Trying times

It was a long night full of whining from Christine, who seemed to be giving up hope. In the 5th, with the Phillies trailing 4-3, she proclaimed them in a collapse. I said they had lost one game. Then Ryan Howard fielded what could have been a double play, but he wound up beaning the runner heading for second. "OK, they're in a collapse," I said.

It got worse from there: Chipper Jones capped off the six-run inning with a three-run pinch-hit homer. Final score: Braves 10, Phils 4.

Like last night, blame goes to the pitcher, this time Brett Myers. How is this the same pitcher who was so dominant from the end of July through the middle of September? Tonight's ugly line: 4 1/3 innings, six runs (four earned), 10 hits, two walks and three strikeouts. Nothing against Jamie Moyer, but it's not a good sign when the starter you're most comfortable with is 45 years old.

Thankfully, the Mets blew another one in spectacular fashion to the Cubbies to remain 1.5 games out. They are now tied with the Brewers for the Wild Card. The Mets loss has Christine feeling a lot better. I'm still confident the Phillies will make it. Their magic number is now three to eliminate either the Brewers or Mets.

If you're being chased by a bear, you don't have to outrun the bear, just the slowest person in your group. Let's hope the bear chows down some Mets.

Red Sox: They kept their faint division hopes alive with a 5-4 win over the Indians. The Rays beat the Orioles, so one more win, because they hold the tiebreaker, wraps up the division (mathematically, the magic number is two).