Phils Come Up Short and Split Series in St. Louis

Yesterday, Philadelphia's five game winning streak ended when the Cardinals took game 3 of the series in St. Louis. This afternoon, Kyle Kendrick took the mound, looking to steer the Phils back on track.  

The Game: In his six innings, Kendrick fanned just two; he also allowed five runs on eight hits.  Hollands and DeFratus split the relatively quiet seventh inning, while Giles pitched the eighth.  Although a 3-7 win-loss record could be deceiving, a 4.20 ERA surely isn't.  96 is a high pitch count for six innings; Kendrick just hasn't been sharp enough to really pull his weight in the rotation.

A bases-clearing double by Cody Asche in the second inning looked promising for the Phils' offense, but they failed to score again.  With runners in scoring position, Philadelphia went just 1-5 today, stranding a total of six runners.  At the end of the day, the Phillies were simply outplayed by the Cardinals, and they lost 5-3.

Notable Offense:

Ben Revere:  returned to the lineup after an absence for a swollen knee

Cody Asche: 2-4, 3 RBIs

Impact: After a lackluster performance by Kyle Kendrick, fans grow more and more eager to see Cliff Lee return to the rotation.  Chase Utley is the only member of Philadelphia's lineup with a batting average above .280.  The joy of Jimmy Rollins's record breakin hit and a five game winning streak seems to be over.

Up Next: The Phillies return to Citizens Bank Park to take on the Miami Marlins tomorrow night at 7:05 pm.  Righties Roberto Hernandez (3-5, 4.52) and Nathan Eovaldi (4-3, 3.76) are scheduled to start.  There will be a special pregame ceremony to honor Jimmy Rollins and his 2,235th hit.