Baseball players are inclined to keep their cool, despite the rampant frustrations that build over the course of a season. The MLB regular season is a 162-game marathon, not a sprint - it does little good to call out teammates, fans, or others in the early months of the year.

But Jake Arrieta couldn't keep it to himself anymore.

Following Sunday's game against the San Francisco Giants, the Philadelphia Phillies ace railed against his own teammates, grading his team's play during the a West Coast swing with some choice words.

Arrieta's rant

The series in San Francisco had proven to be a real struggle for Philadelphia.

They were shut out in consecutive games on Friday and Saturday, an offensive drought that lingered into Sunday's matinee. Despite actually scoring a run in this game, the team lost again, 6-1, with Arrieta on the mound.

Afterwards, he refused to betray his true feelings about what's been going on with the team. He even used a curse word to describe the team's lackluster play over the weekend, calling it a "horse-s***" series."

While cursing is always a good way to draw attention to a problem, it's far from the most interesting comment Arrieta made after the game. He took particular aim at the team's defensive shifts, suggesting they were some of the worst in the league. In doing so, he appeared to take a not-so veiled shot at first-year Phillies manager Gabe Kapler.

Arrieta concluded his comments by demanding the team be held accountable for their play of late - they've lost six of eight and scored just one run against the Giants this weekend - suggesting he would lead that charge if necessary.

Do the Phillies need this reality check?

The fact of the matter is that every team goes through struggles over the course of such a long season. The offense seems to be a much bigger problem than any shifting issues, since the only run this weekend came courtesy of Arrieta himself, who blasted a solo home run on Sunday afternoon.

Expectations for the Phillies rose with the offseason additions of Arrieta and Carlos Santana, but their battle for first place in the NL East through the first two months of the season was a surprise. They're now three games behind the Atlanta Braves, but remain in the thick of the Wild Card race with nearly four months left in the season.

The addition of Arrieta brought in a veteran voice that wouldn't be afraid of leading his team past challenges. Calling out his team so publicly may backfire, but this is why the Phillies have him - they have to trust in him to lead the way.
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