Phils Hanging In There

Game 5 of the World Series was a big one for the Phils, its win or go home. The Phillies won Game 5 8-6 but it didn't come easy. Pitching for the Yankees was right hander A.J. Burnett going on short rest and who pitched great in Game 2. Going for the Phillies to keep their World Series hopes alive was their ace Cliff Lee who has been outstanding through out this whole postseason. So this game was going to be a good one and its do or die time for the Phils.

We start thing off in the bottom of the 1st with the Yankees leading 1-0 where Jimmy Rollins gets a base hit and that's the key for the Phillies get your first two men on and let your three,four,and five guys get the job done. So one man on for Shane Victorino and he squares to bunt and gets hit in the finger, he seemed to be ok, but he would later leave the game. So two men on for Chase Utley and he hits a 3 run home run boom to put the Phillies up 3-1 in the 1st. Later in the 3rd inning Jayson Werth would hit a RBI single and put the Phillies up 4-1. Raul Ibanez would than hit a RBI single to make a 5-1 Phillies lead and that would be the end for A.J. Burnett. He went only 2 innings, 4 hits, 6 earn runs, and 2 strikeouts not the same pitcher we saw in Game 2. Bottom 7th Chase Utley standing up to the plate would hit his 2nd home run of the ball game and tie the all time home run recorded in a World Series with 5 home runs with Reggie Jackson back in 1977. The Phillies would now go up 7-2. Two batters later Raul Ibanez would hit his first World Series home run and put the Phils up 8-2. In the 8th inning Cliff Lee would still stay in the game and some who thought that he should have left after the 7th inning with his team up 6 runs in case there would be a Game 7 to pitch in, but Phillies manager Charlie Manuel stuck with his go to guy. But Lee would put two men on for Alex Rodriguez who has been dead hot the last 2 games would hit an RBI double to cut the lead 8-4 Phils. That would be it for the Phillies ace Cliff Lee, who went 7 innings, 7 hits, 5 earn run, and 3 strikeouts. Not as good as he did in Game 1 but it was good enough. In the 9th the Phillies would hand the ball over to hard right hander Ryan Madson to close out the game. Ryan Madson had 6 blown saves during the season and boy he made this one close. Jorge Posada would lead off with a double for the Yanks. Now pinch hitting for the Yankees was Hideki Matsui and he would get a base hit and moving over to third base was Posada. So two men on no outs stepping in the batter box was Derek Jeter who is batting .322 in the postseason hits into the important double play ball gets a run in but now 2 outs Phils lead 8-6. Johnny Damon would be the Yankees last hope gets a base hit to keep the game alive with Mark Teixeira coming up and Alex Rodriguez on deck. Ryan Madson would strikeout Teixeira to win the ball game 8-6 and keep the Phillies hopes alive.


So the Phillies will now head to back New York for a Game 6 and possibly a Game 7 if they can win Game 6. The last team in the National League to come back to win a World Series down 3-1 was the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1979 and the last team to win a World Series down 3-1 was the Kansas City Royals in 1985. So the Phillies hold their on destiny to repeat as World Champions and as the quote from the movie Rocky "THERE IS NO TOMORROW". The Phillies give the nod to right hander Pedro Martinez who will make his 2nd World Series start and the biggest start as a Phillie in Game 6 of the World Series to force a Game 7. For the Yankees they give the start to Andy Pettitte who will go on 3 days rest to try to win it all for the Yanks. If there a Game 7 the Yankees will throw out the ace C.C. Sabathia to try to win it for them on 3 days rest. As for the Phils they have been talking about maybe starting Cole Hamels, J.A. Happ or bring back Cliff Lee on short rest. Remember the Phillies just have to take it one game at a time and have fun. The 7th game is still a long shot away, just win Game 6 and than at that point anything can happen in a Game 7. Its now DYNASTY vs DESTINY, Phillies - Yankees Game 6 of the Fall Classic first pitch at 7:57 p.m. on Fox.