We'll always have 2008, Phillies fans

I know you feel raw right now, Phillies fans. I know you are downtrodden that our team didn't win another World Series. Before you get too upset, however, you need to keep a little perspective. We still have 2008 and all the memories that went into winning that title. We still have Cole Hamels' mastery, Brad Lidge's perfection, Carlos Ruiz's big hits and Ryan Howard's homers. They still won it all in Harry Kalas' last year. We still have that banner waving in Citizens Bank Park and nothing will take that away.

Not winning this year doesn't erase 2008. No, the Phillies weren't the best team in baseball this year, they were the second best. No, they didn't have enough pitching to slow down the Yankees. And, no, none of the left-handed bats showed up in the World Series except Chase Utley. But, they still deserve credit for getting back to the World Series and giving it everything they had to defend their title. They still gave us plenty of memorable comebacks and brilliant pitching performances, they just didn't quite have enough to get it done against a good Yankees team.

It's okay to be disappointed that the 2009 Phillies didn't get it done, just don't ever forget that the Phillies were the 2008 World F'n Champions.

Utley's bombs send Phillies back to New York

(Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

This is why you can't give up hope, Phillies fans. Facing elimination, the Phillies came out and played inspired baseball to get past the Yankees in Game 5 by a score of 8-6 and push the series back to New York.

The hero of the game for the Phillies was Chase Utley, who hit two homers on the night, a three-run shot in the 1st inning and a solo homer in the 7th. Utley set the tone for the Phillies right away with his 1st inning homer, helping erase the Yankees early 1-0 lead and putting the Phils up for good. Utley's homers have now become historic as he has tied Reggie Jackson's World Series record for homers with 5. With Game 6 coming on Wednesday, Utley has a great chance at making the record all his own.

Phillies starter Cliff Lee did what everyone expected of him, pitching 7 solid innings before running into a few bumps in the 8th inning. In all, Lee's numbers weren't spectacular as he gave up 7 hits and 5 runs, but he ate innings and kept the team ahead throughout. Lee's confidence alone has to give the team a boost. Although things got dicey near the end of the game as the Yankees made the game close, the Phillies bullpen proved to be just good enough to back Lee up.

Now the series shifts back to New York with the Yankees still needing one win to close it out. The Phillies will send Pedro Martinez to the mound for Game 6 while the Yankees will counter with Andy Pettitte, who will pitch on three days rest. Given the fact that Pedro is fresh, you have to give the Phillies the edge in that pitching matchup, meaning there is a great chance this series could be pushed to a 7th game. What the Phillies would do for a pitcher in that case is anybody's guess since Cole Hamels has shown he wants no part of pitching again this year.

Keep the faith, Phillies fans. This team has done what seemed impossible before, there is no reason not to hope they can do it again. Winning two more in New York won't be easy but the Yankees will start feeling the pressure the moment they fall behind in a game. Go Phillies, we believe!

Failure. Lidge implodes, Yankees take commanding 3-1 series lead

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It's been a rough year for Brad Lidge and tonight was the icing on that crap-filled cake. Lidge failed for possibly his last time this season as the Phillies lost Game 4 to the Yankees, 7-4, and now face a 3-1 series deficit.

With the game tied at 4-4 going into the top of the 9th inning, the Phillies closer took the mound looking to keep the Yankees off the scoreboard. Lidge got two quick outs, then appeared to have the inning sewn up after he got two strikes on Johnny Damon. A single, two stolen bases, a hit-by-pitch, a double and another single later, the Yankees plated 3 runs and completely silenced Citizens Bank Park. After the Phillies failed to do any damage in the bottom of the 9th, the crushing loss was complete.

This loss was particularly hard to take as the Phillies were in the game the whole time. The Yanks scored 4 runs off starter Joe Blanton but the Phillies nipped away at the lead throughout the night, getting solo homers from Chase Utley and Pedro Feliz in the 7th and 8th innings to bring them back into the game. It was all for naught, however, as Lidge failed just like he had all season long.

Now the Phillies find themselves on the brink, one loss away from ending their 2009 season. With Cliff Lee taking the mound in Game 5, the Phillies certainly have a great chance of extending the series back to New York but it's quite an uphill climb to pull off three straight wins against a good team like the Yankees. One thing this team has proven is that they are never out of any game, and although they have not been down in a series like this in the last few years, you have to believe they have some fight left in them. All it takes is one win to get the momentum back in the series and hopefully Cliff Lee will provide that win.

That was a tough loss to stomach, Phillies fans, but don't give up hope just yet. Until they lose that 4th game, this Phillies team is going to fight with everything they have. They are the World F'n Champs, after all.

