Phillies Notes | Manuel relives the good and the bad

PHOENIX - Charlie Manuel had a chance yesterday to watch Monday's 4-3 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks on a TV replay.

He said he watched every minute of it, which means he relived Freddy Garcia's best start of the season. But it also means he watched his bullpen lose another one.

Garcia allowed five hits, two runs and no walks in six innings. He struck out two. But, most impressive, he threw just 70 pitches.

"I wish I could have gone one more inning," Garcia said. "It's really tough for me because in a game like this in the American League, I could go seven, eight, complete game."

Manuel pinch-hit for Garcia in the top of the seventh inning with Carlos Ruiz on second, representing the tying run, and no outs. Pinch-hitter Jayson Werth walked and Ruiz eventually scored to make it 2-2. But Antonio Alfonseca and Francisco Rosario each allowed a run in consecutive innings to lose the game.

"I didn't want to take Freddy out of the game," Manuel said.

Yesterday, the manager said he wouldn't have done anything different given the opportunity.

"When we have a guy on second base and we have the top of the order coming up, we're trying to win the game," Manuel said. "My thinking there is: We're tying the game up, but I want to win it. If we had a guy on first base and one out, he's bunting. If we have a guy on first and second, he would have gone up to bunt. But once we had Ruiz on second, we're going to play this out."

Of course, if Manuel had left Garcia in and the pitcher failed to execute a sacrifice bunt and the Phillies lost, 2-1, the manager would have taken heat for not pinch-hitting for him.

Garcia said he understood.

"I had to be aware, because we're trying to win the game," he said. "But I wasn't surprised. That's the way they play here. That's the way the National League goes. That's the decision for the manager, and he's trying to do what's best for the team. I respect that."