Phillies (are) dead blog

To be honest, I didn't have the heart to live-blog Game 3 of the NLDS last night, and that's fitting, since the Phillies clearly didn't have the heart to play in that game. There was really no point in screaming a minute-by-minute recap of the end of my favorite team's hopes into the void of Saturday night on the Internet, which is precisely where you wind up when you've hitched your wagon to one too many empty promises and find yourself at home, alone, drunken and empty like the 20-some bottles of Yuengling strewn on the carpet.

Is that morose enough? It'll have to be. If it's not, I blame it on Manuel. Even though I know he didn't cause it, just like he didn't cause the offense to suddenly morph from the NL's best into the Padres. Eight runs and 16 hits should have been the Phils' production in one game, not one series. What didn't happen for the Phillies in this series is what had happened all season long. In short, the Phillies we had known had played their final game of the season a week ago. The next day, they held a downtown rally in commemoration of their run to the playoffs. That same Monday, the Rockies were playing baseball, and winning baseball at that. While the Phillies looked back, the Rockies never took their eyes off the ball.

Phillies-Rockies Live Blog! (Game 2)

So that didn't go well yesterday. No matter. Baseball is about shaking off whatever happened to you the day before and accepting that even the best teams will lose 60 games a year. The Rockies are on an incredible roll, but they simply don't have the kind of talent that can keep this up. Statistically, they're bound to fall. In a karmic sense, they're bound to fall. Remember back in July, when the Phillies courageously wrestled a wind-blown tarp to the ground while the Rockies cowered in their dugout? Pray all you want Rockies, the real righteous baseball team wears red.

Here are the lineups for Game 2. Note that the Rockies are going with rookie Franklin Morales (3-2, 3.43 ERA in eight starts) on the hill instead of Mark Redman:

Colorado
2B Kaz Matsui
SS Troy Tulowitzki
LF Matt Holliday
1B Todd Helton
3B Garrett Atkins
RF Brad Hawpe
CF Ryan Spilborghs
C Yorvit Torrealba
P Franklin Morales

Philadelphia
SS Jimmy Rollins
2B Chase Utley
LF Pat Burrell
1B Ryan Howard
CF Aaron Rowand
RF Jayson Werth
3B Wes Helms
C Carlos Ruiz
P Kyle Kendrick

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6:57 p.m., post-mortem, Rockies 10, Phillies 5: I really didn't expect the Phillies to do anything in the playoffs, considering just making it there was such a longshot. But I didn't expect them to get embarrassed, either, and that's precisely what's happening. I think Manuel has made a few boneheaded moves, like carrying only 10 pitchers and going to Lohse in this one, but he's made some good moves, too. For as much as I'd like to blame the pitching staff, it's not as if anyone really thought they would perform well. Instead, you have to look at the offense. Seven runs and 13 hits is what you might expect out of a single game from these guys, but it's taken them 18 innings to put up those numbers. You can't really say anything about Rollins, who was a spark-plug today, or even Howard, Utley or Burrell, who all have multiple hits. But where's Rowand? And Dobbs? And Victorino, even though I defended him? And all the supporting players who helped this offense go from good to great? The only time they're showing up is when you assess what's gone wrong. Helms, Dobbs and Nunez have all played third base and all failed to get a hit, so that position continues to be the Phils' achilles heel, but the spare parts the team used to mitigate this gaping hole in the lineup have vanished, and that's caused the offense to come apart. I'll be back at 9:30 Saturday night to live blog Game 3, but I can't help but think it will be one morbid Saturday night. That is, unless the Rockies decide to pack it in early so they can get to church the next morning.

6:41 p.m., It's over, Rockies 10, Phillies 5: Howard looks at strike three. And it's over. The game, and likely the series. TBS swiftly switches to Cleveland. Oh, and look, the Yankees are already ahead! Lovely.

6:37 p.m., Bottom 9th, Rockies 10, Phillies 5: Make that two singles in the series, as Utley lifts one into left-center. Appropriately, Burrell is up in a desperate situation wherein he will likely fail. But no! It's a liner to left and runners first and second for Howard.

6:35 p.m., Bottom 9th, Rockies 10, Phillies 5: Rollins grounds out to second and all of a sudden it's up to Utley, who has but one single in the series.

6:34 p.m., Bottom 9th, Rockies 10, Phillies 5: Chris Coste pinch hitting for Romero. He hits it well, but right to Sullivan in center. Let's give the MVP one last hand in likely his final at-bat in Philly this year.

6:31 p.m., Mid 9th, Rockies 10, Phillies 5: Hawpe fans, and here we go. The best offense in the league has one inning to score five runs and avoid going down 0-2 headed to Colorado. I don't like their chances, either, but it's all they have. Let's say this: I like their chances to score five runs in the ninth better than the odds that they win three in a row.

6:29 p.m., Top 9th, Rockies 10, Phillies 5: Atkins loops a fly ball to Rowand, two away. Well, at least we still have the Eagl ... uh, never mind.

6:26 p.m., Top 9th, Rockies 10, Phillies 5: J.C. Romero is on for some work for the Phils. That's pitcher No. 6 for Philadelphia. He gets Helton to ground out.

6:24 p.m., End 8th, Rockies 10, Phillies 5: This we could see coming. Everyone gets back on their feet and in the game, and Ruiz grounds meekly to third to end the inning and leave the sacks packed. The pitcher's spot, Rollins and Utley due up in the ninth for Philadelphia, as if it still mattered. Helton, Atkins and Hawpe up in the top of the inning.

6:22 p.m., Bottom 8th, Rockies 10, Phillies 5: The TBS guys are discussing the Corpas water-on-the-jersey mini-controversy as he prepares to throw to Ruiz. Belechick and Bonds aren't the only ones who cheat, guys, and everyone knows it.

6:20 p.m., Bottom 8th, Rockies 10, Phillies 5: Iguchi slams the tip of his bat to the ground in frustration as Reynolds calls a questionable strike two. The next pitch is too far inside and it's a full count. Everyone up, and it's ball four. Now the crowd is back, and Ruiz is up. No one up in the Rockies bullpen up ... until now, Manny Corpas, the closer, has begun to get ready. He apparently needs little time to warm up, as he's coming in now. Jamey Carroll replaces Matsui at second as part of a double-switch.

6:16 p.m., Bottom 8th, Rockies 10, Phillies 5: Jim Reynolds calls an inside strike on what Werth thought was ball four. No matter. The next pitch is way low, and Tad Iguchi comes up to pinch hit for Dobbs.

6:13 p.m., Bottom 8th, Rockies 10, Phillies 5: Rowand swings and misses strike three, but Torrealba misses it, too, so Howard advances to second. Two out for Werth.

6:10 p.m., Bottom 8th, Rockies 10, Phillies 5: Howard with a solid single into right field. The largest deficit the Phils have come back against to win was back in August against Milwaukee, when they erased a 6-0 lead. So sayeth Simpson.

6:09 p.m., Bottom 8th, Rockies 10, Phillies 5: The new pitcher is ... well, let's wait through a Caliendo in-game spot and face time for Orsillo and Simpson ... Brian Fuentes! He's facing Howard.

6:07 p.m., Bottom 8th, Rockies 10, Phillies 5: Hurdle comes out, and it's another TBS man of mystery coming on to replace Speier for the Rockies.

