Recap: Los Angeles vs. Philadelphia
Sports Network | October 15, 2008
Los Angeles, CA (Sports Network) - It took 15 years, but the Phillies are back in the World Series and are now poised to break Philadelphia's 25-year major sports championship drought.
Jimmy Rollins led off the game with a homer and Cole Hamels was in complete control on the mound, as the Phillies shut down the Dodgers, 5-1, finishing off Los Angeles in five games in the National League Championship Series.
The Phillies took advantage of three errors from shortstop Rafael Furcal in the fifth inning, including two on one play, to clinch their first NL pennant since 1993, the year they lost to Toronto in the Fall Classic.
Brad Lidge gave up a single to James Loney to start the bottom of the ninth, but Casey Blake flied out to center, and then Matt Kemp hit a ball to the wall that was caught by Shane Victorino in center. Catcher Carlos Ruiz then caught Nomar Garciaparra's foul pop on the third base side, and the Phillies mobbed the field in celebration.
Philadelphia made a dramatic comeback to win, 7-5, in Game 4 behind two-run homers in the eighth inning from Victorino and Matt Stairs. Two nights later, Hamels (3-0) frustrated the Los Angeles bats, except for Manny Ramriez's homer in the sixth, a post-season record 28th of his career. The lefty, making his first-ever playoff road start, allowed five hits, with three walks and had five strikeouts over seven innings.
Ryan Howard, who came into the game hitting .185 in the 2008 postseason, had three hits, an RBI and scored once for the Phillies, who captured their sixth NL pennant.
There hasn't been a title in the four major sports (NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA) in the City of Brotherly Love since 1983 when the 76ers beat the Los Angeles Lakers for the championship.
The Tampa Bay Rays or Boston Red Sox stand in the way of the Phillies accomplishing that goal. The surprising Rays hold a 3-1 lead in the AL Championship Series, with Game 5 set for Thursday night in Boston. The winner of that best-of-seven series will have home-field advantage for the World Series, which starts next Wednesday.
Dodgers manager Joe Torre yanked Chad Billingsley (1-2) with two outs in the third inning and the bases loaded after the righty gave up four hits, four walks and three runs.
It also may have been the end of Ramirez's time with the Dodgers. The 2004 World Series MVP, who was acquired at the trade deadline from Boston, is due to be a free agent this winter.
