Philadelphia is having a love affair with a hit man. The fans swoon every time Cliff Lee guns down another batter, every time he coldly eliminates another threat with his lethal left arm. For five years now, our city has been head over heels for a hired gun.

There’s really only one problem with this relationship. It is totally unrequited. To Lee, Philadelphia is just another place to display his talents and collect his paycheck. He couldn’t care less about our city or its fans. That’s the cold, hard truth about this one-sided romance.

If there were any doubts left about Lee’s true feelings, they were washed away after his eighth win in 10 decisions against Minnesota last week. At the time, he was six games above .500 on a team three games under it. He was a winner, surrounded by losers. And, for once, he was honest about it all.

Question: If things don’t turn around, do you want to stay?

Lee: I definitely want to win. I don’t know how to say it besides that. I want to win.

Question: Do you think this team can be a playoff team?

Lee: What?

The Phillies are exactly what former manager Dallas Green said they were last month, a model of mediocrity with little real hope of taking one last run at a championship. Lee has watched the stars around him age, get hurt and underachieve long enough now to know he needs to move on again. At age 34, his baseball clock is ticking, too.

There’s nothing wrong with a city admiring a star player the way Philadelphia does with Lee, nor should the pitcher be faulted for wanting to win a championship before he retires. It is the deception surrounding his time here that finally demands some public acknowledgement.

First of all, Lee didn’t sign as a free agent because he loves Philadelphia. He returned — after the most unpopular trade in a generation — because the Phils paid him $25 million a year and had a great team. Secondly, Lee has no emotional connection with the fans. If he did, he wouldn’t answer every question (before last week) with “That’s baseball” or “It is what it is.”

And finally, Lee is really just the latest in a long line of mercenaries who move from city to city, team to team, trying to win for himself and no one else. There’s nothing unusual about that, but it is hardly cause for the over-the-top adulation he has received in his two stints here.

Love Cliff Lee if you must, Philadelphia, but know this now: He’s going to break your heart. With hit men, there are no happy endings.

Peters should study his Eagles history
Jason Peters was revving the engine of his souped-up Camaro at a traffic light in Monroe, La., at 4:45 a.m. last Wednesday, looking for some excitement. The drag race that followed, and then the high-speed chase exceeding 100 miles per hour that landed the Eagles offensive tackle in jail, probably filled his thirst for adventure. Unfortunately, it also exposed him as a reckless fool.

Every day of the four years Peters has been employed by the Eagles, he has been greeted by a mural in the NovaCare Center of Jerome Brown, a Pro Bowl defensive tackle who squandered his life — and that of a totally innocent nephew — in pursuit of similar thrills. Clearly, Peters never learned the lesson Brown provided for all future Eagles.

Even worse, though, is the muted response by a fan base numbed by the stupid acts of its sports heroes. Peters is the best player on the Eagles, and that is all he will ever be to the increasingly jaded people who follow his team. Based on the shrug offered by the populace after Peters’ stupid behavior, the days of relating to players as human beings is over.

In an Internet poll I conducted at WIP radio two days after Peters was arrested, 75-percent said they were more interested in the U.S. Open than in the off-field exploits of Jason Peters. The huge lineman risked his life and that of every motorist in the vicinity, and fans were more interested in rich guys hitting a ball with sticks? Really?

Peters will find a way out of his legal entanglements — the NFL will make sure of that — and it will be business as usual once training camp opens in five weeks. Jason Peters survived his own outrageous irresponsibility this time – which makes him luckier than Jerome Brown, but no smarter.

 Tiger is a strangely interesting figure
Not since the heyday of Muhammad Ali has there been a sports figure as fascinating as Tiger Woods, who just spent a week captivating the Delaware Valley with a charisma that transcends his boring sport. By the end of the U.S. Open at Merion Golf Club last weekend, I must admit even I was mesmerized by this very strange man.

He won me over a week ago with a loud, public tribute to the passion of Philadelphia that only a dolt like me would ever consider sincere. Cynics pointed out that Woods offers similar testimonials on most stops on the Tour, but I will always be a sucker for that kind of mush. After all, the man was right, wasn’t he? We are pretty amazing.

And in his own weird way, so is Woods. Like most athletes past 35, he is not the performer he once was, but — while the Phillies struggle to fill seats with aging players in similar decline — he only becomes more compelling. Best-selling author and golfing authority John Feinstein called Woods “a terrible human being” on my WIP radio show last week, and there was no rebuttal argument. Woods’ history with women is an indictment he will never escape.

But Tiger Woods is more than any one scandal or any one tournament. He is, in fact, a sport unto himself — much like Ali was three decades ago. I got to meet the greatest boxer in history one day in the early 1980s in my hometown of Providence, R.I, and the similarities are undeniable. Both are polarizing, both have been great at times and pathetic at others, and both have commanded attention at the exclusion of all others.

I will not miss at all the departure of the U.S. Open and all of the elitist baggage of professional golf that goes with it, but I’ve got a confession to make. For better or worse, I will miss Tiger Woods.

Idle thoughts from Cataldi

» One day after signing Tim Tebow, New England coach Bill Belichick got snippy over questions about the lightning-rod quarterback. Belichick protege Chip Kelly should understand right now that those antics will not play well at all in Philadelphia — at least until he also wins three Super Bowls.

