The Zo Zone

Your thoughts?

There's not much left to say.

Win today and the Phillies, who lost 4-2 yesterday to the Nationals to drop them into a first-place tie with the Mets in the NL East, are guaranteed at least a one-game playoff tomorrow against the Mets at Citizens Bank Park. Lose and they could be eliminated from the playoffs on the final day of the season for the second time in three years.

The Phillies have made countless preparations for the postseason. They had to. They have ordered the champagne. They have printed the tickets. They have figured out how to handle the extra media. I asked Aaron Rowand yesterday if he thought the rolled up plastic sheets suspended over their lockers -- they will unfurl them during a champagne celebration -- could be a distraction or add to their burden.

He said not at all.

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Tiebreaker tickets sold here.

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One thing is certain: the Phillies need a good start from Jamie Moyer. Jim Salisbury writes about how much Moyer can relate to the fans in the stands as he takes the mound today.

Salisbury also takes a look at baseball's postseason awards.

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Like some readers mentioned yesterday, one more Chico tries to spoil another Phillies pennant run:

Chico Ruiz.

Matt Chico.

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Charlie Manuel showed just how much faith he has in Adam Eaton when he pulled him with runners on first and second with one out in the third inning:

None.

And why should he? Like David Aldridge writes today, Eaton has shown the Phillies nothing this season. Certainly not a knack for pitching well in a big game. He finishes the year 10-9 with a 6.29 ERA. His ERA would be the worst in baseball, if he had enough innings to qualify. He has not had a quality start since July 3, a stretch of 13-consecutive starts. There's no question the Phillies coaching staff is very, very frustrated with Eaton, who Pat Gillick signed to a three-year, $24.5 million contract in the off-season (a contract that almost everybody in baseball considered a bad signing at the time). That's the sickest part for Phillies fans. Eaton makes $7.635 million next season and $8.5 million in 2008. Of course, the Phillies and Eaton also have a $10 million mutual option for 2009 with a $500,000 buyout. He will not be easy to trade, but can the Phillies look their fans in the eye and tell them they expect to compete next season with Eaton in the rotation?

Because of the money he is guaranteed, they might have no choice.

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Phil Sheridan was up in New York watching the Amazin's.

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If the Phillies have a playoff tomorrow, Rich Dubee hinted that they might have Kyle Kendrick pitch on short rest.

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The Nationals are trying to be spoilers, even though they don't like to be called spoilers.

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Kyle Lohse said he would like to pitch today if he can.

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Magglio Ordonez, Placido Polanco Stay Up All Night Talking About Favorite Hitting Situations

Jimmy Rollins' January proclamation could become one of the most memorable sentences in Philadelphia sports history today -- actually, it probably already is -- with a Phillies victory over the Nationals, and a Mets loss to the Marlins.

If that happens, the Mets will have blown a seven-game lead in the NL East with 17 games to play -- something that has never happened in baseball history.

If that happens, Philadelphia will have October baseball for the first time since 1993.

Unbelievable.

The Phillies beat the Nationals last night at Citizens Bank Park, 6-0. The Mets lost to the Marlins, 7-4. Most of the Phillies watched the Mets' final out on TV from the food room behind closed doors. But a few players watched from the clubhouse with a gaggle of reporters around them. Antonio Alfonseca yelled, "Pop up! Pop up!" for the final out. A couple others clapped briefly. There were smiles, but no celebration. No jumping and hollering.

They're not in yet. They're one up with two to play.

They seem very aware of that.

But with a victory today and a little help from the Marlins, they will be.

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Bob Ford takes a look at everything that is going on around here.

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David Aldridge takes a look at everything that is going on up there.

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Cole Hamels pitched brilliantly last night, and he did something that not a lot of people probably expected him to do: he stayed away from his killer changeup early and instead relied on his fastball and curveball. It worked. Hamels mixed in his changeup in the later innings and had the Nationals completely baffled.

Eight innings. Six hits. One walk. No runs. Thirteen strikeouts.

He is set up to pitch Game 1 of the NLDS on Wednesday. As it stands, the Phillies would play the Padres in the first round. The Cubs would play the Diamondbacks in the other series.

