Go ahead, admit it. This is what you fear every time Kyle Kendrick walks out to the mound.

The Phillies have been incredibly successful when the right-hander takes the hill, even though when you seem him pitch you have to resist the urge to grab a bat and take a few hacks.

“I could hit that stuff,” you say to yourself.

Probably what the Dodgers were telling themselves as Kendrick warmed up last night. They proceeded to bludgeon the Phils’ starter, who had a rare night when he got hit hard and could not wriggle out of jams, as fans have become accustomed to seeing him do this year.

Kendrick got torched for seven runs on nine hits, while also walking three and hitting a batter. He lasted just 3 1/3 innings. When he made his ignominious exit, the Phils were staring at a 7-0 hole. By the way, there was no repeat performance of Brett Myers’ antics from Saturday night when manager Charlie Manuel went to get Kendrick.

This was out of form for the starter. He was 4-2 with a 3.28 ERA the last eight times Manuel penciled him in as starter.

But he didn’t have it last night. Give the Phils credit. They tried valiantly to climb out of the hole Kendrick dug for them. They closed to 8-2 and had the tying run at the plate in the ninth in the form of Ryan Howard, after Chase Utley drove in two runs with a base hit.

But Howard bounced out to end the game. Not the way the Phils wanted to start a tough trip to the West Coast, in Los Angeles and then San Diego.

And now they have to deal with those gnawing worries about Kendrick.

Of course, there’s always the bright side. Both the Mets, who blew another game in the ninth with their nitro bullpen, and the Marlins lost. The Phils remain up by two games in the NL East.