This time I'm happy I was wrong.

Yes, I picked the Phillies to beat the Dodgers in 6 games in the National League Championship Series. But winning in five games is a lot sweeter.

Cole Hamels was brilliant Wednesday night, and the offense did just enough to win to let manager Charlie Manuel hoist the Warren Giles Trophy as National League champion (shown in the Associated Press photo) and send the Phillies into the World Series for the sixth time.

The only thing wrong is that the Phils have to wait until next Wednesday, Oct. 22, for the World Series to start. Hopefully whatever momentum they've built won't be lost by then. Though momentum in baseball is usually gauged by that day's starting pitching.

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By the time the eighth inning rolled around in Monday night's Phillies-Dodgers NLCS Game 4, I had pretty much convinced myself that the series would be tied.

It was a mood-altering game until that point: Phils score 2 runs in the first, and the Dodgers get 1 back. Then the Dodgers take the lead, and the Phillies tie it, but leave the go-ahead run at third base. Then the Dodgers get two more runs for a 5-3 lead after seven innings.

So I was just laying in bed, biding my time until the final out when I could go to sleep. And then it happened.

First, Shane Victorino -- the man Dodgers fans love to hate -- tied the game with a two-run homer. Then an out and a base-hit later, Matt Stairs launched another homer into the right-field bleachers, shown in the photo above, to give the Phillies an improbable 7-5 win, a 3-1 series lead and one victory away from the World Series.

Of course, I was then too excited to sleep, so I watched "Post-Game Live" on Comcast SportsNet, then "Baseball Tonight" on ESPN for their expert analyiss, finally able to turn in at 1:30 this morning.

But it was worth it, capping off a nice two-day stretch of fandom. Why? The Eagles won a game they needed to on Sunday, but it wasn't just the 40-26 comeback win over the 49ers, but everything that came along with it: division rivals Redskins and Cowboys losing Sunday and the Giants losing Monday, all to teams they shouldn't be losing.

Those outcomes kept the Eagles trailing the Giants by 2 games and the Cowboys and Redskins by 1 in the NFC East Division.

The Eagles have a bye this week, and it will probably benefit them since all the talk will be about the Phillies as they look to wrap up a spot in the World Series, then go for the city's first championship in more than 25 years.

GO PHILLIES!!

I finally got one right when I picked the Phillies to beat the Brewers in 4 games in their National League Division Series. So I might as well try it again as they meet the Los Angeles Dodgers in the league Championship Series.

The Dodgers had the fewest wins among the playoff teams, but since Sept. 1, they've been among the hottest squads. The acquisition of Manny Ramirez on July 31 stabilized a young lineup and the Dodgers had the National League's best pitching with a 3.68 earned run average.

The Phillies pitching isn't too shabby, either, as the staff posted a 3.88 ERA, good for fourth best in the league; the bullpen was the best in the league, led by closer Brad Lidge, who saved 41 games in 41 chances.

Obviously, both teams have very good pitching. For the Phillies to win, they need Chase Utley, shown above during batting practice, and Ryan Howard to hit. Against Milwaukee, Utley hit just .133, including a two-run double in Game 1, and Howard just .182 with 1 RBI.

It's very simple: if Utley and Howard hit, the Phillies win. I think they will. It won't be easy, but I see the Phillies winning in 6 games in front of a raucous Citizens Bank Park crowd. Or in Game 7 in front of a very nervous home crowd.

GO PHILLIES!!!

A poll on Foxsports.com asks readers who will win the National League Championship Series between the Phillies and the Los Angeles Dodgers

Of more than 55,800 votes, 67% think the Dodgers will win the series.

And yes, I was one of the 33% who think the Phillies will win. (Though that could just be wishful thinking.)

ESPN.com is asking its readers which World Series matchup would they rather see. Of more than 6,000 respondents, a Red S0x-Dodgers matchup is sought by 47%.

A Phillies-Rays matchup and a Phillies-Red Sox clash have each garnered just 14% of the votes.