Well on Saturday it was Chad Durbin who picked up the save for the Phillies, and yesterday is was Ryan Madson.  With Brad Lidge unavailable due to a sore shoulder, Madson entered the game in the ninth inning and retired all three batters he faced to pick up his fifth career save as the Phillies beat the Pirates 6-3.

Starter Jamie Moyer pitched six strong innings, where he allowed three runs and seven hits, but didn’t factor in the decision.  As it’s been in the entire month of August, the Phillies offense sputtered throughout much of the game, but got on the board when it counted.

In the bottom of the seventh, Tyler Yates entered the game, replacing starter Jason Davis (who fooled the Phillies for six innings), with a 3-2 lead.  Carlos Ruiz led off with a double to left field.  Greg Dobbs then entered the game as a pinch hitter for Scott Eyre.  Dobbs promptly doubled down the left field line (his 23rd pinch hit of the season, a new Phillies record), scoring Ruiz, knotting the game at three.  Dobbs took third on a wild pitch, putting the go-ahead run on third base with no outs.  Unfortunately Jimmy Rollins grounded out to first base and Shane Victorino flied out to shallow left, stranding Dobbs at third base.  With a runner on third and two out, Chase Utley stepped to the plate.

Utley, who was hitless in the series, had struggled all game.  His prior at bat was in the fifth inning.  He had the bases loaded and only one out.  Until he hit into an inning ending double play, killing yet another rally.  In the top of the sixth, he was unable to field a sharp ground ball off the bat of Ryan Doumit extending the inning.  The next batter Jason Michaels doubled home both Doumit and Nate McLouth, giving the Pirates a 3-2 lead.

Utley made up for it in the seventh as he deposited a Yates fastball in the right field stands, giving the Phillies a 5-3 lead.  Eyre picked up the win in his Phillies debut (.1IP, 0H), while Yates took the loss.

Although the Phillies took two of three from the Pirates and hold a two game lead in the division, the inconsistent offense continues to be a concern.  Jason Davis is a 28-year journeyman who only possesses two pitches (that are average at best).  Up until yesterday he hadn’t made a start since 2005, yet he held the Phillies lineup to four hits and no earned runs the six innings he pitched.  Davis is the type of pitcher the Phillies needed to take advantage of, and light up.

If there is a positive reagarding the struggling offense it’s that despite the Phillies barely being able to hit their weight, they still find themselves 5-4 this month.  This seven-game west coast road trip will be very telling how the remainder of this season will pan out.

The Phillies play tonight on the road in Los Angeles as Kyle Kendrick (10-5, 4.37) takes on Derek Lowe (8-10, 4.10).