Rollins missing pitches, Phillies missing his offense

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - It was a big, ugly swing.

Lately, it was typical.

Jimmy Rollins had run the count full on Dan Wheeler with a man on first, but, as he has done so often this postseason, he swung and missed.

Strike three.

Strikeout three for the series.

Rollins enters Game 3 of the World Series an 0-for-10 hitter in the series, 9-for-47 (.192) this postseason, 11-for-58 (.190) in his playoff career, including last year's 2-for-11 exhibition in the National League Division Series sweep by the Rockies.

He has struck out 13 times in this year's playoffs, 18 times in his playoff career.

By comparison, Ryan Howard, the Phillies' King of K, has struck out 18 times in the playoffs.

"That's the way it goes sometimes," Rollins said. "Unfortunately, it's that way for me right now."

Oddly, Rollins felt the best against Wheeler than he has felt for a while. That was the problem.

"I was seeing him good. For some reason . . . I started tightening up," said Rollins, who was 2-for-7 against Wheeler. "I thought, 'I'm really going to hit him hard.' The power just wanted to come out. But you can't hit like that."

"To me, Jimmy's swinging hard," manager Charlie Manuel said.

They have a consensus.

Rollins has been terse, and tight, and anything but J-Rollish. Yes, the Phillies have won, but largely without his bat. That's a problem.

Consider Rollins' effect on Game 5 of the National League Championship Series. Yes, he led off the game with a homer.

But, in the third inning, he also drew a one-out walk, stole second and scored the second run of the game - the difference, as it turned out.

Certainly, his lack of hitting doesn't affect his defense. It never has. He robbed Cliff Floyd of a leadoff hit in the second inning last night with a trademark up-the-middle snag, spin and fire.

He sandwiched that play between popping out to second to start the game and grounding out to second with a runner on second base with no outs in the third.

The Phillies will tell you his swing is too long right now.

Rollins usually indicates that his timing is off - when and where he puts his foot down as he readies to swing is a bit out of sync.

Against the Rays, he said, he has had an unvaried diet.

"They're throwing me all fastballs," Rollins said. "A couple at-bats, I'd lay back and wait on it, trying to get my timing. A couple others, I'd be more aggressive."

Neither approach has worked.

Whatever.

Against a Rays team that still hasn't hit the way it can, entering Citizens Bank Park, the Phillies need Rollins on base and scoring.

Last night, not only could he not get a hit, he couldn't even get hit. The second pitch from David Price in the ninth inning clearly hit Rollins' baggy shirt.

Home-plate umpire Kerwin Danley disagreed.

"He said he couldn't hear it," Rollins said.

Rollins popped out to shortstop, but remained optimistic. A chronic slumper in the past, he believes Game 3 could be his breakout game.

"Hey, it's always day-to-day," he said.

Manuel agreed. He said that he has not considered moving Rollins from the leadoff spot; that Shane Victorino, the other candidate, lacks the plate discipline needed to fill that role.

Besides, Manuel said, "Jimmy could come out next game and get four hits."

Easy. *