The Dodgers went back to Brad Penny after all, and he pitched well, but the Phils jumped on reliever Steve (Doctor) Schmoll for five runs in the eighth inning and won 8-4. Pat Burrell hit a three-run homer, his first since July 19th (are they blaming that on the Home Run Derby, too?), and Ryan Howard followed with a solo shot. I went to bed after Chase Utley fanned to end the top of the third inning. Robbie Tejeda went five, allowing two runs on five hits and four walks. Aaron Fultz preceded the Swingin' Bullpen Trio to finish out the game. Oogie Urbina gave up two runs after the Phils had taken a 6-2 lead, but then the Phils rallied for two more runs in the ninth to make it a non-save opportunity for Billy Wagner.
Nice win. Unfortunately, with Penny starting game one, that means we get Lowe and Perez again in games two and three. Lowe throws sinkers, and you just have to ask Tomo Ohka (or his interpreter) about how much the Phillies love swinging at and missing balls in the dirt. Perez, meanwhile, is another in a procession of lefthanders that routinely mystify the Phillies lineup. I'm reading that the "Black Hole" numbers regarding David Bell and Mike Lieberthal hitting back-to-back have made it onto Comcast Sportsnet. Good work by blog commenter George S. and blogger Jason Weitzel of Beerleaguer. Maybe Charlie will think about batting Bell second against Perez. Bell has a 1.026 OPS vs. southpaws in 106 plate appearances. Or, since it's a mini-travel day, maybe he'll start Todd Pratt (1.239 OPS vs. lefties in 34 PA). Or both. Anything but the Black Hole, please!
The Astros lost to the Nationals and the Marlins won, moving all three wild card trailers up a game. The Nats are a game out, we're a game and a half, and the Fish are two out. I can't believe we're still in this thing. Intellectually, I'm looking at all the upcoming road games, the Astros parsimonious starting pitching, the way our offense decides to take games off once or twice a week, the fact that we're relying on walk-machine Robbie Tejeda to somehow continue to not give up bunches of runs, Jon Lieber's 5.00 ERA, etc., etc., and coming to the conclusion that there is no way, no how this bunch will be playing meaningful games in late September. But then I look at the standings and we're always within one good week of taking the wild card lead. I wish we would either make a 20-5 or a 5-20 run and get it over with. It's the uncertainty that I hate the most. I'm blaming it on the wild card. Without that, this division race is o-vah. The Braves are calling up guys from Richmond who are better than all the veterans on the Phillies roster, and they keep winning even if most of their lineup isn't old enough to remember Steve Carlton, and the rest were once teammates with him (Julio Franco, 1987 Indians). The wild card, though, is sitting there, beckoning to us like a Siren perched on a rock, driving us all to madness. I guess that would make Charlie Manuel Ulysses, although he fits in better as Everett from "Oh Brother Where Art Thou". Or at least Delmar.
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