Phillies continue to climb the stairs to Fall Classic

The Phillies are just one win away from a trip to the World Series following a stunning 7-5 comeback win over the Dodgers, powered by a pair of 8th-inning, two-run homers by Shane Victorino and Matt Stairs.

Summary: The Dodgers led 5-3 and were five outs away from pulling even in the best-of-seven series when Victorino, the clear catalyst this entire post-season, deposited a two-run shot into the right-field bullpen to tie the game 5-5. Not to be outdone, Stairs, who was acquired by the Phillies after the trade deadline for a situation just like this, stepped to the plate two batters later with a runner on and two outs and crushed Jonathan Broxton's 3-1 fastball into outer space. The late-inning heroics erased a multitude of earlier sins, including a series of managerial misfires and some all-around shoddy play. But in the end, it will be Dodgers manager Joe Torre who could be forever second-guessed if the Phillies can deliver just one more win in their next three tries. Their ace, Cole Hamels, goes Wednesday.

We'll have more on this Game 4 thriller, and its stars, following a very restful night of sleep.

Comments

[Iceman]

170 games. Probably what amounts to days and weeks on end spent watching this team. 20 years of consciously rooting for the Phils, and that 10-15 minutes from Vic's HR to Stairs HR was TOTALLY F*CKING WORTH IT.

[redbeard]

best graphic yet

[Verdeforce]

Vic is being interviewed now and these idiots are acting like he came out of nowhere - he's been a key provider for two years+ now!

[drake]

i think matt stairs has achieved aaron 'bleeping' boone status after that.

[EastFallowfield]

Will they have a graphic tomorrow comparing Stairs HR to any ball any Dodger has hit in this series?

[The Theory]

Jason- Actually, they're off tomorrow. Cole goes on Wed.

Anywayyyyy... yeah. Awesome graphic!

[BloodStripes]

We are the Phils. The greatest team of all. We play the game the way it should be played, at home or far away.

[J. Weitzel]

redbeard: you're talking about the ad for cellulite cream, right?

[Verdeforce]

It's tomorrow Weitzel, but just barely - we've got 44 hours to savor this one!

[Victoberino]

matt belongs in this town

"ill be honest, i try to hit homeruns every at bat"

[Steve Jeltz]

Love the animation. Vic isn't the only one who has stepped up his game.

[Tom G]

Because of Matt Stairs, I'm moving to Canada.

I had just begun to contemplate what a tied series would mean going forward, and then... The two homers. Unreal.

[MG]

I was at a bar tonight in SF packed with Dodgers' fans. After Stairs hit that HR, the bar almost completely emptied out even though the Dodgers were only down by 2 runs, had the top of the lineup coming up including Manny, and still had another 2 innings.

Such front-running fans don't deserve to experience to see their team win.

[J. Weitzel]

Theory: Fraid not. 12:36 a.m. brother.

[Matt B.]

I can not believe that I am witnessing this team do these things. Every long playoff run has something crazy like this happen.

[Iceman]

I also feel the need to personally atone for bashing Howard after the 6th. Yes, he has been absent most of the series, and that error in the 6th was atrocious. But he did what nobody else on our team seems to be able to do: get on against Kuo- a lefty no less. That AB will be largely overlooked, but he got it done and was on-base for Vic's tying bomb.

[MG]

Don't question the Gut:

I was wondering why the hell Cholly brought up Jenkins to PH in the 6th instead of Stairs.

Did Cholly realize that Torre was likely going to counter with Beimel and Cholly wanted to save Stairs in case he needed one good left-handed bat off the bench late?

[Verdeforce]

Is 1502+ comments a record?

[Chazbot]

EPIC game. I can't go to bed now.

[The Theory]

If Blanton didn't have facial hair, he'd look about 12 years old...

[redbeard]

jw, the vic an stairs .gif

[slackerjoe]

Unanswered questions after game 4:

Has Stairs' ball landed yet? (What was the distance on it anyway?)

Where outside of CBP should will they put up the Victorino statue?

How great is it to have a superb defensive 2B/SS combination?

How tight will the Dodgers be facing Cole in Game 5?

Are they really throwing Billingsley in Game 5?

Are there worse fans than Dodgers fans? (No wonder they can't get an NFL team!)

[MG]

Ugh. McCarthy is talking to Sarge right now in the post-game. Making my ears bleed. Where is the hell if Jim Jackson when you need him?

[Victoberino]

Cholly's Folly? I think not!

[MG]

Another key:

- Cholly bringing in his hottest setup man (Mad Dog) in the absolute right spot. Yeah, Utley made a hell of a play but I was glad to see Madson in that spot.

[Iceman]

Hearing Joe Buck almost break down in tears after Stairs' HR was also incredibly fulfilling after his LA teabagging all series long.

I just don't see what his incentive is to root for LA, though. In the Brewers series, Smoltz was the color guy and he was right down the middle...I enjoyed listening to him, even. Those guys were professional. Joe Buck is just outright horrible at covering up any biases. I'm trying to figure out where his bias is rooted, but I guess only he knows. He was an Eagles-hater when TO was on the team, but maybe that branches out to all of Philly. Do our fans give him a hard time when he gets into town? We may never know.

[The Theory]

"Theory: Fraid not. 12:36 a.m. brother."

only on the East Coast. ;-)

[MG]

Potential goat of the night was easily Durbin. His first two offspeed pitches to Blake were filthy and he just hung a breaking ball which Blake barely pushed out. After that Durbin just became mentally unglued and Cholly made the right move to pull him after only 3 hitters tonight.

