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Monday, October 27, 2008
Ryan Howard lets everybody know: One more to go.

Is this really happening?

This must feel like an out-of-body experience for fans, but the Phillies are one victory away from winning the World Series.

Talk about droughts? Almost gone.

Talk about parades? Could be on.

Bob Ford talks about the Phillies being on the brink of the city's first championship since 1983, and the Phillies' second championship in 126 years. He writes, "they can put an end to the drought nonsense tonight. They can break the curses of Billy Penn, Moses Malone, Von Hayes, Eric Lindros and Terrell Owens all at the same time. These Phillies can finally end the taproom time-waster of a question: Which local team has the best chance of winning the next championship? After last night's romping 10-2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays, the correct answer is definitely Phillies. They've got a real nice shot right now."

Real nice.

Just one more win.

Since 1903, when the World Series debuted, 40 other teams have had three-games-to-one advantages entering Game 5. Thirty-four of them went on to win, 20 in Game 5.

"We have to control our excitement," said Brett Myers, "and do the job we have to do. It's not over yet."

*

Cole Hamels is on the mound. He already is one of just 12 pitchers in baseball history to have four wins in a single postseason: Randy Johnson (5-1) with Arizona in 2001, Francisco Rodriguez (5-1) with Anaheim in 2002, Josh Beckett (4-0) with Boston in 2007, Livan Hernandez (4-0) with Florida in 1997, Orel Hershiser (4-1) with Cleveland in 1995, Burt Hooton (4-1) with Los Angeles in 1981, Jack Morris (4-0) with Minnesota in 1991, Curt Schilling (4-0) with Arizona in 2001, John Smoltz (4-1) with Atlanta in 1996, Dave Stewart (4-0) with Oakland in 1989 and David Wells (4-0) with the New York Yankees in 1998 are the others.

But Hamels could become the first pitcher in history to have five wins in a single postseason with all five of them coming as a starter. Johnson went 5-1 with a 1.52 ERA in six appearances (five starts) for the Diamondbacks in 2001. Rodriguez went 5-1 with a 1.93 ERA in 11 appearances for the Angels in 2002.

*

Phil Sheridan writes about Joe Freakin' Blanton. Who knew?

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Bill Lyon writes about Ryan Howard and Jimmy Rollins turning things on just in time.

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Jim Salisbury goes Inside the Game.

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John Gonzalez talks the Phillies and Cervantes, who I think played shortstop for the Phillies in the '60s. Gonzalez, Sheridan and Ford wonder if Hamels is the next Steve Carlton or next Schilling?

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A "Let's Go Phillies!" chant inside the Linc? I find this all kinds of funny because I've heard Eagles chants in every ballpark in America since I started covering the Phillies in 2003.

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Frank Fitzpatrick offers his take on yesterday's festivities.

*

Ruben Amaro Jr. could be named the next Phillies GM any day now. ... Rays manager Joe Maddon wondered if Blanton had a foreign substances on his hat. No, it's just dirty. ... How good is the Phillies bullpen right now? It is 2-0 with a 1.69 ERA (seven earned runs in 37 1/3 innings) and six saves this postseason. Only the '83 Phillies bullpen had a better ERA in the postseason. It went 0-0 with a 1.21 ERA (three earned runs in 22 1/3 innings) with two saves. ... Carlos Ruiz has come up big in the World Series. In fact, before last night, I was asking somebody if he could be series MVP if he kept it up.

