TUESDAY ROUNDUP: Who Goes First? Hamels? Or Lee? Roger Clemens Crying? Russell Westbrook OK With Benching?

AUDIO (CSN Philly): While Jim Salisbury (link below) might be mulling aloud the Phils options come Sellersville, Cole Hamels is holding out that this thing will turn itself around. (Psychosis? Side effect of parading around in super tight red pants at teammate's fashion show?)

AUDIO: What says the man who's just clinched freedom? (Roger Clemens was found not guilty on six counts of federal perjury, really, more than anything else, because jurors hearing cases involving 'roids and sports stars -- Bonds, Armstrong and, now, Clemens -- don't seem to see any injustice there.) Well, at first, nothing. (Gets some help from his PR guy here, trying to stir some faux emotion.) Then, says "it's time to be -- UNDERSTATEMENT ALERT!!! -- thankful."

AUDIO: Jonathan Vilma continues his crusade against Roger Goodell, who Vilma says crusaded against his good and honest (and innocent) reputation. Not fair, Vilma says. Not fair. Meanwhile, Scott Fujita didn't quite go Latrell Sprewell in his indictment of Goodell. But he came close.

AUDIO (Dan Patrick Show): Given the copious amount of time on Mike Brown's hands (...), he must've figured he'd reminisce about better, sweeter times.The LeBron Times. Said, in advent of tonight's Game 4 that LeBron is a hybrid of sorts. Went there, the (not so) great LBJ-KD debate, giving Durant the edge as a shooter, but saying Durant couldn't touch LeBron as a passer.

AUDIO: Why LeBron James is saying he's not trying to get anyone in foul trouble when asked, I don't know. (Thought that was sorta kinda what you're going for.) Why he says his teammates look to him when bidness needs be handled, well...

AUDIO: Russell Westbrook, seeming notoriously competitive hothead, said he was totally cool with the whole "Scott Brooks Benching" thing in Game 3. Said he didn't argue, just kind of hung out and waited to be called on. (Even if that meant it was too late.)

AUDIO: Whether you were a contingent of Eagles fans who hoped he might land in Philly (you know who you are...) or just loved you some football, LaDanian Tomlinson's retirement announcement was bittersweet. LT says he feels like he's graduating. (Will be, in five years.) Not sure why he had to field this question -- since when do running backs pull Brett Favres? -- but Tomlinson insisted he's done. For realsies.

SCRIPTUALS (CSN Philly): As allluded to earlier: Jim Salisbury runs through the aisles of potential goodies the Phils might have to offer another MLB club. (Warning: Half the list includes Jim Thome, Jimmy Rollins and Joe Blanton -- none of whom the Phils could ~~pay for someone else to take~~ go all Ed Wade if they wanted to.)

SCRIPTUALS (Philly.com): To which Matt Gelb writes: "Don't know if we're there yet." Yet. Yet. Yet.

SCRIPTUALS (CSN Philly): Now, for your ceremonious Chase Utley update. (Played 6 innings. IN THE FIELD!!! Tagged three (would-be) base stealers. Turned a double play. Caught a pop up. Went 1-for-4. One strikeout. One RBI. Didn't need Paul Pierce treatment to get off the field. Getting there. Maybe.)

SCRIPTUALS (Philly.com): Meanwhile, newly-minted Eagles president Don Smolenski gets his first (official) pet project: dumping $60 million in touch-ups into his first (unofficial) pet project, Lincoln Financial Field.

SCRIPTUALS (Patriot-News): It's Pulitzer Prize-winning Jerry Sandusky coverage aside (only for a second), the Jeanette Krebs revisits Penn State's white elephant: that, amid a scandal that seemed to slip through the cracks, maybe 24 campuses might be too much for small-town State College to handle.

SCRIPTUALS (ESPN): Lester Munson lists the gaffes in the prosecution's case against Roger Clemens (Brian Macnamee? admitted liar? your FIRST BLOCKBUSTER WITNESS? you serious?) and how the Clemens camp took advantage.

