PHILLIES NEWS

Over the past couple seasons the Phils got off to agonizingly slow starts in April. This season was supposed to be different. So far it has only been more of the same agony. Brett Myers got the start this afternoon in the season opener at the Bank against the Washington Nationals. He left much be desired, allowing 5 runs on 4 hits in just 5 innings of work. Unfortunately, the Phils bullpen wasn't much better, particularly Ryan Madson who allowed 2 runs on 2 hits in one inning of work and Tom "Flash" Gordon who allowed 5 runs on 4 hits in just a third of inning, basically crushing the Phils chances. Since it is the season opener I will disclose some of the gory details. In the bottom of the first inning the Phils took the early 1-0 lead as Jimmy Rollins doubled and scored. In the bottom off 4th inning the Phils went up 2-0 as Chase Utley singled and scored on a Pat Burrell single. In the top of 5th inning the Nationals powered ahead on a sac fly by Ryan Zimmeran, a bases loaded double by Austin Kearns and a rare fielding error by JRoll for a 4-2 lead. The Nats kept it going in the top of the 6th with a 2 run homer by Lastings Milledge for a 6-2 lead. In bottom of the 6th Utley crushed a solo homer to cut the lead to 6-3. The Phils kept it going in the bottom of the 7th as Carlos Ruiz doubled in a run and JRoll redeemed himself with a game tying 2 run homer. So at this point all seemed well for the Phils. It was still tied at 6 in the top of the 9th as Flash Gordon took the mound. He didn't stand a chance. Nick Johnson doubled in a run and scored on a Ruiz throwing error, Paul Lo Duca doubled in a run, Ronnie Belliard doubled in a run, and finally Gordon was pulled from the game, but Clay Condrey allowed yet another RBI double to Dmitri Young, before the carnage finally ended with the Nats up 11-6. In the bottom of the 9th, well, with the bottom of the order up the Phils went down in order to take the 11-6 loss, but hey there are still 161 games left, so there's no reason to give up hope yet.