PHILLIES NEWS

The Phils are off today as they travel to Atlanta to start a series with the Braves. Thus, it's time for the 3rd installment of our top 25 most dramatic phils victories, No.s 15-11.

15. October 19, 1980 World Series game 5 the dynamic Trillo Phillies 4 - Royals 3.
After 97 years of futility the 1st world title in franchise history is finally within reach. However, after winning the first 2 games of the world series at the vet, they've lost the last two on the road in Kansas City. Now after beating up on Marty Bystrom for 3 runs on 10 hits, the Royals are leading again 3-2 through 6 innings at old Kauffman stadium. While the Phils show no signs that they have another comeback left in them, Tug Mcgraw keeps them in the game, with scoreless frames in the 7th and 8th innings. Finally it's the top of 9th and the Phils are 3 outs from watching another title bid all but slip away. Fortunately, the indomitable will to win that got them here, finally kicks in as the Phils mount a rally against ultra tough Royal's closer Dan Quisenberry. Mike Schmidt who knocked in the Phils only runs to this point with a 2 run homer, leads off with a single. Del Unser then doubles down the line in right to score Schmidt with the tying run. Keith Moreland bunts Unser over to 3rd, to set up Gary Maddox "the secretary of defense", to knock in the go ahead run but he grounds out to 3rd, leaving Unser stranded with 2 outs. So its up to Manny Trillo, the NLCS MVP, to come through one more time. After falling behind in the count 0-2 he laces a single back up the middle, Unser walks home, and the Phils lead 4-3. Mcgraw finishes off a remarkable 3 inning effort with a scoreless 9th, but as usuall isn't easy as he loads the bases with the 2 outs before striking out Jose Cardenal to end it and just like that the Phils are one win away from their first world title.

14. October 6, 1993 NLCS game 1 Kim Dandy Phillies 4 - Braves 3
In the playoffs for the first time in 10 years, the Phils are pitted against the heavily favored Atlanta Braves, then the 2 time defending national league champs. It's the Phils though that look like the stronger team in this one. Curt Schilling is brilliant in his first postseason start striking out the first 5 batters he faces, as he allows just 2 runs on 7 hits while striking out 10 in 8 innings. Moreover, Pete Incaviglia's 4th inning homer and Steve Avery's wild pitch in 6th have the Phils ahead 3-2 heading into the 9th inning. Then Jim Fregosi decides to bring Kim Batiste into the game as a defensive replacement for Dave Hollins, oops. After Mitch Williams walks Bill Pecota to start the inning, Mark Lemke hits a sharp ground ball right at Batiste which should be an easy double play, except Batiste throws it into left field, allowing Pecota to go 3rd and then score a couple batters later on a fielder's choice. Fortunately for Batiste, Williams strikes out Ron Gant to end the inning with the game still tied. After the Phils fail to score in the bottom of the inning. Williams finds his away out of another jam in the top of the 10th. Almost right off the bat in the bottom of the inning, after John Kruk doubles off the wall in right Batiste gets a chance to redeem himself. He does, sending Greg Mcmicheal's 1-2 offering down the left field line for a game winning double. From goat to hero in a manner of minutes, Batiste is held aloft and carried off the field by his teammates.

