Phillies Recap: Orioles-2, Phillies-1

Game Recap:
Cole Hamels pitched eight strong innings, but the Phillies could only muster four hits and one run as they dropped their sixth game in a row.

What went right?

Shane Victorino was 2-3.

Greg Dobbs went 1-3 with a home run.

Cole Hamels pitched eight innings, struck out ten and walked none. He allowed two runs on nine hits.

What went wrong?

Aside from Victorino and Dobbs, the rest of the offense went a combined 1-25 with one walk and three strikeouts.

That's all that needs to be said.

Game Analysis:

Thank God that the Mets have been sucking almost as bad as the Phillies lately, or else the Phils would be looking up at New York again. A second straight sweep finished off a 1-8 homestand for the Phillies, and nothing seemed to look right in either of the last two series. Today was just more of the same, as Cole Hamels pitched his heart out, but got no help from the offense. That's how it's been for the past week. When a pitcher goes eight innings, strikes out ten batters and allows only two runs, he should win that game. Instead, Hamels took the loss against a pitcher with an ERA over 5.00, who managed to hold the Phillies to just four hits on the day. Yes, Ryan Howard and Raul Ibanez weren't in the lineup, but that shouldn't matter. The Phillies were playing the Baltimore Orioles.

If the Phillies had even played .500 ball on this homestand, they'd have at least a five game lead on the Mets. What they did instead was give the Mets a chance to claw back into the NL East race before the All Star break. Not only that, but the Braves are slowly catching up as well. You can't waste games like this from Cole Hamels, and you certainly can't go 0-6 at home against two teams scraping the bottom of the American League East. I know the Phillies don't play well in June under Charlie Manuel, but that's no excuse. This team has gotten complacent right now, and it needs a good kick in the ass to get it going again. Last year's team never looked this lost...and I hope this year's can get that feeling back, because they need it, now.

The Phils have on off day tomorrow (they say it's for their carnival, but I think it's for my birthday), before they head to Tampa to take on Pat Burrell and the Rays. Jamie Moyer (4-6, 6.35 ERA), goes against David Price (1-1, 3.46 ERA). Hopefully, this goes as well as the World Series last year, only without the Backstreet Boys butchering the National Anthem.