First, he learned that his peers did not vote for him for the National League all-star team despite numbers that probably should have him in a Phillies uniform Tuesday at Yankee Stadium. Second, he pitched well tonight only to receive no help from his teammates in a 2-0 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals at Citizens Bank Park.

The Phillies continue to struggle offensively.

It's adding up, too.

In suffering their fourth consecutive loss, they were shut out for the sixth time this season. The Phils were shut out a combined six times in 2006 and 2007.

They have been held to three or fewer runs 36 times (39.7 percent of their games) this season. They were held to three or fewer runs 45 times in all of last season (27.8 percent of their games) when they won their first National League East championship since 1993.

The Phillies did not have many chances to score tonight, but they blew two big ones:

In the second inning, they had runners on second and third with no outs when Jayson Werth struck out. Pedro Feliz at least followed Werth with a walk to load the bases with one out. That's when Carlos Ruiz, who entered the night with just one hit in his previous 24 at-bats since June 18, grounded into his 11th double play of the season to kill another Phillies rally.

Manager Charlie Manuel tried to avoid that situation in the seventh when the Phillies had runners on first and second with one out. Manuel sent Greg Dobbs to the plate to pinch-hit for Ruiz, but Cardinals manager Tony La Russa countered and called lefthander Ron Villone from the bullpen. Manuel then sent Chris Coste to the plate to face Villone, but Coste bounced into another rally-killing double play.

Two chances.

Two double plays.

That's no way to help the team's ace.

The Phillies have lost 17 of their last 26 games as their lead in the NL East gets smaller every day. It will continue to get smaller if they continue to struggle at the plate.