13. September 23, 2008 NL East clincher - the double play. Phillies 4 - Nationals 3
Back on September 10 the Phils again found themselves behind the NY Mets in the standings, this time by 3.5 games. Once again NY choked away their lead and by this day the Phils lead the NL East by a game with 2 to play and with NY having lost again earlier in the day, they have their first opportunity to clinch their 2nd consecutive NL East title. They won't need another one. Just as he was a year earlier Jamie Moyer is called on to start and he does not disappoint going 6 strong innings while allowing just 1 run on 6 hits. Meanwhile, a 5th inning homer by Jayson Werth and a clutch 2 out RBI double by Pedro Feliz in the 8th inning pace the Phils to a 4-2 lead heading into the 9th. Brad Lidge comes in for the save looking to close out a perfect regular season. He strikes out Emilio Bonifacio to start the inning and then things get a little wild. Roger Bernardina singles, Ryan Langerhans walks and Anderson Hernandez singles to score Bernardina and cut the lead to 4-3. Then Cristian Guzman singles and suddenly the tying run is on 3rd and the go ahead run is on 2nd, with the Nationals most, er only feared hitter, Ryan Zimmerman coming to the plate. Zimmerman slaps a ground ball towards the hole, which looks like it might get through and put Washington ahead, but Jimmy Rollins makes a spectacular play to get to the ball and flip it to Chase Utley for one out and Utley relays perfectly to Ryan Howard at first for the second and final out and its on to the playoffs for the 2nd year in a row.

12. October 4, 1980 NL East Clincher - Schmidt bombs Expos Phillies 6 - Expos 4.
Neck and neck with Montreal all September the Phils had finally pulled a game ahead after a win the day before in the first game of this series and now they can put the Expos away for good with a win here. Larry Christenson tosses 6 solid innings, allowing just 2 runs on 6 hits but the Phils can manage just one run in those 6 innings on an RBI single by Pete Rose and still trail 2-1 late in the game. That is until "the Bull" Greg Luzinski slaps a 2 run double in the 7th inning for a 3-2 lead. Unfortunately Sparky Lyle can't hold the lead in the bottom of the inning and the Phils are behind again 4-3 until a clutch 2 out single by Bob Boone ties it at 4 in the 9th inning. Tug Mcgraw keeps Montreal off the board in the bottom of the inning and in the 10th after the Phils fail to score he keeps the game alive again. Finally in the top of the 11th with one on and one out Montreal manager Dick Williams makes the stupid decision to pitch to Mike Schmidt, when he can easily walk him. Micheal Jack makes him pay, crushing a 2 run homer to put the Phils up for good 6-4. Mcgraw quickly ends Montreal's playoff hopes with a 1-2-3 11th to complete an impressive 3 inning effort and for the Phils its on to the playoffs for the 4th time in 5 years.

11. April 24, 2009 Miami Miracle II Phillies 7 - Marlins 3.
Coming into this matchup the Phils are just in 3rd place in the NL East after a rough start to their season. The Fish however, have been on a tear and are in first place coming into this the first of a 3 game series. The two teams trade places after this night. For most of the night it looks the roll will continue for the Marlins. Dan Uggla crushes a 3 run homer off Brett Myers in the first inning and Josh Johnson throws 7 scoreless innings, allowing just 3 hits while striking out 8 as the Phils lineup shows no signs of life. The Phils stay in it though, just down 3-0 as Myers settles down and goes through 6 scoreless innings of his own. After Clay Condrey pitches a scoreless 8th inning the Phils are still only down 3-0 heading into 9th. There the Phils finally come to life. After Ryan Howard grounds out to start the inning, Jayson Werth doubles, Raul Ibanez works a walk, Matt Stairs singles to score Werth and cut the lead to 3-1 and finally Lou Marson walks to load the bases with one out for Eric Bruntlett. After all that Marlins' closer Matt Lidstrom seems to settle down and strikes out Bruntlett. So it looks like he' s going to get out of the jam and the Phils will come up short. Instead Jimmy Rollins works a walk to force in a run and cut it to 3-2. Next up the "Flyin Hawaiian" Shane Victorino. A few pitches later, Victorino does the unthinkable sending his first career grand slam into the seats in right and stunningly the Phils are ahead 6-3. Chase Utley then follows with a solo homer to cap off an incredible 7 run 9th inning and send a reeling Lindstrom to the showers. Final tallies, 7 runs, 5 hits, and yes yet another shellshocked Marlins' team. In fact the win propels the Phils to a series sweep and knocks Florida into a tailspin which sees them drop out of first and eventually down to 3rd. Meanwhile, the Phils finally string together some wins and climb up to first just a week and a half later.

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