Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Call them front-running Phils

This one had disaster written all over it.

No, not Hillary speaking at the Democratic National Convention. I refer to last night’s Phillies-Mets extravaganza at Citizens Bank Park.

This is the kind of outing you worry about when Jamie Moyer takes the mound. Saying he just didn’t have it last night would be kind.

Moyer lasted just three innings. In the process he dug the Phils a 6-0 hole. It would get worse. Soon the Phils found themselves trailing 7-0.

Things were so bad manager Charlie Manuel decided to let reliever Clay Condrey hit for himself, I guess in the hopes of getting a few more innings out of him and saving the rest of the Phils’ overworked bullpen.

Then something magical happened. Condrey promptly spanked a double. The spark had been lit.

It took 13 innings and more than five hours, but eventually the Phils climbed out of that 7-0 hole for an improbable – some might say miraculous – 8-7 win.

How weird was it? Chris Coste entered the game in the eighth inning and still had four hits, including the game-winner in the 13th.

The Phillies used two pitchers, Cole Hamels and Brett Myers, as pinch-hitters.

Mr. Front-Runner himself, Jimmy Rollins, continued his turnaround. He pounded out five hits, including a key home run. That was followed a few batters later by Ryan Howard.

The Phils desperately needed to win last night. That’s in no small part because they face the Mets’ ace, Johan Santana, tonight.

But they awoke this morning in first place, leap-frogging the Mets with the improbable win.

And they put a smile on a lot of faces who went to bed sure that they would be a game and a half out today with Santana looming over tonight’s affair.

It’s hard to say who had a better night, the Phils or Hillary Clinton.

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