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Rollins keeps on going and going and going. He set baseball's all-time single-season record for at-bats last night, passing Willie Wilson's 705 at-bats in 1980. This record says a few things: 1) Rollins is an excellent leadoff hitter, which is why he remains at the top of the lineup. 2) He is remarkably durable. 3) He plays on one of the best offenses in baseball.

MVP? I think his chances shoot up 100 percent if the Phillies make the playoffs. I think Matt Holliday and Prince Fielder have chances to get top three votes, but I can't see them edging Rollins at this point.

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The Phillies turn their eyes to Adam Eaton, who needs to pitch well today to keep the Phillies in sole possession of first.

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Remember 1964? It seems the Phillies blew a 6 1/2 game lead with 12 games to play to lose the NL pennant. Or something like that. Yeah, well, members of that '64 team are mostly sympathetic to the Mets. Because better than anybody they know that helpless sinking feeling.

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Fans lined up early yesterday for standing-room only tickets. They were not disappointed.

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Not to be Debbie Downer, but if something bad happens in the NL East, the Phillies remain a game behind the Padres, who lead the NL wild-card race.

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The Phillies e-mailed this news release just a few minutes ago:

PHILLIES ANNOUNCE TICKET PLANS FOR POTENTIAL TIE-BREAKER GAME(S)

With so many teams bunched in the wild National League races, the potential exists that the Phillies could host a tie-breaker game or two at Citizens Bank Park next week.

Seven NL teams are within two games of postseason status, either as a division champion or a wild card berth.

Several scenarios exist for potential tie-breakers. Among the possibilities are a game at Citizens Bank Park on Monday and another one on Tuesday.

In order to prepare and plan, the Phillies are announcing that tickets will go on public sale once the tie-breaking game has been deemed necessary.

Full season ticket holders (81 games) have been mailed their locations. Season ticket holders and E-Mail Club members will be offered the opportunity to purchase tie-breaker tickets in advance of the public sale.

Tickets may be purchased on Sunday (once a game has been deemed necessary) via the following outlets:

ONLINE: www.phillies.com.
When ordering via the internet, the Phillies suggest choosing the convenient “print at home” option. Access to the internet is available 24 hours a day.

PHONE CENTER: (215) 463-1000. Again, once the game has been deemed necessary, the Phone Center will be open Sunday until 10:00 p.m. . . . Phone lines will open again at 8:00 a.m. on Monday. The Phillies suggest fans choose the “print at home” option or pick up their will call tickets well in advance of the game, either Sunday night or early Monday morning.

IN PERSON: Two Citizens Bank Park locations: (1) First Base Gate ticket windows (on Pattison Avenue) and (2) West ticket windows (on Citizens Bank Way, adjacent to the Majestic Clubhouse Store). Hours: Sunday until 10:00 p.m. The ticket windows will reopen at 8:00 a.m. on Monday.

“With the unique circumstances surrounding the potential tie-breaker game(s), we strongly suggest our fans use the convenient ‘print at home’ option on the internet or pick up their tickets well in advance of the game,” said John Weber, Vice President, Sales and Ticket Operations.

One weekend decides everything.

It's hard to believe, huh? The Phillies opened spring training in February. They have played 159 games. They overcame a 4-11 start. They overcame injuries to Freddy Garcia, Jon Lieber, Chase Utley, Brett Myers, Tom Gordon, Ryan Madson, Ryan Howard, Shane Victorino and others. They overcame one of the worst pitching staffs in baseball. But after seven months of playing, traveling and practically living together, they find themselves tied with the Mets in the NL East with just three games to go.

Best weekend takes all.

The Phillies beat the Braves last night at Citizens Bank Park, 6-4, to move into that first-place tie with the Mets. The ballpark had an incredible atmosphere. Fans waved their white rally towels. They roared whenever the score from the Mets game changed on the out-of-town scoreboard in right field. Those same rally towels later rained upon the field after Myers struck out Kelly Johnson to win the game.

The Phillies control their fate.

It's exactly what they wanted.

Now they just have to take advantage.

Update: I just heard this weekend's series against the Nationals is SOLD OUT.

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The latest Philliescast is up.

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Jim Salisbury talks about the Phillies waking up this morning in first place in the NL East.

