For good or bad, yesterday's flurry of rainouts has set the rotations of the Phillies, Cardinals and Mets back a day.

For the Phillies, it means the opportunity to no rush Cole Hamels (left ankle) back to the mound. He's scheduled to throw a bullpen session before Tuesday's game, and tentatively on tap to start Friday against the Braves in Philly.

It also means Joe Blanton, originally on tap to pitch Sunday, pitches tonight in St. Louis instead. I'm not sure how much stock you put in one start, but arguably Blanton's best game of 2008 took place at Busch Stadium last year.

On August 2, his third start with the Phillies, Blanton held the Cards to four hits and one run in seven sharp innings of a 2-1 win at Busch Stadium. It might be the karma Blanton needs to wake up from a disastrous start to 2009 (0-2, 8.41 ERA, six home runs allowed in four starts).

As for their opponents...

St. Louis was also rain out (in Washington) on Sunday, meaning former Phil Kyle Lohse starts today. Lohse has been as good as Blanton has been bad -- 3-0, 1.97 ERA in five starts.

It doesn't get any easier Tuesday - the Cards send Adam Wainwright (3-0, 2.76 ERA) to the mound.

The rain also means the Phils won't avoid Johan Santana, as originally projected. Santana should probably be 5-0 - the bats and the bullpen have come up short in his starts. He's 3-1 with a filthy 1.10 ERA and 44 strikeouts in 32 2.3 innings.

A quick recap: in the next three nights, the Phils face Lohse, Wainwright and Santana. I guess they should be happy it's their arms - and not their bats - that are slumping.

Otherwise, that threesome could spin the Phils into a quick tailspin...