Today's Starter: Kyle Kendrick

This morning, we take a look at tonight's projected starter, Kyle Kendrick.

On the season, Kyle is 8-5 with a 4.45 ERA, with 69 strikeouts and 37 walks in 137-2/3 innings of work.  He's surrendered 22 homers so far this season in 25 appearances.

Kyle had been projected as going back to the minors before Jamie Moyer suffered his season-ending injury, and with good reason.  In 25 games, lefties are torching him for a .324 average, and he's struggled with his control against lefties as 22 of his 37 walks have been issued to them.  His WHIP against left-handed batters is 1.70.

I mention this because two of the Nationals' offensive leaders, Nyjer Morgan and Adam Dunn, are both lefties.  Morgan, who has 30 steals on the season, is the table-setter, and Dunn, who has 31 dingers on the campaign, is usually the guy who's driving Morgan home.  Dunn has fanned 152 times this season, and Morgan has whiffed 68 times, so these are free swingers (especially Dunn) who have few pitches they don't like.  If Kyle can keep the ball down, he has a fighter's chance of getting around these two.

However, the Nats have peppered Kendrick from both sides of the plate so far this year.  In two appearances, Kendrick has posted a 17.47 ERA in 5-2/3 innings.  He's had a no-decision in each game, but the Nats are hitting a tee-ball like .444 against him so far this season.

There is hope, Phillies fans.

In his last five starts, dating back to July 24, Kendrick is 3-1 with a 3.06 ERA and a WHIP of 1.33.  That's well below his season averages, and does include his August 10th debacle against the Dodgers, giving up six runs in 3-1/3 innings in the 15-9 loss.  So, taking that out of the equation, Kendrick's other four starts in that span showed him 3-1 with a 1.73 ERA and WHIP of 1.12,

I've read a few things about Kendrick, and from what I have seen, Kyle saw the light when he was about to be sent down when Oswalt came to town, and between that prospect, and the additional tutelage he is receiving from Halladay, Hamels, and Oswalt, is starting to show signs of what scouts and Phillies manangement saw in him in his 2007 rookie campaign.

I'm gonna go all crystal ball here and say that Kendrick can't possibly remain this bad against Washington as he has been.  Both of his previous starts against the Nationals came back in April, and Kendrick has made some significant progress since then.  I think he'll have a terrific game this evening, given the guy he's facing, Steven Strasburg.

This could be a good one ... so grab yourself a 'steak or a hoagie, a pack or two of butterscotch krimpets, and a Frank's Black Cherry Wisniak (or your favorite libation) ... and enjoy the ballgame!!!