Instead of champagne all around to celebrate Ryan Howard’s achievement, they probably served beer, warm and flat.
Instead of tying for the Wild Card lead with the Padres, they trail by a full game.
Instead of winning their 61st straight game when leading after eight innings, they suffered their first defeat of the season.
Instead of concluding their road trip on a high note, they headed up I-95 on a supreme downer.
And now they head home to face the Braves, but the forecast for the next few days is so dismal with hurricane Ernesto bearing down, the Phillies are likely to be sitting around their clubhouse for quite a stretch brooding over the one that got away.
Last night’s loss ranks right up there with the Billy Wagner home run ball to old pal Craig Biggio. It hurt. It stung. And it sure didn’t have to happen.
Unfortunately, whenever Charlie hands the ball to Arthur Rhodes, however, bad things are just as likely to happen as good ones. (All I could think of as Rhodes loaded the bases was George S. sitting half a world away stewing.)
Yes, yes, the clichés came out right away. Gotta’ put this one behind you. It’s only one game. We’re still in this race. Well, let me remind the Phillies they only finished one game out of the playoffs last year, so, sure, it’s only one game but upon reflection will it turn out to have been the only one game?
4 comments:
If I know this then everyone must know it: you do not under any circumstances hand the ball to Arthur Rhodes three days in a row. You just don't do that, even if you have to stick Fabio Castro or Chris Coste on the mound instead.
Charlie Manuel is a horrible manager. He seems to never have an idea of who to put into a game & who to take out.
-took out Randy a little early.
-Put Arthur Rhodes in for the 3rd straight day
-Put in Fultz who has been overused.
? why not let Geary pitch the 9th inning? Everyone knows that he can pitch 2 or possibly 3 innings.
? Why isn't Fabio Castro ever used?
I know it wasn't mop-up but I'd rather see him in there than Arthur Rhodes.
It's a game that got away & shouldn't have. Frustration sets in now.
last night's game was a hard loss to swallow but this team has been resilient this year never giving up even after the trading deadline. the phillies will recover from this and take the wild card but the loss does sting.
What's unbelievable is that it took this long - over two weeks - during Gordon's absence for the bullpen to finally blow one. I think of the many games in which the Phils were able to successfully patch together saves using the likes of Madson, Geary and Rhodes in crunch time. To think such an unlikely trend would continue indefinitely would have been purely wishful. I think we should be thankful the team has stayed as well afloat as it has during this stretch without its closer, and be glad he's coming back before we have to see pitchers used hopelessly out of place again.
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