Phillies Report

I went to the Phillies game last night. Old man Moyer was going 11th straight wins against the Florida Marlins. It was ladies night at the ballpark last night and the Phillies celebrated by hittimg like old ladies. The Marlins cruised, beating the Phils 8-2.

One of the main problems for the Phillies last night was the bottom of the order. They really struggled with runners in scoring position. Geoff Jenkins (later replaced by Jayson Werth), Eric Bruntlett (later replaced by Greg Dobbs), and Carlos Ruiz combined for one hit. Five guys combine for one hit, the Phillies need another bat in the bottom of the lineup. Ruiz collected the only hit of those five, but it was a single with no runners on.

Moyer (right) pitched alright. He did load the bases in what seemed like every inning, but he did well to allow only two runs to the powerful Marlins offense.

Ryan Howard needs to improve his defense. On one play, he froze on a ball hit to the Moyer. He seemingly forgot to cover the bag. On another play, a sharp ground ball went right through his legs. Maybe Howard should spend less time golfing and more time practicing his fielding.

The only bright spot of the night was Victorino (who's been red hot) homer. After looking at the instant replay, though, it looks like it should have been a foul ball. The Phillies bullpen didn't do a good job either. Two pitchers, fresh from Triple A, gave up five runs. J.A. Happ, who one of those pitchers, gave up four runs in just two innings. Happ did do well in the rotation, but clearly he is not a relief pitcher.

The Marlins are just 1 1/2 games behind the Phillies and could inch closer if they win today. The Mets won last, and are now only two games back.