PHILLIES NEWS

Well, its' official the Phillies are not turning things around yet. Tonight they wasted the best start of the short career of Scott Mathieson, since his call up in June. Mathieson went 8 innings giving just 3 runs on 6 hits, with 5 strikeouts and no walks. On almost any other night, that performance would have given Mathieson a win, but on this night all it got him was a no decision. Early on it appeared that the Phillies might be on their way to another win as they took a 1-0 lead in the 2nd inning on a passed ball by Mike Piazza. However, in the 4th inning Piazza atoned for his error with an RBI single tying the game at 1. Pitcher Jake Peavy, yes pitcher Jake Peavy then followed Piazza with a 2 run homer for a 3-1 Padres lead. The Phillies would eventually battle back to tie the game at 3 in the 8th inning but they could have had so much more. Not once, not twice, but three times in the 2nd, 3rd and 7th innings they had Padres starter Jake Peavy on the ropes with runners in scoring position and less than two outs, and came up with just one run. In the 8th inning they had the bases loaded and nobody out against reliever Scott Linebrink, and Ryan Howard at the plate, but all Howard could do was ground out into a double play, which oddly enough plated Jimmy Rollins with the tying run. All told the Phillies were a mere 1 for 7 on the night with runners in scoring position. However, despite all those missed opportunities, the Phillies still had a chance to win in the top of the 9th inning with the game tied at 3, but relievers Arthur Rhodes and Tom Gordon could not get the Phillies to the bottom of the inning with the game still tied. Kahlil bleeping Greene hit a three-run homer off Gordon with two outs, to give the Padres a 6-3 lead. In the bottom of the inning the Phils managed to get a runner on base with two out and Shane Victorino at the plate. Victorino hit a line drive which carumed off the back of closer Trevor Hoffman, to 2nd baseman Josh Barfield, who flipped to 1st, but Victorino appeared to beat Barfield's flip, which would have brought the tying run to plate. However, umpire Jim Wolf, Randy's brother, inexplicably called him out to end the game. Now, I would love to blame Wolf for today's loss, but really the blame for today's loss falls squarely on the shoulders of the Phillies offense. Way to go guys, not!