PHILADELPHIA _ Juan Samuel stood still near third base on Wednesday night with his hands on his hips and his face masked in disbelief.
"Did that really just happen?
Odubel Herrera ran through Samuel's stop sign in the ninth inning of a 7-6 loss to St. Louis in 10 innings at Citizens Bank Park. Herrera was thrown out at home by about five feet. He took such a wide turn around third base that Herrera actually ran behind Samuel and the third base coach's outstretched hands. Samuel was dismayed and Herrera was quickly yanked from the game. The Phillies' night would only get worse.
The Phillies lost for the 39th time in their last 50 games thanks to yet another bullpen meltdown. Edubray Ramos gave up two runs in the 10th and was removed after retiring just one batter. He balked a runner to third and that runner then scored when Ramos misfired to first on a pickoff attempt. It was another embarrassing night for a season that continues to get uglier.
Ramos has retired just two of the last eight batters he has faced. He has allowed seven runs over that three-game span on three hits and three walks. The right-hander, who showed promise early in the season, could be ticketed for Triple A.
The loss spoiled another impressive night from starting pitcher Nick Pivetta, who struck out 10 and walked just one. Pivetta allowed three runs in six innings and pitched with confidence. He attacked the St. Louis lineup, challenging them with fastball after fastball.
Pivetta is just the eighth pitcher in team history to rack up double-digit strikeouts in one of their first eight-major league starts. He did so by riding his 94-mph fastball, which he threw as the first pitch to 18 of the 23 batters he faced. Pivetta has allowed just three runs in his last 13 innings.
Pivetta strutted off the mound in the sixth when he struck out Paul DeJong, who stared at three-straight sliders. Pivetta was cruising and he was feeling it. But then his confidence may have bit him. With Pivetta's pitch count nearing 100, Stephen Piscotty drew a two-out walk. It was Pivetta's first walk of the night. The right-hander responded with another first-pitch fastball and Jedd Gyorko crushed it for a two-run homer.
It was just the second first-pitch fastball that was batted into play and it proved to be the pitcher's biggest mistake. It also provided a learning experience for Pivetta _ and rookie catcher Andrew Knapp _ in a season full of them. Pivetta has a plus fastball, but the right-hander will need to find comfort in challenging batters with his other pitches as he grows as a pitcher.
Pivetta exited with a two-run lead, which has proven to be the thinnest of margins for the Phillies' bullpen to protect. Joaquin Benoit allowed a homer in the eighth. Benoit has allowed four runs this month in 5 2/3 innings. Hector Neris allowed the game-tying homer in the ninth. The Phillies, who started the game with a five-run lead, were on their way to yet another loss in a season of nights that leave you wondering "Did that really just happen?"