» There was a report over the weekend that the Flyers are seriously considering an end to the Ilya Bryzgalov era. It took them all this time to consider using one of their amnesty exemptions on the biggest free-agent bust in team history? Amazing.

» Jeff Lurie is willing to spend $125 million to bring a better flavor of Philadelphia into antiseptic Lincoln Financial Field. OK, then there’s only one obvious move here. It’s time to bring back the 700 Level.

» Isn’t it time for the Phillies to make the obvious move and bring up Carlos Zambrano? Granted, the veteran pitcher is prone to outbursts and odd behavior, but at least he wouldn’t be boring. The Phillies could use an infusion of personality right about now.

» At age 63, Julius Erving easily dunks a basketball in his new NBA-TV documentary, The Doctor. Twenty-six years after his retirement, he’s still more interesting than any current member of the Sixers — and a better player today, right now, than Kwame Brown.

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During the Phillies’ last homestand John Lannan was antsy.

“I can’t wait to get back,” Lannan said. “I’m getting there.”

The former Nationals pitcher returned to the mound Monday night against his ex-teammates, exactly two months after straining his quadriceps tendon in his left knee against the Reds. Lannan was sharp in a rehab start last Wednesday for Double-A Reading. He gave up seven hits and two runs in seven innings.

“I’ve been honest the whole process and I think I’m ready,” Lannan said after that start.

“It’ll be interesting to see what he can give us,” Charlie Manuel said. “He pitched good before he got hurt.”

Lannan, who signed a one-year, $2.5 million deal after six seasons in a Nationals uniform, kept the Phillies in games before he got injured.

“I like what I see in Lannan,” Manuel said. “They say he’s been throwing the ball real good [in the minors].”

Making moves

To make room for Lannan, The Phillies placed Jeremy Horst on the 15-day disabled list with an elbow strain.
• Horst has been a disappointment after having a terrific 2012. He finished last season with a 1.15 ERA. This season, Horst has struggled mightily out of the bullpen.
• Horst was 0-2 with a 6.23 ERA in 28 games this season. He is 2-2 with a 3.34 ERA for his MLB career. You may recall Horst came over from the Reds in the Wilson Valdez trade.

Phillies farm system can’t compete

The Phillies might be only a few games behind the Nationals in the NL East standings, but they are light years in the rear-view mirror when it comes to the farm system.

Focus on third baseman Anthony Rendon, who was recently called up to play second base. The Nationals are as offensively challenged as the Phillies — except for Rendon. He has been smoking the ball, just like he did in Double-A — he was hitting .444 entering Monday night’s game against the Phils.

The Phillies have nothing like Rendon, who has potential star written all over him, in their system.

“You know Rendon, who is a solid third baseman, will replace Ryan Zimmerman at third and they’ll put Zimmerman at first when Adam LaRoche’s contract expires (after the 2015 season),” a NL scout said. “They’ll figure out what to do with him in the interim. The sky is the limit for this kid. Rendon is an absolute stud.”

You don’t hear scouts say that about any offensive players in the Phillies’ system.

Is Papelbon headed out?

Phillies closer Jonathan Papelbon might be on the trade market. The Tigers, Red Sox and Cardinals are all pursuing the All-Star, according to a Boston Globe report. GM Ruben Amaro, Jr. said he doesn’t want to “blow up” the team, but he would consider trading Papelbon for young talent.

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The Phillies really needed to stop the bleeding.

They had just the right man for the job take the mound for them in Minneapolis Thursday night.

Cliff Lee improved to 8-2 on the year, working seven strong innings, in the Phillies’ 8-2 win over the Twins. The win snapped the team’s five-game losing skid.

The Phillies had won five games in a row, and climbed over the .500 mark for the first time all year, going into last Friday’s game at Milwaukee. The team proceeded to drop three straight to the Brewers, then lost the first two of the three-game set against the Twins.

Lee allowed just two runs on three hits through seven innings, but it looked like his strong effort might have been wasted, as the Phillies trailed, 2-1, heading into the eighth.

Ben Revere scored the game-winning run for the Phillies in the eighth. The speedy Revere, who was 4 for 5 on the night, was able to score on a chopper to first base off the bat of Jimmy Rollins.

Michael Young’s RBI single had tied the game earlier in the inning.

The Phillies pounded out 16 hits in the game, but left 16 men on base.

Jonathan Papelbon pitched a perfect ninth inning to pick up his 12th save of the season.

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Antonio Bastardo and Mike Adams could not keep the Minnesota off the scoreboard in the bottom of the eighth inning Tuesday night and the Phillies’ bats were silent in the ninth.

As a result, the Phils fell to the Twins, 3-2, to drop the first game of the three-game series between the teams.

Tuesday’s loss — the team’s fourth straight after a five-game winning streak — drops the Phillies three games below the .500 mark just six days after they climbed over .500 for the first time all season.

Cole Hamels pitched well enough to earn a victory, but had to settle for a no decision once again due to a lack of run support. He pitched six innings, allowing just two runs on seven hits while striking out five and walking none.

Ryan Howard went 2 for 4 for the Phillies (31-34).

The Phillies tied the game, 2-2, in the top of the eighth on Howard’s RBI single, only to watch as Bastardo and Adams coughed up the lead in the bottom half of the inning. Twins first baseman Justin Morneau stroked a two-out single to give the home team the victory.

