"Through three consecutive trade deadlines, Domonic Brown has remained a Phillies untouchable, a good thing that nevertheless didn't keep him from touching wood that he will not again become an IronPig on Saturday.

"I can't be selfish or anything like that," he said after the Phillies dealt four players, none of them Brown, to Houston for Hunter Pence. "I know they have a lot of faith in me and everything like that, I'm just saying my goal is to be in the big leagues.

"That's just the bottom line. They still got to Sunday. I just hope I'm here, not in Triple A, but if that's what happens, I'll go out and play. There's a good possibility it can happen, so I'm not going to be bothered by it. Live and learn and grow.

"[Pence] is going to make us that much better. Look at this guy's numbers."

Add those to 66-39, and the Phillies just did a big number on the heads of the Braves, plus matched the Giants' acquisition of Carlos Beltran.

"We're definitely better," said Roy Halladay.

"Last few years, they brought in a lot of pitchers here. To add an offensive player to the ones we already have is a bonus. It's a good feeling even knowing they are out there looking and trying, especially in the position we're in, five-six games up. That's one of the bigger reasons I was adamant on trying to come here."