Philadelphia Phillies: Lack of Offense Affects Everything Else

A mediocre at best week for the Phills, considering the anemic offensive lineup with which they have been playing.

The bats are not just a problem because the Phillies are struggling to slug, it’s actually leading to a few other issues.

In this slideshow, I will discuss:

How the team defense has been weakened because the better hitters are being forced to remain late in games when the defense would benefit from a more adept fielder.

How the lack of offense has made the Phillies feel more acutely the loss of Ryan Howard;

And how the decision-making of manager Charlie Manuel has come into question.

 

 

 

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Philadelphia Phillies 2012: Analyzing Their Current Chances to Make the Playoffs

It is just twelve games into the baseball season, and some people are already prepared to sound the panic alarm when it comes to the Philadelphia Phillies. Currently sitting at 5-7, 4.5 games behind the Nationals for first in the NL East, the Phillies are in an unenviable position—the cellar.

Typically, this early in the season, it is easy to discount the doubters and those ready to give up on the Phils’ season, but this year, the circumstances are different. Ryan Howard and Chase Utley aren’t on the field, and the lineup, which has served as a revolving door, has been anything but consistent.

In Philadelphia, fans don’t want to give up on this team, but when they see what is going on within the division and the offensive futility, it is not that strange to see people starting to worry. It may still be too soon to hit the panic button, but if this offense continues to struggle, even Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels won’t be able to save the Phillies’ season.

 

It All Begins with the Offense

I think it is clear that no one really expected the Phillies to be an offensive juggernaut this year as they have been in the past. Coming into the season, the organization knew Ryan Howard would be out until at least mid-May and then also had to deal with the somewhat surprising news that Chase Utley, too, would not be in the lineup for the foreseeable future.

Obviously, replacing these All-Stars—in addition to replacing the powerful yet sometimes inconsistent bat of Raul Ibanez, who left in free agency—the Phillies knew it wouldn’t be easy.

Making matters worse was the fact that even with Utley and Howard on the DL, the Phillies were still operating close to the salary cap because of the millions of dollars owed to these two players.

So with not much money to work with, Ruben Amaro brought in a handful of second-tier players. Some may have been overpaid, and others seemed to only be brought here for versatility, to fill in at short and third in case the aging Jimmy Rollins and Placido Polanco could not go.

Needless to say, not only did the team get increasingly older, but it also didn’t really improve in terms of offense.

With the new players, the world of Phillies baseball that fans knew underwent a facelift. Unlike in the past when the team lived or died by the home run ball, this year relying on the long ball would be a mistake.

Unfortunately, having known this method for so long, it isn’t exactly going to be easy to change. The term “small ball” was practically foreign to fans and the team before this year. So far, with runs coming in few and far between, attempts to play this way clearly are not working.

 

Numbers Can Be Deceiving

If you look at the Phillies offensive numbers, some of them aren’t as bad as the record and lack of run scoring indicate they would be.

Where averages are down across the board in major league baseball, the Phillies are hitting right around the NL median of .244. Their .248 offense, which was a few points higher before last night’s quagmire, is good enough for seventh best in the National League.  As far as hits go, the Phillies are also in the middle of the pack, with their 101 hits good enough for eighth best.

The numbers may not jump out at you, but in terms of the rest of the league, they are not that bad. The problem, however, is that numbers don’t tell the whole story. 

In fact, as far as the Phillies average goes, the numbers are somewhat skewed. The .248 mark is only as high as it is because of the boost it receives from the .326 average of Hunter Pence, the .306 average of Carlos Ruiz, the .300 average of Juan Pierre, the .286 average of Jimmy Rollins and the .277 average of Shane Victorino.

Now, I know it is early in the season and averages are still taking shape, but after these five guys, the team average drops off dramatically. The next highest average is Pete Orr, who has only had one at-bat, at .250. After that, the entire rest of the lineup is hitting below .240.

In addition to deceptive averages, another stat which doesn’t tell the whole story is hits. Sitting eighth in the league in hits (101) does not appear to be that bad.