Glen Perkins pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to pick up the save for the Twins (28-33). It was his 14th save of the season.

Morneau went 3 for 4 on the game with two RBI and a run scored.

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“I have to pitch better,” Adams said. “But I think I’ve solved my problem.”

Adams was sitting back in his hotel room during the Phillies’ last road trip watching his former teammate Yu Darvish pitch for the Texas Rangers.
“I watched Darvish and something popped in my head about my delivery,” Adams said. “I immediately got up in the hotel room and started working on my delivery. I started throwing without the ball and I think I’ve solved my problems thanks to a game on television. Darvish does things properly and it just reminded me of what I needed to do.”

Considering how the starting pitching has carried the Phillies, who suffer from inconsistent or non-existent offense, perhaps Adams will be the key to a winning streak. If the Phillies’ starters can get the ball to Adams and he can carry a lead into the ninth, maybe that will help considerably.

“I think it would when you look at how great [Jonathan] Papelbon has been this season,” Adams said. “He’s been incredible coming in. You just know that he’s going to close the game out. So it’s up to me to put him in that situation.”

Why did the Phillies acquire Adams?
The Phillies’ eighth inning ERA in 2012 was 4.89 (29th in MLB). The Phillies allowed 24 homers., the most in the majors.

“They had to sign Adams,” a NL scout said. “They had no choice. I have a feeling he’ll get better this season.”

Mike Adams was one of the Phillies’ biggest free-agent acquisitions. He’s been less than advertised early on.

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The grass is always greener, particularly on a baseball diamond.

It’s not enough for Kenny Chesney to be the biggest country star on the planet. The diminutive singer, who will perform Saturday at Lincoln Financial Field, dreams of being a baseball player.

“I talked to (Phillies pitcher) Roy (Halladay) and I told him that I want to face him in a simulated game action,” Chesney said. “I want him to bear down on me like it’s the seventh game of the World Series. I just want to experience what that feels like.”

Well, Phillies fans and Chesney know that it’ll be at least another 10 weeks before Doc can operate on the mound and experience MLB action. The odds of Halladay turning back the clock aren’t great. The chances of him bearing down on Chesney are even less, considering Halladay’s tunnel vision. Halladay doesn’t seem like the sort to just mess around by throwing to a singing superstar. Will Halladay check out Chesney at the Linc, while his teammates are in Milwaukee?

“I love it when players come out and see me,” Chesney said. “I understand that when I’m in Philly, they’ll be in the middle of their season. But two -years ago a couple of the Phillies, Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and Roy Oswalt came to see a show I did in March in Tampa because they were in spring training. That was fun. I’m a huge sports fan. I can’t get enough of baseball and football. It blows me away what these athletes can do.”

“It is cool to do what I do,” Chesney said. “But it would be incredible to have one-major league at bat or to have the chance to face someone like the great Roy Halladay. It would be cool to experience that just once.”

Phillies’ country connection

Another Phillie had a connection with a country music star. Tug McGraw was the father of Tim McGraw.

“My father was an amazing person,” Tim McGraw said. “He was very excited about how much I loved music.”

What local Philly musician encouraged McGraw to take the stage for the first time? Kenn Kweder.

“I was playing a place at Second and Fairmount back in 1988 and Tug was there and he told me about Tim,” Kweder said. “I told Tim to go up there and sing and he was just like a hummingbird. I knew he had some talent but who could have guessed that he would become the giant that he is?”

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The Phillies won in Milwaukee Thursday night to go above the .500 mark for the first time all season.

The 5-1 win over the Brewers was the Phillies’ fifth consecutive victory, giving the team a season-high winning streak at the start of its 10-game road trip.

Tyler Cloyd picked up the win for the Phillies. He is now 2-2 on the season since being called up from the minors.

John Mayberry Jr., the hero of Tuesday’s come-from-behind, extra-innings win over Miami, was 3 for 5 with an RBI and run scored.

Delmon Young wrapped up the Phillies’ scoring on the night with a solo home run in the fifth inning. It was Young’s sixth home run of the year and his fifth in his last 15 games.

Cloyd pitched 6 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing just four hits while walking five and striking out two.

Cliff Lee, who is 7-2 on the season, gets the start for the Phillies tonight in Milwaukee. The game is scheduled to begin at 8:10 p.m.

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It’s no secret. Charlie Manuel likes to go with the hot hand. The Phillies manager talks about it and he proves it when writing out his lineup card. It was no surprise that John Mayberry Jr. has been seeing his name pop up almost every day.

Mayberry single-handedly beat the Marlins last Tuesday by tying the game in the ninth with a pinch-hit home run. Mayberry followed by drilling a walk-off grand slam, the first for the Phillies.

“The second one, I was trying to be aggressive within a certain zone and put a good swing on it,” he said.

Manuel likes to talk about how Jayson Werth went from part-time player to a starting outfielder.

Even after a disappointing 2012 season when the starting job was his to lose, Manuel never closed the door on Mayberry.

“If Charlie were to stick with John Mayberry night after night, I really believe he could become a starter and a very good one,” MLB analyst Mitch Williams said. “Just give the guy a chance.”

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Major League Baseball is investigating several marquee players, like Ryan Braun and Alex Rodriguez, and could serve up 100-game suspensions if they are proven guilty.

“The Players Association has every interest in both defending the rights of players and in defending the integrity of our joint program. We trust that the Commissioner’s Office shares these interests,” said union executive director Michael Weiner in a statement.

