Phillies Notebook: Phillies open series against Brewers with a loss

MILWAUKEE -

As the trade rumors continue to swirl around longtime Phillies second baseman Chase Utley, the 36-year-old again found his name written in atop the team's lineup card.

And he continued to show teams interested in his services that he can maybe still hit a little in the majors.

Utley went 4-for-5 with a double and three singles, including an RBI single in the ninth. Outside of Utley, however, the Phillies offense was listless in a 3-1 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers last night, wasting a strong outing by starting pitcher Adam Morgan.

Morgan pitched six strong innings, surrendering three runs on only three hits while striking out one. He threw 81 pitches, 52 for strikes.

Brewers leftfielder Khris Davis recorded his team's first hit, jumping on a first-pitch fastball for a solo home run to right-centerfield in the second inning to put Milwaukee up, 1-0.

Then in the third inning, after the Phillies failed to score with runners on first and third, the Brewers added to their lead. Third baseman Hernan Perez led off with a double and was knocked in on a one-out single by shortstop Jean Segura, who reached second on Odubel Herrera's throw to the plate. Catcher Jonathan Lucroy then drove a Morgan offering deep to the wall in right-centerfield, which Herrera caught before colliding with Domonic Brown. The stumble allowed Segura to score all the way from second.

Segura became the first player this year, according to STATS, to score from second base on a sacrifice fly.

The three runs were all the Brewers needed, as starting pitcher Wily Peralta found a groove in the middle innings. Phillies not named Utley recorded just five hits, one of which being a bunt single by shortstop Freddy Galvis in the second inning.

The Phillies, again the worst team in baseball, left two runners on base in second, third and fourth innings, and another in the fifth. They then went quietly, 1-2-3 in the sixth inning, capped off by a popup out to Segura by Phillies leftfielder Cody Asche, who threw his bat hard to the ground before trotting toward first base.

After Cesar Hernandez - who played third base while Maikel Franco remains day-to-day (wrist) - led off the eighth inning with a walk, Herrera followed with a single that Hernandez reached third base on. The Phillies appeared to be in business, but Ryan Howard flailed at three consecutive pitches, Brown popped out to Segura and Galvis flew out to centerfield to end threat.

The Phillies left 10 runners on base.

Utley drove in his team's only run, a line drive single to rightfield, scoring Asche - who doubled to open the inning - from second base. He was stranded at first base when Hernandez lined out to leftfield to end the game.

Utley walked slowly into the Phillies' dugout, perhaps for the final time.