Philadelphia Phillies avoid a no hitter by Milwaukee Brewer's Dave Bush

Logan on 04 24, 2009

Hey Phillies, congrats on your 2008 World Series Championship! However, and I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it’s now 2009 and you are underachieving once again. Let’s run down some of the statistics before I really get into this.

Philadelphia’s pitching staff is embarrassing themselves right now. They don’t even crack the top ten in rankings in any of the following categories; ERA, BAA, OPS, SV, WHIP and QS…and that’s just in the National League! Get it together. I mean for a team with such a potent offense, they should not be under .500 right now (6-8), and be getting outscored 72-87. Then again, after Thursday’s game against Milwaukee, maybe it isn’t exactly proper to refer to this offense as “potent.”

If you did not see the news, the Phillies’ powerful lineup was held without a hit into the eighth inning on Thursday against the Brewers. Surprising considering Milwaukee no longer has C.C. Sabathia or Ben Sheets. So it must have been young promising pitcher Yovani Gallardo, their unquestionable ace at the moment, right? Nope. It was Dave Bush. I’ll say it again so you know that you read it correctly. Dave Bush.

Yes this is the same Dave Bush who came into Thursday with a record of 0-0 and a 5.40 earned run average. In Bush’s three previous career starts at Citizens Bank Park he was 0-0 with a 4.86 ERA in 17 1/3 innings, and in six career starts against Philadelphia overall, the right hander was 0-0 with a 5.88 ERA in 33 2/3 total innings pitched. Not exactly impressive numbers. Not to mention in his last start against the New York Mets, Bush gave up 3 runs to New York’s lineup the first time through.

Rollins, Utley and Howard combined to go 0-11 against Bush. I think given 11 at bats, I could at least muster a hit or two against this guy.

The Phillies are a mess overall. If their offense continues to have games like this then it’s going to be a long season for the defending champs (especially if their pitching continues to produce in the way that they have thus far). Florida has been playing tremendous baseball and the Mets are bound to turn it around eventually, this division is no joke right now. Another couple weeks of this type of baseball, and the defending champions are going to find themselves in a hole that even they can’t dig out of. I truly believe that with the Cardinals and Cubs playing well in the Central, you’re going to have to win the NL East outright to make the post-season. That’s not happening when you’re almost getting no-hit by a guy who’s best season arguable came in 2006 when he went 12-11 with a 4.41 ERA.

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