Phils again fall just short

This time Ryan Howard did not provide the miracle. This time he lined out.

Howard lined out, and Michael Bourn was a dead man running to finish the Phillies last night in a 4-3 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks at Citizens Bank Park. The game ended on a double play as the Diamondbacks swept three from the Phils, who blew the momentum and optimism they fostered over the weekend in Atlanta.

The eternally frustrating Phillies, who needed 49 games to surpass .500, needed just three games to return to a losing record.

"We still have four months to play, but we've got to find a way to do it now," Wes Helms said. "We've got to."

"I'm very concerned about our team," manager Charlie Manuel said. "I'm worried. I want our team to be better. I want us to win. I say that all the time. I think we've got to go like hell. That's what I think. And I think we've got to improve."

Everyone certainly will relive the Phillies' failed ninth-inning comeback, but an offense that mustered just one hit in the first eight innings deserved the lion's share of the blame. The Phillies acknowledged that Diamondbacks lefthander Randy Johnson, who allowed just one hit in six shutout innings, had looked better in the past.

"He pitched better in Arizona" on May 9, said Manuel, whose team is 5-14 against lefthanders this season.

Lefthander Jamie Moyer (5-4) allowed four runs in 72/3 innings. Eric Byrnes hit his first pitch of the night for a leadoff homer to center, but Moyer did not allow another run until he yielded three in the eighth.

Diamondbacks righthander Brandon Lyon hit Aaron Rowand with a pitch to start the ninth. Shane Victorino followed, hitting a ball straight at second baseman Orlando Hudson. The ball went between Hudson's legs for an error and into shallow right-center field. Rowand went to third. Victorino took off for second once he saw Hudson crumpled on the dirt and no one covering the base.

Jimmy Rollins ripped a triple to left-center field to make it 4-2. The Diamondbacks turned to closer Jose Valverde, who got Chase Utley to fly to center for the first out.

Pat Burrell singled up the middle to score Rollins, making it 4-3.

Howard, who hit a pinch-hit grand slam May 9 against the Diamondbacks, found himself in a similar situation. He started last night on the bench because Manuel said he wanted to give him a rest, but also probably because he had hit just .133 against lefthanders this season.

Pinch-running for Burrell, Bourn stole second on a 2-2 pitch. Manuel said Bourn ran on his own.

Howard then hit a line drive to Hudson, who had positioned himself in shallow right field - just like every team does with Howard at the plate. Hudson barely had to move, but Bourn ran on contact. Hudson softly tossed the ball to second base to complete the double play.

Bourn had no chance to return to second.

"I hit it, and if it goes, it goes," Howard said. "When I saw him standing there, I knew it wasn't going to go."

"It's my fault," Bourn said. "I messed up. I should be used [to the shift]. Every time Ryan comes up, they have a shift on. I just ran on contact. If nobody's over there, it's a base hit, but as a baserunner, I should know that the second baseman is over there because he's always over there. I take blame for it."

After an off day, the Phillies will open a four-game series tomorrow night against the San Francisco Giants. They will enter June with a 26-27 record. The New York Mets are 33-18, holding an eight-game lead over them. The Mets are on pace to win 104 games. If they suddenly slump and win just 95, the Phillies would need to play 69-40 (.633) the rest of the way to tie them.

It looks like another summer of wild-card talk - if the Phillies get back above .500.

"The losing record is only one game under .500, fortunately," Rollins said. "That isn't much to get back on the winning side, but we do have to play better ball. The things we did in Atlanta, we have to do the rest of the season."