March 31 -- DICE ROLL

Daisuke Matsuzaka's line: 4 IP, 2 H, 3 R/ER, 4 BB, 7 K. He threw 82 pitches, 51 strikes, and gave up a two-run homer to Pat Burrell.

Now, the reaction ...

* Charlie Manuel said he expected to see more giddy-up on Dice-K's fastball. That said, he was impressed by the number of different pitches Dice-K threw, at least four by Charlie's count. From the dugout, Manuel thought Dice-K's fastball, slider and changeup were better than his curveball. He didn't detect anything resembling the mythical "gyroball."

* Jimmy Rollins said the "gyroball" -- or something like it -- does exist. He described it as a "split-changeup wrapped into one" and said it knuckles as it reaches the plate. "It's real close to a split, but it breaks the other way," he said. How did Rollins handle the strange pitch? "I fouled it off," he said.

* Aaron Rowand also recognized a funky pitch from Dice-K but described it as a "screwball-change." And Ryan Howard, who struck out looking against Matsuzaka in the third inning, characterized the odd pitch as a "knuckle-split."

Asked if he thought Matsuzaka would be effective in the majors, Rollins said, "The season will tell."

Couple of other notes from today: Just like at Bright House Networks Field, the Phillies have painted "VUK" in the third-base coach's box as a tribute to late coach John Vukovich. It will remain for at least the first three games of the season against Atlanta. ... No word on the final roster spot. Manuel met with the front office and coaching staff after the game. The roster doesn't have to be set until 3 p.m. tomorrow.

And, on that note, I'm heading home.