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When you look at the task that confronts the Phillies, you begin to understand why.
Johan Santana outpitched Cole Hamels in the nightcap of yesterday's day/night doubleheader as the Mets won, 6-3. That's after Jamie Moyer led the Phils to a 6-2 victory in Game 1.
So, at 78-65, the Phils sit two games out of the NL East lead. That might not sound like a lot, but with 19 games apiece remaining against a similar slate of teams, the path toward a second straight division title isn't paved in gold.
"It could have been better, it could have been worse," catcher Chris Coste said after Santana (13-7) stymied the Phillies for 7 1/3 innings in the final game of the series. "It would have been nice to sneak this one out."
After getting sparkling performances from Brett Myers and Moyer Friday night and yesterday afternoon, Hamels (12-9) never seemed to find his rhythm in last night's loss.
By the end of the third inning, he had already thrown 79 pitches, and after the fifth, he was pulled out of the game, having allowed five runs on nine hits and 110 pitches.
A controversial catcher's interference call on Coste in the Mets' three-run first inning certainly didn't help. With a man on first and one out, Hamels threw an 0-2 pitch that David Wright fouled off. Wright reacted as if Coste's glove had hit his bat, and plate umpire Jerry Meals awarded Wright first base.
Phillies manager Charlie Manuel exploded out of the dugout and was ejected arguing the call.
Later, Manuel said he thought the call was "a big blow" for Hamels, who needed 29 pitches to get out of the inning. Instead of Wright at the plate facing an 0-2 count, the Mets had men on first and second with one out, setting up Carlos Beltran's RBI single and Carlos Delgado's two-run single.
Later in the inning, Phillies bench coach Jimy Williams took exception to umpire Kevin Causey's ruling that Wright was safe at third base.
"That didn't beat us," Manuel said, "but there were some breaks that they definitely took advantage of."
Ryan Howard drove in two of the Phillies' runs in the nightcap - one on his 40th home run of the season - but the offensive highlights were few. Instead, the Phillies were left to rue what they hoped would be a series sweep and a tie for first place in the division.
Moyer (13-7) was brilliant in the opening game, allowing two hits in seven scoreless innings.
"In our clubhouse, we can help control our own destiny by the way we play," the veteran lefthander said. "It helps if the team ahead of you loses. It helps if the teams behind you lose. But if we don't win, it's not going to matter. If we take care of our own business, I think we'll be OK."
Greg Dobbs gave Moyer all the cushion he would need with a three-run home run in the fourth inning, his eighth of the season and second of the series.
The performance by the third baseman, who started in place of Pedro Feliz against righthander Pedro Martinez (5-4), highlighted a strong outing by the bottom half of the lineup. Jayson Werth, Dobbs, Matt Stairs and Carlos Ruiz, who hit No. 5 through No. 8, combined for five runs and five RBI.
"It's a lot of fun, because we realize what's on the line," said Dobbs, who finished 2-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored. "There's a lot to play for. We want to make it to the postseason just as bad as anybody. Just because it is here, in New York, they're in first place, we're in second right on their tail - I don't know what else you would need to get up and get amped for games."
Now, the Phillies must dominate their schedule and hope for some help.
If the Mets played at their current clip, they'd win 11 of their 19 remaining games, forcing the Phillies to go 13-6 the rest of the way to force a tie for the division lead. Both teams play four games against a contender from the NL Central - the Phillies face the Brewers; the Mets face the Cubs - in addition to 15 games against division opponents.
Next weekend's series against the Brewers, whom the Phillies trail by four games in the wild-card standings, could provide another outlet to the playoffs.
For now, however, their division hopes are still very much alive. *
For more Phillies coverage and opinion, read David Murphy's blog, High Cheese, at http://go.philly.com/highcheese.
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