Worley lifts Phillies to another easy win over Mets

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Asked if he could have foreseen an instance where the Phillies would have won 12 straight starts by one of the pitchers in the rotation, Vance Worley did not hesitate. It was kind of a layup question. Figuring that the staff had two Cy Young Award winners, two NLCS MVPs and a World Series MVP, 12 in a row seems like a given.

So yeah, Worley says he could have seen how a pitcher on the Phils staff could start 12 straight winning games.

But not necessarily myself, he said. Definitely one of the other guys.

Thing is, its not one of the other guys and thanks to the 9-4 victory over the New York Mets on Tuesday night at the Bank, the Phillies have won the last 12 straight games started by the 23-year old rookie.

With the way things started out on Tuesday night, it didnt seem as if Worley was going to last very long. The Mets got the first two batters on base in the first two innings and even loaded the bases with one out in the first inning, forcing Worley to throw 47 pitches.

But as the story has unfolded for Worley this season, he came out of it unscathed. Sure, the extra pitches probably cost Worley a chance at a complete game, but the rookie right-hander was pushed to get a career-high nine strikeouts with just one walk in seven innings.

At 9-1 and with a 2.65 ERA, Worley should receive some strong Rookie of the Year consideration at the end of the year. Not only has he dotted the stat sheet nicely while the Phillies have won games behind him, but Worley has a pretty fascinating story, as well. After all, with a veteran-laden rotation where Joe Blanton was lined up as the No. 5 starter, Worley wasnt counted on to do much this season.

That is if he made it to the big leagues at all.

I saw myself as a cup-of-coffee guy, Worley said.

I didnt expect to be doing what Im doing. I just figured Id be another average guy just filling in shoes.

Actually, it took a trip back to the minors for the 23-year old Sacramento, Calif. native to figure it out. During spring training he got a chance to go to Ace School and watch how guys like Roy Oswalt, Cliff Lee, Roy Halladay and Cole Hamels went about their work. What the rookie learned and saw was that there wasnt really any big secret.

He was on the right path.

However, the turning point in Worleys season might have come when he was sent back to the minors during spring training. Though he thought he had a chance to make the team as a bullpen arm, the Phillies brass liked him as a starter in case something happened to one of the big guns. When Roy Oswalt went out in late April, the rookie got the call.

Still, it wasnt the last time he would be farmed out, either. A stint as a reliever proved to be counterproductive, so it was back at Triple A where Worley was able to get himself together.

I went out there and tried to make my pitches and I couldnt, Worley said. It was like I was trying to do too much and I went down to the minor league camp and there was no weight on my shoulders and no stress and now I can do my work and not worry about anything. I could just work my way back and I think that helped a lot. I was able to go down to Triple A and build my innings back up and build my confidence.

Apparently, it was a matter of building up his confidence. Even now, with a 9-1 record and solid footing in the rotation, Worley still waits for someone to tap him on the shoulder to tell him its time to go back to the minors.

Hell have to wait for a while because manager Charlie Manuel will be counting on Worley to be an important piece of the bullpen during the postseason.

When a player gets a chance he usually comes around, Manuel said. Vance is one of those guys who got a chancehis talent is coming out. He pitched a real good game at the end of the year in Atlanta and I remembered that all winter.

Tuesday against the Mets though, Worley bounced off the ropes following a double in the second by Justin Turner and retired the next 15 he faced. In the second inning Worley needed strikeouts and he got themlooking. Of his career-high nine strikeouts, five of Worleys came with the Mets holding the bats on their shoulders.

It was big for him, Manuel said. Getting out of those jams was really big for him.

It was big for the Phillies, too. The victory helped them keep pace in the NL East. At 83-44, the Phillies remained 6 games ahead of the Braves and lowered their magic number for clinching a fifth straight division title to 28.

E-mail John R. Finger at jfinger@comcastsportsnet.com.

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