PHILLIES NEWS

The Phils returned to the Bank tonight to begin a series with the Marlins. Jamie Moyer got the start once again looking for win No. 250. He pitched fairly well, allowing just 4 runs on 7 hits in 6 solid innings. Once again it wasn't good enough as ex-Phil Wes Helms collected 3 hits and knocked in 4 runs to thwart Moyer. All in all it was just another one of those off nights for the Phils lineup resulting in a loss. In fact so far this season in games like this when the Phils score 3 runs or less they are 0-14 which obviously points to the fact that the starting pitching just hasn't been that great just yet, although it does seem to be getting better. On this night Ryan Howard was responsible for all 3 runs. In the bottom of the 1st he crushed a 2 run homer for a 2-0 lead. In the top of the 4th Helms answered with a 3 run homer to put the Fish up 3-2 and then Ronnie Paulino, whom the Phils cut in spring training, slapped an RBI single in the top of the 6th to make it 4-2. In the bottom of the 6th Howard answered with a solo homer to cut it to 4-3. From there Chan Ho Park pitched the final 3 innings in relief allowing just one run on a single by Helms for a 5-3 lead. Despite Park's performance the Phils just couldn't get anything going in those final innings and eventually lost 5-3. So the Phils drop to to 24-19 overall, but remain a half a game up in the NL East. Now just to go back to that 0-14 thing, that can't continue for the rest of the season. You just can't expect to score a boatload of runs every night. On other the hand the Phils rotation does seem to be on the upswing at this point so I don't think that will continue for the rest of the season. Eventually the Phils will win some close low scoring games.