Maybe it wasn’t Gabe Kapler’s fault. Things were supposed to be better now that Mr. Coconut Oil was in San Francisco, and the Phillies had a World Series winning manager in Joe Girardi at the helm. But aside from the presence of Didi Gregorius, and the absence of fans in the stands, the Phillies’ season opening 5-2 loss to the Marlins could have easily taken place in September 2019.
The fact that I predicted this would happen didn’t make it any easier to watch. Failures on the first day of the season always feel worse because its the first impression the team has made on you in months.