Maxed Out: Nationals 5, Phillies 2

Every once in a while, you just have to tap your hand against your head and tell yourself to snap out of it.

"It's just sports," they say. "It's just a game," they say. Yet on days like these, it's just hard to put any sort of comprehensible wording together that can really express how one can feel about your favorite sports franchise.

Ryne Sandberg is no longer the Phillies' manager. Pete Mackanin is. Sure, Larry Bowa is still here, but thank the great Lord he's not in charge.

That was it. Ryne Sandberg just woke up this morning, walked into Ruben Amaro's office, and said, "Enough." He likely took his chances of getting another managerial job right on with him as he walked out that door, and took to that podium Friday afternoon to let everyone know that this just was not for him.

Enough of the losses. Enough of the pain. Enough of the daily grind. Pete, it's all yours, man. You can take care of this for me. Staring into the abyss is just no fun.

It seems almost unfair that Max Scherzer has been allowed to pitch four times against this Phillies lineup, but apparently Rob Manfred has not put that rule into place yet.

Scherzer had gone 2-0 with a 1.23 ERA in his first three starts against the Phillies this season, with 23 strikeouts in 22 innings and just 14 hits allowed. And, coming off a no-hitter and near perfect game against the Pirates, what could he possibly do to follow up that performance?

Almost do it again, apparently. Scherzer retired the first 16 batters he faced until Freddy Galvis doubled down the right field line with one out in the 6th. Scherzer ended his night by allowing two runs in eight innings of work.

For the Phillies, Aaron Harang's recent struggles continued, and his trade value heading towards the deadline continues to evaporate. That pitcher that had a 1.82 ERA just about five weeks ago now has a 3.60 ERA following tonight's effort against the Nats, in which he allowed four earned runs over six innings of work.

Harang should still have some sort of value as July 31 approaches, and this is realistically where we likely expected him to be at this point had all gone well, but of course it's just that much easier to say we should have traded him weeks ago. Hindsight sure is fun.

BREAKING NEWS BREAKING NEWS WE INTERRUPT THIS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT SUPREME COURT REPORT TO ALERT YOU OF A BEN REVERE HOME RUN. LET'S GO LIVE TO BRIAN WILLIAMS, WHO MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE SEEN IT.

Alright, so yes, we did have a Revere homer Friday night to enjoy, and since they do not happen often, it's a reason to celebrate. Revere's first homer since September of last year got the Phillies to within 5-2 in the 8th inning. It was not a long bomb, just into the second row in right field, but a homer is a homer.

A small rally in the 9th inning was effectively killed by a Domonic Brown baserunning error, as Brown rounded third on a Cody Asche single, avoided a stop sign from John Mizerock at third base, and found himself in a rundown to end the game. A fielding error in right earlier in the evening by Brown cost the Phillies a run, as well. It has not been a smooth return to the Majors for Brown.

Nor was it a smooth Friday at Citizens Bank Park for the entire organization.