Schedule now favors winning for the Phillies
With a lower level of competition ahead, the clubhouse and the dugout – to no one’s surprise – will again be friendly confines for the 25 members of the Philadelphia Phillies when they record a couple victories.
Opportunity at Hand:
When a person experiences a rough patch due to an uncontrollable situation, the recovery may or may not be immediate.
Considering the organizations the Phillies have played, you can understand their 4-22 record. Their games were against contenders and powerful offenses from the American League, but losing was unacceptable to the fan base. Fire him! Bring up those prospects from Triple-A! Then, they beat the Minnesota Twins on June 23 to initiate a 10-3 run last summer.
Since July 2015, this gang of Phillies has tantalized us with their potential and frustrated us with another dreaded cold spell. But they are proud and determined players with jobs they plan to keep. Sometimes, though, losing really tests their lifelong dream of starring in the majors. And now they’ll realize their upcoming opponents aren’t postseason-bound, and the winning will begin anew in one of their next two series.
To answer Double D, a poster from another site, the red pinstripes getting off the schneider – an old bridge term abbreviated to schneid – is just in time for the Cincinnati Reds to come to town. Well, Cincinnati is just two games under .500 but they are only 15-22 since April 12. And last year, they came to the Bank after their opening series sweep to lose two of three. Payback time again!
If you look in the Phils’ dugout, you’ll see a squad desperate for victories, while Maikel Franco, Odubel Herrera and Cesar Hernandez will eye the Reds and remember two defeats at the Great American Ball Park. But only one win. Many hometown batsmen will glance at the scoreboard and cringe when their stats are on display. And the on-deck hitter will hear the challenge from bench coach Larry “Gnat” Bowa. We can beat these guys! Hunt for fastballs, ambush him!
IN OTHER WORDS: “Baseball is like a poker game. Nobody wants to quit when he’s losing; nobody wants you to quit when you’re ahead.” – Jackie Roosevelt Robinson
Double D, the following series is with the Miami Marlins for three away contests. Mackanin’s crew won both April games, but now most of Miami’s early April starters are either ineffective or having injury-related problems. Since April 23, however, they have only been 6-21 including the two losses to the hometown nine. Well, the Marlins won’t be as difficult as the Colorado Rockies and their current 31-18 mark.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: “Losing streaks are funny. If you lose at the beginning, you got off to a bad start. If you lose in the middle of the season, you’re in a slump. If you lose at the end, you’re choking” – Gene Mauch
Returning home, the Philadelphia Phillies will host the struggling San Francisco Giants: They are 15-22 since April 14. And the Phils will probably be on a hot streak because they are due to explode. In other words, demands for firings, demotions and call-ups will quiet down. Of course, San Francisco is without their ace and have diminished hopes for playoff baseball.
Then, Double D, the red pinstripes will visit the Atlanta Braves for four contests. Currently, Atlanta is in second place and four games ahead of the Phillies. But the Braves have been 14-19 since April 17. And, yes, the three defeats at the Bank are in that loss column.
The competition in the next 13 contests will be a welcomed break from contenders and stacked lineups. Mostly, these games will allow Zach Eflin to bounce back, Jerad Eickhoff to pick up a couple victories, Aaron Nola to build on his first outing after his disabled-list stint and Vince Velasquez to go six or seven innings. On the other hand, the bullpen would get a breather and take the mound with leads to protect. Edubray Ramos, Pat Neshek, Joaquin Benoit and Hector Neris appear ready for serious opportunities. As for the offense, Franco, Herrera, Howie Kendrick and Michael Saunders will probably be productive.
NICE CATCH: “When you’re in a losing streak, your ability to properly assimilate and analyze information starts to become distorted because of the impairment of the confidence factor, which is a by-product of a losing streak. You have to work very hard to restore that confidence.” – Bill Lipschutz
Next: The shortstop for 2018’s Phillies Whiz Kids
To sum up, the Phils have a chance to improve their record and their place in the divisional standings. Additionally, they are in a better frame of mind after winning the final game against Colorado. Gentlemen, swing your bats!