If it weren't for bad luck, the post-May 17 Phillies would have no luck at all. At least with injuries.
Their latest setback in this horror show of a season came Tuesday night when starter Jamie Moyer came up with a macaroni elbow on his 18th pitch of the night in St. Louis.
Yes, it was a strain of his left elbow. Jamie's throwing elbow. Moyer's money elbow. THE Elbow. Manager Charlie likened it to J.A. Happ's injury. (Happ has missed all but two starts this season trying to come back from his injury.)
For Moyer -- the oldest player in baseball -- it could be a career-ender.
After the beloved greybeard departed for the clubhouse and the disabled list, in came Andrew Carpenter. He was called up from Triple-A Lehigh Valley earlier in the day.
Never to be confused with Cardinals flamethrower Chris Carpenter -- who improved to 11-4 with eight innings of one-run ball -- Andrew promptly gave up a two-run homer to Randy Winn and another run on a wild pitch.
The Phils would go on to lose their fifth game in six tries since the All-Star break, 7-1. Wednesday, the defending National League champs sit seven games out of first place.
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As for the Moyer (9-9), his latest injury could be the coup de grace of a determined career. At age 47-plus, just how many more rehabs could the scintillating southpaw possibly have left in him?
We should know soon.
"My goal is to keep a positive mental outlook, whatever the diagnosis is," Moyer told MLB.com. "I expect to pitch again."
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