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Wednesday, July 15, 2009

PHILLIES NEWS

The rumors have been swirling for weeks now that the Phils were going to acquire pitcher Pedro Martinez, who's been a free agent since the Mets dumped him following a rough season last year. Today they made it official signing him to a one year deal worth 1 million. So far he's looked mutch better in workouts with the Phillies than he did last season, with his fastball back up into the 90s, allbeit the low 90s, and his physical health relatively good for the first time in a while. Since he hasn't started a game since last season the Phils have placed him on the DL and at least for now he'll throw some rehab starts with AAA Lehigh and should be ready to pitch for the Phils by early August or late July. Either way he is a low risk investment. If he doesn't pan out the Phils can simply release him with no harm to the cap. On the other hand if he does pan out he could become their number 3 starter and a capable leader down the stretch. Plus just think how great it would be if Pedro comes back an Ace and throws it in the Mets faces that they gave up on him too soon. So the Phils have nothing to lose by signing him. Okay all that said, since the Phils are off tonight it's time for the next 5 of our top 25 most dramatic Phils wins, No.s 10-6.

10. September 23, 2005 Red Alert Phillies 11 - Reds 10.
This is the last of those 2005 miracle games, just 1 of 16 wins during a 16-7 stretch run by the Phils that comes up just short. On the this night the Phils are looking for their 3rd win in a row to pull within a game of the wildcard leading Houston Astros. Early on it appears all will go as planned. Doubles by Chase Utley, Kenny Lofton, and "the Bat" Pat Burrell in the top of the 1st, gives the Phils an early 3-0 cushion. Later in the 5th Utley adds a solo homer followed by a 2 run blast by Ryan Howard for a 6-1 advantage. Then the always volatile Vicente Padilla loses the strike zone and nearly the lead in the bottom of the 5th, as Cincinnati cuts the lead to 6-5. Over the next 2 innings the Reds bash 4 homers, 3 solo shots and a 2 run homer by Jason Larue to run out to a 10-6 lead and the suddenly its gone from the night the Phils got back in the race to perhaps the night they fell out of it. Still the Phils aren't ready to quit yet as Rheal Cormier gets out of a jam in the 8th inning to keep it to 10-6 heading into 9th. So there's a fleeting chance the Phils can still pull this thing out and sometimes that's all you need. With 2 on and nobody out Utley jacks a 3 run homer, his 3rd hit and 3rd, 4th and 5th RBIs on the night, to cut it to 10-9. After Bobby Abreu and Burrell both strike out its up to Ryan Howard to keep the game alive and he does with a walk. Next up David Bell. Not exactly the quintessential power hitter, and so far a disappointment in 3 years as the Phils 3rd baseman, Bell is the last guy you'd expect to deliver here. Thus logically, he slugs a 2 run homer to put the Phils up 11-10 and Billy Wagner finishes off the stunned Reds in the bottom of the inning.

9. June 16, 1998 Comeback Kids Phillies 8- Pirates 7.
The 1998 Phillies were an exciting young bunch to watch which probably should have gone further than they did. Unfortunately, then idiot GM Ed Wade simply refused to give his team the pieces they needed to make a playoff push. Nevertheless the team was not without some shining moments, particularly this night. For the most part this game looked like it would be a forgettable blowout win for Pittsburgh. Thanks to 3 run homers by Al Martin in the 2nd inning and Aramis Ramirez in the 5th inning Pittsburgh takes a 7-1 lead into the 9th inning. There is no reason to believe the young Phils can mount a comeback. Young players aren't supposed to have the resolve to still believe they can win from 6 runs down in the 9th inning. The young guys however, show surprising fight and poise on this night. First Bobby Abreu triples to cut it to 7-2. Then an error allows 2 more runs to score and cuts it to 7-4. Next Doug Glanville slaps a sac fly to cut it to 7-5. Then Kevin Sefcik nearly hits into a game ending double play, but Tony Womack can't get off a throw to first for the final out. Kevin Jordan follows with a walk to bring Mike Lieberthal, pinch hitting on what is supposed to be his night off, to the plate representing the winning run. Minutes later Lieberthal sends Rich Loiselle's 2-2 offering just over the fence in left-field for a shocking 8-7 victory. To this day 11 years later it remains the greatest 9th inning comeback in Phils history.

