Phillies' Roy Halladay Having 'Fun' With First Pennant Race
by Ed Price
NEW YORK -- If there were questions about how Roy Halladay would respond to his first career pennant race, the pitcher has done all he can to silence them.
Halladay approved a trade from Toronto to Philadelphia, and signed an extension with the Phillies, because he wanted to get to the playoffs after a lifetime without them.
But if meaningful games are supposed to put extra pressure on Halladay, he doesn't seem to feel it. In eight starts since July 1, Halladay is 6-1 with a 1.86 ERA, allowing 46 hits and five walks in 63 innings while striking out 63.
"You try to pitch the same as you would, regardless -- not thinking too much about the extra stuff," he said. "It's definitely a lot more fun knowing that there could be something good down the road as opposed to packing up boxes in the middle of September."
by Josh Alper
The Braves got a serious scare on Tuesday night when Chipper Jones went to the ground after making a play at third base during the 4-2 win over the Astros. He needed help getting off the field and you could hear fingers crossing all around Atlanta.
There's nothing definite yet but the signs are looking good for Jones. The serious concern was of an injury to the ACL because Jones told trainers that he heard a pop in his knee when stopping and planting on the play. The Braves don't think he suffered a serious injury to his ACL after suffering no significant swelling overnight. The medical staff found the ACL was stable after the game as well.
He's still going to have an MRI on Thursday to totally rule out the possibility. Everyone will have a look at the other ligaments to make sure there's no serious injury there either. 
They continue to drop like flies in Philadelphia.
The Phillies have placed Ryan Howard on the disabled list with a sprained left ankle. He joins second baseman Chase Utley and center fielder Shane Victorino on an injury roll that's much longer than the Phillies would like it to be given where we are in the season. Howard is the 15th Phillie to hit the disabled list this season.
He sprained his ankle during Sunday's game against the Nationals and initially expressed optimism about making a speedy return to the lineup against the Marlins this week. He made a trip to Philadelphia on Tuesday to see doctors, however, and those visits have left the Phillies shy one first baseman as they try to close the gap on the Braves. 
by FanHouse Staff
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- A 21-year-old New Jersey man has been sentenced to up to three months in jail for intentionally vomiting on another spectator and his 11-year-old daughter in the stands at a Philadelphia Phillies game.
Matthew Clemmens, of Cherry Hill, N.J., pleaded guilty in May to charges of assault, harassment and disorderly conduct.
Clemmens was sentenced Friday to 1-to-3 months in prison, and the judge also ordered him to perform 50 hours of community service at Citizens Bank Park -- cleaning the bathrooms and emptying trash. The judge says he wants him to clean the urinals as punishment for his offenses earlier this year. 
by Andrew Johnson
WASHINGTON -- The Phillies must feel right at home.
They are down but hardly out in a heated NL East race. They have a brand new ace in their back pocket after completing a blockbuster deal with the Astros for ace Roy Oswalt Thursday. They would appear to have the rest of the league right where they want them.
It sounds like a mish-mash of the last few seasons -- unquestionably the best three-year run in Phillies history -- so it must have stirred familiar emotions to see Oswalt saunter out of the visitors' bullpen and take the mound a day after he approved the trade, even if Oswalt himself was an unfamiliar quantity.
"You couldn't put yourself in a better situation," said Oswalt of moving to Philadelphia.
"The playoffs is where the true baseball is at."