It's easy to blame today's 10-inning loss on Danys Baez, who gave up the go-ahead run, but in truth the Phillies took a 5-3 lead, largely because of shoddy Padres' defense, in the second inning, then went into a cocoon while the Padres came back to tie it and eventually edge ahead for a 6-5 win in extras. Did I say yesterday that 3-4-5 were showing signs of life? Today I'd say, pull the covers up to their chins and let them slumber. A numbing 15 men were stranded on base today, just by the Phillies. Since coming back from the DL, Joe Blanton has usually been effective for five, then blows up in the sixth. Today, he stunk it up from the get-go. He's handing home runs out like lollipops and letting base runners run wild. Chase Utley looks so bad (his average is now below .260) that one can only think he is hurt.
Struggling righty Philippe Aumont has been demoted to high-A Clearwater. Nelson Figueroa cleared waivers and accepted an assignment to Lehigh Valley.