Tony Bosch, the founder of Biogenesis of America, has agreed to assist with MLB’s investigation. He has previously denied suspected drug distribution.

MLB officials refused comment, according to ESPN. Braun was scratched from the Brewers’ lineup last night, but a team spokesman said it wasn’t related to the investigation.

Ryan Braun is being investigated for using performance-enhacing drugs.

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It appeared to be deja vu all over again for Cole Hamels. The lefty has pitched very well against Miami this season, but he had nothing to show for it due to a lack of run support.

That all changed after Hamels left Wednesday’s game after pitching seven terrific innings. The Phillies hung a crooked number on the board and beat the Marlins, 6-1, sweeping the three-game series.

When Hamels departed for a pinch-hitter, it looked like more of the same. But the Phillies broke open a 1-1 game with a two-out rally for five runs. Jimmy Rollins drove in the game-winner with a single. Ryan Howard knocked in a pair with a triple, his first since April 2011.

“Is it?,” Howard asked, when informed of the drought. “When he [right fielder Marcell Ozuna] dove for it, I knew it [the ball] had a chance to go to the wall and I just went for it.”

Domonic Brown hit his league-leading 18th homer by slamming a ball into the right-field seats. The Phillies are on a season-high, four-game winning streak and the club is at the .500 mark (30-30) for the first time since mid-April.

The Phillies wouldn’t be there without Hamels (2-9). He gave up four hits and one run, while striking out 11, which is the 23rd time he has hit double-digit strikeouts in his career.

“It’s not about the personal stuff,” Hamels said. “It’s about going the team winning. For me, it’s about going deep in the game and making pitches.”

Perhaps most significant is that Hamels had command. He only walked one and hit one batter.

“I’ve walked a lot of guys and that’s not what I’m about,” Hamels said. “I attack hitters. I was trying to be too fine [earlier in the season], making perfect pitches. I’m not doing that anymore.”

Charlie Manuel was impressed with Hamels.

“I thought he pitched good,” Manuel said. “Good for him. He won the game. I’m sure he feels a lot better about himself. Maybe he’ll get going and have the big year I expected that he would have.”

Now that the Phillies are .500, Manuel expects the team will take off as well.

“We’re capable of getting it going,” Manuel said. “We’ll be over .500 [Thursday night] if we play good. When you get to .500, we can get going and win some games. If we win eight out of 10 games, we’ll be in good position.”

Manuel must have looked ahead at the schedule.

The Phillies play three winnable series (Brewers, Twins, Rockies) on their upcoming 10-game road trip. The Brewers and Twins are among the worst in baseball, and the Rockies have been playing above their heads.

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John Mayberry Jr. just may have earned himself a start when the Phillies and Marlins wrap up their three-game series on Wednesday.

The Phillies were down to their final three outs against the Marlins Tuesday night when Mayberry stepped to the plate to lead off the bottom of the 10th.

Mayberry, who had entered the game as a pinch hitter in the seventh, crushed a 2-2 pitch from Marlins relief pitcher Steve Cishek over the center-field wall to tie the game, 3-3.

Mayberry was not done, though.

With the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the 11th, Mayberry smoked a line drive over the left-field wall for a game-ending, walk-off grand slam.

For the Phillies (29-30), the extra-innings 7-3 win was their third straight victory. They will look to reach the .500 mark Wednesday afternoon in the series finale against Miami (16-43). Cole Hamels, who is 1-9 on the season, is scheduled to face the Marlins’ Jacob Turner.

Phillies rookie right-hander Jonathan Pettibone was effective once again Tuesday night, allowing just two runs on seven hits over six innings. Reliever Michael Stutes, who pitched a scoreless 11th inning, picked up the win.

Domonic Brown, who had hit nine home runs in his previous 10 games, was hitless on the night, going 0 for 5.

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Major League Baseball is set to suspend around 20 players connected to a Miami-area clinic that allegedly produced performance-enhancing drugs, according to reports.

Injured Yankees third baseman and Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun are two of the big names that could be suspended. Gio Gonzalez, Melky Cabrera, Nelson Cruz, Jhonny Peralta and Bartolo Colon have all been linked to the clinic in the past few months. Gonzalez vehemently denied that he ever used performance-enhancing drugs earlier this year.

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Greg Dobbs remembers what it was like playing for the Phillies in 2008 and 2009. Back then, the Phillies crushed the Nationals. That was the difference between winning five straight division titles and finishing second, like the Braves did from 2007 to 2011.

The Braves played .500 ball against what was a lowly Nationals squad. The Phillies were 23 games over .500 against the Nats during that half-decade run.

“We beat up on Washington and that was a big reason for the Phillies’ success,” Dobbs said. “We never took them lightly. We were serious and we won a lot of games against them and that enabled us to finish on top of the division.”

The Phillies need to take advantage Miami. The woebegone Marlins have somehow won a quarter of their games against Charlie Manuel’s squad.

“You have to play hard against the Marlins,” Ben Revere said. “They have a lot of good young players on that team. You can’t afford to take them lightly.”

The Marlins are playing with a chip on their shoulder.

“Not a lot of people think we can win,” Dobbs said. “We’re out there to prove them wrong every game.”

It couldn’t have been more different for Dobbs when he played for the Phillies.