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Willie Randolph got vocal with his players after last night's 3-0 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals at Shea Stadium.

According to the New York Daily News, The players, clearly shaken but trying to stay optimistic, were whispering about "fighting" and "not giving up" when Randolph cruised through and spoke loud enough to make sure everyone heard him.

"We're gonna win this thing!"

Gotta try something, right? The Mets could be the first team in baseball history to blow a seven-game lead with 17 games to play and not make the postseason.

The Mets look like beaten men. But they still have a lot of talent, and one weekend to turn things around. They host the Marlins this weekend. It's not over yet.

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Pat Burrell hit a two-run home run in the third inning that ultimately proved to be the game-winner. It has been a remarkable roller coaster season for Burrell, who was hitting .201 on July 1.

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Cole Hamels starts tonight against the Nationals at Citizens Bank Park. He said he is not worried about his pitch count. Charlie Manuel would not say how long he would let Hamels pitch -- that makes sense because if he removes Hamels before his pitch count he is ripped for a quick hook, if he pulls him after his pitch count he is ripped for potentially blowing out his elbow -- but I would guess somehwere around 100 pitches.

The pitching match ups for this weekend's do-or-die series against the Nationals.

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Here's what the NL contenders faces this weekend. And here's what would happen if there is a five-way tie.

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Phil Sheridan and Bob Ford talk about the Phillies' bullpen.

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Betty Santagada and Rose Rivello have been at every game at the Bank this season, but have not seen one pitch. Talk about torture.

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Photos from last night's game.

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The Phillies just sent out a news release about ticket availability this weekend. Click the link below to read that release.

Did you see the New York Mets last night?

They look totally lost.

"Seems to me we're all waiting to lose," Mets catcher Paul Lo Duca confirmed last night after a 9-6 loss to the Nationals.

That's good news for the Phillies, who find themselves one game behind the Mets in the National League East with just four games to play. The Phillies beat the Braves last night at Citizens Bank Park, 5-2. Can the Mets really keep losing? They play the Cardinals tonight at Shea before playing three this weekend against the Marlins. Can the Phillies really keep winning? They have to beat John Smoltz tonight, and then play three this weekend against the Nationals ... the same team that just spanked the Mets.

Kyle Kendrick, it's up to you.

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The Phillies remain a game behind the Padres in the NL wild card race. I think the Phillies might need to win their remaining four games to get into the postseason because with so many teams bunched together in the NL West, 3-1 might not be enough to get the job done.

Unless the Mets continue their free fall.

If the Phillies and Mets finish in a tie, there's a one-game playoff Monday in Philly.

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Jim Salisbury talks about how Kendrick passed on an opportunity to play college football at Washington State to sign with the Phillies, and how the Phillies are reaping the rewards.

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The Phillies badly needed a quality start from Kyle Lohse last night. They got one. And David Aldridge explains why they badly needed Lohse to step up: It helps the bullpen. It helps the offense. It helps everybody.

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Chipper Jones had a big, big, big, big error in the third inning last night.

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The Phillies are miffed that Braves righthander Rafael Soriano has not been suspended after having his hearing for a four-game suspension Tuesday in Philadelphia. I talked with a team source yesterday who said a ruling after a hearing is immediate almost 100 percent of the time. That could be big if Soriano is available and pitches tonight in the series finale. He has been unhittable for more than a month.

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Optimistic and cheerful Philly fans? Huh? Actually, I will say the crowd has been very good the last couple nights, despite the fact that they have not had 40,000 show up.

Brett Myers? Your thoughts?

"I just want to see that upper deck full [tonight]," Myers said. "I want so many people here that I can't even get home because of the traffic. I think that's what we all want to see. I know it's a school night, but come on. Let's go. Let's get it done."

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Photos from last night's game.

It's not a fatal blow, but each loss moves them closer and closer to that moment.

The Phillies had an opportunity to keep their lead in the National League wild card race last night at Citizens Bank Park. They also had a chance to move within one game of the first-place Mets in the NL East. But the Phillies could not hold a one-run lead in a 10-6 loss to the Braves.

The Phillies hope they aren't repeating history.

