It seems that the wear and tear is finally catching up to Chase Utley.

The perennial all-star second baseman is listed day-to-day with right knee tendinitis following an MRI on Sunday.

Utley had been held out of the Phillies’ first three games this spring because of “general body soreness.”

Utley will be brought along slowly, according to Ruben Amaro Jr.

There’s no telling if this is simply a minor setback or a potentially season-threatening injury. Utley’s grind-it-out, hard-nosed style of play has been admired for years, but it appears the 32-year-old has reached (or is reaching) his physical peak.

Surgery could be an option, however minor it may be, if his knee doesn’t respond to the added rest.

My gut feeling is that this isn’t a good sign.

Monday, May 10th

Coors Field

Game 1 of 3

HEROES

• Carlos Ruiz is probably the best catcher in the NL right now (don’t you f*ckin’ dare say Rod Barajas). Chooch was 4-for-4 with the game-winning RBI single in the ninth inning. Ruiz has been an on-base machine. Can you believe that he leads the team in hitting (.364) and leads ALL OF BASEBALL in on-base percentage (.481). He’s hit .500 over the last 10 games… this from a guy who is normally the eight-hole hitter in the lineup! Goes to show how great this lineup can be.

• Ross Gload popped his Phillie cherry with a line drive, three-run homer off Manny Corpas to seal the win. Gload hasn’t played much at all save a few pinch hit appearances. Don’t know much about the guy, unfortunately, but I think he can hit… he just hasn’t had the chance.

• Chase Utley had a couple hits aand made a diving stop at second place that resulted in a double play.

BUMS

• J.C. Romero was terrible. He faced four batters, got only one out and allowed the Rockies to tie the game in the seventh inning.

• Wilson Valdez is a New York Mets reject, which explains why he can look so lost and so bad.

Phillies 2, Braves 0

Wednesday, April 21st

Roy Halladay is to awesome as this Golden Lab puppy is to cute......... What? Too soft for a sports blog?

Give the Cy Young Award to Roy Halladay right now.

Halladay pitched his second complete game, got his fourth win and lowered his minscule ERA to 0.82.

This guy is a hell of a lot of fun to watch. The way he uses all five or six of his pitches… it’s absolutely impossible to sit on something if you’re the hitter.

Halladay had some fun battles with Jason Heyward, who I’m convinced is some kind of man beast.

The key play of the game, obviously, was the double play turned by Chase Utley with the bases loaded in the seventh inning. With one out, Yunel Escober hit a hot shot up the middle, which was stabbed by Utley, who flipped to Juan Castro for the start of a 4-6-3 twin-killing.

Halladay also benefited from a home run taken away by Shane Victorino in the second.

Jayson Werth hit an RBI triple. Werth, Utley and Ryan Howard are all batting well over .300.

While the runs haven’t been coming in bunches lately, the pitching has been solid. Throw away Jamie Moyer’s five-run inning against Florida last Friday and Ryan Madson’s disaster in the ninth Tuesday.

The bad news coming out of the game was Placido Polanco, who with a bruised left elbow after getting his by a pitch.

He could miss Thursday’s series finale.

Phillies 7, Nationals 4

Monday, April 12th

Stud.

Cole Hamels allowed four earned runs over 5 2/3 laboring innings, but his offense picked him up (what else is new), rallying from a four-run deficit to down the Nats on opening day at The Bank.

The Phils scored five runs in the fifth inning off Jason Marquis, who for the second time in a week, couldn’t get through five against the Phils’ vaunted lineup.

Placido Polanco hit the go-ahead two-run single and Chase Utley smacked a homer that hit off the foul pole in right field to extend the lead to three.

The win came at a cost as both Jimmy Rollins and Jayson Werth were removed due to injury. Rollins suffered a right calf strain during pre-game warm ups and did not start. He is day-to-day and an MRI is scheduled on Tuesday.

Jayson Werth was removed after the fifth inning with hip soreness. Werth said afterward that the injury isn’t a big deal.

