When it's 7-1, the other guys, after six, and your team only has two baserunners---none in the past five innings---while the opposition has 15, you get the feeling that there aren't going to be a whole lot of positives that day.

And in fact, when all was said and done, the Birds were pasted by Philly, 10-4, in a snoozer of a game that would have to be examined long and hard to produce any silver linings.

But there were a couple: The National Anthem was performed flawlessly, and at least it was a gorgeous spring afternoon (73 degrees, sunny).

But seriously, from the 6th inning on there were actually some positives. On a day in which Jeff Suppan's pitches, whenever they ventured into the strike zone, were slapped around like Moe, Larry and Curly, the bullpen acquitted itself with a solid effort that was undermined by Einar Diaz's inability to perform the basic duties required of his position.

Cal Eldred made his 2005 debut, brought in during the 5th to stop the bleeding as the Phillies had already scored for the third straight inning to chase Suppan, who allowed 12 baserunners (seven singles, a double, two homers, and two walks) in just four-plus innings. With two on and nobody out, Eldred struck out David Bell swinging, then, after a passed pall (the first of three pitches to elude Diaz) allowed Jim Thome to score, Eldred completed the inning without further effect on the scoreboard.

While Cardinal hitters added to their growing legacy of being completely flummoxed by an unfamiliar young pitcher---this time, the 22-year-old rookie righthander Gavin Floyd---the pen continued to provide relief as Randy Flores folowed Eldred with an impressive performance. Those of you who missed the game and see only Flores's box score line---3 innings, 4 runs---should know that he pitched much better than that and could have finished unscathed with a little better D.

After his first pitch was stroked to left for a single by Jimmy Rollins, Flores struck out Kenny Lofton swinging, then fanned Bobby Abreu on three pitches, the last two swinging. In the space of three batters Flores missed more bats than Suppan had in four innings. Rollins then stole second easily, and on the next pitch Diaz failed to corral a breaking pitch that skipped in front of the plate---his one-handed stab while never releasing from his catcher's squat perhaps having something to do with that. Thome walked on a 3-2 pitch, and then Pat Burrell hit a ball to Eckstein's right that Eck backhanded, dropped, then collected and threw too late to first, for an infield single. While not routine, it's a play that any major league shortstop makes without too much trouble, and even Eckstein would say, I' sure, that he should have made it. Rollins scored, but Flores got David Bell to pop out to end the inning with the Phils up 7-1.

Flores was sharp in a 1-2-3 7th, with two more swinging strikeouts. The 8th began like the sloppy 6th, with Rollins reaching to lead off the inning, this time via a walk, and again Flores retired Lofton and Abreu. Flores then got Thome to flail at a two-strike sweeper that broke down and out, and once again Diaz stabbed at the ball and once again it bounded past him, and the lumbering Thome reached first well ahead of Diaz's desperate heave. The inning that should have ended continued as Pat Burrell, already with three hits, came to the plate, and he unloaded a no-doubter deep into the left field stands for what was suddenly a 10-1 lead.

Still, five strikeouts from Flores in three innings of relief, and a good showing against right-handed bats as well as lefties, has to be encouraging given the question marks surrounding the bullpen after its off-season reconstitution (only three of seven members were regular contributors last year).

The offense picked it up a little bit late in the game, with four of their seven hits and their only walk coming in the last two innings, after Floyd had departed. Diaz made some amends with a single in the 8th and an RBI double in the 9th, and didn't look nearly as helpless at the plate as I imagined he would, although maybe any extra time he's had in the cage would have been more effectively spent boning up on the fundamentals of blocking pitches in the dirt.

The Cardinals haven't looked sharp, really, since the first seven innings of opening day last Tuesday, when Chris Carpenter shackled the Astros and the team hit three homers (just one since). Perhaps Carpenter's second start, today, will reset the course.