever," Manuel said. "I'm getting kind of tired of it if you want to know the truth, really. I am. And the reason is, I figure I can put him in the game when I want to. I've been very loyal to him and stuck with him and I've done everything I think possible to get him going. There's no way I ever want to lie to him. Like I told you last night, I don't do that, and I don't have a history of doing that. But at the same time, we're going to win the game. And the best way to win the game, and that includes Brad is not out there to close, then I guess that's going to be my decision. Now, we are going to play to win the game. Our team is definitely not about the one guy. And I'm sure he feels that way. It's very important that we get him straight and right, but at the same time we're going to play to win the game."

It's pretty easy to read in between the lines there. But keep in mind that there is no rule that requires Manuel to designate a "closer." It isn't a quarterback or a starting pitcher. In the end, the Phillies' closer is whoever Manuel calls upon in the ninth inning of a tight game. Last night, Lidge got the first whack at it, but Madson ended up being the closer.

Remember last season, when Ryan Madson pitched his way into the eighth inning down the stretch? At no time did Manuel announce that Madson was his set-up man. He proved capable of the job, and ended up pitching the eighth inning in the playoffs. There's a good chance you won't know who the Phillies closer is until the ninth inning each night. Manuel did not rule out Lidge as a possibility in the team's next save situation. But he didn't rule out Madson and Myers either.

^

Scott Eyre will see team doctor Michael Ciccotti tomorrow, at which point the Phillies should learn more about the source of his elbow pain and how long he might be sidelined for.

^

Manuel said that he was leaning toward starting Pedro Martinez in the nightcap of Sunday's doubleheader against the Mets, and that Kendrick was a strong possibility for the first game. Jamie Moyer will likely pitch Saturday in place of J.A. Happ, who will miss the start with a mild muscle strain in his rib cage.

Pitching coach Rich Dubee all but dismissed the idea of starting Cliff Lee on short rest in the doubleheader. He called the chances of such a move "minor."

Unless something unexpected occurs, it looks like Kendrick will get his first meaningful big league start since late last season on Sunday.