PHILLIES NEWS

The Phils continued their series with the Red Sox tonight on a rain soaked evening. Antonio Bastardo got the start and finally got roughed up for the 1st time allowing 5 runs on 3 hits in just 1 inning of work. Then the rain wiped out any chance for him to pitch longer. Although Chad Durbin pitched 3 brilliant innings following the rain, the Phils just didn't have enough bullets to hang with the Red Sox in this one. They did make it close for a while though. Thanks to two errors, a 2 run homer by Jason Bay and a single by Julio Lugo the Red Sox took a 5-0 lead in the top of the 1st. In the bottom of the 3rd Chase Utley doubled in a run to cut it to 5-1. In the bottom of the 4th Raul Ibanez slammed a solo homer and Pedro Feliz lined a 2 run homer to cut it to 5-4. The Phils would never get closer though as in the 5th a double by Jason Varitek, a single by Lugo, and a single by Dustin Pedroia produced 3 runs and an 8-4 lead. Jayson Werth singled in a run in the bottom of the 5th to cut it to 8-5 but it was of no use. The Red Sox then all but put it away in the 7th, scoring 2 more runs on a single by Jacoby Ellsbury and a sac fly by Bay for a 10-5 lead. From there homers by Werth in the bottom of 7th and Ellsbury in the 9th only served to make the final score 11-6 Red Sox. So the Phils struggles continue at home as they drop to 12-16 overall. Hopefully that will turn around soon. Bastardo got a little roughed up here, but so does everyone against the Red Sox and he only went one inning, so we'll never know how things would have gone if he had been able to stay in the game longer. Thus, I think it would be too early to give up on him and call someone else up in his place. Nevertheless I am sure the Phils will consider doing so and who could blame them. So anyway the Phils drop to 35-25 overall and back to 3 games up in the NL East.