PHILLIES NEWS

Down 2-1 in the NLCS and desperately seeking the win that would even the series again, the Phils turned to Joe Blanton to cook up a good one in game 4. Save for 2 wild pitches in the first inning that lead to an unearned run, he gave the Phils about as much they could have hoped for. He allowed 3 runs on 5 hits in 4 and 2/3rds innings and left the game with the lead thanks to a 4 run Phils 5th, which would have been 5 had Carlos Ruiz only been held at 3rd. He would have gotten through 5 if not for Aubrey Huff's 2 out RBI single, that went just over Blanton's head. Still, Jose Contreras finished the inning without further damage and the Phils just needed their bullpen to hold up to even the series.

Unfortunately because the 39 year old Contreras went 2 innings in game 3, he could not come back out for the 6th inning. Instead Chad Durbin, out of action since September because of the Phils great starting pitching, came in for the 6th and promptly walked the leadoff man before allowing 2 runs on a Pablo Sandoval double to put San Fran back ahead 5-4. Somehow Durbin avoided further damage and sent the game into the 7th at 5-4. Ryan Madson pitched into and out of trouble to keep it at 5-4 heading into 8th. There back to back doubles by Ryan Howard, and Jayson Werth tied the score at 5. However, Jimmy Rollins, Ben Francisco, and Carlos Ruiz all failed to get Werth and proved to be the Phils undoing.

Madson got through the 8th as well, thanks to Carlos Ruiz gunning down Andres Torres at 2nd. The Phils didn't score in the top of the 9th so Brad Lidge could not come in to close it out in the bottom of the inning. If they had only been able to score Werth in the 8th, Lidge likely would closed the door on San Fran in the 9th and evened the series at 2. Instead the desperate Phils were forced to go to Roy Oswalt to keep the game tied and he could not, as Juan Uribe slapped a 1 out game winning sac fly as the Phils dropped a heartbreaker 6-5 and fell behind 3 games to 1 in the series. It isn't over yet though as the Phils have their big 3, Halladay, Oswalt, and Hamels lined up for the final 3 games and are certainly capable of winning out if they can all toss a gem.