One of the biggest questions surrounding this year's Phillies was the starting rotation, particularly since two of the finest arms on the staff had been inconsistent. The jury is still out on Vicente Padilla, and it's only fair to give him a few outings before passing judgment. On the other hand, it looks as if the real Brett Myers has finally stood up.
Manager Charlie Manuel and his coaching staff might have finally solved the puzzle of the young right-handed hurler with the unlimited potential. Although staff ace Jon Lieber has a better record (3-0), Myers, who is 1-0 with two no-decisions, is pitching just as well, if not better. After three starts (20-1/3 innings), the 24-year-old has given up just one earned run — for an ERA of 0.44 — and he has walked just two batters and has struck out 20.
In his last outing, he uncorked a gem. On Sunday night, Myers matched Atlanta Braves veteran lefty Mike Hampton for eight strong innings in front of 32,000 fans at Citizens Bank Park and a national television audience. Although he didn't get the decision, it was probably his best start since he fired a complete-game shutout against the Los Angeles Dodgers on May 20, 2004.
"I can't say enough about him," Manuel said of Myers after Sunday's 2-1, 10-inning victory. "He was fantastic. He didn't walk anybody, he had good command, and he kept his composure."
The skipper put his finger on an important factor. Myers has been known to be somewhat impatient, to put it mildly. Perhaps maturing a little bit will go a long way toward the success that everyone has always predicted for him.
"He used to be like a bull in a china shop," said Manuel. "He thought he could just throw the ball by everybody. Now he stays focused when he's out there."
When asked why the pitcher is able to do that now, Manuel replied, "I think a lot of it has to do with (the fact that) he's calmed down a lot."
Said Myers: "I'm trying not to get too high or too low (this season). I'm just trying to be the same. I'll go out there every time and give it my best, and if it works out, it works out. And if it doesn't, I'll just try to keep the same mentality and try to get batters out with whatever pitches are working that night.
"Even after a good outing — or a bad one — it doesn't matter," Myers continued. "You can always get better. At some point, you find that you can learn something from every start."
An unknown factor coming into this season was Lieber's influence. It appears that Myers has picked up a few things just from watching his new teammate.
"Lieber just pounds the strike zone," Myers said. "He likes to pitch. He likes to go after batters. He's not afraid of (bat) contact. Last year, I was afraid of contact, so after watching Lieber, I'm just trying to pound the strike zone.
"I'm not afraid of contact (now). I'm not afraid of throwing a strike in any situation. The worst that can happen is I'd give up a home run, but our offense can get runs (back) at any time."
Let's hope this isn't a mirage. Myers will have a bad game once in a while — every pitcher does — but if this is the start of something big, there will be one less question mark on the Phillies' staff.
Although Manuel was reluctant to label it thus, it looks as if the second-base situation has become a platoon. Placido Polanco and Chase Utley have played about the same number of games with Utley normally getting the nod against right-handed pitchers and Polanco against lefties. Polanco will spell David Bell at third base on occasion, and Utley will fill in for Jim Thome at first base once in a while, so both should get adequate playing time.
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