6:06 p.m., Bottom 8th, Rockies 10, Phillies 5: The PA system whips the crowd into one last hopeful frenzy. Not surprisingly, Burrell takes strike one to quiet things down. He lines a 1-2 pitch right to Tulowitzki. One down.

6:04 p.m., Mid 8th, Rockies 10, Phillies 5: Liner off of Holliday's bat caught by a leaping Rollins, who won't quit even if everyone else has at the very least turned their focus to Game 3. Burrell, Howard and Rowand up, so the faint hope of a spark may still exist. Maybe. Although I'm certainly not counting on it.

6:01 p.m., Top 8th, Rockies 10, Phillies 5: Matsui looking for a single to get the cycle, by the way. But he's not getting it. He flies out to Rowand. A smattering of light applause. Tulowitzki doubles to left. That's the eighth extra-base hit for the Rockies today.

5:58 p.m., Top 8th, Rockies 10, Phillies 5: Great. Now we're back up to two Caliendo ads per commercial break. Alfonseca on, and Cory Sullivan grounds the first pitch to Dobbs at third, who fires to first for out one. Philly fans don't even have the heart to boo Matsui, who's up now.

5:55 p.m., End 7th, Rockies 10, Phillies 5: Holliday calls off a backtracking Tulowitzki and catches the Utley fly ball in short left field to end the inning.

5:54 p.m., Bottom 7th, Rockies 10, Phillies 5: Utley teases us with a loud foul to right. By the way, if you're still counting, that's four RBIs now for Rollins and five runs for the team.

5:53 p.m., Bottom 7th, Rockies 10, Phillies 5: Victorino is looking to run on this at-bat, even though the sluggers are up for the Phils. That's a good call, as Torrealba's throw on a pitch-out goes out into center field as there was no one covering second. So Victorino moves all the way to third. The count is 1-2 on Rollins. He dribbles it down the first base line as Helton tags the bag, but Victorino takes advantage of the Rockies' mistake and scoots home.

5:50 p.m., Bottom 7th, Rockies 10, Phillies 4: Victorino singles to right. Let's hope Manuel pulls a double-switch of his own and keeps him in the game. The MVP is up.

5:48 p.m., Bottom 7th, Rockies 10, Phillies 4: Ryan Speier on for the Rockies. Cory Sullivan replaces Ryan Spilborghs in center field, and that's a double-switch, so Speier will bat seventh. Ruiz grounds to short. Victorino pinch-hitting.

5:45 p.m., Mid 7th, Rockies 10, Phillies 4: According to commercial evidence, Jared the Subway guy agrees with me that Howard's defense is underrated. So there's that.

5:44 p.m., Mid 7th, Rockies 10, Phillies 4: Torrealba skips it back to Condrey, who turns and fires to Utley, out at second, and, yes, out at first. Polite applause follows. Ruiz, the pitcher's spot and Rollins up for the Phillies.

5:42 p.m., Top 7th, Rockies 10, Phillies 4: Hawpe scorches one up the middle and it eludes a diving Utley. I have a deep urge to flip over to PTI right now. Spilborghs quickly follows with a base hit to left. Runners first and second for Torrealba.

5:38 p.m., Top 7th, Rockies 10, Phillies 4: Condrey continues to pitch for the Phils as Atkins stands in. He skies a long fly ball to center, but Rowand is there and we have one away.

5:36 p.m., End 6th, Rockies 10, Phillies 4: The howls of drunken fans echo in the emptying caverns of CBP. Affeldt gets Dobbs swinging. Live-blogging is not always glamorous, and still three innings to go.

5:34 p.m., Bottom 6th, Rockies 10, Phillies 4: Werth golfs one to Atkins at third, who fires to nip him at first. Dobbs bats now with two out.

5:32 p.m., Bottom 6th, Rockies 10, Phillies 4: And it's a 2-0 count to Rowand. A few, ultra-optimistic Philly fans begin to make noise. Their dreams, too, are quashed. Affeldt comes back to get him swinging.

5:29 p.m., Bottom 6th, Rockies 10, Phillies 4: Jeremy Affeldt comes on for the Rockies. Wait, so Fogg hit in the last half-inning for no good reason? Thanks a lot, Hurdle. We'll get you for that. Specifically, Ryan Howard will get you for that. Home run to left-center!

5:27 p.m., Mid 6th, Rockies 10, Phillies 3: Helton strikes out swinging. TBS throws it back to the studio for cruel analysis of the Matsui grand slam. At least Mets fans aren't any happier about this.

5:25 p.m., Top 6th, Rockies 10, Phillies 3: Base hit to left-center by Holliday, Matsui jogs home and no reaction from a stunned and dejected Philly crowd.

5:23 p.m., Top 6th, Rockies 9, Phillies 3: It's gone from boos to resigned silence at CBP. The only thing the Phillies have going for them is their offense right now, but it would be nice if someone other than Rollins decided to show up for the final innings here. Tulowitzki strikes out looking, two down for Holliday.

5:21 p.m., Top 6th, Rockies 9, Phillies 3: This is pathetic. When the Rockies feel confident enough to have Fogg bat for himself here, you know it's bad. Bronx cheer for strike one from Condrey to Matsui. Ah, but he puts one out into right field, Torrealba scores, Matsui all the way to third for a triple. Run charged to Mesa, by the way.

5:18 p.m., Top 6th, Rockies 8, Phillies 3: TBS doing a great job of capturing the Philly disgust. By the way, I think someone or something has come out onto the field ... apparently it was a bottle thrown from the upper deck. Nice. Now it's a 2-0 count to Fogg, who is trying to bunt. He finally lays it down and gets Torrealba over to second. Manuel out to the mound and is greeted by, you guessed it, boos. Condrey coming in.

5:16 p.m., Top 6th, Rockies 8, Phillies 3: Every ball now elicting a boo, every strike a bronx cheer. Count full to Spilborghs. Ball high, and it's getting ugly. The first two batters in the inning have reached on walks. Clay Condrey just now gets up and starts warming in the 'pen. Torrealba sends one to the gap in right-center and ... ugh. Two runs score on the single.

5:11 p.m., Top 6th, Rockies 6, Phillies 3: Hawpe walks on five pitches, and Spilborghs is up and takes ball one. Thank god Philadelphia is the capital of booing, because that's exactly what's called for here.

5:09 p.m., Top 6th, Rockies 6, Phillies 3: Loud boos rain down as Mesa runs the count on Hawpe to 3-0.

5:06 p.m., End 5th, Rockies 6, Phillies 3: Burrell swings and misses on a changeup. Never mind that whole "valiant" thing. That's the Burrell we know and loathe.

5:04 p.m., Bottom 5th, Rockies 6, Phillies 3: Fogg battles back to 3-2 with Burrell. A ... and I can't believe I'm writing this ... valiant Burrell fouls off a couple of pitches, and tension builds. Another foul, and the ninth pitch of the at-bat awaits.

5:02 p.m., Bottom 5th, Rockies 6, Phillies 3: There we go! Base hit up the middle, and Utley's struggles are over. All is right for estrogen-fueled Phils fans again. And it's up to Burrell here. I ... this still bothers me. Even with a 3-0 count here, this still bothers me. Action in both bullpens, by the way, including Jose Mesa in Philadelphia's.

4:59 p.m., Bottom 5th, Rockies 6, Phillies 3: Utley has tied the Division Series record for a position player for most consecutive strikeouts. Former Phillie Bob Walk, with six, holds the overall Division Series record. C'mon, Utley, the hearts of a million young, single women are with you! You can do this!

