Howard Smith – USA TODAY Sports
Philadelphia Phillies third base coach, Ryne Sandberg, almost forgot what it’s like to have base runners cross the hot corner on their way home. Against the Miami Marlins last night, Sandberg was pleasantly reminded of the fun it can be.
Because the Marlins are the worst team in MLB, the travel past Sandberg should continue to be a steady flow over the next three days. In Thursday night’s game, seven Phillie runners scored, creating the beginning of a rut in the base path.
If all goes according to plan, that groove will become firmly etched by Sunday night. And with Delmon Young and Carlos Ruiz regaining their game legs, the best may be yet to come.
Likewise, Kyle Kendrick has been transformed into a solid starter. Once again, he stepped up and earned a much needed win. If Kendrick can continue this pattern, it won’t be long before the “stopper” label becomes synonymous with his name.
Also, something happened last night that didn’t seem to occur in the New York Mets series — patient at-bats. In two separate instances, patience paid off for Erik Kratz and Ryan Howard. Both had double-digit pitch counts which they turned into run-producing opportunities.
Three more wins and a sweep of this series with the “Fish” would put the Phillies at .500. It’s the starting point for any team that hopes to be in the running for the post-season.
For the first time since Spring Training that talking about October seems less dreamlike and more fact-based. It’s more a feeling than anything else, but there’s no denying it’s there.
It all starts with taking one game at a time. Go Phillies!
