Another thrilling night for the Comeback Kings has placed Philadelphia in the front-running slot again, although not comfortably.
Current opponents and all-around nuissances, the New York Mets, remain hot on the heels of the Phillies.
One loss sets the Phightins back to a tie, consequently putting them at greater risk to be the chasers rather than the chased.
Enter Brett Myers.
Yes, I understand that he spent some time honing his existing skills in the minors. Will it make a difference? Doubtful.
Setting aside my general distaste for his character, I can acknowledge that the man was an effective CLOSER. However, one to two innings of game-ending pitching does not a starter make.
What ability he has to maintain a consistent performance is completely obliterated by one bad at-bat. And I don’t believe it’s because he is just a bad pitcher. I believe it’s because he has no concept of resiliency.
The whole “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.” mentality? Lost. Myers decides to skip trying again and start imploding instead.
This is why short bursts of solid, effective pitching worked so well for him.
If Brett’s showcase tonight is above-average, I can of course cite it as a fluke and move on. But I will not. I will watch future starts to gauge true improvement. Then, most likely, I will scoff at the fact that he’s still a closer in the land of make-believe.
