As Phillies Score Fewer Runs, They Get Better at Preventing Them Ruben Amaro Jr. was the last batter to face Tom Glavine in the 1995 World Series. He grounded out to first base for the Cleveland Indians, whose hitting coach was Charlie Manuel. Together they watched the triumph of Glavine and the dominant Atlanta Braves pitching staff. Amaro spent his next three years with the Philadelphia Phillies. Each season, the Braves won the division, with the Phillies far behind. When Amaro retired to join the Phillies" front office, the sting of losing to the Braves had formed his philosophy. "I had firsthand knowledge of the fact that pitching really does rule the day - and you're seeing it more and more now," Amaro said. Runs are down, they continue to be down, and it's going to get worse, probably, as far as offense is concerned, because pitching is the most important part of the game. I believe in it. As the Phillies" general manager, Amaro has built teams that increasingly reflect that belief. As the team has collected aces, the offense has slipped by comparison. The 2009 Phillies scored the most runs in the National League and allowed the sixth fewest. The 2010 team was fairly balanced, and by 2011, the rankings had virtually flipped. The Phillies ranked only seventh in runs scored but allowed the fewest runs in the league. When their pitchers were not at their sharpest in the playoffs against St. Louis, a feeble offense doomed them to defeat. Now the disparity seems to be growing. The Phillies, who host the Mets at Citizens Bank Park this weekend, scored only eight runs in their first four games. They broke loose for a five-run inning against the Miami Marlins on Wednesday, using a steal, an error and five singles to their advantage. Without the injured Chase Utley and Ryan Howard, the Phillies must be resourceful. "You've got to figure out ways to get runs and to manufacture runs any way you can do it, whether it be stealing a base or playing small ball," center fielder Shane Victorino said. I think it's going to be a blueprint. Even when those guys get back, there's no reason to change. We're going to be built on that, and why not use it and make it part of our game? Victorino was waiting for reporters at his clubhouse chair after the game, playfully chiding them for doubting the lineup. With five division titles in a row, including a World Series championship in 2008, the Phillies have earned the right to patience from the masses. The fans even rallied around Utley's struggling replacement, Freddy Galvis, chanting his name Wednesday before he hit a two-run double. "The fans here, as much as you hear about them booing players, to have them chanting his name like that and then have him come through, that's pretty cool," said starter Roy Halladay, who is 2-0 with a 0.60 earned run average. Hopefully that's a boost for him. Maybe so, but it is reasonable to wonder if the lineup can score enough to support Halladay and his fellow aces Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels. Manuel, now Philadelphia's manager, said he believed the Phillies could win every series because of their pitching. But he acknowledged the lineup lacked power, and that opposing pitchers knew how to exploit it. "First of all, how they pitch us is no secret at all," said Manuel, at his avuncular best Wednesday. "My favorite statement is "Watch the game," and you see them change up on us and throw us hooks, and we get out on our front side, we're history. They just took all the sting out of our bat, and that's the whole purpose of pitching. Once you get on your front side and you're off-balance, and you're arms-and-hands, you can hit the ball, pop it up or hit a slow dribbler on the infield or something like that. Yeah, you might quail one over the infield. But at the same time you're definitely not going to hit the ball consistently that way. And that's what they do. Manuel has scrambled to find the right fits. He used a different first baseman in each of the first four games, and has alternated Juan Pierre and John Mayberry Jr. in left field. Galvis, who has less than two months of experience above Class AA, has started every game for Utley at second. Utley, who has chronic knee problems, is working out in Arizona, building the strength he lacked at the end of last season. Howard, who tore his Achilles" tendon as the playoffs ended last October, has been limited by an infection in the wound. Amaro gave no timetable for their recoveries. Even when they do return, Howard and Utley seem far removed from their peaks. Howard has never been able to cut his strikeouts or solve left-handers, and his production has declined two years in a row. Utley's on-base plus slugging percentage has fallen in four consecutive seasons. Amaro did not dispute the notion that the vintage Howard and Utley may not return. But he said their presence would put teammates in more natural spots in the order, and their replacements should hit enough to win. This is the Phillies" design. If they pitch as they expect, they will have a chance to win with almost any collection of hitters. The former closer Brad Lidge, who clinched their 2008 title and now pitches for Washington, synthesized the Amaro gospel. "They might not score as many runs, especially with Chase and Howie out," Lidge said. But they're still going to win a lot of games because they have studs in the rotation.