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Phillies Frustrated By Lack Of Offense

Tribune photo by CHRIS URSO

Philadelphia Phillies Jayson Werth reacts after a strike out in the third inning of Game 2.

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By MARC LANCASTER | The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 25, 2008

Updated: 10/25/2008 12:14 am

PHILADELPHIA - It's the stat that has everybody talking two games into the World Series, the one responsible for the first question asked of Charlie Manuel following the Phillies' Game 2 loss and the first question he got at Friday's workout-day news conference.

One for 28. An entire game's worth of at-bats with runners in scoring position and only one hit to show for it - a hit that didn't even bring home a run.

"That's unheard of," Phillies outfielder Eric Bruntlett said. "We're dealing with guys that can really swing the bat. It's not going to continue that way."

If the Phillies are going to prevail over the remaining five games of the Fall Classic, they'll have to find a way to make more of their scoring chances. But the Rays' pitchers would just as soon keep doing what they've been doing. Their efforts in escaping one jam after another - particularly in the early innings - were the difference in Game 2 and kept the opener within reach.

It's the kind of tightrope work that can determine the outcome of a game this time of year, when every run is precious and you can never assume another scoring opportunity will materialize later in the game. That's especially true in this series, with two shutdown bullpens at work.

When James Shields managed to leave a Philadelphia runner idling on third base to end the second, third and fourth innings Thursday, it had to be demoralizing for a team already trailing on the scoreboard.

"It's a game of momentum this time of year, and if a team starts feeling really good they can be really dangerous," Rays reliever J.P. Howell said. "If you leave a guy on third, it gets really frustrating. We've done it, as a team, and it's really frustrating."

That's the irony in the way the first two games have played out. During the regular season, the Rays were among the majors' worst teams when it came to hitting with runners in scoring position. Their .246 average in those situations was the worst in the AL and 28th overall. The Phillies, meanwhile, were middle-of-the-pack at .263.

How have the Rays been so successful in heading off potential Phillies outbursts? The prevailing theory on the Tampa Bay side seems to be that the Rays have come up with the right pitch when they needed it the most - getting that strikeout or grounder rather than letting the Phillies drive the ball over the wall or into the gap.

"To this point, we've pitched well in situations," Rays manager Joe Maddon said.

The bigger picture of the game has come into play, too. Shields said the early lead he was staked to in Game 2 - ahead 2-0 after the first inning and 3-0 after the second - helped him stay aggressive with his pitch selection. If the game had been tied or the Rays were trailing, he might have been a bit more careful to avoid giving up one more run. In this case, though, he didn't feel one run would hurt him that badly.

"I was up 3-0 in a couple of those situations and I just stepped off the back of the mound and said, 'Look, I'm going to allow that guy to score the run. I'm going to make my pitch and get this guy out right now and minimize my damage,'" Shields said. "It turned out they didn't score any runs Thursday night."

You have to believe those runs will come as the series unfolds, though, and when and how that will happen has quickly become the most-asked question in the Phillies' clubhouse.

"I think the biggest thing is to take the pressure off yourself," veteran outfielder Matt Stairs said. "Instead of trying to get that big knock, put the ball in play and get the guy over or get the guy in. Don't try to be the big hero and get that two-RBI single. Just trust the team that's behind you and go from there."

Manuel echoed those sentiments right off the bat in his meeting with the media Friday afternoon.

"I think it's a matter of the guys relaxing, and we've definitely got to cut down on our swing some," he said. "We're swinging hard. That's a sign of trying too hard and trying to do too much. And especially when we've got a guy on third base and less than two out, we've got to get him in."

The Rays know they can't expect the Phillies to continue scuffling like they have when presented with scoring chances. But they also would like to point out that Philadelphia's struggles haven't occurred in a vacuum.

"There's always a reason for it," Game 1 starter Scott Kazmir said. "We like to say we're doing our job pretty good."

Reporter Marc Lancaster can be reached at (813) 259-7227.

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