With the Phillies 4-1 win over the Mets, Moyer tied Carl Hubbell for 42nd on the all time wins list with 253 wins.  He also moved into the top ten among left-handed pitchers.

Moyer pitched 6.1 innings allowing only one earned run on five hits and one walk.

Jimmy Rollins hit a two run double to give the Phillies a three run lead.

Paul Bako and Shane Victorino received new life after David Wright and Omir Santos misplayed fly balls in foul territory. Victorino singled giving the Phillies a 4-1 lead.

The bullpen did not allow a run and Brad Lidge got an easy save to secure the win for Moyer

Fernando Nieve (3-1, 2.25 ERA) vs. Jamie Moyer (6-6, 6.05 ERA)

Time: 4:05 p.m at Citizens Bank Park
Weather: Partly Cloudy, 75
TV: FOX
Twitter: Phillies Nation

There will be early fireworks today. The Phillies and Mets square off for the middle game of the series.

Nieve is coming off a rough start against the Milwaukee Brewers where he allowed three runs in 3.1 innings. Nieve has never started against the Phillies, but pitched 1.1 innings in relief against them. He gave up five earned runs in those five appearances, all coming last season.

Jamie Moyer is 7-5 with a 3.66 ERA in his career against the Mets. This year, the Mets have roughed Moyer up in three starts. He has given up 15 earned runs in 14 innings. Mets’ hitters are batting .393 against him this season.

The Phillies have the same lineup as last night, which means Greg Dobbs will be starting in left and Paul Bako will catch for the second straight day.

Your Gameday Beer: Happy Independence Day, Americans! Today’s beer is Amber Waves Amber Lager. This brew is from the Red Star Brewery and Grill just outside of Pittsburgh. It’s a tasty Amber that makes for easy drinking. It’s not a particularly delicious beer, nor one that is widely available, but it does fit the occasion in honoring our great land. Drink it outside with whatever you’re grilling. -By Brian

Happy Fourth of July and Go Phillies!

• Jayson Stark reports that the Phillies were looking at Juan Cruz of the Royals.  The Royals will only trade the reliever for a Major League ready prospect.
• Stark also reports that the Phillies haven’t given up on Roy Oswalt, Erik Bedard and Cliff Lee.
• Jon Heyman reports that the Phillies remain interested in Chien-Ming Wang, but the Texas Rangers have also jumped into the discussion.
• Heyman also reports the Phillies have discussed Pedro Martinez.

Ibanez says he feels “way better,” but there is still a little discomfort.  A rehab appearance is possible this Sunday, but he is scheduled to see team doctor Michael Ciccotti first.

Rollins led off the game with a double, starting the Phillies offensive explosion off Mets’ starter Livan Hernandez. Rollins scored on Chase Utley’s single and Greg Dobbs doubled giving Rodrigo Lopez an early cushion.

The Phillies couldn’t have asked for more out of Lopez, who was making his first Major League start since 2007. Lopez pitched six shutout innings before getting into trouble in the seventh. He limited the Mets to two runs on six hits in 6.1 innings. He walked one and struck out four. It was the type of performance the Phillies needed.

The Phillies continued to pile on runs off Hernandez. In the third inning, Jayson Werth homered and Rollins’ two run double gave the Phillies a 7-0 lead. Rollins finished the night 2-for-5. Two nights will not officially put Rollins out of his slump, but it is a good start.

Victorino also had a decent night going 3-for-5 with two runs scored. Chase Utley chipped in with two hits and two runs batted in. Every hitter in the Phillies lineup roughed up Hernandez, who lasted only three innings.

First place remains safe for one more day. Perhaps this win is something that the Phillies can build on.

Livan Hernandez (5-3, 4.04 ERA) vs. Rodrigo Lopez (5-4, 3.91 ERA in AAA)

Time: 7:05 p.m at Citizens Bank Park
Weather: Partly Cloudy, 80
TV:Comcast Sporstnet
Twitter: Phillies Nation

Tonight, the rivalry is renewed in a big series for both teams. The Phillies look to turn around their struggles and stay in first place in the National League East. The Mets are only one game out, and they could find themselves in first if the Phillies continue to struggle at home.

Rogrigo Lopez will start against the Mets. With the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, Lopez has been inconsistent in his last ten starts.  He has only given up one earned run his the last 14 innings he has pitched, however it has been a pattern that after he has success, he struggles in his next start.  On the plus side, he has not walked many batters or given up many home runs.  In his Major League career, Lopez is 65-65 with a 4.80 ERA. 

Hernandez is 10-8 with a 3.36 in 24 career starts against the Phillies.  At Citizens Bank Park, Hernandez is 2-2 with a 5.45 ERA.  Chase Utley is 8-for-24 in his career against Hernandez.  Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard each have homered off Hernandez twice in their careers.

Your Gameday Beer:If you’ve ever been to the City Tavern on 2nd Street across from the Ritz Theater in Philly, there’s a chance you’ve sampled General Washington’s Tavern Porter. It is brewed by Yards in honor of the father of our country who became a brewmaster himself after retiring from government and is based on one of his own recipes. The 7% dark porter is thick but drinkable with a molasses base. Eat like our revolutionary forefathers with some freshly hunted rabbit. - By Brian

Go Phillies!

What should have been a joyous beginning to a World Series defense was instead replaced by a blow to the solar plexus of every Phillies fan with the death of Harry Kalas. As the dust continues to settle and we go about trying to put it all behind us, there are still games to be played, and those games are called by men on TV and radio. And I wanted to take this this opportunity to pick through the rubble (and the rabble) of what is left behind the microphones.

