Phillies are getting cold, put them in the microwave now!

The Phillies lost 7-4 to the Red Sox. The Phillies have lost their third straight series against a team over .500. Why? The bats got cold and the bullpen was poor. Inconsistency plagues this team every year. Now I understand teams go through their ups and downs, but it is hard for me to believe this team can go far when they have an inability to truly beat quality teams.

I don't want to get down on them and rant about them, but they really need to show something over the next 9 games against the AL. If they fail to win 2 of the next 3 series, I have no confidence in this team for doing much in the playoffs...if they make it.

I'm not even going to bother going into statistics, right now. We've all watched the product of late on the field and it seems like their heads got just a little too big with their first place lead in the division. We learned last year that no lead is safe. The Phillies need to begin playing better AND smarter baseball in the coming weeks and months.

There have been positives though. Ryan Howard, Pat Burrell, and Jimmy Rollins are coming back around, but Chase Utley has gone 0fer during the series and through much of the Cardinals series.

Lastly, this is to the Phillies fans at the stadium during the Red Sox Series:

1. Learn to chant, cheer, etc. Your team is a good team too, get behind them. Don't sit in awe over the Red Sox. Cheering and chants do more when the team is down, not when the team is up. Every player tells you they feed off the crowd. Give them something to be excited about. Your motive to chant should never be the rebuttal to the opposing team's chant. You should be starting the chants for YOUR team.

2. If you wore a Phillies jersey and Red Sox hat or vice-versa at the same time, please do not return to Citizens Bank Park. You're on one bandwagon or the other. Especially when your jersey and hat for either team look freshly bought or when you think Coco Crisp is Jacoby Ellsbury with a new haircut. Seriously, just don't come. Watch the game at your house or the hotel room, so you can constantly change shirts and hats whenever the Phillies or Red Sox take the lead. That was absolutely sickening to see last night.

3. If you bring your family there, show your kids the passion that Philadelphia fans generally bring. No, I am not talking about using vulgar language and starting fights, but I am talking about the loud cheers for your team. Why must we always wait for something to happen. Let's start the chants and cheers to help be the catalyst of a positive result.

Go Phillies. Time to get hot again.