What that number doesn’t tell, however, is how many bases the Phils are accumulating with these hits. Their 16 total doubles ranks them in at 15 of 16 teams. Besides the Mets, they are the only team yet to hit a triple. Their six home runs is tied for second worst.

Doing the math, only 22 of the Phillies’ hits have gone for extra bases, which in terms of percentages is 15th worst. At only 21.7 percent of their hits going for extra bases, it is not surprising that the Phillies have failed to score runs.

Couple that with the amount of runners that they strand on base, and it is clear why they rank near the bottom of the NL in runs (14th) and RBI (14th). They also are not working out that many walks (15th), contributing to an OBP of .284 (14th).

 

The Need to Play Small Ball

There is no simple answer for why the Phillies have struggled so much offensively this year. It could be the inconsistent playing time for some of the guys; it could be the lack of firepower; it could be uncertainty of playing time. Most likely, it is a combination of all three of these things.

Right now it doesn’t look good for the Phillies, but there are signs to indicate things could turn around.

The Phillies likely won’t be scoring five-six runs a game like they did last year, but nevertheless, they still can have a chance to have an average offensive season and to make the playoffs. There are signs of hope, including their top-of-the-league stolen base percentage and their surprisingly low strikeout numbers.

It may not indicate much, but what it does show is that if the Phils can string together more singles, even if they are not hitting that many extra base hits, they can still score runs.

It won’t happen overnight, and it needs to happen soon if they want to win their sixth consecutive NL East crown, but the Phils could be on their way to discovering how to play small ball effectively.

 

Getting By With the Help of Three Aces

Even with only five wins on the season, three of which come from the combination of Roy Halladay’s first through eighth innings and Jonathan Papelbon’s ninth, the Phillies would not be where they are if not for the three aces.

Each start, the pitchers have kept the Phils in the game. In fact, eight of the twelve starts by the starting staff have been considered quality starts (7 IP, 3 ER). There is no reason the Phillies should not win these games, but so far mustering just one run a game has been difficult.

Run support will be at a premium this year, so the aces will have to be nearly perfect to reach 14-plus wins as they all did last season.

So far, Doc Halladay is leading the charge. The 2010 Cy Young Award winner is putting his name in the hat to win it again as his first three starts have been masterful.

Each start Halladay has gone eight innings and hasn’t given up more than two runs. When the Phillies have needed a win, Halladay has been there. Luckily enough for the Phils, Doc doesn’t give up too many runs and, as a result, does not need that much run support.

Both Cole Hamels and Cliff Lee had forgettable first starts, but since then, the two have settled down. Hamels has a record of 1-1 in three starts while Lee is still winless, but really shouldn’t be.

It should worry the Phils and their fans that they could not muster just one run, especially when Lee gave up nothing. The Phillies had their opportunities against Matt Cain, but nothing came of it. As a result, Lee went ten innings, throwing 109 pitches, 83 of which went for strikes. He was barely short of perfect and deserved a better fate than a ND.

 

“Getting By” Won’t Equal Playoff Birth

The aces have been spectacular this year, but with the offensive futility, masterful pitching won’t be enough.

It was evident in Cliff Lee’s gem against the Giants that even if you give up no runs, it won’t equal a win. Even though the great pitching has helped them out this season, in order to make the playoffs and advance in the playoffs, there has to be some sort of consistent contribution on offense.

If the Phillies’ offense does not find a solution soon, then even the aces won’t be able to save the season. The three pitchers whom each team would love to have as the playoff rotation might not even get a chance to throw an October pitch. 

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Cole Hamels: 3 Prospect Packages That Could Pry Him Away from the Phillies

Cole Hamels is one of the top left-handed pitchers in the game today, which is ironic considering the fact that he’s the No. 3 starter for the Phillies.

It’s likely that he will be the most sought after free agent this winter, and he’ll definitely command a large sum of money.

No matter what teams he is negotiating with, it’s almost a guarantee that Matt Cain’s eight-year, $139.75 million contract will be the starting point.

