With Seven Games Left, Can the Phillies Avoid 100 Losses?
How quickly things can change in just three days. Three days ago, Phillies fans were celebrating. The Phils had taken three in a row from the Dodgers, the team with the best record in baseball. The Phillies needed only two more wins, out of ten games remaining, to avoid a one hundred loss season. But now the Phillies have lost three in a row. Twice, the team has blown a lead after five innings and eventually lost by one run. This is a familiar refrain for Phillies fans, because the team has lost a league-leading thirty-six one run games. Worse, in one game, pitching prospect Ben Lively was blown out with five runs in the first inning, demonstrating that consistency remains a problem for the young pitching staff. Still, there have been signs of hope in those last three games. Henderson Alvarez, whom the Phillies are giving an end of the season try out after two shoulder surgeries, pitched five scoreless innings last night. The Phillies' rookies continued to shine. Nic...