As baseball season began, the Philadelphia Phillies were being eyed as a contender in the National League East. In fact, outspoken shortstop Jimmy Rollins said the Phillies were the team to beat.

But the Phillies have stumbled out of the gate to a 3-9 start -- trailing the Washington Nationals in the NL East. And the losing may already be taking its toll.

After the Phillies were drubbed 8-1 by the New York Mets on Tuesday night, manager Charlie Manuel blew his top in his office, letting loose with a profane tirade and challenging WIP-AM talk show host Howard Eskina longtime critic of Manuel, to a fight. Later, in the team clubhouse, he had to be restrained from going after Eskin by two Phillies coaches.

In an interview, Eskin acknowledged he doesn't think Manuel is a good manager, but says his opinion is based on Manuel's game management and isn't personal.
"His problem shouldn't be with me, it should be with the players that are ultimately going to get him fired," Eskin said.

The blow-up started during the postgame news conference when Eskin suggested that Manuel throw a clubhouse tirade to shake up his stumbling team.

"I do at times, but it's a timely thing," Manuel said, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. "We're still hustling. We're still playing hard. We might be trying to do too much. For me to go in there and stand up and throw a fit, I can go in there and tear the whole ... locker room up. I could come here and throw every ... chair in here out. What the hell? I don't see how that's going to do me any good."

"I think they see me angry more than you think they do. I think you probably don't see me angry. I can show you I can get angry, if you want to," Manuel told Eskin. "Why don't you drop by my office? I'll be waiting on you. I'll be waiting on you. I'll walk down there right now."

The exchange between Manuel and Eskin continued in Manuel's office and the Phillies' clubhouse, where Manuel had to be held back by coaches Milt Thompson and Mick Billmeyer.

Eskin said when he got to Manuel's office, the manager was waiting for him with a challenge.

"I don't like what you've been saying about me for three years and I'm gonna drop your ass right there," Eskin quoted Manuel as saying.

Eskin said he told Manuel he should be angry at his players, not him -- and that it's not fun coming to games and seeing the Phillies lose.
"We're going to win!" Manuel replied.

The Phillies were listless on Tuesday night, despite starting pitcher Freddy Garcia making his debut after opening the season on the disabled list. Philadelphia stranded 12 baserunners, the bullpen allowed the Mets five runs in 4 1/3 innings, and in a forgettable scene in the sixth inning, members of the team had to be coaxed off the field after getting the third out.

Leaving so many runners on has been indicative of the Phillies' overall struggles to start the season. Philadelphia has stranded 122 runners, the most by any team through 12 games since the 1970 Tigers stranded 123 in their first 12 games, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. The Phillies are batting .200 with runners in scoring position; according to Elias, the only NL teams with a lower mark are the Nationals (.183) and Pirates (.194).

Meanwhile, the pitching staff is last in the National League with a 5.38 ERA, is allowing a .279 opponents' batting average, and the bullpen is 0-3 with a collective 4.42 ERA. The Phillies' 3-9 start is their worst since 1997, when that team stumbled to a 3-10 record and finished 68-94. It's a continuation of a maddening trend for the Phillies, who haven't posted a winning April record since 2003.

"We're a lot better than that," center fielder Aaron Rowand said, according to the Philadelpihia Daily News. "We're going to win a lot more games than that [1997 team],
I guarantee you."

Chicago Cubs outfielder Alfonso Soriano expects to miss about a week after straining his left hamstring while diving for a ball Monday night against the San Diego Padres.

The Cubs mulled putting the five-time All-Star on the 15-day disabled list, even though an MRI on Tuesday revealed no major structural damage. Instead, they optioned right-handed pitcher Angel Guzman to Triple-A Iowa just before Tuesday's game against the Padres and called up top prospect Felix Pie, who started in center and batted leadoff in his major-league debut.

"I'm upset right now because I like to play everyday," Soriano said Tuesday morning. "I think I want to be there for them in a week."

Pie went 1-for-4 with a run and RBI and threw out a man at the plate in the Cubs' 4-3 loss to the Padres in 14 innings on Tuesday.
After the game, Soriano was more upbeat.

"I talked to the trainer, and ... I said, 'I feel great. I think I'll be ready before two weeks,'" said Soriano, who might hit in the batting cage on Wednesday.

The Cubs were leading San Diego 3-0 in the fifth inning Monday night when Clay Hensley lofted a fly to shallow center. Soriano sprinted in, dived and rolled over as he trapped the ball.

He then got up and slipped while attempting a throw. Trainer Mark O'Neal tended to him, and Soriano walked off under his own power.

A key component in the Cubs' offseason overhaul, Soriano is batting .245 with no homers and one RBI after signing for eight years and $136 million.

Although Soriano said he was feeling "much better," his status was in doubt until the Cubs optioned Guzman. Manager Lou Piniella spent most of the morning in a meeting with general manager Jim Hendry, assistant general manager Randy Bush and the medical staff.

"I want to do a lot of treatment, a lot of ice," Soriano said.
Pie, batting .444 (16-for-36) with a homer and six RBIs in 11 games with Iowa, learned Monday that he was getting called up.

"It's my dream," he said. "I can't explain how I'm feeling right now."
Guzman is 0-0 with a 2.45 ERA in four relief appearances.