For the Phillies, winning is within their grasp because general manager Matt Klentak acquired an ace, a slugger and two setup men to bolster the pen during the offseason.

Six-game opportunity:

While the Philadelphia Phillies and their rookie skipper are playing their first home contests, the reception for Gabe “Captain Hook” Kapler is, for now, no longer an issue. Yes, the team has turned glimmers of hope from a handful of stars into a turnaround.

IN OTHER WORDS: “My saying is we win and lose together. I think that really does apply to both my fans, family and the team.” – Lewis Hamilton

The “original sin” was relieving Aaron Nola on Opening Day. And it snowballed through the entire road trip. Granted, the two days off reset the bullpen rotation–if you can call it that. But pen usage isn’t the only managerial situation responsible for a 3-4 start.

If you were feeling down after anxiously waiting for April, the losing wasn’t the only reason. The Phils began the campaign with both signed relievers and a long man on the disabled list, while Jake Arrieta was building up his arm strength.

Additionally, away games, poor weather and two contests televised on the computer were livable enough: Some had difficulty. And the sole road victory was thanks to a sliding error from a former Phillies reserve. Well, solutions and good news are coming after the fans’ take.

One poster on a local blog used analytics to predict a long and painful 162, while others debated the pros and cons of Kapler’s strategy–or lack thereof. Correctly, another fan pointed out relievers would be starters if they could effectively work more than a frame or two, and exposing their weaknesses with overuse is a blueprint for disaster.

On the other hand, the faithful were competing for the best Kapler joke, and they all had one thing in common: insult humor. However, the best wager at the time was two series filled with leather-lunged boobirds “serenading” the embattled skipper with unwanted advice.

Kapler admitted his ace-pulling miscue with his bullpen management thereafter. Of course, two starters went to the showers after not being effective. And Kapler replaced Nola with a long man after five innings including a stressful frame one. But first impressions!