They led the NL wild-card race with eight games to play in 2003 but finished 1-7 to wind up far behind the Florida Marlins. They shared the wild-card lead with 16 games to play in 2005 but ended up one game behind the Houston Astros despite a 10-6 finish. They shared the wild-card lead with six games to play last season but went 3-3 to finish three games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers.

They have missed the playoffs by a combined four games in the last two seasons.

Now they're tied with the Rockies, a game behind the Padres in the wild card. And they remain two behind the Mets.

They have just five to play.

The Phillies might need to win their remaining five to make the playoffs.

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Jim Salisbury wonders if the Phillies are going to rebound like they have so many times this year or are back-to-back losses in the final week of the season an indication the Phillies will come up short?

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They have to beat Tim Hudson tonight and John Smoltz tomorrow night to keep in the hunt.

Sure, no problem.

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In the Phillies notebook: why the Phillies shuffled the rotation and David Montgomery talking about Pat Gillick's plans to retire after 2008. I also talked with Phillies assistant general manager Ruben Amaro Jr., who many think is the heir apparent to Gillick. Amaro, whose quotes didn't make the paper, said he didn't consider that a surprise. It had been assumed by many -- there had been talk since the summer that Gillick planned to return to Seattle, although he dismissed speculation he would join the Mariners in a front office or ownership capacity -- that Gillick would not work past his contract.

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The fans put on a good show last night, until Geoff Geary allowed the tying run and two more runs to score in the sixth inning.

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Photos from last night's game.

As expected, the Phillies bumped Adam Eaton in the rotation.

He had been scheduled to start Thursday against Atlanta, but instead he will start Saturday against Washington. Cole Hamels will start Friday. So in essence the rotation looks like this the rest of the way: Jamie Moyer tonight, Kyle Lohse tomorrow night, Kendrick on Thursday, Hamels on Friday, Eaton on Saturday and Moyer on Sunday.

It should be noted that Game 1 of the NLDS is next Wednesday.

That means the Phillies have lined up Hamels to pitch a potential Game 1, and pitch twice in that series if needed.

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The latest Philliescast is up.

Fans have been watching the Phillies in record numbers this season.

They should be tuned in tonight.

It's knotted up with six games to go, folks. The reeling Padres lost last night to the Giants to push the Phillies into a first-place tie in the National League wild-card race. (Keep an eye on those Rockies, everybody. They could be big trouble.) So here we are again: It's late in the season and the Phillies control their destiny. They had the wild card lead with eight games to play in 2003, but finished 1-7. They had the wild card lead with 16 games to play in 2005, but finished one game behind the Astros. And last season they had the wild-card lead with six games to play, but finished three behind the Dodgers.

Can they finally make it happen?

They wanted the opportunity. They have it. Now they have to play three against a tough Braves team that is not dead yet, and certainly would love nothing more than to spoil the Phillies' postseason plans. But according to Baseball Prospectus' postseason odds report, the Phillies are the favorites to win the wild card. It gives the Phillies a 47.7 percent chance to win the wild card. The Padres (27.1 percent) and Rockies (12.2 percent) follow behind them.

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Here's what happens if there is a tie for the wild card in the NL East, where the Mets' lead has shrunk to two. Baseball Prospectus gives the Phillies a 9 percent chance to win the division.

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Charlie Manuel might need to make the playoffs to keep his job.

Pat Gillick remains non-committal about his manager's future, despite the fact Manuel has his team in this spot after countless injuries and one of the worst pitching staffs in baseball. He offered slight praise of Manuel yesterday, but also would not say if Manuel had done enough to keep his job. Why? Maybe Gillick honestly does not want to talk about it. But while there has been speculation elsewhere that Manuel is very likely to return, there are indications inside the organization that Manuel's return is not a slam dunk.

Sometimes you have to read between the lines. Ed Wade strongly defended Larry Bowa for years every time his job status came up. But once Wade had doubts, he said he no longer would give daily updates about his manager. Read between the lines. David Montgomery did not return phone calls about Wade's job status from the final week of the 2005 season until the first week after the season. Read between the lines. If Gillick knew he wanted Manuel back, don't you think he would lean over to Manuel one day and say, "Relax, Charlie. We'll take care of you." He hasn't, at least as far as what Manuel has told us. Read between the lines, and remember Gillick evaluated Manuel after last season.

