A Much Needed Day Off for Phillies

It's a long season that seems to be getting longer with each game. After the Phillies 4-1 loss to the Reds on Sunday the Phils are now a season-low 11 games under .500 at 25-36. The worst record in the National League and the second worst record in all of baseball. The Phillies are on pace to lose 96 games. From an ultimate optimist point of view everything in me wants to sing High Hopes and pray for a hot streak but this stretch of bad baseball and any sign of life pushes me closer to the edge of the ultimate Negadelphian, as much as I hate to admit that. 

We are 7 games past the 1/3 mark of the season so let's break down some numbers and see why this Phillies team is so bad. 

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Offensively the Phillies are 24th out of 30 teams in all of baseball in team batting average with a .241 average (.228 in their last 32). The Phillies have 1 starter batting above .300 with Chase at .314 and 5 regulars above .250 with the injured Cody Asche as one of them. As a team the Phillies are 25th in runs, 23 in hits, 27 in RBIs, and 24 in OBP. The Phillies are batting .241 as a team with runners in scoring position and .189 with runners in scoring position with 2 outs. 

Phillies pitchers have the 23rd worst team ERA at 4.20. Shockingly, or not so shockingly, enough NO Phillies starter has a winning record. The pitcher with the most wins, Cliff Lee at 4, is currently on the DL. Lee also has the best ERA at 3.18 for Phillies starters. Not to mention one of the Phillies most effective relief pitchers this season, Mike Adams, joined Lee on the DL over the weekend. 

The bright spot is that Phillies phans finally get to see highly touted reliever Kenny "100 Miles" Giles!! 

In the last 7 games only one starting pitcher, Cole Hamels, posted an ERA under 5 and the only one to pick up a win. 16 million dollar man AJ Burnett has 1 win in his last 5 with a 6.90 ERA in that stretch. 

The 1st place Braves are only 3 games above .500, the worst 1st place team in baseball. But the Phillies still remain 7 games out of first. Not unobtainable, but with the way the Phillies have looked it certainly feels that way. 

"I believe we have a hot streak in there." 
-Ryne Sandberg

The Phillies haven't had a hot streak of more than 3 games in a year's time. They enjoy their first day off in 3 weeks on Monday, a much needed day off. 

On the bright side it's Chase "The Man" Utley bobblehead night at the Bank on Tuesday night!!

There are plenty of opinions and plans for the future of this Phillies team. The next 20 games take us to the midway point of the season. By then we should know definiitevly the immediate plans for the 2014 Phillies. All signs point to "blow it up." Step 1: Fire Ruben. 

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