The Phillies lost another game Friday night by two runs or less. This time it was to the Washington Nationals, 4-2, to begin a five-game homestand at Citizens Bank Park. To the fans of this team, they can be frustrating to watch at times. This was the 13th game they’ve lost by two runs or less and thats almost half of the games they’ve played so far, as their record is 12-16.

This is a sign that veteran leadership is lacking on this team but were to find it or how to acquire  it is something the team’s front office needs to figure out. That is the job of the front office. Thinking of methods to make their team better and then going forth and implementing those methods with the idea the team will continue to improve.

The season is still young so don’t go manning for the lifeboats yet. In four games, 20 percent of the season will be over. No need to panic thinking the Phillies are in danger of losing 100 games as in 2015 when they finished 63-99. For now the team could concentrate on playing not one game at a time, but one inning at a time, maybe even one pitch at a time. Make the opposing pitcher work when he’s on the mound and try to maintain a good eye at the plate. Let nature take its course and with a little luck and a lot of persistence get back to being a .500 ballclub or at least close to it.

This won’t be easy but the Phillies aren’t the only baseball team that is struggling right now. They have a better chance of winning tomorrow night against the Nationals (20-9). Vince Velasquez (2-2, 5.47 ERA) will take the mound and he has a lot more experience than the Nationals starting pitcher. A.J. Cole has a lifetime 1-2 record with an ERA of 5.29.