Do I think Manuel will be back? If I had to guess I'd say it's more likely than unlikely. But if this team fails to make the playoffs, I would not be surprised if he is not. Gillick's contract expires after 2008. He might want to bring in his own guy for one last run before he walks away from Philly.

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In this week's Phillies Report, we look at Tom Gordon's resurgence, how the Phillies could be the best base stealers in baseball history and, yes, the bat-sniffing habits of Chris Coste. Speaking of bat sniffing -- did I just write that? -- Coste is not alone. Ted Williams, Don Mattingly and Wade Boggs also sniffed their bats.

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Phil Sheridan writes about the two small guys in Philly who have had a major impact on two offenses in Philly: Jimmy Rollins and Brian Westbrook. Rollins continues his run to NL MVP tonight. Westbrook hopefully continues to score touchdowns for my fantasy football team.

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I learned with a little help from a friend (code name: The A-Train) that the Phillies will have alternate home uniforms next season.

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Pitching match ups for this week's series against the Braves.

If you pay real close attention, you might have noticed that every Tuesday in The Inquirer's Phillies Report, I mention the Phillies' postseason odds.

Those numbers come courtesy of Baseball Prospectus.

The Phillies today have a 48.27 percent chance to make the playoffs with six games to play. According to Baseball Prospectus, "the post-season odds report was compiled by running a Monte Carlo simulation of the rest of the season one million times. Current wins, losses and expected winning percentages are taken from the Adjusted
Standings Report."

But here's the interesting thing about the latest report. The Phillies, who trail the San Diego Padres by a 1/2 game in the NL wild-card race and the Mets by 2 1/2 games in the NL East, have better odds than the Padres (43.82 percent chance). Interesting. Maybe that's because the Padres finish their season with seven on the road in San Francisco and Milwaukee, while the Phillies finish with six at home against Atlanta and Washington.

Do I like the Phillies' chances?

Yes, I do. But there's trouble on the horizon: Tim Hudson on Wednesday and John Smoltz on Thursday.

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Time is running out, and if the Phillies miss the playoffs by a game they might remember Sunday's 5-3 loss to Washington as another lost opportunity.

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Should the Phillies have allowed Cole Hamels to exceed his pitch count? He threw 76 pitches, with Charlie Manuel saying Saturday that Hamels would throw around 75.

It's an interesting debate. You often hear pitchers, pitching coaches and managers talk about how hard innings are. Were they a struggle? Were they relatively easy? I think Hamels probably could have pitched another inning without taxing his left elbow, which forced him to miss more than a month. He had retired the final eight batters he faced, and he said he thought he had another 10 to 15 pitches in him.

But, naturally, the catch is Hamels overextending himself and reinjuring himself -- and the potential short-term and long-term damage that goes along with that.

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Personally, even before Hamels was removed, I said in the press box that the offense was costing them big. They had stranded eight runners in the first six innings. A big hit here or there and perhaps Manuel uses his bullpen differently.

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Jim Salisbury writes about how this late in the season, even an 8-2 road trip might not be good enough.

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Ryan Howard could set the single-season strikeout record with a strikeout tomorrow night against Atlanta. He has 195 strikeouts, which ties Adam Dunn's mark set in 2004.

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A little tease for tomorrow's Phillies Report: I ask a player about his bat-sniffing habits.

Yes, you read that correctly.

Think there's a chance a Phillies chant breaks out today at the Linc?

Just wondering.

The Phillies beat the Nationals last night at RFK Stadium, 4-1, in 10 innings to move within a 1/2 game of the San Diego Padres in the NL wild-card race with just seven games to play. They remain 1 1/2 games behind the Mets in the NL East.

The Padres try to avoid a sweep later today against the Rockies. Then they hit the road for their final seven games, three against San Francisco and four against the Brewers. The Phillies have off tomorrow -- the bullpen should love that -- before playing their final six games at home, three against the Braves and three against the Nationals.

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Bob Ford writes about the hap, hap, happiest place on earth.

Wally World?

No, kids. Not Wally World.

RFK Stadium.

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The Phillies are so frustrated with Adam Eaton they aren't sure when he will pitch next.

