I haven't been Chyan hard enough

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Yeesh

The Phillies had to sell their soul for a win, but Satan still couldn't perform the miracle of getting them to collect timely hits, so run-forcing walks, HBPs and fly balls had to account for most of the offense. But a win is still welcome after the hideousness of the previous three games.

Pat the Bat!

I missed all but two middle innings of last night's game, having been at the gym and then at a sports bar where it was not shown. But when Moyer gives up two over six, Burrell goes 2 for 2 with RISP and the Phillies cruise 8-2 on the road against the annoying Fish, I know it was a good night.

Myers goes tonight, and I'll be watching. I have a feeling that if the bats get going just a little better, Myers and Hamels are going to produce a lot of back-to-back win scenarios to take the sting out of the occasional preceding sweep.

Victori? No!

Trying to steal third with Howard and Utley behind you? Uncool.

And having a horrendous bullpen? Also uncool.

Phillieeeeeeeeeeeeees, c'monnnnnnnnnnnnnnn.....

Opening Day observations

• Brett Myers looked good, but I can't think of anything more unfortunate than having two outs in the eighth with a one-run lead, an 0-2 count, and throwing a pitch that someone like Edgar Renteria can hit 420 feet.
• Booing Pat Burrell? On Opening Day? What a pile of losers Phillies fans are.
• Shane Victorino looked overmatched. Actually, he looked horrible.
• The Phillies went ahead on a dumb mistake by the Braves, and it'd be nice if this year they could win on the dumb mistakes, not lose on them.

Quick thangs

I've been exhausted and working too much and not blogging, but I've still kept up with a bit of Phillies news. Some thoughts:

• I like Chase Utley for MVP this year.
• The more I think about Adam Eaton, the more I'm convinced that 3/$24M deal is bad enough to rival the 5/$44M deal Juan Pierre squeezed out of the Dodgers.
• Speaking of which, if we trade Lieber, we damn well better be ready to slot in Scott Mathieson or somebody else if Eaton craps the bed.
• If Victorino doesn't steal 25 bases this year, Davey Lopes was hired for nothing.
• People keep saying the Nationals could be the worst team ever, but that pitcher's park is enough to give the biggest schmoe confidence. Getting lit up in a Grapefruit park doesn't necessarily translate.
• I'll bet Chipper Jones doesn't play in 50 games, and I'll bet Andruw Jones hits more home runs than Ryan Howard. And then he goes to the American League and is never heard from again.
• I have so many young Marlins on my fantasy team who I want to succeed statistically again this year, but I hope they don't come as close to being a thorn in Philly's side as they did last year.
• If Gordon goes down, close with Fabio Castro. Dad would agree with me, I bet.
• I love my Ryan Howard t-shirt, but I gotta go to the gym more so I don't fill it out so much below the logo.
• Once Barry Bonds breaks down or breaks the record, send Pat Burrell and Carlos Ruiz to the Giants, they can send pitching prospect Tim Lincecum to the Cubs, who can send Jacque Jones and Mark Prior to the Phillies. Prior is injured nearly beyond repair but there would always be that twinkle of possibility of recovering past greatness, and irrational investment like that is the principle on which the Phillies are founded.
• I think the Phillies go 90-72, lose the division to the Mets by two games but win the wild card by two games. Baseless predictions are the principle on which my Phillies phandom is phounded.
  

I KNEW IT!

One Marlin says Girardi helping Lieber amounts to "expletive."

Even so, Dontrelle Willis shrugs it off.