Philadelphia Phillies Drop a Heartbreaker

This just in: The Major League Baseball season is long.

Very long.

I’m talking back-to-back screenings of My Big Fat Greek Wedding long.

One-hundred sixty-two games, plus another potential 15-plus games looming in the postseason, it makes the notion of “every game matters” seem a bit silly.

But as I sit here now, typing between fits of F-bombs, contemplating eating my keyboard instead of finishing this column, I can tell you every game matters.

In 2007, when I watched Brett Myers strike out Willy Mo Pena on the final day of the season to complete one of the most improbable comebacks in major league history and give the Phillies their first division title since ’93; that game mattered.

When Cole Hamels teamed up with J.C. Romero and Brad Lidge to close out Game 5 of the 2008 World Series, that game mattered, even if it took two games to finish.

And in 2011, when Chris Carpenter channeled Bob Gibson and threw one of the greatest games in playoff history to eliminate the 102-win Phillies, that game mattered.

And yesterday, when the Phillies lost 6-5 to the Mets, that game mattered.

Johnathon Papelbon, the highest paid closer in the league by the way, blew the game in the ninth, and in effect ended the Phillies’ season.

A win by Philly was going to put them back on the map.

A victory over Mets All-Star R.A. Dickey, followed by a series against the very beatable Braves, and suddenly, the Phillies are back in contention. With Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and the Doc finally healthy again, who wants to play that team in October?

Turns out it didn’t matter.

The ‘Phightins’ gave away their season in a series of events that were completely depressing, yet entirely believable to anyone who has watched the team this season.

‘Paps, (can I still call him ‘Paps when I want to punch him in the face?) allowed a leadoff double, a sacrifice, walked a terrible hitter to load the bases, then tried to play hacky sack with a potential double play ball that ended up tying the game.

One pitch later, David Wright won the game with an awful bloop in front of the silently disappointing Hunter Pence.

Game over.

Now the Phillies are 13 games back in the NL East, and 8.5 games back in the Wild Card. Their biggest hope is that when Ryan Howard comes back he will turn into Roy Hobbs for a few months. The only problem with that is that Howard is coming off a torn Achilles’ tendon and seems to be carrying more weight than Shaq right now.

So yes, things aren’t golden right now. But never forget this is the team that has won five straight NL East division titles, so maybe the dream isn’t over yet.

(That’s what I keep telling myself.)

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