4:56 p.m., Bottom 5th, Rockies 6, Phillies 3: Bourn grounds to second, and here comes the MVP ... and here comes an in-game spot for Caliendo. Damn, I jinxed it. I gotta remember not to do that. Tulowitzki makes a nice play on a grounder up the middle to make it two out for Utley.

4:55 p.m., Bottom 5th, Rockies 6, Phillies 3: TBS gets kudos for keeping the Caliendo spots to a minimum so far today. I'll take "This Is Our Country" on a continuous loop over really bad Jack Nicholson impressions. Michael Bourn pinch-hitting for Lohse.

4:51 p.m., Mid 5th, Rockies 6, Phillies 3: Helton, who's been awfully quiet this series, grounds to Howard at first, who again shows off his defensive skills and flips to Lohse who covers. This is what I'm reduced to ... analyzing the defense of Howard. Rowand under an Atkins' fly ball, and another bronx cheer goes up for a 1-2-3 inning. By the way ... Mellancamp is back!

4:48 p.m., Top 5th, Rockies 6, Phillies 3: Ah, and look who's up. Holliday. And he strikes out looking! That's about the only thing that could have elicited a cheer from the crowd, and that's precisely what happens. He futilely jaws with the ump before heading back to the dugout.

4:45 p.m., End 4th, Rockies 6, Phillies 3: Coste and Barajas are both on the NLDS roster, by the way. Ruiz lifts a high fastball out to center, but Spilborghs slides to make the catch. Man, does this feel like a bad party right now. And I think I just saw my DD take two shots of rum.

4:42 p.m., Bottom 4th, Rockies 6, Phillies 3: Dobbs pinch hit for Helms and quickly flew out to Hawpe in right. Two out for Ruiz. Where's Chris Coste?

4:40 p.m., Bottom 4th, Rockies 6, Phillies 3: Thought I'd post the NLDS pitching roster here, just to make the rather grim situation clear. You tell me who Charlie thinks he's going with in Game 4.

57	Alfonseca, Antonio
55	Condrey, Clay
45	Gordon, Tom
35	Hamels, Cole
38	Kendrick, Kyle
37	Lohse, Kyle
49	Mesa, José
50	Moyer, Jamie
39	Myers, Brett
16	Romero, J.C.

Josh Fogg is in for the Rockies, by the way. He gets Werth to ground to short for the first out.

4:37 p.m., Top 4th, Rockies 6, Phillies 3: Tulowitzki grounds out to Rollins, and the Phillies head to the dugouts as everyone in the park boos. Nice move, Charlie. Where's J.D. Durbin when you need him? Well, he's not on the NLDS roster, so ... yeah, we're fucked.

4:35 p.m., Top 4th, Rockies 6, Phillies 3: I just took a look at the Phillies' NLDS roster and ... well, if this series goes to Game 4, and the Phils better hope it does, it looks like it's either Hamels on short rest or perhaps a return to a starting role for Brett Myers, because there's not another capable starter who'll be ready for Sunday. Moyer is going Game 3, by the way. The count is 1-2 to Matsui, and the fans are up and waving the towels. Make 'em white flags ... grand slam Matsui, to right field. Fuck, fuck, fuck!

4:31 p.m., Top 4th, Phillies 3, Rockies 2: Smith with a roller down the third base line, a swinging bunt, and Helms can't pick it, so the bases are loaded for Matsui. Manuel pops out, and it looks like we'll have to shuffle the rotation for Game 4, as Lohse is on his way in from the bullpen.

4:28 p.m., Top 4th, Phillies 3, Rockies 2: Simpson is surprised the Phillies aren't pitching around Torrealba to get to Morales. I'm surprised Simpson has a job. Kendrick runs the count to 3-1 anyway, and now they intentionally finish off the walk. Morales gets lifted for pinch-hitter Seth Smith. Who? He went 5-for-7 as a pinch-hitter in Sept., says Simpson.

4:25 p.m., Top 4th, Phillies 3, Rockies 2: Everyone to their feet for the 1-2 to Spilborghs. Low, ball two. Less noise this time, but no matter. Spilborghs pops to Howard and it's two out for Torrealba.

4:23 p.m., Top 4th, Phillies 3, Rockies 2: Hawpe sends Burrell retreating on a fly ball in left field, but he tracks it down and quickly gets the throw in to hold Atkins at second. The fans loudly applaud Burrell's defense, as though he were right behind J-Roll as deputy Mr. Phillie. This is a strange world.

4:21 p.m., Top 4th, Phillies 3, Rockies 2: Atkins doubles, and it's the second consecutive leadoff double and third consecutive inning with the leadoff man on. But the Rockies failed to score in the first two such instances. Stick it, Bill James!

4:17 p.m., End 3rd, Phillies 3, Rockies 2: Josh Fogg, the Rockies Game 4 starter who was the starter in Monday's tiebreaker, now warming up in the bullpen. Shit, and Morales picks off Howard at first! Rowand sends a fly ball to Hawpe to quickly end the inning.

4:15 p.m., Bottom 3rd, Phillies 3, Rockies 2: Howard hit by a pitch right on the hand. An audible "fuck!" goes up from him, but he looks all right. The winds at CBP shift as everyone exhales.

4:13 p.m., Bottom 3rd, Phillies 3, Rockies 2: Burrell lifts a lazy liner to Matsui to second on the first pitch. Yup, he's responding to the No. 3 hole well.

4:10 p.m., Mid 3rd, Phillies 3, Rockies 2: I'll bring up the shadows now simply to remark that while both Kendrick and Helton are in shadow, the ball travels through a couple of weird light spaces on the way to the plate. Weird architecture on CBP. Phillies Game 4 starter Kyle Lohse up in the 'pen for some reason. Helton pops up to Werth and the inning is done.

4:07 p.m., Top 3rd, Phillies 3, Rockies 2: Kendrick gets Tulo swinging. Big out. Holliday is roundly booed. He hits a sharp grounder to Helms, who checks the runner back to second and fires to first for the out. Looking good.

4:05 p.m., Top 3rd, Phillies 3, Rockies 2: If Dirk Nowitzki's sister married Troy Tulowitzki, she'd be named Nowitzki-Tulowitzki. Just so you know. He draws the count full. There's a girl sitting in the front row who seems very ensconced in what she's reading right now. She's missing a hell of a game. Ruiz out to the mound for a convo.

4:02 p.m., Top 3rd, Phillies 3, Rockies 2: Simpson says Kyle Kendrick's name reminds him of a NASCAR driver's name for the second time, and Matsui lifts a double to center. Unrelated occurances? I doubt it. Simpson hates the Phils!

3:58 p.m., End 2nd, Phillies 3, Rockies 2: The Phillies have their first lead of the series! And now Utley drives it deep, but it's to straightaway center, and Spilborghs is there to end the inning. But the Phils have gotten to Morales, and now they're in control. Hold 'em down, Kyle!

3:56 p.m., Bottom 2nd, Phillies 3, Rockies 2: I gotta say I agree with Manuel holding the runners on this one. I mean, you've got Rollins up, and Utley to follow, and it's not like this is shaping up to be a "scratch for every run" game. Morales looks nervous on the mound, stepping off the rubber and generally lollygagging and stalling for time. He was just delaying the inevitable. Rollins triples to the gap in left-center. M-V-P! M-V-P! M-V-P!