It's hard to blame them.

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Jim Salisbury talks to former Phillies general manager Ed Wade in The Inquirer's Sunday baseball column. Wade, who became the Houston Astros GM last week, answers questions about trading Curt Schilling and Scott Rolen, firing Terry Francona and -- most important -- parachuting into a tree this summer while skydiving.

Also check out Extra Bases.

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People magazine and MLB have teamed up to find baseball's sexiest fan. They had talked about finding baseball's sexiest beat writer, but they decided they couldn't take the circulation hit.

The Phillies announced righthander Scott Mathieson will have surgery on his right arm Monday. Phillies doctor Michael Ciccotti will perform an "ulnar nerve transposition" on Mathieson.

Mathieson is expected to be ready by spring training in February.

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Righthander Zack Segovia had surgery on his right shoulder Wednesday. He also is expected to be ready by spring training.

It's a two-race race again.

The Phillies and New York Mets both won last night, but the the San Diego Padres lost to Colorado to move the Phillies within 1 1/2 games of first place in the NL wild-card race. The Phillies remain 1 1/2 games behind the Mets in the NL East.

So the Phillies trail by two in the loss column in both races with eight games to play.

Could a 6-2 finish get them into the playoffs? It would mean the Mets or Padres would have to finish no better than 5-4 to force a one-game playoff.

The Mets finish the weekend against the Marlins, then head home for seven against the Nationals, Cardinals and Marlins. As bad as the Mets are playing, I'm not sure I can find four losses there. The Padres finish the weekend against the Rockies, then play seven on the road next week against San Francisco and Milwaukee. I can find four losses there, especially with the Brewers playing so well at home this season.

But the Phillies simply need to keep winning. They got a decent effort from Adam Eaton in last night's 6-3 victory over the Nationals at RFK Stadim, so it makes you think anything is possible.

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Bob Ford tells us how important the bullpen -- yes, that bullpen -- has been in this late season surge.

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Jimmy Rollins' third-inning single made baseball history.

It gave him 200 hits. And according to Elias Sports Bureau, it meant Rollins became the first player in baseball history to have 200 hits, 15 triples, 25 home runs and 25 stolen bases in a season. Ten players have had 200 hits, 15 triples and 25 home runs in a season, but none of those players had more than 20 stolen bases.

Like I wrote in Tuesday's Phillies Report, that 200-15-25 list includes:

Dale Alexander in 1929.
Earl Averill in 1936.
Joe DiMaggio in 1936 and 1937.
Lou Gehrig in 1927, 1930 and 1931.
Hank Greenberg in 1935.
Chuck Klein in 1932.
Stan Musial in 1948.
Jim Rice in 1977 and 1978.
Jimmy Rollins in 2007.
Babe Ruth in 1921.
Al Simmons in 1930.

But like I said, none of those players had more than 20 stolen bases (Klein had 20 in 1932). All except Alexander and Rice are in the Hall of Fame. Five of those players also won MVP honors: Gehrig in 1927, Klein in 1932, Greenberg in 1935, Musial in 1948, and Rice in 1978. (There were no MVP awards in 1921 or 1930.)

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Phil Sheridan and Ford discuss Rollins' chance to be National League MVP.

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You might have noticed philly.com's new design. I felt a little like Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer when I turned on my computer this morning. But I'm sure I'll get used to it.

Could the Mets really blow this thing?

The Phillies have nine games to play, which means there is a looooooooong way to go. But they wake up today 1 1/2 games behind the Mets in the National League East, following last night's 7-6 comeback victory over the Nationals at RFK Stadium.

But I have one concern: the bullpen.

They have pitched very well the last three games. But Brett Myers and Tom Gordon each have pitched six times in the last seven games, and J.C. Romero has pitched seven times in the last eight games. The Phillies will need the Big Three pitching effectively these final nine games to have a shot at the postseason.

How much more can they be pushed?

Will they be available tonight with Adam Eaton on the mound?

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It might be NL East or bust. The Padres maintained their 2 1/2 game lead in the NL wild-card race.

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Jim Salisbury tells us how valuable Jayson Werth and Romero have been in this late season push.

