--RHP Brett Myers has had a tattoo that curls around his left wrist for 3-1/2 years. It has never created a stir. Until Friday night. Consider it gamesmanship by the Marlins, who asked crew chief Joe West to order Myers to put on long sleeves before pitching the third inning. It was a counter to Phillies manager Charlie Manuel's second-inning request that the Marlins base coaches stand closer to the coaching box. "I've had it for 3-1/2 years in the big leagues, and now somebody says something about it," Myers said. "It's all to get in my head, but it didn't affect me. I'm from Florida. It wasn't a big deal. They don't want to get in my head. Not too many people have been successful getting in there, besides myself." Myers yielded 10 runs in four innings in the worst start of his career. But he insisted it had more to do with Marlins hitters teeing off on his fastball and curve than his sleeve length.
--LHP J.A. Happ will throw a between-starts bullpen session Saturday at Dolphin Stadium, a sign that he'll start Monday night against the Braves at Citizens Bank Park even though manager Charlie Manuel and pitching coach Rich Dubee haven't rendered a final decision. Happ, a 25-year-old rookie, replaced struggling RHP Kyle Kendrick in the Phillies' rotation and tossed six shutout innings to earn his first major-league victory Wednesday night in Atlanta. Dubee said Happ benefited from not having faced the Braves previously, but he doesn't have reservations about sending him to the mound against them a second time. --RF Jayson Werth extended his career-long hitting streak to 13 games with a first-inning infield single. Werth, who has taken over as the Phillies' everyday right fielder, is 16-for-50 (.320) with two homers and nine RBIs during the hitting streak.
BY THE NUMBERS: 9 -- Victories for the Phillies in as many games this season at Turner Field. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the Phillies are the first team to win nine consecutive road games in Atlanta in a single season.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "How can you really argue with the guy for not playing you? You don't really have much bargaining power." -- Phillies LF Pat Burrell, who went 0-for-5 with five strikeouts Tuesday night in Atlanta and said he wouldn't have argued if manager Charlie Manuel had decided to bench him the following night (Manuel didn't).
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