3:52 p.m., Bottom 2nd, Rockies 2, Phillies 1: Kendrick swinging away, as Manuel eschews the squeeze play. Little ground ball to Matsui at second, but Helms is stuck like a statue at third and it remains runners at second and third for Rollins. Boo birds are out.

3:50 p.m., Bottom 2nd, Rockies 2, Phillies 1: Umpire Darrell Cousins catches Morales going to his mouth, and a ball is tacked on the count. Insert oral fixation joke here. Of course, usually with the Rockies, it's an Oral Roberts fixation. And so the sexual repression in the Rockies clubhouse manifests itself. Incidentally, Ruiz is at bat, and the count is full. I know, I know, I can't read a lineup. Take back that college degree. He hits one to center over Spilborghs' head. Helms, who was holding at first, only makes it to third on the Ruiz double. NOW Kendrick is up.

3:45 p.m., Bottom 2nd, Rockies 2, Phillies 1: Helms works the count full. There's more of a buzz in the crowd today, by the way. A hearty cheer for a Helms walk brings up Kendrick. And bunting isn't just the tri-colored decoration on the walls.

3:42 p.m., Bottom 2nd, Rockies 2, Phillies 1: If Dane Cook is so fucking funny, why doesn't he tell a single joke in the MLB October ads? Here's Jayson Werth for his first postseason at-bat. He fans. Are you sure Victorino couldn't have done any better, Manuel?

3:38 p.m., Mid 2nd, Rockies 2, Phillies 1: Kendrick's cap looks like he borrowed it from Robin Roberts, by the way. It's not Steve Kline-level filthy, just well-worn looking. Maybe he got it out of David Wells' personal collection. He gets Morales swinging and the Phillies fans cheer wildly as the opposing pitcher goes down. Baby steps, baby steps.

3:35 p.m., Top 2nd, Rockies 2, Phillies 1: In case you were wondering, my connection froze momentarily, thus the eight-minute gap. But hey, you got an extra long update out of it, so you can't complain. 0-2 count on Torrealba, Ruiz with a snap throw on a high ball one and Spilborghs is back safely. Spilborghs is the opposite of Burrell as he draws a throw from Kendrick now. Still no confusing graphic, though. Torrealba flies to Rowand in center, Morales to bat.

3:32 p.m., Top 2nd, Rockies 2, Phillies 1: In case you were wondering, the TBS baserunner's graphic is a multi-colored bar superimposed on the dirt with a big nine on top of it. They explained what that meant at some point yesterday, but fuck if I remember what that was about. I'm a dedicated baseball fan, former baseball beat writer and college graduate. If someone like me can't figure it out, it's wasted bells and whistles. And I thought Fox wasn't broadcasting the Division Series. Hawpe walks to begin the inning. spilborghs gets the next pitch hit right back to him and throws to Utley for the out at second, but Utley throws it away on the DP attempt. Spilborghs remains at first, though. Thank god this isn't cavernous Oakland, or Spilborghs would have been at third.

3:24 p.m., End 1st, Rockies 2, Phillies 1: Howard swings and misses on a high, 96 mph fastball, and it's up to Rowand. In case you were wondering, Burrell no threat to steal. TBS isn't even showing their confusing baserunner's lead graphic. Rowand hits a groundball to Tulowitzki who steps on second to end the inning. The Phillies do what they needed to in this frame.

3:22 p.m., Bottom 1st, Rockies 2, Phillies 1: I know he's been resurgent, I know he homered yesterday, but it still worries me that Burrell is now the No. 3 hitter. He hits a loud foul to left and the count is now full. See, that's what you get with this guy ... a big tease. No homer. But here's ball four, and we have a walk.

3:20 p.m., Bottom 1st, Rockies 2, Phillies 1: This game is well on its way to the slugfest you might expect between the two best offenses in the NL facing two rookie pitchers in a hitter's park. Utley up, to restore the faith all single in the metropolitan area had in him ... ugh, he K's swinging. Somewhere in Cherry Hill, a girl makes a Tad Iguchi drawing in her diary.

3:17 p.m., Bottom 1st, Rockies 2, Phillies 1: "You figure anybody who comes to Philadelphia with the name Franklin probably ought to have a good game." -- Joe Simpson. Uh, no. Rollins sends it deep and gone to left. M-V-P! M-V-P!

3:15 p.m., Mid 1st, Rockies 2, Phillies 0: This could become challenging as this goes on ... I didn't rearrange my schedule just so I could record a minute-by-minute log of my team's demise. The Phils better get something done in this half inning or CBP is going to be a morgue until April.

3:14 p.m., Mid 1st, Rockies 2, Phillies 0: Bronx cheer goes up as strike one is delivered to Helton. The same thing happens when Ruiz catches a foul pop-up on the next pitch. This is precisely the opposite of the quick Philly start you might have expected with a rookie on the mound. Instead, that's what the Rockies get. Atkins lifts one to shallow center and Rowand is there. Damn. A quick first inning, but the damage is done.

3:12 p.m., Top 1st, Rockies 2, Phillies 0: Manuel out to argue the call, but quickly back to the dugout. Shit! Holliday sends one deep and gone to left field. And the boos are deafening.

3:11 p.m., Top 1st, Rockies 1, Phillies 0: Little roller to Utley and the throw beats a speedy Matsui for the first out. Tulowitzki takes a long fly ball to center field and it's gone ... no, it's a triple ... no, it's gone ... instant replay everybody? No matter, it would have proven it gone anyway. Damn.

3:08 p.m., Top 1st, Rockies 0, Phillies 0: Jim Reynolds behind the plate today, so put his name atop any and all threatening envelopes for fastest delivery. Someone tell him his watch is slow, as he's holding up the start of this one for no good reason. First pitch is just outside for ball one.

3:06 p.m., awaiting first pitch, Rockies 0, Phillies 0: So the Rockies are throwing the National League's fifth-youngest player out there on the hill today (Franklin Morales). Well, that is if you trust Venezuelan birth certificates. It's a very Venezuelan 83 degrees in Philly right now, by the way. Hooray for global warming. First pitch in moments.

Phillies-Rockies Live Blog! (Game 1)

It's the day Phillies fans have been waiting for since the last time Hillary Clinton had a national health care plan. It's playoff baseball in Philadelphia for the first time since 1993!

Back then the closest thing to live-blogging was calling your buddy at work and annoying the receptionist at his office with tedious inning-by-inning updates or dialing his home phone repeatedly and hoping he got back from work before his girlfriend showed up and erased all your messages from the little cassette tape inside the answering machine.

To help usher the Phaithful into the 21st century, I'll be live-blogging each game of the Division Series. That's right, my schedule's cleared, work schedules are rearranged, and I'm ready to hitch a week's worth of free time to a team with a 4.76 ERA that relies on a 44-year-old with a 5.01 ERA to win big games. Hoo boy. And did I mention Wes Helms (.246, 5 HR, 39 RBI) is starting at third base today?

What's more, the Phillies are apparently going against Jesus in this series, and I'm not talking Jesus Colome. Read this piece from Philadelphia Weekly's Philadelphia Will Do blog. Pat Robertson has a new favorite team.

So if you can't align yourself with the dark forces in front of the TV for the 3 p.m. start time on TBS, check here for frequent updates on the progress of the game and the most earth-shattering event on TBS since Opie lost a tooth on an Andy Griffith rerun.

