Last (home) dance a dud

The Phillies, who have the longest active playoff streak of any team in baseball, clinched their fourth straight division title tonight. But it should have happened yesterday.

For the first time in their four-year run, they were not able to wrap things up for the home crowd on Sunday. Christine and I were hoping to see our third-ever clincher (2007 division and 2008 World Series) as we attended the last regular season game of the year, but the Phillies could not survive poor performances by two pitchers who have been great all year - Cole Hamels and Ryan Madson - in the 7-3 loss to the Mets.

Here's a day-old recap of the highlights of our day at the park as the Phillies celebrate in the clubhouse.

Observations from the stands: Driving to the park, we heard Last Dance, the Phanatic's traditional song for the regular season finale, on the radio. ... The Phillies saluted both fans and staff, recognizing employees, from grounds crew to administrative personnel, and giving away prizes to fans completely randomly. (It's just a coincidence that the spring training trip always goes to someone in field level while someone in the upper deck wins two free passes to the Franklin Institute's Cleopatra exhibit.). ... All fans received a magnetic schedule, a pack of Phillies postcards of memorable events from the season and a rally towel. I think I dropped my terry cloth five minutes after we entered the park while peppering up my pulled pork sandwich.

Every year, a Phillie has to address the fans. Christine's favorite, Carlos Ruiz, gave a most stirring and eloquent speech: "We love our fans. Thank you." It still gives me chills. ... The anthem was sung by the Central Bucks West High School Choir, directed by Joseph Ohrt. Not bad, but we've heard it before. And before that. Now they have a website. ... My favorite sign of the day: "Miss you Jamie" with a crying sad emoticon in the zero of Jamie Moyer's No. 50. ... Miss America Caressa Cameron sang God Bless America. ... Fans were particularly annoying, from the parents behind us who wouldn't stop their daughter from kicking Christine's chair to the drunks in front of us who couldn't understand 1) Why the stadium staff wouldn't let him wear a profane anti-Mets shirt because "I bought it outside the stadium the last time they played the Mets" and 2) Why they were getting ragged on for cheering on Hamels minutes after he was removed from the game in the middle the 5th inning. Also, nearly all fans kept cheering the Nationals scoring updates against the Braves, forgetting that the Phillies actually had to win their game to wrap up the division.

We hit a few drops of rain driving and walking into the park, but the game was played without any delay, and the sun even made an appearance in the late innings. Jimmy Rollins also made an appearance, but he grounded out meekly while swinging at the first pitch. ... Combined line for the good Phillies pitchers (Hamels and Madson): four innings, seven runs on 11 hits and four walks with two strikeouts. Combined line for the scrubby Phillies pitchers (David Herndon, Vance Worley, Chad Durbin, Jose Contreras and Danys Baez): five innings, no runs, one hit, three walks and eight strikeouts. ... The postgame celebration was subdued. The Phanatic and staff shot T-shirts to the crowd, but players stayed off the field, probably respecting the fact they lost and the division title wasn't yet sealed.

So ends the 2010 regular season at Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies are guaranteed at least two more home playoff games; will we be at any?

Antiquated T-shirts: Pat Burrell, Jim Thome, Chris Coste, John Kruk, Jim Eisenreich and Cliff Lee. ... Walking out of the stadium, Christine noticed the back of a Roy Halladay jersey because although the numbers looked legit, the letters were off. Then, we noticed a 2009 World Series patch, and we all know Doc hasn't yet sniffed the Fall Classic. Finally, it hit us: Remember all those jokes about people ripping off Cliff Lee's name from their jersey and replacing it with Halladay's? This guy actually did it. Pretty tacky because Halladay wouldn't want to wear a World Series patch he didn't earn.

Today's games: Doc went the distance in an 8-0 shutout to ice the division. ... The Red Sox are winning; the Rays and Yankees lost, so the Sox may survive another day. I was starting to believe again until last night's extra inning debacle against the Yankees.

There's only one Phanatic

We got to the park early for Sunday's game. We always get there early, but there was actually something special going on - a whole bunch of Phanatics, on display, in art form.

It was so cultural.

We snapped a bunch of random pictures of the various examples of Phanatics that were fashioned by local artists. They were on display before being auctioned off this month.

Here's a listing of the Phanatics in our pictures(except the first picture). I'm pretty sure the one on the far right is P. Phanatic Star Voyager, but I'm not sure which golden Phanatic is next to him.

1. The Phanatic Paints A Mural

We really liked this one. "It's so meta," Christine quipped. "It's a Phanatic painting on a Phanatic."

2. Ben Phranklin Phanatic

I'd hate to see our electricity bill if this guy and not Benjamin Franklin flew the kite on that infamous night.

3. Key to Golden Love Phanatic

We don't get it.

4. Phanatico Latino

That's a tribute to all the Latin Phillies stars including Ruben Amaro, Juan Samuel and Carlos Ruiz.

5. Yesterday Today and Tomorrow

That's a tribute to all Phillies - past, present and future. It's one of the five statues that the Phillies are keeping.

6. (Not pictured) PhanaTrent.

More info about the rest of the real Phanatic statues can be found here.

Forgotten from yesterday: I didn't mention this in yesterday's recap of our experience at the park on Sunday because it happened on the walk out of the ballpark after I stopped taking notes on my scorecard.

Some guy saw my Red Sox hat and said, "Yeah, Red Sox," and punched me in the arm.

It was random and confusing. I'm not sure if he was sarcastic or not, but even if he were the punch did not seem offensive.

My Red Sox hat elicited another comment today when Trent and I dropped off his application for a local baby parade. We're not going Little Miss Sunshine, just thought it would be a nice little campy thing to do with the little guy.

