"The first pitch was slated for 8:35 Friday night, the kind of late start usually reserved for postseason games.

The Phillies were sending Roy Halladay to the mound in the first game of this significant three-game series against Atlanta, making it seem even more like a playoff game besides the later start.

But, rain was the culprit for the unusually late start time.

And the rain forced the umpire crew to order the ground crew to roll out the tarp on the infield once again, further delaying the start.

All the while, Halladay waited.

Is this anyway to treat your ace of aces?

Halladay, of course, doesn't complain. He just pitches every fifth day the ball is handed to him from Charlie Manuel.

Prying the ball out of Halladay's righteous right hand is tough, too. The Doc is truly a postal pitcher -- he will deliver in rain, sleet or snow.

Well, he only had rain to deal with on Friday night when the game finally started at 8:59 despite a steady rain that forced fans to hang out under the overhanging seats at Citizens Bank Park.

But, Doc didn't seem to mind. He was the first one out of the dugout when the starters ran onto the field to Led Zeppelin's "Good Times, Bad Times.""