Joe Blanton was on a rehab assignment in Reading last night. So was Brad Lidge. Both did OK but both looked still to be a tick or more away from a return to the majors. But what would I know?The Reading Phillies were hosting the Richmond Flying Squirrels, the new double-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants and there were lots of cheers in the crowd for the visiting team. I was seated next to a nest of Giants' fans but the real reason for the cheers, it turned out, was Squirrels pitcher Craig Clark, who grew up near Reading. The R-Phils took a 1-0 lead on a Domonic Brown home run to deep right but Drew Naylor, who took over for Blanton and Lidge, started handing out home runs. When I left, the Squirrels were up 5-2.
I listened to the start of the Phillies game in Arizona on the way back, then watched some on TV. Cole Hamels was sharp through three. Then came the fatal fourth and three home runs, followed by another in the 5th. Yikes! The Phillies looked jetlagged in the 7-4 loss. I rather felt that way myself.
