So far this season, the Phillies' pitching has been down right horrible. Worst team ERA in all the National League. The only teams worse than the Phightins are the Yankees and Indians. The Phillies are tied for last in saves. Yes, I know that saves are a stat of opportunity, but to be tied with the Pirates and Nationals, the NL perenial basement dwellers. On to the positive. The Phillies are in first, yes lead the national league in homeruns allowed. Oh wait, that isn't good news either. Do we chalk it up to a World Series hangover? We did pitch an extra month last year. Do we chalk it up to really missing JC Romero? Everyone besides Madson and Lidge had their role redefined because of one blunder.
The Phillies are 15-14 29 games into the season. One game over .500 with the worst pitching staff in all the national league. Those rotten dirty Metropolitans had to win 7 straight games to get a game and a half in front of us. The Phillies were one game better after 29 games last year at 16-13. I just hope that the pitching comes around and it appears that it will. Hamels had a good outing against the Braves. Myers got lifted a tad too early, but otherwise pitched pretty well. I don't think that Park will be in the rotation too much longer. The start against Santana was just an aberration. I was very in favor of Happ getting the number 5 spot out of the gate and it didn't happen. That may come to fruition soon enough. If I had to guess that will probably happen right around the same time that Romero comes back. The only way I see that happening before Romero's return would be if the Phils DFA or release Taschner and bring up Zagurski. He is the only LH reliever in the Phils system with a: MLB service time and b: a LH OBA under .200. I would bring up Bastardo, but the Phillies don't seem to be sure whether or not they want him to be a starter or reliever.
Phils fans don't push the panic button just yet. The Phillies are off to a very similar start that they had last year. It won't be as easy, but the Phils will come out on top. The Mets are an April and May team and the Phils are a September and October one.
Keywords: Philadelphia Phillies
