PHILLIES NEWS

The Phils completed their series with the Blue Jays this afternoon on yet another wet and dreary day. This time they played a little bit better but it still wasn't good enough. Joe Blanton got the start and lasted just 5 and 1/3rd innings while allowing 4 runs on 9 hits. Meanwhile, the Phils were able to take advantage of the fact the Toronto starter Brad Mills lasted just 3 and 2/3rds innings, just enough to take a lead into the 7th inning, but everything fell apart from there. The Jays took the early lead 2-0, on a 2 run homer by Chavez in the 2nd inning. Jayson Werth answered with a solo homer in the bottom of the inning to cut it to 2-1. In the top of the 3rd Vernon Wells doubled in a run for a 3-1 lead. In the bottom of the 3rd Werth sac flyed in a run to cut it to 3-2. In the bottom of the 4th Jimmy Rollins slugged a 2 run homer to put the Phils up 4-3. In the bottom of the 5th John Mayberry Jr (playing in place of the injurted Raul Ibanez) slammed a solo homer for a 5-3 lead. In the top of the 6th Adam Lind lined a solo homer to cut it to 5-4. In the top of the 7th Scott Rolen doubled and scored on a single by Alex Rios to tie it at 5. In the top of the 8th Wells ,and Rolen each knocked in another run for a 7-5 lead, and then Mayberry Jr gunned down Wells at plate to prevent a 3rd run. In the bottom of the 8th the Phils battled back one last time, as a solo homer by Greg Dobbs, and a 2 out RBI single by Shane Victorino tied it up again at 7. Finally in the top of the 9th, behind 0-2 in the count, Rod freaking Barajas clubbed a pinch solo homer for an 8-7 Jays' lead and at last that proved too much for the Phils to overcome. So the Phils drop to 13-19 at home now and I mean things really can't any worse than that can they? Actually with Ibanez on the DL for at least 2 weeks due to a strained groin, things could easily get a whole lot worse. The Phils just have to hope Mayberry Jr can fill the void while Ibanez is out. He is a very good outfielder and has legitimate power to all fields, he's just a little raw right now and a bit of free swinger, so hitting coach Milt Thompson has his work cut out for him. Speaking of hitting, its official now, the slump is over, JRoll is back. He had 3 more hits today, including a homer and appears to have to returned to all-star form. Anyway, so the Phils drop to 36-28 overall now , but remain 3 games up in the NL East, thanks team that comes in tomorrow to begin a 3 game series, the Orioles, who took 2 of 3 from the Mets.