Photos: 2008 Phillies
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Kendrick could get a lot more man love tonight if he outduels Mets lefthander Johan Santana, who is scheduled to face the Phillies for the fourth time this season.
If it were up to some Phillies fans, Kendrick wouldn't have this opportunity, thanks to the widely held belief that manager Charlie Manuel should have juggled his rotation to get ace lefthander Cole Hamels what would have been his just second start of the season against the Mets.
But the Phillies philosophy is clear: In order to overtake the Mets and clinch their second straight division title, arms like Kendrick's are going to have to perform in big spots. And with Hamels already at the top of the National League in innings pitched, the reward for moving him up a day (he still would have had his normal rest with an off-day last week) did not outweigh the risk.
Kendrick, for one, is looking forward to the challenge.
"My birthday is today, but I'll take tomorrow," he said. "That's what I want, really. My birthday present is to win [today]."
Kendrick has pitched well against the Mets during his season-and-a-half in the big leagues. In three starts, he is 1-1 with a 2.40 ERA. He last faced them on July 6, when he allowed one run on eight hits in six innings of a 4-2 Phillies loss. He struggled the first time he faced them this year, allowing seven runs in 2 1/3 innings at Shea Stadium in April.
"I don't want to get too amped, because then I leave the ball up if I get too hyper, and that's not me," said Kendrick, who bounced back from a couple of shaky starts to hold the Dodgers to one run on three hits on Friday. "Just kind of relax a little bit and narrow my focus. All that is going to happen once you get on the mound. Once the game starts, it's fine."
While it is unclear if any of the Phillies top young prospects will be called up in September, former No. 5 starter Adam Eaton will almost certainly be reinstated to the big-league roster. When Eaton, who was 4-8 with a 5.80 ERA in 21 appearances for the Phillies this season, accepted an option to the minor leagues in late July, he expressed a desire to return to the club once rosters expand. The Phillies are expected to grant that wish.
"It's likely Eaton will be back," assistant general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said.
Eaton, who is 0-4 with a 7.42 ERA in six minor league starts, would likely spend the stretch run as a long man out of the bullpen. Amaro said the team will also consider veteran righthander Kris Benson for a similar role. Though he acknowledged that Benson's situation is a little less conducive for relief - his injury and history as a starter would likely affect the time it takes him to warmup - Amaro said Benson was a possibility for a callup.
Since the trade deadline, the Phillies have spent a considerable amount of time looking to add another hitter who might bolster the team's bench, and Amaro said that process will continue through Aug. 31, when players who are eligible for postseason play must be added to the roster. One possibility was Braves outfielder Mark Kotsay, who cleared waivers and is now eligible to be traded. But ESPN.com reported late last night that the Red Sox were close to a deal with Atlanta that would bring Kotsay to Boston.
Freddy Galvis, an 18-year-old infield prospect playing for Class A Lakewood, was named to the South Atlantic League All-Star team yesterday. Galvis, currently hitting .242 with 14 steals and 42 RBI, has made an impression in the field, where his .968 fielding percentage leads all shortstops in the SAL . . . Charlie Manuel said he hasn't heard much talk in the Phillies clubhouse about Mets shortstop Jose Reyes, who angered some Phillies with his home-run celebration during New York's 6-3 win on July 23. *
For more Phillies coverage and opinion, read David Murphy's blog, High Cheese, at http://go.philly.com/highcheese.
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