TIm Redding of the Washington Nationals came into this contest already having shut out the Phillies twice this season.  Redding is a right handed replicate of Jamie Moyer in that he changes speeds, sinks the ball and generally frustrates hitters into getting themselves out.  Phillies starter Moyer and Redding matched craftiness thru five frames as both veterans limited thier opponents to one hit and no runs.

The Nationals broke thru the scoreless tie in the sixth inning as Anderson Hernandez and Christian Guzman led off the inning with singles.  Moyer then struck out Ryan Zimmerman looking and coaxed Lastings Milledge to hit a ground ball to third that appeared to be a perfect double play.  Chase Utley however threw away the relay throw from second to first allowing Hernandez to score.   The Phillies bounced back in the bottom of the sixth as Jayson Werth doubled to right center field with two outs and was plated by Chase Utley who singled to left center. 

The Nationals re-took the lead in the seventh as Anderson Hernandez hit a two out infield single to plate Austin Kearns.  The hit ended Moyer’s evening as the crafty left hander once again gave the team a very good effort yielding only five hits and one earned run thru six and two thirds innings.  Chad Durbin came on to get the last out as Christian Guzman’s bat exploded on a ground out to first, the barrell went into the stands along the first base side and hit a fan, baseball needs to act on these bats else someone is going to get seriously hurt!  Fortunately this time it did not appear to be serious.

Shane Victorino was in the middle of stirring up the offense once again in the home seventh as he dribbled a ball behind the pitcher that the Nats third sacker tried to throw him out on and tossed errantly down the right field line.  Victorino ended up on third with a single as Ryan Zimmerman was credited with the two base throwing error.  Pinch hitter  extraordinaire Greg Dobbs then knocked in Victorino with a ground out to second base.   On the very next pitch  Carlos Ruiz belted a home run to left center field to put the FIghtins in the lead for the first time.  It was only Ruiz’s third bomb of the year. 

Ryan Madson came in to pitch the eighth and gave up broken bat singles to Zimmerman and Milledge as the first two hitters he faced.  Ron Belliard bunted both runners up with a sacrifice.  Jesus Flores then hit an infield single up the middle to tie the game and Austin Kearns then followed with a single to put the Nats ahead.  The Phillies bullpen has been great this year but Madson is one that still causes me concern when he is called on.  It appears to me that often his pitches are flat and on those occasions he gets hit.  J.C. Romero came in to strike out two hitters and end the inning.

Jayson Werth led off the Phillies eighth with a walk and advanced to second on a single by Chase Utley.  Ryan Howard then struck out for the third time in the game as he looked thoroughly confused in his at bat.  The opportunity was squandered as Pat Burrell grounded into a double play.  The more I watch, even the optimist I try to be, the more I doubt this offense will ever come out of thier funk, they have not adjusted to the steady diet of breaking balls they get early in counts and when opposing pitchers pop a fastball it often catches them off guard and they are either late or hit weak ground balls.   This team really needs a guy who is a professional hitter in this lineup, one that is steady at the plate, of course all teams need that!

Clay Condrey had the bases loaded against him in the ninth but was able to pitch out of it with no runs setting the stage for last at bat heroics.  Shane Victorino, our steadiest hitter, led off the ninth with a single up the middle off of Joel Hanrahan.  Victorino then stole second base on a very close play.  The Nats thought they had him but the TV replay showed him safe as the throw was taken in front of the bag and Shane got his hand in before the tag.  There was no joy in Phillyville however as Hanrahan retired the next three batters to end the Washington twelve game losing streak.

This was a tough game to lose as the Phillies now face the Dodgers, Mets and Cubs in thier next ten games.  It is make or break time and this loss may have prompted the breaking point, hope not but with the offense struggling the way it is this team may have hit the wall.  The next ten will be key in defining the season as success or failure.

Chatter

David Ross signed a contract with the Boston Red Sox and will be the backup there to Jason Veritak who has struggled this season offensively.  The Phillies inquired about Aubrey Huff from the Orioles but he is due big money next season and Baltimore is unwilling to eat any  portion of the contract.  Kevin Millar might be  a bench option as he has also cleared waivers with no claims made.  Ryan Howard looks to be in the same funk he was early on this season as he continually swings over balls that when hitting well he crushes.  Rollins hit into tough luck alot in this series as he smashed a few “at em” balls but I do notice that he is pulling just about everything rather than going with the pitch and hit quite a few ground balls to second base on outside pitches.  Rollins was booed every time he made an out by the Phillie “genius” fans in attendance.