Phillies are proof that pitching rules

PHOENIX - In a span of five days, Brian McCann batted six times against Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee and squatted behind home plate to catch each ace.

The Atlanta catcher reached base once, on a single off Halladay, before becoming a teammate for nine innings in the All-Star Game, when he called the pitches the two tossed to retire the first 11 American League all-stars who challenged them.

For 364 days a year, McCann is an enemy. But that did not preclude him from giving this perspective on what makes the Phillies the best team in baseball:

"You're walking into a buzz saw," McCann said.

Fifty-seven wins at the break without a consistent offense do not happen by accident. Scoring is down again across baseball. Pitching rules. And the philosophy applied by Ruben Amaro Jr. since his tenure as Phillies general manager began three years ago - the one he used to acquire Lee (twice), Halladay, and Roy Oswalt - was reaffirmed in the first half of 2011.

Through 91 games, the Phillies have 20 fewer home runs, 41 fewer extra-base hits, and an OPS 32 points lower than a season ago. They also have nine more wins and a secure feeling - as long as injuries do not derail a clear path. They can play .500 baseball for the rest of the season and finish with 92 wins.

"You have to say we are in the best position," centerfielder Shane Victorino said. "We absolutely are."

In the next 18 days, contending teams will seek trades to better their positions. One thing is for certain: No team can acquire a starting pitcher the caliber of the Phillies' three healthy aces, Cole Hamels included. The market is flush with relief pitching talent, and just about every team will mutter the words righthanded, power-hitting bat when discussing their needs.

Maybe that is why Amaro is on record saying he would prefer more pitching help before acquiring another bat. The demand for offense is great, but the supply is limited to overpriced, middling names such as Ryan Ludwick, Josh Willingham, and Michael Cuddyer.

In many respects, the decision ahead slightly mirrors what Amaro encountered in the winter. He chose the arm (Lee) over the bat (Jayson Werth), and half a season of baseball makes that decision look shrewd - and not just because Werth is enduring a miserable season in Washington.

The Phillies have a legitimate shot at becoming the first pitching staff in 22 years to post an ERA lower than 3.00. The 1989 Los Angeles Dodgers pitched their way to a 2.95 mark. Entering the break, the Phillies were at 3.02 - even with two-fifths of the rotation, Roy Oswalt and Joe Blanton, sidelined for a significant period.

"It's hard to get a top-tier pitcher," Hamels said. "They don't just come out of thin air."

The proliferation of aces in a baseball climate where pitching is dominant makes sense. Last decade, when the long ball ruled, it might have been counterintuitive. Now, a team such as the Phillies hopes for just enough runs - and with good pitching it works right a majority of the time.

"Statistically, hitters can have a good year, like random guys you never expected," Hamels said. "You put faith in that one guy being on your team."

Or, as Hamels put it, "If you can't squeak out a run or two" in a majority of the aces' starts, "then I don't know what's wrong."

Lee watched from afar last season as the San Francisco Giants' pitching dismantled a flawed Phillies offense. Even then, Lee's Texas Rangers were favored in the World Series because of their dynamite lineup. That was a lesson.

"No matter how good the lineup is," Lee said, "if the pitcher is locked in - throwing the ball where he wants to and mixing up speeds - it's hard for anyone to hit it.

"If you have to choose one or the other, good pitching beats good hitting any day."

The Phillies have placed a great deal of faith in that theory.