This one had it all: atrocious defense, disappearing bats, and another ninth inning ended early with the opponent in jubilation. The Phillies pissed away leads of 4-0 and 5-3 against a Brewers team with nothing to play for, committing two errors counted by the scorers and at least three more that probably should have been as they saw their NL East lead shrink a little further, to five games.
Starters Kyle Kendrick and Braden Looper were both relatively ineffective, Looper allowing five runs--three earned, as the Brewers' defense wasn't much better than the Phils'--in six innings, including homers to Paul Bako and Ryan Howard, and Kendrick giving up three (two earned) in four-plus. He gave way to Jamie Moyer with a man on and none out in the fifth; Moyer struck out Prince Fielder to start a run of five straight Milwaukee hitters retired. But with two outs in the sixth, he walked pinch-hitter Jason Bourgeois. Felipe Lopez followed with a bloop into shallow right field; Jayson Werth seemed to have a play, but with Chase Utley nearby he pulled up, and the ball bounced just fair before landing in the stands for a ground-rule double. Craig Counsell then hit another fly ball to shallow center field--where it bounced off Jimmy Rollins' chest and rolled away, allowing both runners to score. Neither play ultimately was ruled an error.
That was it for the scoring until the ninth, when Counsell greeted Tyler Walker with a single and Ryan Braun followed with a two-run homer to win it. At least this time that part of it was quick.