Oct. 25 -- "BIGGEST START OF MY LIFE"

BY SCOTT LAUBER

So, we have about 4-1/2 hours before the game, and the tarp is on the field here at The Bank. It's not raining at the moment, but the forecast is calling for heavy rain from about 5-7 p.m. It's supposed to clear, however, and I expect that tonight's game will be played.

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Not sure how many of y'all got the final-edition game story in your paper yesterday, so I wanted to be certain I pass along something that Jimmy Rollins said. Asked if the Phillies, 1-for-28 with runners in scoring position through two games of the World Series, are pressing to get clutch hits, Rollins admitted that he's feeling some pressure.

Not very J-Roll-ish.

Rollins is one of the coolest customers you'll find in the Phillies clubhouse. But he confessed that he was gripping the bat a bit tight during the seventh inning of Game 2 when he struck out against Rays reliever Dan Wheeler, and yesterday, he took extra batting practice after the Phillies completed their workout. Most of the Phillies insisted yesterday that they aren't concerned about this slump becoming an epidemic, but it does feel an awful lot like June, when the offense hit the snooze button for 10 weeks.

"Somebody told me what the [1-for-28] numbers are, and that's unheard of," utility infielder Eric Bruntlett said. "We're talking about guys who can really swing the bat. It's not going to continue this way."

At least the Phillies hope not.

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It took 22 years, but Jamie Moyer, at age 45, finally will pitch in the World Series. And, as Martin Frank writes, Moyer knows this is "the biggest start of my life."

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The Phillies are aware of Matt Garza's comments that it will be easier to face their lineup than the Yankees' or the Red Sox's. But Ryan Howard wasn't about to engage Garza in a war of words. He'd prefer to let his bat do the talking.

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Kevin Noonan wonders what would happen if all of the Phillies' hitters were hot at the same time. You know, kind of like September. ... Also, hard-throwing lefty David Price has emerged as the Rays' secret weapon. ... Long-suffering Phillies fans think this is the year. They also think it's crazy to call Rays' fans "long-suffering." I completely agree. ... The Phillies didn't hit in Game 2, and Fox's ratings took a hit.

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Quick public-service announcement: Traffic at the Sports Complex is going to be brutal tomorrow. Brutal. The Eagles are playing at 1 p.m. at The Linc, and The Who is playing a concert at 7:30 p.m. at the Wachovia Center. The Phillies are urging everyone to take public transportation, and if you're unable to do that, leave your house early.