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Phillies rally, but miss chances in loss

Kendrick struggles early; Phils denied sweep of Nationals

04/08/10 9:40 PM ET

WASHINGTON -- The way the Phillies scorched the baseball earlier this week at Nationals Park, people talked like they might make a run at the franchise-record 944 runs scored in 1930.

The Phils have a lineup that includes two former National League MVPs and seven former All-Stars.

It is a lineup that appears to have few weaknesses.

But even a lineup that has its first four hitters batting .400 or better three games into a 162-game season can come up short. The Phillies came up short Thursday in a 6-5 loss to the Nationals to prevent them from opening the season 3-0 for the first time since 2001. Philadelphia was just 1-for-14 with runners in scoring position and left 11 runners on base.

"The game was sitting right there for us all day long," manager Charlie Manuel said.

"We had our opportunities; we just didn't take advantage of it," Ryan Howard said.

The Phils battled back after a disappointing start for right-hander Kyle Kendrick, who allowed six hits and five runs in just four innings. The Nats opened the game with a triple, single and double to help them to a 3-0 lead. Kendrick retired nine consecutive batters at one point, but threw a hanging 1-1 changeup to Willie Harris, who hit a two-run home run to right field to give the Nationals a 5-2 lead in the fourth.

"Looking back, I see what I did wrong and what I did right," Kendrick said. "Obviously the numbers didn't show. You don't want to start the season like that, but I made some adjustments. I wish I would have adjusted earlier."

Nelson Figueroa, pitching in his first game for the Phillies since they claimed him off waivers Wednesday, took the loss after allowing a run in the seventh when Ryan Zimmerman hit a bloop double down the right-field line to score Alberto Gonzalez.

The Phils had numerous opportunities to take the lead, but couldn't get the big hit. They stranded a runner on second with one out in the third. They wasted a leadoff double from Jayson Werth in the fourth. Howard got thrown out at the plate on a base running miscue to end the fifth. Werth had just hit his career-high third double as Howard, who had the game's only hit with a runner in scoring position, raced around the bases.


"It's definitely frustrating. But at the same time, you have to try to keep it in perspective. There's a lot of games left."
-- Raul Ibanez

Third-base coach Sam Perlozzo waved Howard home, but put up the hold sign as the Nationals made a nice relay back to the infield.

Howard said he got the stop sign too late.

"He waved me around. I was going hard," Howard said. "It was one of those things I guess where he just kind of changed his mind at the last second."

Howard stopped in his tracks several feet off third base. He wanted to return to third, but realized he had no chance and reluctantly ran home. He had no chance to score, either, making the third out at the plate to end the inning.

"There's not much you could really do," Howard said. "They made a good relay. I tried to use my speed to escape, but it turns out Zimmerman was just as fast."

Even then, the Phillies tied the game in the sixth. Sean Burnett walked Raul Ibanez and Shane Victorino to lead off the inning. Brian Schneider's sacrifice bunt put runners on second and third. Tyler Clippard hit Ben Francisco to load the bases with just one out. Jimmy Rollins' sacrifice fly scored Ibanez, but the visitors could get nothing more than that.

Another big opportunity wasted.

But they still had life. Chase Utley hit a leadoff double in the ninth against Nationals closer Matt Capps, who was 1-1 with a 27.00 ERA in 2 1/3 innings against the Phillies last season when he pitched for the Pirates. Capps intentionally walked Howard to put runners on first and second with nobody out.

Werth flied out to center to move Utley to third, but Ibanez flied out to shallow left and Victorino popped up in the infield to end the game.

Ibanez is hitting .091 (1-for-11) in his first three games.

"It's definitely frustrating," said Ibanez, who hit just .130 in Spring Training following offseason sports hernia surgery. "But at the same time, you have to try to keep it in perspective. There's a lot of games left."

"It's three games," Manuel said. "We've got to keep running him out there. I don't want him to start digging a big hole for himself. I'm sure he wants to do the best he can. I'm sure he expects to contribute like everyone else. I'm not worried right now. I think he definitely deserves more time to see if he can get it going."

Todd Zolecki is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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