PHILADELPHIA -- Maybe it was the flight across the country, a cruel subplot of a schedule that puts the Phillies on the field for 20 games in 20 days.
On the 17th day of the stretch, the first East Coast game after playing seven in the Pacific time zone, something was missing in Thursday's 5-2 loss to the Nationals.
"Our energy didn't show up," manager Charlie Manuel said. "We had some bad at-bats and chased some bad pitches. I felt like we were going to get to their pitcher, but he hung around and beat us."
Their pitcher, rookie Michael O'Connor, turned in his second strong outing against the Phillies this season, evening his record to 3-3. The left-hander surrendered three hits and three walks in six innings, allowing two runs but only one earned.
Making the night frustrating for the tired Phillies players, who came in riding a four-game winning streak, was that they felt they'd be able to solve the soft-tossing southpaw.
They were wrong.
"He mixed up his speeds on all of his pitches," Aaron Rowand said. "It makes it frustrating sometimes when you think you're on a pitch and you're a little out in front or a little late. It's not like he throws a fastball 86-87 [mph] and it's always 86-87 -- it's 88, or it's 83. He just takes a little off, puts a little on and does it with his changeup and his fastball. We just didn't string together hits."
The Nationals did against Eude Brito, who struggled in his second outing this season. The rookie lasted two-thirds of an inning longer and gave up two fewer runs than he did in his season debut on Saturday against the Dodgers, but dropped to 0-2 with the loss.
Brito has allowed 10 earned runs in 8 2/3 innings this season and has compiled an ERA of 10.38.
Brito can blame himself for allowing Nats leadoff hitter Alfonso Soriano to reach base three times against him -- all without putting the ball in play. Brito walked him twice and hit him on the foot, and Soriano scored each of the three times.
He scored a fourth time when he hit his 23rd homer of the season off reliever Ryan Franklin in the seventh.
"Not good," said Brito performing a succinct self-evaluation of his first two outings. "Next time, I'll get him."
Therein lies the question of whether Brito will get a chance to make the third time the charm. With a rotation in need of stability, Manuel can't afford short, inconsistent outings. Franklin might be an option, but Manuel isn't saying.
Brito's next scheduled start is Wednesday.
"I'm not thinking like that," Brito said. "I know I have to make good pitches."
"We have to make a decision on that," Manuel said. "We can do some moving around [with Monday's off-day], but we'll see. His fastball was better tonight, but he needs to settle down and focus on what he's doing. ... Relax."
Philadelphia's only offense came in the form of single runs in the third and fourth innings off O'Connor. Saul Rivera and Mike Stanton took the game to closer Chad Cordero, who recorded his 12th save.
The Phillies might have staged a ninth-inning rally off Cordero when Ryan Howard began the inning with a walk, but Rowand then sent a pitch to deep center field and Damian Jackson retreated to make a spectacular grab for the first out.
"It doesn't surprise me at all right now," Rowand said, about his hard-hit balls not falling. "Since I've come off the [disabled list], I've hit a lot of balls hard and not gotten any hits."
David Bell hit a ball not quite so hard to Jackson for the second out, and pinch-hitter David Dellucci struck out to end the game.
Perhaps the Phillies will get some rest.
"Some guys can sleep on a plane, some guys can't," Rowand said. "Sometimes it has an affect, but I don't think the flight had anything to do with the game."
