Another month, same old story: The Phillies are still the kings of the National League, and they are only getting better. The Phillies went 17-8 in the month of July thanks to the continued dominance of their starting pitching rotation, along with some marked improvement from the team's bats. A couple of new faces also made great contributions as well. Vance Worley, who before July was a hot and cold, on and off starting pitcher, may have very well earned himself a permanent spot in the starting rotation thanks to some phenomenal fill-in starts for Roy Oswalt. Hunter Pence, who the Phillies acquired from the Astros in a trade on July 29th, gives the squad a legitimate, right handed bat who will complement Ryan Howard throughout the rest of the season and onward. As of right now, the only team that seems capable of challenging the Phillies for the NL Pennant is the San Francisco Giants, but if the team continues to successfully synchronize great pitching with strong offensive performances, there is no reason why they shouldn't be in the World Series come October. Now, here's the breakdown for each starting pitcher in the month of July.
Roy Halladay: Roy Halladay's consistent excellence continued into the month of July. No big surprise there. Halladay went 3-1 in the month of July with a 2.14 ERA, typically stellar numbers for a typically stellar pitcher. His best performances included a 7 inning, 1 hit shellacking of the Pittsburgh Pirates on July 29th, and a solid 8 inning victory against the San Diego Padres on July 24th. None of his July starts can be considered poor, so Halladay once again gets an A for the month. This season, I have not given Halladay a grade below A-, and I fully expect that trend to continue through August and September.
Grade: A
Cliff Lee: After an almost superhuman month of June, Cliff Lee came back down to Earth in July, having one of his weakest months of the season so far. He went 1-2 (with 2 no decisions) and had a 3.86 ERA throughout July. When Lee was hot, he was really hot, and when he was cold, he was really cold. For example, on July 30th he went 7.2 innings and had 11 strikeouts in a 7-4 win against the Pirates, but just 5 days earlier he only managed to last 4 innings in a 4-5 loss to the Padres. Although I have criticized Lee in some past posts for inconsistent, un-ace like play, I'm not as concerned about it now as I was a couple of months ago. Unlike Halladay, Lee is not a finesse pitcher. Lee's pitching style is built more around freedom and rawness, as opposed to the strict regiments that Halladay follows. Although Lee was sub par this month, I fully expect him to get better as the postseason approaches. Lee has always been a "playoff" pitcher, and his gutsy playing style will suit him well when that time comes.
Grade: B-
Vance Worley: Just when you thought that the Phillies pitching staff couldn't get any more frightening, they have somehow managed to add another ace into their already stacked hand. Worley, a 23 year old rookie who made sporadic starts throughout the first three months of the season, probably will remain in the Phillies starting rotation as a 4th or 5th starter for the remainder of the year. That is because the young pitcher has finally managed to become consistent, efficient, and downright intimidating on the mound. In July, Worley had 5 starts. In those starts, he went 4-0 (with 1 no decision, a 6-5 win against Pittsburgh) and had a 1.54 ERA. That is simply incredible for a rookie pitcher. Worley's most impressive start was his 9 inning, 7-2 victory against the reigning World Series Champions, the San Francisco Giants, on July 26th. Worley will probably only play a small role in the almost inevitable postseason, but he is an important cornerstone for the future of this franchise. Once Halladay, Lee, and Oswalt are gone, Worley will be the guy the Phillies depend on the most. You may laugh at me now, but let's see if your still laughing in 3-5 years.
Grade: A+
Cole Hamels: Hamels continues to have what is probably the best season of his career so far. In July, he went 3-2 with a 2.79 ERA. His first 20 win season is still within reach (he is 13-6 as of today), so expect that possibility to drive him in the final two months of the season. He had some great starts in July, including an 8 inning, 14-1 slaughter of the Braves in which he only gave up 1 earned run on 3 hits. But his career-long struggles against the New York Mets continued in a July 16th game against them in which he only lasted 4.1 innings. The Mets are trash this season though, so playing against them is an afterthought when you realize we are World Series contenders, and they are virtually bankrupt. Overall, it was a very solid month for Cole.
Grade: B+
Kyle Kendrick: Thanks to injuries suffered by Roy Oswalt and Joe Blanton, Kendrick made quite a few starts in the month of July, and proved to be surprisingly serviceable. He went 1-1 with 3 no decisions, and had a 4.06 ERA. Not great numbers, to be sure, but passable for an on again, off again 5th starter who has played much worse in the past. He did have one standout performance that should be noted, a 7 inning, 8-5 victory against the Mets on July 17th in which he only gave up one earned run. With Roy Oswalt healthy again, Kendrick will return to the bullpen in August (where he probably belongs) but his solid month of July should be properly recognized. I thought he would be a C or D pitcher, but he managed to surpass my expectations.
Grade: B-
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