The Phillies lost 6-3 in 11 innings last night to the Braves. Pin the loss on the depleted bullpen, though many will of course pin it on Cole Hamels, who went seven and gave up three runs. I am so tired of this Hamels-is-soft stuff from fans, I could spit, but it's too hot to contemplate wasting energy or fluids doing it. The fans in question believe that what Cole Hamels did in 2008 is nothing compared with what Cliff Lee did not do in 2009. Wake up, will you! Hamels won you lunkheads a World Series. Cliff Lee did not.
More to the point last night, the Phillies had exactly three hits, a two-run homer from Ibanez, an RBI triple from Howard (who with no outs was then stranded on third), and an aimless single late from Victorino. That's three hits in 11 innings.
The IronPigs last night won 6-3, though the bullpen, in the form of Joe Savery, tried mightily to cough it up in the 9th. Give Savery some credit for regrouping after giving up three runs and getting three outs. On another very hot night starter Brandon Duckworth was super, throwing seven shutout innings. Ryan Madson looked sharp pitching a quick, scoreless eighth in his second rehab stint with the 'Pigs.
On Monday the Phillies reached the halfway point of the season. Their record: 43-38. Those numbers match their half-season records in 2009 and 2008. Last year, though, the Phillies were atop the division at 43-38. This year they are in third place.
