* The Phils lost 3 out of 4 over the weekend to the soon-to-be NL East champs, the Washington Nationals. Tight games, but the Phils lost yet another one-run contest Sunday afternoon. Th team has 19 games remaining this season. The Phils need to win at least 9 games to avoid losing 100 games for the first time since 1961. All but three of their games are at home. Tough games are ahead however, with 3 more against the Nats and 4 with the struggling Dodgers. Washington should have the division clinched by then, so chances are they may rest some regulars. Atlanta, Miami, Oakland and the Mets are beatable, so the Phils have a decent shot at winning the nine games needed to avoid the ultimate embarrassment.
* OF Aaron Altherr was back in the line-up yesterday, after recovering from a hamstring injury. The 26-old proved he can be a fixture in the Phillies' future plans. The last two years Altherr has gotten the injury-bug. But he has it all-speed, defense, power. An outfield next spring of Altherr- Herrera- Williams isn't bad. Stick a Bryce Harper or Mike Trout in there at some point down the road.
* Maybe I was wrong about the Cleveland Indians They have won a franchise-record 18 game sin a row. I didn't like the Indians this year, thinking they may have withdrawl after a heartbreaking World Series loss to the champion Cubs. I always like the hot team going into the playoffs, and Cleveland is scorching- hot. Oakland won 20 consecutive games in 2002. The record is 26 games in a row won by the New York Giants in 1916.
* On the other hand, the Los Angeles Dodgers have lost 10 game sin w row. This streak may be even more amazing since the Dodgers were once an astounding 50 games over .500 a tone point this season. LA still has the best record in baseball, but that's in jeopardy ( The best overall record gets home field advantage in the World Series).
Good thing the Dodgers had a huge lead in NL West. They have time to get hot before the playoffs, but again, I try to avoid teams going into the playoffs cold. I had the Dodgers playing the Red Sox in the Series even back to spring training. it could still happen. The Cubs are struggling in NL Central after getting swept at home by the second-place Brewers ( who are now only 2 games in back of Chicago). Washington has the pitching and offense to make a run, especially if Harper returns for the playoffs.
I just can't understand how team could be so dominant for most of the season, only to lose 15 of 16 games now. Crazy.
*Lehigh Valley lost to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in the playoffs, so that frees a few pitchers to be promoted to Philadelphia for the end of the season. It will be interesting to see of OF Dylan Cozens comes up.He continued to struggle in the playoffs and is likely headed to play winter ball. He's only 23, with great power, so you can't give up on the kid just yet. He needs to strike-out less and hit for a higher average. .208 won't cut it.
* The 2018 schedule comes out tomorrow. Will the Phils finally have a season opener at home? When will the Yankees come into town? What other interleague games are on the docket? Holiday games? It will all be answered tomorrow.
* Shame these 16 out of 19 home games to close the season don't mean anything. Imagine having all those home games if the team was contending for the division?
* I can't imagine the organization bringing back a manager who loses 100 games in a season, but I can easily see Pete Mackanin returning. One can say this mess of a season wasn't his fault. Matt Klentak should be fired instead for giving Mackanin such garbage to manage. The Phils have never liked to pay off their players or coaches. Mackanin is still under contract. I can see him playing out his remaining year in 2018, but with new coaches to assist him. He may balk at that, but pitching coach Bob McClure needs to be shown the door. So does Juan Samuel ( he did a lousy job coaching third base). Mickey Mornadini and Larry Bowa were in charge of defense and the infield, yet this squad played defense very poorly at times and couldn't play small ball ( getting down bunts,e tc...) when they had to. Hitting coach Matt Stairs shouldn't be safe either.
So, as screwy as it sounds, I would be surprised if Mackanin does not return in 2018.
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