No Offense, But... .

Well, so much for starting the second half on a high note. I realize that this space may sound overly pessimistic, that those with some distance might see the Phillies' position in a more forgiving light than I, but I just can't help but feel that there's something not quite right with these guys. They are, as my pal said last night, awfully hard to root for.
 
Last night the Phils' impotent offense wasted a good start from Eric Milton and some generally good bullpen work, Roberto Hernandez's 11th-inning implosion notwithstanding. Baseball Musings' David Pinto joins Bill Liming in asking where the hell Billy Wagner was while the ugly scene unfolded at Shea. It's a terribly valid question.
 
The Phils have begun a stretch during which they will play a whole slew of games against teams that are close in the standings. As the Daily News's Rich Hofmann, in New York with the team, observes today, the next three weeks could be very rewarding for the Phillies -- or disastrous.
 
But, hey, at least Larry Bowa acknowledges that a barely-above-mediocre four games over .500 isn't anything to write home about. That's progress, right?