Hamels falters again as Yankees take 2-1 World Series lead

(Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images)

For a few innings, the Cole Hamels from 2008 was back. Unfortunately, one bad call in the 4th inning and the ugly 2009 version of Hamels reared its ugly head. The Yankees capitalized on Hamels' turn as they downed the Phillies 8-5 and took a 2-1 World Series lead.

Hamels was brilliant through 3 innings, not giving up a single hit while mixing up his fastball and change-up. Then, in the 4th inning, while facing Mark Teixeira, Hamels threw a 3-2 pitch that was in the strike zone but was inexplicably called ball 4. Hamels was rattled from that point forward, giving up a "home run" (more on this later) to the very next batter, Alex Rodriguez, then 3 more runs in the 5th inning as he played around with his curveball. What started out so promising for Hamels went south in a hurry as he was yanked from the game after allowing 5 runs in 4 and a third innings.

Of course, there was some controversy in that "home run" by A-Rod. Rodriguez hit a shot to right field that hit a camera that was positioned just over the fence and in the field of play. The hit was originally called a double but after going to the replay, the umpires decided it was a home run. It's difficult to really tell if the ball would have cleared the fence if the camera wasn't there, so I'm not quite sure how the umps had conclusive evidence that it was a home run.

As for the Phillies offense, it was pretty well neutralized by Andy Pettitte on the night. Pettitte gave up 3 early runs but then settled in and allowed only one run after that. He was particularly effective against the Phillie lefties like Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Raul Ibanez, who went a combined 0 for 12 on the night with 7 strikeouts against Pettitte and the Yankee relievers. The one hitter who was on tonight was Jayson Werth, who continued his hot playoff hitting by bashing two solo home runs.

The Phillies now find themselves in a position they haven't been in for a few years: behind in a series. They have a tough challenge tomorrow as they face Yankees ace C.C. Sabathia in a must-win game, but there is plenty of reason to still have faith. Sabathia isn't unbeatable, as the Phillies have beaten him twice in the last two years in the playoffs, and he is going on only three days rest. The Phillies will be using Joe Blanton, who won Game 4 of the World Series last year, so hopefully he can repeat that performance on Sunday.

Game 3 was a tough loss for a Phillies team that isn't used to trailing in a series. It proved once and for all that the 2008 Cole Hamels is dead and won't be resurrected for 2009. Winning Game 4 now becomes critical as the Phillies will now look to extend the series back to New York. Don't worry, Phillies fans, there is still plenty of fight left in this team.

Yankees even up series behind Burnett's gem

(Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

When you are looking for a pitcher to match the masterful performance that Cliff Lee had for the Phillies in Game 1, there would be quite a few names that come up before A.J. Burnett. While Burnett's outing wasn't quite up to par with Lee's, the Yankee pitcher did everything he could to silence the Phillie bats in a 3-1 Game 2 win for New York.

Burnett was on point all night, throwing first pitch strikes to nearly every batter he faced en route to striking out 9 and giving up only 4 hits and 1 run in 7 innings. While he isn't known for his command, Burnett was around the plate all game long and mixed his pitches up just enough to keep Phillie hitters off balance. It was a great performance for a pitcher who is known to implode once things get a little rough; unfortunately for the Phillies, he never had to sweat much on the mound.

Following Burnett's 7 innings, the Yankees turned to Mariano Rivera, the historically great playoff closer. While the Phillies did manage to get guys on base against Rivera in both the 8th and 9th innings, the Yankee closer shut the door by getting the key double play groundout (although the ump blew it and Chase Utley was safe on the play) and the key strikeout when he needed them.

For the Phillies, Pedro Martinez pitched a solid game in his first outing at the new Yankee Stadium. The fans were on him for most of the night but Pedro was about as good as expected, giving up 3 runs in 6 innings. While it took him a lot of pitches, Pedro mixed up his speeds and got the Yankees to flail at some bad pitches on his way to an 8 strikeout game. In all, it was a tough loss for Pedro as he once again didn't get much run support.

No reason to panic, Phillies fans. Yes, the Phillies lost a tough, close game. If you look at the bigger picture, though, the Phillies did just about all you can ask of them: they went into New York and took one out of two against the Yankees. By splitting the road games, the Phils took home field advantage away from the Yankees and now have three games in Philly vs. the two left in New York. While it would have been even better had the Phillies won both games, even the most jaded fan has to be pleased that the Phillies can win the series by taking care of business at home.

Keep your heads up, Phillies fans. A.J. Burnett isn't going to have another game like that. There is still plenty of series left to be played and the Phillies bats still have plenty more hits in them.

