Matt Garza is Stupid

In the first game of this series, the Cubs came back on the Phils with a game tying homer in the top of the ninth and just about won the game when Tyler Colvin hit an apparent home run.  Matt Garza was on the top step of the dugout shouting and signaling that the ball in question was obviously gone.  As stated in the headline, Matt Garza is stupid.  I suppose this can all be chalked up to “wearing his heart on his sleeve,” or “being in touch with his emotions.”  I lean more toward, “I am a giant douche and I suck.”

So Matt Garza was the starting pitcher this afternoon as the Cubs attempted to rebound from being taken apart by Doc Halladay yesterday.  Garza actually pitched reasonably well in his second start since being activated from the disabled list.  He allowed eight baserunners (five hits and three walks) in his six innings of work, but the Phillies only scratched two runs across on a first inning two run double from Chase Utley.  It looked like the Phils would be locked in another really close game after Garza battled through his appearance.

Cliff Lee had his second consecutive great start as he allowed one run in eight innings of work.  All of the people who jumped off the Cliff Lee is awesome bandwagon after he got shelled by Washington on May 31st, may want to scramble back on.  Lee may not be Halladay, but he is still a pretty significant bad ass.  Lee lowered his ERA to 3.41 and struck out seven to raise his season total to 107.  He is good at baseball.

The Phils did not really get to Garza, but they smacked around the Cub bullpen for five runs in two innings.  This changed the complexion of the game and let us all stop chugging Pepto Bismol in an attempt to stem the bile rising to our throats.  It is certainly nice to see a game reasonably free of late inning worry as there is little consternation from a 7-1 drubbing.

Chase Utley looks like he is starting to find his stroke after a day in which he went 2-5 with a home run and four RBI.  He hit an opposite field double off of Garza in the first inning and smashed a two run home run off of Casey Coleman in the bottom of the eighth. It will make the offense considerably more formidable if Utley can heat up.  Handsomeness is not enough here, the team needs Chase to hit the baseball.

Lee was great, Chase was great, Ryan Howard got a big hit off of a left handed specialist.  Good times.  Tomorrow, the Phils go for the series win with Roy Oswalt on the hill versus Doug Davis.