Stumbling Towards Ecstasy

Phils Drop Third Straight, Lose Wild-Card Lead

After exulting in the Phillies' satisfying and timely series win over the Mets last week, I hopscotched around RFK Stadium Friday night, going from section to section, as they smacked the Nationals around in the first of their three-game set. Finally the Phils had that aura of a real time -- that almost tangible self-confidence, bordering on arrogance, that everything would be okay.

Well, as I noted just the other day, silly me.

Saturday brought an excruciating, extra-innings loss. Sunday brought a more conventional pummeling. With Houston in town for a critical three-game series that will have major wild-card repercussions, tonight brought yet another failed effort. Brett Myers pitched a hell of a game after the first inning, when the Astros plated four, but it wasn't enough, as the Phillies' offense decided to sit this one out until it was too late. It was a gorgeous night for baseball at Citizens Bank Park, and with the Phils home for the first time in two weeks, the fans really wanted something to get excited about. After Phil Garner inexplicably lifted the dazzling Andy Pettitte in the sixth, Philadelphia broke through with two in the seventh and one in the ninth, and had the tying and winning runs in scoring position when the punchless Endy Chavez whiffed to end the game.

So now the Phillies trail the Astros by a half-game, and are just a half-game up on the Marlins and one up on the Nats. The Mets continue to hang around, too. If the Phils are going to make the playoffs, it's going to be the hard way, scratching and clawing until the last day of the season, with a lot of scoreboard-watching and hair-pulling along the way.

Comments

[gr]

we sat in 417 last night, which is why i didn't come find you. (or, maybe it was because i felt a sarah mclachlan reference coming and decided you needed some quality time with the missus.) nice pullups on the train, by the way.

ah my son, my son............you still haven't learned to pace yourself with the Phils, especially with that nitwit of a manager. Dad