3 more to go: Lee, Utley carry Phillies to victory

(Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

Up until today, it seemed like the dominance of Cliff Lee was just something us Philly fans, and maybe some Cleveland fans, knew about. After his World Series Game 1 performance, the whole world understands what we have known all along: Cliff Lee is incredible.

For Lee, it was just another dominating performance, throwing a complete game against the Yankees to lead the Phillies to a 6-1 win. Lee made it look easy all night long, mixing in a few nonchalant defensive plays while striking out 10 batters and allowing only 6 hits. He made the potent Yankee offense look feeble all night, as most hitters that didn't strike out sprayed weak hits to the infielders. Cliff Lee was all business, making quick work of all the supposed sluggers in the Yankee lineup.

The offensive standout for the Phillies on the night was Chase Utley, who got the Phillies on the board in the first inning with a homer, then later added another homer. In fact, Utley was the entire offense for the Phillies until they added some insurance runs in the 8th and 9th innings. Even though they scored only two runs off of him, the Phillies kept the pressure on Yankees starter C.C. Sabathia all night long by staying patient and forcing Sabathia to throw strikes. By forcing Sabathia to make extra pitches, the Phillies were able to chase him from the game and get their insurance runs off of the weak Yankee bullpen.

The team that no one outside of Philadelphia picked to win the World Series just made a huge statement. They went on the road, gave up only one run against the best lineup in baseball and beat the opposing teams best pitcher. Even more importantly, the Phillies have already snatched away home field advantage from New York and have put all the pressure on the Yankees Game 2 starter, A.J. Burnett.

There is a reason they are the World Champs, folks. The Phillies always win the first game of a series and put themselves in the drivers seat. By doing that, they hold all the cards and force the other team to try to adjust to them. Now let's see if Pedro Martinez can pull a Cliff Lee in Game 2 and really give the Phillies a huge advantage.

Phillies vs. Yankees World Series breakdown

Picture via Getty and New York Times

They are the two best teams in baseball. It's Philadelphia vs. New York. Broad Street vs. Broadway (sort of). The bloodstripes vs. the pinstripes. Can you ask for a better World Series than this? Here is my complete position by position breakdown of the World Series:

Starting Pitching:
Phillies: Cliff Lee, Pedro Martinez, Cole Hamels
Yankees: C.C. Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, Andy Pettitte

Both teams appear ready to go with a three team rotation, although the Phillies are holding their cards close to the vest, refusing to announce what they will do with their rotation after the first three games. The Phillies will go with Cliff Lee in Game One, Pedro in Game Two at Yankee Stadium since the veteran won't be fazed, and Cole Hamels, the 2008 World Series MVP, in Game Three back in Philly. The Phillies also have plenty of depth; should they choose to go with four starters, Joe Blanton and J.A. Happ are both capable of giving solid innings. As for the Yankees, they are set with their rotation, with Sabathia, Burnett and Pettitte taking the ball every third game. The Yankees rotation depth is non-existent but it won't matter since they won't have to go four starters deep. As for which rotation is better, the Phillies clearly have better depth but that won't matter in this series. Both teams also appear to be very even across each pitching match-up, with Sabathia and Lee canceling each other out and Pettitte and Hamels basically a wash. Pedro Martinez is the wild card, he likely holds the key to whether the Phillies win this series or not. Edge: Even

Bullpen:
Phillies: Brad Lidge, Ryan Madson, Scott Eyre, Chan Ho Park, J.A. Happ, Joe Blanton
Yankees: Mariano Rivera, Joba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes, Phil Coke, David Robertson

In every series, the Phillies bullpen is supposed to be their weak spot. On paper, the Phillie 'pen isn't supposed to be as good as it has been, but Charlie Manuel has pushed all the right buttons and gotten the most out of this group. With Brad Lidge seemingly back to his old self, Ryan Madson getting key outs every game and Scott Eyre and J.A. Happ getting the lefties out, the Phillie bullpen is solid. The Yankee bullpen is even better, though, as they can really lock down a game if they have the lead entering the 7th inning. With the best postseason closer in baseball history, the Yankees have to be given the edge here. The Phillies do have the better depth in their 'pen, but the Yanks top-end talent is just better. Edge: Yankees

Catcher:
Phillies Carlos Ruiz
Yankees: Jorge Posada

The casual baseball fan would think this is a no-brainer selection with the Yankees having a big edge. Well, if you've watched a Phillies game this postseason, you know better. Carlos Ruiz not only calls a great game behind the plate, he is also Mr. Choochtober, getting the big hit time and again. Ruiz should be a household name after this series. Edge: Phillies

