Phils are starting
to look like a playoff team

In the Batter’s Box
By Matt Godfrey

"Put up or shut up."
It’s a phrase that many sports teams throw around in the locker room when the pressure is on.
You perform. Or you go home.
It’s a motivator during one of those crossroads moments. Like when you’re down to the final games that’ll dictate whether your team heads for the playoffs or packs up to go home for the season.
Put up or shut up. Those are the choices that have confronted the much-maligned Phillies bullpen of late. The bullpen that, season long, has been more likely to blow a game than save one.
Lately, though, something novel has been happening to the bullpen. They’ve been able to "put up." Specifically the likes of closer Brett Myers, setup man Tom Gordon and left-handed specialist J.C. Romero.
As the week started, this trio had come into games and just dominated. In their last 10 appearances, Gordon and Romero have combined for 17 innings without giving up a run.
Gordon, in fact, has pitched beautifully, striking out 11 batters over nine-plus innings. Romero had struck out five in more than seven innings.
In Myers’ last 10 appearances, he had held opponents to a 1.54 earned-run average while striking out 10 batters over an 11-plus-inning span.
Myers did have two shaky outings when he gave up runs, including taking the loss in one game. Overall, though, he, Gordon and Romero pretty much have been the definition of performing when it counts.
I know it hasn’t been that way all season. Most of the time the bullpen has been inconsistent and predictable, even horrendous.
But these final games of the season — with the Phils battling for the NL East or, at the very least, a wild-card playoff spot — have been different. It’s time to put up or shut up.
The offense has been doing its best to win games. They’ve been laboring to out-slug opponents, which is a tough way to have to compensate for shaky relief pitching.
The starters — and let’s forget about Adam Eaton here — have done a respectable job throughout the season.
Lefties Cole Hamels and Jamie Moyer have been as consistent as can be. J.D. Durbin and Kyle Lohse have done pretty much what you were expecting from them. Rookie call-up Kyle Kendrick probably has been the best thing that could have happened all season.
The rotation has pretty much kept the Phils in most of their games. The bullpen too often couldn’t finish them.
But the script has been changing lately. And it’s not just Myers, Gordon and Romero who are trying to rewrite it.
Last week, the three of them had times of unavailability because of overwork.
No worries.
Fabio Castro and Francisco Rosario came in to shut down the St. Louis Cardinals. Last year’s most reliable reliever, Geoff Geary, has been showing enough consistency to build a fan’s confidence.
After being among the league leaders in Inherited Runners Stranded last season, Geary came out flat this season. An early-season meltdown on the mound led to some trips to the minors for Geary, but he has been regaining his old form.
Over his last 10 appearances, he had pitched more than 14 innings and given up only two runs.
The Phillies’ current playoff chase wouldn’t be so harrowing if the bullpen guys had "put up" much earlier in the season. They had a penchant for blowing leads and killing dreams.
I’m certainly not suggesting that the Phils brass give all these guys another shot next season. But if they’re going to earn a paycheck, this is a crucial time to do it.
As the season comes to an end on Sunday, one thing that can’t be disputed is the fight and character the Phils have demonstrated to stay in contention this long.
Statistically, the Phils have defied the odds in a lot of ways, but that’s the beauty of baseball.
Anything is possible. ••
Columnist Matt Godfrey can be reached at 215-354-3113 or mgodfrey@phillynews.com