Bowa Burns as Phils Drop Second Straight in Houston

HOUSTON — For the Phillies, the numbers are there in black-and-white and they're flat-out maddening.

Eleven losses in the last 12 games on the road. A 3-14 record away from home... that's 3-14. Nine different runners in scoring position during the past two games with 13 at-bats to bring them in and just two runs to show for it.

More importantly the biggest numbers are found the final score, which ended up a 5-1 loss to the Houston Astros, Tuesday night at Astros Field.

	Mike Lieberthal breaks up a double play during the Phils second straight loss in Houston. (AP)

"We had opportunities. They had opportunities. But they executed and we didn't," manager Larry Bowa said.

But those numbers only tell a part of the story. After all, the Phillies just finished their third-best homestand in franchise history by going 8-1 against the Rockies, Astros and defending World Champion Diamondbacks. Seemingly on a roll heading into a seven-game series that began Monday in Houston and finishes next Sunday in Arizona, the Phils were ready to climb the NL East standings.

Not so fast.

After losing 17-3 the night before, the Phils hung around and were a bit more competitive on Tuesday night. Trailing 1-0 until Jimmy Rollins' solo blast in the fifth made it 1-1 and then behind 2-1 heading into the eighth, the pitching staff was faced with a situation that has just been murder on them.

With one out in the eighth, rookie third baseman Morgan Ensberg lifted a bases-loaded triple off reliever Ricky Bottalico that caromed off the short wall in left to break the game wide open. Left fielder Pat Burrell had trouble locating the ball as it bounced off the uneven, advertiment-laden fence, but it was of no consequence — the damage had been done.

Perhaps the most disturbing subplot of Ensberg's bases-loaded triple is the fact big hits against the Phils' pitchers with the sacks juiced are no new thing. In fact, it's the latest trend.

This season, Phils' opponents are 15-for-49 (.385) with a home run, two triples, five doubles, three walks and... gasp! 38 RBIs with the bases loaded. The Astros are 5-for-7 with 12 RBIs with the bases loaded in the past two days alone.

Ouch!

Ensberg's hit was the icing on the cake of a game that was winnable for starter Randy Wolf. Coming off two-hitter through seven innings in a win against the Astros last Thursday at the Vet, the southpaw allowed two runs and five hits through seven this time out. The problem was, his guys only got him one run.

Wolf gave up a second-inning solo blast to Richard Hidalgo that crashed of the faux-facade in left and, get this, a bases-loaded ground out to pinch hitter Geoff Blum that brought home Hidalgo.

Aside from the runs, Wolf (2-2, 5.31) effectively threw the ball inside despite pitching in a ballpark that is left-hander's nightmare and looks more like an elaborate whiffle ball field than Big League ballpark. He was able to keep the ball down, registering nine ground ball outs, and away, getting six, lazy fly outs.

"Randy Wolf pitched a great game, it's a shame we couldn't get him a win," Bowa said. "We had a lot of opportunities, we just didn't get the runners in when we had chances."

Not getting the run support is starting to drive Wolf crazy. His teammates have gotten 33 runs in his seven starts, but just four the last two times out. Wolf, meanwhile, has allowed only three in his last 14 innings.

"I'm not going to bad-mouth anyone on this team. I just hope that we can do things all together," Wolf said. "It's frustrating for all of us. We pitchers just have to keep throwing our game."

The Phils stranded 10 runners and had the leadoff runner on base five times. In the second, the had the first two hitters on and couldn't get one in. In the fourth, Scott Rolen led off with a double and didn't move up to third until Travis Lee ripped a two-out single. Again, he was left on third.

In the sixth, the Phils had first and third with no outs and the bases loaded with one out and came up empty. After Lee was walked to load them, Pat Burrell grounded to Jeff Bagwell at first who threw home for the force. With two outs, Marlon Anderson struck out to end the threat.

All told, the Phils were 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position, Tuesday night.

"We had opportunities. We left 10 men on base," Bowa said. "Sooner or later they have to understand what winning baseball is about. It's not about hitting home runs, it's about putting the ball in play with men on base and driving in a run.

"We've been winning with pitching. You have to hope these young guys will wake up and realize its not about 'me,' it's about what 'we' can do. I'm getting tired of watching it and I think our pitchers are getting tired of watching it. We are not a team that can keep on giving up opportunity after opportunity."

But the lack of clutch hitting has been a season-long problem. So far, the team is hitting just .231 (80-for-347) with runners in scoring position compared to their opponents .268. With the bases loaded, the Phils are just 5-for-35 (.143), including the 0-for-2, Tuesday night.

Burrell, who came up with runners in scoring position three times and went 0-for-3, is fairly succinct in his analysis of his play.

"All I can say is I sucked tonight," Burrell said. "You go up there with two on or the bases loaded and you don't execute, that's not going to cut it."

But it's not those numbers that have Bowa upset, it's the seeming failure to recognize proper situational hitting. During the past two losses, there have been numerous occasions for the Phils to simply move a runner up in which they failed to execute.

It's driving Bowa crazy.

"Our hitters have to understand home runs are not what it's all about when you have runners in scoring position, just put the ball in play," Bowa said. "If you're ahead in the count 2-0 you should be looking for a strike. It's different when you get two strikes. But when you get ahead in the count and there's a runner on second you got to put the ball in play to the right side and move the runner over, don't try to drive in four runs."

Astros' starter Dave Mlicki had a lot to do with the Phils' futility. The vet allowed just four hits and Rollins' homer in six innings, which is a nice extension from last Thursday's three runs and six hits in 6 1/3 in the loss at the Vet. However, Mlicki left the door open for the Phils by walking four batters, including two to start an inning.

But in the end, it was nothing more than a tease.

Reliver Octavio Dotel (1-1, 3.43) pitched the seventh and got credit for the win.

The Phils try to salvage the final game of the three-game series on Wednesday when Vicente Padilla (5-2, 2.41) faces young lefty Carlos Hernandez (3-1, 3.35). Padilla, of course, came four outs away from a no-hitter against the Diamondbacks last Friday night in a 4-0 win. He's won his last three starts and has allowed just five runs and 12 hits in 23 innings during that stretch.

Hernandez has been solid in his first full Major League season. He's pitched into the seventh inning in four straight starts but suffered a 5-1 loss in Pittsburgh last Friday.

After Wednesday's game, the Phils head for Phoenix where they will kick-off a four-game set against the Champs. Both Curt Schilling and Randy Johnson are slated to pitch in the first two games of the series. Undoubtedly, the Phils will need a few clutch hits against those two.

John R. Finger
ComcastSportsNet.com