Phillies Futility Continues

    The Phillies continued their terrible play that has followed them back from Miami and Cincinnati tonight as they opened a home series against the Cardinals.  The Phillies fell by a score of 4-3 as they continue to struggle to consistently get on base.

    Cole Hamels got the starting nod and continued his improvement after two rough starts to open the 2013 season.  Hamels threw seven innings while allowing three runs on 5 hits.  Hamels command wasn't quite as good as usual, but he battled through, walking 2 while recording 8 strikeouts.
    After trailing 2-0 entering the sixth inning, the Phillies offense suddenly showed some signs of life for the first time in a few games, tying the game at two apiece.  Freddy Galvis doubled home a run, and Chase Utley followed that with a single to knock in Galvis and plate the tying run.  The Cardinals quickly regained the lead again in the seventh, before Erik Kratz tied it right back up in the bottom half of the frame with a single powered by a hearty pregame meal of Turkey Bacon.
    With Hamels done for the evening, the Phillies handed things over to Mike Adams to try and keep the game knotted at 3-3, but things did not go as planned.  Carlos Beltran hit a solo home run to once again regain the lead for the Cardinals.  After Jonathan Papelbon came on in the ninth to pitch one perfect inning and keep the deficit at one, the Phillies decided to at least make things interesting.
    Ben Revere and Erik Kratz started off the bottom of the inning with singles to put runners on the corners with no outs.  After a Kevin Frandsen first pitch ground-out (glad to see he's taking hitting advice from Jimmy Rollins), the Phillies had men on second and third with one out.  Rollins then proceeded to strike out followed by a ground out from Galvis to end the comeback hopes and the game, bringing the Phillies losing streak to four games.
    Silver linings from the night included two hits apiece from Galvis, Utley and Kratz, while Ryan Howard had a 3 for 4 night at the plate.  The Phillies face the Cardinals again tomorrow with Roy Halladay getting the starting nod.