The Philly Phyles

[General]

Phillies sent outfielder Josh Kroeger outright to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
It was a good idea, especially since the recent Phillies teams have never had to worry about possessing more prospects than 40-man roster spots. Still, Kroeger was one waiver claim that didn't work out. The former Diamondback hit just .231/.270/.370 for the Red Barons. After two straight bad years, all Kroeger really has going for him is his age. He just turned 24 last week.

[General]

Pedro Martinez (calf) will start Friday against the Pirates, but the Mets aren't planning on him throwing more than five innings.
"We'll probably watch him real close and keep it as low as we can," manager Willie Randolph said. If Martinez,who hasn't pitched since Aug. 14 with a strained right calf, is healthy, Randolph said he'll start Game 1 of the Mets' first playoff series.

[General]

Scott Mathieson, who hurt his elbow in his start Sept. 2, will undergo Tommy John surgery Sept. 29 in Los Angeles.
Mathieson might resume pitching in the minors before the end of next season, but he's not going to see the majors again until at least 2008.

[General]

Randy Wolf is likely to start on three days' rest Sunday at Houston after throwing just 52 pitches on Wednesday.
The Phillies needed to bring back a starter on short rest because of the doubleheader yesterday. Wolf gave up four earned runs in two innings against the Braves.

[General]

Ryan Howard was denied his 57th homer of the year by a bad call in Saturday's game against the Astros.
In a scoreless game in the sixth, Howard hit what was ruled a double by umpire Larry Poncino. However, replays showed a fan in the first row of the left-field seats trying to catch the ball and dropping it. Poncino admitted in a statement after the game that the call was blown. "The play was the play," he said. "The ball was over the fence and that's it."

[General]

Randy Wolf limited the Astros to three runs on a pair of homers in 5 2/3 innings of work to earn a victory on Sunday.
Wolf gave up five hits and two walks while striking out five. He had pitched five scoreless innings before giving up the three runs on a pair of homers by Craig Biggio and Aubrey Huff in the sixth. The win improves Wolf to 4-0 in 10 starts with the Phillies this season, although his ERA and peripherals are much less impressive. He remains a risky play against the Marlins next time out.

[redsrbetter]

Wolf can get the win. His perepherals may look bad, but watch him get the win.

[General]

And he can hit.

[General]

Chase Utley homered twice and drove in four runs to propel the Phillies to a 10-7 win over the Marlins on Sunday.
He also singled and walked in the contest. The Phillies recorded 15 hits in the contest, with every starter except Shane Victorino collecting at least one. Pat Burrell, Jimmy Rollins, and Utley also scored twice in the win, with Chris Coste adding three RBI. The win moves the Phillies a game up in the NL wild card race, pending the outcome of the Dodgers' game this afternoon.

[General]

Randy Wolf wasn't involved in the decision in Monday's game after allowing two runs in 5 2/3 innings against the Astros.
Wolf gave up a game-tying solo homer to Jason Lane before departing in the sixth. The Phillies went on to lose 5-4, dropping them into a tie with the idle Dodgers in the wild card. Wolf, who struck out five, remained 4-0 in 11 starts since returning from Tommy John surgery.

[DirtyKash]

When Jason Lane homers off you, it's not a good outing.

[General]

Why you gotta playa hate like that?

[General]

Jon Lieber has left the Phillies for personal reasons.
It's not known when Lieber, who started Thursday, would return to the club. He is not scheduled to pitch again, unless the Phillies make the postseason.

[DravenX]

The Rockies are displaying interest in both Randy Wolf and Kip Wells.
Wells would be the much easier sign, but even he might get a multiyear deal in the current climate. Wolf is likely to command in excess of $20 million for three seasons. The Phillies and Diamondbacks appear to have been his top suitors to date.

[DravenX]

Eude Brito retired five of the six batters he faced on Sunday and is sporting a 0.77 ERA in the Domincian Winter League.
He's allowed two runs -- one earned -- and five hits in 11 2/3 innings. It looks like the Phillies have failed in their bid to re-sign Randy Wolf, but they'll probably still add a veteran fifth starter this winter. If not, Brito, Gavin Floyd and Fabio Castro are internal candidates for the job.