Second Place. How I miss those (two) days that the Phillies spent in Second Place. It was a truly magical time. Relive the magic here. And here. And here, again, if you missed that first link.The three-game sweep of the Chicago White Sox was a harbinger of future Phillies greatness. The Phillies would not be floundering in the cellar, as they had spent the month of June so many times in the past. Sure, the White Sox are presently underperforming in the categories of "wins" and "winning percentage", but not too many statisticians lend a lot of validity to those sorts of numbers. Besides, the White Sox won the 2005 World Series, which was not all that long ago. Therefore, they are, clearly, still a force to be reckoned with. By the transitive property, the Phillies are MORE than merely just a force to be reckoned with. Q.E.D., my dear reader(s).
The key to the White Sox series was the uncovering of a diamond in the rough. (I am not referring to AA call-up Kyle Kendrick, who had a 6 IP, 3 ER, one diving-Jayson-Werth-catch-away-from-oblivion, start on Wednesday, which was rather Clemens-esque.) The valuable gem to which I refer is a bearded relief ace, with a glove of the purest azure. An ace who will return the Phillies to the dizzying heights of the early 21st century. The One.
When I first heard that the Phillies had to play the Detroit Tigers for a weekend in June, I wasn't all that concerned. Sure, the Tigers have had some success in the recent past. I think they might have even been involved in that baseball tournament-thingy they have after the season ends. You know, the one during football season. But, seriously, who is afraid of a "Tiger?" A tiger is a sweet, little, fluffy animal. A kind, gentle creature that I would totally have as a pet, if I wasn't a dog person. At least I wasn't concerned until Friday night's broadcast, when Messrs. Wheeler and Matthews, Sr. revealed that the Tigers are a "good offensive team." That revelation, obviously a result of the meticulous pre-game preparation for which the two future HOF-ers are so well-known, was rather disconcerting. But the Phillies are a "good offensive team" also, so I figured their chances were good. I still had high hopes for a victory. Well, up until the time Phillies-castoff Todd Jones retired the Phillies in the 9th for a 12-8 Tigers win.
But the outstanding performance of newly-acquired relief ace Jose Mesa gives Phillies fans great cause for optimism. Mesa pitched two innings, allowing only one unearned run and one measly single. His brilliant outing lowered his ERA to a rather splendid 10.80. Mesa exhibited pinpoint control of his considerable arsenal of out-pitches, as only four of his fourteen offerings were not actually strikes. His remarkable repertoire baffled Detroit batters, only one of the six outs the portly southpaw recorded was via the air. Mesa has returned to the greatness that saw him collect 87 saves for the Phillies in 2001 and 2002. Obviously. The fact that the Phillies acquired him from Detroit for nothing makes up for the trade of All-Star Placido Polanco for the Man With The Machete. More than makes up for it, actually. I'm sure that Mesa enjoyed his sensational success against his former team, especially considering that they gave up on him after a few (or six) unlucky appearances. But the Tigers' loss is the Phillies' gain. Philadelphia might have lost to Detroit on the scoreboard Friday, but they will be victorious in the long-term. Especially if Ramon Martinez' bat starts to heat up.
There were plenty of (non-Mesa) reasons for the Phillies loss on Friday. Phillies SP Jon Lieber allowed ten hits, two walks, seven runs (six earned), in picking up his fifth loss, in eight decisions. Reliever Francisco Rosario continued the Phillies tradition of turning an opponent's lead insurmountable, by allowing four runs (on three hits and three walks), in one, exciting thirty-four pitch (fifteen strike) inning. The Phillies hit five home runs, in a thirteen-hit attack, but National League rules worked against them again. Though they outscored Detroit 4-2 in innings 1-4 and 8-9, the DH-deficient NL still goes by that archaic rule that counts runs in innings 5-7. Inexplicable, that. So, despite the inspiration provided by pre-game award winners Boyz II Men, the Phillies were unable to overcome a few obstacles. Hopefully, they will fare better in Saturday's Game II. A win would make today One Sweet Day.
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