The Phillies -- Going Down With Little Phight

What goes around, as they say, comes around.

Nearly a week after the National League East champion Philadelphia Phillies found themselves beneficiaries of the momentous collapse of the New York Mets, the Phillies now find themselves staring baseball death in the face.

This is because the Colorado Rockies, themselves winners of a one-game playoff over the San Diego Padres for the NL's wild card berth, have smoked the Phillies like a smelly blunt in Games 1 and 2 of the Division Series at Philly's Citizens Bank Park. The Philles face a 0-2 deficit as the series shifts this weekend to Denver's Coors Field.

To stave off elimination, the Phillies need to win three games in a row in this best-of-five series to advance to the playoff's next round.

One more loss, and the Phillies are out, leaving baseball purists shuddering over the now-strong possibility that the 2007 National League Championship Series could feature the Rockies against the Arizona Diamondbacks, who lead the Chicago Cubs two games to nothing in the other division series.

Now, I don't need to tell you that the TV executives showing the NLCS would much rather see a Cubs-Phillies series, a compelling matchup of two historically sad-sack franchises that also coincidentally play in the country's Number 2 and Number 5 TV markets, respectively. Few will watch an NLCS involving Arizona and Colorado, two smaller-market 1990s expansion teams with lame nicknames most of the nation cares little about.

At least the Phillies can take heart. They've learned the same lesson as the Mets. Baseball is like life -- it's a game that will humble you fast.