Oh, the W's are nice, and they certainly can help Moyer reach his ultimate goal. But the veteran pitcher still sees them as a personal statistic, and what matters to him most at this stage of his career are team statistics.

So, as long as the Phillies win, Moyer is OK if he never gets that W next to his name. Just keep the boys in the game, give them a chance to win, and hopefully they will.

That's what it's all about for Jamie Moyer: giving the team a chance to win. Do it enough times and maybe you make the postseason. And that's what keeps him pitching a month shy of his 46th birthday: the dream of putting a World Series ring on his finger.

In his two full seasons with the Phillies, Moyer has won 30 games and twice eclipsed 195 innings. There's real value in those numbers. That's why whoever succeeds Pat Gillick as general manager this off-season must make re-signing Moyer one of the top items on his to-do list. Bringing back Moyer is an easy decision.

And now for the difficult decision:

Do the Phillies give Moyer the ball again in this National League Championship Series if his turn comes around one more time?

Moyer, the Phils leader in wins this season, has been knocked around twice in this postseason. He lasted only four innings in Game 3 of the division series at Milwaukee last weekend. Then last night, well rested and once again holding a two-games-to-none lead in his hand, Moyer was beaten up by the Los Angeles Dodgers, who are suddenly feeling pretty good about themselves after winning 7-2, with ace Derek Lowe ready to take the ball in Game 4 tonight.

Joe Blanton, his confidence boosted by his clinching win over the Brewers in the division series, will get the ball for the Phillies.

Now, we know we're getting way ahead of ourselves here - and everyone in Phillieland is still hoping the team can wrap this baby up out in L.A. in five games - but if it goes seven, who gets the ball on that final night of the National League season?

Moyer and Blanton would be the two candidates, because Cole Hamels and Brett Myers would not have enough rest to go.

Do the Phils go back to a struggling Moyer? Or is Blanton auditioning tonight for the Game 7 start that no one hopes will be necessary?

"I don't know about that,'' manager Charlie Manuel said when asked about his Game 7 starter. "We just have to wait.''

Manuel did acknowledge that the Dodgers "got some really good swings'' against Moyer, and you have to wonder if he'd risk seeing that again.

The hunch here is that Big Joe, with a good one tonight, might just be the Game 7 guy if it comes to that.

Moyer, though, remains confident he can do the job if his team needs him.

"Of course I'd like to have the opportunity,'' he said. "Who wouldn't?''

So what's up with Moyer? It looks simple. He's just not locating his pitches with his usual precision. When your fastball tops out at about 84 m.p.h. (with a good night's sleep and plenty of carbs for lunch), you had better keep your pitches on the black of the plate or on a hitter's fists.

Moyer made a couple of good pitches as the Dodgers were sending nine men to the plate in the first inning. He struck out Nomar Garciaparra with a pitch on the outside corner, then tied up Matt Kemp inside.

But Moyer made mistakes over the plate to Manny Ramirez (RBI single) and Blake DeWitt (three-run triple).

"Probably the killer was the pitch to DeWitt,'' Moyer said afterward.

If that wasn't the killer, then the first pitch of the bottom of the second was. It hung temptingly over the middle of the plate, and Rafael Furcal launched it for a solo homer. Moyer stayed for just one more hitter, then made the long walk back to the dugout. He lasted just 11/3 innings and gave up six runs.

"I've pitched too many innings and too many years to let one game rattle me or define my career,'' Moyer said.

Unbowed, he looks forward to redeeming himself in this postseason.

But will he get the chance?

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