He’ll probably be worth even more, as lefties have historically earned more than righties.

There’s no guarantee that the Phillies will be able to resign him, as they already have two other $20 million pitchers in the rotation.

In addition, Shane Victorino is a free agent this winter. The Phillies would be wise to retain him. He is a catalyst in an aging lineup that doesn’t have much else in the way of speed.

It’s unlikely, but the Phillies could consider shopping Hamels at the deadline.

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Philadelphia Phillies: 7 Reasons Juan Pierre Should Be the Everyday Left Fielder

After years and years of Pat Burrell and Raul Ibanez manning left field on a day-to-day basis, the Phillies actually had an opening at the position entering 2012.  

While John Mayberry, Jr. seemed to be the favorite to win the job (especially before Ryan Howard got hurt and opened up first base), he struggled in spring training and never really ran away with the position. Laynce Nix and Dom Brown were other possible candidates for the job, but they didn’t exactly grab the position by the throat either.

Now, I’m willing to argue the best option for the Phillies in left field is Juan Pierre. Juan should be in the lineup, leading off, every night for the Phillies. Here’s why.

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Will Philadelphia Phillies Let Cole Hamels Walk to Bring in More Offense?

While Cliff Lee is attracting most of the headlines for the Philadelphia Phillies after pitching 10 shutout innings Wednesday night against the San Francisco Giants, his performance is obscuring the fact that the Phillies lineup provided in an 11-inning, 1-0 loss.

The Phillies managed only four hits in those 11 innings, with Juan Pierre, Shane Victorino, Jimmy Rollins and Laynce Nix each batting 0-for-4. 

Also notable for his absence was third baseman Placido Polanco, who sat out because “he needs a blow,” according to manager Charlie Manuel. Polanco was hit on the left elbow by a pitch in Tuesday night’s game, but it was apparently his ineffectiveness, rather than any sort of injury, that scratched him from Wednesday’s lineup. 

The Phillies were already playing short-handed, with injuries to Chase Utley and Ryan Howard keeping them out indefinitely. Polanco wasn’t going to supply much power in their absence, but he’s always been a consistent, dependable hitter.

However, he’s been so bad in his first 11 games (batting .179/.220/.205) that some, such as Hardball Talk’s Matthew Pouliot, are wondering if he might actually be finished as a player. Six strikeouts in 41 plate appearances from a contact hitter might indicate lost bat speed.

The issues with the lineup may be too numerous and serious to fully address this season, unfortunately. The Phillies really just have to cross their fingers, hope that Utley and Howard recover, hope that Polanco can turn himself around and possibly explore the trade market for some help. 

But what about next year? Does general manager Ruben Amaro have to address his lineup and make sure his offense isn’t so lacking coming into the season? 

Can he do that without sacrificing whatever money they originally planned to pay Cole Hamels? That’s a question Casey Feeney asks at CSNPhilly.com. 

The Phillies and Hamels are at a standstill in contract negotiations. Toward the end of spring training, it appeared as if the two sides might be close to agreeing on a new deal. But the last word, courtesy of CBSSports.com’s Jon Heyman, is that the team hasn’t made an effort to restart those talks. 

Matt Cain’s new $127.5 million contract with the Giants changed everything. Hamels was probably already looking for $20 million per season, and Amaro has said he believes the Phillies can afford another pitcher at that price to go with Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee.

But is Hamels now looking for something more like $25 million per year? Left-handers draw more than righties on the market, given their rarity. And as MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki points out, Hamels’s career numbers are better than Cain’s across the board. 

This might be scaring off the Phillies, as well as emboldening Hamels to test the open market for the biggest free agent payday. 

Losing Hamels would obviously leave a huge void in the Phillies’ starting rotation. But can Amaro justify paying that much money to a pitcher when it could be used to patch up holes in the everyday lineup? 

Shane Victorino’s contract is also up after this season, and he’ll certainly be seeking a raise over his current $9.5 million salary. Losing him would create a much bigger problem for the Phillies. 

