The bullpen blows... the game

Written by Mike Mariano | 21 April 2010

Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said, "Our bullpen has been a concern."

If you don't have something nice to say, let Charlie Manuel say it for you.  In this case, I have very few nice things to saw about the Phillies bullpen.  We can talk about the sputtering offense over the last few games, but that's not the problem.  That's just baseball.  You can't score eight runs a game over an entire season and even if you did you'd still lose a good chuck of games.  However, when the offense does struggle, as it will over an 162 game season, the pitching needs to step up and bail it out, and vice versa.

Kyle Kendrick did exactly that, going eight strong, shutout innings for the Phillies.  Then in the bottom of the ninth, Ryan Madson came in and gave up back-to-back jacks (albeit one to god himself, Jayson Heyward) to tie the game.  Then Jose Contreras comes in, who has been pitching well of late, and serves up a game-winning, walk-off home run to ol' Nasty Nate McLouth who was sent down to the minors earlier this spring.

Offensively, the team put together three runs, all without the long ball surprisingly.  On the tough side, the team had eight strike outs compared to the Braves only having two.  Surprisingly high number for the Phillies who're currently leading the league with the least amount in the majors offensively.

We're simply going to have to take this as it is -- a rough patch and/or slump -- stop complaining and wait for the team to right the ship and win a few.

--

In other pitching news, Smokin' Joe Blanton is ahead of schedule on his rehab and should be back in action before May 1st.  My source?  Some girl at Rowan who plays on the same intramural softball team as my girlfriend and claimed to have talked to him.  So yeah, anyone who tells you that We're the Team to Beat isn't a reputable, story-breaking, lead-chasing news source is a damned fool because we've got eyes and ears everywhere.