The Phillies Just Scored Seven Unearned Runs

I was shocked that John Lannan was shown in the visitor’s dugout getting all mad and throwing stuff around.  The guy has been getting the shit kicked out of him for the last few years on one of the worst teams in baseball.  Don’t you think that he would be accustomed to the beatings?

This is not an instance of a player pitching well against a team and unexpectedly being saddled with a loss.  Maybe he was upset that the Nationals seemed to forget how to play defense this evening.  One of the seven runs that Lannan allowed was earned.  That is absolutely ridiculous.  There are things that are said to be an acquired taste; scotch and cigars come to mind.  Apparently losing is not one of those things.

I am positive that Roy Oswalt did not care that he was supported by a bunch of unearned runs.  In his second start off the disabled list, Oswalt went seven innings and allowed three runs.  He struck out five and looked like Roy Oswalt.  It was encouraging to watch the Nationals try unsuccessfully to catch up to Roy’s fastball.  He was hurt on back to back doubles in the second inning, but overall he looked like he is really back from the back injury.  If he can turn back into the fourth ace, everyone else is screwed.

Ryan Howard drove in four runs and he is inching closer to another 100 RBI season.  He is now the league leader in runs batted in.  Everyone in the line-up but Raul Ibanez (who did drive in two runs on a groundout and a SAC fly respectively) and Oswalt had at least one hit.  The Phillies took advantage of some awful defense by the Nationals to run away with an 11-3 victory.

Tomorrow the Phillies go for another series win with Roy Halladay on the mound.  Chien-Ming Wang goes for the Nationals.