ST. LOUIS – The Phillies lost again to the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday night, but it didn’t take all night for them to do it.
Just the fifth inning, really.
Starting pitcher Aaron Harang was tagged for four runs in the inning and four runs is simply too steep a mountain for a team to climb when it’s averaging a major-league-worst 2.73 runs per game.
The final score from Busch Stadium was 5-2 (see Instant Replay).
The Phillies, who are now 8-14, didn’t just lose this game in the bottom of the fifth, when the Cards collected two singles, a double and a triple off Harang. They also lost it in the top of the inning when a potential rally was cut short at one run because of a poor bunt, a base-running error and some clutchless hitting.
“Actually the whole game, I thought, was decided in the fifth, and on the offensive side of things, in the top of the fifth,” said manager Ryne Sandberg, who seems to be getting a little sick of this losing thing. “We had a chance to put some more runs up on the board. Too soft of a bunt and the bad base running. It would've been nice to get one more run there for Harang and who knows, that might've made a difference in the bottom half. They put four hits together and a walk, so they put hits together that inning with the four runs.”
Ben Revere bunted into an out with runners on first and second for the first out in the fifth. Later he made a poor base-running play coming around third for the second out.
The usually mild-mannered Sandberg got his back up just a wee bit when asked about why he had Revere bunt with no outs.
“First and second with no outs and a bunter up there,” he said.
When it was pointed out that the Phils have had trouble executing bunts in the early season, Sandberg defended the call.
“That was the first one in about a week,” he said. “We had about eight good ones until tonight, so we did show some improvement. He just bunted it too softly. He’s got to get it to the third baseman.”
The top of the fifth ended with cleanup man Jeff Francoeur striking out with two men on base.
Francoeur went 0 for 4 and is hitless in his last 15 at-bats. He is 5 for 40 with a double, five walks and nine strikeouts in the cleanup spot. He is hitting .180. Third-place hitter Chase Utley went 0 for 3 with a walk and a long line out to the track in right-center to fall to .114. Fifth-place hitter Ryan Howard is hitting .191. He stung some balls into the shift Wednesday night and stroked a solo homer, his fourth of the season, all in the last eight games.
Maybe it’s time Sandberg shuffled the middle of his order, found some new right-left balance and put Howard back in the cleanup spot. He’s the best option this flawed offensive team has.
“That’s something you’ve got to ask the manager,” Howard said when asked if he thought it was time he got another shot in the cleanup hole. “I’m just trying to do the best I can wherever I am.”
Howard was pressed for his opinion on the matter.
“I feel I’m a four-hole guy,” he said. “I’ve been there most of my career. But, again, that’s his call.”
Sandberg will likely tinker with his lineup as the Phillies play a day game and face lefty Tim Cooney Thursday afternoon. Howard and Utley could rest.
Sandberg was asked about the difficulty of trying to win with such little offense coming from the 3, 4 and 5 spots in the batting order.
“That needs to pick up,” he said. “I'd say the top of the order is doing a nice job. (Odubel) Herrera with another good game with a couple of hits and an RBI, and Freddy (Galvis) at the bottom. With Freddy at the bottom coming around to the top, that's where the opportunities should get better. We need to get better in the middle of the order.”
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Asked specifically about the cleanup spot, Sandberg said, “Well, we’ll continue to try and figure it out and get guys slotted in there and hopefully we can catch fire. Howie's done a better job with contributing a number of games here in a row. We just need other guys to chip in and contribute.”