Kyle Kendrick didn’t get a lot of help from his bullpen last night, but he didn’t pitch very well either, allowing five runs over 5 2/3 innings as the Phils fell to the Dodgers.

The list of things that are wrong with the Phils these days is long, but one of them is the starting pitching. Look at the Start Log. The Phillies have six quality starts in their last 18 games. Over those 18 games, the starters have thrown to a 5.53 ERA with a 1.46 ratio. The team, built to win with starting pitching, has seen its starters throw to a 3.68 ERA for the year. That’s fifth best in the NL.

Kendrick walked five batters in the game, which the most walks allowed by a starting pitcher for the Phillies since Lee walked six Cardinals in his start on May 16, 2011.

Twice in last night’s game, once with Kendrick on the mound and once with Diekman on the mound, the Phillies walked a batter with a base open to load the bases and then walked the hitter behind him to force in a run.

The loss was the fifth in a row for the Phillies. Four of the five losses have been by one run. Over their last seven games, the Phillies have gone 2-5 but been outscored by just 32-30.

The Phillies are 28-30 on the season after losing to the LA Dodgers 6-5 last night. The Dodgers have won the first three games of the series. The Phillies have lost five in a row for the first time this season. They are six games out of first place for the first time since May 13.

Kendrick got the start for the Phillies and went 5 2/3 innings, allowing five runs on four hits and five walks. Two of the hits went for extra-bases, a double and a triple. He struck out six and his ERA for the year rose to 4.44.

Dee Gordon was the first batter of the game and Kendrick got him on a fly ball to center for the first out. Elian Herrera was the next batter and he walked on a 3-2 pitch. Ruiz threw Herrera out trying to steal second before Kendrick struck out Bobby Abreu to end the frame.

Kendrick set the Dodgers down in order in the second, getting Andre Ethier on a ground ball to second, AJ Ellis on a popup to second and James Loney on a grounder to second. The play that Galvis made on Ellis’s ball was fantastic. It was a popup into right field, which Galvis chased down and snared with a leaping effort for the second out.

He started the third up 1-0. Adam Kennedy led off with a single. Gwynn was next and he tripled to right despite a tremendous effort from Pence, who crashed into the wall and looked like he hurt his glove hand making the effort. Kennedy came around to score, tying the game at 1-1. The pitcher Chris Capuano was next and hit a ball that Mayberry didn’t handle for an error, allowing Gwynn to score and put LA up 2-1. Kendrick hit Gordon (maybe) with a pitch before Abreu walked, loading the bases with one out. He got Ethier on a fly ball to left for the second out and Ellis on a ground ball to third to leave the runners stranded.

Pence looked hurt after the Gwynn double, but stayed in the game.

Mayberry just booted a ground ball to first for his error.

Kendrick set LA down in order in the fourth.

Herrera walked with two outs in the fifth, but Kendrick got Abreu looking to leave him at first.

The Phils led 4-2 when Kendrick started the sixth. He struck Ethier out for the first out before Ellis singled into center. James Loney followed that with a double to left, moving Ellis up to third. Kendrick struck Kennedy out swinging for the second out and walked the lefty Gwynn intentionally to load the bases for the pitcher Capuano’s spot. Righty Jerry Hairston hit for Capuano and drew a walk on a close 3-2 pitch, forcing in Ellis to make it 4-3. The lefty Valdes came in to pitch to the lefty Gordon and Gordon singled into right, scoring Loney and Gwynn (5-4 LA) and moving Hairston up to third. Herrera flew to center for the third out.

Kendrick walks Gwynn intentionally to load the bases, then walks Hairston behind him to force in a run. Valdes gives up a big two-out hit to Gordon, which puts two more runs on Kendrick’s line. Would have been a nice time for Valdes to have gotten the lefty out.

Valdes was back to throw a 1-2-3 seventh.

Tenth appearance on the year for Valdes, who dropped his ERA to 2.25 with the outing. He allowed all three runs he’s given up on the year in one of the ten. Seven hits and a walk over 12 innings while striking out 12 (that’s an 0.67 ratio).

Bastardo started the eighth and gave up a leadoff single to Loney. He struck Alex Castellanos out behind Loney for the first out and then got Gwynn swinging for the second. Loney took second on a wild pitch before Bastardo struck Hairston out swinging to leave him there.

Bastardo ended April with a 5.40 ERA through his first seven appearances. Since the end of April he’s made 16 appearances, throwing to a 1.80 ERA and 0.87 ratio while striking out 19 in 15 innings.

Diekman started the ninth with the Phillies still down a run. Herrera doubled to center with one out. Righty Juan Rivera hit for the pitcher Josh Lindblom and struck out swinging, but on a ball not handled by Ruiz. Rivera made it first and Herrera moved up to third, put runners on the corner with one down. Diekman struck Ethier out swinging for the second out. Diekman got behind the righty Ellis 3-1 and then put him on, loading the bases for the lefty Loney. Loney walked on five pitches, forcing in Herrera to made it 6-4. Schwimer came in to pitch to the righty Castellanos and got him on a ground ball to third to set the Dodgers down.

Second time in four innings the Phils put a guy on to load the bases and then walk the batter behind him to force in a run. Manuel could have brought in Qualls, Papelbon or Schwimer to face the righty Ellis, but instead let’s Diekman face him with a base available and it costs the Phillies.

