The Philadelphia Phillies enter the series with a commanding lead in the National League East with a record of 69-49. They are 6.5 games ahead of the Atlanta Braves and Florida Marlins. Everything seems to be falling in place for the Phil’s as their big bats are heating up, and their pitching has vastly improved since the arrival of Cliff Lee. The Mets, on the other hand, are 14.5 games out with a record of 56-65. The Mets have been plagued with injuries all season and are all but out of the playoff race. Or are they? That may be determined after this series.

                14.5 games cannot be made up in a four game series. However, a sweep could bring the Mets within 10.5 games. 10.5 games is still a large deficit to overcome but not impossible. The Phillies have come back late in the past two seasons to win the Eastern Division Title. The comeback has to start somewhere. Perhaps a comeback win with a walk-off hit like the Phillies did to the Mets in a game in 2007 that changed the whole complexion of the playoff race that year. Perhaps a big series win could also change the race. One series can change both teams’ momentums depending on the outcome.  

                If the Mets were to sweep the Phillies in this four game series, it would do more then cut their Division lead down four games. It could completely change the Phillies’ mindset for the rest of the season. The two teams will also meet for another four game series in September. That series will be played in Philadelphia. That’s eight games down the stretch that could go either way. The Phillies lead the season series 6-4 right now, but eight games can change that. Both teams also have tough schedules coming up. Those schedules include teams going for Division or Wild Card berths. Both teams also play the lowly Washington Nationals, a team with no chance of making the playoffs. They have been playing better as of late and play tough down the stretch and would love to be a spoiler team to build some team confidence and respect.  

                You may think to yourself, what are the Mets playing for? Yes, they are 14.5 games out and a long shot to come back. Yes, they have suffered some injuries this year and lost key players such as shortstop Jose Reyes, first baseman Carlos Delgado and third baseman David Wright who may not return this season. So what’s left? Revenge. The Phillies have won the last two Division Championships by overcoming and defeating the Mets. The Mets would love to knock the Phillies down in the division, even if they are not the ones to win it. Ask any Mets fan. If the Mets aren’t the ones to win the Eastern Division, then they want it to be anyone besides Philadelphia.

                Philadelphia cannot go into this series overconfident. This series will not change the standings once it is over. No matter the outcome, the Phillies will still be in first place Monday night. That lead can change for the better or the worse. It is up to them to keep their hot streak of power hitting and solid starting pitching going strong during this series and down the stretch. The Phillies will start Cole Hamels tonight. Hamels has not pitched like an ace all year, posting a 7-7 record and 4.69 ERA. The Mets will counter with Mike Pelfrey who has an 8-8 record with a 4.75 ERA. The first win is crucial. Hamels needs to get on track to help carry the Phil’s down the stretch.

                Perhaps the most interesting matchup of this series will take place Sunday when Pedro Martinez returns to New York, this time as an opponent, for the first time since signing with the Phillies late this season. Pedro is still trying to show everyone that the Phillies made the right decision to sign him this season. His last start was interrupted by a rain delay and Pedro only pitched three innings. The Phillies will also have rookie standout J.A. Happ pitching Saturday, and last year’s A.L. Cy Young winner Cliff Lee is slated to pitch on Monday. Lee has been an innings eater since coming to the Phillies at the trade deadline, with two complete games in four starts, all of which have been quality starts.

                The Phillies will miss Johan Santana in this series. Santana has been the Mets best pitcher. He is 13-9 this season with a 3.13 ERA and 146 strikeouts. The Mets will miss Joe Blanton, who has had decent success against the Mets in his career. In four games, he is 2-0 with a 1.59 ERA and 16 strikeouts.

                So here it is. Tonight starts the four game series everyone was geared up for earlier this year. Now, it seems less important. But one thing is sure, this series is more important than the numbers show. This series can be a make or break for the Eastern Division race. The Phillies will be in first place once the series is over, but will they be able to maintain first place in the long run after this series. We will know more once this series is under way tonight.

