Offensive assault, Worley's gem help Phillies crush Cubs

The heat in Chicago didn't slow the Phillies down this time. With temperatures in the mid to upper 90's throughout the game, the Phillies offense took charge early as they crushed the Cubs, 9-1.

The offense jumped all over Cubs starter Ryan Dempster, knocking him around for 7 hits and 6 runs in the first three innings. It was a team effort, with every Phillies starter except Shane Victorino picking up a hit. Jimmy Rollins provided the power for the Phils, hitting a pair of solo shots from each side of the plate in the later innings while scoring 4 runs in the game. When you get a big contribution from a guy like Michael Martinez (2 hits, 2 runs, 2 steals), you know the Phillies are going to be tough to beat.

Vance Worley threw yet another gem for the Phillies, striking out 7 while giving up just one run and four hits in 8 innings of work. He was solid early, allowing no hits until the 5th inning, and lowered his ERA on the season to a miniscule 2.02. Worley has turned into quite the asset for the Phillies and has more than adequately filled in for the injured Roy Oswalt. When Oswalt is healthy, Worley will certainly bump Kyle Kendrick out of the rotation. The Phillies will have an interesting decision to make with their rotation when Joe Blanton returns. With his value at as high of a point as it ever will be, could now be the perfect time to trade Worley?

With an off day tomorrow and a series with the Padres starting on Friday, the Phillies continue to find themselves in a great position. While the Braves are nipping at their heels, the Phils are in virtually no danger of not making the playoffs. Once they get there, we know this team is built for a deep playoff run.

Phillies designate J.C. Romero for assignment

Due to the doubleheader yesterday, the Phillies needed to call up a pitcher to take the mound on Saturday against the Mariners. Enter Vance Worley, who was recalled from Lehigh Valley. To make room for Worley, the Phillies made a somewhat surprising move and designated J.C. Romero for assignment.

What makes the move surprising is that the Phillies could have easily sent David Herndon down to the minors without having to shake anything up. DFAing Romero makes sense based on how poorly he has pitched this season but it also leaves the Phillies with just one lefty out of the pen. The plan in the long run could be to call up Mike Zagurski or acquire another lefty to be a LOOGY behind Antonio Bastardo.

As for Romero, he now has 10 days to wait and see if he will be claimed. If he goes unclaimed, he could be sent to the minors. I could easily see another team taking a chance on Romero, who isn't too far removed from being an effective pitcher, so don't be surprised if we've seen the last of him in a Phillies uniform.

Phillies place Blanton on DL, call up Worley

In a move that seemingly came from nowhere, the Phillies have announced that Joe Blanton, who was supposed to start tomorrow against the Mets, will go on the disabled list due to a medial impingement in his right elbow. In his place, the Phillies have called up Vance Worley, who will immediately join the rotation and will face the Mets tomorrow.

There had been no news about Blanton being injured until today and there is no information about how long he will be out. The injury doesn't seem too serious, with surgery not a likely option, so Blanton could be out for just a short time. While he is out, the Phillies don't figure to drop off to much with Worley. Besides the fact that Blanton hasn't exactly lit the world on fire this year, Worley was very good in the 2 starts the Phillies gave him last year, posting a 1.38 ERA and .923 WHIP. While those numbers are not going to continue, there is no reason why Worley can't give the Phils 6 solid innings each start.

The disabled list just continues to grow for the Phillies, as Blanton joins fellow pitchers Jose Contreras, J.C. Romero and Brad Lidge on the DL. Add in Chase Utley and Dominic Brown, plus the recent injury to Carlos Ruiz, and the Phillies have a ton of talent just sitting on the sidelines. The fact that they are still in first place without all of these guys is a real testament to their starting pitching.