Anyway, the woman at the counter saw my hat and told me her fiance loves the Red Sox.

Today's games: It was a SoxandPhils double header on the tube tonight. MLB Network was supposed to show the White Sox and Tigers, but the Red Sox and Rays were on instead.

I wish they stuck with their original broadcast.

I thought I'd have an enjoyable moment with Trent and the Sox. They were up 2-0 when I flipped it on.

But then Daisuke Matszuka blew up, giving up eight earned in 4.2 innings. The Rays won 14-5. I'm still holding out hope, but I'm not sure Terry Francona is: "Every player in the Sox starting lineup has either been replaced or changed position," reports Gordon Edes.

The Phillies, despite Jose Contreras and J.C. Romero's efforts to blow the game, beat the Marlins 8-7 to reclaim first place.

The Phillies led 7-4 in the 8th, but Contreras gave up three runs. J.C. couldn't clean up the mess.

In the bottom of the inning, Placido Polanco drove in a run, and because the Braves lost to the Pirates, the Phillies have a half game lead.

I can't believe we sat through that

We were at the park today as the Phillies played a sloppy first inning and fell behind the Twins 3-0.

"This is going to be an ugly one, huh?" I asked Christine.

"These aren't the Phillies of last week," Christine said confidently.

Turns out, we were both right. Hitting season continued in earnest, and the Phils knocked out Twins starter Kevin Slowey in the 2nd inning with seven runs and two of the five home runs they would hit today. Cole Hamels overcame his rocky start to set down 13 in a row from the 1st to 5th inning.

It was a beautiful day at the park, and everything was perfect until Jim Thome came up with one man on in the 9th inning against Jose Contreras, who was trying to protect the 9-4 lead. Stupid Phillies fans cheered Thome before and even after he hit a two-run homer, giving the Twinkies life. That was bad karma that caused the Phils to cough up a five-run lead in the 9th inning for the first time since July 16, 2000. Brad Lidge also participated in the fun. Both teams volleyed until the 11th when Danys Baez, officially Christine's least favorite Phillie, gave up three runs. Twins 13, Phillies 10. {I am really not happy about this game. It seems just as bad as, if not worse than, last week's debacles against the Red Sox.}

At least the Red Sox, who blew a lead in the 7th inning, came back to win in the bottom of the 9th against the Dodgers.

We'll do a full recap of today's game in SoxandPhils style tomorrow. Warning: There will be a lot of discussion about Twins fans. I never knew there were so many. {And that they could be so annoying.}

Mother's Day

I spent this afternoon wrestling with a prickly shrub because my mother-in-law wanted it removed from her yard, so we missed much of the Phillies game.

It appears that Cole Hamels struggled with the Braves as much as I struggled with the hedge. We both, however, were victorious in our endeavors. I deposited the shrub in a dumpster, and the Phillies trashed the Braves 5-3. Most notable was Brad Lidge's eight-pitch 1-2-3 9th inning to record his first save of the season. Maybe ... nah, I won't say anything.

With their moms in the park, Chad Durbin (who I learned today was delivered by the same doctor who delivered J.A. Happ) and Jose Contreras bridged the three innings between Hamels and Lidge. They were perfect with five strikeouts. Maybe ... nah, I won't say anything.

A great Mother's Day story: The A's Dallas Braden pitched today, and his grandmother, who raised him, was in the park. He pitched a perfect game, the 19th in baseball history, against the Rays. Previously, he was most famous for calling out Alex Rodriguez, who had responded by suggesting that Braden was a nobody. Now, he's in the record books, and his grandmama had some choice words for Slappy (we love this story but question whether it will prove to be urban legend):

After Sunday's game, Braden's grandmother said: "Stick it, A-Rod," according to multiple reporters on the scene.

Amen, never argue with a grandmother.

Tonight: I'm watching Sunday night baseball between the Red Sox and Yankees, but I'm not planning on staying up late to see how it ends. In the 4th, Red Sox 6, Yankees 2.

Ruben forgot to sign somebody

Following Joe Blanton's three-year deal, Ruben Amaro has inked a similar deal for Shane Victorino and a one-year contract with Jose Contreras.

We're glad Victorino is locked up and blase about Contreras, but don't like the future implications for other Phillies. Contreras' deal diminishes what little chance that SoxandPhils favorite Mike Zagurski has of making the team:

The Phillies now have six relievers under contract, with prospect Antonio Bastardo the frontrunner to fill the remaining void. With veteran lefty J.C. Romero expected to miss up to a month, and with closer Brad Lidge questionable for Opening Day, young lefty Sergio Escalona and righthander Scott Mathieson will also have a chance to contend for a roster spot in spring training.

Other options include lefthander Mike Zagurski. Righthander B.J. Rosenberg, who showed promise at Class A last season, will also be in spring training.

And the beat writers honed in on a conclusion that Christine and I have had for a while: Jayson Werth is a goner after this season. Amaro pretty much acknowledged that Victorino's deal means Werth won't be re-signed after the season:

"Jayson is under contract through this year. We've had very, very preliminary discussions about what his future might be like here. There will be some difficult decisions down the road. We'll have to weigh where we want to fit in all the dollars and how we want to fit the puzzle together. We can not operate with nothing but $15- to $20-million players. And if there's any indication how much the [Matt] Holliday and Bay signings have on direct impact on where Werth may be at the end of this year, we're going to have to sift through it and figure out what's best for the organization, not just for the next couple years but also long-term."

Sounds like J-Dub will be patrolling right field for the Yankees in 2011. They might be looking for a catcher too, so Ruben better stop dawdling and lock up Carlos Ruiz.

Christine would like to know whether she will be able to wear her Chooch shirt beyond this season.