Don't look now, but the Fightins are in danger of climbing out of the basement. With a 6-4 victory over the Red Sox last night, the Phillies are winners in six straight, and seven of their last eight, pushing their record to two games above .500. They've pulled even with the Mets for last place, half a game behind the Marlins for third, and only four back of the Braves who have managed to creep into first.
The series with Boston continues tonight, as Joe Blanton takes the ball against Jon Lester.
Lester is 2-3 with a 3.71 after getting off to a bit of a rough start. He's been better lately, allowing one run or fewer in three of his last four starts, and no more than three in any. His last outing was the strongest of the season, holding the Mariners to one run over nine innings.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Philadelphia sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
Blanton owns the uneviable assignment of following Cole Hamels, who earned his sixth W of the season last night, tied for the most in baseball. Heavy B has been up to the task though, going 4-2 with a 2.81 ERA in starts. He's doing his job -- eating up innings and keeping the team in ball games -- and then some.
Chooch is in the lineup, so I like the Phillies' odds. After another huge game last night (2-for-3, 2 RBI), Carlos Ruiz has his batting average up to .371, and is making it hard for All Star voters to say no. Don't forget to vote if you're reading this!