Nothing Can Stop a Losing Streak Like Joe Blanton: Phillies Best Orioles
By Editorial Staff
At the risk of sounding like a bitter old man, I do not like interleague baseball. I know that you all couldn’t sleep before this long awaited match-up with the baseball team from Baltimore. In addition you keep those damn kids out of my yard and if they hit that ball in here so help me God I am keeping the damn thing.
Joe Blanton has been terrible. I feel like we have all been waiting for him to have a “bounce back” start for the last month or so. I am beginning to get the feeling that there may not be too much bounce back left in the big right hander. He pitched better than his line in the opener versus Baltimore. He allowed seven hits and five runs in 6 2/3 innings of work. Luckily, Jake Arrieta is absolutely terrible. He managed to give up nine runs in his four innings of work.
The offense capitalized on Arrieta’s terribleness for a run in the first, six in the second and another two in the fourth. Shane Victorino did some major damage with an RBI single in the first, a two run double in the second and a two run homer in the sixth. Jim Thome looks like he may have something left after all, especially when the opposing pitcher has an ERA in the fives. Jim went 3-5 batting clean up and didn’t look like his back was going to fall off.
The Orioles got two home runs from J.J. Hardy and Chris Davis and managed to scare everyone on account of the awful pitchers in the Phillie bullpen. Does everyone remember last year when Jonathan Papelbon completed the Red Sox collapse by allowing a hit to Robert Andino? He got him out today and remained perfect in save opportunities. 9-6 win for the Phils is a duel of terrible pitchers.
The moment that everything seemed to be going the Phillies way was in the top of the second inning when they scored six runs. It bears mentioning that even a seven run seems unsafe right now, but once Chooch singled in Shane Victorino, I felt pretty good about the outcome of this one.
The most attractive play of the game was Jim Thome’s ground rule double in the second. Watching Thome DH and smash the crap out of the ball makes you wonder why the hell he came to the national league. Anyway, it was nice to see big Jim contribute.
The hero of the game was Shane Victorino. Shane hasn’t had one of these type of games in a while. He was 3-4 with five RBI, two runs scored and a near incomprehensible postgame interview.
Today’s villian was Buck Showalter for taking out Jake Arrieta. Doesn’t he know that the Phillies have lost a crap ton of games in a row? Some people.
Next up is Vance Worley versus Tommy Hunter. I wonder if Jake Arrieta is available in relief……we can only hope and seriously, stay out of my damn yard.