Tinker to Evers to Chance, These Guys Ain't

Kyle Kendrick

Denys Baez

David Herndon.

If you see these three pitchers in the same Phillies' game, then you know the Phillies have been barbecued.

Or worse, because barbecue usually tastes good.

These three pitched against the Mets tonight, and with about an inning to go, the Phillies trailed 8-1. To make matters worse, when the Phillies activated closer Brad Lidge today, they had to put in erstwhile closer and regular set-up man Ryan Madson on the DL, because Madson kicked something in the dugout after blowing a save in SF the other day and broke a big toe.

Member of Mensa he ain't.

Member of Madson he is.

Right now, certain members of the Phillies' pitching staff are combustible. They need Madson back, they need Cole Hamels to stop throwing home run balls, and they need J.A. Happ and Joe Blanton back quickly so that the team doesn't have to suffer both Jamie Moyer and Kendrick in the starting rotation. They also need to ship David Herndon back to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Championship teams don't have relievers like that one them.

Baez was once big-time trade bait. Now he seems to be big-time shark bait, because if he doesn't stop pouring gasoline on mid-inning infernos the fans will shop him up and use him for chum for deep-seas fishing about 300 miles off the Atlantic Coast. He has to pitch better.

As for Moyer and Kendrick, well, the former at least has a chance to try to re-kindle his glory days and summon memories of them than can help inspire him to pitch until he's 50. The latter either will make a career for himself in the bullpen or become a AAAA pitcher, on the shuttle from an AAA club many times during what might prove to be a checkered career if he cannot locate his pitches for strikes consistently.

Hardly time to push the panic button in the Cradle of Liberty.

But if we hear Kendrick to Baez to Herndon with some frequency, the Phillies are in big trouble.