The Phillies' Song Is Over
By Joseph Santoliquito
Philadelphia, PA (CBS) —For those few that still held out hope, for those few that thought the Phillies had a chance to turn this season into something before completing this nine-game road trip, those thoughts were flushed away with a 1-8 swing.
The Phils will lug an eight-game losing skid—their longest losing streak since 2000—back to Citizens Bank Park Tuesday to begin a nine-game homestand, starting with the San Francisco Giants.
The Phils have been outscored 52-14 in their last eight games. Sunday's 12-4 loss to Detroit was probably the nadir of the season. Nervous rookie outfielders missed routine flies. The Phillies couldn't complete even the most routine plays, like throwing to bases. Pitchers couldn't throw strikes.
The Tigers' eight unearned runs in the sixth typified the road trip. It should be replayed with a laugh track. After trailing 3-0, Detroit went on to score 11 unanswered runs—helped considerably by Phils' ineptitude, including three errors and an inability to do anything right.
The Phillies had not allowed eight unearned runs in an inning since May 22, 1997, according to Elias Sports, in a 10-3 Curt Schilling loss to the New York Mets.
The whole thing was a mess. And finally, with the Phils sitting 11 games behind the NL East-leading Atlanta Braves, it may be time to accept the greatest run in Phillies' history is over. If this eight-game losing streak wasn't enough to convince the deepest, most true-blue diehard, nothing will.
The road trip endorses the Phillies better rebuild. The Phils played with a lineup on Sunday littered with players like Steve Susdorf, Laynce Nix and Kevin Frandsen. During the weekend series, manager Charlie Manuel has had to resort to pitchers like Saturday emergency starter Raul Valdes, who couldn't throw, Luis Garcia, who couldn't throw a strike, and Jake Diekman, who couldn't throw to a base.
Manuel deserves better. So do Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, Carlos Ruiz, Cole Hamels and Ryan Howard—the core of what made this Phillies team the most memorable in franchise history.
The 1-8 trip is the Phils' worst on the road since they went 1-8, from July 28 to August 6, back in 1995. Back when the Phillies were lucky enough to win 70 games.
The Phils are in danger of not finishing .500 since they went 80-81 in 2002.
Understandably, the Phillies' clubhouse on Sunday was like a morgue afterwards. The trade deadline is 4 p.m. Wednesday. The Phillies are reportedly offering Michael Young to any takers. It looks like it will take a lot more than that to get this turned around—which doesn't appear as if that will happen any time soon.
Joseph Santoliquito is a contributing sports blogger for CBS Philly.