Infield:
Phillies: Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, Pedro Feliz
Yankees: Mark Teixeira, Robinson Cano, Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez

I've called the Phillie infield the best in baseball but this Yankee infield gives them a run for their money. There is no weak spot in either infield, with power coming from two of the positions, speed coming from the middle and solid defense all around. The heart of the lineup for each teams potent offense comes from the infield, with all the table-setters and big RBI guys here. It's too close to call. Edge: Even

Outfield:
Phillies: Raul Ibanez, Shane Victorino, Jayson Werth
Yankees: Johnny Damon, Melky Cabrera, Nick Swisher

Besides Melky Cabrera, the Yankees outfield has been very disappointing this postseason. Johnny Damon is a shell of his former self and Nick Swisher can't hit at all, meaning the Phillies have a huge edge with their outfielders. Jayson Werth has continued to amaze with his big homers and Shane Victorino seems like he is always on base. Raul Ibanez has been the lone dim spot although he is still hitting better than Swisher. Edge: Phillies

DH/Bench:
Phillies: Ben Francisco, Greg Dobbs, Matt Stairs, Miguel Cairo
Yankees: Hideki Matsui, Brett Gardner, Jose Molina, Jerry Hairston Jr.

Ben Francisco is likely to get a lot of playing time when the Yankees are using lefties in the AL park. The "throw-in" in the Cliff Lee deal is easily the Phillies best bench player, but after that there is a major drop-off. Same goes for the Yankees, who have Hideki Matsui at DH and nothing else. Hard to see either team getting much from these guys. Edge: Even

Manager:
Phillies: Charlie Manuel
Yankees: Joe Girardi

One manages with his gut, the other by the book. I'll give the advantage to the guy who is smart enough to understand every situation and trust his instincts over the guy who has to look up what to do. Joe Girardi has been under heavy fire for some of his questionable calls, going so far as to jeopardize the Yankees in nearly every game. Charlie Manuel has been the exact opposite, quickly becoming one of the best managers in the game. Edge: Phillies

My prediction:
It's close, but I give the Phillies a 3-1-3 edge over the Yankees, leading me to pick the Phillies in 7. I am expecting an epic series, one that should feature plenty of scoring with several lead changes in every game. I only expect Games 1, 4 and 7, when Lee and Sabathia square off, to have the total scores under double digits. As for why the Phillies will win, I simply think they have more depth at pitching that will eventually be important as the series wears on. The Yankees haven't faced an offense like the Phillies this postseason so I expect their pitchers to be tested early and often.

Repeating is extremely hard to do but the Phillies seem poised to be the first repeat champions in nearly a decade. This should be a long, hard series, but the Phillies have proven again and again that they can overcome all odds. Go Phillies, BEAT NEW YORK!

Bring on the Yankees! Philly vs. New York in the World Series

After what only seemed like an eternity, the Phillies have finally got an opponent for the World Series: the hated Yankees. It wasn't pretty, but the Yanks knocked off the Angels on Sunday night to win the ALCS in six games. The Angels put up a fight but the Yankees proved to be much too strong.

The Phillies and Yankees will be facing off in a World Series for the second time in history, with the two also playing in 1950, when the Yanks beat the Phillies in 4 straight. You can guarantee that history will not repeat itself in 2009.

Here is the schedule for the World Series. The Yankees are the home team because the AL won the All Star Game:

Game One: Wednesday, October 28th: Phillies @ Yankees
Game Two: Thursday, October 29th: Phillies @ Yankees
Game Three: Saturday, October 31st: Yankees @ Phillies
Game Four: Sunday, November 1st: Yankees @ Phillies
Game Five: Monday, November 2nd: Yankees a@ Phillies
Game Six: Wednesday, November 4th: Phillies @ Yankees
Game Seven: Thursday, November 5th: Phillies @ Yankees

The Phillies are going back to the World Series!

(Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images)

The Phillies are the TWO TIME National League Champions! I can get used to this!

Riding a four homer barrage, the Phillies dropped the Dodgers in Game Five of the NLCS, 10-4, to give them a 4-1 series win and clinch a return trip to the World Series. This game was never in doubt, with the offense jumping out early and the bullpen backing up a middling start by Cole Hamels with several good innings.

The offensive hero for the night was Jayson Werth, who belted two homers and had 4 RBI on the night. Pedro Feliz and Shane Victorino also added homers with the Flyin' Hawaiian adding 3 RBI to the mix. The Phillies once again showed that any hitter in their lineup can beat you, from J-Roll at the top to Mr. Choochtober, Carlos Ruiz, at the bottom.