“People expected us to win and we did,” Dobbs said. “It was special being around that environment. I had a good time with the Phillies but it’s a good time now as well with the Marlins.”

If the Phillies expect to challenge for a postseason berth, they need beat the Marlins — over and over again.

“You never know if one game will be the difference between making the playoffs and missing the playoffs,” Revere said. ” So you need to win as much as possible. I take the Marlins very seriously and so does everyone else on this club.”

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Charlie Manuel always says that hitting is contagious. Domonic Brown echoes his manager’s sentiments.

“I’m just trying to bring my energy to the ballclub,” Brown said.

Brown, who led his team to a 7-2 win over the Miami Marlins on Monday, has effectively infected his team courtesy of his off-the-charts run, which enabled him to be named the NL Player of the Month for May.

Brown has been in a league of his own over the last 10 games. He is hitting .447 with nine homers and 17 RBIs during that span.

Brown stayed hot Monday, going 3-for-4 with a two-run homer.

“The last two weeks he’s put a lot of energy into our game,” Manuel said. “There’s more of an aura in the stadium. When you’re running a streak like Domonic Brown is on now, it affects and molds the offense.”

Delmon Young and Erik Kratz caught Dom Brown fever. Each went deep as the Phillies actually played a solid game from top to bottom, which has been uncommon this season.

Kyle Kendrick, who has won 10 straight games against the Marlins, went the distance. The right-hander impressed by allowing just a pair of runs on six hits, while walking two in nine innings..

Kendrick, who is 6-3, retired the last 15 batters he faced. He was also successful at the plate. He split the gap in left center and slid head first into third for his first career triple.

“I hope he swallowed some dirt,” Manuel cracked.

It was an encouraging night for the Phillies, who scored seven runs in consecutive games.

“We’re starting to play like we’re capable of,” Brown said. “If we play like this we’re going to win a lot of games.”

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On Monday, rising Phillies slugger Domonic Brown was named NL Player of the Month — an inevitable honor considering the damage he did in the month of May. He was also named NL Player of the Week for a second straight week.

Brown batted .444 with seven home runs and 13 RBIs in seven games from May 27-June 2. He nearly hit for the cycle in Sunday’s 7-5 win, missing it by a double. For May, Brown hit .303 with 12 dingers and 25 RBIs.

Brown was left for dead coming into the season. Many pundits and fans thought the former top prospect had blown his chance at making an impact after very mediocre stints in the majors in recent seasons.

Think again? Well, let’s not crown him yet … but he certainly looks like he has finally figured it out. Now the question is, will big-league pitchers adjust to him?

Dom Brown leads the National League with 16 homers. No, really, he does.

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Brown blasted a three-run homer in the first inning, and fell just a double shy of hitting for the cycle.

Domonic Brown continued his best impression of Robert Redford in “The Natural” Sunday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park.

The former top prospect for the Phillies fell a double short of the cycle, after blasting a three-run homer in the first inning, then adding a single and a triple in a 7-5 victory over the Brewers. Don’t look now but the Phillies are just 7.5 games out of first place in the NL East.

Brown, the NL’s reigning Player of the Week, is showing no signs of slowing down. He concluded the week with a .333 batting average and six home runs. Brown finished the month of May with 12 home runs, 25 RBIs and a .303 average — and his 16 home runs lead the NL.

He’s also given an otherwise mediocre Philllies team a bit of swagger, with his home-run trots and celebrations at home plate. On a team devoid of a lot of young talent, Brown is exciting to watch.

“I’m just going out, having fun and doing what I always do,” Brown said.

Brown wasn’t the only one having fun against Milwaukee. Starter Cliff Lee was unhittable before running into trouble in the eighth inning. Lee (7-2) allowed three hits, with 11 strikeouts, and no walks. He left with two outs in the eighth, but was officially on the hook for three runs and seven hits.

Antonio Bastardo picked up the save. Jonathan Papelbon wasn’t available.

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Lakewood’s Yoel Mecias earned the honor for the Phillies’ minor league pitcher of the month. Mecias, who signed as an amateur free agent in 2010, went 3-1 with a 1.50 ERA in six starts for the BlueClaws. He struck out 37 batters in 30 innings of work.

Dugan and Mecias hope to celebrating with the big club someday.

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The Phillies had to settle for a series split with the Red Sox after the Boston offense lit up starter Jonathan Pettibone and the bullpen in the home-and-home series finale at Citizens Bank Park Thursday night.

Pettibone surrendered four runs in the first inning. The Phillies managed to get back two of those runs on Delmon Young’s two-run homer in the bottom half of the frame, but that was as interesting as the Fightins made things for the home fans.

Red Sox center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury had five stolen bases in the game and beloved Beantown slugger David Ortiz hit a home run to pace the Boston offense.

After holding its 4-2 advantage through five innings, Boston (33-22) scored single runs in the sixth and seventh inning, then tacked on three more off struggling Phillies reliever Chad Durbin in the top of the ninth to blow the game wide open.

The two teams split games in both two-game sets played in Boston and Philadelphia this week.

For the third time in a week, the Phillies (26-28) failed when in position to climb back to the .500 mark for the first time since mid-April.

Durbin saw his ERA balloon to 9.00 with his lackluster effort Thursday night, and could very well be on his way off the Phillies’ roster.

Pettibone suffered his first big-league loss. He is now 3-1.