Is the team really going to stick with a combination of John Mayberry Jr., Laynce Nix and Juan Pierre in left field? Or should Amaro pursue an upgrade like the Dodgers‘ Andre Ethier? 

What about third base? If Polanco is close to done, the Phillies can buy out his $5.5 million option for next year with a $1 million payout. And what if the Mets decide not to sign David Wright to a contract extension or pick up his $16 million option? Is that a player the Phillies absolutely have to go after in free agency? 

What if the Phillies could trade for the Padres‘ Chase Headley? He has one more arbitration year after this season. Wouldn’t Headley have to be signed to a contract extension to make such a deal worthwhile? 

Can Amaro make any of those moves if he pays Hamels $25 million per year, perhaps under a six-year, $150 million contract?

It doesn’t seem likely. And as the Phillies’ offense continues to string zeroes on ballpark scoreboards throughout the majors, this is surely a dilemma Amaro and the rest of the Phillies’ front office is agonizing over. 

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Philadelphia Phillies: Giving Ruben Amaro a Failing Grade for the Offseason

It’s April 19, it’s early. The Philadelphia Phillies are 5-7 and 4.5 games behind the first-place Washington Nationals. The offense has been pathetic the majority of the time, while the starting rotation has not won a game if the Phils give up more than two runs.

In the San Francisco series that just wrapped up, the Phillies scored four runs in the first inning of the first game. They only scored three runs in the next 28 innings.

So how did we get here?  First off, we all knew Ryan Howard blew out his Achilles last season and that he would miss the first couple months of the season. Next, Chase Utley’s chronic knee issues flared up again and the timetable for his return is still unknown.

Those are your No. 3 and No. 4 hitters. Any team is going to struggle taking those guys out of their lineup. How would the Detroit Tigers be without Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder? Think the Miami Marlins would survive very long without Hanley Ramirez and Giancarlo Stanton? Are the Los Angeles Dodgers off to a great start if Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier are on the shelf? 

No way. So we understand the Phillies are basically playing with one hand tied behind their back.

General manager Ruben Amaro Jr. had a full offseason to figure out what he was going to do at first base without Howard. He had versatile John Mayberry coming back from a promising 2011 season.  Amaro signed future Hall of Famer and former Phillie favorite Jim Thome to help out at first and off the bench.

He traded for Ty Wigginton, who can play first, third, outfield and even some second. Then he signed Laynce Nix to a (gulp) two-year contract which probably even surprised Nix. Finally, speedy veteran outfielder Juan Pierre was invited to spring training.

Let’s start with first base. Amaro never signed a first baseman. Thome hasn’t played there in five years.  Without a doubt, Jim is an upgrade over last season’s Ross Gload, but he is not a first baseman anymore.

Wigginton is a versatile player but a defensive liability wherever he plays. His error at third Wednesday night cost the Phillies the game (besides their absent bats, of course). Nix has always been an outfielder who played eight games at first last season. And Mayberry never played first until last season as insurance for Howard. 

Amaro created a lot of options, but none of them seemed smart. Utley has started a couple of games at first in his career and if he’s back before Howard, Chase should play first and leave Freddy Galvis at second. But still, you have a non-first baseman playing first.

With the thought of Mayberry playing first base some more, Pierre was brought in as an option in left field. I was okay with that (or Scott Podsednik), but if you are going to play Pierre in left, Mayberry must play first. Otherwise, you put together a lineup with one threat to hit the ball out of the park—Hunter Pence. 

Sure, Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino will hit a few each year, but don’t ever confuse them for being a home run threat in opposing team’s minds. 

Next, there’s the decision to bring in closer Jonathan Papelbon to a record-breaking deal for a relief pitcher. Amaro was bidding against no one, miscalculated the free agency compensation situation, which cost the Phillies a draft pick, and broke the bank. 

Papelbon is an elite closer, but there were so many closers available. Was it really a desperate need?  Not nearly as much as grabbing a bat either in free agency or through a trade. Michael Cuddyer is sure off to a good start.