The run Diekman allowed was unearned, thanks to the non-strikeout by Rivera, so his ERA for the year drops from 4.50 to 4.15. He didn’t pitch well, though, allowing a double and two walks while getting two outs. Schwimer retired the one batter he faced. He’s now made three appearances since being recalled, allowing one walk over 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

The line for the pen in the game was better than the performance. They went 3 1/3 innings, allowing an unearned run on three hits and two walks. Valdes and Diekman both didn’t pitch well, though, with Valdes allowing a big hit in the sixth with the runs charged to Kendrick and Diekman losing control in the ninth.

Diekman threw 26 pitches in the game, Bastardo 21, Valdes 15 and Schwimer five.

The Phillies lineup against lefty Chris Capuano went (1) Rollins (2) Pierre (3) Pence (4) Ruiz (5) Victorino (6) Wigginton (7) Mayberry (8) Galvis. Rollins hits leadoff against the lefty despite a 207/220/276 line against left-handed pitching for the season. Wigginton at third after Polanco was spiked in the eighth inning the night before. Pierre plays left against the lefty with Mayberry at first.

Rollins and Pence struck out as the Phils went in order in the bottom of the first.

Victorino hit a 3-2 pitch out to right with one out in the second, putting the Phillies up 1-0. Wigginton and Mayberry went down behind him.

Down 2-1 in the third, Galvis and Kendrick both struck out as the Phils went in order.

Ruiz singled with two outs in the fourth, but Victorino popped to short for the third out.

Wigginton led off the fifth and hit a 1-0 pitch out to left center, tying the game at 2-2. Mayberry grounded to short for the first out. Galvis was next and he hurt himself running out a ground ball down the first base line. He came back to foul off one pitch, but took himself out of the game and Fontenot hit for him. Fontenot took the 3-2 pitch from Capuano low for a walk. Kendrick bunted Fontenot to second with the first out, bring Rollins to the plate with a man on second and Rollins hit a 2-2 pitch out to left for his third home run of the year. 4-2. Pierre went down on a ball handled by the pitcher for the third out.

First home run of the year for Rollins against a lefty. He ends the game hitting 213/226/328 against them for the year.

Righty Todd Coffey set the Phillies down in order in the sixth with LA leading 5-4.

Wigginton singled to left to start the seventh and Mayberry flew to left behind him. Lefty Scott Elbert came in to pitch to Fontenot and got him on a fly ball to left for the second out. Luna hit for Valdes and flew to center to leave Wigginton at first.

The Phils don’t move Wigginton past first after the leadoff single.

Righty Josh Lindblom started the eighth for LA. Pierre singled with one out, but Pence hit into a double-play behind him.

Righty Kenley Jansen started the ninth for the Dodgers with LA up 6-4, pitching for the third straight day. Ruiz was hit by a pitch in the twelfth pitch of his at-bat, but Victorino flew to center behind him for the first out. Ruiz took second on a wild pitch before Wigginton hammered a double to left, scoring Ruiz to cut the lead to 6-5. The Phils looked like they had Jansen on the ropes at this point, he had thrown 19 pitches in the frame already, thanks to Ruiz, pitching for the third day in a row. Thome hit for Mayberry and struck out looking. Fontenot was next and drew a walk, putting men on first and second with two down. Schneider hit for Schwimer and popped to Loney at first to end the game.

Thome wasn’t close to getting a hit off of the weary Jansen, swinging at and missing badly two of the first three pitches he saw before looking at a pitch with a lot of the plate for strike three.

Second day in a row the Phillies put a runner on base in the bottom of the ninth in a close game and the pinch-hitters go meekly. The pinch-hitters for the Phillies are now hitting 213/289/350 for the season. Thome is 0-for-9 as a pinch-hitter with seven strikeouts.

Rollins was 1-for-4 with a two-run homer in the game. He’s hitting 371/371/714 over his last 35 plate appearances.

Pierre was 1-for-4. 6-for-16 so far in June (.375).

Pence 0-for-4. Hopefully his left arm is okay after colliding with the wall in right on Gwynn’s triple. If you think things are bad now, you don’t want to see what happens if Hunter Pence goes down. He’s 2-for-his-last-16 with two singles and no walks.

Ruiz 1-for-3. 2-for-his-last-15 with two singles.

Victorino 1-for-4 with his seventh home run. 146/234/244 over his last 47 plate appearances.

Wigginton 3-for-4 with a double, a home run and two RBI. Did his best to help the Phillies tie the game in the ninth, but was left at second. Coming off a 1-for-10, he’s 5-for-his-last-8.

Mayberry 0-for-3 with an error. 5-for-his-last-33 with ten strikeouts (152/200/303 over 35 plate appearances).

Galvis was 0-for-1 and put on the DL with a back problem after the game. 190/203/259 over his last 60 plate appearances. Fontenot was 0-for-1 with two walks in the game. He’s hitting 360/467/400 in 30 plate appearances for the Phillies so far.

Hamels (8-2, 2.81) faces righty Aaron Harang (4-3, 3.90) this afternoon. Hamels has allowed nine earned runs in 14 2/3 innings over his last two starts, raising his ERA on the season from 2.17 to 2.81. Harang ended April with a 5.72 ERA, but five of his last six starts have been good as he’s dropped his ERA under four. He’s walked 24 batters in 64 2/3 innings for the season, which gives him his highest rate of walks per nine innings since 2002 when he walked 45 in 78 1/3 innings for the A’s.