MILWAUKEE -- Charlie Manuel is unfailingly positive. Always. No exceptions. I've talked to him almost every day during my two seasons of covering the Phillies, and I can't recall him ever saying a bad word about anyone, especially any of his players. So, I thought it was rather telling last night that the door to his office was shut for 45 minutes after a devastating 6-5 loss to the Brewers. And it didn't open until sometime after the media had cleared out of the clubhouse.Charlie didn't have anything good to say, so he didn't say anything at all.
In fairness to Tom Gordon, who served up an absolutely crushing game-winning two-run homer to Prince Fielder, he looked good against the first three hitters of the inning. But he left a 91-mph two-strike fastball over the middle of the plate, and Fielder hammered it.
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Cole Hamels didn't speak to reporters either after the game, another telling sign of the Phillies' frustration. Yes, Hamels cruised through the first five innings. But he also came unglued in the sixth after allowing a couple of infield bleeders. He gave up a two-run double to J.J. Hardy, a two-out RBI single to Fielder and another single to Bill Hall. And, were it not for a stellar catch by Chris Roberson in right field on a sinking liner by Kevin Mench (the pride of Newark and the University of Delaware), the game may have been tied then. Not very ace-like, was it?
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Speaking of great catches, it doesn't get better than Brewers right fielder Corey Hart's leaping grab to take a home run away from Tadahito Iguchi. Hart, who is 6-foot-6, said after the game: "I'm good for something. Height." Iguchi wasn't amused. In another sign of Phillies frustration, he chucked his helmet after returning to the dugout.
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Miller Park has been a house of horrors for the Phillies, who've lost seven straight games here, including five straight by one run. Last year, the Phils came here after winning 13 of their last 14 games and got swept in a three-game series. That started a stretch in which they went 14-28. They better hope Milwaukee doesn't send them free-falling again.
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Pat Burrell didn't want to discuss why he's hitting better. We're on the case, though.
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The Phillies say they aren't worried about the Braves' acquisitons of Mark Teixeira and Octavio Dotel. Should they be?
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In 2003, I covered the Hall of Fame inductions in Cooperstown, N.Y., and I'll never forget Bob Uecker's speech. It was more like a stand-up act. Click here to listen and prepare for belly-aching laughs. And who could ever forget that Uecker, the Brewers' Hall of Fame broadcaster, starred in this 1980s sitcom.
Happy Sunday.
4 comments:
I'm really beginning to gain a better understanding of your stance on Tom Gordon. Luckily for us, we won't see him on the mound for at least another 3 days. 2007 just seems like an awful year for him, and I still can't believe that he was given a 3 year contract over the younger, healthier, more effective Billy Wagner.
The Phillies record in one-run games is something like 4-19 and the pitching staff has one of the worst ERA's in the National League. I hope every dollar spent in the offseason is on pitching for a change, and no more of these Seattle leftovers.
well, the season is pretty much done now anyways
Francisco Cordero is a free-agent this off-season, I believe, and I would LOVE to see the Phils go after him. I'd also like to see them get another starter or reliever, though I don't know who.
That home-run he gave up to Fielder was the nail in the coffin, and the whole team knew it was over. It's getting depressing to watch this team.
I thought Fielder's blast Saturday was a nail like you said and Sunday was like the whole team going through the motions on a death march. Then pow the ninth inning happens. Scott brought up a good point in his article when it's only the 2nd win when being behind after 8 ininngs with 40-some losses. Legitimate playoff contenders cannot survive with that kind of record.
Bill, Seaford
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