July 16 -- CASE CLOSED?

I always chuckle when athletes talk about being 70 or 80 or 90 percent of themselves when they're coming back from injuries. Those numbers seem so arbitrary. I mean, how do you put a percentage on a feeling? But it's worth noting that Tom Gordon said last night he is about "85 to 90 percent" back from the frayed rotator cuff and upper respiratory infection that have sidelined him since May 1.

What, exactly, does that mean? Well, Gordon said his fastball has reached "maybe 92" mph, and his trademark curveball "still has a ways to go" before it's as effective as usual. He said he's experienced "general stiffness" but no significant pain since he began pitching in minor-league games two weeks ago, and he confessed that for three or four weeks after being hospitalized with the illness, "I couldn't even run. That was the most trying time for me. It caused me even more of a setback."

Still, the pitching-starved Phillies activated Gordon, and he'll be eligible to pitch tonight in LA against the Dodgers. Charlie Manuel said he plans to ease Gordon back into the bullpen mix by pitching him in non-save situations. Either way, it's hard to imagine Gordon being consistently effective.

*
Regardless, he has to be an improvement over Brian Sanches, right? The former Blue Rocks reliever gave up four homers in two innings last night, as the Phillies finally became the first pro sports franchise to lose 10,000 games. After the game, Sanches was sent to triple-A Ottawa.

OK, long-suffering Phillies fans: Which loss has been the most memorable for you?

*
Think Albert Pujols was sorry to leave town? Including his two-homer game last night, the Cardinals slugger is batting .380 (19-for-50) with nine homers and 18 RBIs in 12 career games at the bandbox in South Philly. In the last three games, he was 6-for-14 (.429) with four homers.

Must've been all that rest he got during the All-Star Game.