The Phils end up a run short of their second straight walk-off win, as they lose to the Royals, 9-8.

The Phils took the lead in the bottom of the first as, win runners on the corners, and with nobody out, Chase Utley hits an RBI single, knocking in Ben Revere, who had started off the Phils’ half of the first with a single, then moved up to third base on Jimmy Rollins’ single, giving the Phils a 1-0 lead, while sending Rollins, who had just singled, over to third. Two batters later, after Ryan Howard had struck out for the inning’s first out, Michael Young gives the Phils a 2-0 lead with an RBI single, easily scoring Rollins, while sending Utley up to second base. The Phils them made it a 3-0 lead as Dom Brown hits an RBI single, knocking in Utley, while sending Young over to third base. The Phils then took a 4-0 lead as Erik Kratz hits a sacrifice fly to right, scoring Young. The Royals would get on the scoreboard in the top of the third as, with two men on, and with one man out, Alcides Escobar hits an RBI double, knocking in Chris Getz, who had got on base with a lead-off bunt single, beating Howard’s attempt to tag him out, then moved up to second base on Alex Gordon’s walk, making it a 4-1 Phils’ lead, while sending Gordon, who had just walked, over to third base. The Royal then cut the Phils’ lead down to 4-2 as Billy Butler hits an RBI ground out, 6-3, scoring Gordon. The Royal would take the lead in the top of the fifth as, with the bases loaded, via a lead-off double by Getz, a single by Gordon, sending Getz to third, and a walk to Escobar, moving Gordon up to second base, and with one man out, Butler hits a flyball to left center field which was originally called a double, as it bounce off of the wall, scoring Getz, Gordon and Escobar, giving the Royals a 5-4 lead, before it was reviewed and declared a grand-slam home run, as it had originally left the field and then bounced back in, giving Butler his first home run of the season, and his first career grand-slam home run, giving the Royals a 6-4 lead. The Royals increased their lead in the top of the six as, with the bases once again loaded, via a single by James Shields, a double by Gordon, sending Shields to third base, and a walk by Escobar, and with two men out, Butler hits a two-run single, scoring Shields and Gordon, giving the Royals an 8-4 lead, while sending Escobar on to third base. The Royals added an insurance run in the top of the eighth as, with a man on second, and with one man out, Gordon hits an RBI single, knocking in Jarrod Dyson, who had just doubled, giving the Royals a 9-4 lead. The Phils started a rally in the bottom of the ninth as, with two men on, and with one man out, Rollins hits a three-run home run, his first home run of the season, knocking in Ezequiel Carrera, who had started the inning off with a walk, then stopped at second base on Revere’s single, and Revere, who had just singled, cutting the Royals’ lead down to 9-7. Four batters later, with two men on, and now with two men out, the Phils made it a 9-8 Royals’ lead as pinch-hitter Laynce Nix hits an RBI single, knocking in Howard, who had earlier singled, then stopped at second base on Young’s single, while sending Young, who had just singled, up to second base. The Phils then had a chance to win the game as, with Kratz’s batting, Kelvin Herrera threw a wild pitch, allowing Young to reach third base, and Nix to stop at second base. But, the Phils would be denied as Herrera would strike out Kratz’s for the game’s final out.

Cole Hamels (0-2, 10.97) took the lost as he pitched five and two-thirds innings, giving up eight runs on nine hits and four walks, while striking out only two. Chad Durbin pitched an inning and a third, giving up a hit and a walk, while striking out two. Jeremy Horst pitched an inning, giving up a run on two hits. Phillippe Aumont pitched a scoreless inning, giving up a hit and two walks, while striking out two. James Shields (1-1, 3.75) got the win as he went six innings, giving up four runs on ten hits, while striking out eight. Tim Collins pitched two 1-2-3 innings, striking out four. J.C. Gutierrez pitched a third of an inning, giving up three runs on two hits and a walk, striking out a batter. Greg Holland collected his first hold of the year as he pitched a third of an inning, giving up a run on two hits. Kelvin Herrera received his first save of the season as he pitched a third of an inning, giving up a hit and a wild pitch, while striking out a batter.

The Phils had fifteen hits in the game, with Michael Young (3 Singles, Double, RBI) leading the team with four hits, followed by Ben Revere (Singles) with three hits and Jimmy Rollins (Single, Home Run, 3 RBIs) and Chase Utley (Singles, RBI) with two hits each. Ryan Howard (Single), Dom Brown (Single, RBI), John Mayberry, Jr. (Double) and pinch-hitter Laynce Nix (Single, RBI) had the other four Phils’ hits. Erik Kratz brought in the final Phil’s run with a sacrifice fly. The Phils also had a walk (Ezequiel Carerra) and a stolen base (Revere (3)) in the game, as the offense let Shields off the hook after the first inning, spoiling several scoring opportunities in the middle innings.

The Phils (2-4, 4th) start a three-games series with the Mets (4-2, T-2) starting with a night game tonight. The game will be played at Citizens Bank Park and is to begin at 7:05 pm. The Phils will send to the mound Roy Halladay (0-1, 13.50), who is coming off a stinker against the Braves on April 3, as he went only three and a third innings, giving up five runs on six hits and three walks, while striking out nine, in the Phils’ 9-2 lost. He will be trying to rebound from the lost. The Mets will counter with Matt Harvey (1-0, 0.00) who is coming off a win against the Padres on April 3, as he threw seven shut-out innings, giving up just a hit and two walks, while striking out ten, in the Mets’ 8-4 win. He will be out to increase his record to 2-0. The Phils will be trying to prove that they are better than they have looked so far, while hoping that Doc will regain his 2010-11 form.