I know a lot of fans like to jump on Charlie Manuel.  Some of his in-game decisions are puzzling, and his southern drawl makes him an easy target.  I’m not one of those people.  While Charlie does frustrate me, I don’t subscribe to the theory that every loss is his fault, and we need a better manager.  Charlie does a fine job, and I don’t need to defend him.  Charlie’s record speaks for itself.

In saying that, he still makes some moves that leave me scratching my head.  First and foremost why Cole Hamels was brought out to start the eighth inning.  Despite a shaky first inning, where he allowed three runs on four hits, Hamels had a strong outing.  When he finished the seventh he had only given up those three first inning runs and struck out a season-high eleven. 

That should have been the end of his day.  With 110 pitches under his belt, and the heart of the Brewers lineup coming to bat, it was time to hand the ball off to the bullpen. 

When he did start the eighth, I immediately had a bad feeling.  Even though his fastball was still in the low 90’s, he lacked location.  Ryan Braun’s double and Prince Fielder’s home run (his second of the game) showcased that.  Chad Durbin came in and got out of the inning, but it was two batters too late.  The damage had already been done.

Why was the bullpen, an asset Manuel never hesitates to use, suddenly unavailable?  I can see how Brad Lidge would have been unavailable for last night’s game.  He pitched three nights in a row, and needed to rest his arm.  But what about the rest of the bullpen?  The bullpen has been strong enough this year where a starter can go 7 innings and hand over a one run lead to the bullpen.  Even with Lidge unavailable, JC Romero should have pitched the eighth (to face Braun and Fielder), with Tom Gordon picking up the save.

In what should have been the Phillies fourth win in a row, turned into a tough loss.