So, was that little streak in which the Phillies won 13 of 14 games just a fluke? Certainly seems that way. Philadelphia dropped its second straight game to the Mets on Wednesday and now has an unremarkable 23-22 record. The Phillies are tied with surging Atlanta for second place in the NL East, five games behind the Mets. In addition, the Phillies received a gut punch this week when they had to place highly touted rookie pitcher Cole Hamels on the disabled list after just two major-league starts.
Some issues that the Phillies need to address:
-- Jimmy Rollins is not cutting it as a leadoff hitter. He has an on-base percentage of .310. He is batting just .212 in May. Rollins has shown flashes of brilliance on offense, but he has never displayed the consistency that is needed to be a leadoff hitter for a playoff contender.
-- General manager Pat Gillick needs to decide whether to keep or trade Bobby Abreu. The slugger, who has drawn the ire of some Phillies fans, will make $13 million in 2006 and $15 million in 2007. Even with those high salaries, though, there are sure to be suitors -- including the New York Yankees -- for a player with a .929 OPS. The struggle will be whether Gillick can afford to make a trade that might hurt the Phillies' playoff chances in 2006, even if it helps the team in the long run.
-- What's wrong with Jon Lieber. He was supposed to be the solid veteran at the top of the Phillies' rotation. But he has struggled with a 3-5 record a 5.83 ERA. The Phillies need Lieber to right himself, or they are not going anywhere this season.
-- How long will Charlie Manuel last as the manager? The players apparently like Manuel, but he's continued to make questionable decisions as a game-day tactician. He wasn't Gillick's hire, which makes him even more vulnerable if the GM decides to bring in his own guy at some point. On the other hand, would the Phillies be better off waiting until the offseason to make a managerial change, perhaps when someone like Terry Pendleton would be available? One thing is for sure, the Phillies should absolutely regret not hiring Jim Leyland two winters ago. Leyland, a proven winner as a manger, has the Detroit Tigers soaring with a 32-14 record -- the best in the majors.
At least the Phillies salvaged the final game of their series against the Mets today. But the problems still remain. Shane Victorino probably isn't the answer at leadoff, either.