Chase Utley looks like he's back, Domonic Brown looks like he's a starter.

Coming off a quality offensive outing (first 5 HR game this year) and Cole Hamels battling Roy Halladay for the starter in the all star game; tonight was one of those Phillies games that we just love to watch.  The team that "relied on the Home Run" too much or the "homeruns only get you so far" hoopla we heard night in and out over the last couple years; had one of those games. 

Hamels was pulled from the game, from what appears to just be his back tightening up.  When asked in the postgame interview if he will make his next start, he emphatically responded "oh yeah."

Chase Utley had a great weekend, and including his bomb tonight, it's almost safe to say he's back.  I still cringe and hold my breath every-time he's up to bat or gets a ball hit hard at him, but I think he's getting back to the Chase Utley form we love. Which has certainly been a spark for this team.

Domonic Brown is your RF from here on out.  I don't care what can be said about another lefty in the lineup, the kid is ready to be a major league ballplayer.  And his 2nd HR was Howard/Thome esque landing easily in the 2nd deck.  Hopefully he stays around in Philly and doesn't become another great young OF shipped off (Byrd/Bourn), because this kid will be an exciting player.


Big day tomorrow for the Phils, as Kyle Kendrick takes on someone making his first MLB start for Florida in the 1:05 game, and then a great pitching matchup between 6-1 3.06ERA Anibal Sanchez takes on Doc, sitting at 9-3 with a 2.39ERA.  Taking these two games would be huge.

This series is more important than you think. Phillies vs Marlins

Why is this series important, against a .500 team that's 3rd in the division?

1. The Braves start a 3 game home series against the Mets.  And we only have a 2.5 game lead on the underrated Braves.  And after the Mets, they have home series against the Rangers and Blue Jays.  Despite those two teams being good, they are still home games for Atlanta. 

2. Hanley Ramirez is returning to the lineup for the Marlins tonight.  While he might do nothing , he might spark the team out of the slide they've been on recently.

3. The next couple series are going to be tough.  This weekend is one of the worst weekends in sports, where the Phillies have 10:05 starts Friday and Saturday in Seattle.  No teams from Philadelphia are ever successful on the west coast, and it's just a weird 3 game interleague series out west.  Then the Phillies have a travel day, but things wont get any easier against the Cardinals in St. Louis (Please Charlie, if Pujols is up with the game on the line, walk him.)  Then were looking at the throwback series as the Oakland A's come to town and then the awfully-scheduled mid week series with Boston in town. 

So the Phillies need to win this sereis.  It's not your typical Phillies-Marlins series.  If the Phillies put together a bad series, it's hard to get out of slumps on the road, especially against two quality teams. 

Tonight we'll see Chris Volstad with a 2-6 record and a 5.5 ERA, taking on Kid Cole Hamels.  Lets get this started off right.

Don't forget to mark your calendars, July 8-10 the Braves come to town.  Huge early-July series for the Phils.  And I'm excited to make a post about just how wrong those people who want to bring the Oakland A's back to Philadelphia, and just how bad that would flop.   Expect to see that when the A's series starts.

Cheers