Phillies take it to the Mets, 10-0

Typically, there are ripple effects whenever a ball club loses a significant player.

For the Phillies, Monday was the first of at least 15 days without shortstop, leadoff hitter, and occasional prophet Jimmy Rollins. He's on the disabled list with a groin pull.

Yet, the ripple effects of Rollins' absence swelled into waves that drowned the Mets as the Phillies strolled to a 10-0 rout at Citizens Bank Park.

A less serious injury, this one to Raul Ibanez, also worked against the Mets as the guy starting in his place, John Mayberry Jr., hit a two-run homer.

With Rollins unable to play, Wilson Valdez was at short and Shane Victorino moved up one spot to bat leadoff. Victorino ran his hitting streak to 10 games with a two-run triple. He scored a run and stole his 17th base. Valdez jump-started the blowout with a two-out, run-scoring single that accounted for the first run.

Of course, the Phillies have a starting rotation that can alleviate the pain that comes with most injuries, and it was Cliff Lee who anesthetized the Mets, limiting them to three hits over seven innings for his 14th win.

The quick-working lefthander is currently the hottest of the Four Aces. He's won each of his last five starts and has allowed two runs and 17 hits in his last 31 innings, covering four starts. His earned run average in that stretch is 0.58.

Lee struck out seven and set a career high when Angel Pagan became his 186th strikeout victim of the season in the third inning. Lee has struck out 32 batters in his last 31 innings.

Meantime, Hunter Pence hit his 16th home run, scored four runs, and reached base in four of his five at-bats. Carlos Ruiz ran his hitting streak to six games and has multiple hits in four of them.

The Mets' rookie righthander, Dillon Gee, has had a fine season, yet things began falling apart for him at what seemed to be an unlikely point in the game. With two out in the second, Valdez, batting eighth, singled home Hunter Pence for the game's first run. Lee followed with a single and Victorino blasted a triple to make it 3-0.

This may come as a surprise, but Valdez has been one of the Phillies' top hitters with runners in scoring position. His RBI single raised his average with runners in scoring position to .392 (22 for 56).