Now the Phillies have to wait for their opponent, although it will very likely be the Yankees, who hold a 3-1 lead in the ALCS. The Yankees will be a tougher matchup than the Rays were last year, but with the resiliency the Phillies have shown, few can doubt they have what it takes to win another title.

Here is the schedule for the World Series. Remember that the AL has home field advantage because they won the All Star Game:

Game One: Wednesday, October 28th: NL @ AL
Game Two: Thursday, October 29th: NL @ AL
Game Three: Saturday, October 31st: AL @ NL
Game Four: Sunday, November 1st: AL @ NL
Game Five: Monday, November 2nd: AL @ NL
Game Six: Wednesday, November 4th: NL @ AL
Game Seven: Thursday, November 5th: NL @ AL

Anyway we can worry all about the World Series later since we have another week until it starts, it's time to celebrate! Let's celebrate the Phillies and their never-say-die attitude and their all-around greatness. It's hard to go to the World Series in back-to-back seasons but they made it look easy, rolling through the NL once again.

All it takes now is four more wins until they are repeat World F'n Champions!

Phillies get their World Series rings!

What a ring! Here's the video for everyone that didn't see it:

The drought is over! The Phillies win it all!

(Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

It feels great to type this: the Philadelphia Phillies are the 2008 World Champions!!! For the first time in my conscious life, a Philadelphia sports team is a champion. It feels great now, but how big of a deal this is might not settle in for a while.

When I first started this blog back in January, one of the first posts I wrote was titled "The Next Philly Sports Champ". In the article I discussed which of the four major sports teams had the best chance to break the championship drought that our city has suffered through. At the top of the list was the Phillies, and I thought they had a chance to win this year.

I'm so happy I was right! Anyway, now isn't the time for any detailed analysis of the game, it's time to celebrate! Thanks to all who followed the Phillies right here on this site, what a great season it's been!

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 2008 WORLD CHAMPS!!!!

The wait will continue for another day

Due to more bad weather, Game Five will not resume tonight and will resume Wednesday if it ever stops raining.

This is so frustrating to have to continue to wait to see if the Phillies can end our title wait, but at least if they keep postponing games, Cole Hamels has a chance to re-take the mound.

All wet: rain puts Phillies celebration on hold

We've waited 25 years, what's another day?

Game Five was supposed to be the end of the line for the Rays, what with Cole Hamels taking the mound and Ryan Howard crushing balls left and right. Things looked good early on as the Phillies pounced on Rays starter Scott Kazmir for a pair of runs and Hamels cruised through the first few innings. Then the rains came to ruin our parade, or at least postpone it.

After the Rays tied the game at 2-2 in the 6th inning, the game was delayed and later suspended until Tuesday, weather permitting. That means that the game will resume in the bottom of the 6th with the game tied at 2 and a pinch hitter batting for Cole Hamels.

The Phillies will have to rely on their bullpen to pitch the rest of the way now that Hamels won't be available to continue the game. Luckily, the bullpen is plenty rested and Brad Lidge hasn't pitched Game 1, so the best bullpen in the game should be ready to go.

So, everything resumes again tomorrow at 8 pm. Of course, the forecast shows weather even worse than today for tomorrow, so things might not resume until Wednesday. The wait is going to be excruciating, but so have the last 25 years.

The Phillies are one win away from easing 25 years of heartache

(Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

We may be one day away from what we have all been waiting for for 25 years. The Phillies won Game Four against the Rays 10-2, and now have a commanding 3 games to 1 lead in the World Series. With their ace Cole Hamels, who has been absolutely dominant this postseason, taking the hill in Game Five, the Phillies appear poised to win the World Series and end all of the grief and anguish that Philly fans have had to endure for a quarter of a century.

Game Four featured a pair of heroes in Joe Blanton and Ryan Howard. Blanton was a hero on the mound and at the plate, going 6 innings and giving up only a pair of runs while helping his cause at the plate with a home run. Many criticized Pat Gillick for giving up prospects to get an "average" pitcher like Joe Blanton, but Blanton's performance makes Gillick look like a genius. Just think about the options the Phillies would have had if they never acquired Blanton: Adam Eaton, Kyle Kendrick or J.A. Happ. Um, thanks but no thanks.

Howard continues to awaken with the bat as he hit a pair of homers, one in the 4th inning, a 3-run shot that gave the Phils a big lead, and another in the 8th inning to give the Phillies a commanding lead. The Big Man is back, and the Rays don't stand a chance.

One other Phillie that is heating up is Jimmy Rollins. Rollins has come up small repeatedly in these playoffs, but on Sunday night he got on base three times with two doubles and a single. He came around to score all three times and seemed to be at the heart of every rally.

