What are the Phils' prospects after dropping three of four to the No Name Astros? NONE.
They lost in recognizable fashion. The aberration was the winning since the trade deadline. Doc Halladay may still be recovering from his injury but the growing feeling is he has begun his decline.
Ryan Howard has decent numbers based strictly on runs batted in per game, but he is clearly no longer a good big league hitter. He claims he is still no 100% healthy, and who am I to doubt him, but his batting tendencies look awfully familiar and, frankly, awful.
Chase Utley is not the answer at third base. Neither, in case you wondered, are Michael Martinez and Kevin Frandsen.
The Phillies alleged brain trust needs one good outfielder, a center fielder, a third baseman and a reliable middle reliever. That means John Mayberry and Domonic Brown are your corner outfielders in 2013.
The Inquirer noted since 2004 the Astros are the only NL club with a winning record against the Phils. That information comes as no surprise.
