PAP.JPG

Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Jonathan Papelbon, right, leaves the field after walking in Texas Rangers' Jim Adduci, left, during the ninth inning of a baseball game on Wednesday, April 2, 2014, in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers won 4-3.

(Associated Press Photo)

There could be a buzz in Philadelphia right about now, if the Phillies were 4-0 out of the gate and showing the promise that earned them five straight National League East division titles from 2007-2011.

Instead the sound coming from Phillies fans is the rumblings of a dissatisfied fan base.

And it’s all because of the bullpen.

The Phillies blew a seventh-inning lead in Tuesday's 3-2 loss to Texas and then watched closer Jonathan Papelbon suffer a ninth-inning meltdown in a 4-3 loss on Wednesday night.

The Phillies headed into Saturday afternoon’s game against the Chicago Cubs with a 2-2 record but were an improved bullpen away from being perfect.

General manager Ruben Amaro Jr. addressed his rotation and loss of former Cy Young Award winner Roy Halladay in a big way when he brought in A.J. Burnett as a top-of-the-rotation starter.

He added to his offense and defense when he signed Marlon Byrd as a middle-of-the-order right-handed bat who plays an excellent right field.

And with expectations for a healthy Ben Revere at the top of the lineup, Ryan Howard in the middle and Carlos Ruiz at the end, the offense should have picked up a notch just from having their lineup together.

But Amaro's only answer to a bullpen that was one of the worst in baseball last year was to bring in journeyman Brad Lincoln.

The right-hander looked like a solid acquisition at the time — he was traded from the Blue Jays for Phillies backup catcher Erik Kratz, who was cut — but he is the only member of the relief corps not to pitch in the first four games of the season.

Amaro also signed free agent Chad Gaudin, but he failed his physical.

So the Phillies entered the season hoping that a number of young relievers could take a huge step up in their development and that Papelbon — who has lost 3-4 miles off his fastball since signing before the 2012 season — could get by on guile.

So far, not so good on either front.

Holding a 2-1 lead in Game 2 against Texas with two outs and a runner in scoring position, Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg let young lefty Jake Diekman face right-handed power-hitter Adrian Beltre.

Granted, when Mike Adams is healthy in a few weeks that will be his out, but it was saying something that Sandberg stuck with Diekman instead of going to Lincoln or another righty, like Jeff Manship.

Beltre lined a double down the left-field line to tie the game. With the game still deadlocked in the ninth inning, Sandberg went to lefty Mario Hollands — who was making his major-league debut.

Hollands walked two of the three batters he faced before another young pitcher, B.J. Rosenberg, came in to give up the game-winning hit to Beltre.

The next night, Papelbon entered with a 3-1 lead and allowed six of the seven batters he faced to reach while giving up three runs in a walk-off loss. After the game, the closer essentially threw his teammates and coaches under the bus for not being at double-play depth with runners on the corners, one out and a 3-2 lead.

While he had a valid point — had the infield been back, they likely turn a game-ending double play instead of Leonys Martin’s grounder scooting through for a game-tying single — he certainly didn’t accept much responsibility or endear himself to the organization.

Two of the hits Papelbon gave up came on high fastballs — the kind he would have blown by hitters three years ago but can’t now.

Papelbon could be the biggest problem because the approximately $25 million he is owed over the next two seasons are going to keep Sandberg going to him for the time being.

And it's not like the Phillies have many better options. Antonio Bastardo could potentially handle the role, but then that leaves a hole with the Phillies trying to bridge the gap between the starters and the ninth inning.

The Phillies have a playoff-caliber team except for one glaring weakness — and if they don’t fix the bullpen, they have little chance to be be playing in in October.