Grudgingly Conceded
Ed Wade's Army helped the Phils win a game they badly needed last night. After Eric Milton reverted to the "last five innings, get lotsa run support, don't quite give all of it back" form he showed through most of the first half, and Bowa made his de rigeur idiot move to bring in Roberto "Horrendez" Hernandez and allow the runner he inherited from Milton to score, the bullpen shut down the Padres by stranding six guys over the last three and a third innings. Telemaco, who should have relieved Milton to start with, closed out the sixth; Homophobe Jones looked pretty sharp with a 1-2-3 seventh; fellow new arrival Felix Rodriguez danced through the raindrops in the eighth, allowing three hits but turning a 1-6-3 double play and getting a big strikeout; and then Tim Worrell put the tying runs on base before striking out Brian Buchanan to finish the 7-5 victory, leaving the Phils 4.5 games behind Atlanta and 4 back in the wild-card race, to which I think they'll soon be turning their full attention.

They got help from the Padres, whose ineptitude with men on base mirrored that usually shown by their guests, but for at least one night Wade's relievers came through. If and when Ryan Madson and Billy Wagner make it back, the Phils' bullpen should be an honest-to-God strength. They'll need it.