Phiilies' drought continues in brutal blanking by Mets

For the second game in a row, the Phillies were befuddled by an opposing knuckleballer as R.A. Dickey became the latest to stymie the listless bats of the defending division champs. The Phillies fell 8-0 in ugly form.

Beerleaguer: The game felt very much like the first time these teams met. The Phillies were carrying some baggage into that one, too, while the Mets were riding a hot streak and had stolen away first place. Here, the Mets are coming off a series win against the Yanks. From the Phillies' point of view, their skid was considered an anomaly. But after the Phillies fell 9-1 in the opener, there was a sense that something was definitely wrong, and that something had to give. They eventually broke through for a 10-0 hammering the next day and would go on to win 12 of their next 15 games, basically staying hot until this recent 3-4 homestand.

One would hope the Phillies have the fortitude to turn it around just as quickly. However, if you're an opposing pitcher, these last few games have been like a treasure map on how to gameplan the Phillies. They want fastballs. They want big innings. They do not want to trade power for the slow bleed of small ball, which is precisely what happened to them last night. Take these elements away, and these lions can be tamed.

It's hard to pick on one player, but damn if this skid doesn't coincide with Carlos Ruiz's sprained knee and ensuing slump. Chooch looks like a guy who should have gone on the 15-day DL. Coming into the game, he had just one hit in his last 20 plate appearances since the sprain. So the Phillies are dealing with something of a black hole at the bottom of their lineup. Juan Castro can't be counted on to produce, and ahead of Chooch, they've got a left fielder in Raul Ibanez with three whole homers this season.

The Phillies are a good team, but these pressure points are becoming exposed: Castro, Ibanez, parts of their bullpen, like David Herndon and Nelson Figueroa, are passable solutions, but for how long?

Of course, the big problem last night was their back-breaking non-execution with runners in scoring position. They left the bases loaded twice against Dickey, including a killer 1-2-3 double play in the second off the bat of Chooch. Then in the seventh, they had runners on second and third with no outs and Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Jayson Werth went down in order. Ugly night for Chase, who was 0-for-5 with 2 Ks.

Comments

[donc]

Thon was actually a player on the rise a few years before the Phillies got him IIRC. Then he got horribly beaned and had severe vision problems for a while. Kind of amazing that he ever made it back.

[GTown_Dave]

Zolecki (via Twitter): "Tonight's Lineup @ NYM: Victorino CF, Polanco 3B, Utley 2B, Howard 1B, Werth RF, Francisco LF, Valdez SS, Schneider C, Blanton P."

donc: I remember my Dad telling me that at the time. Come to think of it, are you my Dad?

[donc]

Anything is possible Gtown. I often blew my condom budget on Genny Cream and Newports. Do you have a lazy eye and a drinking problem?

[NEPP]

Dear God...that lineup is terrible. Why not toss Dobbs and Gload out there too and complete the B-Squad game?

[Hugh Mulcahy]

That 6 through 8 is good for at least 9 hits tonight. I better get home early so I don't miss their at bats.

Thon was mangled by that pitch. His face was permanently misshapen after they put him back together. I was always very impressed that he recovered and continued to play.

[donc]

Yeah Hugh. He looked like he was going to be a pretty good ball player before that. A real shame.

[donc]

I thought only Halladay pitched for the scrub club.

[Steve The Met Fan]

I for one am excited to see all the love B.Scneid will get in his welcome back to Citifield. lol

[GTown_Dave]

donc: No on the eye, Yes on the drinking ... my Dad blew his money on "Joe's Beer", though.

I'm curious about tonight's lineup. Charlie might as well have played Dobbs, as Utley looks terrible lately. I know he hates to sit, but that's kinda the point. Such a move couldn't bring down the lineup much more than it already has been.

[clout]

Jack: DiMaggio, Williams and Musial were the first 3 guys I thought of. Barry Bonds, Henry Aaron and Lou Gehrig could also be put into the category of guys who hit for average AND power and didn't strike out much.

[clout]

The best evidence that the Phillies will score at least 6 runs tonight:

Dear God...that lineup is terrible. Why not toss Dobbs and Gload out there too and complete the B-Squad game?

Posted by: NEPP | Wednesday, May 26, 2010 at 03:49 PM

[Hugh Mulcahy]

Ortlieb's was like honey compared to Genny Cream Ale (or Schmidt's, if you want to go local). That crap is undrinkable.

[donc]

Yeah Hugh. Like swallowing razor blades soaked in battery acid. But it was $4 a truckload. Price is king when you're a kid.

[Phillies in Scranton]

This Phils team is going to be fine... its just that time of the year for them with interleage starting, something im not a fan of. Every year this happens to the Phils, and im not that concerned... yet

[Old Phan]

Hey Friend, do it again, Ballantine Beer

[donc]

Mabel Another Black Label.

[Hugh Mulcahy]

I hear you donc. I drank my share of Chesterfield Ale, Meister Brau, Goebel and Natty Bo.

[donc]

Meister Brau? Hah. How bout Erlanger, Eschlinger, and the unforgettable Tuborg Gold? The beer of Danish Kings. You'd be speaking Portugese after a night of that stuff.

[YT Crooks]

Well, if Howard is about to pass the Babe in a category, clearly that makes him an amazing player worth the big signage.

But really there's no reason to fret. The team's still in first place. It's just a little slump.