Like the overpowering aroma of crab fries in the right-field walkways, the scent of misery was overpowering at Citizens Bank Park on Wednesday.
The night was chilled, gray, and damp. The crowd was small, scattered, and seemingly uninterested. The home team was comatose.
Long before Jeremy Hellickson's first pitch to Colorado's Charlie Blackmon, real Phillies fans, those who had endured a thousand nights like this, knew what to expect.
Inevitably, the Rockies scored seven times in the third inning and coasted to a 7-2 victory. After this 20th loss in 24 games, Inquirer beat writer Matt Gelb noted that the Phillies' 15-29 record was the franchise's worst 44-game start since 1961.