Phillies' run-down offense leads to another loss

LEST WE BE accused of negativity, let us focus on some of the good things the Phillies did on their way to a 4-1, series-sweeping loss to the Colorado Rockies a Citizens Bank Park yesterday.

They finally got a hit with runners in scoring position for the first time in 23 tries.

Alas, it did not plate a run and it became 1-for-27 by game's end.

Andres Blanco hit his major league-leading fifth pinch-hit double of the season in the fifth inning.

Alas, that too, did not result in a run.

Odubel Herrera, seemingly headed to the All-Star Game way back in April, posted his first multihit game since May 12 when he singled with two on in the seventh inning.

As for plating a runner - see item No. 1 above.

Instead, Herrera's looping single to left one-bounced to Colorado's Brandon Barnes, loading the bases with no outs and the Phillies down by three.

"That was a big point in the game with bases loaded and no outs,"' manager Ryne Sandberg said. "To try and cash in there and get a big hit to get back in the game . . . That was our best chance of the day."

All together now:

Alas . . .

Cameron Rupp came to the plate against newly inserted righty Brooks Brown, faced three pitches from the lefthander, swung at two, and was gone.

Darin Ruf followed him, watched four straight mid-90s fastballs, swung at a fifth, and he, too was gone.

"I think pitchers are coming at us with strikes and we have to swing the bats and create some offense by swinging and getting some baserunners," Sandberg said. "We had some take strikes to get in the hole in that situation. You look for a good pitch to drive in and make something happen to put up a crooked number and come back from being down 4-1."

He could only be talking about Ruf.

Rupp got into his hole swinging, and Ben Revere, who said he was all keyed up for fastballs, swung and missed at not one changeup, not two, but three . . . consecutively.

"I was aggressive," said Revere. "I knew the guy had a real good fastball. That's the first time I faced him. I never saw his changeup. In that situation, that spot, three changeups? I was sitting on fastballs . . . He really kind of surprised me there.

"Normally you don't even double up on changeups. He came in and did his job."

So did the Rockies' previous pitcher, lefthander Chris Rusin, who was an emergency second-inning insertion after Colorado starter Jordan Lyles injured his left big toe. A recent emergency call-up from Triple A, Rusin allowed four hits over 4 2/3 innings and did not allow a run. It followed a seven inning, one-run debut against the Reds last Tuesday, contrasting significantly the 6.29 earned run average he emerged from the minors with.

Then again, this whole weekend contrasted starkly with the statistics Colorado carried into it. The Phillies scored just four runs in three games against a pitching staff that ranks last in the majors.

They're getting better, though, which is more than yesterday's Phillies starter Jerome Williams can say - or the Phillies can after suffering two consecutive sweeps and dropping a season-high seventh straight game yesterday. Three batters in, Williams had surrendered a two-run home run, and for the sixth time in his last seven starts, failed to pitch into the sixth inning.

In contrast, the Rockies' pitching staff has allowed two runs or less in seven of its last 16 games. In doing so, the Rockies have climbed to within four games of .500, a modest spot that must look like the heavens right now to the local nine. The Phillies are a season-high 14 games under .500, and that's with Cole Hamels and Aaron Harang pitching well, and Ryan Howard supplying some semblance of his old self in the cleanup spot. They have allowed a major league-worst 20 home runs over their last 15 games and have stranded 25 men on base in just the last four games, all losses.

Asked what has disappointed him most, Sandberg said, "I can't talk about the whole season because we've scratched and clawed and played hard and had a winning streak in there. The last week we haven't been able to cash in on the offensive things. Have a couple guys get hot. Carry us with some big hits, score some runs. On the pitching side of things we've made some mistakes over the plate and its cost us with the long ball. With crooked numbers going against us. So that combination has not been good this week."

Never is.

One last attempt at positivity however: Jonathan Papelbon, inserted to pitch the ninth, has not allowed a run in 17 of his 20 appearances this season. Nineteen of those appearances have finished games, which means if he finishes just 29 more over the 110 that remain, his salary of $13 million will be guaranteed for 2016.

What's that? You're not happy about that?

Well now look who's being negative.

philly.com/SamDonnellon