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We are just two months into the season, and already 40 different players have multiple saves.

Jason Grilli, a 36-year-old that’s never closed before, leads the league with 21 saves. Edward Mujica didn’t even start the season with the gig, but already has 16. Even “sure things” Joel Hanrahan and J.J. Putz have been bitten by the injury bug.

The point is that the active owner is the one that dominates the saves category. We don’t need to prioritize them on draft day, but we do need to follow the ebbs and flows of bullpens closely.

Ray of desperation
Fernando Rodney has a 5.48 ERA and has blown five saves already. But the Rays need him to snap out of it and be their closer, simply because they don’t have anyone else. Logical replacement Jake McGee has given up four homers in 20 innings, an unacceptable rate for a closing candidate. Don’t drop Rodney no matter how bad it gets.

Brewing a mess

Jim Henderson was poised to run away with Milwaukee’s closing job, but a pulled hamstring has landed him on the disabled list. It speaks volumes that the Brewers have chosen to go with Francisco Rodriguez, a guy who got no sniffs on the open market until Milwaukee gave him a minor league deal. John Axford can be left on waivers.

Dodging problems
Owners of Matt Kemp realize that the Dodgers aren’t scoring runners or getting leads, so the closing situation isn’t all that interesting right now. That could change quickly once the bats come around. Brandon League continues to hold the gig ahead of Kenley Jansen, but it’s close. Both fireballers are worth riding for their peripheral stats.

NFL Risers

We’re less than 100 days away from the start of the NFL season. Some sleepers to keep an eye on:
1. Josh Gordon, WR, CLE — The Browns are installing an aggressive, vertical offense. It’s a perfect fit for No. 1 wideout Gordon.
2. Dennis Pitta, TE, BAL — Now that Anquan Boldin is gone, Pitta will function as the Ravens’ physical pass-catcher over the middle.
3. Chris Ivory, RB, NYJ — The Jets have a good run-blocking offensive line and are awful at everything else. Enter Ivory, a physical beast.

NFL News

Feeling Crabby?
Over the final nine games of last season (including playoffs), Michael Crabtree saw 89 targets. Now he’s out until Week 12 at the earliest after tearing his Achilles’ tendon. Downgrade Colin Kaepernick slightly, upgrade Vernon Davis significantly, cross Crabtree off your lists and keep an eye on second-year wideout A.J. Jenkins.

MLB Pickups

Yasmani Grandal, C, SD: The 50-game ban is finally over. Grandal will quickly take the No. 1 catcher job away from Nick Hundley.
Michael Wacha, SP, STL: One of the best pitching prospects around, Wacha has been promoted to the Show. Boasts a 1.71 ERA in the minors.
Vinnie Pestano, RP, CLE: A nasty setup man that’s getting a chance to close with Chris Perez (shoulder) sidelined.

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For those of you uninformed, there was a woman sitting behind home plate at Wednesday night’s Phillies-Red Sox game in Philadelphia. The cameras were fixated on the woman, not only because of her close proximity to the action, but also due to her well-endowed bosom (can we say that? Too bad, we just did) displayed proudly in a low-cut tank top.

Well, the woman ignited a firestorm on Twitter, Facebook and on the talk-radio circuit. Cataldi identified her as Dana Interlante and interviewed her on his 94 WIP show Thursday morning. She has become a sort of good luck charm for the Phillies, after Domonic Brown smoked two home runs in that 4-3 win.

When Cataldi told her that “her breasts looked very impressive,” Dana responded, “Thank you.”

OK, OK let’s cut to the chase here. Interlante was more than just a casual fan. She owns a Primo Hoagie shop in Runnemede, NJ. The tickets were given to her by Coca-Cola and she made sure to invite everyone to come down to her shop on the air.

“I kind of wish I wore a different shirt,” Dana admitted. “I own a hoagie shop and I probably should have had the hoagie shop’s name across my chest instead.”

As for her choice of outfits: “It was 90 degrees when I was getting ready for the game … Anybody that knows me, they know I’m not like that.”

Dana actually purchased a Phillies T-shirt in the later innings and covered up.

Point is, you never know who is watching you. If you are an attractive, well-proportioned woman who owns a hoagie shop in New Jersey, please dress accordingly. Please.

Dana Interlante, in white, shows off her Phillies (bosom) pride Wednesday night.
Screen grab via the popular sports blog Zoo With Roy.

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Charlie Manuel smiles when he mentions Domonic Brown. That’s been so since camp opened in February. During spring training the Phillies manager talked about how Brown is listening and has cut down his swing

“I can see him having a big year,” Manuel said in Clearwater. “He looks real good.”

Well, Brown is proving Manuel correct. The Phillies’ left fielder’s big game propelled the Phillies to a 4-3 win over the Red Sox Wednesday night.

Brown blasted two homers, giving him 13 for the season, which is just one dinger behind NL leader Justin Upton.

The reigning NL player of the week has been on fire. During the last 11 games, Brown is hitting .297 with six homers and 12 RBIs, along with 10 extra-base hits.

“I like it when he hits,” Manuel said. “I like to leave him alone and let him play.”

Brown believes part of the reason he is playing so well is because he doesn’t have to look over his shoulder. He’s starting no matter what.

“I think that definitely plays a part,” Brown said. “If I have a bad game, I don’t have to worry about benched.”

