PHILLIES NEWS

The Phils completed their series with the Astros tonight and the script was all too familiar. Jamie Moyer got the start in place of J.A Happ, who is hopefully not injured too seriously, and toughed out 6 innings, allowing just 2 runs on 3 hits while striking out 4, which is a lot for Moyer. Meanwhile, Ryan Howard slapped an RBI single in the top of the 1st, and slugged a solo homer in the top of the 4th, and Raul Ibanez slammed a solo homer in that same inning to put the Phils ahead 3-2 through 6. Unfortunately Chan Ho Park couldn't hold the lead in the bottom of the 7th allowing a Hunter Pence RBI double, and a bases loaded walk to Micheal Bourn. Once again the after that the Phils could not mount a late rally.Howard did lead off the top of the 8th with a single but he was stranded and the Phils never managed to get another man on base to lose 4-3. On a positive note Brett Myers did pitch another scoreless 8th inning, so he is looking pretty good. It was good to see Ibanez hit that homerun. He hit just 1 in the entire month of August and now that is his first in September. Hopefully this is a sign that he is finally coming out of the slump he's been for the last month or so. The Phils could really use a sweet hitting Ibanez to get them going again. So anyway the Phils drop to 77-58 overall and now down to 6 games up in the NL East.