Photos: 2008 Phillies
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This season, it seems as if Phillies pitchers need to hurl shutouts to give the team a chance to win.
Jamie Moyer allowed just one run and two hits in seven innings, but came up short in the 3-1 loss to the New York Mets yesterday at Shea Stadium, which knocked the Phils out of first place in the East. Lefthander Oliver Perez allowed one run and struck out 12 in 72/3 innings to foil an already struggling Phillies offense.
"It's not the first time it happened, and I'm sure it won't be the last," said Moyer, who is 9-6 with a 3.76 ERA. "You try to give your best effort. You take it from there. Sometimes you're on the upside of it. Sometimes you're on the downside of it. But that's baseball.
"The Mets played a good series. I thought we played a pretty good series. It's a battle. Nobody said this was going to be easy. Now we have something to work for."
The Phillies are 13-20 since June 13, and their ballyhooed offense is a big reason. They have hit just .239 and averaged just four runs a game in their last 33 contests. They had hit .265 and averaged about 51/2 runs before that.
Is it possible that these last 33 games reflect the way the Phillies will be the rest of the season?
"I think it's hard to say, because every year is different, every month is different, every day's kind of different," manager Charlie Manuel said.
"That's why you come and do your best every day and see what happens," he said.
"He'll work it out," Manuel said. "That's part of the game, too. Good hitters, they kind of get in slumps or hit periods where they don't get any hits. Today, of course, it's noticed a lot, especially when you go two or three games without getting a hit or something. He'll be OK. I'll put my money on Utley."
Kalas will travel Sunday with the Phils to Washington, where they will open a three-game series on Tuesday against the Nationals.
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