Phillies squander chances in loss to Mets

This was a night when the Phillies just couldn't take advantage of opportunities.

Plenty of them.

They had 11 hits and were the beneficiary of an opponent's base-running brain cramp. In addition, they were facing a New York Mets squad that was without its best player.

And still, it wasn't enough.

In a 162-game schedule, there will be nights like this, but the Phillies hope there aren't too many.

They dropped a 5-2 decision to the New York Mets at Citizens Bank Park despite outhitting the visitors 11-6.

Plus the Mets played their third straight game without third baseman David Wright, who has a fractured right pinkie. The previous two games without him, the Mets lost to the Washington Nationals.

And then there was the base-running blunder by catcher Josh Thole that the Mets were able to get away with.

After Thole's one-out single in the second inning, winning pitcher R.A. Dickey seemingly sacrificed him to second. After reaching second, Thole, to everybody's surprise, then started walking back to first and was tagged out by Freddy Galvis.

Even Thole couldn't explain to reporters why he went back to first.

"I don't know," Thole said. "I was coming into second, and Jimmy (Rollins) put his hands up, like 'come in easy.'" I knew the ball was fair....I took off running back to first. I've got no other explanation."

No doubt that Thole will receive his fair share of ribbing, but better from his perspective in victory than defeat.

The Phillies couldn't solve Dickey's knuckleball. The righthander kept getting out of jams while yielding nine hits in seven innings.

"That knuckleball is tough to hit," said Phillies second baseman Galvis, who saw his first career home run go to waste.

Actually, Galvis hit a fastball for the home run. He was disappointed to lose the game, but excited to go yard, especially at home.

"It was a great feeling," he said.

Dickey kept the Phillies off-balanced. Every starting Phillies position player struck out at least once. Dickey recorded seven of the Mets 11 strikeouts.

"We got hits," manager Charlie Manuel said. "We just didn't get them when we had to."