Phillies quickly lose suspended game, 1-0

CINCINNATI - It took nine minutes for the Phillies to lose Wednesday. Charlie Manuel did not move from his perch in the dugout. He hung his arms over the railing as he watched the Reds celebrate what felt like a spring training victory. Fewer than 1,000 people dotted the stands.

"Obviously, there is no intensity," Phillippe Aumont said. "As a pitcher, you have to find a way to fire yourself up."

Aumont faced four batters. All four reached base. Cincinnati won the resumption of a suspended game, 1-0, with a walk-off single by Jay Bruce.

It was a bizarre scene. Aumont threw the first pitch at 5:31 p.m., or 18 hours and 43 minutes after play was stopped Tuesday because of heavy rain. Nine minutes later, Bruce's swing ended it.

The seeds of a brisk defeat were planted when Aumont reached 0-2 on his first hitter, Zack Cozart, and failed to finish him; when he issued a walk to Joey Votto; and when Ben Revere lost a fly ball in the sun.

"That's baseball for you," Revere said. ". . . It ticks me off it had to go down like that."

With runners at first and second, Brandon Phillips skied one to left-center. Revere was shading him toward right and had to cover a great distance. The ball glanced off his glove and fell for an error, snapping his streak of 173 consecutive games without a miscue. His last error was Aug. 5, 2011, at Detroit while playing for Minnesota.

That loaded the bases.

"If the sun's not there, I make that catch," Revere said. "But, you know, I mean, it just is what it is."

Aumont entered the game Tuesday before the delay and had to face at least one batter. Manuel said it was Aumont's inning, regardless.

He started Cozart with two strikes. Cozart worked a full count and lined one over Jimmy Rollins' head and into center. Votto walked for the 22d time in 14 games to advance the winning run to scoring position. After Revere's error, Bruce smacked the first Aumont pitch he saw to right for the winning single.

The Phillies mustered just two base runners. Aumont's stumble did not afford the offense another opportunity on a new day. And things got no better in the regularly scheduled game later in the evening.

It was the Phillies' first suspended game since Game 5 of the 2008 World Series. (When asked if he would pinch-hit with Geoff Jenkins this time, Manuel said, "I'll call him up.") Their last regular-season suspended game was Aug. 9, 1982, against Pittsburgh at Veterans Stadium. . . . Carlos Ruiz homered and doubled while catching seven innings Tuesday in an extended spring training game in Florida. Ruiz is eligible to return April 28 and can play in five official minor-league games before then.