What’s that line about if it ain’t broke?

After Cole Hamels’ stellar pitching performance last night, the Giants proved that turnabout’s fair play as the Giants took advantage of their own good pitching and took one from the Phils by a score of 4-0.

Tonight’s loss revealed the offensive drought that the Phillies have been in for the past three series. Since the beginning of the series against the Pirates, the Phils have only scored three or more runs twice, as high-quality starting pitching has kept the lead in the NL East comfortably at seven games.

In a New York State of Mind

With the New York Mets struggling through an injury-plagued season, the highlight of the four game Phillies-Mets series was not the rivalry between the two teams, but Pedro Martinez’s return to Queens after his four-year stint with the Mets. After his pre-game press conference on Friday, everyone’s eyes looked to Sunday afternoon, when Pedro would pitch against his former team.

Pedro settled into a pattern through the first four innings of his outing. In the first and third innings, struggled with the first few batters. In each of those innings, he gave up a leadoff home run (both to Angel Pagan) and then a base hit, leading to two earned runs in each situation. In the following inning (the second and fourth), he settled down, throwing good pitches to get out without giving up a run.

In the fifth and sixth innings, Pedro looked more like he did in his previous starts, keeping the Mets’ offense scoreless. In the end, Martinez earned the win by throwing 6 innings, allowing four runs while walking one and striking out five as the Phillies scratched out a 9-6 victory.

Oh, the Problems of a Crowded Staff…

In last night’s 5-1 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Phillies saw something that had not happened since Steve Carlton relieved Bert Blyleven in 1987: one 200-game winning pitcher relieving another. After his first start at Citizens Bank Park ended because of a 66-minute rain delay, Pedro Martinez was replaced by Jamie Moyer, who was replaced by Pedro in the starting rotation two weeks earlier. In his first relief stint since 1996, Moyer pitched six scoreless innings, giving up only two hits while striking out five, leaving the field to a standing ovation from the fans who had stuck out through the delay.

An outing like this only adds more questions to the already confusing task of sorting out the Phils’ staff.

And So It Begins…

As first pitch neared at Wrigley Field tonight, I, like many other Phillies fans, took a deep breath as the Pedro Martinez era began on the road against the Chicago Cubs, praying the rotation reshuffle would turn out to be the right move.

In his first major league outing in 10 months, Pedro proved to be fairly effective, going five innings, allowing seven hits, one walk, and striking out five as the Phillies cruised to a 12-5 victory over the Cubs. His first strikeout in a Phillies uniform also gave him sole possession of the 13th place on the all-time strikeout list, passing Cardinals legend Bob Gibson.

Martinez to Rotation, Moyer to… Bradenton?

In a move that hasn’t surprised most Phillies fans, Pedro Martinez is slated to make his Phillies debut tonight against the Chicago Cubs. What may be shocking is the amount of influence Phillies’ general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. had in the decision.

Amaro stated publicly last week that lefthander J.A. Happ will remain in the starting rotation. It is difficult to argue with Amaro, considering Happ has been the team’s most consistent starter this season, with an 8-2 record (6-2 as a starter) and a 2.74 ERA.

Martinez has been average in his rehab starts. He is 1-1 with a 5.11 ERA in three starts since being signed by the Phillies, with 16 strikeouts in 12.1 innings. But 11 of those strikeouts came in the final rehab appearance over five innings for Double-A Reading.