Make That One More, Please

Yes, we know revenge is a dish best served cold but Shane Victorino never got the memo.

One night after taking one for the club and being none too happy about the location of his largess, the Flyin' Hawaiian drilled a game-tying two run homer in the eight inning to set the stage for Matt Stairs dramatic two-run pinch hit homer a few batters later. With one swing of the bat Victorino silenced the smug LA crowd and exacted a large measure of sweet revenge. He has driven in eleven runs in the post season. With his one swing of the bat Stairs put the Phils within one victory of their first appearance in the World Series in fifteen years.

There were other heroes last night as well. Chase Utley drove in three runs and started and ended a crucial double play when he dived to the bag at second just ahead of Rafael Furcal, killing a potential game-changing rally by the Dodgers. Utley's bat has come alive at just the right moment. Ryan Howard is starting to swing the bat better, too.

The bullpen, save Chad Durbin's rough outing, was again superb. The same could not be said for the Dodgers' pen. Their closer, Jonathan Braxton, hadn't had an opportunity to strut his stuff so far this series. The Dodgers wish his debut had been delayed at least one more night as Stairs launched a 3-1 home run deep to right and in the process forever etched his name in the hearts of Phillies fans young and old.

While everyone loves a dramatic home run or two, let it be said the Phils won this game with a more balanced approach than they've shown in earlier post-season games. First, they scored two runs in the opening frame using a more station-to-station approach. They scored a lone run in sixth when Ryan Howard scored from third on a wild pitch and, then, they scored the four runs in the eighth on the pair of home runs. They wasted plenty of opportunities along the way, but they took the lead, surrendered it, and took it back for good with the combination that has served them so well all season: solid relief pitching and hitting home runs.

Today is an off day. When play resumes tomorrow the Phils will be sending Cole Hamels to the mound needing one victory to keep playing baseball late into Autumn.