Elevated behind him, a television provided the sobering reality of his words. Braves catcher Brian McCann had launched another first-inning home run, this one curling inside of the rightfield foul pole, and the Phillies were once again chasing a lead before even coming to bat.
Seven innings later, after Phillies newcomer Raul Ibanez had briefly tied it with a two-run second-inning bomb, the Phillies were looking down the barrel of a 10-3 deficit and a third home loss to start their 2009 championship defense. Much of Citizens Bank Park's upper tier had already emptied, having retired from the brisk, Octoberlike day to the park's restaurants, bars, or even their own warm cars.
Three games, three excited crowds, three nights of brake lights backed up prematurely beyond the centerfield fence.
"We played 2 1/2 games," manager Charlie Manuel said. "And we hadn't done much right . . . "
And then, Chase Utley looped a one-out popup fortuitously between three fielders in short centerfield. Ryan Howard took a 2-2 pitch off his shoulder blade. Braves reliever Eric O'Flaherty was replaced by Peter Moylan, who was eventually replaced by Blaine Boyer, who was then replaced by Jorge Campillo.
After 2 1/2 games of establishing themselves as legitimate 2009 contenders, the Braves underlined how they lost 90 games last season. Their relievers walked in four of the Phillies' eight runs that inning, twice without registering a strike. Five walks in all, not to mention plunking Howard.
In winning 12-11, the Phillies also underlined something, something about what it took to finally get over the hump in 2008. They accepted those walks as if studded with diamonds. They did not chase pitches, they did not take foolish chances.
