Ian Snell takes on Phils

Why root for the Phillies? It may be April but I've already resigned myself to realizing that the next Phillies postseason won't be this season.

So let's have our own Ian Snell go out for the Pirates tonight and handcuff those Phils, against whatever lineup Charlie Manuel cobbles together (Do you ever get the feeling that Manuel puts together a batting order by staring at a bulletin board all afternoon and making something up, like Kevin Spacey in "The Usual Suspects"? When will Pat Gillick drop the coffee cup and realize the answer?)

Anyway, Snell needs a win. He's 0-2 with a 7.71 ERA and in danger of falling out of the Pirates rotation. So let's hope he gets off the schnide tonight.

By the way, I have May 22 in the Charlie Manuel pool, though May 8 looks good, too.