Bastardo! (Not Feeling Chipper)

2001 Topps Combos #TC2

Braves 5, Phillies 0
Game 85 - Friday Night, July 6th in Philadelphia
Record - 37-48, 5th Place, 13 games behind the Nationals

One Sentence Summary:  Antonio Bastardo gift-wrapped the 5-0 win for the Braves, completely and spectacularly imploding in the eighth inning.

What It Means:  The Phillies are 11 games under .500 for the first time since June 5, 2002.  By all accounts, and by the sound of the radio broadcast, the Phillies fans in attendance booed louder and with more anger than ever before in the history of Citizens Bank Park.

What Went Wrong:  Bastardo entered the ballgame, that's what went wrong.  (And of course there's the matter of the Phillies going 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position.)  With the game scoreless after seven innings, Bastardo allowed a lead-off single and two walks to load the bases.  He walked in the first run of the game and then allowed a grand slam to Brian McCann.

Bastardo's performance ruined Ryan Howard's 2012 debut and Kyle Kendrick's fine pitching performance.  Howard doubled in his first at-bat and singled later in the game.  Kendrick scattered four hits over his seven innings of work, striking out five.

1999 Finest Split Screen
Right Refractor #SS8

Featured Cards:  Chipper Jones announced earlier this year that 2012 would be the final season of his 19-year career.  To say Jones has killed the Phillies over the years would be a huge understatement.  Even last night, he only went 1 for 3, but it was his walk in the eighth that loaded the bases and set up the latest Phillies melt-down.  Jones is hitting .334 lifetime against the Phillies with 47 home runs and 146 RBIs in 234 total games.  Only his stats against the Mets (.316, 48 home runs, 156 RBIs) are comparable.

As a result of his longevity and his pairings with Scott Rolen and Mike Schmidt, I have seven (non-parallel version) Chipper cards in my Phillies collection:

1996 Bowman's Best Mirror Image #3 - Chipper Jones, Scott Rolen, Wade Boggs, George Arias
1998 Donruss Preferred Great X-Pectations #22 - Chipper Jones, Scott Rolen
1999 Finest Split Screen #SS8 - Scott Rolen, Chipper Jones
1999 Topps #453 - Vinny Castilla, Chipper Jones, Scott Rolen
2000 SkyBox Dominion Double Play #3 - Chipper Jones, Scott Rolen
2000 Upper Deck Legends Reflections in Time #R9 - Chipper Jones, Mike Schmidt
2001 Topps Combos #TC2 - Chipper Jones, Mike Schmidt

I can't believe I just did a post with Chipper Jones as the focus.  That's how bad it is, folks.