Joe Blanton

the loser will go home.  Brett Myers has turned it on lately, and the Phillies will depend on Joe Blanton.  The offense will need to gain more consistency as well.

New York Mets (73-60), 2nd place in NL East, 2nd place in NL Wild Card:  IN  The solid starting rotation will need to keep going deep into games to hide the inconsistent bullpen.  Although the Wild Card may become out of reach the Mets will be in the fight for the division for the duration.

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ing the Cubs, but he has posted a 2.10 ERA and has fanned 47 batters in only 30 innings.  Even Joe Blanton has helped his new team, with a 3.27 ERA in four starts, three of which have resulted in wins for the Phillies.

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orbitant contract

    Santana will be opposed by the Phillies' newest acquisition, Joe Blanton, who has beaten the Mets in each of his two career starts against them, without allowing a run.  Blanton was just 5-12 with Oakland this season but, like Santana, had been the victim of poor run support.

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League

    The Phillies bolstered their starting rotation yesterday by trading for Joe Blanton.  This is the third starting pitcher the Athletics have dealt this season, including Rich Harden and Dan Haren, who was traded to Arizona in the winter.  Blanton is only 5-12 with a 4.96 ERA this season, but there could be a method to GM Pat Gillick's madness.  Blanton is marginally better in the second half over the course of his career, and in two career starts against the Mets he is 1-0 and has not allowed a run in 15 innings.  The Mets will get to see him right away, as he is slated to pitch on Tuesday at Shea.  To make room in the rotation, Philly moved Adam Eaton, who was a career Met-killer until New York roughed him up last time they faced him, to the bullpen.

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Since not much is expected the team this season, Joe Blanton will surely be traded before the deadline, and if Harden and Crosby can stay healthy and produce this season, they would also make very tempting trade bait (especially Harden for a contender in need of pitching) and could potentially bring a decent haul of prospects. Given their track records, that remains a pretty big if.

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