The players

Tom McCarthy. Phillie-turned-Met-turned-Phillie was groomed to be Kalas’ replacement and now that time is here. T-Mac finally got called in from the bleachers and has proven himself to be a capable play-by-play man. While many don’t care for him much, his voice is smooth enough and his delivery is glitch-free. I get the feeling that other teams would take him if offered. Just don’t put the camera on him too often.

Chris Wheeler. Company man turned color analyst has been a fixture on the broadcasts since forever. He has a strong command of baseball fundamentals and in-game strategy (just ask him). Equally famous for his toupee and run-ins with fellow broadcasters as for his phrase-making, which has become legend among fans (”They’re in a no
doubles defense” … “He’s looking for something middle-in”).

Gary Matthews. Nicknamed “The Sarge” from his playing days, Matthews displays a folksy manner while lending a firm grasp of the obvious to the broadcast. He can be a bit eccentric at times. While somewhat enigmatic, there are those who insist he adds a certain “je ne sais quoi” to the telecast.

Scott Franzke. Our play-by-play man on radio is a solid broadcaster. He delivers the action in an heartier manner than McCarthy. A Franzke-Anderson broadcast has an earthy feel that the television broadcast does not. In his 30s, Scott may be a little young yet to push for the top job. He also wears weird eyeglasses.

Larry Anderson. Like the Sarge, our color analyst on radio is a former Phil. Those who can get past L.A.’s lazy delivery, will find a quality analyst with a dry wit. He can be a bit esoteric and is an acquired taste for some. Nevertheless, the banter between he and Franzke makes it clear the two enjoy working together and the camaraderie between the two creates an enjoyable broadcast.

Analysis

On TV, there is no chemistry between McCarthy and Wheeler whatsoever. While McCarthy is technically fine, his impersonal delivery fosters a teflon-like personality on air. While by all accounts a nice man, if you had a beer with the guy you’d be bored stiff inside of 10 minutes. Wheeler sits in the booth like a haughty gargoyle pontificating on baseball’s finest nuances to the point where everything has been analyzed into dust. It’s obvious that years of riding in the back of airplanes with players has taught him the game of baseball. My problem lies with the fact that he never played.

For this reason I can’t take him seriously as a baseball man. A McCarthy-Wheeler broadcast tends to be cold and antiseptic. It also doesn’t help that the pitch of their voices occupy the same range, leaving the telecast short of any “auditory contrast” (this is a long way of saying that they sound the same).

The Sarge. Ah, the Sarge. Yes, he belabors the obvious sometimes. Yes, he references domestic luxury cars too often after a Phillies homer. Yes, he wears funny hats. But he knows the game and I find his eccentricities charming. He has revealed to his audience that no matter how hard he tries, he simply cannot get drunk when there’s a full moon. On one occasion he referred to a young pitcher in a tight spot as being “puckered up in the rear-end area.” Sometimes he just says stuff that makes me laugh like hell. I like him. Do I wish he were Mitch Williams or perhaps Ricky Botallico? Perhaps. But I think he’s fine.

The call

Yes, Wheeler is that bad, but the Phillies are known to be intensely loyal, so he’s not going anywhere. Since “Wheels” has to stay, put him on during the middle innings with McCarthy. If feathers get ruffled you can tell one or both to take it or leave it. On TV, I’d recommend a move to a three-man booth with Franzke, Sarge and Anderson. Franzke calls a better game than McCarthy, plain and simple. I think the interplay between the two genuine oddballs, Matthews and Andersen, would provide good analysis and make for a few belly laughs as Franzke mans the rudder.

Carpenter is 7-1 with a 2.75 earned run average in 14 games.  Carpenter earned his first Major League win when he was called up earlier this season to start against the Washington Nationals.

Cervenak is batting .311 with 10 home runs and 66 runs batted in. Cervenak, 33, was selected to be an All Star last season, but did not play due to his promotion to the Major Leagues.  Tracy is tied for second in the International League in home runs with 14.

The Reading Phillies have four players selected for the Eastern League: Joe Savery, Neil Sellers, Michael Taylor, and Vance Worley.

Savery and Taylor were selected by the fans.  Savery leads the Eastern League with 10 wins.  He also has a 3.08 ERA  Taylor leads the league with a .348 batting average.  Taylor is second in the league with a 1.009 on-base plus slugging percentage.

Sellers is batting .300 with 8 home runs and 44 RBI.  Worley is 5-4 with a 3.63 ERA.

Both All Star games will be held on July 15.

Happ was excellent, striking out five. In seven innings, he gave up two runs on seven hits and two walks. The only runs he allowed came on a Casey Kotchman home run. Happ was able to escape a big jam in the seventh inning by getting Chipper Jones to pop up for the final out of the inning, stranding two men on base in a tie game.

Jimmy Rollins had a decent night a the plate, going 2-for-4, breaking up an 0-for-28 hitless streak. But even Rollins couldn’t spark the Phillies offense that left seven runners on base.

The Phillies had a chance to take the lead in the eighth. Jayson Werth advanced to third on a stolen base and overthrow. Mike Gonzalez’s pitch sailed over the glove of Brian McCann, with Werth headed for home. McCann recovered quickly, firing to a covering Gonzalez, nailing Jayson Werth sliding into home plate.

After that, everything fell apart for Ryan Madson, who continues to struggle. Matt Diaz hit a RBI double, but Garrett Anderson gave the Braves insurance on a 2 run bomb.

The Braves 5-2 win finished off a three game sweep of the falling Phillies. It is the first time since 2005 that the Phillies were swept at Turner Field, where they were 9-0 last season.