Blanton Actually Gave Up a Home Run to a Pitcher: Phillies Lose 6-3
By Editorial Staff
When a pitcher has has the gravitas of Roy Halladay goes down with an injury, it becomes a sort of reckoning for the rest of the pitchers on the staff. Veteran baseball throwers are given the awful task of replacing a guy who is likely headed for the hall of fame. As Roy’s right shoulder fails him, the Phillies play the Mets with a veteran pitcher attempting to prove his mettle. This pitcher was Joe Blanton.
Joe responded by coughing up a one run lead in the bottom of the first inning, allowing a home run to the opposing pitcher (Jeremy Hefner) and a crushing pinch hit home run to Scott Hairston. He actually pitched worse than his line as a ton of the outs he recorded where smashed directly at people. As a veteran, this type of thing is really disappointing, of course its not that disappointing as it came from the guy who has been eviscerated for the last month. All you can really do at this point is hope. Hope that Joe can not be terrible.
I am not sure if too much of an explanation of the Phillies offense is necessary here. They left some guys in scoring position and Ty Wigginton failed to be better than he really should be and they scratched three runs across against a rookie pitcher who was begging to be smashed. Then there was a rain delay, everyone went to bed and after that the game was over. 6-3 Phillies loss.
Lee and Gee go in the rubber game.