"On a major league baseball roster, the pitching staff is the team within a team.

The Phillies have one of the best pitching staffs in the game thanks to Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels, Cliff Lee, Antonio Bastardo and Ryan Madson.

But successful teams – even teams within teams – must have solid role players. The Phillies' pitching staff has one in Kyle Kendrick, who has delivered a series of creditable performances this season as a starter and a reliever.

"He's done everything he's been asked and he's never complained," Ryan Howard said.

Kendrick might have made his final start of the season Tuesday night. If he did, he exited the rotation in style, holding the Colorado Rockies to four hits over eight scoreless innings in a hitter's ballpark in leading the Phillies to a 5-0 win at Coors Field.

"Kyle did a great job," manager Charlie Manuel said. "That ranks up there with his best outings."

Before the game, Manuel talked about the contributions that Kendrick has been able to make despite not being a strikeout pitcher.

Kendrick then went out and struck out a career-high seven.

"He must have heard me say that," Manuel said with a laugh after the game.

Not only did Kendrick help deliver the Phillies' 70th win in 109 games, but he gave the Phillies' top three relievers of Bastardo, Madson and Mike Stutes a much-needed night off. With Roy Halladay taking the mound Wednesday, the 'pen has a chance to be well rested heading into San Francisco for a series against the defending World Series champions on Thursday.

Kendrick will likely be in the bullpen for that series. Roy Oswalt, out since late June with a bulging disc in his lower back, has rejoined the team after two minor-league rehab starts and will probably be activated in time to nudge Kendrick out of the rotation Sunday in San Francisco.

"I'm just excited to be part of the team and help us win," Kendrick said after Tuesday night's victory. "Having Oswalt back will help us get better. I'm excited about how we're playing and where we're headed. We're playing good baseball."

There's no doubt about that. By winning Tuesday night, the Phils have won 11 of their last 12 series. They are 31 games over .500 and a season-high eight games up on second-place Atlanta in the NL East.

Kendrick has helped the Phillies get there by posting a 3.19 ERA in 87 1/3 innings. He is 4-3 with a 3.48 ERA in 11 starts.

Howard has also helped the Phillies reach lofty heights by driving in 83 runs, second-most in the NL."