The Phillies staked starter Freddy Garcia to a 3-0 lead on a 1st inning 2 run homer by 1st baseman Ryan Howard and a 2nd inning solo shot by leftfielder Gregg Dobbs off of Kansas City starter Scott Elarton.  But Garcia, the losing pitcher, fell apart under the weight of a 6 run pounding in the Kansas City 2nd inning as the Royals defeated the Phillies by an 8-4 score.  And so the Phillies rollercoaster ride continues.

The plastering of Garcia was, as reported by Inquirer staff writer Todd Zolecki;

The worst start for a Phillies starter since Adam Bernero allowed eight runs in two innings June 30 last season in  Toronto.

AP sports writer Doug Tucker recounts the Royals’ 2nd inning for Yahoo sports,

Garcia… got in quick trouble when Jason LaRue doubled and  Tony Pena Jr. singled.

Joey Gathright’s infield out pushed the first run across, then  David DeJesus doubled home Pena.  [Mark] Grudzielanek’s home run bounced off the foul pole into the bleachers in fair territory, putting the Royals on top 4-3.

Garcia, who faced the Royals 21 times while with Seattle and Chicago, walked Mark Teahen and [Mike] Sweeney lined a 3-2 pitch into the visitors bullpen.

“When we got down 3-0, we were like, ‘Oh, no. We’re not going to play the here-we-go-again story and roll over and take it on the chin,”‘ Sweeney said.

“We fought back in the second inning and stepped up and finally got our bats going.”

When Garcia was pulled from the game, it emerged that he’s been pitching injured.  Todd Zolecki gives background;

The Phillies announced that Garcia, the $10 million man who opened the season on the disabled list with tendinitis in his right biceps, has soreness in his right shoulder. He will see team physician Michael Ciccotti on Monday.

“I don’t have much to say,” Garcia said. “I don’t want to pitch the way I’ve been pitching if I’m not 100 percent. I have a lot of soreness in my shoulder. There’s nothing I can do other than check it out and see what’s going on with my shoulder.”

Has he felt this way since spring training?

“Yeah, spring training,” he said. “But the last couple of outings, I didn’t feel the way I want to feel.”

Garcia is 1-5 with a 5.90 ERA in 11 starts this season, but Phillies manager Charlie Manuel finally had seen enough Friday night. He confronted Garcia in the runway from the dugout to the clubhouse after he took Garcia out of the game and demanded an answer about his health.

Garcia finally relented.

“I told him that if he’s hurt, I don’t want him pitching,” Manuel said. “I said, ‘The way you’re throwing, you definitely look hurt. If there’s anything wrong with you, I have to know it.’ He’s a mentally tough guy and he wanted to pitch, but then he told me his shoulder was sore. He didn’t say how long it had been bothering him.

“I thought something was wrong with him, just watching him from when the season started,” added Manuel, who said he would consider returning Brett Myers to the rotation.

An injured shoulder would help explain his ineffectiveness.

“He didn’t have the same kind of velocity that I’ve seen,” Royals manager Buddy Bell said. “His breaking stuff is not as sharp.”

Garcia walked slowly to the visitors’ dugout and remained on the bench with a dead look on his face.

Phillies fans have shared that look as they have watched one of baseball’s premier pitchers crumble before their eyes. Garcia went 17-9 with a 4.53 ERA last season for the Chicago White Sox. He had pitched 200 or more innings in seven of eight seasons. He had won 16 or more games four times.

With Kansas City up 6-3 in the 5th inning, catcher Rod Barajas clubbed a one out solo homer off of winning pitcher Elarton to cut the lead to 6-4.  It was Elarton’s last inning of work. 

The Phils threatened in the 7th inning against Royals reliever David Riske.  3rd baseman Wes Helms led off with a double to rightfield.  With 2 out, rightfielder Shane Victorino singled past second base with Helms going to third.  Victorino advanced to second base on a wild pitch.  But 2nd baseman Chase Utley struck out to end the threat.  Utley struck out 4 times for the game.

The Royals added 2 insurance runs in the 7th inning off of relievers  Francisco Rosario and Mike Zagurski as Pena had an RBI double to rightfield and Gathright a run scoring single to left to cap the scoring.  Defensively, Utley saved a 3rd run in the 7th with great running, sliding catch with his back to the infield on David DeJesus’s pop out to right.

Ryan Howard has been quietly raising his batting average.  He went 2 for 4 on Friday with the 2 RBIs on the 1st inning homer and his batting average now stands at .245 for the season.

In other Phillies news, they picked up reliever Jose Mesa who was recently released by the Detroit Tigers.  Mesa, a 20 year veteran, was the Phillies closer from 2001-03.

For the scores, boxscores and recaps on this and all of Friday’s games,  click here.

On Saturday, Jon Lieber faces Gil Meche.  On Sunday, Jamie Moyer opposes Jorge De La Rosa in a battle of lefties in the series final.

For the scores, boxscores and recaps on this and all of Saturday’s games,  click here.

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This entry was posted on Saturday, June 9th, 2007 at 5:11 pm and is filed under Real-Time Baseball News and Commentary
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