No groundhog day this time. Cole Hamels had a frustrating game from the start, never looked comfortable, and lasted only five. (I love how pissed Hamels looks when he does not perform well.) Charlie got tossed in the 1st after a weird catcher's interference call that seemed to be made by David Wright. The Mets then got a key blown call at 3rd when Wright was clearly off the bag. Chase Utley added another silly error. And the only Phillie who showed up against Santana was Ryan Howard. Jimmy Rollins thrilled the NY 'faithful' by striking out to end the game in the 6-3 Mets' win. Carlos Delgado, with two homers, continued to carry his team. Joe and Jon provided more mind-numbing coverage. Entering the game Pat Burrell, who looks haunted, was batting .100 since August 7; by the end of the night he had dipped lower. The Phillies now trail by two with 19 games to go. They've got to step it up against the rest of the division.
Ryan Howard hit his 40th home run of the season. With it, he became the first Phillie ever to hit 40 home runs in three consecutive seasons. He is also the third Phillie to reach 120 RBI in three consecutive seasons. The others are Chuck Klein and Sam Thompson. Way to go, Ryan!
Barring any play-off possibilities, last night's game was the final time the Phillies played at Shea Stadium. What a dump.