The Phils (6-1) are off to their best start since 1993.

Phillies 9, Astros 6

Saturday, April 10th

The Phils are smokin’ right now.

Even Jamie Moyer blowing a 4-0 lead couldn’t hold back the offense, which for the fifth time in as many games this season, churned out 10-plus hits. The last time the Phillies did that to start a season was 1926.

Ryan Howard’s mammoth two-run bomb to left field put the Phils, 6-5, a few innings after the Astros scored five runs with two outs off Jamie Moyer in the bottom of the fourth.

Shane Victorino’s hit a two-run homer for insurance in the ninth.

Look at what this lineup’s first five batters are doing (yes, I know it’s early). It’s off the charts: Jimmy Rollins (.386), Placido Polanco (.542), Chase Utley (.368), Ryan Howard (.417) and Jayson Werth (.400) .

Howard has three homers and 10 RBIs in five games. Polanco isn’t the vacuum bag at third base like Pedro Feliz was, but he’s be a godsend with the bat.

Today, Roy Halladay takes the hill as the Phillies try to sweep Houston before their home opener Monday versus the Nationals.

Nationals 6, Phillies 5

Thursday, April 8th

The Phillies should have came away with a season-opening sweep of the lowly Nats on Thursday. They had ample opportunities to score the game-tying and winning runs. Ultimately, they fell flat… sort of like Raul Ibanez’s batting average.

Kyle Kendrick resembled the same marginal major-league pitching talent from last year. He allowed three runs in the first inning and five total over four innings.

So much for all the preseason hype.

The Phils battled back and eventually tied the score. Jayson Werth was 3-for-5 with three doubles, while Ryan Howard and Chase Utley both had two hits.

Too many dudes left stranded in this one (11 LOBS, 1-for-14 RISP), though. The Phils had runners on second and third in the eighth, but couldn’t capitalize.

In the ninth, you got the sense they were going to pummel Matt Capps, who might as well be the team’s personal BP hurler. Utley got things going with a hustle double, followed by an intentional walk to Howard. Werth got Utley over to third with a fly ball, but Ibanez popped up and Shane Victorino grounded out to end the game.

Ibanez is a smokin’ 1-for-11 on the year. Victorino’s not too far off.

Well, the 162-0 season is out the window.

On a personal note, I vomited in my mouth in the bottom of the seventh inning when Nelson Figueroa and Brian Schneider re-formed one of the greatest battery’s in recent Mets history.

For the love of hell, why must we employ not one, but two regulars from the Mets’ 2009 roster?

Having  a pair of perennial losers on the 25-man roster is a bad omen. Believe it.

Where’s Paul Bako?

Chase Utley admitted that it would have been cool had the Phillies somehow managed to keep Cliff Lee for the 2010 season.

In a perfect world, the Phillies would be the odds-on favorite to WIN the World Series.

Utley spoke to reporters Tuesday and said he looks forward to playing behind the Phillies’ new ace.

In his first public comments since The Trade, Chase Utley backed the Phillies' decision to acquire Roy Halladay.

“He’s one of the best pitchers in baseball,” Utley said. “Ive heard a lot of good things about him. Everybody I’ve talked to who’s played with him or against him has nothing but good things to say about him. His preparation is off the charts. I’m excited to see him work.

“Cliff Lee, I had a good time playing behind Cliff. Obviously, he pitched outstanding. Hopefully at some point I get to play with him again. But it’s a business. We all realize this now. Every year there are new faces in the clubhouse no matter what.”

Placido Polanco, who played  in Philadelphia from 2002-05, signed a three-year,$18 million contract with the Phillies Wednesday to play third base.

Polanco won a pair of Gold Gloves at second base in Detroit and is a career .303 hitter. He will replace Pedro Feliz at the hot corner, a position change Polanco embraced.

“We’re very happy to have Placido back in a Phillies uniform,” said GM Ruben Amaro Jr. “He’s a professional hitter who will enhance our lineup. As a Gold Glove infielder, we’re very confident that he will make a smooth transition back to third base. Polly also gives us some added versatility at second base if and when Chase needs a rest.”