The Phillies lineup is below. The Rockies, with less than 90 minutes to go before the first pitch, have yet to release their lineup (chickens!), but when they do decide on an offense it will be in support of starter Jeff Francis (17-9, 4.22 ERA). EDIT: With a little more than half an hour to go, we now have a Rockies lineup. What were they waiting for, a burning bush?

Colorado (90-73)
2B Kaz Matsui
SS Troy Tulowitzki
LF Matt Holliday
1B Todd Helton
3B Garrett Atkins
RF Brad Hawpe
CF Ryan Spilborghs
C Yorvit Torrealba
P Jeff Francis

Philadelphia (89-73)
SS Jimmy Rollins
RF Shane Victorino
2B Chase Utley
1B Ryan Howard
CF Aaron Rowand
LF Pat Burrell
3B Wes Helms
C Carlos Ruiz
P Cole Hamels

----

6:11 p.m., Post-mortem, Rockies 4, Phillies 2: So the top four hitters in the Phillies order goes 0-for-15 with nine K's, including four from Chase Utley. The Phils had one hit, by Hamels no less, outside of the fifth inning. They lose a home game with their ace on the mound and throw rookie Kyle Kendrick out there in Game Two tomorrow (3 p.m.). The Rockies have now won 15 of their last 16 games. Say it with me now ... not good! The only upside is that Colorado is going with Mark Redman (2-4, 7.62 ERA in 11 games) on the mound tomorrow for just his ninth start of the year. I'll be live-blogging again, so let's hope the fans at the ballpark will be putting their hands to good use tomorrow, too.

6:01 p.m., It's over, Rockies 4, Phillies 2: Burrell at least making it last, as the count is 2-2 and Torrealba is out to speak to Corpas. But it's a fly ball on the next pitch to center field, where Sullivan is there to end the game.

5:56 p.m., Bottom 9th, Rockies 4, Phillies 2: Howard goes down looking on three pitches. Hmm. Dale Scott gets an earful. That last pitch was a ball most of the afternoon. By the way, Sullivan now in center field as part of a double switch. Spilborghs out. Rowand quickly grounds out to second and now it's all up to Burrell. Again ... not good!

5:54 p.m., Bottom 9th, Rockies 4, Phillies 2: Corpas has a 2.08 ERA and converted 19 of 22 save opportunities in the regular season, in case you're wondering. Howard fouls off the first pitch.

5:52 p.m., Mid 9th, Rockies 4, Phillies 2: Everyone comes to their feet and half-heartedly waves their towel as the count goes full on Matsui. Curveball gets him looking, and let's hope the Phillies fans can mount some kind of noise for the bottom of the ninth. Let's flash the word "Noise" on the jumbotron, shall we? Manny Corpas, the Rockies' closer, is warming up on the mound as I write.

5:50 p.m., Top 9th, Rockies 4, Phillies 2: Sullivan drops one into center field just in front of Rowand, and suddenly it's runners first and second as the Rockies send leadoff man Matsui up there. May I bring up what had been the phrase of the day again? Not good.

5:48 p.m., Top 9th, Rockies 4, Phillies 2: Nunez one-hops the throw on a slow grounder to third, and Torrealba is safe. Corey Sullivan pinch hitting for Colorado.

5:46 p.m., Top 9th, Rockies 4, Phillies 2: "Myers likes this role. He grew up boxing as a kid. He's certainly combative enough for this role." -- Joe Simpson. Everyone's favorite wife-beater strikes out Spilborghs looking. Torrealba now batting.

5:44 p.m., Top 9th, Rockies 4, Phillies 2: Hawpe, Spilborghs and Torrealba up for the Rockies in the ninth, while the Phillies counter with Howard, Rowand and Burrell. This favors the Phils. Brett Myers out there in a non-save situation. By the way, the ballpark is pin-drop quiet right now. Myers K's Hawpe and a smattering of applause follows.

5:42 p.m., End 8th, Rockies 4, Phillies 2: Fuentes strikes out Utley looking, who now wears the Golden Sombrero. That's not a good look, Chase. The ladies don't like. And neither does anyone else.

5:39 p.m., Bottom 8th, Rockies 4, Phillies 2: Speedy Victorino beats out a double-play ball and the inning stays alive for Utley. C'mon, Chase, do it for the girls!

5:38 p.m., Bottom 8th, Rockies 4, Phillies 2: Here comes the 3-1 to Rollins! ... Popped up to Tulowitzki at short. Ugh. Remember, Jimmy, the MVP award encompasses what you do in the regular season, not the playoffs. Pressure's off, OK?

5:34 p.m., Bottom 8th, Rockies 4, Phillies 2: Yes, that's right, five sentences in the last entry, and all of them ended in exclamation points. And now, it's my old fantasy league middle reliever Brian Fuentes on for the Rockies to face Iguchi, pinch-hitting in the pitcher's spot. In case you're wondering, the Phlorida Phils slumped in the last week and finished fifth. I can't explain it, other than it reconfirmed my Yankee hatred when Torre rested both A-Rod and Jeter twice last weekend. Full count to Iguchi ... ball four! A man on with Rollins up!

5:30 p.m., Mid 8th, Rockies 4, Phillies 2: What a peg by Rollins! He goes full extension to nab an Atkins grounder, gets back up and fires a strike to Howard at first! MVP! MVP! Holliday home run be damned!

5:28 p.m., Top 8th, Rockies 4, Phillies 2: J.C. Romero in now, and he gets Helton to pop out to Rollins in shallow left. So Manuel, why did you have Gordon pitch in back-to-back innings again?

5:25 p.m., Top 8th, Rockies 4, Phillies 2: And while I'm at it, I'm taking out Holliday, too. He homers to left-center and Gordon's day is done. Thanks for nothing, K-Kat (Insider nickname for Tom Gordon)!

5:24 p.m., Top 8th, Rockies 3, Phillies 2: I want to shoot Frank Caliendo. Now. Get me a gun and I'm going to L.A. to do it. I'm serious. Have Mellancamp record another one and play it ad nauseam, I don't care. It can't be as bad as this. Gordon still on as he faces Tulowitzki and gets him to swing and miss on strike three.

5:20 p.m., Bottom 7th, Rockies 3, Phillies 2: Bourn is proving to be a thorn (ha! rhyme!) as he's drawn a throw back to first and a pitch out here. 2-2 count to Ruiz. Ah, but Ruiz chops one to Matsui at second, who starts the double play. What happened to the National League's best offense?

5:18 p.m., Bottom 7th, Rockies 3, Phillies 2: Michael Bourn pinch-running for Dobbs, so we can assume Abraham Nunez will take over at third in the eighth. Ruiz hitting for himself and it's quickly 0-2.

5:17 p.m., Bottom 7th, Rockies 3, Phillies 2: The Phanatic leads everyone in putting the voodoo hex on Hawkins with the little green foam thingies everyone appears to have been handed at the turnstiles today. This Dobbs at-bat is interminable. Ninth pitch to come. Full count. And he walks him. Never cross the Phanatic!

5:13 p.m., Bottom 7th, Rockies 3, Phillies 2: Greg Dobbs pinch hits for Helms. So Wes will have to wait another day to earn his way into my clubhouse.

5:11 p.m., Bottom 7th, Rockies 3, Phillies 2: TBS returns to give us a Caliendo promo (I have a feeling we're going to get really tired of these really soon) and throws it to DA for a report before revealing the new pitcher. What is this, a national secret? It's LaTroy Hawkins, folks. Burrell pops the first pitch up to third.