                Jim Clancy is a lifelong baseball fan, following the Philadelphia Phillies since he can remember. Clancy played baseball all his life, earning four varsity letters as an infielder, catcher and pitcher. Clancy is now a full time Firefighter/EMT and continues to follow baseball on all levels. He is the writer of JC’s weekly pitch and can be contacted at jclancy@javbaseball.com.

The Philadelphia Phillies lost their voice earlier this year on April  13^th when Hall of Fame broadcaster Harry Kalas passed away suddenly in the booth just prior to a game against the Washington Nationals at the age of 73. Harry Kalas was one of those announcers that you wanted to listen to while watching a game. Whether on television or the radio, Kalas’s voice and calls made him into the legend that he became. Fortunately for Kalas, the Phillies fans loved him and appreciated him when he was still with us. That love has continued on after his passing. The Phillies will induct Kalas into their Wall of Fame tonight, Friday August 7^th. Kalas will join other great names such as Steve Carlton, Greg Lusinski, the late Paul Owens and Michael Jack Schmidt. Mike Schmidt became a household name due to his playing ability. Michael Jack Schmidt became a house hold name because of Harry Kalas.

Harry Kalas is already a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame. He earned the Ford C. Frick Award in 2002 and was inducted into the broadcaster’s wing. In June of this year, Kalas became the 14^th member of the National Radio Hall of Fame, joining other greats like Bob Ueker, Vin Scully and Harry Caray. Kalas earned all of these honors by being the best at what he did. He loved the game of baseball, and the players and fans all loved him back. He called the games with such passion. He would let you know when good things were happening. He would also let you know when the bad things were happening too, which the Phillies fans got accustomed to in the late 90’s and early 2000’s. He called some of the Phillies greatest home runs with his signature “Outta Here” call. Watch Mike Schmidt’s 500^th home run or Jim Thome’s 400^th home run and you will hear Harry. He was also fortunate enough to call the Phillies two World Series Championships. His calls of Tug McGraw and Brad Lidge’s final outs in the 1980 and 2008 World Series games are so memorable that the calls are just as enjoyable as the actual actions on the field.

A true legend in Philadelphia, Kalas will be enshrined to the Phillies Wall of Fame by fellow broadcaster Larry Anderson. Anderson, who pitched for the Phillies from 1983-1986 and 1993-1994, has been broadcasting for the Phillies since the 1998 season. Anderson, who is the color commentator on the radio, may be the most underrated broadcaster in the game. Now, he has the honor and privilege of enshrining his friend and mentor to the Wall of Fame. Kalas will surely be watching from above with another former Phillies great, Richie Ashburn. Kalas and Ashburn were one of the greatest play-by-play duos to call any game. Ashburn, who passed away in September of 1997, is also a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Phillies Wall of Fame. It is only fitting that Kalas and Ashburn are both honored in all of the same ways.

Harry did the little things that kept people interested in the Phillies, baseball and eventually himself. His home run calls, his singing of “High Hopes” after the Phillies World Series win in 2008, his “Michael Jack Schmidt” call and even just the way he pronounced Chi-caw-go. There was and is no other like him. He is missed by many baseball fans and will always be a part of the game. If you get a chance to visit Citizen’s Bank Park, be sure to check out the Wall of Fame. Pay your respects to players that have given us their blood, sweat and tears. And make sure you pay your respects to Harry Kalas, the voice that kept you interested in the game while watching on TV or listening on the radio. If you think anyone can do it, look back at some of the awful teams that the Phillies had in the 80’s, 90’s, and early 2000’s and see how Harry kept everyone interested. Remember that he called the first and last games of Veteran’s Stadium, the first game at Citizen’s Bank Park, two World Series championship teams and much more. His voice will live on forever in the hearts of those that listened to him, and hopefully his memories will be passed on to the new fans of the game for many more years to come.