First things first - the Charlie Manuel and Co. can stil put this series away Sunday.

It's not ideal, but it's necessary following Saturday's slugfest. Kidding... the Phils couldn't enter a slugfest if they tried right now.

The power-happy Phillies have one home run in this series, and it's from the smallest guy in the dugout, Shane Victorino. As Jimmy Rollins said before the series started, everything anybody did in the regular season doesn't matter anymore.

So when CC Sabathia hits the free agent market and Ryan Howard enters another arbitration hearing, their powerful second halves are all well and good... but if they want to get paid like Derek Jeter or Johan Santana, they can't hurt their cases by delivering in October.

Howard had two hits tonight, so perhaps he shouldn't be to blame - although it should be fair to mention that Ryan's power surge may be over. He only went more than three games without a home run once in September.

He hasn't homered in a week (four games).

Pat Burrell, who like CC, will be looking to cash in on the free agent market in another month, is still looking for his first hit of the series. He's 0-for-8, and going back to last year's three-game series against Colorado, he's 2-for-19 with one RBI.

Joe Blanton takes the hill tomorrow, and no matter what the Phils get from the right-hander, they'll need to support him with some runs - something they've failed to do for their first three starters of the series.

In Game 1, they lucked out when Mike Cameron took a bad step on Utley's eventual two-run double (Utley, like Burrell and Howard, is due for some run production). In Game 2, four of their five runs came on one hit (Victorino's grand slam).

In Game 3, lots of opportunities, not much to show for them. In the ninth inning alone the Phils opened the frame with three straight singles... but scored one run.

"We've got to hit... we're supposed to hit and when we don't, yeah, I'm concerned," skipper Charlie Manuel said. "You don't have time to go into slumps or play bad (in the playoffs)... In order for us to get to the World Series, we've got to hit."

The Phillies have to hit if they still hope to reach the NLCS, too.