On a night when manager Charlie Manuel appealed to their pride and professionalism, a night when they had a chance to show that they had put Jimmy Rollins' tardiness-induced benching behind them and respond to the challenge of being out of the division lead for the first time in nearly 2 months . . .

The Phillies lost, 8-2.

They got just five hits.

At home.

Against a team, the Atlanta Braves, they have dominated this season.

They came within one out of being shut out for the seventh time this year before Chase Utley singled and Ryan Howard hit a two-run homer after most of the crowd had already headed for the exits.

So, naturally, Manuel was asked afterward if he expected to see some more immediate results from his speech to the team before the game.

"Yes, I did," he said. "I felt like this would be a good night. Sometimes meetings, just because you don't win that night, sometimes it takes a day or two. It might be good for us. We'll have to wait and see. We have to stay upbeat. I know we're better than the way we've been playing.

"This is a strange game, man. You can be flying high 1 day and at rock bottom the next. It doesn't matter how tough it gets, you've got to keep going."

Rollins went 0-for-4. He didn't get much reaction from the sellout crowd of 45,114 when he was first introduced, but there were scattered boos after he was retired in his final two at-bats. He left the clubhouse without speaking to the media.

Catcher Brian McCann accounted for most of Atlanta's offense. He homered off Phillies starter Kyle Kendrick in the fourth, which was the game's only run until the Braves blew it open with seven runs against Brad Lidge and Clay Condrey in the ninth. The big blow was McCann's grand slam.

The Phillies are now tied with Florida for second place in the National League East, two games behind the front-running Mets. It's the most they've been off the pace since they were 2 1/2 games behind the Marlins on May 26.

Before last night they were 8-1 against the Braves this year.

Righthander Jair Jurrjens (10-5, 3.02) was acquired from the Tigers last winter for shortstop Edgar Renteria, and now leads all major league rookies in wins.

Last night he allowed just four baserunners - three singles, one walk - in eight innings.

The Phillies hit some balls hard with little to show for it, especially in the eighth. Greg Dobbs led off with a line drive right at third baseman Omar Infante. Carlos Ruiz hit a shot that was caught by first baseman Mark Teixeira. And pinch-hitter Jayson Werth smoked one off Jurrjens, who scrambled to recover the ball and just threw him out at first. Three up, three down.

Still, it was another limp effort from a lineup that, at the start of the season, was supposed to be the gold standard of the National League.

"We've got guys capable of hitting," Manuel said, a statement that is starting to become a little threadbare. "They've hit before and they're going to hit again. I'm surprised that our guys have gone this long without breaking out of it. I felt like the other night [when the Phillies stunned the Mets by scoring six runs in the top of the ninth] was going to give us a jump. But now we've lost three in a row."

Kendrick lasted just 2 1/3 innings at Shea Stadium on April 9, allowing seven runs. His next start: seven innings, two runs against the Astros.

Kendrick was charged with six runs in three innings against the Red Sox on June 18. His next start: eight shutout innings at Oakland.

The 23-year-old righthander had his third abysmal start of the season last Saturday against the Marlins when he was torched for seven runs on 10 hits in just 4 1/3 innings at Dolphin Stadium.

And, for the third time, he came back his next time out with a strong effort. Kendrick (8-5, 4.70) allowed 10 baserunners in his six innings, but only one run: McCann's solo shot.

On this night, that wasn't good enough. "That's baseball," he said. "There's nothing you can do about it. I don't think we're worried about [being in second place]. I can't speak for my teammates, but I think we just have to win games. Just get on a hot streak and we'll be right back in it."

Which, as the Phillies proved again last night, is easier said than done.

Phillers