The Philadelphia Phillies have given their fans plenty of disappointing moments over the years. They’re on the verge of providing another one.
The Phillies will try to avoid going into the All-Star break as the first professional sports franchise to lose 10,000 games when they close a three-game series against the Colorado Rockies on Sunday.
The dubious benchmark of 10,000 losses will be a fitting one for a franchise that has won one world championship (1980) in 125 years. The Phillies have fit in nicely in a city that hasn’t won a major sports title since the Philadelphia 76ers won the NBA crown in 1983. The NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles have never won the Super Bowl.
Philadelphia (43-44) suffered loss No. 9,999 with a 6-3 defeat on Saturday. The Phillies fell below the .500 mark in a season when they were expected to contend, but instead have continued to let down their demanding fans.
The Phillies actually entered the year after four straight winning seasons, but have failed to reach the postseason during that stretch. They haven’t been to the playoffs since losing the 1993 World Series to Toronto in six games.
Philadelphia has been hurt this year by injuries to pitchers Freddy Garcia, Jon Lieber, Brett Myers and Tom Gordon. The Phillies have an NL-worst 4.90 ERA.
Colorado (44-43), meanwhile, has won five straight games since returning from a 1-9 road trip. The Rockies are also seeking a ninth straight home win for the first time since an 11-game run at Coors Field from June 30-July 24, 1996.
Ryan Spilborghs and Todd Helton each had three hits and combined to drive in five runs Saturday for Colorado, which clinched its sixth straight series victory at home.
Left fielder Matt Holliday, who leads the NL with a .345 average, went 0-for-4 to end a 25-game home hitting streak.
The Rockies bullpen has been outstanding in this series, allowing just four hits in 10 scoreless innings.
Colorado is seeking its first three-game home sweep of Philadelphia since Aug. 28-29, 1999.
The Rockies will send Aaron Cook (5-5, 4.54 ERA) to the mound. The right-handed sinkerballer won for the first time in seven starts on Tuesday, allowing three runs over eight innings in an 11-3 victory over the New York Mets.
Cook is 0-2 with a 6.87 ERA in three career starts against the Phillies, all at home.
Adam Eaton (7-5, 5.67) tries to snap his longest winless stretch of the season for Philadelphia. He’s 0-1 with a 6.46 ERA over his last four outings despite pitching effectively Tuesday, giving up three runs over six innings in a 5-4, 13-inning loss at Houston.
The right-hander went 3-0 with a 5.68 ERA in his first three starts at Coors Field from 2000-01, but is 1-5 with a 7.80 ERA in his last eight outings at Denver.
For Pizza I’m on the Rockies Cook -136 & OV 10.5
Good Luck,
Tommy Mac
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