Phillies Shell-Shocked by the Rox

This wasn't how things were supposed to happen.

When an irresistable force meets an immovable object, something has to give. But who among us thought it would be Yorvit Torrealba and Kaz Matsui giving the Phils fits? The Phillie Killer Theory strikes again.

And mere days after it looked like his team's improbable comeback saved his job, Uncle Charlie might be on the hot seat once again. A little background: I had the GameCast on at work but had to leave just as the Rockies had two men on in the fourth with two outs and the pitcher's spot coming up. This half inning, I thought, was in the bag. The Phils were actually leading--thanks to J-Roll, who apparently is the only Phillie who realized that despite the public response, it's still just a playoff berth and not a championship yet. Kyle Kendrick had gotten into a few jams but got out of most of them with minimal damage.

Enter Charlie Manuel. Exit Kyle Kendrick. Enter Kyle Lohse--the prospective Game 4 starter, even with a fresh Clay Condrey in the 'pen.

I totally understood not using Alfonseca or Mesa in this situation, and was prepared to give Charlie credit for it. This was until I realized that the Lohse move started an inevitable chain of events that allowed Mesa to come in later and put the game completely out of reach.

A lapse in judgment? A "senior moment"? A logical decision ruined by rotten luck? It doesn't matter. This could be the playoff moment that traumatizes another generation of fans. Come New Year's Day 2027, there's going to be a spate of Mummers' Parade revelers wailing, "Lohse for Kendrick? Why?" before passing out on the pool table at their favorite Old Town bar.

As for me, my senses are dulled. I never got the feeling that the Phils were going to get to Jeff Francis in Game 1, especially as they were pressing to get rid of those playoff butterflies. But Innings 4-5, Game 2 was like a Howitzer shell exploding in the middle of a tai chi class.

And now, with the series moving to the Rockies' home turf, so many of the Phaithful have that same thousand-yard stare we saw on Mets fans less than a week ago. Here we were, passionately and vocally supporting our team as they surged to an unlikely division title, poised to be media darlings in the playoffs. But it seems the Team to Beat has collided head-on with the Team of Destiny, an even bigger underdog in a nation that loves the underdog. Funny, though, that the Rockies played their inaugural season in the same year that the Phillies last made the playoffs. And it's easier to come out of nowhere in a wide-open division than to struggle under towering expectations all year and then receive relatively little credit once your stated goal is reached.

The Phils are fun, but they were "supposed" to be here. The Rox are out of left field--and they wear purple! How telegenic, much more than those crass, boorish Philadelphians back to their old tricks: booing, cussing, and casting cynical aspersions against the world in general.

It's not over yet, but the end of the tunnel is drawing ever closer. We've been ambushed, folks. Sometimes life just isn't fair.

But hey--at least the Flyers won their home opener.