Take Andrew Haines, 25, of Pitman, N.J., who still can’t shake the image of Phillies closer Mitch Williams allowing the World Series-ending homer to Carter.

“It’s hard to be a Phillies fan,” said Haines, wearing a Phillies cap. “They’re the butt of a lot of baseball jokes, and having 10,000 losses isn’t helping any.”

The Phillies blew their chance to push back No. 10,000 until their seven-game West Coast road trip when even the die-hards would have trouble staying awake to watch it.

Pujols hit a two-run shot in the fifth off Adam Eaton (8-6) that was followed by Chris Duncan’s 17th of the year for a 6-0 lead. Pujols, Juan Encarnacion and Adam Kennedy each homered in the seventh. Ryan Ludwick added a solo shot in the eighth to make it 10-0.

Philadelphia broke up the shutout in the ninth when Michael Bourn hit his first major league homer and Chase Utley added an RBI double.

“When you have 125 years of existence as an organization, I think you should be the first team to get to a great milestone like that,” Eaton said.

Every true fan knows of the infamous 1964 collapse when the Phillies held a 6½-game lead with 12 to play, only to blow the NL title by losing 10 straight. The Cardinals won the pennant by one game.

St. Louis manager Tony La Russa said he had the ball from the final out and would auction if off, with the money going toward his animal rescue foundation.

“That ball is history,” he said. “It’s nothing to be ashamed about.”

Never known as lovable losers, cursed, or even affectionately as bums, the Phillies had a big head start in earning this pitiable total: They played their first game on May 1, 1883, against the Providence Grays. Of course, the Quakers lost 4-3 to Old Hoss Radbourn and started 0-8. They went on to lose 81 of 98 games in their inaugural season.

“I’ve been involved in over 2,900 of them, but I’ve also seen a lot of wins during that time,” longtime Phillies broadcaster Harry Kalas said.

Notes: Philadelphia activated RHP Tom Gordon from the 60-day disabled list and optioned RHP Brian Sanches to Triple-A Ottawa. ... All four of Pujols’ two-homer games this year have come on a Sunday.

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