Now the Phils stand on the precipice of ending the Philadelphia title drought. For 25 years, we have all heard about how our teams can't win the big one. We've heard about the Curse of William Penn. We've anguished over Mitch Williams, Ronde Barber, Donovan McNabb puking and Joe Carter. Well, in about 20 hours in South Philadelphia all of that could end. All we need is one more good outing from King Cole. Cole, a longing city turns it's eyes to you.

Late heroics give Phillies 2-1 World Series lead

(Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

Hope you stayed up for this one! After blowing a 3-run lead earlier in the game, the Phillies fought back in the bottom of the 9th and, at about 1:49 AM, scored the game-winning run to come away with a 5-4 victory and a 2-1 series lead.

There was no individual hero in the 9th, although some credit has to go to Eric Bruntlett. Bruntlett led off the inning, got hit by a pitch and then advanced all the way to third after a wild pitch and wild throw to second. The Rays then loaded the bases after a pair of walks, leaving Carlos Ruiz at the plate with the bases loaded and no outs. The Rays then employed a 5-man infield, but Ruiz hit a dribbler down the third base line that allowed Bruntlett to score the winning run.

The Phillies needed the late heroics after they blew a 4-1 lead. They were cruising heading into the 7th inning when the entire game turned after the first base umpire blew a call. Carl Crawford hit a squibbler down the first base line that Jamie Moyer scooped up and tossed with his glove hand to first base, clearly getting Crawford by half a step but the ump called him safe. That missed call led to the Rays scoring two runs in the 7th and getting back into the game.

Jamie Moyer still deserves credit for pitching a hell of a game. Moyer used all of his tricks to keep the Rays off-balance and held them to 5 hits in 6 and 1/3rds innings pitched. While he didn't earn the win, he earned a ton of respect for bouncing back with the performance after having a pair of shaky starts earlier in the postseason.

The Phillies also have to be happy with getting a homer from Ryan Howard. Chase Utley hit a homer in the bottom of the 6th and Howard followed him with a homer of his own. If this is a sign of things to come for the big guy, the Rays are in serious trouble.

The Phils blew their chance at earning an easy victory, but they still squeaked out a win in dramatic fashion. Hopefully the momentum will carry them into Game 4, which starts in what seems like only a few hours.

Phillies bats fall silent in Game Two

The Phillies once again left a ton of runners stranded on the base paths and this time they didn't get a dominating pitching performance as the allowed the Rays to tie up the World Series at one game apiece. Philly got on base again and again throughout the game as they managed 9 hits and 4 walks, but, they only scored 2 runs and lost 4-2.

James Shields pitched for the Rays and allowed a number of batters to reach but did well to fight out of every jam. Brett Myers pitched for the Phils and didn't have a terrible game, although he did allow his fair share of runners, too.

The Phillies also have a legitimate beef about the outcome of this game as they were on the wrong end of two bad calls by the home plate umpire. In the 2nd inning, the ump initially called a pitch by Myers strike three until he allowed the first base umpire to overrule him and say the batter didn't swing. The other bad call happened in the 9th as the Phillies tried to fight there way back in the game and Jimmy Rollins clearly got hit by a pitch. The ball grazed his jersey which is, by rule, a hit by pitch. Those two calls came in critical situations when the Rays were starting to build their lead and the Phillies were trying to make their comeback.

While losing this game does hurt the Phils, in the bigger picture they were still able to split the games in Tampa Bay. Everyone should be happy with a 1-1 series tie as we shift back to Philadelphia. If the Phils can just get their bats going when runners are on base, especially since they are now 1 for 28 with runners in scoring position, things will look even better.

The Phillies ride Hamels, Utley to Game One Victory

(Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

What rust? After a week off, the Phillies followed their usual postseason formula of getting a strong outing by their starting pitcher followed by a lockdown performance by their bullpen and a few timely hits as they took Game One from the Rays, 3-2.

Cole Hamels continued his playoff dominance as he went 7 innings and allowed a pair of runs and struck out 5 batters. Hamels wasn't phased by the long layoff and continues to prove that he should be mentioned amongst the best pitchers in the game. No matter the stage or the importance of the game, Hamels rises to the challenge. He had a few instances in Game One where he got into trouble but more often than not he fought out of it, like the double play he used to get out of the 3rd after he loaded the bases.

The bullpen came through with it's usual performance tonight as Ryan Madsen locked things down in the 8th and Brad Lidge saved yet another playoff game by taking care of the Rays in order in the 9th. Every lead, no matter how small, is safe with this pen.

