NEW YORK — In 2007, Ryan Howard was the first baseman on a Philadelphia Phillies team that threatened the all-time franchise record for runs scored.
Eight years later, might Howard be on the Phillies team that flirts with history of the opposite variety?
The Phillies remained stuck at 16 runs this season Monday thanks to a 2-0 loss to the New York Mets at Citi Field. The 16 runs are the lowest in the National League and puts the Phillies on pace to break the team record for fewest runs in a season. The 1942 team scored 391 runs.
Of course, the season is just seven games old and even an offensively deficient team in a pitching-rich era should score a lot more than 400 runs.
“It sucks,” Howard said after going 1-for-4 Monday. “Obviously we want to get off to a better start. It’s definitely got to turn around.”
But what if it doesn’t? Even if the Phillies don’t threaten any franchise records for futility, they certainly look like a team bottoming out after a decline several seasons in the making.
The Phillies finished first or second in the National League in runs scored in 2008 (799 runs), 2009 (820) and 2010 (772). But they slipped to 713 runs and seventh place in the National League in 2011, 684 runs and eighth place in 2012 and 610 runs and 13th place in 2013 before a minor bump last season (619 runs, tied for ninth
place).
“We just have to start swinging the bats and do something about it as far as swinging the bats,” Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said. “The guys are getting after it, but we’ve just been coming up short. We need to get something going on the offensive side.”
That may be easier said than done. The top two batters in Monday’s lineup were singles-hitting left fielder Ben Revere and center fielder Odubel Herrera, a Rule 5 pick who didn’t play above Double-A prior to this season. And the Phillies’ three through six hitters on Monday — second baseman Chase Utley, Howard, catcher Carlos
Ruiz and right fielder Grady Sizemore — are an average of 34.8 years old.
The Phillies have little choice but to remain optimistic and hope for the best, despite mounting evidence to the contrary.
“Our pitching staff’s been great,” Howard said of the Phillies, who have a 3.09 ERA. “Hopefully they can keep it up and we can catch up.”