And to just pile on some to this “F” of a grade: Placido Polanco is done…finished. He should be the highest-paid late-inning defensive replacement for the rest of the season, since he is just another pitcher in the lineup.  Giving him a three-year contract was not necessary.

So far, the Phillies have not won a game this season when they have given up more than two runs. Yes, it’s very early. No, this is not “knee-jerk”.  But can you honestly say at this point that Amaro has done a good job constructing this team? 

The answer is an extremely confident “no”.  Amaro’s offseason grade is a very confident “F”!

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels Won’t Be Enough for a Phillies Pennant

I know it’s early in the season, but there is a good chance that the Philadelphia Phillies’ lack of offense is not an aberration. Last night’s loss to the San Francisco Giants might be the template for the 2012 Phillies.

Not quite the equal of Juan Marichal and Warren Spahn but close, Cliff Lee shut out the Giants for 10 innings; Matt Cain blanked the Phillies for nine innings; and when the dust had cleared, the single run the Giants scored in the 11th inning won the game.

Though Lee, Roy Halladay and Cole Hamels rank among the best pitchers in baseball, too many low-scoring games takes a toll on even the best pitchers. There must be some breathers, but they will be few and far between this season.

The Phillies have averaged 2.92 runs a game. It will increase, but not enough for the Phillies to be considered a real pennant contender. They may make the playoffs only because there will be a second wild card.

No one is certain when Ryan Howard will return, and no one knows if Chase Utley will return. Significantly, how close to the Ryan Howard and the Chase Utley of past seasons will they be?

Although Howard was productive in 2011, batting .253/.346/.488 with 33 home runs and 116 RBIs, his offensive contributions have declined since 2009, when he slugged .571 with 48 home runs and 141 RBIs. 

Howard is 32 years old and coming off a torn Achilles tendon. There is no timetable for his return. Ty Wigginton and friends don’t frighten anyone.

Utley is working with a physical therapist and will meet management when the Phillies get to Arizona. The 34-year-old Utley hasn’t had an Utley-like season since 2009.

Not too many players not named Barry Bonds get better when they reach their mid-thirties.

When the Phillies had Jason Werth, Raul Ibanez and a healthy Jimmy Rollins, along with Howard and Utley, they had enough power to play Placido Polanco every day. Polanco is a winner, a clutch player and comes up with the big play on defense, but having him and Juan Pierre and Freddie Glavis play almost every day cuts into the Phillies’ power production tremendously.

Hunter Pence and Shane Victorino are the only two Phillies that are power threats, or at least solid offensive threats, without Howard and Utley in the lineup. Carlos Ruiz is probably the most underrated catcher in baseball.

The other Eastern Division teams have improved. There is no great team among them, but the division is competitive.  If Howard and Utley cannot made major contributions the second half of the season, the 2012 Phillies will be the 1973 New York Mets.

That season, the Mets averaged 3.78 runs a game, which was 11th best among the league’s 12 teams. Tom Seaver, Jerry Koosman, Jon Matlack and George Stone, along with relief pitcher Tug McGraw, overcame the lack of offense to win the pennant.

The significant fact is that the Mets won only 82 games. Eighty-two wins in 2012 will result in the Phillies watching the playoffs.

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Cliff Lee Goes 10: Roy Halladay Welcomes Him to the 10-Innings Club

With the game taking place in the Pacific time zone, a fair share of you reading this likely missed the pitching throwdown (“duel” just doesn’t seem an adequate description) between Cliff Lee and Matt Cain on Wednesday night at AT&T Park.

As you might expect with two of the best pitchers in baseball opposing each other while facing two of the more impotent lineups in the majors, there was a string of zeroes lined up on the scoreboard.

Cain went nine innings, allowing just two hits and no runs. But since the San Francisco Giants couldn’t score any runs for him, Cain was pulled for a pinch-hitter to lead off the 10th inning and didn’t get a decision.

