The Phillies hangover from their division clinching win on Saturday carried over another game.
In another meaningless game, Roy Halladay and the offense looked rusty as they went on to lose 4-3 to the Cards, helping St. Louis in their pursuit to a return to the post season.
It was the first time all season that the Phils lost a four-game series. The Phils had either swept or won 3-1 their previous eight four-game sets this season.
Halladay allowed four runs on six hits and a rare four walks (an even rarer two intentional) in eight innings while striking out six for the Phils. The outing put a mini damper on Doc’s pursuit for a second straight Cy Young Award. He is in a heavy battle with team mate Cliff Lee and Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw as well as Arizona’s Ian Kennedy.
St. Louis jumped on Doc early like they did Cole Hamels yesterday. Lance Berkman hit a two-run homer off Halladay to give St. Louis a quick 2-0 lead. The Phils cut the lead in half in the 2nd on a Carlos Ruiz RBI.
The Phils got back into the game in the 9th when Jimmy Rollins hit an RBI triple to drive in Ruiz and was driven in on a Shane Victorino ground out of Jason Motte. The Cardinals yanked Motte in favor of the left-handed Arthur Rhodes.
Chase Utley singled off Rhodes to set up Hunter Pence. That brought in Tony LaRussa’s third pitcher of the 9th in Octavio Dotel. Dotel got Pence to ground out to third base and end the game.
Kyle Lohse kept the struggling Phillies offense at bay, allowing an unearned run on seven hits and a walk while striking out five.
Rollins hit a career milestone in the 9th inning. His RBI triple was the 100th three-bagger in Rollins’ career.
2B: Gload (6). 3B: Rollins (2).
WP: Lohse (14-8). LP: Halladay (18-6). S: Dotel (3).
TTB 