That’s the last thing Brown has to worry about if he can continue to hit the way he has recently.

Brown wasn’t alone in the homer parade. All of the Phillies’ runs were courtesy of solo shots. Ryan Howard and Erik Kratz also connected.

Thirty of the Phillies’ last 32 homers have been of the solo variety.

Kyle Kendrick pitched well once again after making two disappointing starts. Kendrick wasn’t exceptional but he was solid, particularly when he had to be.

“He got out of a tough jam in the sixth,” Manuel said. “He was good.”

Overall, Kendrick has been dependable. In eight out of his 11 games Kendrick has gone at least six innings and allowed two runs or less.

He received enough support from Brown, who leads the Phillies in homers, RBIs with 32 and total bases with 97

“I’m just trying to stay steady,” Brown said. “I’m not getting caught up in anything. When I hit a home run, I don’t get too excited like I used to. I just focus on what I have to do next.”

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Phillies GM Ruben Amaro, Jr. shed some light on the subject Wednesday when he admitted that Utley is experiencing tenderness in his rib cage area. Utley, who was placed on the 15-day DL last week, was diagnosed with a strained right oblique muscle.

“We have to be careful and cautious with it,” Amaro told reporters. “I think he’s still feeling some tenderness in there so we’ve got to be careful and not let it get to the point where it becomes more of an injury.”

Amaro stressed that Utley wasn’t suffering from any kind of “setback” in his recovery.

The Phillies also placed third baseman Michael Young on the bereavement list. He’ll be out at least three games to attend to a family matter. Utility infielder Cesar Hernandez was recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

Freddy Galvis started at third base against Boston Wednesday night, with Kevin Frandsen taking over at second base.

Young will miss at least three games as he attends to a family matter.

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When Vance Worley was traded for Ben Revere, the first thing Vanimal thought of was how cold Minnesota would be early in the season. Worley didn’t know much about Minneapolis except that it was between his native Sacramento and his adopted home of Philadelphia. He was less than thrilled about relocating.

When Revere found out that he was history in Minny, one of his first thoughts was about digging into the history of Philadelphia.

“That’s my favorite subject,” Revere said. “When I’m not playing baseball or thinking about baseball, I have the History Channel on and I’m digging into history. It’s fascinating.”

Revere hasn’t had much of a chance to explore Center City, which attracts countless history buffs every year.

“I want to check out the sights and the museums and get to know Philadelphia,” Revere said. “It’s an extraordinary place. It’s one of the reasons I was happy to be traded to Philadelphia. There’s so much history here. So much has happened in this city. I’m looking forward to learning more about it. But I can’t focus on it now because I have to focus on why I’m here in the first place.”

Revere is finally putting it together between the lines. Entering last night’s Phillies-Red Sox game, the fleet center fielder was hitting .263 (second-best average among starters). He was hitting around .200 in the first six weeks of the season.

“I’m going to do what I can to get on track,” Revere said. “I know I can hit better than what I’ve shown so far. Fortunately, it’s a long season. I’ll get my numbers up. I’m not worried about that.”

Revere hopes to amp up his average and also to try a cheesesteak, not a cheesecake.

“I’m still getting grief for saying that I had to get a cheesecake when I was being interviewed during spring training,” Revere said. “I was going to the Cheesecake Factory and that messed me up. I made a mistake, but I’ll get right.”

Or Revere will be history. Well, not quite.

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Cliff Lee pitched a gem before handing the ball to Jonathan Papelbon for a perfect ninth inning as the Phillies downed the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park, 3-1, Tuesday night.

Lee pitched eight strong innings, allowing just one run on four hits. He struck out eight and walked none in improving to 6-2 on the season.

Phillies third baseman Michael Young snapped an 0-for-22 slump with a solo home run in the first inning. It was just his second home run on the season.

Domonic Brown continued to swing a hot bat for the Phillies (25-27), slugging a solo home run in the ninth inning. Brown, who now has 11 homers on the season, was named NL Player of the Week on Tuesday.

The Red Sox scored their lone run of the game off Lee in the first inning, when Dustin Pedroia singled home Jacoby Ellsbury.

Papelbon, a hero of the 2007 World Series champion Red Sox, was serenaded with boos as he made his first appearance in an opposing uniform at Fenway since signing with the Phillies before the 2012 season. He pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to earn his 10th save in as many tries this season.

The Phillies and Red Sox (32-21) play at Citizens Bank Park tonight.

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Things seem to be falling apart fast with the Phillies.

There weren’t too many positives to draw out of Monday night’s 9-3 beatdown in Boston. And while it won’t lessen the sting of that loss, one Phillie got some great news Tuesday.

Domonic Brown has been named the National League Player of the Week. Brown was batting .348 with two doubles, one triple, two home runs and seven RBIs in six games ranging from May 20-26. He’s the first Phillies position player to take the honor since Raul Ibanez in 2011.

Entering last night’s game, Brown led the Phillies in homers (10), RBIs (29) and slugging percentage (.475).

The team also got some encouraging news about Ben Revere. The center fielder jammed his left shoulder into a metal fence at Fenway Park while making a highlight-reel catch. X-rays came back negative.

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The Red Sox scored all the runs they would need to beat the Phillies during the first three innings at Fenway Park Monday night.

Phillies starter Tyler Cloyd allowed six runs on nine hits in just 2 1/3 innings against Boston, which went on to win the interleague game, 9-3.

