Two steps back for every step forward with this team.
The Phillies lost, 2-1, in Thursday's series opener in Arizona. Cole Hamels pitched well enough to win, again. He lost, again.
Hamels walked three men over his final two innings and allowed single runs in each. His final read: 6 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 5 BB, 3 K. He has a 2.44 ERA in his last six starts. He's 1-5 on the season.
The Phillies didn't hit well, they were barely effective in middle relief and they had a bad baserunning gaffe in the seventh, when John Mayberry misread a liner over the second baseman's head and was forced out at second base from right field. Instead of bases loaded, one out, 2-1 ballgame, it was two outs, first and third, one-run game.
Delmon Young had an absolutely mind-numbing at-bat in the ninth. He swung at the first pitch and weakly grounded out to second against Heath Bell. Bell was working for the third straight day. For goodness sake, make the man work. Young bailed Bell out with one pitch and allowed him to settle in. Even if aggressiveness is his game, it didn't call for it in that situation. Swinging at the first pitch there was literally the worst thing to do.
Jimmy Rollins continues to slump. He made outs in big situations, saw nine pitches in four trips to the dish and is now at .235 with a .286 OBP. Yes, he'll come around soon. But can you imagine how much different the Phillies would be if they had a Denard Span-type of on-base guy at the top? Why is this team constructed this way? Does anyone know? There are way more of THESE games than there are Monday's and Tuesday's games.
Phillippe Aumont and Jeremy Horst somehow didn't allow a run, despite throwing 23 balls and 19 strikes.
Through 36 games, the Phillies have the third-most losses and third-worst run differential in the National League.



