Heading South

How many times this season have we read stories in which the Phillies acknowledge that their upcoming slate of games is pretty gosh-darn important, and, gee, it sure would be nice for us to get on some kind of winning streak?

As Mr. Pink said in Reservoir Dogs: A lot.

Yet each time, it seems, the Phils can't get their shit together. The latest incarnations -- the post-All-Star break stretch involving divisional foes and the two-week road trip that began tonight -- are overlapping with the current four-game series against the Marlins in Miami. And true to form, the hometown nine came out flat, dropping an 11-3 game to the Fish. With few people in the stands to watch fading Florida, the Phillies evidently thought they could trot out their Bad News Bears act without anyone noticing. They left 14 men on base. Kevin Millwood, after a couple of good starts, resembled the stumbling softball pitcher of the season's first half. Pat Burrell looked as clueless as a major leaguer can look while losing a fly ball in the lights. The bullpen, already damaged by an injury to Ryan Madson, rolled over and threw its paws in the air in the seventh and eighth, crippling a potential comeback attempt -- not that any such effort was visible.

Meanwhile, Ed Wade, normally about as excitable as Untouchables accountant Oscar Wallace, tore a new one in a reporter who had the temerity to ask him yesterday about the Phils' attempts to swing a trade. Wade, alas, profanely lost it in front of hundreds of fans before the game at the Park. (Brian Peoples at the Philling Station has an excellent recap of the current status of possible deals.) Maybe the GM is starting to realize that his manager is not the only guy on the hook this season.