Philadelphia Phillies

The Yankees will probably not take a different approach to Game Two of their World Series rematch with the Phillies tonight.

Phillies starter Jamie Moyer has been up and down this season including a complete game, but has since returned to his inconsistent form.

The Yankees' AJ Burnett was stellar against the Phillies in the postseason, and it will be interesting to see how amazing he may look if the Phillies bats don't show up—much like they have done all season. 

We've officially had two perfect games this season, and really we've had three.

How shocking is that?

Before 2010, Major League Baseball had only seen 18 perfect games - 16 if you don't count the two in 1880, during an era in which baseball was very different from its post-1901 incarnation.

To have two (three) perfect games in one year defies logic and common sense. But sometimes these things happen.

Take a look.

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Chase Utley.  Ryan Howard.  Jayson Werth.  Placido Polanco.  Shane Victorino.  Raul Ibanez. 

Sounds like a pretty explosive line up, does it not?

Well, lately, this line up has been far from explosive.

Over the past month, Phillies fans as well as the baseball world has been dumbstruck.  With a line up that includes so many talented players, there is no reason that the team should hit a prolonged slump.

During his 12 years in Toronto, Roy Halladay was usually lights out against the Yankees. Now with Philadelphia, Halladay was looking to continue his dominance of New York on Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium.

The Yankees roughed up Halladay for six runs, including three home runs, as the Yankees topped Philadelphia, 8-3, in the opener of three-game series featuring last year’s World Series participants.

We all know the Phillies' recent struggles—the inconsistent bats and the flat-out lack of offensive production.

Philadelphians have been in a shroud of disbelief over the team's current struggles, what with the Flyers' recent success clouding their thoughts, and have ignored the team and brushed off the much-needed panic.

Some call it a slump, some call it midseason woes, but if they Phillies don't right the ship quickly, we can all call it missing out on the playoffs.

As we all know, 2010 is being called the "Year of the Pitchers." With names like Stephen Strasburg and Ubaldo Jimenez popping up all over the place, how are the Philadelphia Phillies pitchers stacking up?

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While it was nice to see the Phillies leave Boston on a positive note with a 5-3 win against the Red Sox, it's difficult not to look ahead and dread the Phils' three-game series in New York against the red-hot Yankees.

The two teams have been on two completely different paths this season, as the Yankees have seemingly breezed their way to an impressive 40-23 record, while the Phillies are struggling for every single run—much less a win.

Charlie Manuel shuffled the lineup again. That’s good, I like adding something new to the same old routine.

Just like me, Charlie must have a drawer he goes to when things go stale.

Hypothetically speaking.

I imagine the Phils are scraping the barrel on superstitions by now. At this point they’re probably wearing children’s panties, playing hopscotch on the way through the clubhouse, and buttering their Pop-Tarts from right to left.

It just doesn't seem like the Phillies are ever going to get back on track, does it?

Even earlier this season, it wasn't a big deal if the Phillies fell behind because we all knew the bats would get going and they'd find a way to pull it out.

Some people like dogs. Some people only like big dogs.

I don’t blame them. Big dogs are real dogs—a man’s dog. They eat a man-sized meal and take a man-sized crap. They can down a steak in one gulp and leave you a gift the size of a baseball glove when you screw up.

Boston took one hell of a dookie on the Philadelphia Phillies.