Doc’s Struggles Continue in 7-2 Loss to Mets

Not much is working in favor of the Phillies these days. After dropping the first two series of the season, Roy Halladay looked to get his first win of the year against Matt Harvey and the Mets tonight, but would see no such luck.

Early on, Doc was struggling. In the top of the second, Marlon Byrd doubled to center with one out, then Doc hit Lucas Duda with a pitch. With two on, John Buck took Doc deep to right field, putting New York up 3-0.

Halladay walked two in the top of the third, and another run was able to score on an RBI single from Lucas Duda. 

In the bottom of the fourth, Ryan Howard made it a 4-1 ballgame after popping up a sacrifice fly to bring home Jimmy Rollins from third. 

Daniel Murphy led off the fifth with a ground rule double into the Phils' bullpen. After Doc tossed a wild pitch to move Murphy over to third, David Wright singled to bring him home. Ike Davis singled to put men on the corners, and that's when Halladay would get the hook.

Chad Durbin came in with nobody out and two men on, and struck out Marlon Byrd for the first out. Durbin walked Duda to load the bases, and Ruben Tejada made it a 7-1 game after sending a single to center to score two.

Since Chad Durbin (once again) allowed the inherited runners to score, Doc's line was complete after the inning ended, and it looked like this: 4 IP, 6 H, 7 ER, 3 BB, 3 K. 99 pitches, 59 for strikes. 

Jeremy Horst came in for the sixth and allowed just one hit, but struck out two. In the seventh, Horst had an easy 1-2-3 inning.

Meanwhile, Matt Harvey was dealing through the Phillies lineup. He tossed seven innings tonight, allowing just one run to score on three hits, walking two and striking out nine.

Erik Kratz hit a ground rule double in the bottom of the eighth, and was sent home on a groundout from Jimmy Rollins. 7-2 Mets.

After a scoreless top of the ninth from Raul Valdes, Josh Edgin stayed in the ballgame and closed it out for his team. Ryan Howard flied out, Michael Young flied out, then Domonic Brown ended it with a strikeout, looking. Mets win this one, 7-2.

Game two of this three-game series will be tomorrow at 7:05 with Cliff Lee on the mound against Dillon Gee.