That will leave a mark

So am I prophetic or just a jerk? Is there extra points in predicting the undoing of the bullpen, or is that just too easy with this Phillies' club?

Is this the way it's going to be all summer with this shooting gallery of balls flying around the bandbox with this pitching staff?

What's with all the questions?

Anyway, Tom Gordon got lit up more than my mick uncles on St. Patrick's Day. In fact, I thought I heard someone shout, "INCOMING!" after every one of Flash's pitches.

I hid under the table here at seat 92.

Oddly enough, the PA system began blaring, "Disco Inferno" at the end of the inning.

Burn, baby, burn!

Coincidence? I think not.

Just like that it's 11-6 heading to the bottom of the ninth. Flash's line:

Not good.

Burn, baby, burn

We’re into the bullpens now and, strangely, things appear to have settled down. Maybe those rookie starting pitchers had some jitters despite what Kyle Kendrick told us yesterday. Nonetheless, Kyle Lohse retired four in a row after giving up the grand slam to Kaz Matsui. From my seat it looks like Jose Mesa is warming up in the bullpen. It will be quite interesting to hear the reaction from the fans when Joe Table gets into the game in the sixth.

Josh Fogg, the starting pitcher from the Rockies’ playoff win over the Padres last Monday, relieved Franklin Morales to start the fourth. So far the only mar on his two innings was a single by Chase Utley to end his oh-fer. Chase was 1-for-12 and 0-for-8 heading into that two-out single in the fifth.

So Mesa entered the game and threw three straight balls before giving up a leadoff walk.

I’m curious why Charlie went with Mesa instead of Tom Gordon since he had been using Flash in the sixth the last few games.

But the leadoff walk was as good as it got for Mesa and the Phillies. A walk to Ryan Spilborghs followed by a double to Yorvit Torrealba made it 8-3 and forced the crowd to begin the ever popular, “MESA SUCKS!” chant.

Come on, sing along!

When Charlie went to get Mesa the crowd went with the old standby:

BOO!

I’m sure it was a coincidence, but when Mesa walked off and Clay Condrey entered, the PA blasted the song, “Disco Inferno” with the popular refrain, “Burn, baby, burn…”

They aren’t talking about the bullpen are they?

Condrey quickly made it 9-3 when Matsui tripled. Now he needs a single for the cycle.

Is Flash hurt?

Strike three, con't...

Tom Gordon remained in for the eighth where he struck out Tulowitzki only to follow that up with a home run to Matt Holliday that might strike the earth’s surface by sunset. The foul Holliday hit was a rocket – his homer was a bomb.

It also spelled the end of the work day for Gordon. J.C. Romero came in and pitched two-third of an inning to extend his scoreless games streak to 21.

Tadahito Iguchi pinch hit for Romero to start the eighth and grinded out a six-pitch walk. Things always seem to happen when Iguchi gets into a game… maybe that’s a story for later in the series. The premise will be: Things happen when Tadahito Iguchi gets into the game.

Call the Pulitzer people.

But things haven’t been happening when the meat of the Phillies’ order has stepped to the plate. Jimmy Rollins is 0-for-3 with a whiff, a double play and a walk. Shane Victorino is 0-for-4 with a whiff. Chase Utley was punched out looking against another lefty – reliever Brian Fuentes – for auspicious Golden Sombrero.

Mix in the 0-for-3 with a pair of whiffs for Ryan Howard and the top four hitters for the Phillies are 0-for-14 with eight strikeouts.

Wow.

Exit, stage right

Ryan Spilborghs snapped Cole Hamels’ streak of 13 straight outs with a walk. Spilborghs is another difficult name to spell. Not as bad as Tulowitzki, but Spilborghs… what is that? S-P-I-L-B-O-R-G-H-S

Of course a dude named “Finger" is making fun of guys named Tulowitzki, Zolecki and Spilborghs.

Cute.

Anyway, Hamels recovered from the walk to retire the next two hitters on a lazy fly to right, and a bouncing ball into the hole behind first that Chase Utley neatly fielded and flipped to Ryan Howard at first.

He might not be hitting, but he’s helping with the glove.

But at the 115-pitch mark, Charlie Manuel headed for the mound in his familiar gait, said a few words to his lefty and then raised his right hand to signal for reliever Tom Gordon. That’s a wrap on Cole Hamels:

6 2/3 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 7 K on 115 pitches – 72 strikes

It didn’t seem as if Hamels was too pleased about leaving the game trailing by a run since he didn’t acknowledge the big cheers he received as he walked off.

Gordon entered and whiffed Kaz Matsui to end the eighth, while J.C. Romero and Kyle Lohse warmed in the ‘pen.

Here’s a new one… Jeff Francis took the mound to start the seventh, warmed up and then when Pat Burrell was announced as the hitter, Clint Hurdle walked to the mound and called for a reliever.

Perhaps LaTroy Hawkins needed some extra time getting loose?

Be that as it may, the best managerial move ever was pulled by Frank Robinson of the Nationals when he called in a relief pitcher, ordered him to issue an intentional walk and then pulled him out of the game. If I recall correctly the pitcher was Joey Eischen. He’s the intentional walk specialist.

Greg Dobbs was the Phillies walk specialist in the bottom of the seventh when he drew a one-out walk and then exited for pinch-running specialist, Michael Born. But a hot-shot grounder to second baseman Kaz Matsui was deftly turned into a 4-6-3 double play.

Remember when Kaz Matsui was with the Mets and was supposed to be the second-coming of Ichiro and Hideki Matsui? In fact, the Mets stuck with Matsui at short and moved Jose Reyes to second before learning (quickly) that they were better off the other way around.

Then they were better off without Matsui.

But Matsui is in the playoffs in 2007 and the Mets are not.