WASHINGTON - The Phillies' magic number is three.
That ain't a good thing.
There was a trivia question hidden in last night's dramatic win over the Washington Nationals, courtesy of Russell Branyan's pinch-hit homer in the eighth
inning. And, not to let any fizz out of another exciting moment, it doesn't necessarily bode well for their hopes the rest of the season.
Q. How many games have the Phils won when scoring three or fewer runs?
A. Two.
Until Branyan's blast gave the Phillies the 3-2 win last night at RFK Stadium, it was just one. Charlie Manuel knew that. But he peeked.
"I saw that somewhere the
other day," the manager said. "I was kind of surprised. Usually
I know every stat there is, but
I didn't know that one. This time we scored three and it was enough, but usually it takes more for us to win."
It was also only the eighth time this season that the Phillies have won by one run, compared to 19 losses.
"Those are concerns," Manuel said.
Concerns because there is nothing quite as deflating as wasting a well-pitched game. That's true for the rare club with a deep rotation and a solid, well-stocked bullpen. It's even more of a gut shot for a team like the Phillies that has been trying to piece its pitching together since the start of the season. Remember Zack Segovia?
For most of last night's game, it appeared that was exactly where the Phillies were headed. They had only one hit through seven innings against Nationals starter Shawn Hill, who was coming off the disabled list to make his first start since May 11, and reliever Luis Ayala.
Maybe it was just a 1-day hangover, easily explained by going on the road and playing in a half-empty stadium after an emotion-packed weekend at home before sellout crowds.
Maybe the Nationals' pitchers were just that good. Tip your cap, as the baseball people say.
Or maybe it was just one of those nights. It happens, even
to a team that leads the league
in runs scored by a wide margin.
Whatever the reason, it was a reminder that hitting comes and goes, fading in and out like the signal from a faraway radio
station.
