Manuel said during spring training and repeated here Sunday night that he likes Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Raul Ibanez batting back-to-back-to-back against right-handed pitchers. Not even a ninth-inning failure Sunday night could change his mind.

"We've played one game, man," Manuel said after Braves lefty closer Mike Gonzalez struck out Howard and retired Ibanez to end a two-on, one-out threat in the Phillies' 4-1 loss. "There's some things we can do. We can shuffle some guys around, but more than likely, it'll land right back where it's at, unless we find a right-handed hitter who goes in between them that's hot."

Last month, Baseball Prospectus analyst Joe Sheehan told The (Wilmington, Del.) News Journal, the lefty-lefty-lefty lineup could cause problems for the Phillies -- and make life easy for opposing managers -- in the late innings when a left-handed reliever could be called upon to face the middle of the lineup.

Manuel said he's sensitive to that concern. But the Braves have only two left-handers in the bullpen, including Gonzalez. The Colorado Rockies, this weekend's opponent at Coors Field, also have one (Alan Embree).

"I'm concerned that they can bring a lefty in and go through our 3-4-5 guys," Manuel said. "But Ibanez hit close to .300 last year, and for the last two years, he's been consistent on lefties. Howard hits, production-wise, against lefties. Utley, last year, he was tearing lefties up until he starting having hip problems."

Last season, Ibanez batted .305 against left-handers, but that was substantially better than his .268 career average against lefties. And while Howard had 14 home runs in 237 at-bats against lefties last season (and 47 homers in 713 at-bats for his career), he's only a .231 career hitter against southpaws, compared to .304 against righties.

Against left-handed starters, Manuel likely will bat Jayson Werth in the No. 5 spot. But Werth batted second in the opener because he had a better spring than usual No. 2 hitter Shane Victorino, who got only 50 spring-training at-bats for the Phillies because he played for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic.

BRAVES 4, PHILLIES 1: Brett Myers allowed three home runs in the first two innings and spoiled the Phillies' championship homecoming. The Phillies mustered two hits through eight innings against Braves starter Derek Lowe before breaking through in the ninth against closer Mike Gonzalez. Jack Taschner, Scott Eyre, Chad Durbin and Brad Lidge combined for three innings of scoreless relief for the Phillies, who lost their fourth straight season opener.