I’ll touch on this later today, but while all the praise for last night’s game is going to go to fill-in starter J.A. Happ for his six shutout innings, the real hero may have been Carlos Ruiz.  When I was little my grandfather taught me that if you have a shot at a good pitcher early you damn well better take it, because often they’ll start off shaky and then settle in.  That is exactly what Jair Jurrjens did last night  For the game Jurrjens gave up five hits, four runs and five walks.  Three of those hits, three of those walks and all of those runs were given up in the first inning - the last two on a two-out hit from Brave-killer Carlos Ruiz.  Chooch gave his young pitcher a comfortable lead and allowed him to just go out there and throw strikes.  Happ didn’t have to be the man and protect a close lead, he just had to be competent and let his defense do the rest.  He did, and picked up his first win in The Show while guiding the Phillies to their first six-game win streak of the year along the way.  

“If you can find something everyone agrees on, it’s wrong.” - Mo Udall

Three lines on their world:

1. Bob Sanders, the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year, is out 4-6
   
   
2. Gilbert Arenas had secret knee surgery
   
   
3. And the Rays continue to own the Red Sox

Three lines on ours:

1. The J.A. Happ / Carlos Ruiz battery led the Phillies past the Braves
   
   
2. But didn’t gain ground as the Metros handled the Nationals (although their bullpen did make it interesting)
   
   
3. and the Brewers took out the Cubs - but lost Ben Sheets in the process

Phillies, Birds, Sixers, Flyers and twice as many stories about the Eagles than the Pennant-chasing Phillies, after the jump. Believe that.

PHILLIES

Jim Salisbury says that, as J.A. just showed, anything can happen in this game. READ

John Gonzalez, Bob Ford, and Phil Sheridan talk MVP and make fun of their editor for allowing this column to go to print (no joke). SKIP

Zolecki’s notes look at the hot-and-cold middle of the Phils lineup, has some good stuff on Jamie Moyer, and more. READ

Murphy’s focus on the expanded rosters’ effect on specialists, Jamie Moyer’s command, Pat Burrell’s struggles and more. READ

A look at the 2009 schedule, which seems like something to focus on after the season.  Why MLB doesn’t hold this to get an off-season headline I’ll never know. SKIP

Sam Donnellon gives a Rick Reilly story about the Yankees. SKIP

EAGLES

John Smallwood says that Philly fans are unfairly hard on McNabb for not being able to win big games. SKIP

Which would hold more weight if Bob Brookover didn’t look at the numbers and find out that - whatdoyouknow - McNabb might actually not be clutch. READ

Phil Sheridan reports back from a chat with a fired up Brian Dawkins as he addresses, as he puts it, “the age question.” READ

Les Bowen does the same. SKIP

Les Bowen’s notes say that the Eagles’ veterans took care of DeSean Jackson, Trevor Laws looks like a caveman, and more. READ

Ray Parrillo’s say that Roethlisberger doesn’t look injured, Shawn Andrews is questionable and more. SKIP

Ray Parrillo looks at the Birds’ short week. SKIP

Don McKee points out that the Steelers haven’t won in Philly since 1965, which seems impossible. SKIP

Rich Hofmann blogged that the Birds need to get pressure on the quarterback and the paper put it in print … again.  Granted, Hofmann’s blog isn’t the throwaway stuff that almost all of the Inqy/DN writers are, but is this an arrangment or is the paper just taking the best online stuff and running it? Either way, it’s quick and worth a look. READ

Gary Miles wastes your time. SKIP

Frank Fitzpatrick on former Steeler’s coach Bill Cowher’s new hobby. READ

Reuben Frank looks at this Don Looney character whose records the Eagles keep on breaking. READ

Admidst his notes Frank says that the Birds have moved on to the Steelers. SKIP

SIXERS

Phil Jasner reports that Jason Smith is out for the season. SKIP

FLYERS

Ed Moran makes it official - Mike Richards is the Flyers’ captain. READ

Sam Cardichi reports that Claude Giroux doesn’t lack for confidence. READ

Ed Moran reports that Derian Hatcher is out for a minute. SKIP

Ed Kracz says that Hockey is back. READ

TODAY and MORE

So I don’t know how I haven’t covered this before, but the Inqy is reading blogs and taking small quotes from them.  I’m guessing my occasional tirades against their columnists are going to keep me off that short list.

Like this for example: Frank Fitzpatrick’s Thursday column, Morning Bytes has - to the best of my knowledge - never once offered anything interesting or insightful.  He’s perpetually negative, focuses on odd, mundane points, attacks fans, writes about how he hates being a sportswriter and seems embarrassed by Philly.  This is especially problematic because several of his straight articles are interesting and/or insightful.  His Olympic coverage was serious and engaging (except for, of course, the Morning Bytes “jokes), and - I didn’t care about the topic - he was better on the Donaghy stuff than just about everybody. Hell, I told you to read his piece on Cowher today, and meant it.  That said, when it comes to Morning Bytes, well, take it easy, Frank Fitzpatrick. Why don’t you sit this next one out, stop talking for a while. 

Put that in your blog column, Inquirer.

Around here, we’ll be out and about again, but we’ll try to chime in on Dawkins, get you caught up on a hilarious Redskins feud and get some quick hits in throughout the day.

As always, feel free to email with any questions, suggestions, comments or complaints.  

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