Polanco’s first stint in Philadelphia began in July 2002 when he was acquired from St. Louis for Scott Rolen. Polanco finished the season at third base, replacing Rolen, but was the Phillies’ starting second baseman from 2003 to the beginning of 2005. A few months into the season, Polanco was traded to Detroit to make room for Chase Utley at second.

Polanco said during his press conference that he “never wanted to leave” Philadelphia.

Last season, Polanco batted .285 with 10 home runs and 72 RBIs for the Tigers.

All in all, this is a great signing by the Phillies. Talks between Phillies management and Polanco’s representatives intensified over the last 48 hours or so. Thus, it’s sort of a surprising move, considering the Phillies had major interest in mark DeRosa.

Polanco, though, is the best option. Yes, he’s a minor downgrade from Feliz defensively, but Polanco is arguably one of the best contact hitters in baseball. Plus, the guy hardly ever strikes out. It’ll will be interesting to see where he hits, but the common thought is Polanco will hit No. 2 between Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley. I like him there instead of Shane Victorino because Polanco is the prototypical No. 2 hitter. Victorino’s speed will come in handy in the No. 7 hole… so, I’m all for it.

Chase Utley earned his fourth consecutive Silver Slugger award for best-hitting National League second baseman.

Utley owned a.282 batting average with 28 doubles, four triples, 31 home runs and 93 RBIs in 2009.

Accordling to MLB.com, “Utley leads Major League second basemen in runs (456), hits (711), RBIs (400), on-base percentage (.392) and slugging percentage (.535) over the past four seasons.”

It has been  24 hours since the Phillies relinquished their World Series championship to the New York Yankees. Hell, the Yanks were the better team. 

But… they weren’t a FAR superior team.

In fact, you could argue the Phillies could have repeat had Brad Lidge not blown up in the ninth inning of Game 4. If Lidge gets out of the inning unscathed, and the Phillies scratch out a game-winning, the Series is tied.

Oh well. No sense in playing the coulda/shoulda/woulda game.

So, what went wrong? Hmm, I can think of three things…

Ryan Howard was terrible

The Big Piece was having a tremendous postseason. He had won the NLCS MVP and came into the World Series with 14 RBIs in the playoffs.

After winning the NLCS in five games, the Phillies had a week layoff and that, I feel, was detrimental to Howard’s groove.  Granted, the Yankees’ left-handed pitchers kept the slugger in check, but when a guy is that hot coming into a series and all of the sudden goes soft, it begs the question about too much rest.

Howard is a streaky hitter. He’ll carry the team for a month or two straight. He was doing that in the playoffs until the lengthy time off.

Howard batted .174 with one homer, three RBIs and a World Series-record 13 strikeouts. That’s not the kind of performance I expected. His MIA status was huge.

Pitching: The Yankees were better

Duh, right?

Lidge was awful, as we know. So, too, was Cole Hamels.

The only reliable pitcher was Cliff Lee. Matter of fact, it was that way for the entire playoffs. Whereas the Yankees had three guys they could count on in Andy Pettitte, CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett… the Phillies’ starting pitching was a big question mark.

Last year, the Phillies had an untouchable bullpen. This year? Argggh.

The year-long instability caught up to the Phillies at the very last moment.

Clutch hitting was nonexistent

The Phillies got back to the World Series behind the strength of clutch hitting. Jimmy Rollins, Howard, Jayson Werth, Carlos Ruiz … those guys all came through in the NLDS and NLCS.

Really, the only guy that was consistent in the World Series was Chase Utley… and even he stranded a lot of guys on base when he wasn’t smashing home runs.

Well, those are just a few reasons why the Phillies aren’t preparing for their second straight parade down Broad St.

As my former middle school baseball coach once told me, “When you don’t play as good as your opponent, you will not be as good as your opponent.”

Yeaaah.