Finding a Positive

Last night's series opener against the Braves was an absolute disaster. Virutally nothing good to report about the Phillies in a lifeless 9-2 loss. Six hitters left 2 or more runners on base. They got 12 hits and only scored twice. They were 2-for-9 with runners in scoring position.

So I found something positive to talk about. Unfortunately, I had to drop all the way down to Double A ball to to find it. Top pitching prospect Spencer Howard made his debut with Reading last night and he was fantastic. He struck out 10 of the 20 batters he faced (including the first 4) and walked 2 while allowing 4 hits in 4.2 innings of work. He threw 82 pitches, 55 for strikes. The 22-year-old righthander's fastball topped out at 98 mph.

So when you think about the less-than-stellar performances of Jake Arrieta and Cole Irvin from last night, remember that there's help just 2 levels down from the big leagues. I don't know if that's comforting or depressing.