Spiked

One assumes there was no Usher pulsing through the Phillies' clubhouse. Nor was anyone speaking in cautious yet optimistic tones about climbing back into the wild-card race. For after pushing around the Brewers for three games, the Phils last night ran into Roger Clemens, a guy who pushes back, and lost, 8-4. Then again, when you counter Clemens with Cory Lidle, you can't expect much.

So for all of the talk about signs of life in Milwaukee, the sad truth is this: The Phillies are playing out the string. The papers acknowledge as much simply by their placement of game stories. The players acknowledge as much simply by their approach to each game. After Clemens clobbered Jason Michaels on a tag play at first -- a hard play, but not a dirty one -- the best Michaels could do was attempt a menacing glare directed toward the Rocket, who defused the situation with an apology and a pat on the backside. So much for playing with purpose. Michaels rolled on his back, threw his paws in the air, and let Clemens scratch his belly before slinking back toward the dugout in docile shame. Good boy, Jason, good boy.

Maybe we fans are playing out the string, too -- hell, the game was in the fifth before I even realized the Phillies were playing last night. So dutifully I turned off women's beach volleyball from Athens to catch an inning or two. For some reason I found Clemens's ample backside less alluring than the taut bodies -- er, I mean the impressive athleticism -- of the volleyballers, so back on went the Olympics.