LiveBlogging the NBA Draft

Hey everybody. While you wait for the game, be sure to read the Special Phillies Section in today's Daily News.

Here's a few things I'm thinking about as the season gets under way. Feel free to let me know your perspective in the comments.

12:56 -- A very nice tribute to some recently-passed members of the Phillies family highlighted the pre-game festivities -- that, and a rousing ovation for reigning MVP Ryan Howard.

1:00 -- The first two members of the U.S. Navy Parachute team lands with the first ball. All seven have landed safely by 1:02. With "Anchors Away" playing in the backround, it almost feels like an Army-Navy game.

1:03 -- Vince Vukovich, son of the late John Vukovich, throws out the first ball. We're minutes away from the first pitch!

1:08 -- Brett Myers starts off the 2007 season with a 91-mph fastball to Kelly Johnson. Myers goes on to strikeout Johnson, and except for a five-pitch walk to Chipper Jones, has an easy inning. The dangerous Andruw Jones pops up to end it.

It's always kind of funny when the home crowd boos Chipper.

1:15 -- Charlie Manuel's lineup includes a major surprise. Ryan Howard is hitting third. Chase Utley hitting fourth. Manuel said he was kicking the move around for a couple weeks and just decided to do it today. A couple of us in the press box don't like it. How about you?

1:17 -- Howard singles to right after Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino strikeout swinging. Utley grounds out to second to end it.

1:24 -- Brian McCann drills a double to center for the game's first hit but gets stranded as Myers retires the next three Bravos. John Smoltz will lead off for Atlanta in the third; never a bad thing when the pitcher leads off an inning.

1:29 -- Pat Burrell is introduced and gets a warm reception from the home folks. Smoltz starts him off with a fastball outside that Burrell waves out, unable to check his swing. He fails to hold up again a few pitches later and strikes out. He hears his first boos of the season.

1:33 -- Aaron Rowand fists a grounder to short which dies in front of Edgar Renteria. Rod Barajas flies out harmlessly to right to end the inning. Smoltz looks strong.

1:38 -- Myers, obviously wondering why I didn't throw him any verbal bouquets, has an efficient 1-2-3 inning. He's thrown 37 pitches through three innings.

1:43 -- The first Daily News Home Run Payoff inning of the year produces no winners as Myers and Rollins strike out and Victorino grounds weekly to Smoltz. The Braves righthander has five strikeouts and only one ball has left the infield.

1:49 -- Myers walks Chipper Jones on four pitches and goes 2-0 to Andruw Jones before getting him to pop out to third. Brian McCann, who recently signed a lucrative contract extension, takes a Brett Myers off-speed pitch into the rightfield seats. Myers settles down and gets out of the frame.

The Phils will send up Howard, Utley and Burrell in the bottom of the inning. A couple base runners would be nice to see.

Also, any time the score changes, we'll note it at the top.

1:59 -- Another single to right for Howard, so much for that spring training slump. Utley drills a single that the umps say hit Howard on the foot. Replays are inconclusive, but it didn't look to me like it hit him. It's a crucial play. Instead of first-and-third with no-out; it's Utley on first with one out.

2:03 -- Smoltz gives up a walk to Burrell but wiggles out of the inning. The Phillies had their best swings of the game against the veteran righthander, including Aaron Rowand's lineout to short to end it.

2:12 -- Myers has a 1-2-3 inning and fans Kelly Johnson for his fifth strikeout of the day. He's thrown 70 pitches through five innings, 44 strikes.

2:19 -- Phils first base coach Davey Lopes is chatting with umpire Jerry Layne, probably about the controversial play last inning. With two outs, Jimmy Rollins gets the Phillies on the board with a no-doubt-about-it homer to right. Rollins hadn't had any good swings against Smoltz and was in danger of fanning for the third time today. He turned on a fastball for his first homer of the year -- including spring training. Victorino grounds out to end the inning.

2:27 -- Chipper Jones lines a one-out single to left-center for his second hit of the day. Andruw Jones, who had two infield pop outs, got full contact on a Myers offering and lined it to straight away center. Aaron Rowand tracked it down, while Chipper smartly tagged up from first. The Phillies decide to pitch to Brian McCann, who has doubled and homered. Myers strikes him out swinging.

