The Phillies came within a few feet of posting a momentum-shifting second straight win over the Atlanta Braves.
It was the bottom of the seventh. With Raul Ibanez on base, Ryan Howard launched one of those moon shots toward the seats in left-center field.
But it didn’t land there. Instead it clanked off the top of the wall.
Ibanez scored to tie the game at 1-1. Howard hustled all the way to third, still with nobody out.
But that’s where he stayed. Jayson Werth never took the bat off his shoulder in fanning. Pinch-hitter Ben Francisco lofted a fly ball to shallow center. Way too short to score Howard. Then a chopper over the pitcher’s mound fielded deftly by Chipper Jones ended the inning.
It sure looked like Howard’s bomb would give the Phils a 2-1 lead. That also would have given them a win.
Instead, Howard could only look on helplessly from third as the Phils recorded three straight outs.
They went on to lose in 11 innings.
For all their offensive prowess, the Phillies still manage to confound in their inability to do any type of situational hitting.
It cost them again last night.
Instead of being within 3 of the front-running Braves, they instead fell back to 5 back. The finish the series up tonight.
Anyone else get the feeling this just isn’t the Phils’ year?
It was the bottom of the seventh. With Raul Ibanez on base, Ryan Howard launched one of those moon shots toward the seats in left-center field.
But it didn’t land there. Instead it clanked off the top of the wall.
Ibanez scored to tie the game at 1-1. Howard hustled all the way to third, still with nobody out.
But that’s where he stayed. Jayson Werth never took the bat off his shoulder in fanning. Pinch-hitter Ben Francisco lofted a fly ball to shallow center. Way too short to score Howard. Then a chopper over the pitcher’s mound fielded deftly by Chipper Jones ended the inning.
It sure looked like Howard’s bomb would give the Phils a 2-1 lead. That also would have given them a win.
Instead, Howard could only look on helplessly from third as the Phils recorded three straight outs.
They went on to lose in 11 innings.
For all their offensive prowess, the Phillies still manage to confound in their inability to do any type of situational hitting.
It cost them again last night.
Instead of being within 3 of the front-running Braves, they instead fell back to 5 back. The finish the series up tonight.
Anyone else get the feeling this just isn’t the Phils’ year?
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