Faith, Beer, and Other Things That Interest Geoff

Phillies Can't Score Runs

And waste a fine effort from Brett Myers.

All sorts of explanations have been offered for this lack of production. That Jim Thome played the first month with back problems resulting in just one home run and a trip to the disabled list. That catcher Mike Lieberthal (.227) and third baseman David Bell (.229) haven't contributed much offensively. That they've faced a lot of the league's best starters. That the inability to come through in the clutch that plagued them last season has carried over: They are batting .240 with runners in scoring position going into the three-game series at Milwaukee that starts tonight. That a team that set a club record with 215 home runs last season and returned virtually the same lineup has been outlongballed so far this season, 43-24.

The "runners in scoring position" stat is not very useful for the Phillies. Their team batting average is .245, the difference doesn't seem statistically significant at this point in the season. They just aren't hitting, period.

Rollins isn't doing well either:

What hasn't gotten much attention, though, is that leadoff hitter Jimmy Rollins' on-base percentage is down to .285 after he ended last season at a respectable .348. And that part of the reason is, after walking six times in the first seven games, he's worked a base on balls just three times in the last 25 games.

The importance of Rollins, who has played every game this year, getting on base is accentuated by this: When he scores at least once, the Phillies are 9-5 (.643). When he doesn't, they're 5-13 (.277).

Maybe Lofton/Michaels should be in that slot instead. They have an OBP of .429 each.