It's not easy for a batter to get four hits in a game, including a first-inning home run, and go virtually unnoticed.
Dobbs tied his career high with the four hits, but his big game was no aberration. It was simply a continuation of a torrid stretch for the 31-year-old lefthanded batter, who set a single-season club record with 22 pinch hits last season.
In the absence of the injured Raul Ibanez, Dobbs has frequently started in left field against righthanded pitchers and he has cushioned the loss of Ibanez, the team's MVP for the first half of the season.
Entering last night, Dobbs had 16 hits in his last 38 at bats for a .421 average. In his 17 starts before last night, he batted .357 (20 for 56) with four homers and 12 RBIs.
"I think any time you get at-bats in succession, it's going to help," he said. "You see more pitches. You get into somewhat of a rhythm. As a bench player, you battle. You have to try to do the best you can even though you're not promised a certain number of at-bats. I think it's been a case of getting in there and getting more at-bats."
"Everything is magnified when you only get one at-bat," he said. "[Starting] does alleviate some of the pressure. Pinch-hitting in tough situations when you're facing some of the top guys from opposing bullpens, that's pressure enough."
Dobbs was at the center of controversy when what would have been a walk-off home run against the Red Sox on June 12 was ruled foul and the umpires refused to go to video review. The Phils lost in 13 innings.
"I thought it was fair," Dobbs said of his towering shot that went above the foul pole. "I thought it crossed over as a fair ball and then after that it curved foul."
Manuel on J-Roll
Phillies manager Charlie Manuel explained how Jimmy Rollins apparently has solved the problems he was having at the plate.
"He's gotten closer to the plate and he loads better," Manuel said. ". . . He's loading up his hands, that's your trigger, and it has something to do with your rhythm and balance. His bat is more in the hitting zone. He's going down toward the ball rather than underneath it."
Asked why it took nearly half the season for Rollins to find his swing, Manuel said, "Believe me, you can know exactly what you're doing wrong and you can feel OK, but it just ain't happening. That's the beauty of this game."
Rollins went into last night's game 10 for 19 (.526) with six RBIs since ending a 0-for-28 stretch.
A tasteful bet
The governors of Pennsylvania and Hawaii have a friendly wager on which state will cast more online votes for Hawaiian native Shane Victorino, a candidate for the 33d and final roster spot on the NL all-star team.
Gov. Rendell and Gov. Linda Lingle of Hawaii yesterday agreed that Rendell will send Lingle eight cases of cheesesteaks if Pennsylvania cast more votes, and Lingle will ship eight cases of pineapples to Rendell if Hawaii casts more.
Victorino was running a close second to the Giants' Pablo Sandoval, according to MLB.com, the Web site for the online voting. Balloting ends tomorrow at 4 p.m.
No word on Martinez
The Phillies' special assistant to the general manager, Charley Kerfeld, who is in the Dominican Republic to scout free-agent righthander Pedro Martinez, could not be reached for comment yesterday.
Kerfeld was scheduled to watch Martinez pitch a simulated game.
The winning margin
The Phillies' 21-run margin on Monday was the team's largest of the modern era, which began in 1901. The Phils won games by 29-4 in 1894 and 24-0 in 1887.
Contact staff writer Ray Parrillo at 215-854-2743
or rparrillo@phillynews.com.