[J. Weitzel]

Do I need to add the name Joe Buck to the spam filter? Seriously, 3-1 NLCS lead, peeps.

[Ben Rivera]

Anybody else hear the radio call on CSN just now? I feel like LA decided to pass out high fives instead of announcing.

[Victoberino]

Joe Schmuck wants to have the manny vs red sox world series to splooge on

[Victoberino]

thats where his bias is.

[Just, Wow.]

I performed a brilliant "HULK SMASH" on my coffee table as Stairs crushed that ball. Need to buy a new coffee table now. Utterly amazing.

[Replacement Player]

This was such a Philly win: Palpitations, hair-loss, angst, recrimination, tooth-gnashing, tightrope-walking, jubilation.
These guys are gonna kill me, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

[MG]

"The late-inning heroics erased a multitude of earlier sins, including a series of managerial misfires and some all-around shoddy play."

JW - You were right on the money. I couldn't get over the somewhat sloppy play and several suspect decisions by both managers but you know what I didn't think that Torre would provide a tactical advantage to the Dodgers over Cholly and it definitely has played out that way.

Torre burning 4 relievers in the 6th is one of several decisions you can second-guess him on tonight.

[Matt "Inky" Stairs]

Doesn't the guy who owns the Dodgers sign Joe Buck's paychecks?

Did anyone see the three people get up and leave the front row behind home before the Dodgers came up for their last AB? Love that stuff.

[Brian G]

Yes, he has flaws, but Charlie Manuel blatantly out-managed Joe Torre tonight.

And I know it's been said about 5 times already, but Matt Stairs stating matter-of-factly in the post-game interview that his approach at the plate has always been to "swing for the fences" is one of the best sports interview moments I've ever seen.

[MG]

What is the utter fascination with Buck's susposed vendetta against the Phils? I just don't really see it and kind of perplexed that is the one thing everybody keeps mentioning verbatim. Let it go.

[Terry Harmon]

Iceman: Fox has a definite vested interest in seeing the Dodgers advance. LA is the second biggest media market and there is a built-in story line with the ex-Sox.

There's no question they have been building up the LA story, the LA players, etc.

Might be time for them to consider tearing up that script.

[MG]

I am incredibly glad the Phils don't play tomorrow. Let the emotion from this game drain off and hopefully they are well-positioned to close out the series with Hamels on the mound.

[ms26]

Ben Rivera: Yeah, as much as I love LA, he can be a little too much with the cheerleading. I don't mind if he's going to criticize the umps for us, but the whole "YEAH!" every time the Phillies do something good grates on my nerves a little. "The Double Play" call on the radio will forever be spoiled by his screaming in the background.

I like him a lot, though, like I said. He calls it like he sees it, but he also needs to remember that he's a professional broadcaster and no one really needs to hear all the "YEAHS" and "GET OUT BALL!" crap.

[Hibachi]

Iceman, I think that's a great point about Howard's at bat against Kuo. Gotta have that guy get on so Vic can tie it up with that homerun. Same with Ruiz to get the hit before Stairs. Obviously those hits will be overlooked, but they were huge to set it up for Vic and Stairs to deliver. Everyone contributing.

[Bob]

Good luck, Jason, getting a good night's sleep.

bay_area_phan made a funny comment before the start of the NLCS along the lines of how Feliz would change the whole dynamic of the series.

Seriously though, you have to love it. You have to figure that for the rest of the games this season, as the game wears on, and the managers start to plan how to deploy their relievers and pinch hitters, the opposing manager will be thinking in some part of his brain about that Stairs home run. And they will not be pleasant thoughts.

[Len39]

EastFallowField: You posted a great pic in the other thread. It would be a shame if people missed it. Can you post it again?

Weitzel: Great job on that graphic for this thread.

Iceman: Good observation on the Howard AB.

I'm not too worried about the announcing, honestly didn't pay much attention to it. I'm sure the TV execs are ready to shoot themselves in the head now that their dream Manny vs. Red Sox World Series is in serious jeopardy.

I don't see how anyone is going to get any sleep tonight after this win. I just can't get over it. Chase Utley's DP was definitely the play of the game, just as important as the home runs. If that gets by him we are talking about going down by 4 runs with runners on 1st and 3rd and only one out. What a game saving play.

Matt Stairs delivers that clutch HR from an unlikely player that every championship team seems to get in a successful postseason.

Victorino's star climbs on the national stage.

This team is playing its best ball of the year at the perfect time. Time to send Hamels to the hill to wrap it up.

[MPN]

That Stairs' HR was about 23 rows deep at Chavez Ravine! Thar WAS a Hulk smash.

Just back from Tavern Misconduct in Center City. Amazing game. Amazing win. Go Phillies!

[Rusty E]

Two key moments overlooked

1) Torre burning Beimel to chase Jenkins in the top of the 6th. That ment no lefties for Vic and more importantly Stairs in the 8th

2) Ethier swinging first pitch after the Furcal walk in the top of the eighth. The ensueing double play assures Manny won't be the tying run

[pb]

Stairs and Victorino for President!!!

[BloodStripes]

Sarges post game chats on the radio are awesome.

[Batter's Eye]

"I don't believe what I just saw"

[Inside/Outside the Parker]

Matt Stairs of New Brunswick (Canada) hits a HR on Canadian Thanksgiving.

Broxton is a big Turkey, eh?