PHILLIES NEWS

The Phils came into Houston tonight for a 3 game set, having won 6 of their last 9 against the Astros. With Jamie Moyer on the mound things figured to be more of the same. Moyer delivered, allowing just 4 runs on 9 hits, in 6 innings of work. The Phils bullpen on the other hand, didn't do so well allowing 3 runs on 2 hits after the Phils had cut the lead to 1 in the 6th inning. Aaron Rowand put the Phils ahead 1-0 in the first on a sac fly. Then after Houston tied in the bottom of the first, Pat Burrell went deep in the second for a 2-1 Phils lead. Houston tied it again in the 3rd, and then took the lead in the 5th with a 2 run homer by rookie Hunter Pence. The Phils then cut the lead to 1,at 4-3, with a solo homer by Shane Victorino in the 6th. Then Jamie Moyer returned to the dugout for the night and it all got away from the Phils. In the 7th, Brian Sanches walked 3 batters in a row to the load the bases with two outs and force in 1 run, but only after Shane Victorino attempted and failed to make a spectacular catch of a foul ball, lunging into the seats and bruising his side, he says he's fine though. Jose Mesa came in to relieve Sanches and walked in another run, before finally ending the inning. Then in the 8th, Mesa allowed a solo homer by Carlos Lee to seemingly put the nail in the Phils coffin. However, as is their current MO the Phils didn't go down easily. In the 9th, they loaded the bases with only 1 out, and Carlos Ruiz doubled to cut the lead to 7-5, and put the tying run on second. All they needed was one more single tie it, but Chris Coste grounded out, and Jimmy Rollins flied out and that was that. So the Phils lost 7-5 to drop to 42-41, but the Mets and Braves both lost as well, and the Phils thus didn't lose any ground in the NL East. Life still sucks though.