Phillies stars be on the lookout. The true Phillie killer is on the mound tonight. He has broken Chase Utley's hand. He has injured Cole Hamels' ankle. Which Phillies star will John Lannan maim next? Hopefully no one. But I wouldn't be surprised if Ryan Howard and Jimmy Rollins are a little extra cautious tonight.
The Phillies face the Nationals tonight to start a four game series. Baseball Prospectus idol-wannabe MattS (more on that soon) has already covered the series more in depth than anyone anywhere, so go read that for a full preview.
The more fluff intro to the game here is this: can the Phillies do anything to stem the tide of mediocrity they've been putting forth this season? Will a visit with Mr. Hope and Change earlier today remind the Phillies of brighter days, as their World Series victory came six days before President Obama was elected? Or will it keep the memories of last year in their heads enough so that they remain complacent, as their manager has alleged?
With the Mets on a 10-2 rampage these days, the Phils need to get on track. Both offense and pitching need to click at the same time, something that has been a rarity these days. And the dead weights need to come back to life (at least Lidge and Rollins, as Moyer won't start this series).