Unraveling

It's going to get better GM! Rollins is back, Howard is at least making some connection with the ball! Head up young person.

How the F can you be so negative all the time? You're the kind of person than could find something to complain about if you had a 3some with Jessica Alba and Sophia Bush. The bullpen is NOT going to unravel. They've been playing way better than they are supposed to. Who knew that no name rookie would knock one out of the park? How can you say Rollins and Victorino aren't heating up? J-Roll was 3-5 in his first game back and Shane just came back as well...let him work themselves back into playing every day. Its a long season and despite playing only mediocre ball...they're at the top of the division...be happy and actually show that you support them like you say you do.

How the F can you be so delusional? I know I'm being a bit negative, but they just lost a series to the friggin' Giants. And you're right, the bullpen has been much better than expected, meaning they'll soon return to career norms, it's the law of averages, the same reasoning you gave in support of Ryan Howard. Jimmy had a good first game, but went hitless the next two. If you're satisfied with the Phils record and current spot in the standings, good for you. Personally, I'm disappointed in them because I believe if players were playing up to their capabilities they'd have a better record. You love attacking my posts, but tell me exactly what I'm saying that's wrong. I'm presenting facts, hard to argue against those.

And despite ALL these things, we still have a winning record. Which means things can only get better with the exception of the bullpen. I don't think the pen is going to take a drastic turn for the worst. Romero is a beast and will continue to be...Lidge is back to his old self and has been unhittable, Durbins a horse who eats innings for breakfast, and Flash is Flash...he'll have an ERA around 4, but still knows how to pitch. Im not attacking your posts...I'm attacking YOU as an individual and as a Phillies fan. Lots of teams lose in San Fran...its a bad park for visiting teams not to mention we haven't been swinging the bats worth a lick.

a "bit negative?" well thats the understatement of the century. Seeing how Romero didn't even really make a mistake, the guy just made a helluva play and hit the first homer of his career, and you think that means Romero is unraveling? Go work for CNN or Fox News...they'd love your doom and gloom theory.

I like JC Romero, but long gone are his days of a ZERO era. For his career he has a 4.23 era and that's probably right around where he'll settle in at again this season (possibly a bit better, because I think he has new found confidence). However, WHIP (walks and hits per inning) is up to 1.63, which is very high and leads me and many others to think he'll be "unraveling" any game now, which has already started in my opinion.

Sorry sunshine, but an era around 4 is not to be expected. Ya think his years in Minnesota and LA had something to do with the high career average? You'd be an idiot if you said no, but I digress. his ERA last year with us was 1.24 (1.92 including his time in Boston) so why should we expect it to be almost twice that? You have zero ground to stand on in that argument especially since hes been a completely different pitcher since leaving Boston. Even YOU should be an optimist or at the very least, a realist when it comes to Juan Carlos.

Sorry GM.I left the door open and he followed me out.

The following is from BeerLeaguer by Jason Weitzel:
Phillies suffer a case of the Mondays on a Sunday
Nearing the season's quarter mark, the Phils dropped the final game of their road trip, losing to the San Francisco Giants 4-3 on a two-run home run by backup catcher Steve Holm.

It could be the weather, or Monday morning or watching my team get beaten by a 28-year-old catcher who spent last season in Double-A; in any event, I sit here, look at the Phillies 21-18 mark and realize they've only been okay. They haven't dug themselves into an early April hole, which is fortunate. They're hovering, and there's nothing wrong with that after 39 games. But I look at how they've managed to win and see a bullpen that needed to be perfect, a rotation that may be getting lucky and an offense that isn't producing.

The offense part should take care of itself if Ryan Howard and Shane Victorino get on track, and if a few others can show a just a little improvement over the first month. It's the pitching that scares me. The pitching, quite frankly, could have been smoke and mirrors for a month. Jamie Moyer gets shelled Saturday and J.C. Romero, who hasn't been the spotless pitcher everyone says he's been, gets tagged by Holm. Even Hamels got hit around Friday night. This against a Giants' lineup generating less than 3.5 runs coming into this series.

The front office understands there's still work to be done. They're looking around and shuffling prospects in hopes of uncovering another lefty to add to the mix.

To take nothing away from Arizona, the Phils have run up against a string of teams that can't hit: San Francicso, San Diego, Colordo is struggling, Milwaukee is struggling, Pittsburgh doesn't scare you. Now they face Atlanta, a big division opponent, where the heart of the order goes Escobar, Chipper, Teixeira, Francouer and McCann. I can barely recall the Giants' lineup besides Rowand.

This week, we'll start to see what the Phillies are truly made of.

*He's well respected around the blogsphere and other media outlets, and he's saying basically the same thing as me DTRIK19...maybe you need to re-evaluate your thoughts.

Just drink more, it wont seem as bad that way.

I don't think a Wine & Spirits store has enough in stock for him

HAHAHAHAHAHHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!This is the most sensible, sane, helpful, insightful, comment I have ever seen on this site.Pinkpanthrrr, you are a genius.

As a sox fan that is all I could ever do to cope. I speak from experience.

Well it paid off in the end right? Pass me a Lager.

It is clear that we are tetering on the brink of sub-par (or straight up awful) starting pitching. After a month of doubletakes to ensure I was actually watching the right team, the rotation is returning from space and soon will be mediocre at best. Sadly, we are still the same team that requires a record-breaking implosion from first-place and all 162 games to win a wild card dogfight.

Like I said, this team is unraveling, now only 2 games above .500.