Paul Bako makes Phillies fans quickly forget Chris Coste

(AP Photo/Tom Mihalek)

Who needs Chris Coste when you have Paul Bako? The Phillies, entering the 9th inning down 7-3, pulled off a tremendous comeback, scoring 5 runs to pull out an 8-7 win against the Pirates. Paul Bako supplied the game-winner when he singled with the bases loaded, but he would have never had the chance to be the hero if it wasn't for homers by Matt Stairs and Ryan Howard. Stairs led off the inning with a homer, and then Howard hit a 3-run shot to tie the game after Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley got on base.

Here is the Fangraphs.com Win Probability Chart for tonight's game. Entering the 9th inning, the Phillies had a 2% chance of winning. Notice how quickly that green line jumps after Howard's homer!This game reminded me a lot of the 2008 Phillies, when no lead was safe and they constantly pulled out comeback wins. It's nice to know that the team can wake up after seemingly sleep walking through the first 8 innings of a game. No matter how disappointing a start is for a pitcher (get it together, Hamels), the Phillies bats can find a way to come back. With five All-Stars in the lineup, you knew it was only a matter of time!

Nice work, Phillies. Now go sweep the Pirates tomorrow and ride into the All-Star Game on a real high note.