WASHINGTON - When Tommy Joseph connected on a Stephen Strasburg slider and shot a laser into the left-field stands, the Phillies resembled a potent team. It was the third inning of an eventual 9-6 loss Friday night to first-place Washington. The Phillies had a four-run lead, built on timely singles, a squeeze bunt, and a mammoth homer.
But everything crumbled after Joseph's swing. It rendered his second home run of the night, a two-run shot in the eighth inning, useless.
The latest descent into a blowout defeat was especially damaging because it involved Jeremy Hellickson, the Phillies' best trade chip.