PHILLIES NEWS

Never underestimate the heart of a champion. If there were still any doubts that the Phils had that kind of heart they were erased on this night in a game that may go down as the greatest in NLDS histroy. So wild and crazy, was this one that the superb performance of CLiff Lee, allowing just 1 run on 5 hits through 7 innings, before running out of gas in the 8th,went for naught. So too did dramatic solo homers by "the Flyin Hawaiian", Shane Victorino in the 1st, and Jayson Werth in the 6th inning, which had given the Phils a seeming safe 2-1 lead through 7. That was before an 8th inning Rockies rally that seemed destined to force this series to a decisive game 5 back in Philly. Lee gave way after 7 and 1/3rd innings and rare error by Jimmy Rollins that put 2 on with 1 out, in favor of Ryan Madson. Fortunately, Ben Francisco was also inserted into the game as a defensive replacement for Raul Ibanez, as he promptly made a spectacular diving catch just seconds later to rob Troy Tulowitzki of an RBI single. At that point it looked like Madson would hold the lead and get out of the inning , but he could not, and a pinch RBI single by Jason Giambi and a 2 run double by Yorvit Torrealba later, Coors Field was rocking with Colorado ahead 4-2 and 3 outs from a game 5. The word quit is a foreign word though to these Phillies, and so even with the odds against them, as a revved up Houston Street took the mound for the 9th, they did not. Street had blown just 2 saves all year long, but somehow the Phils, particularly Ryan Howard who quietly told his teammates before the inning began, "Just get me to the plate", knew this would be number 3. Thus in a scene reminiscent of a Rocky movie they got off the canvas 1 last time. Jimmy Rollins got it started with a 1 out single, but Victorino grounded into a fielder's choice, with JRoll out at 2nd, and suddenly the Phils were down to their final out and Howard was a still a batter away. Chase Utley stayed calm though and after long at bat, he worked a walk to get Howard to the plate. A couple pitches later, Street gave Howard a gift, laying a fastball right into his wheel house, which the big man, or the "big piece" as Charlie Manuel calls him, deposited it deep to right field for a game tying 2 run double. Next Werth fought off a tough Street breaking ball, to loop an RBI single to center and against all hope the Phils were ahead again 5-4. Now who would close it out in the 9th? Shockingly lefty specialist Scott Eyre, who had crumbled in a heap in front of the mound less than 24 hours earlier after rolling his ankle, was the man who got the call against the Rockie's lefties. Eyre managed to get the 1st 2 outs, but after Todd Helton slapped a single up the middle to put 2 on with 2 out for Tulowitzki, in came Brad Lidge to close the door again. He got the count to 2-2 on Tulowitzki, then tossed a vintage knee buckling slider that Tulo couldn't hold up on, to close out the 5-4 win and the 3-1 series win. This was simply put the performance of the season by a team for the ages and I don't know what else to say about it other than, L.A here we come.