For Phils, it's not easy being green

WHEN THE PHILLIES left New York early this month, a three-game sweep in their pockets and respectability restored, they looked ahead through a slew of interleague games and saw the Mets again on the other side, visitors for four games, including a makeup of an April 16 rainout.

They looked ahead, and, with their starting pitching, they were confident.

That was before Freddy Garcia's shoulder eroded and Jon Lieber's foot imploded, probably ending their seasons.

Quickly, this weekend didn't look as promising for the Phillies.

It looks worse today.

The Mets swept the Phillies, 6-5 winners in the makeup Game 1 yesterday, 5-2 winners in the regularly scheduled Game 2. They extended their lead in the National League East to five games over the Phils.

After last night's unimpressive showing by callow Cole Hamels, the default staff ace whose All-Star hopes faded further with a five-inning, three-run outing, the rotation's shakiness is underscored.

Back when the Phillies rolled out of the Big Apple with three straight wins, J.D. Durbin and J.A. Happ were more concerned with getting their injuries straightened out in Triple A Ottawa than with making the major league club. Kyle Kendrick was just figuring out the entertainment options in Double A Reading.

Durbin, 25, got hammered for all six runs in Game 1 yesterday's split doubleheader, a 6-5 makeup loss.

Happ, 24, starts today in his major league debut. He has started three times with Ottawa since a disabled-list stint caused by an elbow injury.

Kendrick, 22, will make his fourth major league start tomorrow. He is 2-0, but with a 5.00 earned run average; the Phillies have scored 28 runs in his three starts.

"That's a big hurdle," manager Charlie Manuel said of his young rotation facing one of the league's better offenses this weekend. "They have a tremendous, balanced lineup. They've got a veteran lineup, too. They can put a hurt on you."

And they did.

Hamels logged his 40th career start last night, 35 more than the other three combined.

He needed 110 pitches just to make it through five innings, in part because he walked five. That not only matched his career high, it also was one more walk than he'd issued in his previous six starts combined.

None of the walks scored, at least. However, Hamels got tagged with solo homers from Carlos Beltran, his 11th and 12th, the 18th and 19th Hamels has allowed, most in the league.

"At times, he was overthrowing," Manuel said.

That's a growing pain with a budding ace.

"I wanted this game, bad," Hamels said. "To go out there and not be calm and collected - that's something I struggled with the whole game. I was all over the place."

Recently, he has not been the pitcher who once led the league in wins. He was bitten by a rain delay in his last outing but, nevertheless, he is 0-2 with a 6.23 earned run average after a 9-2, 3.47 start.

The game could have been worse for the Phillies if not for rookie Michael Bourn, who started both games in rightfield in place of Shane Victorino.

Bourn led off the fourth with a single off likely All-Star John Maine, who allowed two runs over eight innings, moved to 9-4 and lowed his ERA to 2.74, fourth in the league.

Bourn then stole second base, took third on an errant throw from Paul Lo Duca and scored on Chase Utley's sacrifice fly. Bourn singled and scored in Game 1 as well.

His defense was even better.

Bourn robbed Maine with a twisting rundown and leap of a lofted liner in the fourth.

That only whetted the appetite for his spectacular snag of what would have been a two-run double in the sixth by Beltran. That liner was pulled hard toward the corner. Bourn outran it and extended on his last stride to end the inning and save reliever Geoff Geary more trouble.

"I don't have to say anything about him," Manuel said, unable to articulate Bourn's value to the team.

That said, Victorino, struggling offensively lately, has not lost his job.

"I'm still in love with Victorino," Manuel said.

He professed no such affection for Geary.

Geary gave up a two-run homer to Damion Easley in the seventh that made it 5-1 and less of an interesting evening for the 45,165.

They didn't see much sharp pitching from the home side.

But at least they got fireworks. *