5:09 p.m., Bottom 7th, Rockies 3, Phillies 2: Just as the inning was set to begin, Clint Hurdle pops out of the dugout and makes a change. Hmm. TBS fails to tell us just who it is he's bringing in. Whoever it is, he'll face Pat Burrell.

5:05 p.m., Mid 7th, Rockies 3, Phillies 2: The tension is palpable in the building with a 2-2 count to Matsui. Gordon gets him to swing and miss at a pitch that nicks the dirt. Stretch time. Everyone exhale!

5:01 p.m., Top 7th, Rockies 3, Phillies 2: Victorino catches the lazy fly ball hit by Torrealba, and Francis is up to bunt. Instead, he pulls back and slaps a grounder to first, where Utley ranges and throws to Howard, who gets back to the bag in time. But Torrealba moves up to second. That's what they call a swinging bunt, kids. Uh-oh. Bullpen time. Hamels goes off to a hand from the Phillies crowd, and 39-year-old Tom Gordon is in.

4:58 p.m., Top 7th, Rockies 3, Phillies 2: Gordon up in the bullpen, and with a 2-0 count to Torrealba, Dubee is out to the mound. My nerves have returned.

4:56 p.m., Top 7th, Rockies 3, Phillies 2: TBS reminds us all to enter People magazine's Sexiest Fan Alive contest. How 'bout the guy in the Benjamin Franklin outfit? Or, I know: the guy in the fedora and tank top from the Braves game in September. The guy's a no-brainer. Spilborghs walks. He trots out to first, someone calling the game somewhere trots out the "never walk the leadoff man" axiom.

4:54 p.m., End 6th, Rockies 3, Phillies 2: Howard flies out to right to bring up today's trigger man, Aaron Rowand. A slight smattering of applause. Hey, it is Philadelphia, after all. He skies one to left, but Holliday is there. Hamels is at about 100 pitches, but the 7-8-9 hitters are due up, so he should get through the seventh. How's that for analysis?

4:49 p.m., Bottom 6th, Rockies 3, Phillies 2: Be warned: there is a guy dressed as Benjamin Franklin behind home plate this afternoon. It could get rowdy. Utley strikes out for the third time, frustrating every 12-year-old girl in eastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey and Delaware.

4:46 p.m., Mid 6th, Rockies 3, Phillies 2: Atkins flies to center, and the crowd rises once more for a two-strike pitch to Hawpe. Hmm. Squeezing him a little bit. No matter, Hawpe swings and misses at the next one.

4:43 p.m., Top 6th, Rockies 3, Phillies 2: Hamels comes back from 3-0 down to get Helton swinging. Hmm, coming back from a 3-0 deficit? Foreshadowing!

4:39 p.m., End 5th, Rockies 3, Phillies 2: If Victorino had Tino Martinez's mother, he'd be Tino Victorino. Food for thought. Mr. Hawaii grounds out to second, but after this inning honor is restored to the afternoon. TBS shows an ad for Frank Caliendo's TV show, and just as quickly that honor disappears.

4:37 p.m., Bottom 5th, Rockies 3, Phillies 2: Francis slips up and throws high, almost above the reach of Torrealba, and Ruiz swipes second. The M-V-P chant is going for Rollins with a full count. He walks, in the manner of a true leader. Gandhi did a lot of walking, you know. Rockies Pitching Coach Bob Apodaca out. Runners first and second for Victorino.

4:33 p.m., Bottom 5th, Rockies 3, Phillies 2: Ruiz with a sharp grounder past Tulowitzki into left, and now it's hitting star Cole Hamels. Manuel should have let him swing away, as he pops up a bunt to Atkins at third. Ruiz stays at first.

4:32 p.m., Bottom 5th, Rockies 3, Phillies 2: Now it's our good buddy Wes Helms, who's 6-for-10 career against Francis. He strokes it deep to left and ... just short. Holliday makes the grab. Go back to the nerds table, Wes!

4:29 p.m., Bottom 5th, Rockies 3, Phillies 2: The crowd's back, and guess who gets to inherit the noise? Pat Burrell! Uh ... oh, wait, that's a good thing! A great thing, as a matter of fact! Home run just over the wall in left! Here we go!

4:27 p.m., Bottom 5th, Rockies 3, Phillies 1: OK, I just figured something out ... the reason the view of the pitcher and batter looks a little fuzzy right now is because the camera in center field is in the light and both Francis and Rowand are in the shadow ... science! And here's some more science: pitch+Rowand's bat= home run to right-center field!

4:24 p.m., Mid 5th, Rockies 3, Phillies 0: Hey, what a diving play by Wes Helms to peg a Holliday grounder, and he fires to first for the out! OK, Wes. I hear you. Just get one key hit and you can be my friend. Maybe.

4:22 p.m., Top 5th, Rockies 3, Phillies 0: Carlos Ruiz avoids Troy Tulowitzki, who was standing in the on-deck circle, to catch Matsui's foul pop-up. A-Rod would have yelled something to try and distract him, Troy. Tulo grounds out to Rollins and quickly we have two out.

4:19 p.m., End 4th, Rockies 3, Phillies 0: Utley strikes out and hearts beat a little bit slower. Howard then strikes out and my blood pressure goes up.

4:16 p.m., Bottom 4th, Rockies 3, Phillies 0: The Phillies are at the very least hitting the ball hard now, as Victorino one-hops a quick grounder to Hawpe at third. And now, especially for the ladies, Chase Utley.

4:13 p.m., Mid 4th, Rockies 3, Phillies 0: The Rockies decide to play a game of wiffleball, as Francis hits it back to Hamels, too. Maybe they need to borrow Rollins' sunglasses so they can see the ball again.

4:09 p.m., Top 4th, Rockies 3, Phillies 0: By the way, I should note this game is on pace to finish in precisely three hours, in case you're anxious for the first pitch of the Red Sox-Angels game and can't be bothered to switch over to TNT, which will have spillover. Spilborghs strikes out to bring up Torrealba (edit). Right back to the box (ah yes, remember in the 19th century when the pitcher's mound was surrounded by a box drawn on the field? No? Never mind). NOW Francis is up.

4:07 p.m, End 3rd, Rockies 3, Phillies 0: Double-play, third-to-second-to-first. Lovely. Did the Mets sneak into the Phillies' locker room and steal their jerseys or something?

4:05 p.m, Bottom 3rd, Rockies 3, Phillies 0: Hamels breaks up Francis' no-no with a big base hit! For the first time since the top of the first we have some good consistent noise in the house, too, as Rollins is up.

4:03 p.m., Bottom 3rd, Rockies 3, Phillies 0: And, just what you want after you finally get a 1-2-3 in the top of an inning: your 8-9-1 hitters are up! At least the Phillies No. 1 is Rollins. So Ruiz has an dinged-up arm from getting hit by a pitch Sunday and you're starting him instead of Coste? Not surprisingly, he strikes out, but at least it's not a swinging strike this time.

3:59 p.m., Mid 3rd, Rockies 3, Phillies 0: Hey, Hamels strikes out Atkins and he now has as many strikeouts (four) as Francis does! At least it's something. The crowd tries to muster some enthusiasm for a two-strike count to Brad Hawpe with two out. He flies to Rowand and center, and finally, a 1-2-3 for Hamels.

