The BUZZ in Philly 

The lights at Coors Field went out and the temperature dropped 20-degrees at the start of last night’s third game of the NLDS, and when they came back on, the Phillies’ bats stayed cold, as the Rockies scored a 2-1 victory to win their first-ever playoff series.

The Rockies strung together three two-out singles in the bottom of the 8th to take a 2-1 lead. Ironically, Garrett Atkins, the best man in Chase Utley’s wedding, scored the go-ahead run. The Phils couldn’t answer in the 9th and the Rockies advanced to the NLCS to play the Arizona Diamondbacks, who swept the Chicago Cubs in their playoff series.

Jamie Moyer pitched another solid game, but the Phillies’ offense remained as silent as it has been all season. He allowed just five hits and one run in 6 innings, before turning the ball over to the bullpen.

The best offense in the NL hit a paltry .172 (16 for 93) and scored just 8 runs in the series, with 26 strikeouts. Ryan Howard was the only Phillie to hit over .200 (.250), but also had 7 strikeouts.

Via Todd Zolecki of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Aaron Rowand had this to say about the Phillies lack of hitting:

“We just didn’t hit,” center-fielder Aaron Rowand said. “The pitching wasn’t too bad. The bottom line is we just didn’t hit. There’s a reason they’re here. They’ve got a good pitching staff. They’re a good hitting team. They’re hot. We just didn’t hit.”

The Phillies actually came into the series not hitting well. They scored just 34 runs in their last seven games of the regular season, 11 of them coming on home runs. They just weren’t putting together big innings like they were during the regular-season, when they scored a NL-leading 842 runs (Yankees led all of baseball).

The team flies back from Denver today, one day earlier than they had hoped. And when they land, the healing process will begin as they look back on the 2007 season.

What started out as a season full of high expectations was quickly doused in April with a 4-11 start. What followed was an up-and-down regular season, constantly chasing the Mets and fending off the Braves, and ending with a spectacular ride into the playoffs on the final weekend of the season.

The questions about next season will begin as soon as the charter touches down in Philly this afternoon. First and foremost, will Charlie Manuel be back to manage the team? After that decision is made, there is a bullpen to completely overhaul, Howard and Rowand to sign, and decisions to make about the starting pitchers.

But what a ride it was. For the first time since 1993, the headlines in late September were about the team in pinstripes, not the one in green and white.

Unfortunately, on Tuesday night at Citizens Bank Park, in what would have been game 5 of the NLDS, the lights will be out. 

Jon Buzby is a nationally-syndicated columnist who can be reached through his website at www.jonbuzby.com.