--RF Jayson Werth has heard for two seasons that he doesn't hit right-handed pitching consistently enough to be the Phillies' full-time right fielder. Shaking that stereotype hasn't been easy. Despite starting 45 of the Phillies' final 57 games last season, Werth split time with lefty-swinging RF Geoff Jenkins for most of this year. But since Jenkins strained his right hip Aug. 22, Werth has started 25 straight games, batting .337 with a .452 on-base percentage, seven homers, 18 RBIs and six steals through Thursday night. He was batting .265 with eight homers and 30 RBIs against right-handers, .314 with 15 homers and 34 RBIs against lefties.

"He's improved a lot (against right-handers)," manager Charlie Manuel said. "He's got a lot of ability. He's big. He's strong. He hits the ball to all fields. He steals bases. He throws you out. He runs the ball down. He has a chance to be a big player. He's starting to put it all together. It's good to see."

--C Carlos Ruiz made his third consecutive start behind the plate Thursday, and manager Charlie Manuel has been encouraged by his offensive improvement. Ruiz is batting .278 (30-for-108) since the All-Star break and has hiked his average from .202 on July 13 to .229. As a rookie last season, he batted .259. "He has more bat speed than he had," Manuel said. "Before his swing was real long, and he wasn't getting any push off his back side. Can he hit .275? Yeah. But is that what kind of hitter he is? I don't know until he does it."

--Florida 2B Dan Uggla said the Marlins are relishing the role of spoiler. Florida, which is 9-6 against the Phillies this season, opens a three-game series with Philadelphia on Friday night. "If we ain't going," Uggla said, "we don't want anybody else to go."

The Phillies have heeded the warning. "Look at what they did last year to the Mets," RF Jayson Werth said, referring to the final series of the season when the Marlins won two of three at Shea Stadium. "I don't expect them to lay down. Everyone knows what's at stake here. These are meaningful games for everybody."

Manager Charlie Manuel added, "For (Uggla) to say something like that, that's all right. I don't see anything wrong with that. That's wanting to compete. It's up to our players to go beat them."

--1B Ryan Howard, second in the majors with 190 strikeouts, didn't fan during the three-game series against the Braves. Arizona 3B Mark Reynolds has whiffed 191 times. The major league single-season record is 199, set by Howard last year.

BY THE NUMBERS: 2 -- Times during Charlie Manuel's four-year tenure as Phillies manager that the team has scored a run via sacrifice bunt or a bunt single. Both times, C Carlos Ruiz has dropped a sacrifice bunt. Ruiz pulled off the squeeze play May 12, 2007, and again on Sept. 11.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "We'll get (the umpires) a lot of cheesesteaks. Make sure we keep them happy." -- Manager Charlie Manuel, upon learning that the Phillies won all four coin tosses to assure any possible tie-breaker games against the Mets, Brewers, Astros or Cardinals for the right to advance to the playoffs will be played at Citizens Bank Park.