Two days ago, after the Phillies blew two leads in a 10-inning defeat in DC, I wrote on this blog that it's hard to imagine a more excruciating loss.
Well, here you go.
Leading 3-2 in the ninth inning today, Arthur Rhodes' second pitch was tagged for a two-run homer by Phillies-killer Adam LaRoche. The Braves won the first game of a day-night doubleheader, 4-3, preventing the Phils from moving into a tie with the Padres for the wild-card lead.
"I should've went out there and did my job," Rhodes said a few minutes ago. "It was all my fault."
If only it were that simple.
The Phils stranded eight baserunners in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings. In the seventh and eighth, they left the bases loaded. They had chances to blow open the game against a shaky Braves bullpen, and didn't do it.
And, while Rhodes described himself as "not a true closer," the Phils' actual closer, Tom Gordon, is still in Clearwater, Fla., getting ready to test his mending shoulder by pitching one inning in a Class A game tonight.
Think the Phils could've used him at Citizens Bank Park today?
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2 comments:
Hi, Paul: Heard about Lieby from Lieby. He said it's not the first time he's had to sleep on the floor because of his back. Suffice it to say, he's handling it well. His back looked fine a few minutes ago when he parked a two-run homer into the left-field seats.
Doubtful you'll see Rhodes in the nightcap. Castro was warming in the bullpen in the eighth inning of Game 1, but Charlie said he didn't want to put the kid into such a big spot. Hard to argue. Castro hadn't pitched above A-ball until this season. He's only here because the Phils don't want to offer him back to the White Sox, who lost him in the Rule 5 draft.
Good inside info on Lieberthal, didn't know you worked that close with the players. Dream job, really.
My point on Arthur may have been missed due to my feeble sarcasm attempts. Watching him pitch these last two games reminded me a lot of the Mesa era, where every save opp. was nailbiting. Granted it's just a two game stretch, but hard anyway.
Phillies fans may be used to seeing the aged, once-was-lights-out closer whom was originally signed for a setup role, finding himself faceing a one run lead in the last inning. (SEE: Worrell, Robert Hernandez, Rhodes, Mesa)
And it gets old. My wife truly fears for the life of the remote.
If we lose the WC race by one or two, these two games would be the ones.
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