DIDN'T KNOW DOC WAS ALSO A MECHANIC
DENVER -- At least it's not snowing this time.
The Phillies will spend less than 24 hours here to make up a game that was postponed twice in May because of rain and snow. I'm guessing the crowd here won't be a record-breaker.
The stretch of 24 games in 23 days continues and Monday is a doubleheader against Florida. Roy Oswalt will start one of those games. The other starter has yet to be determined -- at least publicly.
"We've talked over some names," Charlie Manuel said. "We'll see."
The names, ostensibly, are Andrew Carpenter, Nate Robertson and Vance Worley.
Carpenter is already in line to make his next start Monday. He pitched Wednesday for triple-A Lehigh Valley and allowed two earned runs in 6 2/3 innings against Pawtucket. He struck out six and walked one.
The 25-year-old righthander has a 4.10 ERA in 26 starts at triple A. He's appeared in five big-league games, including one this season. Manuel and Rich Dubee are familiar with him. That will definitely work in his favor.
Worley, 22, had a cup of coffee earlier in the season and pitched an inning for the Phillies. He has the most upside of the three guys. But he's also thrown 157 innings already (he threw 153 1/3 last season) and the Phillies could be cautious with that.
Robertson has been with three organizations this season. He began the year in Florida's starting rotation but was hardly effective. In 100 innings, he had a 5.47 ERA with an ugly 61:40 strikeout to walk ratio.
But he does have a familiarity factor in that he knows many of the Marlins' hitters.
Robertson threw only 59 pitches in his last start for triple-A Lehigh Valley. The 33-year-old lefthander pitched six scoreless innings and probably could have gone further, so that's could be a flag. Phillies pro scout Dave Hollins watched Robertson's start Tuesday. He would be scheduled to pitch again Sunday.
***
Manuel is starting his regulars tonight, with the exception of Carlos Ruiz, who has a day off. That means Brian Schneider makes his second start this week.
1. Jimmy Rollins SS
2. Placido Polanco 3B
3. Chase Utley 2B
4. Ryan Howard 1B
5. Jayson Werth RF
6. Raul Ibanez LF
7. Shane Victorino CF
8. Brian Schneider C
9. Joe Blanton P
Bob Brookover and Matt Gelb team up for their third straight season covering the Phillies for the Inquirer and philly.com.
This is Brookover’s second stint writing about the Phillies, having joined the coverage team after seven years as an Eagles beat writer. Brookover was hired by The Inquirer in 2000 as the Phillies beat writer after spending 13 years writing about the team for two suburban newspapers. While on the Eagles beat, Brookover, who had covered just two winning Phillies teams in 15 seasons, saw the Phillies move into a cash-cow new ballpark and begin playing a brand of the game he found unrecognizable. Follow him on Twitter here.
Gelb is in his third season covering the Phillies. He was hired by The Inquirer in August 2009 after graduating from Syracuse University. He has also covered baseball at The Star-Ledger and Cape Cod Times. Born and raised in Bucks County, he attended Central Bucks High School West. Follow him on Twitter here.
To submit a question for Matt Gelb's Phillies mailbag, click here.
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