Offensively the Phillies didn't do too much, but they still had a few big hits. Chase Utley hit a 2-run shot in the first inning to help the Phils jump out to an early lead. The other run scored by the Phillies came on a Carlos Ruiz ground out. The Phils had plenty of other opportunities to tack on more runs with runners in scoring position but you have to credit Scott Kazmir and the Rays bullpen as they fought their way out of jams.

Game One is in the books and the Phillies are one step closer to a title. Game Two is in Tampa Bay tomorrow night with Brett Myers taking the hill against James Shields. The Phillies have already accomplished a lot by earning at least a split in Tampa against a team that is great at home, but it's not like they will let up because of that. You never know what can happen later in the series, so they need to earn wins wherever they can get them.

Three more to go, GO PHILS!

Phillies vs. Rays: World Series Breakdown

It's been well-documented how long-suffering us Philadelphia sports fans are. 25 years since a major title (the Soul don't count) has done a lot to make us all pretty jaded when it comes to our sports teams, but even the most jaded Philly fan has jumped on board with this Phillies team. Granted, we've had teams in the Super Bowl, the Stanley Cup Finals, the NBA Finals and even the World Series in the last 15 years, but there is something about this Phillies team that has sucked us right back into being believers. They are a group of likable guys who play hard and don't accept losing, qualities that this city embraces. On the eve of the World Series that might change all of our lives, especially for someone my age who was too young to remember the Phillies and Sixers titles in the 80's, it's time to break down the two teams position-by-position and see how the Phillies stack up.

Starting Pitching:
Phillies: Cole Hamels, Brett Myers, Jamie Moyer, Joe Blanton
Rays: Scott Kazmir, James Shields, Matt Garza, Andy Sonnanstine

Both teams will feature 4-man rotations. The Phillies have a slight edge in the first two games with Cole Hamels being the best pitcher in the series and Brett Myers and James Shields basically being a wash. From there, ALCS MVP Matt Garza appears to have a huge advantage over Jamie Moyer who has looked shaky at best this postseason. Moyer will be facing the type of team he loves to dominate, however, as the Rays are a young team that might not have the patience to wait on his pitches. Joe Blanton has been great this postseason and he could be the key to the Phillies chances. If the Phils manage to win the first two games and then drop the third, just like they did against the Dodgers, the series could hinge on how well Blanton holds things down. If he does anywhere near as well as he did against L.A., the Phils will be in command of the series. Game 7, if there is one, favors the Rays if it's Garza against Moyer again, so the Phillies can't let the series get to that point. Edge: Phillies, Hamels' dominance puts them over the top

Bullpen:
Phillies: Phillies: Brad Lidge, J.C. Romero, Ryan Madsen, Chad Durbin
Rays: David Price, J.P. Howell, Dan Wheeler, Chad Bradfors, Grant Balfour

The Rays appear to be using a closer-by-comittee approach, and it has worked for them so far. Except for the Game 5 meltdown against the Red Sox, Joe Maddon has done a good job of utilizing his bullpen and putting the right pitcher in the right situation. Having the 23 year-old Price on the mound to close out the Red Sox was a gutsy call that really paid off for the Rays. The Phillies, on the other hand, have shown time and again that they have the best bullpen in baseball. People keep worrying that Brad Lidge has to blow a save sometime, but I don't see any signs of him melting down yet. Edge: Phillies

Catcher:
Phillies: Carlos Ruiz
Rays: Dioner Navarro

Navarro hasn't exactly been on fire with the bat in the postseason but he clearly has an edge over Ruiz at the plate, although Ruiz has shown a knack for getting a big hit now and then. Both are about the same defensively and really know how to handle their pitchers. Edge: Rays

Infield:
Phillies: Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, Pedro Feliz
Rays: Carlos Pena, Akinori Iwamura, Jason Bartlett, Evan Longoria

The Phillies have the best infield in baseball. Even with Howard struggling with his power, all four of these guys make big contributions at the plate and in the field. Well, maybe not so much in the field for Howard. The Rays have two All-Star caliber players at the corners but their middle infielders, while good in the field, aren't scary at the plate. If I compared them position-by-position in the infield, the Phillies would win every position except third base, but the gap isn't as great as that makes it sound. Edge: Phillies

Outfield:
Phillies: Pat Burrell, Shane Victorino, Jayson Werth
Rays: Carl Crawford, B.J. Upton, Gabe Gross/Rocco Baldelli

You could have made a very strong case for Victorino as the NLCS MVP and he's been the Phillies best position player by far this postseason. He makes nearly every big hit and has made a number of great catches in the field. Burrell and Werth have also both contributed but they may need to do more for the Phils to win. The Rays have a better defensive outfield than the Phils, but they can't match up offensively. The right field tandem of Gross and Baldelli isn't great, but Maddon puts them in positions to succeed. Edge: Phillies

