666 - 6 Runs Allowed in 6th Straight Loss with 6 Games To Go

For the first time in 2 seasons, the Phillies have dropped 6 consecutive games.  The 6-1 loss to the Nationals on Thursday completed a 4-game sweep, making the Phillies the final MLB team to suffer a 4-game sweep that had not previously done so this year.

Oh yes, all sorts of records were set last night, and not all of them were good.  The Phillies also became the 1st 98-win team to drop 6 straight since the 1904 Giants.  That's right, more than a century ago.  They also became the first team EVER to lose 6 straight after clinching their division.  What this means is that the Phillies have delivered bad, sucky baseball in historic proportions ;o)

So it was no surprise that the Phillies final regular season home game ended with a chorus of boo's.  Fans did not pay their hard earned money to watch the Phillies basically lay an egg on the field.  For "Fan Appreciation Night," it was more like Fan Un-appreciation Night.  Like I always tell my kids, it is okay to fail as long as you go down putting up a fight.  And that, more than the losses, is what bothers me about these 6 games.  Not that the Phillies are trying to suck, but their hearts do not seem to be in it right now.

The one good sign to come out of the game was Roy Oswalt finally getting some life back on his fastball.  He hit 95mph on the gun and stayed in the low to mid nineties most of the night.  The 6 runs he allowed could have been avoided had certain defensive plays been made.

 

The Nats first run of the game scored when Chase Utley and John Bowker nearly collided in right field chasing after a pop-up.  The miscommunication resulted in a dropped ball, which literally rolled off Utley's mid-section:

 

Bowker also made an awful throw to 2nd later in the game and went 0-2 at the plate.  To recap, since coming to Philly, Bowker is 0-11, he nearly killed Utley and has contributed little more than a bad throw.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, here is one GOOD play by Pete Orr:

 

Utley and others did not have a good series either.  Joining him in the debacle were Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino.  All three Phillies stars combined at the plate to go 0-36 in the 4-game series with no RBI's, not even a sac fly.  As a team, the Phillies scored only 9 runs over all 4 games.  The offense was simply non-existent, except Carlos Ruiz with 3 hits.  Those who always complain about Ryan Howard striking out a lot should stop and take a look at how the Phillies play without their #1 RBI machine.

 

Last night's game was so horrid, that even Phillies Elvis was more entertaining:

 

And even more exciting than that, the Phillies pre-game ceremonies, which included Cliff Lee getting his pitcher of the month award and then addressing the crowd.  Shane and Melissa Victorino also shared a cute moment as they celebrated the re-opening of the Victorino Foundation funded Nicetown Boys & Girls Club.  And PA Announcer Dan Baker was greeted on field by his family to celebrate 40 years with the Phillies.

 

Another record-breaking moment came when the final season attendance was posted.  With 45,064 at the game last night, the Phillies total attendance for the year wound up at 3,680,718, a new ballpark record.  The game also marked the 204th straight regular season sell-out.

With 6 games to go, the Phillies travel to New York to play the Mets starting at 7:10pm tonight.  Let us all hope they snap out of this funk and get hot going into the playoffs!

Here is the full Photo Album from Thursday' game, including pre-game ceremonies and more Elvis.

 

Photos by Jenn Zambri Photography