A lot of folks didn’t show up for the Phillies last night, and in some cases the no-shows were more literal than others. The starting pitcher Blanton was a late scratch, forcing Kendrick, who has been pitching out of the pen, into an unexpected start. Jason Giambi went nuts in the game, homering three times in the first five innings and driving in seven runs. The Phils, meanwhile, could muster nearly nothing offensively and fell 7-1, getting the one run they did score with the help of a four-out inning.

The Phils have now scored seven runs in their last five games.

The Phillies are 26-17 on the year after losing to the Colorado Rockies 2-1 last night. The team’s split the two-game series, but the Phils have lost five of their last six.

Kendrick got the start for the Phillies and went three innings, allowing five runs on seven hits and a walk. One of the hits went for extra-bases, a double. He struck out two.

Dexter Fowler led off the game with a single to center. Jonathan Herrera tried to bunt him to second, but popped it up to Ruiz for the first out. Carlos Gonzalez fouled out to Rollins for the second out before Tulowitzki singled into center, sending Fowler to third. That brought Giambi to the plate and he hit a 2-2 pitch out to right, putting Colorado on top 3-0. Seth Smith followed that with a walk before Jose Lopez grounded to second for the third out.

Kendrick threw a 1-2-3 second, striking out Chris Iannetta, getting the pitcher Jhoulys Chacin on a ground ball to third and Dexter Fowler on a ball hit out in front of the plate.

Gonzalez doubled with one out in the third, but Kendrick got Tulowitzki on a fly ball to left behind him. Giambi was next and hit a 1-1 pitch out to right. 5-0. Smith and Lopez followed with back-to-back singles, but Kendrick struck out Iannetta to leave them both stranded.

Baez pitched a 1-2-3 fourth.

He was back for the fifth with the lead cut to 5-1 and got Ryan Spilborghs on a ground ball to short for the first out. Tulowitzki was next and he hit a ground ball to third that Polanco didn’t handle for an error. It brought Giambi to the plate again and again he homered, this time hitting a 1-1 pitch out to right. 7-1. Smith singled behind him and went to third on a double by Lopez, but Baez struck Iannetta out swinging for the second out and got the pitcher Chacin to pop to Howard.

Mathieson pitched the sixth. Herrera singled with one out and moved up to second when Spilborghs followed and was hit by a pitch, but Tulowitzki flew to center for the second out and they finally got Giambi out, striking him out to leave both men stranded.

Smith singled to start the seventh with Mathieson still on the hill, but was thrown out by Gload trying to stretch it into a double. Lopez reached on an infield single, but Iannetta struck out again for the second and Chacin popped to Orr at second.

Mathieson allows three hits, but goes two scoreless innings. Smith trying to stretch his single and the throw by Gload helped him out a lot.

Stutes pitched the eighth. He allowed a one-out single to Herrera, but struck Spilborghs out behind him and got Tulowitzki on a fly ball to right for the third out.

Romero struck out Giambi and Smith to start the ninth before Lopez doubled. Iannetta flew to right for the third out.

Six innings for the pen in which they allow two runs, only one of which is earned, on eight hits and no walks. Plus they started Kendrick in the game, a guy who was in the pen to begin with. That’s not what the Phillies needed given they don’t have an off-day till June 2.

Kendrick threw 73 pitches in the game. Baez 40, Mathieson 40. Romero 19 and Stutes 18.

That’s all bad. Don’t know what the Phillies are going to do. But they’re going to have to do something. Halladay tonight helps, but they’ll need more. Nobody in the pen has thrown more than one day in a row, but you shouldn’t be looking for Kendrick, Baez or Mathieson in relief soon.

The Phillies lineup against righty Jhoulys Chacin went (1) Rollins (2) Martinez (3) Polanco (4) Howard (5) Gload (6) Ibanez (7) Ruiz (8) Orr. Gload starts in right against the righty with Mayberry and Francisco on the bench. He’s not an outfielder, but why not? Orr at second with the righty Valdez on the bench. Martinez in center again. For entertainment purposes, I really think they should have considered a third non-outfielder in left. Maybe Oswalt again.

Down 3-0, the Phillies went in order in the first and again in the second.

Ruiz blooped a single to left to start the third with the Phils down 5-0. Carlos Gonzalez strained his groin chasing after the ball and had to leave the game. He was replaced by Spilborghs. Orr followed that with a ground ball to first with Ruiz forced at second for the first out. Lee hit for Kendrick and struck out swinging for the second out. Rollins struck out to leave Orr at first.

No problem for me using Lee to pinch-hit there.

Polanco singled on a ball deflected by Chacin with one out in the fourth. Howard struck out swinging for the second out. Gload was next and he struck out swinging, too, but on a wild pitch from Chacin that allowed him to take first. Ibanez was next and delivered a ground-rule double to right-center with Polanco scoring from second to put the Phils on the board at 5-1 and Gload taking third. Ruiz popped to second to leave both runners stranded.

Again the Phils need help from the defense to put a run on the board.

Orr flew to center to start the fifth with the Phils down 7-1. Gload hit for Baez and grounded to first for the second out. Rollins followed with a walk and Martinez struck out swinging.

The Phils went in order in the sixth.

Ibanez started the seventh with a single to right. Ruiz followed with a ground out to first that moved Ibanez to second. Orr struck out swinging for the second out and, with Chacin still on the mound for Colorado, Mayberry hit for Mathieson and struck out to leave Ruiz at second.

Polanco singled with two outs in the eighth and took second without a throw. Howard grounded out to leave him there.

Gload started the ninth with a single to right, but Ibanez flew out behind him and Ruiz hit into a double-play to end the game.

One extra-base hit in the game for the Phils, the double by Ibanez. One walk (Rollins in the fifth).

Rollins was 0-for-3 with a walk in the game and 1-for-6 in the two-game set. He’s hitting 266/344/358 on the season. 184/200/263 over the last eight games.

Martinez was 0-for-4 in the game and 0-for-7 in the series. He’s hitting 194/237/194 for the year.

Polanco 2-for-4 in the game and 2-for-7 in the series. 335/337/427 for the year.

Howard was 0-for-4 with two strikeouts. 0-for-7 in the series, dropping his line on the year to 241/319/475. 132/233/340 over his last 60 plate appearances.

Gload was 1-for-4 with a strikeout in the game. He’s 2-for-his-last-10 and hitting 313/313/313 for the year (10-for-32 with ten singles and no walks).

Ibanez was 2-for-4 with a double in the game and 3-for-7 in the series. 339/350/542 in May and 233/287/349 on the season.

Ruiz was 1-for-4 and left four men on base. 2-for-6 in the series and 218/319/333 for the season. He was hitting 351/415/568 after going 2-for-4 against the Nats on April 14. He has hit 098/240/122 in 50 plate appearances since.

Orr 0-for-3 with a strikeout in his only action of the series. 230/299/279 on the season. 9-for-his-last-50. Valdez was 2-for-3 with a double in the series and is hitting 244/277/309 on the year.

Roy Halladay (5-2, 2.21) faces lefty CJ Wilson (4-2, 3.38) tonight as the Phils host the Rangers. Lefties are hitting just .212 against Wilson with two extra-base hits, both doubles, for the year. The Phillies are 0-2 in the last two games that Halladay has started. He has thrown a complete game in both of them. Righties are hitting .190 against him for the year.

The Phils put both Blanton and Victorino on the DL. The linked article suggests that Worley will likely replace Blanton but that Domonic Brown is not likely to replace Victorino.

Update: Brown was called up to replace Victorino.