Wednesday, April 08, 2009

Get Me Rewrite!!

If you're like me, you'd undoubtedly written off the Phils yesterday afternoon by the end of the sixth inning...if not sooner. For my part I'd already drafted their obituary, nay their denunciation, for the opening series of the season, waiting only for the final gory details before posting it.

Say all you want, and no doubt much is being said around town, most of it unprintable, the defending World Series Champs were swept at home to begin their title defense. Talk about taking the shine off those gaudy rings that were handed out earlier in the day.


The Phils didn't hit a lick during the three game debacle versus Atlanta but, then, they sure didn't pitch much either. It wasn't as if they were facing the '27 Yankees or the reincarnation of Greg Maddux, John Smoltz and Tom Glavine. Nevertheless, the champs were chumps. Baseballs flew out of the Bank and most of them made the obligatory return trip to the outfield grass. Meanwhile, the big boppers in red pinstripes laid a big egg.

There's a lot of baseball left. Let's hope it improves.

That's why it ain't over 'til it's over or in blogging terms why you hit "Save Now" instead of "Publish Post".

What a comeback. Oh, sure, you can say the Braves completely imploded, but during that eight run inning in which they took the lead the Phils showed a kind of patience at the plate that is absolutely uncharacteristic of them, drawing four bases-loaded walks in the process. They made the Braves throw strikes and Atlanta obliged by throwing balls. Meanwhile, the Phils' own pen had an adventurous afternoon with J.A. Happ and Chad Durbin failing to impress, Clay Condrey and Ryan Madson pitching very well and Brad Lidge scared the hell out of everyone by surrendering a ninth inning home run before getting the final out.

The obituary hung in the balance but reports of the Phillies demise were premature to say the least.

2 comments:

kuff6 said...

i think matt diaz, not mccann, hit the hr off of lidge

Tom Goodman said...

Thanks, kuff6, my mistake.