Lee one-upped Cain, pitching 10 scoreless innings. He gave up seven hits and no walks. As Crashburn Alley explains, Lee was able to pitch the 10th because he’d thrown only 89 pitches through nine innings. After finishing the 10th, Lee had 102 pitches for the night. Had his turn to bat not come up in the 11th, maybe Charlie Manuel would’ve left Lee in the game. 

Alas, the Philadelphia Phillies couldn’t score, thanks in part to a curious decision to let Jim Thome pinch-hit against lefty reliever Javier Lopez. In the bottom of the inning, with Antonio Bastardo taking over for Lee, a Ty Wigginton error put Brandon Belt in scoring position. Melky Cabrera drove him in with a single to win the game.

With that, as pointed out by MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki, Lee became the first pitcher to go 10 innings in a game his team didn’t win since Bret Saberhagen did it for the New York Mets against the San Diego Padres in 1994. It must be something about the West Coast.

Saberhagen struck out 11, issued no walks and allowed five hits in his outing, by the way.

Lee also became the fourth pitcher in the 21st century to go 10 innings. The one guy who might not be impressed by his effort is teammate Roy Halladay, who did it twice while with the Toronto Blue Jays.

In 2003, Halladay pitched a 10-inning shutout against the Detroit Tigers. He allowed only three hits, struck out five and walked no one. 

In 2007, Halladay got the Tigers again for 10 innings. At least this time, Detroit scored a run on him with a solo homer by Magglio Ordonez.

As if it weren’t amazing enough that Halladay twice went 10 innings against the Tigers, the same pitcher took the loss for Detroit in both games. Fernando Rodney was tagged with the loss in each game, pitching a poor inning of relief.

Also in 2007, Aaron Harang pitched 10 innings for the Cincinnati Reds. He allowed one run and seven hits against the Milwaukee Brewers, while racking up 10 strikeouts. A Ryan Braun homer accounted for the Brewers’ only run.

The fourth man to go 10 was Mark Mulder in 2005. Facing the Houston Astros and Roger Clemens, Mulder pitched a shutout for the St. Louis Cardinals, allowing five hits with five strikeouts and no walks. 

The last Phillies pitcher to throw 10 innings was Terry Mulholland in 1993. Mulholland allowed one run, despite giving up 10 hits to the Cardinals in the effort. 

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Philadelphia Phillies Have Better Bullpen Than San Francisco Giants

The Philadelphia Phillies have split their series against the San Francisco Giants thus far, and the bullpen has been a minimal factor to this point.

Closer Brian Wilson (and his dumb beard) is likely out for the season, while the Phillies spent a monumental amount of money on Jonathan Papelbon. Both teams have anemic offenses with starting pitching that leaves the rest of MLB drooling.

Roy Halladay and Tim Lincecum have four Cy Young awards between them, and Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels, Matt Cain and Madison Bumgarner are all above-average starting pitchers.

It’s hard to argue that anyone in MLB has a better starting rotation than the Philadelphia Phillies, but how does the Giants bullpen stack up against that of the Phightin’s?

Here’s why the Philadelphia Phillies bullpen is better than that of the San Francisco Giants.

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Which Is Worse: A Blowout or Heartbreaking Walk-Off? Philadelphia Just Got Both

There’s an old saying that goes something like, “It’s not whether you win or lose, but how you lose the game.” I think that’s right. Let’s say that’s right.

How you lose the game. On many nights, the how can be just as important as the loss itself. The question for people in Philadelphia is simple: Is it better to lose a heartbreaker or get completely blown out?

The Phillies provided the heartbreak on Wednesday. Cliff Lee had one of the best pitching performances in his career, hurling 10 shutout innings against the Giants while giving up seven hits and striking out seven with no walks on just 102 pitches. Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer pointed out that Lee is the first pitcher since 2000 to throw 10 innings and the first Phillie to throw 10 scoreless since fellow lefty Steve Carlton did it in 1981.

