The Philadelphia Phillies' 2010 season was the 128th season in the history of the franchise. As the two-time defending National League champion—having appeared in the 2008 and 2009 World Series—the Phillies won their fourth consecutive National League East championship, and also finished with the best record in baseball. After sweeping the Cincinnati Reds in the NLDS, however, the team lost to the San Francisco Giants in the NLCS.
Offseason The Phillies announced, following the 2009 World Series, that they would pick up their 1-year, $9 million option on starting pitcher Cliff Lee, who posted a 4–0 record in the previous postseason. General manager Rubén Amaro Jr. informed pitcher Brett Myers, who had started and relieved in 2009 and sustained several injuries, that the Phillies would not pursue him for a new contract if he filed for free agency. Myers had started the last three opening days for the Phillies. Starting pitcher Pedro Martínez and infielder Miguel Cairo also filed for free agency on November 6, the first possible date. Philadelphia also informed third baseman Pedro Feliz that they declined to pick up his option for the 2010 season, which would have retained him for $5.5 million. The Phillies signed free-agent catcher Brian Schneider to replace Paul Bako behind Carlos Ruiz on the depth chart, and replaced Feliz at third base with Plácido Polanco, who played second base for Philadelphia from 2002 to 2005, and was a Gold Glove-winning second baseman for the prior two seasons with the Detroit Tigers. Polanco had previously played third base in college, when playing with the St. Louis Cardinals, and in Philadelphia when David Bell was injured and Chase Utley took over at second base.
With Lee under contract for one year, the Phillies traded his rights to the Seattle Mariners, from whom they received three prospects, including Tyson Gillies and Phillippe Aumont. In a related deal, the Phillies traded three prospects to the Toronto Blue Jays for the rights to right-handed starting pitcher Roy Halladay, as well as $6 million cash to cover the difference between the two aces' salaries. The trade for Halladay included a 3-year, $60 million contract extension through 2013 with an option for a 4th season. The trade was the "first of its kind" in the history of the league, the only deal wherein two past winners of the Cy Young Award changed hands in related transactions.
To complete their bench, the Phillies signed utility infielder Juan Castro to a one-year contract to replace Eric Bruntlett, and inked a two-year deal with pinch-hitter and first baseman Ross Gload, who replaced Matt Stairs. In the bullpen, the Phillies signed right-handed relief pitcher Danys Báez to a two-year contract, and agreed to a one-year deal with right-handed starter and long reliever José Contreras. Amaro announced that all of the coaches from the 2009 season had also been invited to return.
Spring training The Phillies opened their 2010 Grapefruit League play against the New York Yankees, defeating them 3–2; Halladay pitched two innings in the opener against CC Sabathia, striking out three and throwing 21 of 24 pitches for strikes. In total, the Phillies went 13–12 in spring training, where a position battle occurred for the fifth spot in the starting rotation between left-handed veteran Jamie Moyer and young right-hander Kyle Kendrick. The team announced on March 30 that Moyer had won the fifth position based on his Grapefruit League performance (1–0, 0.77 earned run average (ERA) in innings). However, Kendrick's performance (0–1, 1.66 ERA in innings) also moved him into the rotation after an oblique injury to third starter Joe Blanton. Closer Brad Lidge and left-handed specialist J. C. Romero also ended spring training on the disabled list after offseason surgeries.
Regular season
April
The Phillies opened the season on the road for the first time since the opening of Citizens Bank Park in 2004; they defeated the Washington Nationals in their first game of the season, 11–1, behind seven innings from Roy Halladay and a grand slam from Plácido Polanco. Ryan Howard moved into a tie for fifth place on the franchise's all-time home run list by hitting his 223rd, matching Greg Luzinski's career total. He passed Luzinski the following day with a two-run home run to center field off of Jason Marquis in Philadelphia's 8–4 victory, sealing the team's first 2–0 start since the 2003 season. They did not complete the sweep, however, as the Nationals won the third game of the series, 6–5, after newly acquired relief pitcher Nelson Figueroa allowed an RBI double to Ryan Zimmerman in the seventh inning. The Phillies took sole possession of first place by defeating the Houston Astros in the opener of their second series on April 9, defeating Brad Mills' new club, 8–0; Raúl Ibañez broke out of a spring slump by collecting three hits and a walk in four official at bats. Jamie Moyer's first start of the season resulted in the Phillies' fourth win, backed by another Howard home run; Philadelphia scored 41 runs in their first 5 games. A complete-game victory for Halladay in his second Phillies start sealed the series sweep for Philadelphia, as they defeated the Astros, 2–1, on April 11. Halladay notched both the 150th win and 50th complete game of his career. In the home opener against Washington, Jimmy Rollins was scratched from the starting lineup due to a calf strain—which later sent him to the disabled list—and Jayson Werth left the game in the fourth inning with a sore hip; however, the Phillies scored five runs in the fifth inning to come from behind and defeat the Nationals, giving Hamels his second victory of the season. Figueroa earned his first victory as a Phillie on April 14 when Philadelphia defeated Washington in the second game of the series, 14–7; their 7–1 start was the best to open a season since 1993, when they appeared in that year's World Series against the Toronto Blue Jays. The bullpen, however, allowed a 4–2 lead to turn into a 7–5 loss in the final game of the series; Danys Báez allowed three runs on home runs by Adam Dunn and Zimmerman to take the loss.
