Carlos Beltran’s eighth-inning home run off Mike Adams gave the Cards a 4-3 win over the Phillies Thursday night at Citizens Bank Park, extending the Phillies’ losing streak to four.
The Phillies have now scored three or fewer runs in seven straight games, only the fifth time that’s happened since 1976.
The Phillies had runners on first and third with no outs in the bottom of the ninth, but reliever Edward Mujica got out of it. Kevin Frandsen grounded out to short, Jimmy Rollins struck out and Freddy Galvis bounced out to second to end it.
The Cards took a 2-0 lead on a disputed double down along the right-field line in the fourth by Yadier Molina. Phils manager Charlie Manuel came out to argue that the ball was foul, and replays appeared to show the ball landing just foul.
The Phillies tied the game in the sixth on doubles by Rollins, back in the leadoff spot, and Galvis and an RBI single by Chase Utley.
The Cards took a 3-2 lead in the top of the seventh on a double by David Freese and Pete Kozma’s sac fly before the Phils tied it in the bottom of the seventh on an infield hit by John Mayberry, Ben Revere’s sac bunt and a base hit to left by Erik Kratz that knocked Cards starter Adam Wainwright out of the game.
The Phils got the tying run to second in the bottom of the eighth on base hits by Ryan Howard and Michael Young before reliever Mujica struck out pinch-hitter Laynce Nix on three pitches.
The Phils fell to 6-10 and dropped 7½ games behind the Braves. It’s their worst record after 16 games since they were 5-11 in 2007.
Walk much?
The Phillies extended their streak of games without a walk to four and consecutive batters without drawing a walk to 135.
This is the first time since 1920 the Phillies have gone four straight games without drawing a walk. The Phils went seven games over 1919 (last two) and 1920 (first five) without drawing a walk, the only longer streak in baseball history than the Phils’ current four-game streak.
The last Phillie to draw a walk is Domonic Brown, when he was walked intentionally in the eighth inning of the final game of the Miami series on Sunday.
Starting pitching report
Cole Hamels went seven innings, allowing five hits and three earned runs. He walked two and struck out eight in picking up the no-decision.
Bullpen update
Adams allowed the Beltran homer in the eighth before getting out of a first-and-second jam. With the Phils down 4-3, Jonathan Papelbon worked a 1-2-3 ninth.
In the field
With nobody out in the top of the fourth and Matt Holliday on first, Allen Craig hit a routine drive to right-center that Mayberry appeared to be closing in on before he fell down. The ball dropped, giving the Cards second and third with no outs. Molina then hit a two-run double down the right-field line that first-base umpire Alan Porter ruled was fair.
Not just a glove
Galvis, starting in left in place of the banged-up Brown -- his first career start in the outfield -- went 2 for 4 with an RBI double in the sixth. He’s got a five-game hitting streak and has his average up to .368.
Howard hot
He’s still got only one home run, but Howard had three hits to raise his average from .241 to .274. He’s 13 for 35 in his last eight games, a .371 clip.
Stat-o-holic
Since Hamels entered the league in 2006, only four pitchers have had more starts of seven or more innings allowing three or fewer earned runs. The leaders since 2006: CC Sabathia (136), Roy Halladay (132), Felix Hernandez (121), Justin Verlander (110), Hamels (106).
Slow starts
For the seventh straight game, the Phillies didn’t score a run in the first five innings. They haven’t scored a run in innings 1 through 5 since April 10 against the Mets, the last game of their last homestand.
What’s next?
The Phillies have three more games with the Cards, at 7:05 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 8:05 p.m. on ESPN on Sunday. Halladay faces Jaime Garcia Friday, it’ll be Cliff Lee vs. Lance Lynn Saturday, and Kyle Kendrick pitches the national TV game Sunday night vs. Jake Westbrook.