Yesterday afternoon, I was ready to rip into the Phils. I turned on the radio at lunchtime and the Fightins’ were already down 5-0. Philly fans aren’t stupid. We are astute sports fans who understand that going 0-3 for the third season in a row doesn’t mean the Phils won’t be there at the end of a long season, but it sure as hell makes us nervous. We’ve had so many bad Aprils turn into bad seasons. It is especially nerve wracking when one of the best hitting teams in the league can only manage one hit in a game against the Washington Nationals, as the Phils did in the second game of the season.
Well, I held back my wrath and was rewarded by seeing the Phillies dig themselves out of that 5-0 hole and come roaring back. Jimmy Rollins legging it from first to third on Shane Victorino’s bunt was a thing of beauty (pictured), and just a day at work for the reigning MVP.
Tom Gordon is still making me wince — retire already, Flash, that tear in your shoulder is hurting you more than you’ll admit. Brad Lidge can’t come back fast enough (hopefully as scheduled tomorrow). Losing the first series of the season at home is still not great, but 1-2 is a hell of a lot better than 0-3.
Hey guys, let’s get on the right track by showing the Reds how good the reigning National League East champions can really be.

While we’re on a sports topic, here are my picks for the NCAA Final Four tomorrow and Monday. UCLA beats Memphis, 75-72, Kansas defeats NC 80-72 and UCLA takes the national championship on Monday by beating Kansas 86-76. Check out AC Weekly for my complete story.