Loaded with expensive talent, the Philadelphia Phillies seemed to many a lock to take the NL East this season, but can that talent make that happen?
Beginning June 21, the Philadelphia Phillies seemed to have a schedule with great potential to heal a limping team. They had just crashed and burned in Washington (swept in three) after crash landing in Atlanta (losing two of three). They had relinquished first place and quickly fallen a distance behind the Braves. June 27, assuming no rainouts, they would reach the halfway mark in their season.
Looking ahead about a week ago, however, they had three games with the Marlins, four with the Mets – both series at home – then three more with Miami in South Florida.
So, the team that had committed nearly half a billion dollars to totally overhaul their one-through-eight hitters and bullpen over the offseason promptly went out and lost three straight to the dreadful Fish. And as we in the City that Hates You Back would say, “Don’t give me that nonsense about Miami playing better.”
After the sweep, Donnie Baseball’s club was still 16 games under .500.
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In the three contests with the Marlins, the Phillies managed a grand total of eight runs. In game one, they scored one run on nine hits and four walks, leaving seven on base in scoring position with two outs. Supposed ace Aaron Nola lost despite pitching decently, giving up one earned run in eight innings.
Game two produced three runs on fewer total hits and walks, but Miami scored five. However, Adam Morgan, one of the Phillies better relievers, managed to tally a hold and a loss in the same game when the reliever who followed him blew his own opportunity for a hold.
In game three an emergency starter and a promising young reliever gave up six runs in five innings between them, and that was that. Offensively, the 6-4 loss featured a team RISP of 1-for-7.
In other words, the Philadelphia Phillies seemed a luxury liner in the North Atlantic actively seeking out an iceberg.
Thus, naturally, the Phillies then went out and produced four come-from-behind wins against the Mets. Four in a row. After the walk-off, 6-3 win June 27, featuring two ninth-inning home runs after a 1-0 lead was blown in the top of the inning, the Phillies returned to five games over .500. Eight of the game’s nine runs, five by the Phillies, had been scored in the ninth inning.
Of course, the Braves remained 14 over .500 late on the 27th after a loss to the Cubs, but there were some encouraging signs beyond the four-game winning streak. Once again an ace (apparently), Aaron Nola gave up one hit and lasted seven innings Thursday. Streaky Maikel Franco, once again playing third after a very bad stretch, hit the game-tying homer in the ninth, his third big fly in the series, and Jean Segura, who had been slumping earlier in the month, hit the three-run winner into the stands.
Earlier in the week, recent Phillies acquisition Brad Miller had brought a bamboo plant into the team locker room. As the series against the Mets progressed, more bamboo plants showed up, and Miller actually produced himself, hitting a long homer in the second game against New York.
At the halfway point in the season, the question is: Will the bamboo bring the Phillies enough luck to close a 4½ game gap between them and Atlanta?
Right now, no one can say. It’s hard to know which Phillies team will play for the rest of the season, the Marlins’ patsies or the Bamboo Bombers.