Halladay Loses With a Complete Game
Here is something that should never, ever happen. Roy Halladay pitched a three-run, complete game against the Braves today and took a loss. With the rate at which Halladay and other Phillies pitchers, like Cliff Lee, are being hung out to dry by this offense, it may be time to take more drastic measures.
The Phillies were the only team in the majors to not have a starting pitcher lose two games in a row. That streak ended today as Halladay got his second consecutive taste of how bad this Phillies offense sucks right now.
Just because it is Superman himself, Roy Halladay, on the mound, does not mean that he will toss a shut-out every time out. The movie Superman managed to turn back time by rotating the earth backwards on its axis, but do not think he will accomplish this feat whenever he feels like it, even in the movies. There needs to be some basis in reality to keep our attention.
The Phillies batters, however, seem to be hanging around, just waiting for another Halladay or Lee miracle. Tim Hudson pitched for the Braves today and was almost pulled from the game in the fourth inning with a sore hip, but he managed to go seven innings anyway. This means that the Phillies managed only four hits off a Grandpa (in baseball years) with a bad hip!
The only reason that Grandpa lasted seven innings was because the Phillies got themselves out. They swung at bad pitches and were not patient when Hudson began flinging balls all over the place, two feet over their heads or straight into the dirt.
Three of the four hits in the game were from the bench players, Pete Orr, Michael Martinez and John Mayberry Jr. who accounted for the only score with a two-run homer. Mayberry played center in place of the ailing Shane Victorino. Both he and Orr each stole a base as well.
So while the bench guys keep trying to resuscitate this team, where are the starters? Where are the bats of Jimmy Rollins, Ryan Howard and Raul Ibanez? Come out, come out, wherever you are! This game of hide and seek is getting old.
The 3-2 loss gave the Braves the series win, 2-1. The Braves are now only 3.5 games behind the Phillies in the NL East and the Marlins are two games back.
The Phillies will travel to St. Louis for a short, two-games series next. Cliff Lee pitches tomorrow, unless he decides to go on strike. Game time is 7:05pm.
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