Phillies' joy is mixed with sorrow
IF THERE WAS a lesson to be learned last night in the home clubhouse at Citizens Bank Park, it was that a uniform can cover up a man, but not his emotion, and that in the end, a professional athlete hurts just the same as the 45,883 fans who watch his game.
In one room of the vast expanse of tunnels and rooms that snakes beneath the stadium's bowl, a 64-year-old manager busied himself with the various responsibilities and feelings that come with burying a mother. In another room, a 27-year-old outfielder who had just turned in one of the best games of his life was informed that his 82-year-old grandmother had passed away.
JERRY LODRIGUSS / Staff photographer
Winning pitcher and three-hit, three-RBI man Brett Myers is greeted at dugout after scoring in second inning.
Set against the backdrop of an 8-5 victory that put the Phillies only two wins away from their sixth World Series, the whole scene was a study in temporary human triumph and visceral human sorrow.
Thanks to the steady hand of Charlie Manuel and the stellar play of Shane Victorino, the Phillies are the proud owners of their two biggest wins of the season - the first two games of their National League Championship Series against the Dodgers. Now, in the aftermath, both men must find a way to deal with two of their biggest losses.
"It's hard to put into words," hitting coach Milt Thompson said. "In life, things happen. It's hard to explain. It's a tough day that you try to find a way to get through."
It should have been a triumphant day for folks such as Thompson. A member of the last Phillies team to get this close to a World Series - he was an outfielder on the 1993 team that beat the Braves in the NLCS - the hitting coach had just seen his offense produce its most impressive performance of the last two postseasons.
Led by Victorino, who hit a two-run single in the second inning and a two-run triple in the third, the Phillies knocked Dodgers righthander Chad Billingsley out of the game after only seven outs. They finished with 11 hits, scoring four runs each in the second and third, while cruising to their sixth straight victory over Los Angeles.
Closer Brad Lidge gave them their first 2-0 lead in an LCS by recording his fourth save of the postseason, which puts them in excellent position heading into a three-game set in California.
No NL team has come back from an 0-2 deficit in an LCS since the Cardinals beat the Dodgers in 1985, the first year of best-of-seven play.
But as thrilling as the Phillies' victory was - righthander Brett Myers recorded the win and went 3-for-3 with three RBI at the plate - the human element overshadowed most of the athletic moments.
After the game, as various team members congratulated one another in the infield, Thompson put his arm around Manuel and guided him down the dugout steps. The third-year manager learned early yesterday that his 87-year-old mother, June, had died 2 days after suffering a heart attack in her native Buena Vista, Va. Manuel opted to manage Game 2. He was unavailable to meet with the media before or after the game.
Moments after Thompson escorted Manuel off the field, he found himself with another tragedy. Victorino's grandmother, Irene, passed away before the game. His father, Mike, waited until afterward to tell him of the news. He did so in the office of equipment manager/travel secretary Frank Coppenbarger.
Later, as Victorino packed his bags quietly in front of his locker, rightfielder Jayson Werth walked up and hugged him.
"It's hard," reliever J.C. Romero said. "I'm not saying it's easy. It's hard. But I know Shane is a very tough individual, and he strives under trials and tribulations. I know this is tough, but I'm pretty sure he is going to be OK."
Knowing full well the emotional roller coaster inside two of their family members, the Phillies now move to Los Angeles, where they went 0-4 this season.
There was plenty of evidence that there might not be a return trip to Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies, winners of 18 of their last 22, are playing their most complete baseball of the season. One night after Chase Utley and Pat Burrell starred in Game 1, the bottom of the order led the way in Game 2. Carlos Ruiz, Greg Dobbs and Myers combined to go 6-for-10, with six runs scored and four RBI.
Myers was hardly dominant on the mound, pitching five innings and allowing five runs, three of them on a home run by Ramirez in the fourth inning. But for the second straight start, he was spectacular at the plate. Last week, in a Game 2 win over the Brewers, Myers drew a nine-pitch walk against ace lefthander CC Sabathia that set up a grand slam by Victorino. Last night, Myers scored two runs and drove in three, shaking his head every time he reached first base.
Victorino made a clutch defensive play in the seventh, saving a couple of runs by making a leaping grab of Casey Blake's would-be double at the wall in centerfield.
Righthander Ryan Madson closed down the eighth, and Lidge took care of the ninth to ice the victory.
In the clubhouse after the game, a reporter mentioned the word "destiny" for the first time.
"I think when it's all said and done, maybe we can all look back on that, but fate and destiny have a fun way of working," Dobbs said. "I don't think we need to look at it that way just yet."
Right now, plenty of other things occupy their minds. *
