A night that started with so much promise ended as so many of the Phillies' contests of the past few weeks have ended -- a slow, sad, painful death.
For the first six plus innings of tonight's contest, the story was Cole Hamels. The lefty looked as good as in any game this season, holding the Padres hitless until an Adrian Gonzalez opposite field homer in the seventh. Scott Hairston followed with another solo shot, making the score 2-0, which might as well have been 17-0.
Padres starter Wade LeBlanc*, another soft tossing lefty, stymied the Phillies hitters after a few rough innings. After loading the bases with one out in the first, he induced a ground ball double play from the tragically struggling Jayson Werth. After a one out single by Shane Victorino in the third, the Phillies did not get another hit until the ninth, when the Phillies staged a mini-rally, scoring a single run off Padres closer Heath Bell. And Jayson Werth, representing the tying run, struck out to end the game.
Watching this team is getting really, really, really old. The losing isn't even interesting. There's no drama. There's no life. Just... sad.
* I was actually a little pissed that the Phillies scored that run in the ninth, as I was really proud of my planned "LeBlanked" game recap headline. Oh well. They can't even LOSE artfully.
