So, the Phillies finally get a day off today (their first since May 22), and they better enjoy it. With the red-hot Mets coming to town, there's little rest for the weary.
If there's such a thing as a big series in June, this is it. Consider the possible ramifications:
The Mets come in with a 6.5-game lead over the Phils. A Mets sweep would push that to 9.5, and the Phils could pretty much start thinking about the wild card. But a Phils sweep would slash the margin to 3.5 games, and the teams still play each other 10 more times.
Probably the biggest reasons for the Mets' success are their 17 one-run wins. The Phils have only eight, along with 12 one-run losses. That's going to have to change if they hope to catch New York.
A few other observations from a weekend in DC:
* Cole Hamels has boatloads of self-confidence. Not only did he seem upset that he was on a fixed pitch count Sunday, but he shrugged off Charlie Manuel's suggestion that he should've thrown a fastball rather than his changeup in a two-out, full-count situation to Royce Clayton. Hamels may be 22, but he has the audacity of a seasoned pro. Now, he just needs to back it up, and that's the hard part.
* RFK Stadium couldn't be more antiquated. That said, DC is one of the best NL cities, and it's going to get better once the new stadium opens in 2008.
* Strangest DC sight: Ford's Theater, where Abraham Lincoln was assassinated in 1865 (and one of the most interesting historical sights in a city full of them), is next to a Hard Rock Cafe. Talk about unlikely neighbors.
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