Gimme Re-Runs

Seven hits in eleven innings rarely win ball games. Last night was no exception.

Ryan Madson blew the save as the Phils squandered a three-run lead in falling to the Cubs 4-3. The Phils closed out their scoring in the third inning but were required by law to remain at the stadium until the final out was recorded one rain delay and eight innings later.

The night before Madson looked a little shaky in closing out the Dodgers. He didn't seem to have much command against LA but escaped with the save. Last night he looked worse. Only a disputed home run granted the Phils a reprieve until Chase Utley meekly flied out in the bottom of the eleventh to end the evening.

The lament over their feeble offensive grows louder and more anguished with each passing game. A few voices decry the [typical] overreaction of Phillies' fans, pointing out the stellar pitching they normally receive. In truth, only the mediocrity of the rest of the division if not the entire league has kept the Phils on top.

No one is hitting, not even Placido Polanco. The rest of the lineup features a cast of undisciplined veterans woefully short of power let alone patience. The lineup isn't the only thing in the doldrums; fans are falling asleep at an alarming rate as well because this club is so damn boring to watch. I find myself channel surfing in mid-inning at an increasing pace. Surely, I tell myself, there is something more interesting to watch than this stuff! Even another Law & Order rerun whose outcome is already known has more drama.