phrustrated philly phan

The Phillies came through tonight in a must win situation. The must win situation remains for the rest of the season. After a very long night in the nation's capital, the Phillies had to fly to South Florida for the start of a three game series with the Fish. It would have been an easy night to surrender, but the Phillies showed grit and determination and blew out the Marlins. Pat Burrell led the way with two home runs. Jamie Moyer was dazzling again for the Phillies and there needs to be serious consideration to bringing him back next season. He is a great influence on the younger players and would be a great middle of the rotation guy.

The players could have easily packed it in tonight and the season could have been over. I could not have blamed them if they came out flat and performed poorly. Instead they should a lot of heart and came out and pounded the Marlins. The much maligned Pat Burrell led the way for them. I still don't see Burrell returning next year. Although he is almost impossible to deal, Pat Gillick will find a way to rid him. He has become one of the most reviled Philly athletes in recently history and it would be damaging to himself and the team if he returned. Shane Victorino also contributed 5 hits and came a home run away from hitting for the cycle. I believe Shane Victorino has earned a starting job for next year. Along with Rollins, those two have created a lot of excitement at the top of the lineup. The Phillies have bigger issues to address during the offseason.

The Phillies have fought hard this year. Playing excellent baseball since the trading deadline. Tonight, I was ready to sit down and write my season review if the Phils didn't win. I am much happier writing that the Phillies remain alive in the wild card race. I still believe it is a long shot but a possibility. The Phillies have two more games remaining and hopefully they give us something memorable in those games. The Dodgers won again tonight in the top of the ninth. The Phillies need some major help, with both the Dodgers and Padres magic number being one. A loss tomorrow by the Phillies eliminates them from contention. Tomorrow's game is on Fox at 1:25. The scheduled starters are Randy Wolf vs. Scott Olsen. Lets go Phillies.