3:56 p.m., Top 3rd, Rockies 3, Phillies 0: Hamels struggling to find control as he runs the count to 2-0 with a high and inside pitch that makes Helton wince. Along with everyone in the ballpark. He flies out to center, and it's polite applause again. They go to David Aldridge with a special report on shadows!

3:53 p.m., End 2nd, Rockies 3, Phillies 0: Helms pops to Matsui in short right field to end the inning. An HDTV commercial shows a little girl making a collage of Rockies players. This is followed by a Budweiser ad. Is the world trying to drive Phillies fans into alcoholism?

3:51 p.m., Bottom 2nd, Rockies 3, Phillies 0: Did I mention the ballpark sounds like a sanctuary right now? The crowd gives a polite applause as Burrell walks to become their first baserunner of the game. This is what we've got to go on at the moment: a Burrell walk to set up Helms at the plate with two out. Yipes!

3:48 p.m., Bottom 2nd, Rockies 3, Phillies 0: The shadow gets its first reference as Rowand bats. Hey, it's contact, and it's in play, but it's right to Tulowitzki at short, who throws to old man Helton at first for the out. Pat Burrell swings and misses at strike one so hard his helmet falls off. Hoo boy.

3:46 p.m., Bottom 2nd, Rockies 3, Phillies 0: Don Orsillo cruelly references the Phils' 10,000th all-time loss as the inning begins. Howard does his best to extend things as he runs the count full and fouls away a few pitches, but he fails to avoid becoming the fourth straight Phil to strike out swinging.

3:43 p.m., Mid 2nd, Rockies 3, Phillies 0: Holliday strikes out (not very MVP-like, doncha think?) and Hamels escapes what could have been even greater disaster. As it is, I still think the Phils could use a long inning of their own, since Hamels was sweating like a fat man in a marathon halfway through the top of the 2nd. Two words are beginning to define this day: not good.

3:39 p.m., Top 2nd, Rockies 3, Phillies 0: Full count to Tulowitzki with two out, so runners going here ... and they can slow down. Hamels' third walk of the inning results in a run scored. Simpson references a June 29 appearance for Hames against the Mets when Hamels walked five, the last time Hamels walked more than three in a single game. And Holliday knocks a booming foul ball just to the good side of the pole in left.

3:34 p.m., Top 2nd, Rockies 2, Phillies 0: Francis bunts successfully with two strikes to make it runners second and third for Matsui. The Phillies fans, recognizing the importance of their situation, begin to make some noise to encourage Hamels. They go back to sitting on their hands after ball one. And now it's a 2-0 count. And now 3-0. Not good. Hamels works it full now and the crowd comes back ... key moment here ... ah, foul ball. Wave the towels one more time, guys ... ball four in the dirt, bases loaded! This is decidedly not looking good. Pitching Coach Rich Dubee out to visit.

3:31 p.m., Top 2nd, Rockies 2, Phillies 0: Torrealba with a single up the middle to bring Atkins home. Runners first and second, one away. Thank god for no DH, though, as Francis is up.

3:29 p.m., Top 2nd, Rockies 1, Phillies 0: Hamels pulls a Francis and gets Hawpe to swing for strike three. And now comes the most anonymous of players for AL-only fans tuning in today, Ryan Spilborghs! He's got Hamels' respect though, as he seems a bit apprehensive about giving him something to hit. Four-pitch walk.

3:26 p.m., Top 2nd, Rockies 1, Phillies 0: Atkins singles home Helton to put the Rocks on top. Uh-oh. I'm now beginning to wish I was live-blogging whatever it is that's on Howard TV right now.

3:23 p.m., Top 2nd, Rockies 0, Phillies 0: Comcast just gave us an ad for Howard Stern's on-demand TV show ... www.howard.tv if you're interested. And quickly Todd Helton reminds us not to get distracted as he bangs a lead-off triple off the center field wall.

3:20 p.m., End 1st, Rockies 0, Phillies 0: Phillies looking a tad aggressive as Victorino makes it two swinging K's in a row, but at least they're stylish doing it ... he had on some fly sunglasses, too. Here comes the shades-less Chase Utley. Let's see if hte lack of eyewear makes a difference ... no. He goes down swinging, too. Hmm.

3:18 p.m., Bottom 1st, Rockies 0, Phillies 0: The lights are on at CBP for some reason, apparently to combat the late afternoon shadows. A cookie to the announcer who becomes the first to unearth the Yogi Berra "It gets late early out here" line this October. Let's hope Jimmy Rollins' red sunglasses can decode the scattered light. Apparently not. He strikes out after Francis ran the count to 3-0.

3:14 p.m., Mid 1st, Rockies 0, Phillies 0: Hamels gets Tulowitzki to chase a 3-2 changeup out of the zone for strike three. And the Phillies fans do what they do best: boo, and this time it's directed at Matt Holliday, otherwise known as the man who's finishing second to Rollins in the MVP vote. Slow roller down the first base line and neither Hamels nor Howard seem committal before Howard proves athletic big man is not just a basketball term. He tags Tulowitzki out just before he touches the bag, and this time, the right call is made. End of the inning.

3:09 p.m., Top 1st, Rockies 0, Phillies 0: How terrible must this be for Mets fans? The first batter of the postseason is Kaz Matsui! And he's out on a chopper to Rollins. Dale Scott is home plate umpire today, so blame him if/when someone is called safe at home without ever touching the plate.

3:07 p.m., Top 1st, Rockies 0, Phillies 0: It's 80 degrees with 60 percent humidity in Philly today, which is good news for the Phils, who can fool themselves into believing it's just a mid-June game or a split-squad spring training contest. So here it comes ... first pitch to Matsui issssssssssssssssss ... fouled off!

3:03 p.m., Awaiting 1st pitch: OK, here we go. With us on the telecast are Don Orsillo, aka the Red Sox play-by-play guy, Joe Simpson, aka Mr. Braves homer and color guy for TBS Braves telecasts, and sideline reporter David Aldridge, aka the inheritor of Stephen A. Smith's flame at the the Philadelphia Inquirer and erstwhile ESPN NBA expert. Comedy gold, people, comedy gold!

Phuckin' awesome!

In case you haven't heard, it happened. The Phillies made the playoffs by taking advantage of an unprecedented collapse by the Mets, taking advantage of an opportunity laid before them unlike every other abortive run during a decade of teases for fans like me.

Wife-beating, spelling-challenged Brett Myers emphatically celebrated on the mound as he struck out the final Nationals batter Sunday, and lept into the stands to celebrate with the fans, a microcosm of a once-wretched season that somehow won its way into the warm embrace of the Phillie faithful. I came to the point this year that I didn't want Myers on this team any more, and I didn't think they would make the playoffs. To be honest, I still want him gone, but, in the manner of the truly great teams the Phillies had never been, it is not about one man. It is about a team, and a city that loves it. It is about far-more lovable characters like Jimmy Rollins, the man who will by all rights be named MVP next month, Ryan Howard and Chase Utley. And Sellersville, Pa., native Jamie Moyer, the 44-year-old left-hander acquired in a midseason trade last year, signed to a two-year deal in the offseason, who, even if he doesn't win a single game next year, has already justified his contract with a win on Sunday.

