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Fireworks: Braves 9, Phillies 5

The Phillies couldn't recover from an early explosion of crappy pitching.

By Liz Roscher
In this case, ugly pitching = ugly baseball.
In this case, ugly pitching = ugly baseball.
Scott Cunningham/Getty Images

The story of this game, a 9-5 loss, was written before it was half-over.

Why don't I back up. Kevin Correia allowed four runs in the first inning, but I only saw about 40 seconds of it since I decided that watching the beginning of Independence Day for the elevendy billionth time was more important. I clearly made the right decision, since it was an ugly baseball bloodbath.

The Phillies started to claw their way back in the top of the third with a hit from Cameron Rupp. Cesar Hernandez singled him home, and after Andres Blanco singled and Maikel Franco walked, the bases were loaded. Jeff Francoeur and Darin Ruf both flied out to end the inning.

That bases loaded incident couldn't have mattered less. In the fourth inning, the Braves (who were already leading 5-1) put up four runs before Correia could get a second out. Woof. Elvis Araujo came in to replace him, and he pitched 2 2/3 before he left the building. (Come on, I had to make that joke.)

But who replaced Elvis? Here's a hint:

They're both on that list.

Give up yet? Or did you know instantly who they were? For anyone in the dark, it's Justin De Fratus and Jake Diekman. While they both pitched scoreless, hitless innings, I feel like punching Phillies pitching coach Bob McClure in the face. I was hoping this kind of reliever madness would stop once Ryne Sandberg left, but it's becoming clear that with the pitchers, Sandberg wasn't the entire issue. At this point, it has to be McClure. He's the pitching coach, he's advising Mackanin (and previously Sandberg) on how to use the relievers, how long to leave them it, etc. Mackanin obviously doesn't want to ruffle any feathers - he's only the guardian of this team for the next 79 games, after all - and he was brought in by Sandberg. I doubt he seriously questions a guy who was until recently his equal.

Oy.

The Phillies continued their slow claw back to within a non-ridiculous number of runs in the fifth inning when Darin Ruf jacked a three-run homer, bringing the Phillies within five runs. Five! That’s less than the 8 runs they were behind before!

But again, it didn't amount to much. Not even with a solo homer from Odubel Herrera in the eighth inning. But another Herrera start brings up a good question: where the hell is Ben Revere?!

I support this theory, because unless Revere is hurt, I'm not sure why he's not in the lineup. He's been on fire lately. Why keep your best player out of the game? Like I said, unless he's hurt, I feel this is punitive. And also extremely stupid.

I'm not sure what difference Revere could have made to this 9-5 loss. The Phillies scoring runs wasn't the problem. 5 runs should be enough. The problem was the Braves scoring runs. The problem was Kevin Correia. The problem is everything.

But I don't want to leave you with that. Instead, I'll leave you with this.

Happy Independence Day, everyone!

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