Phillies -- and Ryan Howard -- need to get offensive

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Pitching dominated the first two games of the World Series before the Yankees exploded for eight runs in Game 3 on Saturday, doubling their total from the first two games combined. And Nick Swisher and Alex Rodriguez, hitless with seven strikeouts in Games 1 and 2, were responsible for much of that offense, belting a pair of home runs, scoring three runs and driving in three more.

And that has Phillies Manager Charlie Manuel believing a turnaround is possible for his sluggers.

‘We could come out tomorrow night and score runs,’ he said after Saturday’s Game 3 loss, which put his team in a 2-1 hole in the best-of-seven series. ‘We’re definitely capable of putting runs on the board. It’s just a matter of time that we do.’

Five of the Phillies regulars are hitting .200 or below although no one is struggling more than Ryan Howard, who went hitless in four at-bats Saturday, striking out three times. The major league’s RBI leader during the regular season, Howard has struck out nine times in 13 at-bats and has driven in just one irun n the Series.

After the Phillies’ workout between Games 2 and 3, Howard shooed reporters away from his locker in the Phillies’ clubhouse. ‘No questions, no questions,’ he kept repeating. That left Manuel to speak for him Saturday.

‘If we’re going to get going, it’s time for us to do it,’ said Manuel, whose team is hitting .216. ‘That’s how I look at it. That’s baseball and that’s the way it goes. And good pitching stops good hitting.

‘We’ve got to come out with the idea that we’re going to get them. That’s how we’ve been playing all year, and that’s how we’ll continue playing.’

-- Kevin Baxter