Where the heck is the Phils' rightfielder?  Not only was he replaced in the starting lineup for Friday night's game against the Mets - at Shea, where he's pummeled the ball - by Joe Thurston, but several pinch hitting opportunities come up and Cholly (and later Varsho once Cholly was tossed) sent up Jose Hernandez and Danny Sandoval and Chris Roberson.  Sandoval didn't even stay in the game.  And this is a game that was close the whole way through.  Turns out he's day-to-day, but if you're critical to the team, and they're in a critical game, don't they usually play you so long as you're not on the DL?

I hadn't heard about Burrell being hurt, aside from the foot owies he's dealt with all season long - but turns out Rotowire says "Burrell was out of the starting lineup Friday with a sore left wrist, the team's official web site reports. "I'm fine," Burrell said. "I just felt it on a swing and thought we should give it a few days."".  

Uh, if you're 'fine', don't you play down the stretch - that is, if your team hasn't totally lost confidence in you?  Last I checked, his August OPS was around .780 - not what you'd like to see, but... Danny Sandoval?  I mean, the Phils were trying to win this game, right?

I understand that Burrell has platoon issues, but, man, when they don't bring you into a close, must-win game at all, in your favorite park to hit, and they send up Sandoval and Thurston and Hernandez, what does that say?  I mean, they sent up Roberson - and not just for defense like usual; he actually hit for Rhodes.