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LOS ANGELES – The Phillies picked up Matt Stairs in a trade with the Toronto Blue Jays in August because they thought he could come up big in situations like the one he found himself in tonight at Dodger Stadium.
Eighth inning. Tie game. Runner on first. Two outs.
Stairs worked to a 3-1 count and Los Angeles Dodgers closer Jonathan Broxton threw him a fastball.
He crushed it.
The ball sailed high into the air and landed more than halfway up the bleachers in right field for a majestic two-run home run to give the Phillies a 7-5 victory over the Dodgers in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series. The Phillies are one victory away from their first World Series appearance since 1993 and just the sixth World Series appearance in their 125-year history.
One more win, folks.
Beat the Dodgers Wednesday night in Game 5 – and aren't you happy Charlie Manuel and Rich Dubee kept with their plan and didn't have Cole Hamels pitch on short rest tonight? – and the Phillies can start relaxing and thinking about the Boston Red Sox or Tampa Bay Rays.
The Phillies overcame a 5-3 deficit in the eighth, which started with Ryan Howard's single to center field off Dodgers lefthander Hong-Chih Kuo. Two batters later, Shane Victorino stepped into the batter's box with one out against reliever Cory Wade.
Dodgers fans booed Victorino as he came to the plate. He got ticked off in Game 3 when Hiroki Kuroda threw at his head. He jawed with Kuroda at first base, benches cleared and fines were issued.
But Victorino really gave Dodgers fans something to boo about when he ripped a first-pitch breaking ball over the rightfield fence for a two-run home run to tie the game. Victorino is hitting .267 (8 for 30) with three doubles, one triple, two home runs and 11 RBIs in the postseason.
Victorino's 11 RBIs in the postseason is the most of any player in the majors.
That is the stuff legends are made of.
The Phillies pulled out the stops after Stairs' homer. Lefthander J.C. Romero got the first two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning when Dodgers leftfielder Manny Ramirez came to the plate.
That's when Charlie Manuel called for closer Brad Lidge. It was just the second time this year that Manuel called in Lidge before the ninth inning. He previously did it Aug. 27 against the New York Mets. Lidge allowed two runs in 1/3 inning, but he fared better this time.
Lidge allowed a double to Ramirez and Russell Martin reached on a strikeout after a wild pitch, but Lidge got James Loney to fly out to leftfielder Eric Bruntlett to end the inning.
Lidge worked a perfect ninth to pick up his fifth save of the postseason.
Lidge will get a day off today to rest his arm for tomorrow. The Phillies might need him to pick up the franchise's most important save in 15 years, the one that could put them in the World Series.
Read his blog at http://go.philly.com/phillieszone.
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