“I’ve had it before. I did everything in between starts to prepare for today. It was feeling really good.”

–John Lannan

Apr 12, 2013; Miami, FL, USA; Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher John Lannan (27) pitches the ball in the first inning against the Miami Marlins at Marlins Park. Mandatory Credit: Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports

It will be 15 very confident days then, that John Lannan spends on the disabled list.  The Phillies’ starter wasn’t quite as ready to play through the pain as he thought – having given up six runs when he attempted to – and finding out after the game that he in fact had a strained left quadriceps tendon.

Ruben Amaro decided to put this one off until the last minute and call up a starter on Monday, when Lannan’s turn would roll around again.  In the mean time, he’s brought up Joe Savery for the bullpen.

You remember Savery as the converted pitcher who had an act in the Phillies’ 2012 dark bullpen carnival.

Tyler Cloyd, Jonathan Pettibone, Adam Morgan, Ethan Martin – who will be chosen to take on the highly coveted “fifth starter” role for Philadelphia, where legends such as Joe Blanton or John Lannan have pitched?  These exciting young prospects will get a brief glimpse of their best popular future, and sneak a peak at the amenities of being a back of the rotation starter.

And when is “denial” not a sign of great things to come?!

Apr 16, 2013; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Philadelphia Phillies left fielder Domonic Brown warms up on deck against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports

The Phillies were in the middle of losing 11-2 to the Reds, a loss largely on the shoulders of Lannan and his terrible start.  The recently back-to-earth fifth starter couldn’t even give the bullpen two innings to get loose before being shelled by all manner of Reds; the good player, the bad players, even the Red’s starting pitcher tripled off of him.

Of course, it wasn’t until after the game that Lannan revealed he had “tweaked” his knee while bunting during his last start in Miami and felt off tonight starting with the third batter of the game.  He swears he’s played through it during previous experiences with the same injury, but “played through” is such a relative term when you’re giving up six runs in one and two thirds innings.

Elsewhere, Dom Brown took a wrong step on a fly ball in the first inning and was forced to dive, immediately hearing a “pop” in his back.  He felt pain in his lower back and was replaced by Ezequiel Carrera not much later.  This is a whole new area for Dom to start injuring, putting even further dampers on his big break out season.

Brown’s getting MRI’d Thursday, but everybody in the clubhouse from the players to the GM are acting like this is all no big deal.  Which probably stems as a side effect from “general numbness,” rather than being a form of confidence of any kind.

Apr 16, 2013; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Reds center fielder Shin-Soo Choo warms up on deck during a game against yje Philadelphia Phillies at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports

I have trouble adopting a voice for some of these recaps.  Like, am I explaining what happened to people who watched it?  Or is it more akin to telling a story to somebody who wasn’t there?

Because my instinct is to start this recap with, “Man, you wouldn’t believe this one.”  But maybe you would.  Maybe you don’t enter the top of each first inning with the idea that maybe this will be the game that turns it around.  But hey, it’s still early!  Why, Delmon Young hasn’t even joined the club yet!

**weeps**

So yeah, John Lannan apparently entered the game already injured with some tendinitis above his knee that he claims to have pitched through before.  Which is great news, because the last thing we want to do is have someone other than John Lannan pitch when John Lannan is giving up eight hits and six runs in less than two innings.

Onward came the bullpen, who did their thing where they just kind of are out there so the mound isn’t empty and the game can continue.  Raul Valdes hopped in there and six hits and five runs through three and a third innings of mop-up duty.  Oh, and then there was this gem.

Raul Valdes has the Phillies’ first extra-base hit in 41 batters.

— Matt Gelb (@magelb) April 18, 2013

Apr 15, 2013; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Reds left fielder Derrick Robinson beats out a hit during the eighth inning against Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard at Great American Ball Park. The Reds defeated the Phillies 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Frank Victores-USA TODAY Sports

Yes, the long reliever set the offensive bar for the day, matched only by Freddy Galvis’ two-run eighth inning home run off a guy appearing in his sixth MLB game ever and cut the deficit to single digits.  The Red’s Mike Leake took complete control for seven innings of shut-out, three-hit ball.  He was backed by a potent lineup of frequent hitters.  Zach Cozart (3-for-5, 3 RBI, 2B, HR) and Brandon Phillips (2-for-2, 3 RBI) were especially devastating, as was Leake’s RBI triple off Lannan.

Chad Durbin and Jeremy Horst would pitch the last three innings with hitlessness and scorelessness that would have really come in handy during some games where we weren’t already down by nine runs.  Dom Brown left the game after feeling a pop in his back while misplaying a fly ball.

Oh, did I mention the pregame ceremony was the Phillies losing a different game?  Today was great.

When it all went wrong

When John Lannan decided to be a hero?  When Ben Revere didn’t hit a ball out of the infield for 10 at-bats, is hitting .194, and is the leadoff hitter?  When nobody walked in this entire series?  When the Phillies scored 10 runs in six games? When

Hero

noun \ˈhir-(ˌ)ō\

a : a mythological or legendary figure often of divine descent endowed with great strength or ability

b : an illustrious warrior

c : a man admired for his achievements and noble qualities

d : one who shows great courage

Villain

Baseball.

TBOH’s thoughts

**In play, run(s); Mike Leake triples on a fly ball** said the screen of the laptop sailing out the apartment window

— Justin Klugh (@TBOHblog) April 17, 2013

I wonder if Big Bang Theory is on. Maybe I’ll get lucky.

— John Stolnis (@FelskeFiles) April 18, 2013