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Phil Sheridan | Barely a pulse from the heart of the lineup

It's time to come out and say it. Ryan Howard and Chase Utley, the heart of the Phillies' lineup, are as responsible for the team's wretched start as anyone else in pinstripes.

It's time to come out and say it.

Ryan Howard and Chase Utley, the heart of the Phillies' lineup, are as responsible for the team's wretched start as anyone else in pinstripes.

It's easy to blame manager Charlie Manuel. It's easy to boo Pat Burrell. It's easy to gripe about Pat Gillick's lack of action in improving the bullpen.

Twelve games into the season, Howard and Utley have been given pretty much a free pass - and not the kind Howard was drawing whenever he came up last September with the game on the line.

It's understandable. Howard and Utley are likable guys. They have been terrific in their first few seasons in the major leagues. They represent the Phillies' best hope for a brighter future, and no one wants to start putting undue pressure on them. That seldom does any good, and has been the first step in souring a lot of relationships between fans and players in this city.

The point here isn't to start that process. Far from it. The problem is that, in an effort to cushion Howard and Utley, a lot of fans and reporters have aimed their anger and criticism at others.

Case in point: Last night, after Utley struck out with runners on first and second, Howard stepped to the plate. As he faced Mets starter Tom Glavine, Burrell came out of the dugout and into the on-deck circle. A fan stood and loudly, angrily shouted at Burrell.

Meanwhile, Howard struck out.

It was one fan. One moment. But it sure felt like a metaphor for the mind-set of most fans and reporters in town.

The back-to-back strikeouts represented just one of several chances the Nos. 3 and 4 hitters had to drive in runs in a desultory 8-1 loss. All they managed was Howard's bases-loaded walk in the third inning.

"We felt like we had the right guys up there tonight," Manuel said. "We just didn't capitalize on it."

Howard seemed almost relieved upon drawing ball four. You couldn't help thinking that last year, Glavine would have been relieved by that outcome. Better a one-run walk than a grand slam.

Utley, too, showed signs that his confidence just wasn't there. In the first inning, he came up with one out and Shane Victorino on second. Utley tried to catch Glavine off guard with a bunt before finally working a walk. Howard followed by grounding into a double play.

Utley tried to bunt again before striking out in the fifth. There's nothing wrong with trying to surprise your opponent with a bunt, but this looked and felt more like a desperation move for a player who just wasn't driving in runs.

"It is frustrating," Utley said. "The only way to get out of this is to battle out of it. Baseball is a game of failure. You have to learn to deal with it."

The 2006 all-star second baseman is 1 for 13 with runners in scoring position. Howard, the 2006 National League MVP, is 4 for 19. Utley has two home runs and six RBIs. Howard has one homer and, with that third-inning walk, drove in his seventh run of the season.

If you're wondering why the Phillies are 3-9 - their worst start in a decade - those numbers go a long way toward explaining it.

There is one interesting twist here. In the off-season, Utley made news by signing a seven-year, $85 million contract. The news about Howard was that his 58-homer season didn't translate into a big contract. Not yet, at least. Because he has less service time, the Phillies renewed his contract for one season at $900,000.

It isn't unusual for a player to press after getting a big contract. It isn't unusual for a player to struggle when he feels pressure to earn a big contract. Maybe the contracts have nothing to do with the slow starts, or maybe the Phillies managed to get the worst of both worlds - two stars pressing for opposite reasons.

There isn't much to be done here. Manuel could try to shake up his lineup, maybe slipping a righthanded bat between Utley and Howard. But that could backfire every bit as easily as it could work.

"I can stand here every night and tell you those guys are going to hit," Manuel said. "They're good hitters. They're special hitters. At the same time, we need them to get going."

More is at stake here, after all, than the 2007 season. Utley and Howard are cornerstones of the franchise, and figure to be for a long time. No one can question their talent or their work ethic. It doesn't make sense to turn on them because of one bad 12-game stretch.

But it's OK to say that the young stars aren't shining right now, and that until they are, the Phillies are in big trouble.