Opening the final series of the homestand against the Florida Marlins, manager Charlie Manuel switched starters Moyer and Halladay in the rotation to keep the latter on normal rest; Halladay responded by allowing two runs in eight innings in an 8–6 victory, supported by Chase Utley's fourth consecutive contest with a home run. The Marlins defeated the Phillies in the second game of the series, 5–1, as Moyer allowed five runs in the first inning and the Phillies' only run came on a late-game home run by Jayson Werth. The Marlins took the rubber game of the series with a 2–0 shutout despite eight innings of two-run baseball by Cole Hamels. Kyle Kendrick followed Hamels' performance with eight shutout innings on April 20, allowing four hits and walking two, but interim closer Ryan Madson allowed back-to-back home runs with two outs in the ninth inning to tie the game and José Contreras gave up another home run in the tenth, sealing the Phillies' third consecutive loss. The next night, Halladay posted the third straight strong performance by the Phillies' rotation, and played the role of stopper by holding the Braves scoreless on five hits to notch his second complete game of the season and the sixteenth shutout of his career. With the win, Halladay became the first pitcher of the season to reach a 4–0 record. The rotation's streak of innings without allowing an earned run extended to 23, as Moyer allowed two unearned runs in six innings; the Phillies won the game, 8–3, and the series, two games to one. The streak was broken, however, the following night, as Hamels allowed four home runs in the span of two innings, and the Phillies lost to the Arizona Diamondbacks in their first trip west, 7–4.
Figueroa made a spot start for the injured J. A. Happ in the second game against Arizona, throwing 100 pitches in 5 innings of work; Contreras earned his first win of the season in the 3–2 Phillies victory. However, the Phillies could not earn their fourth consecutive road series victory, as the Diamondbacks defeated Philadelphia, 8–6, after Arizona scored five runs in the fifth inning of the rubber game. Continuing play against the National League West, Halladay started against the San Francisco Giants, but lost his first decision of the season, 5–1, as the Phillies left 22 men on base. The offense fared no better in the second game of the series, ensuring the second straight series loss with a 6–2 defeat. The loss dropped the Phillies out of first place for the first time all season, ending a streak of 135 consecutive games at the top of the division dating back to May 29, 2009. They managed to avoid being swept for the first time by defeating the Giants in 11 innings on April 28, 7–6; starter Tim Lincecum, winner of the last two National League Cy Young Awards, allowed one run and struck out eleven Phillies through innings, but a bases-loaded double by Werth against Brian Wilson tied the game in the bottom of the ninth inning and Wilson Valdez batted in the winning run in the eleventh. In the game, Utley became the 5th Phillies player in the last 20 years, and the 32nd in franchise history, to reach 1,000 career hits, with a single to right field. Philadelphia closed the month with their first game of the year against the division-rival New York Mets, losing 9–1 to finish with a 12–10 record in the opening month.
May
Continuing the series with the Mets from the previous month, Halladay completed his second shutout of the season, striking out six batters in a 10–0 victory. The Phillies returned to first place in the division with an 11–5 victory in the series' final game, capped by a grand slam by Victorino; the 10 runs scored against Mets starter Johan Santana were the most allowed in a start in his career. Joe Blanton returned to the starting rotation for his first game of the season; though he allowed one run on seven hits in innings before being relieved, the Phillies lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in their series opener, 6–3, after the bullpen allowed three inherited runners to score. Carlos Ruiz hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 10th inning to win the second game of the series for Philadelphia, after Hamels and Adam Wainwright battled to a stalemate, each throwing eight innings of one-run baseball. Home runs by Victorino and Polanco the following evening sealed a second straight victory for the Phillies behind seven scoreless innings from Kendrick. Every starter in the lineup got at least one hit in the final game of the series, save Halladay, who pitched seven innings and allowed two runs. The offense was paced by Werth and Ruiz, who each went 3-for-4 in the game. Werth later said that his three-run home run in the first inning was "big ups to Robin [Roberts]", the Hall of Fame Phillies pitcher who died that morning, and who shared Werth's hometown of Springfield, Illinois. Werth hit another three-run home run on May 7 against the Braves to back a two-hit, no-walk shutout by Moyer, who became the oldest pitcher in Major League Baseball history to throw a complete game without allowing a run. The Phillies lost the second game of the series, 4–1, as Blanton took his second consecutive loss since returning from the disabled list, but came back to win the series with a 5–3 victory in Sunday's contest; Victorino, Polanco, and Werth hit home runs, and Brad Lidge earned his first save of the 2010 campaign.