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Billy Wagner has been battling back spasms, which is why he could not pitch in Florida. Wagner said he is day to day, which could mean more late-inning meltdowns for the Mets.

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It's official.

Ed Wade is the new GM of the Houston Astros.

He parachuted into Houston for a news conference yesterday.

Ba-dum-bump.

Phillies assistant general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. finished second to Wade. Amaro remains a rumored candidate for the GM vacancy in Pittsburgh, although the Pirates have not contacted him for an interview. But if the Pirates look elsewhere, look for Amaro to be a favorite once Pat Gillick leaves Philadelphia. Gillick's contract expires after 2008, and many expect him to leave afterward. He denied rumors this summer that he could be headed back to Seattle, where he bought a home in the off-season. But those rumors persist. And quite often where there is smoke there is fire.

I will be very interested to see Wade's work in Houston. Like Amaro said yesterday, Wade's fingerprints are all over these Phillies: Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Pat Burrell, Shane Victorino, Cole Hamels, Kyle Kendrick, Brett Myers and Ryan Madson are just some of the key contributors that joined the organization on Wade's watch. Jimmy Rollins joined when Wade was the assistant GM.

Gillick's list includes Aaron Rowand, Rod Barajas, Tadahito Iguchi, J.C. Romero, Wes Helms, Greg Dobbs, Adam Eaton, Jayson Werth, Kyle Lohse, Tom Gordon, Jose Mesa, Jamie Moyer and Freddy Garcia.

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Got to love how Ken Griffey Jr. described his recent groin injury. Now that's imagery.

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I talked yesterday afternoon with Harry Mayes and Jamie Yannacone (aka The 700 Level Sports Fanatics) on Sports Radio 950. Listen to the podcast here.

Baseball sources this afternoon have told The Inquirer that Phillies assistant general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. has been informed he has come up short in his bid to become the next Houston Astros general manager.

Former Phillies general manager Ed Wade is expected to be named the Astros GM later today at a news conference.

Wade is in Houston today.

It is believed the choice came between Wade, Amaro and possibly former Montreal and Baltimore GM Jim Beattie. Wade was the Phillies' general manager from 1998 to 2005 before the Phillies fired him and replaced him with Pat Gillick. Wade's contract with the Phillies expires in December, but he has worked the past two seasons as a scout with the San Diego Padres.

Amaro has been rumored to be a candidate for the GM vacancy with the Pittsburgh Pirates, but the Pirates have not contacted Amaro.

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The latest Philliescast is up.

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The Nationals hope Phillies fans turn out this weekend at RFK.

The Phillies left Busch Stadium last night with countless scenarios running through their heads.

None of them worked in their favor.

They know they have just 10 games to play. They also know they trail the New York Mets by 2 1/2 games in the National League East, and the San Diego Padres by 2 1/2 games in the NL wild-card race.

Charlie Manuel figures 89 to 90 victories could put them in decent position to make the postseason. But because they lost last night to the St. Louis Cardinals in 10 innings, 2-1, they have to play no worse than 7-3 the rest of the way to make that happen.

Even that might not be enough.

Because even if they finish 7-3, the Mets and Padres would need to play no better than 5-6 to finish in a first-place tie with the Phillies. So not only do the Phillies need to play their tails off the rest of the way, they need a lot of help from the Mets and Padres.

That's asking a lot.

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The Phillies open a four-game series tonight against the Nationals at RFK Stadium. Jim Salisbury takes a look back at last year's fatal late-season trip to RFK, and how the Phillies must avoid a similar fate this time.

So what would be fatal? A split. A split would be fatal. Because if they split, they might need to sweep the Braves and Nats at home next week at Citizens Bank Park to have a sniff of a chance.

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Can't blame the pitching last night. The offense simply came up small, going 0 for 9 with runners in scoring position and stranding 11 runners. Adam Wainwright pitched well for the Cardinals, but the Phillies still had numerous chances.

"We talk about big games," Manuel said. "This one here might have been the biggest one we've played."

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Cole Hamels felt fine, a day after he returned to the mound. Also in today's Phillies notebook, Ruben Amaro Jr. could be headed to Houston in the very near future (and possibly with former boss Ed Wade) and Antonio Alfonseca won't be available until Sunday because he dropped the appeal on his four-game suspension.

