The Phillies set an embarrassing franchise record

Phillies set a new franchise-record with their 30th blown save of the season

Another day, another frustrating loss for the Philadelphia Phillies, who can never seem to get out of their own way.

In Thursday’s series opener against the Colorado Rockies, who are 64-77 on the season and going nowhere, the Phillies led until the top of the ninth inning, until, you guessed it, the bullpen happened.

Ian Kennedy came in to pitch the ninth and allowed three earned runs on four hits in 2/3 of an inning. JD Hammer had to come in to get the third out.

This was the Phillies’ 30th blown save of the season, which officially sets a new franchise single-season record.

The Phillies have led MLB in blown saves for months, pretty much all season long. The Seattle Mariners have kept pace with them for a while, but since they had the day off on Thursday, the Phillies once again stand alone atop one of the worst metrics in the game.

Ian Kennedy has struggled immensely since being traded to the Phillies

Kennedy had a 2.51 ERA over 32 appearances with the Rangers this season, so at the outset, it seemed that he was a solid addition to a struggling bullpen. He had closed 25 games, earned 16 saves, and struck out 35 batters over 32 1/3 innings in Texas.

Since the trade, the righty has a 4.85 ERA (coming into Thursday’s game) over his first 13 games for his new team. Over 13 2/3 innings, he has allowed 10 earned runs, issued five walks, and hit two batters. Instead of being a stabilizing force at end of a hard-fought game, he’s a liability.

The 15-year MLB vet is a free agent at the end of the season, and given his struggles, the chances of him wearing red pinstripes next season are about as good as the chances of me successfully running the Rocky stairs.

The Phillies are ruining Bryce Harper’s MVP-caliber season

In a cruel twist of fate, the Phillies blew their 30th save on the same night that Bryce Harper hit his 30th home run of the season. It’s not hyperbolic or exaggeratory to say that an MVP-caliber season is being wasted here.

Harper has four home runs in his last five games. He’s leading the NL in OPS and all of MLB in OPS+. But if the Phillies don’t right the ship in the next couple of weeks, the most memorable thing people will hold onto from this season will be the new blown saves record and yet another September of disappointment.