SCRIPTUALS (FOX Sports): Funny thing, baseball's Hall of Fame voters are probably going to read that. And be able to distinguish between it (a prosecution blunder for the ages, in a perjury -- not steroids, but PERJURY -- case) and finding that the guy really didn't use steroids. (Which, they're still going to think, as Ken Rosenthal writes, Clemens did.)

SCRIPTUALS (Miami Herald): Dan Le Batard furthers the point (artfully): No, no -- really. Dwyane Wade's best save-face move really is to defer to LeBron James.

SCRIPTUALS (Wall Street Journal): Without question the most thorough look ever at last shot-takers in NBA games. (Doesn't change anything about LBJ. Dude doesn't have jump shot. Compromises threat of pulling up when he drives to the basket. Defenses can hang back, and converge. (Sort of how they do on Rajon Rondo.) Plain and simple. Durant, on the other hand, does. Makes him a better last-shot shooter -- not the better player. Stop it. Now.)

SCRIPTUALS (USA Today): In nearly irrelevant sports news: Mike Tyson is coming to Broadway. To do what? I don't know. Or care. Figured you might.

SCRIPTUALS (HOOPSWORLD): Serge Ibaka isn't impressed with LeBron James' defense. (Or at least he wouldn't admit as much about his NBA Finals competition. Relax, people.)

STATISTICALS (AP): The Phils start a 10-game home stand Tuesday against the Rockies, riding a six-game home losing streak. Loss tonight would make it seven, their longest home slide since Aug. 12-19, 2004. ... Philadelphia has won 20-of its last-24 against Colorado, (11-of-13 home). Rockies enter as losers of 10-of their last-11 overall. ... Carlos Gonzalez (14-for-32) .438 in his last seven games, with three HRs and six RBIs. He's 5-for-6 lifetime against Cole Hamels. Hamels is 1-3 with a 5.22 ERA in 5 starts against the Rockies. ... Josh Outman has been in the Rockies rotation for just four starts. He's 0-2 with a 8.44 ERA in them, allowing 5-plus runs in each of his last two.

STATISTICALS: Cliff Lee's no-trade clause (without Lee's stamp) blocks moves to all but nine MLB teams. Cliff Lee's no-trade clause (with Lee's stamp) blocks moves to none. That's how no-trade clauses work.

STATISTICALS: Think everybody's kind of pulling for Cole Hamels to come up big (medium? would be sad if we needed "big" for Colo-Freaking-Rado) against the Rockies tonight. Lucky them, that's been his shtick all season.

Notable Cole Hamels Starts (2012)

Start 2 - April 15 - Mets on precipice of series sweep - PHI: W, 8-2, Hamels: 7.0 IP, 2 ER, 6 H, 10 K, 1 BB

Starts 3, 4 - April 20 - Phillies struggle during west coast road trip (finished 3-5 in games Hamels didnt' pitch) - PHI @ SD: W, 4-1, Hamels: 6.0 IP, 1 ER, 6 H, 4 SO, 1 BB ... PHI @ ARI: W, 7-2, Hamels: 8.0 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 7 K, 1 BB;

Start 5 - May 1 - Season-opener against (then) frontrunning Braves - PHI: W, 4-2, Hamels: 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 6 H, 6 SO, 2 BB

Start 6 - May 6 - Nationals on precipice of series sweep (national ESPN telecast) - PHI: 9-3, Hamels: 8.0 IP, 1 ER, 5 H, 8 SO, 1 BB, 1 awesome plunk of Bryce Harper, 1 similarly awesome admission

Start 8 - May 18 - Phils open series with (then) frontrunning (in name only) Red Sox (only win of series) - PHI: W, 4-2, Hamels: 7.0 IP, 3 ER, 6 H (2 HR), 9 SO, 1 BB

Start 9 - May 23 - Nationals on precipice of series sweep - PHI: W, 4-1, Hamels: 8.0 IP, 4 H, 8 SO, 3 BB

Few to forget recently, though. Blew three, three and six-run leads in his last three.

STATISTICALS (Elias): " With last night's 5-0 win over Baltimore, R.A. Dickey became the only pitcher in modern major-league history (that's since 1900) to throw back-to-back complete games while striking out 10-or-more batters and allowing either one hit or no hits in each game. He had a one-hitter with 12 strikeouts against the Rays last Wednesday and authored a one-hit shutout of the Orioles with 13 strikeouts on Monday night.

