Phils-Dodgers Game 3

Notes on Game 3:

The Phillies' hitting woes continue. When their starting pitcher implodes, as Moyer did last night, the chances of coming back from a big deficit are slim. They had a few opportunities to rally, but failed to produce clutch hits, something we have seen over and over this year. In the regular season, the Phils had a team batting average of .255, one of the lowest in the majors. In the current series, their team batting average is ------- .255. In 2007, the team batting average was .274. Quite a drop off. Statistics can be very telling. They didn't hit well in the Milwaukee playoff series either. It's remarkable they have been as successful as they have. If you take away Brett Myers' post-season hitting prowess, the Phillies could have their backs to the wall. At this point, would Charlie Manuel consider benching Jason Werth for a left-handed batter? It's hard to overestimate the importance of base running to the Phils' offense this year but when Rollins and Werth don't get in base, that advantage disappears.