Doc falters in the 9th, D-Backs take Game One

Tough loss for the Phils last night, dropping the opening game against Arizona after leading in the ninth inning, 3-2.

Clinging to a 2-1 lead in the ninth, the Phils had struggled against D-Backs' starter Josh Collmenter all night. Shane Victorino's bullet two-run shot in the fifth gave them a lead, which Halladay had protected. Doc tied a career high with 14 strikeouts. But he labored in the ninth.

Justin Upton and Miguel Montero lead-off the inning with singles. After striking out Chris Young, who failed to execute a sacrfice bunt, recently signed Lyle Overbay drove a double into the right-centerfield gap, plating Upton and Montero to give the Diamondbacks the lead for good.

Halladay picked up his seventh complete game of the year and the 65th of his career in a losing effort. He dropped to 15-5.

Collmenter tossed 6.2 innings, allowing two runs on eight hits, one walk and eight strikeouts. He's just the type of pitcher to give the Phils fits: a soft tosser that they've hardly seen before. Collmenter kept the Phils off balance with a lot of changeups, and mixed speeds well.

Tonight's game is a big one for the Phils, who send Cliff Lee to the mound looking for a third consecutive gem. He's thrown 17 consecutive scoreless innings; a complete game shutout against the Giants in San Francisco followed by eight shutout innings in Los Angeles. Tonight is big because the D-Backs will send Ian Kennedy to the mound tomorrow against Vance Worley. Kennedy is having a phenomenal year, and pitched a complete game, three hit shutout over the Phils in April. Worley is coming off what could be considered the worst start of his professional career.