Dickey has now won his last six starts, with 63 strikeouts and only two runs allowed over that span. No other major-league pitcher since 1900 went 6-0 with at least 60 strikeouts and two-or-fewer runs allowed over a span of six straight starts.

Wah.

Notable Cole Hamels Starts (2012)

Start 2 - April 15 - Mets on precipice of series sweep - PHI: W, 8-2, Hamels: 7.0 IP, 2 ER, 6 H, 10 K, 1 BB

Start 5 - May 1 - Season-opener against (then) frontrunning Braves - PHI: W, 4-2, Hamels: 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 6 H, 6 SO, 2 BB

Start 8 - May 18 - Phils open series with (then) frontrunning (in name only) Red Sox (only win of series) - PHI: W, 4-2, Hamels: 7.0 IP, 3 ER, 6 H (2 HR), 9 SO, 1 BB

Start 9 - May 23 - Nationals on precipice of series sweep - PHI: W, 4-1, Hamels: 8.0 IP, 4 H, 8 SO, 3 BB

Not too hot of late, though.

TWEETABLES:

The link: Hilarious. Enjoy.

REMEMBER?

1867 - In New York, the Belmont Stakes was run for the first time.

- National Football League approved the merger of the Philadelphia Eagles and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

1986 - University of Maryland basketball star Len Bias died of a cocaine-induced seizure.

PITCHING PROBABLES:

Tuesday (7:05 p.m. EST): LHP Cole Hamels (9-3, 3.34 ERA) vs. LHP Josh Outman (0-2, 8.44 ERA)

Wednesday (7:05 p.m. EST): RHP Joe Blanton (6-6, 4.93 ERA) vs. RHP Alex White (2-5, 5.56 ERA)

Thursday (7:05 p.m. EST): RHP Vance Worley (3-3, 2.80 ERA) vs. LHP Jeff Francis (0-1, 12.46 ERA)

QUOTABLES:

"I don't want to be out of this lineup right now. It would be even worse for the team. Having Tulo out, I just want to keep myself in there and wait for my shortstop to come back and play, and make this team better. We still have a lot of games to play."
-- Carlos Gonzalez, totally un-Dom Brown-like reaction to knee strain
“LeBron is not a good defender. ... He can play defense for two to three minutes but not 48 minutes.”
-- Serge Ibaka, who is mistaken/dillusional/competitive
"Despite remarkable investigative work by the federal agents who initiated the steroids probes nearly 10 years ago, the effort now ends with a whimper. The Clemens prosecution was to be the finale, the crown jewel of a massive effort to eliminate PEDs from the sports industry. Instead, it becomes a chance for Clemens to recapture some of his legacy and another triumph in the remarkable career of attorney Hardin."
-- Lester Munson, on how good things go bad in federal perjury cases
"It wasn’t supposed to get here this fast. The idea for the blueprint was that James and Chris Bosh, still in their prime, would help carry Wade when he got older, later in all their contracts, not in the second year. But Wade’s knee is balking, and he doesn’t have his normal explosion, and so he has looked old this postseason before he is actually old. It is very difficult, aging in this sport, young and aggressive piranha like Durant always hungry to take over the ecosystem. The 30-year-old Wade used to be the 23-year-old Russell Westbrook, all fast-twitch muscle fiber, getting whatever he wanted, but this postseason has been an unholy labor for him, and he has resigned himself to helping where and how he can when he isn’t losing the ball or complaining to the refs on clean strips that used to be fouls."
-- Dan Le Batard, on Dwyane Wade getting old, fast
"If you believe that Roger Clemens used performance-enhancing drugs, I seriously doubt that the “not guilty” verdict on Monday is going to persuade you he was clean. It’s sure not going to persuade me.
"Whether I vote for Clemens for the Hall of Fame, though, is another question entirely. And frankly, I’m not sure that even a conviction would have influenced my thinking, which is conflicted at best."
-- Ken Rosenthal, on Roger Clemens and the Hall of Fame
"I'm very vulnerable and I'm just telling you who I am and where I'm from and how this happened."
-- Mike Tyson, on coming to Broadway