Home, sweet home?

Well, not exactly when it comes to the Phils. For some reason this team continues to play much better on the road than it does in the friendly confines of Citizens Bank Park.

The Phils came off a sizzling road trip only to go ice cold once again in South Philly.

It looked for all the world yesterday like the Phils were about to be swept in their big weekend interleague set with the Red Sox. Their pitching was suspect, and their fielding was worse.

On Saturday it was rookie Antonio Bastardo who put the Phils in a hole in the first inning when he could not find the strike zone and the Phils kicked the ball around the infield. They were down 5-0 before coming up to bat. Bastardo was lifted after just the one inning of work – and after a rain delay of more than an hour.

Yesterday started off like an instant replay. After J.A. Happ put the Red Sox down in the first, and the Phils staked him to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the inning, he went out and promptly coughed it right up. The Red Sox put four on the board, and the Boston faithful were looking for their brooms.

Not so fast.

That’s the thing about this Phillies team. They are never out of a game.
Happ settled down, and the Phils calmly went about the business of pecking away at the Sox’ lead.

They broke the game open with six in the seventh and cruised home with an 11-6 win.

In the meantime the Mets were being demolished by the Yankees, 15-0.

Bottom line? Phils still lead the NL East by four games.

Keep an eye on Bastardo. One more shaky start will ratchet up the pressure for the Phils to do something to address the gaping hole in their rotation caused by the hip surgery that has put Brett Myers on the shelf for the season.

For now, just don’t count this team out.