It was an incredible game last night, the thriller in Dodger-land with knockdowns and counter punches. There are so many storylines, from Carlos Ruiz as the principle Dodger killer with his three-run blast, Ryan Howard’s two run double off a spooked Clayton Kershaw and Raaauuuul’s three run blast off the Dodger’s lefty specialist, George Sherrill. There was Chan Ho Park looking like a true shutdown pitcher and Ryan Madsen looking out of sorts, followed by Brad “Dim-the-Lights” Lidge getting a Mitch Williams-like save with a couple of hard hit balls and a gift double-play.

However, there is one storyline that really bothers me, and that was Cole Hamels showing up his teammates after Jimmy Rollins had trouble getting a double play grounder out of his glove, which resulted in a hurried throw by Chase Utley that went into the dugout. Hamels threw his hands up in disgust, and then served up three straight change ups to Manny Ramirez, who hit the third one for a two-run homer.

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Rants and raves about burning topics that have caught my attention midweek, be it greedy corporate shenanigans, frustration or joy in regards to the Philly sports teams, a movie or DVD that has fired up my imagination, an intriguing personality, or my on-going battle to lose weight in our fast food world. — Lori Hoffman, Associate Editor, Atlantic City Weekly

I refuse to worry about the Phillies, despite all the pitching upheaval. This time last year we were clinging to first place, with a very competitive Mets squad ready to strike and pass us. Which they did, but the final results in October were what counted.
Summer is still here and the living is easy and we still have the lead in the NL East. The Mets are in shambles, the Fish are tough right now but will wilt eventually, and the Braves might wind up being the last competition standing in the division.

Pedro Martinez

So what if Brad Lidge is no longer “Light-Out” Lidge? So what if his nickname should be “All-the-lights-are-on” Lidge? All right, I’m concerned after another blown save last night, but I refuse to go crazy. It is not as if Lidge has become the reincarnation of Mitch “Wild Thing” Williams. Boy, did we have some fun with him in 1993. Yes, Lidge seems to have lost his confidence and his control. It is an issue and a solution does not seem to be available at the moment. Ryan Madsen flunked when he had the job, and right now he is pitching better in his more comfortable set up role. Brett Myers will be back in the pen by season’s end, but can he take that closer spot, coming back from hip surgery? It’s a big question mark.

Cliff Lee is 2-0 with the Phils.

GM Ruben Amaro Jr. addressed the starting pitching problem with Cliff Lee. Has he been fun to watch or what? Tonight we begin the great Pedro experiment. I wasn’t enthusiastic about the signing, but the way Jamie “I was misled” Moyer is pitching, it can’t hurt to take a look. J.A. Happ pitched great last night after a shaky couple of innings. He was impressive when he limited the damage after loading the bases with none out.
It would be nice if Cole Hamels would find his mojo again, and Joe Blanton has been the quiet, steady righty arm all year long.
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Well, the other spike has dropped. As expected, the Phillies signed Pedro Martinez to a one-year deal. They are getting him cheap for a reported $1 million, but as my mother likes to say, you get what you paid for. If Martinez helps the team as the fifth starter, fine, but most Phillies fans hope this doesn’t mean the Phils are out of the Roy Halladay bidding war. This team is ready to win now and they need another topflight pitcher to join Cole Hamels at the top of the rotation. Don’t give away the whole farm, but if it’s three top prospects (Kyle Drabek, Michael Taylor, J.A. Happ) for the best pitcher in baseball right now, do it, please! Do you want to face the Dodgers in the playoffs with the current pitching staff — Hamels, Happ, Blanton, Moyer, Martinez? Really?
By the way, if you’re looking for Martinez’ first chance to face his old team the Mets, the Phils play them  Aug. 21-24. Hopefully Pedro, who probably won’t pitch until the first week in August, will have a couple of wins under his belt by then.