The Phillies’ bats were as cold as the weather Tuesday night. The Phils mustered just four hits in suffering a 2-0 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates at Citizens Bank Park.
The Phils (9-12) have been shut out three times in the last eight games. They wasted a strong pitching performance by Cole Hamels in this one.
Hamels is 0-3 for the first time in his career. The Phils are 0-5 in his starts. They were 21-10 in his starts last season.
The attendance was 31,002, the smallest crowd at CBP since April 2008.
Starting pitching report
Hamels pitched well, allowing just two runs over eight innings. He got no run support.
Hamels allowed seven hits, walked one and struck out six.
Pittsburgh lefty Jeff Locke, in his 14th big-league start, pitched six scoreless innings and held the Phillies to two hits. He walked two and struck out six.
Bullpen report
Phillippe Aumont pitched a scoreless eighth for the Phillies.
Lefty Tony Watson had a perfect seventh for Pittsburgh. Mark Melancon and Jason Grilli closed it out.
At the plate
The Phils, who were 0 for 5 with runners in scoring position, left two men in scoring position in each of the first two innings and wasted a leadoff triple in the fourth.
The Phils are hitting .183 (24 for 131) against lefties for the season.
Laynce Nix had his sixth pinch-hit of the season. Michael Young improved his hitting streak to 14 games.
Nix and Young had hits in the eighth as the Phils tried to make a run. The inning ended when Ryan Howard grounded out to first base.
The Pirates scored single runs against Hamels in the fourth and eighth innings. Neil Walker opened the fourth inning by reaching on an infield hit. He scored on a first-pitch gapper by Brandon Inge. Gabby Sanchez hit a 2-1 fastball out to right against Hamels in the eighth.
The Pirates were 0 for 13 with runners in scoring position.
In the field
Third baseman Young and shortstop Jimmy Rollins both made errors early in the game. Young bounced back with a sensational diving play to take away a potential hit from Inge in the second.
Minor matters
Carlos Ruiz can be activated from the suspended list on Sunday. In preparation, he will play Tuesday and Wednesday in Clearwater and Friday and Saturday night in Reading.
Delmon Young, recovering from ankle surgery, will shift his rehab assignment to Triple A on Thursday. He could be ready to join the Phils around May 1.
Jesse Biddle’s 16-strikeout performance Monday night had Phillies officials excited (see story).
Up next
Roy Halladay (2-2, 6.04) opposes Pirates lefty Wandy Rodriguez (2-0, 0.56) on Wednesday night.