Phillies' Offense Phading Away

Heading into Saturday, the Phollies have gone 23 consecutive innings without scoring a run.

After wasting a good effort by Cole Hamels Thursday -- getting shutout at home against the Marlins and missing a chance to win that series -- the immortal Paul Maholm shutdown the Phillies last night as the Pirates won 2-0 in 12 innings.

Their lead in the NL Least is down to 1 game. Considering the pitching they've received this year, an unexpectedly nice surprise (especially in the bullpen), the lead should be a half dozen or so by now.

Joe Blanton threw 7 innings of shutout ball last night, allowing just one hit, but has nothing to show for it.

In typical fashion, the Phails were 0-9 with runners in scoring popsition, and left 12 men on base.

Jimmy Rollins is having a mediocre season, Chase Utley's been in a funk for over a month now, Ryan Howard -- although putting up impressive HR and RBI totals -- is hitting better of late, but still could surpass 200 strikeouts this year, and the bottom of the order is brutal.

Still time to turn it around? Of course. But the point is, these guys, unless they improve dramatically, are not good enough to advance in the playoffs. If they get there.

Frustration level rising.

Let's sample some of the thoughts of the fans on the Phillies forum at Philly.com

"I have little to nothing to say about this team, I am pretty speechless about what to say...I am shocked by the lack of intensity" - LETSGOPHILLY

"This team is simply awful at the plate. If they can't hit a homer, they can't score." - wmontanez27

"I've had enough!!! Shut out by the worst team in baseball. Olympics will carry me for 2 weeks and then football." - 13jrh

"This team...is quickly turning into a F@#$%ING JOKE!!!" - EagleinATL

"watching this offense is like root canal without the novacaine." - bodybaggame

After the Pirates scored two runs in the 12th to take the lead, Slade1955 started a thread entitled, "The Fat Lady is about to sing!" One of the responses was...

"Actually the Fat Lady went into the Phillies dug out and randomly started ##### slapping the Phillies players. She finished by sitting on the Phanatic." - raydiddy

The good news, I guess, is that as bad as the offense has been these last few weeks, somehow, they are still in first place. The bad news, this team is going nowhere if this keeps up.

But, we're Philly fans, we can take it. We've been getting sat on by the fat lady since 1983.