While everyone is marveling how gritty this depleted Phillies team has been it's worth noting they had been lucky two straight nights, against Florida Thursday and versus New York Friday, before their luck ran out Saturday night. The ugly truth is they are getting very good starting pitching for the most part, erratic relief pitching and precious little offensive consistency. Oh, yes, and they still have to watch Jayson Werth, the worst base runner I've ever seen, making one bonehead mistake after another. Last night's latest adventure on the bases may have cost them the game. I say "may have" only because their general ineptitude at the plate was the real culprit.
In losing to the Mets 1-0, the Phils wasted another fine outing from Cole Hamels, whose record has now fallen below .500. He deserves better...a lot better. The notion that Johann Santana out-pitched Hamels is ridiculous. The Phils had as many chances to go ahead in their last three at bats as the Mets had all evening. As has often been the case, they couldn't capitalize. Ross Gload should have been taking all the way when he faced K-Rod with the bases loaded. In that situation, a walk was all the Phils needed to knot the score. Gload was ahead 2-0 in the count. The bat should have stayed on his shoulder.
Lousy situational hitting and Werth's flat out stupidity put an end to any rallies. I wish Manuel would yank that idiot from the lineup the next time, and there will be a next time, he makes such a stupid move.
While many observers feel the Phils will be all right once they get the heart of their lineup back, I am less sanguine as long as they play such careless baseball.
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