- Brennan Weiss
I know the Phillies are just 3.5 games out of first place (as of June 16), and that I am probably being the typical Philly fan by already panicking about the horrendous rut the Phillies are in, but I have the right to. After witnessing the Phillies lose their 10,000th game, the most by any major sports franchise ever, on July 15, 2007, and having to deal with my best friend (who happens to be a Yankees fan) taunt me about rooting for a team who has won two world series in 127 years, I deserve to panic.The years of sadness, anger, hatred, and hostility completely outweigh the last few of years of comebacks, gleefulness, and exuberance.
Ahh… it is becoming quite cliché, but every fifth day is a Halladay; that was until last night’s game against the Bronx Bombers. Trying to seek the positive out such a negative situation, I’ve been looking forward to Halladay pitching because I knew that he would give the Phils a chance to win every time he took the mound, but I had a bad feeling about his start against his nemesis, the Yankees.
Let me tell you: when your ace allows six earned runs, you know things aren’t going well.
This has all happened because of Daisuke Matsuzaka. It was a beautiful Saturday evening in Philadelphia when the highly over-paid Japanese hurler took the mound for the Sox. Now, mind you, us Philly fans were still hung over from the previous night in which we began envisioning ourselves in the World Series again.
After sailing to a 5-1 victory over the Sox in the season series opener, we began to believe that this was finally the year where we weren’t going to have an embarrassing interleague record. This was going to be the first year since 2003 in which the Phillies would win a series against the Red Sox. But “Dice-K” Matsuzaka had to screw all of that up. His no-hit bid on May 22 lasted to the eight inning until Phillies’ Juan Castro hit a nubber off the end of the bat that floated just out of the reach of shortstop Marco Scutaro’s glove.
Ever since that 5-0 shutout, the Phillies have been shut out five more times (three during a series sweep by the Mets and two by the Marlins) while recording just 10 runs in the last eight games of May.
As the calendar turned to June, the Phillies were offered a fresh start, but they, once again, came out struggling, allowing the Braves to finish off their three-game sweep in the first two days of June.
On June 11, the Phillies opened their second round of interleague play at Fenway Park against the Sox. They went on to lose the series, but they had to recuperate because before they knew it, they would be stepping on the field with the Yankees at Yankee Stadium.
After the Phillies finish with the Yanks, they wrap up interleague play with the Twins and Blue Jays, two teams that are no ‘walks in the park’. Before we know it, the Phils could be easily eight games behind the division leading Braves before all is said and done.
Meanwhile, as the Braves are in the midst of giving manager Bobby Cox one last hurrah, the amazin’ Mets are one of the hottest teams in baseball.
The Mets have won six out of the seven interleague games played this year and they captured their fifth straight victory over the Indians last night. These last few weeks of June will be defining moments for the Phillies playoff hopes.
So what does one do? What can one do?
Nothing. Absolutely nothing.
The Phillies are either going to snap out of it, make some drastic changes (sign Cliff Lee or Roy Oswalt?), or continue this terrible run. As fans, we must accept this and move on, for we have absolutely no control. Please Philadelphia! Tell me when I can snap out of this nightmare! I am still waiting for something spectacular – and I am not talking about the Fourth of July fireworks that will be lighting up the sky in a few weeks. I’m talking about a game changer; a pivotal moment that will reverse the direction the Phillies are headed right now.
I am waiting for a Daisuke Matsuzaka.
I’ll be patient, but know that I’m still waiting…
- Brennan Weiss
