--LHP Cole Hamels will start Thursday night's series finale against the Braves on his normal rest instead of taking an extra day off and pitching in Friday night's opener against the Mets at Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies made the move to ensure that their ace will make three starts before the All-Star break. But beyond Hamels, the Phillies' starting rotation is in flux. With RHP Brett Myers bound for Class AAA Lehigh Valley, the Phillies have not decided how or when to replace him. They could move RHP Chad Durbin into the rotation, but the more likely scenario may be recalling a starter from the minors, possibly Class AAA LHP J.A. Happ. Whoever starts in Myers' place will face the Mets on Friday or Saturday. It all depends on whether LHP Jamie Moyer pitches Friday night on his regular rest or gets an extra day off and starts Saturday night.
--LF Pat Burrell opened the second inning by swatting his 20th home run. Burrell became only the second player in Phillies history to hit at least 20 homers in at least eight straight seasons. The other: Hall of Fame 3B Mike Schmidt, who went deep at least 20 times in 14 straight seasons from 1974 to 1987. --RHP Kyle Kendrick is 8-3 with a 4.58 ERA in 17 starts this season, but the most telling number is the Phillies' record when he pitches: 13-4. They are 12-2 in his last 14 starts and 11-0 in his last 11 starts against NL teams. In Kendrick's 37 starts over two seasons since he was called up from Class AA Reading, the Phillies are 26-11. "He's been absolutely great for us," manager Charlie Manuel said after Kendrick pitched the Phillies to an 8-3 win over the Braves. "I don't know where we'd be last year or this year without him."
--LHP R.J. Swindle was 2-0 with a 1.35 ERA, 48 strikeouts and only six walks in 40 innings between Class AAA Lehigh Valley and Class AA Reading. So, with RHP Clay Condrey away from the team until Thursday to be with his wife and newborn son, the Phillies recalled Swindle from Lehigh Valley after Tuesday night's game. Swindle, 24, is not known as a flame-thrower. In fact, his fastball has drawn comparisons to soft-tossing LHP Jamie Moyer. "He throws under the laws of gravity," manager Charlie Manuel said.
--INF Anthony Hewitt chose the Phillies over a college scholarship. Hewitt, the team's No. 1 pick in last month's draft, agreed to terms on a pro contract and will report to the team's training facility in Clearwater, Fla. Hewitt, 19, forfeited his scholarship to Vanderbilt for the Phillies' offer of a $1.38 million signing bonus and eight semesters of college.
BY THE NUMBERS: 111 -- Consecutive innings from June 13 through June 28 that the Phillies failed to string together three straight hits. The drought ended during their three-run second inning Saturday night in Texas.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "He's a hard read. What do we do with him in the bullpen? I don't know. If it happens, we'll see. We saw a different animal last year in the bullpen." -- Pitching coach Rich Dubee, on the possibility that struggling starter Brett Myers could be removed from the starting rotation.