Anybody seen the beer man?

2:35 -- Smoltz finally gets Howard out, using a 91-mph inside fastball to get the Phillies slugger swinging. After a Pat Burrel single, Wes Helms hits a double over the head of Andruw Jones -- a feat unto itself -- to tie it. Nice to see a two-out RBI.

Kelly Johnson drops a pop up off the bat of Aaron Rowand to drive in Helms. It's ruled a hit, which is questionable. Who cares, right? The Phils have their first lead of the season.

Rod Barajas flies out to end the inning. Both bullpens are stirring.

2:48 -- Myers gets two more strikeouts, giving him eight on the day, as he retires the Braves in order. He's due to lead off the bottom of the inning. He's thrown 96 pitches. Would you hit for him?

2:55 -- The Braves take Smoltz out in favor of Mike Gonzalez, who promptly walks Brett Myers on four pitches. Jimmy Rollins follows it up with a double to left, second and third no out. Good thing Myers shed that weight coming into the season. Otherwise, he might be puking all over third base coach Steve Smith.

Victorino and Howard both strikeout swinging. Bobby Cox doesn't walk Utley because he has the situation in his favor (lefty pitcher vs. lefty hitter). Utley grounds out to short. Leaving those runs out there could be costly. If nothing else, it kept Myers on base the whole inning. Ahh, he's an athlete. He can handle it. Right?

3:04 -- Renteria hits an 0-2 Myers offering off the brick wall in deep center field ties it. Manuel comes out to relieve Myers, who exits with nine strikeouts, four hits and three runs allowed. Lefty Matt Smith enters the game to face Chiper Jones (with Andruw Jones and Brian McCann looming) with two outs.

3:11 -- Smith gets Chipper to ground out to Jimmy Rollins to end it. Pat Burrell, who leads off, could really get the fans on his side with a blast.

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Pat Burrell hit an exciting grounder down the third base line that turned out to be foul, then fouled out and got his first boos of the season. That's the gist of it.

3:26 -- Manuel opts not to make the double switch meaning this will (or at least better be) his only inning. Andruw Jones flies out to deep right to start the inning, but is followed by Brian McCann's single. The Braves pinch-run for McCann who exits with three of Atlanta's five hits.

Gordon gets Jeff Francoeur flailing at a breaking ball away for his first strikeout of the year. A Ryan Howard error and an infield single load the bases, but Gordon blows away Brayan Pena to send it to the bottom of the ninth.

Righthander Bob Wickman is coming in for the Braves. The Phillies will counter with pinch-hitter Greg Dobbs followed by the top of the order.

This is a good one.

3:36 -- Dobbs grounds harmless to second on the first pitch. The kid was a little anxious there. Jimmy Rollins also strikes out, for the third time today. Shane Victorino doubles to left leaving Bobby Cox with an interesting dilemma. Do you walk him? Cox is pitching to him!

With chants of "MVP, MVP," Howard sees two balls before Cox puts him on. Utley up with two on, two out. I'm going to post this and come back with how Utley fares. We're tied 3-3.

3:45 -- Utley pops out foul to third. We're going extra innings. The heart of the order is in the books for the while. It'll be up to the bullpen to hold it together. Ryan Madson will be pitching for the Phils.

3:48 -- Madson starts off by walking Kelly Johnson, prompting moans from Phils rooters. Edgar Renteria proves those moans well-founded by depositing a Madson offering into the right-center field seats. It's Renteria's second homer of the day and there's a dash toward the exits.

3:57 -- Madson gets out of the inning with no further damage, but the Phils are in a tight spot. Pat Burrell, Wes Helms and Aaron Rowand are due up. The Braves will send in Chad Paronto for the save.

4:01 -- The Phils go quietly in the 10th. Burrell strikes out to start the inning, but he's making progress -- he struck out swinging.

Braves win, 5-3. One down, 161 to go.

Borrowing a tradition from hockey, today's three stars are Edgar Renteria, Brett Myers and Brian McCann. Would be interested in yours.

The Phils are off Tuesday and hook up with the Braves on Wednesday night. Cole Hamels will face Tim Hudson.