And, it's about the chance to get to live-blog Game 1 of the ALDS on Wednesday. Time and opponent still to be determined, as the Phils are set to face the winner of the Padres-Rockies wild-card play-in game Monday in Denver. I'll definitely be live-blogging Wednesday, and I'll try to work out the logistics so I can do it again Thursday for Game 2. Regardless, it will be a fun ride.

This is how you start a weekend

Friday night is about the last time I like to do blog posts, and not because I'm busy re-enacting the Friday nights of my childhood by watching high school football and reruns of Dallas (by the way, yes that is Larry Hagman, and yes, I'm already sorry for your nightmares). Nobody much reads blogs on Saturday morning, mostly because they're either sleeping or having, you know, a life. But I have to chime in about the insanity of the 2007 baseball season and what may have just been the best non-playoff Friday night in sports history.

Entering the night, seven of the 16 National League teams were still eligible for the postseason, but none of them had clinched a spot. At evening's end, two teams had clinched division titles: the supposedly cursed Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox. What's more, the Phillies went into sole possession of first place in the NL East for the first time all season, thanks to a brilliant and auspicious performance by Cole Hamels and the continued suicidal performance of the Mets.



This was also the first Friday night to feature a meeting of two ranked college football teams, and No. 18 South Florida served further notice that it the Big Three in Florida is now the Big Four with a win over No. 5 West Virginia in Tampa (which isn't in South Florida, but is nonetheless the location of the University of South Florida. Which should tell you something about the infrastructural common sense in this state.)

But of greatest importance to me is that the Phillies now have a Magic Number of one to clinch at least a tie for the division and two to clinch their first title and playoff berth since 1993. The notion seems straight from theater of the absurd, considering everything that's happened this season. But the Phillies have gained 8 games in the standings in 15 days, a cosmic payback for 1964 (at least in part). Maybe this means the Phlorida Phils, down 15 points can ... no, no they can't. But there's a shot at second place, so we'll hold off on worrying about first place until we've had a fantasy team for an entire season. Did I mention I'm optimistic about the Pit Bulls' chances?

By the way, if there's a Phillies one-game playoff, it'll get live-blogged here, as will a meaningful Sunday game if its televised in my market. The first Phillies playoff game, providing there is such a thing, also gets live-blog treatment. In other words, I'm already doing finger exercises, figuring out optimal placement of my TV and holding tryouts for the best hamsters to run the wheel inside my computer. Anyone with any kind of rodent for a pet is encouraged to get in touch.

In the mean time, Saturday should be interesting. I'm working and taking a night trip (otherwise known as a day trip, but taken at night) up the coast, where I'll be seeing these guys. So no big college football Saturday, but no big deal. The best game of the week, Cal @ Oregon, gets bumped by ABC for Clemson @ Ga. Tech, a matchup of mediocre teams from the lone BCS conference capable of making the Big Ten look decent. When ABC (aka ESPN on ABC) regionalization reminds you of FOX Baseball regionalization, that's not a good sign. Which reminds me, I'll be missing the FOX Game of the Week on Saturday, too, so someone tell me how the Cardinals-Astros game turns out, OK?

Wait, what did you just say?

Here are a couple of stories that drew my attention in and of themselves, but were elevated to legendary status by a single paragraph.

This morning I read that the island city of Sanibel, off the Southwest Florida coast, has decided Big Brother knows best. Note this gem of a quote from The News-Press story:

“The good thing about surveillance, all surveillance, is it doesn’t take away freedoms. It protects,” said Virgil Patterson, a retired marketing executive visiting from Naples.

Sir, for whom did you do your marketing, the Bush administration? Or perhaps Mitch McConnell?

How does Sanibel survive as a tourist destination? Siesta Key is just up the road and there's no $6 toll and free and relatively plentiful parking. Memo to Sanibel residents, who seem to think they live on a gilded island: You don't.

Later we found out that Pat Gillick is stepping down as general manager of the Phillies after 2008. He'll be 71 then, so I'm guessing his next move will be retirement and not skydiving lessons gone wrong like his predecessor. But you never know. Unless, of course, you ask Associated Press writer Rob Maaddi, who knows all. To wit, check out the second sentence in graf four of his Gillick story:

Manuel has done an outstanding job keeping an injury- depleted team in the playoff race.

This is news to me, and apparently he must have a pretty good source, because I was almost certain the opposite was true. So for Maaddi to write this as fact, and unsubstantiated fact at that, means he must know more than me and all my friends. Oh all-knowing Maaddi, would you be so gracious in your blessings upon us to rain down a humble scrap of attribution from what must be your bounty of sources? And would that your editors be so merciful as to keep all editorializing out of, at the very least, the top five grafs!

Playing pretend

In observance of the death of Marcel Marceau, I'll be typing the rest of this post on an imaginary keyboard. That just so happens to be in the same place as my actual keyboard. RIP Marcel, and art form you're inevitably taking six feet under with you.

Since I can't really do a "silent post," here's a blog that, instead of conveying meaning without a peep, is full of sound and fury but signifies nothing. In other words, time to check on my fantasy sports teams!

The Phlorida Phils, my baseball entry, crept to within five points of second place for the first time in recent memory this weekend, powered by the league's best pitching in terms of WHIP (1.21) and ERA (3.12) and one of two offenses atop the league with a .297 batting average. All of this despite the fact I inherited the team in August after its previous owner had neglected it, scuttling any chances it had in the home run and RBI categories. It helps when you can pick up Moises Alou as a free agent and watch him go on a team-record 27-game hitting streak ... but it would have behooved me not to drop Scott Baker five days before he took a perfect game into the ninth for the Twins. All in all I'm satisfied with the way this team has performed as well as my ability not to let it take over my life and become the subject of multiple blog p ... ah, never mind. At least I can say I'll still be happy if Billy Wagner blows a save in every game this week, enabling the Phillies to qualify for the playoffs but dropping me into a fourth place. I can say that, indeed. Actually feeling that way? Let's just hope I'm not put in that position.

It's much easier in the NFL, where my allegiance to the Eagles isn't nearly as strong and I can root for my Rural Virginia Pit Bulls with impunity. The Pitties were the beneficiaries of a combined 235 receiving yards for Terrell Owens and Jason Witten on Sunday night, not to mention 15 fantasy points from LaDainian Tomlinson, whom I acquired in a highway robbery of a trade with the last-place team in the league. Normally, a league commissioner would block such a move, but since the commish happened to be my trading partner, I was able to dump the Chargers' D (seven fantasy points) and Frank Gore (four points) for one of the all-time great fantasy scorers. Considering I also swapped Marc Bulger, who delivered a devastating -4.5-point performance, for Matt Hasselbeck, who led my team with 20 points this week, teams might be a little reluctant to trade with me for the rest of the season, but that's OK. Unless Mike Shanahan becomes coach of the Chargers at some point this year I should be in good shape.

Now call me a fantasy geek if you will, but mind you, there are several media celebrities in both my fantasy leagues, including this one, whose team gave the Pit Bulls their only loss of the year. No, not famed Britney Spears apologist Chris Crocker, and for that matter not Atlanta Falcons safety Chris Crocker, either. I'm referring to the AP reporter who wrote the story. With clenched teeth and bitten tongue the entire time, I'm certain. (Although I'm told he's more put-together than you'd think.) Perhaps this revelation will help ease the mind of another friend, who's doing a story on the O.J. mess this week. I get the feeling I'll be recognizing a few faces on E! and Court TV before long. Sort of like knowing both Greg Kinnear and Greta Van Susteren in 1994.