The Red Sox jumped out to a 3-0 lead after one inning on home runs by Dustin Pedroia and Mike Napoli.

The Phillies could not muster much offense against Alfredo Aceves, who got the spot start when ace Clay Buchholz was scratched due to inflammation in his shoulder. Aceves made the most of his opportunity, allowing just one run on seven hits over six innings of work.

Boston improved to 32-20 on the year with the win. The Phillies, who can’t seem to climb all the way back to the .500 mark, fell to 24-27 and are now 6 1/2 games behind NL East-leading Atlanta.

Domonic Brown hit his 10th home run of the season for the Phillies in the eighth inning. By the time Brown hit the two-run shot, the Red Sox were out to an 8-1 advantage.

The teams play their final game in Boston tonight before heading south to play two games at Citizens Bank Park Wednesday and Thursday.

The post Phillies pounded in Boston appeared first on Metro.us.

The good news is that there is no rib cage damage, according to an MRI. Freddy Galvis is expected to start at second base until Utley returns. Utley has missed 122 games over the past two seasons.

“We are being cautious with this injury as it is a trick one and want to make sure it isn’t an issue for him throughout the season,” Amaro said in a statement.

Chase Utley at the Six Annual Utley All-Stars Animal Casino Night benefiting the Pensylvania SPCA. Credit Paige Ozaroski

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The Phillies enjoyed a much-deserved off-day Thursday. Well, most of them did as Chase Utley awaited MRI results.

The team is back in action Friday night in D.C. against the rival Nationals. The Phillies will throw out surprising star right-hander Kyle Kendrick in the opener of a three-game set. Kendrick has been a revelation this season going 4-2 with a 2.82 ERA. He has 41 strikeouts against just 14 walks.

Kendrick, long known for his inconsistency, seems to have found his groove after seven seasons in Philadelphia. He was tied for the team-lead in victories before Cliff Lee picked up his fifth win Wednesday night.

So, what’s been the biggest change?

“People have gotten on me about being inconsistent,” Kendrick told reporters earlier this season. “I’ve had five good games and then three bad, so I’m trying to just be consistent every time out. Be me, be different.”

Consistency — and adding a dangerous changeup as his secondary pitch.

“[Earlier in my career], I didn’t want to throw it,” Kendrick said. “Now I’ll throw it [changeup] any count.”

If Kendrick can provide another consistent outing for the Phils, they’ll have a great shot at getting to the .500 mark, at 24-24. A win would tie them with the Nationals for second place in the NL East.

“I think we can beat them [Washington],” Lee said after Wednesday’s win. “If we execute and do what we can do, we can beat anyone.”

Extra bases
The Phillies made a minor roster move and provided an update on their newest pitcher on their off-day.

» Michael Stutes is back in the bullpen, some 13 months after recording his last out. The Phils recalled the reliever from the minors and optioned the struggling Phillippe Aumont.

» Carlos Zambrano threw an extended spring training game in Florida. He allowed one run (unearned) in four innings, while striking out four.

» The Phillies have partnered with the city’s tourism board for “Celebrate Tourism Event” on May 28. The Phanatic will dress in colonial garb and march around Old City. Phillies tickets will be on sale to visitors at the Independence
Visitor Center.

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Cliff Lee had nearly as many hits as he allowed to the Miami Marlins.

The Marlins won the head-to-head hits battle against Lee, 3-2, but barely topping the opposing team’s pitcher in hits isn’t going to win many games at the big-league level. That held true Wednesday night in Miami.

The Phillies pulled to within one game of the .500 mark with their series-ending 3-0 win over the lowly Marlins (13-34).

Lee picked up the complete game shutout. He struck out five and walked just two Miami batters in improving his record to 5-2 on the season. He also saw his batting average jump to .316 with his two-hit performance at the plate.

It wasn’t just Lee getting hits, though, as the Phillies pounded out 12 hits against Marlins starting pitcher Kevin Slowey and a cast of relievers.

Delmon Young continues to swing a hot bat for the Phils. He hit a home run for the second straight game to get the Phillies’ offense going.

Domonic Brown added a two-out RBI triple in the sixth inning and Freddy Galvis drove home Brown to round out the Phillies’ scoring.

Chase Utley missed his second consecutive game with sore ribs. He is scheduled for an MRI.

The Phillies (23-24) now head to Washington for a three-game set with their division rivals. The series begins Friday  night.

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Chase Utley is the latest Phillie bitten by the injury bug.

The second baseman was scratched from Tuesday night’s lineup after experiencing pain in his right rib cage during batting practice. He’ll undergo an MRI Thursday in Philadelphia.

Utley spoke briefly with reporters Wednesday and admitted to feeling “scared.” Some are speculating he could be headed to the DL.

“It definitely scared me a little bit,” Utley told reporters. “My first swing, I felt something. My second swing, I felt it again. My third swing, I felt it again. After the fourth swing, I realized something wasn’t right.”

Freddy Galvis has been filling in at second base as the team awaits Utley’s test results. Utley, who has been known to hide injuries in the past, was open and honest about it with skipper Charlie Manuel. Both player and coach are preaching patience.

“You want to be careful with these things because they could linger and get worse if you try to play through it,” Utley said. “I think we caught it early enough, but it’s hard to know until we have some imaging on it.”

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