Ugly Weekend Continues

If you're going to outfit your team in god-awful head-to-toe burgundy uniforms, it shouldn't come as a surprise when the outcome is equally ugly. Ugly doesn't even cover it as the Braves crushed the Phils, 15-7. And it wasn't even that close.

It was 14-1 after 5 innings. Starting pitcher Zach Eflin was the latest victim, getting torched for 10 runs in 2.2 innings, allowing 7 hits (including 2 homers) and 4 walks. You want more ugly? In his last 7 starts, Eflin is 1-5 with a 9.09 ERA, giving up 33 runs and 52 hits (9 of them home runs) in 32.2 innings. That's Eflin ugly and I wouldn't be surprised to see him either get sent down or moved to the injured list.

I was stunned to learn that the Phils actually have a winning record (18-17) this season in games decided by 5 or more runs. But it was the sixth time the Phils have allowed at least 9 runs to the Braves this season and they've been outscored 85-57 in their 11 games to date.

The Phils had a chance to cut the distance between themselves and the Braves in the National League East this weekend. Now, they have to win today to limit the damage to just losing a single game in the standings.