I’mma be real witchu chief! This game sucked. I know they’re not going to win every game, but clunkers like this are just a pain to watch. Nothing went right for the Phils today: the pitching wasn’t there, and the offense never got going to offset that. Here’s what I liked and disliked from today’s stinker:
What I Liked
Cesar Hernandez. For the second consecutive night, Hernandez did his job as leadoff hitter. He went 2-3 with a walk, although the rest of the offense couldn’t add on to Hernandez’s spark in the leadoff spot.
Carlos Santana. Santana went 1-3 today. He was the only person other than Hernandez to show consistent life offensively.
Roman Quinn. I’m reaching here, but there wasn’t much to like from this game. Quinn hit a pinch-hit double, his third of the season, in his only at-bat.
What I Disliked
Vince Velasquez. The beauty of Vinny V is that when he’s on, he’s ON. The downside of Vinny V is that when he’s off, it’s immediately apparent and the bleeding is difficult to stop. Today was an example of the latter case, as Velasquez went only four innings and allowed four runs. These Phillies usually only go as far as their pitching takes them, and when they get a less-than-stellar performance from the starter, they do a poor job of recovering.
Adam Morgan. Morgan gave up 3 hits and 2 earned runs over 1.2 innings. His ERA went up to 4.88 on the season.
Everyone on offense not listed above. The offense was pitiful tonight. After Hernandez’s first hit, he was caught stealing second base. After his second, Rhys Hoskins hit into a double play that killed any momentum that leadoff hitter Hernandez generated. Nick Williams took a trip to his local haberdashery and picked himself up a golden sombrero, going 0-4 with 4 strikeouts. Just an atrocious effort all around.
What I Liked The Most
Uhhhhh..nothing? Velasquez was off, the offense fell flat on their face, and the Braves beat the Nationals and are now tied with the Phillies for the division lead. Let’s hope the Phils can beat up on the Padres this weekend.
P.S. I’ll be out of town this weekend so I in all likelihood won’t be writing these. Try not to miss me too much.
ReJoyce 