Ruiz, Romero set; more game times

Catcher Carlos Ruiz and lefthanded reliever J.C. Romero are both good to go for the National League Division Series, manager Charlie Manuel said today.

Both were injured in Sunday's regular season finale. Romero left the 8-7 loss to the Braves with stiffness in his lower back. Ruiz left after being hit on the elbow by a pitch in the third inning.

Ruiz finished the season with a career-high .302 batting average, making him just the second regular Phillies catcher since 1954 to finish the season at or above the .300 mark (minimum 400 plate appearances). The only catcher to do it is Mike Lieberthal, who hit .313 in 2003 and .300 in 1999. In 1954, Smokey Burgess hit .368 in 392 plate appearances.

Romero, meanwhile, is the Phillies' only veteran lefty reliever, something the Phillies would need for vaunted Reds lefties Joey Votto and Jay Bruce.

*

In other news, the game times for the remainder of the National League Division Series have been set.

Game 3 of the Phillies-Red series will be at 7:07 p.m. Sunday night on TNT, unless the Yankees-Twins series ends in three games. If so, then Phillies-Reds will move to an 8:07 p.m. start on TBS.

Game 4, if necessary, will be at 5:07 p.m. on TBS on Monday if neither NLDS ends in a sweep. If Phillies-Reds is the only game, it moves to 7:37 p.m.

Game 5, if necessary, is at 6:07 p.m. on TBS on Wednesday, but would move to 7:37 if it was the only game.

More to come ...