Posted by Todd Zolecki @ 1:20 AM  Permalink | 84 comments
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Comments
Posted by bski 08:04 AM, 10/27/2008
I agree with Bobby. Our pitching has been outstanding. The Rays hit the Red Sox hard and pounded all those home runs in the ALCS. Our pitchers shut them down right from the start and have kept them down the whole series.
Posted by whiplash240 08:14 AM, 10/27/2008
AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! One More WIN!!!!!
Posted by JamesJ 08:19 AM, 10/27/2008
Its so true...in football, defense wins championships and in baseball, pitching wins championships. GO PHILS...Go Eagles "D"
Posted by jeff gross 08:39 AM, 10/27/2008
I get ESPN international and they actually had good things to say about Phila this morning (my time). Between the Iggles, Flyers, Penn St. and Phillies it was one hell of a weekend. makes one proud to be boprn in the city of brotherly love
Posted by Statman 08:56 AM, 10/27/2008
I have to admit, I was one of those who thought the Phils gave up too much to get Blanton, esp. after he was so mediocre in his first two months with the club. But he's come through in the clutch time and again in Sept. and Oct., and for some reason he gets lots of run support. At this point, it's clear the trade was worth it. Howard was much-maligned through the early part of the playoffs and the early part of this series (scary to think how ugly it would have been in Phillies fandom if Howard had had Longoria's series), but last night is why he's worth every penny of the $10 million he's getting. The question is how much more it's going to cost the Phillies to keep him. Kudos to Eyre for getting another key out in the 7th (and Gillick for getting him for essentially nothing). And finally, what a strikeout by Madson on Upton, when the game was still close (I believe Madson got a hold). Down the stretch (Sept.-Oct.), he might have been the best set-up man in baseball.
Posted by KarenA 09:06 AM, 10/27/2008
When Blanton hit that bomb, I thought this is really gonna happen. Blanton was spectacular last night. Our pitching throughout this series has been excellent. How about Moyer pitching after having an all-night stomach virus?? King Cole tonight and the draught just might be over! GO PHILS!
Posted by jeff gross 09:11 AM, 10/27/2008
To all of you with tickets to tonights (last) game--ENjoy. Please think of us poor ticketless souls as you party after the final out and the Phillies are proclaimed the World Champions for 2008
Posted by Sully 09:16 AM, 10/27/2008
Pitching does win championships. You don't need great PITCHERS. You just need great PITCHING. We're blessed with a true ace, 3 other starters who can bunker down, a lights-out closer and a few solid setup men. All these guys converging at the same time can deliver a parade for us. I can't see a Paul Abbott or a Eude Brito or a JD Durbin on this World Series roster. Let's get this thing done!!
Posted by Gary Varsho 09:18 AM, 10/27/2008
I will be there tonight, this is playing out so perfectly.. Focusing on work today is not going to be easy. I actually don't think it has really sunk in yet. Cole cements himself as one of the best pitchers in the game tonight! Lets go Phils!!!
Posted by bobby 09:36 AM, 10/27/2008
If there's anything that scares me, it's this feeling of an automatic win tonight. Can someone please hyponotize the team into believeing that they're down 3-2? Remember, it's Hamels vs. Kazmir. I don't recall Game 1 being a cakewalk. We all have visions of Hamels shutting the Rays down and our offense picking up where they left off last night. But since when do things go as expected? The Rays may well lay down- but don't count on it. 2 weeks ago I wrote that Cole Hamels had the chance to move up to a new level by clinching the NLCS. He did that and has has made the leap to greatness. Tonight he has the rare opportunity to achieve immortality in sports sense of the word. Games don't get much bigger than this. Let's Go Cole!!! and LET'S GO PHILLIES!!!
Posted by jeff gross 09:41 AM, 10/27/2008
People in Phila are working today? You have got to be kidding. I've moved all my business calls in teh phila area back a week. I figure everyone has beeter things to do
Posted by COMMISH78 09:41 AM, 10/27/2008
Joe Buck and McCarver annoy me..Joe said last night about ANOTHER call that went their way {tag of rolins at 3rd base}...what were the other calls..I thought the call at first base on Crawford was the cause of 2 runs for the Rays,,,where are these guys coming from?
Posted by jimmymack 09:50 AM, 10/27/2008
Be there tonight with wife and 2 daughters. Thinking back to being in Clearwater, hoping this might be the year and now, finally on the cusp of a championship. WOWSERS! Hope they can bring it home tonight, the Bank will be rockin. Kudo's to Charlie, Pat, the advance scouting guys and the players, this has been a great ride. One more, just one more.
Posted by logan63 10:02 AM, 10/27/2008
To all you PHillies fans in Philly...thank your lucky stars that you can watch it! I'm an ex Philly gal living in France and we're 6 hours ahead...it's torture trying to stay awake...which I haven't been able to do, so I've missed the best...I'm going to give it a try tonight...Carolyn
Posted by jeff gross 10:04 AM, 10/27/2008
Logan, I know the problem. Games start here at 2:30AM, and that's after I've worked a full day. Oh well, it hasn't happened in 25 years
About Andy Martino
Andy Martino is in his first season on the Phillies beat. A former New York City public school teacher and graduate of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, he previously wrote for the New York Daily News, where he covered baseball and worked with the award-winning investigative sports "I-team."