While the previous update here had the Philadelphia Phillies sitting comfortably atop the NL East standings with the second-best record in baseball, at 44-40 with the 2010 MLB All-Star Game break approaching, the third-place Phillies are doing everything they can just to keep from falling any further.

At that time, a large part of Philadelphia’s success rested on the laurels of the Phillies’ great trio of starting pitchers – Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels, and Jamie Moyer. The pitching is still there, as the three have combined for 33 quality starts, 25 wins, 285 strikeouts and an earned-run average of just below four in 52 games and just over 340 innings. Halladay is still at the head of the Phillies class with his 10 wins (3rd in NL), 119 strikeouts (7th in NL), 2.33 ERA (5th in NL), and National League-leading 139 innings pitched, while Hamels (6-7, 104.1 IP, 104 SO, 4.05 ERA) and Moyer (9-8, 107.2 IP, 62 SO, 4.51 ERA) have suffered a bit more during the team’s slump, as Kyle Kendrik (5-3, 8 QS, 102.1 IP, 49 SO, 4.49 ERA) has seemingly remained a little more consistent over the same period. The problem for the Phillies simply seems to be is that the loss column is catching up to them (25 combined losses), but more due to lack of offense than to pitching or defense.

With pitching like the Philadelphia Phillies are blessed with one might think that hitting is not that important, but as the team has fallen to the middle or lower third of the MLB hitting categories – 19th in batting average (.257), 9th in homeruns (88), 10th in runs-batted-in (379), and 22nd in hits (735) – but unless they are hitting homers, so too has the pitching and record suffered.

While right-fielder Jayson Werth (.278 BA, 13 HR, 48 RBI) was once leading the charge for Philadelphia at the plate, he has dropped nearly fifty points in his average in the past month and a half, and second-baseman Chase Utley (.277 BA, 11 HR, 37 RBI, .383 OBP), who has been out of the lineup since June 29 due to injury, has dropped thirty and forty points in his batting and on-base (still leads team) percentages respectively, while adding only one homer over the same period. While there is only one regular batting over .300 – third-baseman Placido Polanco (also on the DL with Utley) who has raised his average to a team-leading .318 – first-baseman Ryan Howard has continued to keep his numbers up; second to Polanco in average (.293), but leading the Phils with 98 hits, 16 dingers (10th in NL), and 62 runs-batted-in (2nd in NL).

If they can get Utley and Polanco back soon, with their collection of talent, both at the plate and on the mound, there is still a great shot for these guys to get back amongst the league’s elite. Get some Philadelphia Phillies tickets today, and come cheer on your team as they take the Citizens Bank Park field for the second half of the 2010 season.