Philadelphia Phillies face 1-5 defeat against Chicago Cubs at Citizens Bank Park - MLB Update
Starter Kyle Kendrick continues his dismal season outing as his side the Philadelphia Phillies lose to Chicago Cubs 1-5 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on April 29, 2012.
A meagre two hits that the Phillies managed in the whole game speak volumes of their miseries in front of quality pitches. Apart from one hit by shortstop Jimmy Rollins and right fielder Hunter Pence each, none of the batters connected a hit.
Even Ty Wigginton, who has managed an impressive .473 slugging percentage in the season so far, went hitless. In three at-bats, he contributed one RBI and drew one walk.
Sole run the Phillies drew came in the bottom of ninth inning, which was to prove just a dead-rubber.
Phillies’ manager heaped blame on the offence. Inability to hit distance in the face of fiery pitches by the Cubs’ starter Matt Garza, he believes led to another dismal outing on the plate.
"We didn't hit a ball hard," Manuel said. "We didn't get nothing going. I think Garza had a lot to do with it, but our hitting is inconsistent and we have to be more consistent."
Embarrassed with the way players have fared, he calls upon the need to come out better in upcoming games.
"You have to hit some balls hard to win games. I feel like we're treading water. We have to play a lot better," Manuel uttered.
Unfortunately for the Phillies, one of their greatest strengths, pitchers did not live up to their repute. Runs they kept giving up throughout the game disheartened the batters further.
Garza was spot on in his seven shut-out innings for the Cubs. He struck-out 10 in the game.
Placido Polanco did not appear in the game, whose absence can also be a part of the reason why the Phillies managed handful of hits in the game.
On a positive note, the Phillies can expect a turn-around in fate when their top hitters Chase Utley and Ryan Howard will return to the season.
Season is still wide open and any team struggling at the moment can turn out incredible any time during the season. The Phillies will look to experience a similar kind of eventuality.
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