Well, so much for 162-0.
No, the Phillies are not going to go undefeated this year.
However, they were on their way to being 5-0 yesterday when they encountered their first bit of disruption on what up to that point had been a magic start.
It wasn't so much that the Phillies blew a couple of leads and lost to the Nationals.
It was how they lost.
After the Phils put two on the board in the first inning, their ace, Aaron Nola, promptly gave it right back. It was not a good outing for Nola, who was dinged for three home runs.
After the Phils scratched back to take the lead again, a crucial error by Rhys Hoskins on a throw from to first base from pitcher Seranthony Dominguez on a slow roller allowed the Nats to tie the game at 8.
Then in the ninth, it ended in about as ugly a fashion as you can imagine. David Robertson could not find the plate, walking three batters, including the walk-off winner, in the ninth.
Still, 4-1 is a pretty good start. The Phillies have made themselves the talk of baseball. Citizens Bank Park is the place to be again, with an electric atmosphere surrounding the debut of Bryce Harper.
But the thing about baseball is that it's a marathon.
They weren't going to go 162-0.
Now the hard part begins.
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