On second thought, don't break 'em up; they're already broken.
Yesterday's heartbreaking loss was unbearable to watch and even more unbearable to read about again. If someone says it better than you can, let them have the floor:
(The floor is yours, Mr. Brookover)
The sweet combination of a three-game sweep, a ton of momentum, and a
celebratory cross-country flight to Philadelphia were all right in
front of the Phillies on Wednesday afternoon at Dodger Stadium.
That was before a bloop hit, two infield singles, and a blown save
triggered a marathon day that ended with one of the Phillies' most sour
defeats of the season.
Where to begin?
Cliff Lee was magnificent. He stepped up big time. The offense was anemic again. Nothing new there. Hunter Pence, the oft-maligned rightfielder (see every third post at other blogs) delivered another two-run hit to give the Phils the lead in the 10th. (His was the game-winning two-run hit the night before.)
And then came the bullpen. Jonathan Papelbon blew another save with the Phils up 3-1. Jake Diekman, who more and more resembles the AAA or lower pitcher he is, surrendered a walk-off two-run homer to Matt Kemp.
The Phils walked off the field losers and the momentum of their four-game winning streak swirled down the bowl. The season isn't officially over, but yesterday's soul-crushing defeat will stand out as the moment the final chapter was written.
