“Congratulations, Philadelphia Phillies - World Series 2008 Champions!” The Independent Philadelphia Hotel could not be prouder of their home team, the Philadelphia Phillies for bringing home the World Series 2008 Championship and for making us forget that it had been 28 years since the last win - Good things come to those who wait!! They truly are a team to be proud of and have earned the title, World Series 2008 Champions - that is for sure!
Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - It took two extra nights, but the Phillies have finally put an end to Philadelphia’s 25-year major sports title drought.
Eric Bruntlett scored on a Pedro Feliz single in the seventh inning and the Phillies beat Tampa Bay, 4-3, in Game 5 of the World Series, wrapping up the franchise’s second title in history.
Rocco Baldelli’s homer tied the game in the top of the seventh, but the Rays couldn’t go ahead as Chase Utley threw out Jason Bartlett at the plate to end the frame.
The Phillies then went in front in the bottom half of a game that had been halted by rain tied, 2-2, Monday night after 5 1/2 innings. Wintry conditions forced a postponement for an extra day, but under cold, windy conditions Wednesday, the Phillies warmed up their fans quickly and sent the City of Brotherly Love into pandemonium.
The 4-1 series victory gave Philadelphia its first championship of any kind since 1983, when the 76ers beat the Los Angeles Lakers for the NBA title. The Phillies’ other World Series championship came in 1980.
Brad Lidge, who didn’t blow a save the entire year, locked down the win in the ninth, but not before the Rays had the tying run in scoring position. Evan Longoria popped out before Dioner Navarro broke his bat on a base hit to right field. Pinch-runner Fernando Perez stole second base, but pinch-hitter Ben Zobrist lined out to right field. Pinch-hitter Eric Hinske swung through a low pitch to strike out, and the Phillies piled on top of each other near the mound in celebration.
“At first I couldn’t believe it, but then the gravity of what happened just hit me,” said Lidge. “It was just an amazing feeling.”
The Phillies were here 15 years ago, but lost to Toronto in the World Series. Now they will celebrate with the rest of the city with a parade on Friday.
“I always thought we could win the World Series. I knew we could beat anybody in our league,” Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said, addressing the crowd at Citizens Bank Park.
Cole Hamels, who went 1-0 with a 2.77 ERA in two World Series appearances was named the MVP of the Fall Classic.
“This is something that you have to live for,” said Hamels. “Going out there, I knew I had a job to do. I had the support of these fans, and I had my teammates behind me.”
It was a masterful season for Lidge, who had a save in all 48 of his appearances in 2008, including two in the World Series.
Just last season, the Phillies were anointed as the team with the most defeats in professional sports history, reaching the 10,000 loss mark. Turn the page one year, and it’s a much different story.
“This is just the beginning, it had to start somewhere,” said shortstop Jimmy Rollins, who is one of several starters to come up through the Phillies’ farm system. “A lot of us wanted to change the face of this organization. We got New York right above us and it’s always seen as the Mecca. When you win a championship, people have to look down to the little guys. Right now everybody’s looking up to us.”
It was also a successful season for the Rays. Prior to this year, the most wins for the Rays, who entered the majors in 1998, was 70.
“The word is remarkable to come that far, that quickly,” said Rays manager Joe Maddon. “I believe this firmly, our guys are not going to be satisfied without playing in October from now on, and that’s a good thing.”
The Rays had just tied the contest in the sixth when B.J. Upton scored on a Carlos Pena single, but then play was halted going into the bottom half and put in suspension by Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig.
When play resumed Wednesday before loud, towel-waving fans, Philadelphia came to bat and Hamels was lifted for a pinch-hitter. Geoff Jenkins came to the plate to face Grant Balfour, and clobbered a 3-2 pitch off the wall in right- center field past a sliding Baldelli. Rollins followed with a sacrifice bunt, and Jayson Werth sent a pop-up to short center field. Second baseman Akinori Iwamura raced back, but failed to make an over-the-shoulder basket catch as the ball slipped between his body and glove. Jenkins scored easily.
Baldelli homered with one out in the seventh, sending Ryan Madson’s first offering over the wall in left field.
The Rays then threatened to take the lead, but a smart defensive play by second baseman Utley stopped the rally. Jason Bartlett singled to left with one out, and J.P. Howell’s (0-2) sacrifice bunt advanced the runner. J.C. Romero (2-0) then came in to face Iwamura, who singled up the middle. The ball was stopped by Utley, who faked a throw to first zipping the ball to home. Catcher Carlos Ruiz applied the tag to the helmet of a sliding Bartlett.
Pat Burrell narrowly missed a homer leading off the bottom of the seventh, sending a ball high off the wall in left-center for a double. He was replaced by Bruntlett on the bases. Chad Bradford came in to face Shane Victorino, who chopped a ball to second base to move Bruntlett to third. Feliz then singled up the middle, past a drawn-in infield.
Carl Crawford singled to start the Tampa Bay eighth, but was immediately erased on a double-play grounder off the bat of Upton.
Victorino hit a two-run single in the first frame Monday night before Pena doubled and scored on a Longoria single in the fourth inning.
Game Notes
The Phillies went 4-for-13 with runners in scoring position and left 12 men on base…Hamels went 4-0 in the postseason and was bidding to become the first pitcher to win all five of his playoff starts in one year…Hamels became just the fifth player in history to win the Most Valuable Player award in both the World Series and in a League Championship Series…The Phillies won all seven home games of their postseason, becoming just the second team to win all of its home games since the advent of three rounds of postseason play…Lidge’s seven saves tied a postseason record…Burrell had been 0-for-13 in this series before the hit…Pena and Longoria were a combined 3-for-37 in the five games…The Phillies won 24 of their final 30 games…Philadelphia hit .167 (10-for-60) with runners in scoring position over the five games.
10/30 03:42:13 ET
April 23 - 25, 2009
