After last night's loss to Houston, we no longer care what Will Bunch (Ryan Howard doesn't pitch) or ESPN's Alan Schwarz (and his interestingly anonymous Phillies fan reader) say. We're ready to say that the Phillies are out of the Wild Card race, and we're so sure of it that we're writing this post before San Diego inevitably beats Colorado and takes a three-game lead over the Phillies.

Because the Phillies play the first of 10 games over the rest of the season against the Marlins tonight and, honestly, we're scared to death of the Marlins. In part because they always beat the Phillies, and in part because 22-year-old pitcher Anibal Sanchez threw the first no-hitter in the majors in two years last night against Arizona. Add to that starter Jason Johnson, whose 2.99 ERA is second in the National League and who faces the Phillies tonight, and it all just stinks.

Thankfully, the Eagles play Sunday, so we have something else to be bothered about.

(What? What do you mean, the upcoming election and Mayor Street's indecision on the smoking ban are important? There is no way that any Philadelphian could possibly ever think that anything matters more than sports. That just isn't allowed and everyone knows it.)

Photo taken by the author.