DH:
Phillies: Greg Dobbs, Matt Stairs, Geoff Jenkins
Rays: Cliff Floyd

Charlie Manuel has been very quiet as to who his DH is going to be in Games 1 and 2. My guess is that Greg Dobbs will get the call, although Charlie might be tempted to save him for key at-bats later in the game. I seriously doubt that Burrell will play any DH, although it would make a lot of sense. The Rays have the advantage here simply because they actually have guys on the roster who are used to being designated hitters. Edge: Rays

Bench:
Phillies: Dobbs, Stairs, Jenkins, So Taguchi, Eric Bruntlett
Rays: Fernando Perez, Willy Aybar

The Phillies bench will be stripped of some of its effectiveness with Dobbs being the DH. Jenkins would then step into the primary pinch hitter role leaving not too many other options. The Rays have some speed and versatility coming off their bench so they have the advantage here. Edge: Rays

Manager:
Phillies: Charlie Manuel
Rays: Joe Maddon

As much as myself and the rest of Philadelphia have fallen in love with Charlie Manuel, Maddon is the better tactical manager who knows how and when to use his guys. Maddon likes to think with his head while Charlie thinks with his gut. His gut has been right an awful lot but I don't want to see what happens if it's wrong. Edge: Rays

My prediction:
By my highly unscientific breakdown, the Rays and Phillies are completely even with each team having the edge at 4 positions. The Phillies have the more important advantages on the mound and at the plate, so they appear to be the better team on paper. It's going to be interesting to see how this series starts off with the Rays coming off no rest and the Phillies being so rested they are probably rusty. All the Phils will need is a typical Cole Hamels outing and they will quickly shake off all that rust, however. Call me a homer if you will, but I think the Phillies will win in 6 games. The time has finally come for us to have our parade. The Rays are a solid team but the Phillies are playing like a team on a mission that refuses to lose. It's just too bad that they won't likely win the series in Philly because the celebration at the Bank would be incredible.

After 25 years of suffering, we are 4 wins away from a Philadelphia sports championship! Do we even know how to celebrate a championship if they win one?

Phillies vs. Rays World Series pitching matchups set

The Phillies and Rays have announced their starters for the first four games of the World Series:

Game One: Phillies (Hamels) @ Rays (Kazmir)
Game Two: Phillies (Myers) @ Rays (Shields)
Game Three: Rays (Garza) @ Phillies (Moyer)
Game Four: Rays (Sonnanstine) @ Phillies (Blanton)

The Phillies figure to pitch Hamels, Myers and Moyer again in games 5, 6 and 7, if necessary.

The pitching matchups in the first four games seem to slightly favor the Phillies. Cole Hamels is the best pitcher on either team, so he figures to have an edge over Scott Kazmir. Myers and Shields are pretty even but Matt Garza has an edge over Jamie Moyer, who hasn't looked good yet this postseason. Of course, a young team like Tampa Bay is just the type of team that Moyer gets to swing out of their shoes at his junk pitches. Joe Blanton figures to have the advantage in Game Four if he keeps pitching the way he has been.

Look for my complete breakdown of the series later today.

Rays vs. Phillies for the title!

(AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Look back on any preseason baseball predictions and I guarantee no one predicted this. The Phillies were an unlikely choice to make the World Series while the Rays were a downright impossibility to make it.

The Rays managed to outlast the defending champion Red Sox in Sunday's 7th game through an amazing pitching performance by starting pitcher Matt Garza and their bullpen, which gave up a grand total of 3 hits. The Rays won 3-1 and advance to the World Series to take on the Phillies.

The Phillies finally know their opponent for the World Series that will begin on Wednesday. The Phils will travel to Tampa Bay where hopefully the Rays find a way to sell all of their seats!

Here is the tentative World Series schedule:

Game One: Wednesday, October 22nd: Phillies @ Rays, 8 pm
Game Two: Thursday, October 23rd: Phillies @ Rays, 8 pm
Game Three: Saturday, October 25th: Rays @ Phillies, 8 pm
Game Four: Sunday, October 26th: Rays @ Phillies, 8 pm
Game Five: Monday, October 27th: Rays @ Phillies, 8 pm
Game Six: Wednesday, October 29th: Phillies @ Rays, 8 pm
Game Seven: Thursday, October 30th: Phillies @ Rays, 8 pm

I'll have more on the World Series later. For now, congratulations Rays! You've had an unlikely run and hopefully the Phillies will be the ones to end it!