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Pitching match ups for this weekend's series in DC.

The Mets open a four-game series tonight in Florida. The Padres play the Pirates tonight and host the Rockies this weekend.

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The Mets put an end to a Nationals crisis, as the New York Daily News put it. Meanwhile, the San Diego Union-Tribune says the Padres pull some piracy last night in San Diego.

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Rod Barajas' season with the Phillies has been a disappointment, but he made a big contribution Tuesday. I think it's safe to say that if the Phillies make the postseason, Barajas would not be on the postseason roster. I'm sure that surprises GM Pat Gillick, who signed him to a one-year, $2.5 million contract in the off-season. Barajas has a $5 million club option for 2008 with a $500,000 buyout.

Expect the Phillies to take the buyout.

Inconceivable?

It would seem to be because no team in baseball history has blown a seven-game lead with 17 games to play, which is the lead the New York Mets held last Wednesday. But the Phillies wake up today 1 1/2 games behind the Mets in the National League East with 11 games to go. Inconceivable? It's impossible to use that word at this point. Think of everything that has happened to the Phillies this season. Their 4-11 start. Injuries to Freddy Garcia, Jon Lieber, Chase Utley, Brett Myers, Tom Gordon, Cole Hamels, Ryan Madson, Ryan Howard, Shane Victorino, Michael Bourn and others. Three series sweeps of the New York Mets. Terrible losses, like their 9-8 loss in Atlanta earlier this month. Almost losses, like their 13-11 victory over St. Louis on Monday. And then last night's 5-4 victory in 14 innings over the Cardinals at Busch Stadium.

Rod Barajas came up big last night.

So did a bullpen that had just three out of 12 pitchers with sub-5.00 ERAs.

The Phillies can sweep the Cardinals with a victory tonight. I'm not sure tonight's game can top the games we've seen Sunday in New York and Monday and Tuesday here, but we'll find out.

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I held a Phillies chat at noon today. Check it out here.

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The Phillies also remained 1 1/2 games behind the San Diego Padres in the NL wild-card race.

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Jim Salisbury tells us two races are better than one.

"The game was humming along nicely," Salisbury said after last night's game. "Then Brett Myers blew a save, forcing me to blow three different deadlines."

On behalf of everybody, we asked Myers why he couldn't pitch his 10th, when he blew a save, like his 11th, which was perfect. He agreed.

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The Mets are in a free fall. In fact, they even held a players-only meeting before last night's 9-8 loss to the Nationals to try to correct course.

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Oh, yeah. Cole Hamels returned to the mound last night. He was rusty in three innings, but he came out of it OK.

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A Citizen's Blog writes about something I also thought of last night: 1964. The Good Phight tries to figure out why the Phillies are so impossible to figure out. Mike's Baseball Rants finds the Phillies would have one of the worst pitching staffs ever to make the postseason.

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No joke, vote on the fate of Barry Bonds' 756th home run ball.

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Philebrity takes a look at Phillies uniforms. Pretty good stuff.

Fortunate.

Terribly, ridiculously fortunate.

The Phillies blew an 11-0 lead in the sixth inning last night in an eventual 13-11 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. Now, I have covered the Phillies for just five seasons, but I certainly have seen some terrible losses. But there's no question this would have been one of the most wretched in franchise history. Not just because the Phillies had such a commanding lead, but because it would have come with just 12 games to play in the middle of a playoff race.

No team has blown an 11-run lead since Aug. 5, 2001, when Seattle blew a 12-run lead and lost in 14 innings to the Cleveland Indians, 15-14.

Charlie Manuel managed that Indians team.

"I don't know what to say," he said. "That was unreal."

Unreal, but not unbelievable.

But, hey, the Mets played even worse. The Phillies are 2 1/2 games behind the Mets in the NL East with 12 games to play, and 1 1/2 games behind the Padres in the NL wild card.

"I will have some VO tonight when I get back to my room," Manuel said.

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Manuel got some second guessing after pulling Kyle Kendrick after 89 pitches in six innings. He sat in the visitor's dugout before the game, lamenting the fact that J.C. Romero, Tom Gordon and Brett Myers</