Sept. 18 -- NO RELIEF

ST. LOUIS -- Charlie Manuel has survived a heart attack, quadruple bypass surgery and cancer.

He almost didn't make it through last night's game.

Say what you want about the Phillies. They're never dull. After taking an 11-0 lead against the Cardinals on two homers by St. Louis native Ryan Howard and long balls by Jimmy Rollins and Aaron Rowand, they hung on for dear life to a 13-11 win thanks to the bullpen. With his only trustworthy relievers -- Brett Myers, Tom Gordon and J.C. Romero -- unavailable after pitching in three straight games against the Mets last weekend, Manuel was forced to turn to Clay Condrey, Jose Mesa, Antonio Alfonseca and Kane Davis in the seventh and eighth innings. Lo and behold, in the eighth, the Phillies found their lead cut to 12-11 with the tying run on base and Albert Pujols at the plate against Davis.

Talk about your Maalox moments.

"They had guys up who could've won them the game," Manuel said. "Absolutely unbelievable."

And Manuel thought Ryan Ludwick had given the Cardinals the lead when he drove a pitch from Davis to deep center fielder. Rowand ran the ball down at the edge of the warning track, caught it and fell to the ground. Nothing was coming easy.

Even in the ninth, after another Rowand homer opened a 13-11 lead, there were tense moments. Francisco Rosario, a fastball pitcher, put two runners on base when fastball-mashing former Phillies slugger Russell Branyan stepped to the plate. Rosario worked the count full before catching Branyan looking at strike three to end the game.

Whew.

"I passed my stress test," Manuel said. "I'll take an EKG right now."

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With the way the relievers pitched, and considering how shorthanded the bullpen was, I can understand why people are hollering that Manuel lifted Kyle Kendrick too soon.

I just don't agree.

Kendrick was getting hit hard in the sixth inning. Skip Schumaker's double, Pujols' single and Ludwick's homer all came on pitches that were up in the strike zone. And when Kendrick's pitches are up, they get smoked. Also, keep in mind that Kendrick has thrown more innings than ever in his pro career. He's never before pitched in September either. And the Phillies are counting on him for at least two more starts -- and more if they make the playoffs. With a nine-run lead, taking him out after 89 pitches wasn't a bad idea.

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A day after feeling a "twinge" in his lower back while he was pitching against the Mets, Gordon was still walking gingerly. But he said he'll be ready to pitch tonight, if the Phillies need him. We'll see about that. Also within the notebook, there's news of Jim Thome's call to Manuel on Sunday night after hitting his 500th homer. Manuel is Thome's baseball father, and his impact on Thome's career is profound.

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Howard appears to have found the cure for his slump. Come home. Playing in front of his parents and his 6-year-old son Darian, he went 2-for-4 with two homers, including a grand slam. In 14 career games in St. Louis, Howard is batting .362. He has never gone hitless in a game at Busch Stadium, old or new.