Deflated

I did something tonight I haven't done in a long time. After Jayson Werth caught the Dodgers napping with his theft of home plate I turned the game off, and tallied an 'L' for our boys in Blue. It was the first time I had written them off this season, and the last since...gulp...Matt Stairs.

When you walk the opposition eight times and subsequently allow six stolen bases while tallying ZERO for yourself in either category...well it's not hard to figure out who's going to be the victor. From Joseph Santoliquito...

Giving up eight walks and six stolen bases doesn't help. Most of the free passes came from starter Clayton Kershaw, who took the loss to fall to 1-3.

At times, the lefty showed good stuff, like setting the Phillies down in order in the second. At other times, he didn't, like serving up a two-strike fastball in the fourth to Raul Ibanez, who slammed it for a two-run double.

"The kid had real good stuff tonight, but he walked [four] guys tonight and these guys will eat you alive with [four] walks," Torre said. "Maybe sometimes you can get away with it, but against giving up walks to good clubs [like the Phillies] is like giving them extra outs."

But mostly, Kershaw stung himself. In the Phils' third, which began with Kershaw issuing walks to Pedro Feliz and Carlos Ruiz, was a portent -- and Kershaw knew it.

"That inning I gave up a run, you can't walk the first two batters, because you're bound to give up some runs," Kershaw said. "I felt good tonight. That is a good-hitting team, but I can't make pitches like the fastball to Ibanez with two strikes on him."

Catcher Russell Martin wasn't getting much help, either. The Phillies had stolen a total of 12 bases this season. They ripped off six against the Dodgers, four alone coming from former Dodgers outfielder Jayson Werth, who stole home in the seventh.

I'm trying to stay patient, trying to remind myself that it's a six month marathon, and trying to forget about Manny Ramirez. No such luck yet.