Phillies Sink to a New Low

2. 6. 13. 39. Final

The Philadelphia Phillies were destroyed by the Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday night, giving Toronto three wins over the four game home and home series.

After their worst defeat of the season, a 13-2 drubbing at the hands of the visiting Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday night at Citizens Bank Park, the Phillies are now a season-worst seven games below the .500 mark.

The odds are not only becoming increasingly stacked against the Phils ever reaching that .500 mark again this season, but the truth in the lack of talent and experience on this roster is becoming more and more undeniable.

Tonight, the Phillies threw Aaron Nola, the young right-hander who is supposed to be the best starting pitcher the club has to offer. He was decimated by the powerful, experienced Blue Jays lineup.

Nola (5-6) allowed six earned runs on eight hits and three walks. Just 44 of his 79 pitches (56%) went for strikes on the night.

His counterpart on the mound for Toronto was a former Phillies draft pick, prospect, and starting pitcher J.A. Happ.

More from That Balls Outta Here

On July 29th, 2010 the Phillies dealt Happ and a pair of prospects, Jonathan Villar and Anthony Gose to the Houston Astros for Roy Oswalt.

At the time, the deal certainly helped the Phillies. Oswalt went 7-1 with a 1.74 ERA over 13 appearances with the Phillies, helping the club to win a fourth straight NL East crown in 2010.

As a member of the ‘Four Aces’ a year later, he would help the team set a franchise record for wins in a regular season. But the Phillies were unable to capture another World Series, and their core players began to age quickly.

Meanwhile, Happ bounced around as a .500 pitcher over the years, landing for a second stint in Toronto as a free agent last November.

Tonight, the now 33-year old lefty put on a strong showing against his original team. Happ (8-3) allowed no earned runs and just three hits over seven innings, striking out five and walking two.

The Jays banged out eight extra-base hits, including five home runs. Edwin Encarnacion and Michael Saunders went back-to-back for Toronto in the 1st inning to put them up 3-0 early on Nola and the Phillies.

As the game wore on, center fielder Kevin Pillar would homer in both the 7th and 8th innings off Andrew Bailey and David Hernandez respectively. Hernandez would also yield a longball to Devon Travis.

Josh Donaldson went 3-3 with two walks and three runs scored. He was one of five Blue Jays with multiple hits on the night.

For the Phillies, Odubel Herrera had a pair of hits to raise his average to a .309 mark, while Tommy Joseph had a double and scored a run.

To make the ineffective offense and horrid pitching night complete, the defense joined in on the act with four errors. The best play made all night, in fact, came from a fan, who bare handed a foul ball in right field while clutching his daughter to his chest and holding a tray of hotdogs and fries.

The Phillies are now 30-37 and have fallen 11.5 games back in the NL East. They are now six games back of the 2nd NL Wildcard position as well after losing 19 of their last 25 games.

Next: Phillies Prospect Asher Suspended 80 Games for PED Use

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