Losing patience in Philly

SPORTING GOODS

I realize that a number of readers of this blog couldn't be happier that the Philadelphia Phillies have scored all of ten runs in their last nine games and gone 2-7 in that time. (And one of those wins was Roy Halladay's 1-0 perfecto.)

Nevertheless, I have a tie with the Phils and continue to follow them, and so I'm finding it interesting just how bereft Philiies fans are at the team's recent disintegration.

Maybe waking up in second place this morning will be the jolt they need. In the meantime, here are a couple of theories in answer to the question, what in the name of Steve Jeltz is going on here?

The butterfly effect. The Toronto Blue Jays went into Fenway Park with a 27-14 record on May 19, 2009. That night, they faced Red Sox knuckleballer Tim Wakefield, who shut them down, 2-1.

The Jays went on to lose nine straight and manager Cito Gaston blamed it on his hitter's swings having gotten discombobulated from facing the knuckler.

Well, the Phillies have played seven games now since Wakefield beat them at Citizens Bank Park. But, in the next game, they saw another knuckleballer, R.A. Dickey of the Mets. Does that mean that they will be messed up for twice as long?

Of course, that doesn't explain why Daisuke Matsuzaka had a no-hitter going against them with two outs in the eighth the night before Wakefield took the mound.

Honesty isn't always the best policy. The Phillies were batting .271 as a team and averaging 5.41 runs per game before the Colorado Rockies alleged that bullpen coach Mick Billmeyer was using binoculars to steal the signs and then letting the Phillies hitters know what was coming.

Since then, .237 and 3.33.

This is all apple sauce. The real reason the Phils are dying is that I subscribed to the MLB.com audiocasts on May 18 for the express purpose of listening to the Phils win the National League East crown.