PHILLIES NEWS

Generally, when your are in a pennant race, and you are playing the team that is in last place in your division, you are supposed to just take care of business, but tonight the Phils did anything but against the last-place Nationals. Budding ace, Brett Myers, like Scott Mathieson yesterday, just got off to a terrible start on the night. In fact, you could almost say he never got started at all, as he lasted just 3 and 1/3rd innings and allowed 6 runs on 9 hits. Needless to say not his best stuff, which begs the question is there something wrong with Brett Myers? I mean he was seemingly cruising along, racking up strikeouts and pitching deep into games night after night, but now out of the blue he's been hit around unmercifully in his last 2 starts. Maybe he's injured or maybe he's just tired, but whatever is going on with him ,the Phils better figure it out fast, because they are not going to make the playoffs with Myers getting roughed up every night. Anyway, getting back to the game, with Myers off his game, the Phillies found themselves in 6-0 hole after only 4 innings. Though they battled valiantly, it proved to be to big a hole to dig out of. Largely due in part to the hot night by new phillies record holder, Mike Lieberthal (tonight gave him a record -tying 1,124 games caught in his Phillies career), the phils were able to battle back late, and if nothing else make things interesting. They scored 3 runs in the 6th inning, on doubles by Pat Burrell, and the aforementioned Lieberthal, then tacked on a 4th run on a solo homer by Lieberthal. In all on his record tying night Lieberthal went 3 for 4, with a single, double, homer, and 3 RBIs, not bad for an old guy. Ultimately though, Lieberthal's heroics, would not be enough as the Phils lost to the Nationals 6-4. However, by the shear grace of God, the Reds also lost tonight, so the Phillies remain 2.5 games back of the wild card. Well, happy trails everyone.