Phillies hope rain stops, slumbering bats awaken

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CINCINNATI -- The start of Tuesday night’s game between the Phillies and Reds was delayed by rain.

So Charlie Manuel will have to wait a little longer to see when his team will start hitting on this trip.

“Anytime we want we can start hitting the ball and scoring runs,” Manuel lamented before batting practice. “I’m not panicking, but I’d like to see us put our game together and have our pitching, hitting and defense all come together at once. It’s got to flow together. That’s what we’re not getting.”

In the first four games of the trip, the Phils scored just eight runs. Three of them came on late-game, pinch-hit home runs. Missing is sustained offense throughout the game. The Phils are just 7 for 34 (.206) with runners in scoring position in the four games.

Against left-handed pitching? It’s ugly. For the season, the Phils are hitting just .136 (11 for 81) as a team against lefty pitching and their on-base percentage against lefties is .186. Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley are a combined 4 for 39 (.103) with 18 strikeouts against lefties.

“That’s been a concern for the last few years,” Manuel said. “Our right-handed hitters haven’t knocked them out either.”

Leadoff man Ben Revere is hitless in his last six at-bats, falling to .222 with a .276 on-base percentage. Revere might end up in the No. 8 hole when Carlos Ruiz and Delmon Young are ready to play. The addition ofthose two right-handed bats will give Manuel the flexibility to use Michael Young in the No. 2 hole and lengthen the lineup with Revere at No. 8.

Catcher Erik Kratz has is 1 for 12 on the trip and is hitting .171 (7 for 41) on the season. He was not in the starting lineup Tuesday night as Manuel went with Humberto Quintero for the second time in three games.

“I just decided to go that way,” Manuel said. “We’ve said Quintero was going to catch a couple times a week. Most likely Kratz will be in there (Wednesday).”

Quintero could also be in there on Friday when Roy Halladay makes his next start. He has caught Halladay’s last two starts, including the veteran right-hander’s 200th career win on Sunday.

Ruiz will be eligible to return on April 28 in New York. At that time, the Phillies will have to decide who stays as the backup catcher -- Kratz or Quintero. Kratz has minor-league options; Quintero would have to clear waivers to be sent down.

Manuel indicated that he’s evaluating the situation.

“Sooner or later when people come back we’ll have to make some changes on our roster,” he said.

The Phils will also have to drop an outfielder when Young returns around May 1. Reserve Ezequiel Carrera seems like the obvious choice.

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