The Phillies are back to being the old Phillies again, losing their first two games in Miami this weekend. The Marlins have now beaten the Phils 5 games in a row. They threaten to sweep the series again this afternoon. If Philadelphia does not win the NL East by a slight margin it will be because they could not beat the last place Fish.
Miami plays small ball and encourages it's young hitters to hit line drives and hit the ball where it is pitched. Forget nonsense like "exit velocity" and "launch angle.'No wonder the team strikes out a ton. They try for home runs and if they don't hit homers they don't win.
Scott Kingery stays hot but the rest of the line-up is still scuffling. They beat the awful Mets 4 games in a row but they looks like a fluke, as Miami is kicking Philly's ass.
This time it was the bullpen that imploded, as starter Zach Eflin left in the 7th inning with a 6-3 lead. Adam Morgan and Juan Nicosio were just plain bad as Miami scored 8 straight runs to win, 9-6.
With the loss, the Phillies, who had climbed back to 4 1/2 games behind division-leading Atlanta, fell back top 6 1/2 games. Unless the Phils significantly rally, they may have to focus on a wild card spot in the second half of the season.
Center fielder Roman Quinn is playing now but has been disappointing at the plate. Don't blame Kingery if he makes mistakes in center- he should be at his natural position of second base. GM Matt Klentek needs to trade Cesar Hernandez, who is a nice player but will never be an All-Star.
Klentek needs to reinforce the squad with another outfield, a starter and better relievers. After paying so much for free agents during the off-season the front office needs to make the right moves before the July 31st trade deadline to support a second half surge.
Manager Gabe Kapler's job should still be in jeopardy if the Phillies fail to make the playoffs. He won't be replaced during the season but will be replaced during the off-season if the team doesn't respond soon.
After the finale in Miami today, a big three game showdown in Atlanta awaits with the Braves. Three more next weekend with New York will close out the first part of the 2019 campaign.
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