PHILLIES NEWS

The Phils traveled to Toronto tonight to begin a series with the Blue Jays. After getting demolished by the Tampa Bay Rays last night , they were hoping to bounce back tonight. Instead, it was only more of the same. Even Cole Hamels, who got the start tonight, couldn't save the Phils as he allowed 4 runs on 8 hits in just 4 and 2/3rd's innings of work. Meanwhile Ricky Romero sparkled for Toronto no-hitting the Phils for 6 innings, before losing it in the 7th. In all he tossed 7 shutout innings, allowing just 2 hits. Thus, by the time the Phils finally scored a run in this one, it was the top of the 9th and too late mount any sort of comeback. All of the Toronto runs off Hamels, came in the 4th and 5th innings. In the 4th, Alex Rios singled in a run for a 1-0 lead, and in the 5th a 2 run double by Aaron Hill and a sac fly by Scott Rolen pushed it to 4-0. Later Toronto added 2 in the 8th on a single by Raul Chavez and a bases loaded walk issued to Hill to push the lead to 6-0. Finally as mentioned the Phils scored in the 9th on a sac fly by Jason Werth, but it was too late and they fell 6-1. So the Phils lose their 3rd in a row on the road for the first time all season. It really was just another terrible night for the Phils. They had exactly 3 hits all night long, 2 by Chase Utely, and one by Werth and everyone else, Ryan Howard(finally back at 1st) Pedro Feliz, Carlos Ruiz, Shane Victorino, etc; went hitless. Hamels had his worst start of the season thus far and he's now just 4-4 overall with an oddly high 4.44 ERA. Brad Lidge did get finally back into a game again tonight, but he threw a wild pitch and gave up those 2 runs in the 8th inning. They just don't look like the same Phillies team that won the world series with now. I don't know maybe it is just that they're stuck in interleague play, which is alway they're worst time of the year. Simply put they stink against american league teams, year in and year out. Especially against the AL East, which who they have been playing this year. So hopefully that's all that is going on with them right now, and as soon this series is over and they go back to playing NL teams they'll be fine. In the mean time, despite the loss they remain 1st in the NL East at just 37-34 overall, since the Mets(0.5 back), Marlins(1 back), and Braves(4 back) all lost tonight as well, thank God.