Lee told reporters he tried to stay in the game when his place in the batting order came up in the top of the 11th, but with one out and a man on third, he was pulled in favor of Jim Thome, who struck out after the Giants countered with lefty Javier Lopez. John Mayberry then pinch hit for Juan Pierre and grounded out to end the inning.

In truth, Lee may have been the best option at the plate as well as the mound.

Antonio Bastardo was given the ball in the 11th and looked to be out of a jam with a potential double-play ground ball to third, but the ball was booted by Ty Wigginton to extend the inning. Melky Cabrera then singled in the game-winning run for the Giants. 

Bay Area elation begat Brotherly Love heartbreak.

Is losing 1-0 on an 11th-inning walk-off worse than getting blown out by an archrival?

The Flyers went into Game 4 of their first-round playoff matchup against the Pittsburgh Penguins with a three-game lead and all the momentum after Sunday’s blowout victory. Fans were bringing brooms to the Wells Fargo Center, fully expecting a Flyers sweep (Note: If you bring a broom to a game, you should be forced to use that broom to sweep up the concourse when your team loses).

In a back-and-forth first period, the Flyers had 3-2 lead with four minutes to play after scoring back-to-back goals in less than a minute. Then things went horribly wrong. 

Pittsburgh scored two more goals in the first to take a 4-3 lead into the locker room. Thursday morning, fans were still wondering when the Flyers will come back onto the ice. 

Philadelphia gave up five goals in the second period, three of which came on the power play. Sure, the Flyers only gave up one goal in the third, but that made it TEN goals in the game. 

Ten goals. The Flyers gave up 10 goals to a team completely on the ropes. That’s not heartbreaking, it’s demoralizing. 

Ilya Bryzgalov and Sergei Bobrovsky each surrendered five goals on 18 shots apiece. The Penguins scored five goals on just 16 second-period shots, making the case the Flyers might have been better served playing the entire second period without a goalie at all.

Having said that, it wasn’t like an extra skater on the ice would have helped much, as the defense just seemed to stop marking any shooters at all. It’s hard to blame either goalie when the other team is using him for target practice. (Note: I know in target practice, the object is to hit the target and shooters are consciously trying to avoid hitting the goalie, but just go with me.)

The big question on Thursday—and presumably much of the sports talk radio chatter in Philly—is trying to figure out which loss was worse.

The Flyers loss is terrible because it gives the Penguins hope going back home for Game 5. After two amazing comeback wins for Philadelphia in the first two games, the Flyers dominated Game 3 at home. Game 4 should have been a victory lap, but now the Penguins have hope, belief and a nothing-to-lose attitude.  

Still, for fans, the game was ostensibly over halfway through the game and, despite the recent comebacks, it was certainly out of reach after the second intermission. Fans had plenty of time to wrap their heads around the loss and look forward to a 3-1 series lead, which, all things considered, is still pretty great.

The Phillies loss, while just the 12th game of a long season, is probably worse. No, it’s definitely worse. A heartbreaking loss is always tougher to swallow than a blowout because up until the game actually ends, your team still has the chance to pull out the win.  

To compound the issues for Philadelphia, a loss like Wednesday night’s served to shine a giant light on the problems with the Phillies this season. They cannot score runs. An extra-innings shutout is the worst kind of heartbreak.  

The Phillies are third to last in the entire league in runs scored, scoring two or fewer runs in seven of the 12 games this season.

The bench was supposed to be an improvement over last year, but it can’t be when guys like Wigginton and Laynce Nix have to play almost every day, making Thome one of the team’s top pinch-hit options off the bench, rather than the glorified coach and great clubhouse presence he was primarily brought in to be. 

The starting pitching in Philadelphia has been great, but somehow that made Wednesday’s loss even worse. To waste one of the great pitching performances in team history with zero runs—thanks in large part to Matt Cain’s great outing for San Francisco—is terrible. 

When the day was done, the Flyers still had a 3-1 advantage in the playoffs. The Phillies are a last-place team. It’s still very early in the season, but Phillies fans aren’t used to that kind of heartache. That has to be worse.

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