The Phanatics currently stand at 58-49, only two games behind the surprising New York Mets for the Division lead. Starter Daniel Corsi has followed up his solid Season 8 with an outstanding performance, earning All-Star accolades. His 125 Ks are good for seventh in MLB, and his 14-1 record speaks for itself. The sixth overall pick in Season 1, Corsi has worked his way through the Philadelphia minor league system and now anchors the rotation. "This is a great organization," says Corsi. "When they offered me a long-term contract last season, I was very excited to sign on. I want to be here for a long time, to be a part of what we're building here." When asked about the new ownership, Corsi responded: "The new front office is picking up right where the last group left off. We are here to win."
Fellow starter Trevor Cox has followed a similar path with the club. A Season 4 first-round draft pick, he made his major league debut this season. However, the transition has not been without its bumps. Cox has posted a 3-8 record and a 6.56 ERA, showing only flashes of the potential that the club envisions. The most recent flash, eight shutout innings against Tampa Bay, was a more of a relief for Cox than anything else: "That's what I can do. That's the kind of performance I expect from myself. This club has battled all season, and I have not done my part. It's time to get my breaking stuff up to par," said the 23-year-old.
The team had been on a hot streak until running into NL powerhouse Monterrey, who cut through them like a chainsaw. The first game of the series was a back-and-forth battle that saw Philadelphia jump out to a 3-0 lead, then surrender that lead, only to surge ahead again. However, closer Miguel Uribe was unable to protect a two-run lead in the top of the ninth, and he was relieved by Al Little, who surrendered what proved to be the game-winning run. Philadelphia followed that disappointing performance with a solid outing from starter Dick Hoover that was spoiled by two two-run bombs in the fifth. The Cheese rounded out the sweep with an extra innings victory, despite bottom-of-the-ninth heroics from C Don Farrell (grand slam) and CF Willie Perez (game-tying solo shot) to send the ballgame to extra frames. "What else can you do?" asked bench coach Luke Diggins. "At some point you just have to realize that you've done everything you can and tip your cap to the other guys, and admit that they beat you."
Going forward, the Phanatics will need more than just dramatic home runs; they are led by 3B Daryle Benson with only 18 round-trippers, and their team total of 120 places them near the bottom of the league. The power outage has not gone unnoticed: "We have some real talented hitters," said hitting coach Bill Everett. "They're taking solid approaches up there; we're just not producing the way we need to."
The road (literally) does not get any easier for Philadelphia; 20 of their next 23 games are away from Citizens Bank Park. They currently hold a precarious one-game lead over two other NL clubs for the final Wild Card slot, but if the power outage continues, they will need the rotation to step up and the bullpen to lock it down if they want to continue their tradition of success.
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