Phils acting like they forgot how to play baseball as Rays even series.

Where do we begin?

Greg Dobbs forgetting how to swing the bat? Jimmy Rollins now at an ungodly 0 for 10 clip? Ryan Howard continuously coming up small in the clutch and forgetting how to catch a baseball? Jason Werth forgetting how to field, run the bases, or setting a Philies record with 16 strikeouts in the postseason? Oh, and I almost forgot: How the Phillies after two games are an alarming, discouraging, and downright frightening 1 for 28 for an .036 clip with runners in scoring position! This officially tops Tyrone Hill in the 2001 NBA Finals as the most impotent display (or lack thereof) of offense I have ever seen from a team playing for a championship. I was not alive to see the 1966 Dodgers score just two runs against Baltimore in the most anemic showing of team offense ever witnessed in a World Series.

Starter James (Big Game) Shields was not his sharpest, but when your offense is sporadic like the Phillies, they sometimes can make anyone look good. Things got so bad for the Phillies that they made Dan Wheeler, considered the weakest link in Tampa Bay's bullpen, look like Sparky Lyle. Unlike game four of the NLCS, there was no dramatic comeback win to seize a commanding lead in the series. Although the Phillies leave Tampa Bay with a split, they can't help but feel that this game was well within their reach, and they let it slip away. A win by the Phillies tonight would have almost secured a parade down Broad Street for the first time in 25 years.

As I said before, Tampa Bay is no lay down. And just like all of the critics who are predicting the Rays to win this series, they did anything but that in game two. By getting three runs on three ground outs, they didn't exactly tear the cover off the ball. Nonetheless, they did much more than the Phillies did offensively. For the second straight game, the Phillies failed to put the ball in play in clutch situations. After watching this team throughout the year, you are well aware of the long stretches this can go on for. And with an inconsistent and questionable Jamie Moyer going against ALCS MVP Matt Garza on Saturday night in Philadelphia, it looks like the Phillies may be the underdog in this series just 24 hours after their thrilling game one victory.

That's Philadelphia for you. Note to Don Henley: New York's not the only city where everything can change in a minute.

Will the Phillies turn the tide? Or will it be 1983 and 1993 all over again? I really hate to bring this up, but the Phillies just don't seem to have ANY luck in World Series games dated October 23rd. After all, it IS 15 years to the day since Joe Carter sent Mitch Williams' fastball (?) over Skydome's left field wall. I am going to bed tonight very disgruntled, just like I did 15 years ago to the day, and just like every other Phillies fan in the Delaware Valley will do tonight.

I really hope I haven't seen this script before.