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NEW YORKRyan Howard sat in a chair in the clubhouse and stared blankly into his locker for several minutes after Saturdays 11-2 loss to the New York Mets. He barely moved except to fold his hands in front of his face. Clearly disappointed, he kept staring a hole through the back of his locker before rising to take a shower and wash off the residue of a difficult day at work.
You dont think these guys care when they play a terrible ball game?
You didnt see Howard after this one.
Im just upset, he said, softly. It was a bad game.
Howard cost starting pitcher Cole Hamels a run in the first inning when he let a pop-up drop untouched in the infield. That botched pop-up, ruled a hit, was the first of a season-high seven earned runs that Hamels allowed in an ugly loss.
This is one well forget and move on from, manager Charlie Manuel said.
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Thats all the Phillies can do. They will be right back at Citi Field on Sunday afternoon trying to win the rubber game of the series. The Phils have won six straight series. They will entrust that streak to Kyle Kendricks right hand Sunday afternoon.
The Phils took the opener behind John Mayberry Jr.s five RBIs on Friday night. If there was ever a reason to believe the Phillies were going to lock down the series on Saturday afternoon, it was right there in the person of Hamels, who took the second-best ERA in the league to mound. Hamels had won his previous two starts, allowing just three runs in 16 innings in the process.
Hamels day started off wellhe threw nine straight strikesbut went downhill in a hurry, starting with the muffed two-out pop up that led to a run.
Daniel Murphy hit the pop up with a man on second. First baseman Howard and second baseman Chase Utley converged on the ball on the infield grass. Howard called for it all the way and Utley peeled off. At the last split-second, however, Howard glanced over at Utley and the ball dropped in.
It was kind of loud, Howard said. I thought Chase said he had it, but he was calling my name and I mistook that.
Its unfortunate. They went out and took advantage of it.
Howard took full blame for the misplay, but it was only a small reason that the Phillies lost the game and it could have easily been overcome had the Phillies not been held to just seven singlesHoward was 0 for 4 with two strikeouts -- and had Hamels not had one of those days against a familiar nemesis.
Hamels is just 3-10 in 16 starts against the Mets in his career.
Its like a coin flip when I face themgood game, bad game, he said.
Back on April 5, in his first start of the season, Hamels was sacked for six runs in 2 23 innings against the Mets and was booed at Citizens Bank Park. He came back on May 28 and held the Mets to two runs over seven innings while striking out 10 in a 5-2 win.
Hamels isnt sure why the Mets often have his number.
When you play a team so often, thats bound to happen, he said.
The Mets know all about the fastball-changeup repertoire that Hamels featured early in his career. They know how important the cutter has become in his arsenal. That kind of offensive intelligence mandates that a pitcher put his pitches in good spots and Hamels did not do that Saturday.
I was up with everything, he said. I wasnt able to get anything down and they made a lot of good contact. It happens. When you dont hit your spots youll give up runs.
In addition to allowing eight hits in 4 13 innings, Hamels walked a season-high four, including the leadoff man in an inning twice. Both of those walks were turned into runs.
Hamels was asked if the dropped pop up in the first inning took him out of his rhythm.
No, he said. The hits they got in the third inning affected my rhythm more than anything.
Hamels appeared frustrated after the pop up fell in, but later said he was not bothered by it.
I just went in the dugout and had a drink of Gatorade, he said.
Mets starter Jonathon Niese allowed six hits over seven innings. All were singles. The lefty improved to 9-7. The Phils are hitting just .236 with a .347 slugging percentage against left-handed pitching.
Thats a lot more troubling than a dropped pop up and rare poor outing by an often outstanding starting pitcher.
If were going to generate runs, we definitely have to hit left-handed pitching better, Manuel said. Look at the numbers. They have to get better.
E-mail Jim Salisbury at jsalisbury@comcastsportsnet.com. Follow him on Twitter @JSalisburyCSN.
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