Someone Get Me Some Oxygen

As September moves along and the Phillies continue to fight to end their long drought of missing the playoffs, I don't know how many late-inning games I can handle.  Big reason? The bullpen!

You know, I wish I could go through the ninth inning where the opposing team goes down 1-2-3. Instead, we are faced with my latest bullpen member facing the rath of my yelling at the tv. This week my screaming at award goes to Robertson. A close second place may have to go to Hand. Since the Phillies dumped Familia (thank you so much), I was hoping that late-game drama would end. For a short time, the bullpen seemed to be a bit more stable but I can't remember many close games being able to relax, somewhat, in the ninth when whoever we were playing didn't come back to win or send the game to extra innings.

To make matters worst, I'm not sure how many of the starters can go seven innings. In the last three games, Gibson has gone 5 innings (Sept. 8), 1.2 innings (Sept. 2), and 7 innings (Aug. 27). Nola started off great, 9 innings (Aug. 25). then lasted 4 innings (Aug. 30), and 6.2 innings (Sept. 6). Syndergaard wasn't much better going 5.2 innings (Aug. 28), 4.1 innings (Sept. 3), and 6 innings (Sept. 9). Suárez went 5.2 innings (Aug. 23), 3.2 innings (Aug. 29), and 4 innings (Sept. 4). Falter has been the most consistent of the starters, going 6 innings (Aug. 26), 6.1 innings (Aug. 31),  and 5.1 innings (Sept. 7). Even if Wheeler gets healthy he's given up a lot of runs over his last three starts (5, 9, 5).

So as we come down the stretch, what can we expect from our pitchers? As much as the lineup can score some runs, we still go through droughts. The lineup may score batches of runs early in the game and then disappear. 

Perhaps it may not be oxygen I need, perhaps it's a defibrillator!