Another lackluster performance by the offense last night led to the 3rd straight loss for the Phillies. Now, I know some of you out there are going to be panicking and complaining about the recent turn of events, but before I do, I have to ask, isn’t what you expected?
Let’s face it. This team was built on pitching. Instead of signing Jayson Werth, we made the splash of the offseason and signed Cliff Lee. We created a super rotation with the hopes that this above average pitching overcomes our potential offensive shortcomings.
So far, the Phillies have one of the top records in all of baseball, lead the National League East, boast one of the best pitching staffs in the game, yet have one of the most inconsistent offenses in the game.
Thus far, we rank 2nd in the NL in ERA (3.13) and strikeouts while leading the league in wins, quality starts, complete games, and shutouts. Our staff has also issued the least amount of walks in the league.
So, the pitching is there. No need to worry on that end. Now for the offense…
The Phillies are 15th in batting average, which actually ranks higher than fellow division leaders, the New York Yankees and San Francisco Giants. They are 19th in runs and 21st in homers. Unfortunately, the offense just hasn’t been there.
In reality, this season is pretty much going to plan thus far. We haven’t scored much, but haven’t needed to. Our starters have been rocks this season which includes outstanding contributions from the young studs, Antonio Bastardo, Michael Stutes, and the highly impressive, Vance Worley.
I’m not saying you cannot be frustrated with the lack of scoring, but I ask fans out there to remember that this season is so far on par with what I have expected; strong pitching and not so strong hitting.
I will throw more tidbit in here. All of our offensive struggles cannot be blamed solely on the personnel. During this year we will play 76 games against our division; Atlanta, Florida, Washington, and New York. Let’s face it, our division is loaded with pitching. The Braves (2.94) have the top ERA in the league, while the Marlins (3.38) are 4th. The surprising Nationals (3.65) are 6th in the league. The Mets are 12th in the NL, but still house a very respectable ERA of 4.06.
My point being is that, we are going to face a lot of good pitching which will lead to low scoring games. As long as we win a majority of games, this should not worry anyone.
The Phillies have the most wins in baseball; tied with Cleveland with that distinction. Right now is no reason to worry about the team. We’ve gotten this far with a shaky offensive display and I see no reason why we can’t continue this.
When in reality, we are really just performing exactly the way that we were expected to.
Until we meet again Phillies fans; Happy Readings and Go Phillies!
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