8. May 15, 1989 I Can't Believe It Phillies 3 - Giants 2.
This was a truly unique game in a season that was unique for the Phils for all the wrong reasons. Mike Schmidt retired early in the season, and the Phils never recovered posting just 67 wins against 95 losses. Schmidt actually started in this game but went 0 for 5 and then played just 7 more games before announcing his retirement. If nothing else he'll always have this night to take away from his final days in the majors. How crazy was this game? Both starting pitchers, Don Carman for the Phils, and Scott Garrelts for San Francisco, tossed 9 scoreless innings and neither got the win. There was still no score as the game dragged into the 10th, 11th and finally the 12th inning. There in the top of the 12th, "the Thrill" Will Clark and Kevin Mitchell slugged back to back homers and at last the Giants seemed to have secured a 2-0 win. Not so fast. Accordingly Von Hayes led off the bottom of the 12th with a strikeout, but Dickie Thon and Steve Lake collected back to back singles to bring the tying run to the plate with only one out. Steve Jeltz got the first crack at perhaps extending the Phils night but he popped up weakly for out number 2. So it was up to Bob Dernier to hopefully keep the game alive. After all with 0 homeruns on the season there was no way he could possibly win it was there? After Dernier worked the count to 1-1 the impossible happened. Take it away Harry. "Here's the 1-1 pitch to Dernier, line drive base hit left field, going all the way back to the corner, it bounces through Mitchell! Thon scores! Lake scores! And here comes Dernier! The throw to the plate is not in time! I can't believe it!

7. October 11, 1980 NLCS Game 4 Charlie Hustlin' Phillies 5 - Astros 3
In the playoffs for the 4th time in 5 years the Phils are still looking to win their first playoff series in their pathetic 98 year history. Coming in they've lost 3 straight NLCS but this time its going to be different. No this time it has to be different because Phils fans just can't withstand more heartbreak. Steve Carlton rolls to victory in game 1 but the Phils drop the next 2 in extra innings. So on this night they have to win to keep their season alive . Fortunately, Carlton is back on the mound again and surely if anyone cany deny Houston the pennant at least for one night it's Lefty. However, Carlton is touched up for 2 runs on 4 hits in just 5 innings. Meanwhile Vern Ruhle throws 7 scoreless innings and comes out for the 8th with a 2-0 lead. So the dream looks dead again for the Phils but they're not ready to give up. Greg Gross leads off the top of the 8th with a pinch single. Then Lonnie Smith singles and "Charlie Hustle", Pete Rose singles to score Gross. Next Mike Schmidt singles to score Smith, tying the game at 2. Bake Mcbride then strikes out so its up to Manny Trillo to get the Phils the lead. He cracks a flyball to right field but it's caught for out number 2 and Schmidt is caught well off first for an easy double play. Somehow Rose is still able to streak home with the go ahead run just ahead of the final out and the Phils have their 3-2 lead. As usual Houston does not go away in the 9th as Terry Puhl slaps an RBI single off Warren Brusstar to force extra innings again. The Phils come right back in the top of the 10th. Pete Rose slaps another single and "the Bull" Greg Luzinski hits a 2 out double, but Rose, trying to score from 1st looks like he'll be out by a mile. Of course he's not going to slide. Instead he runs headlong into catcher Bruce Bochy and Bochy drops the ball as Rose crosses the plate safely. Trillo follows with another double to score Luzinski and the Phils have a 5-3 lead heading into the bottom of the 10th. There Tug Mcgraw has a rare 1-2-3 inning to put away Houston and the dream lives on for another day.

6. August 30, 2007 Met Misery Phillies 11 - Mets 10.
They haven't been to the playoffs in 15 years and just 3 days ago there were no signs this 2007 team would be able to end the drought. Now however, after winning the first 3 games of this 4 game series with the Mets they've pulled within 2 games of first in the NL East. If they can win tonight and finish the 4 game sweep they'll pull within 1 game. Early on it looks like they'll do so easily with 3 homers in the first 3 innings(2 run shots by Ryan Howard, and "the Bat", Pat Burrell, and a solo shot by Aaron Rowand) giving them a 5-0 cushion. Kyle Lohse can't get through the 4 inning though, as NY cuts the lead to 5-3 and then ties it with 2 out in the 5th on a sac fly by Shawn Green. The Phils come right back in the bottom of the inning with 3 straight RBI singles by Carlos Ruiz, "the Flyin Hawaiian", Shane Victorino, and Jimmy Rollins to push ahead 8-5. The lead stands up until the Phils bullpen implodes in the 8th inning ,allowing 5 runs for a 10-8 Met lead. Billy Wagner who was the Phils closer just 2 years ago, before leaving for NY and saying the Phils didn't have it what takes to be a playoff team, oops. His words come back to haunt him on this night. First "the Met killer", Burrell slams a solo homer with one out in the 8th to cut the lead to 10-9. Then in the 9th Jayson Werth leads off with a single, steals 2nd and 3rd and scores on a single by Tad Iguchi. Now Iguchi steals 2nd prompting Wagner to intentionally walk JRoll. So it's up to Chase Utley to get the winning hit. After a long at bat Utley sends Wagner's 3-2 offering up the line in right field and Iguchi scampers home with the winning run just ahead of Green's throw from right, setting off a wild celebration. Initially the stunned Mets seem unfazed as they run back up to a 7 game lead by Sep 12, but then the Phils go into New York and sweep them again and it's all down hill from there. By Sept 28 the Phils are in 1st and 2 days later in the final game of the season Jamie Moyer completes "the miracle on broad street" allowing just 1 run in 5 strong innings to lead the Phils to a 6-1 division clinching win over the Nationals.

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