I Can't Even Believe It

Okay so last night's Phillies game was really important. Yeah, we were going into the game up 2-1 in the series (if you're just catching on, I'm talking about the NLCS against the Dodgers). If we lost last night, it wouldn't be the end of the world, we wouldn't have lost the series or anything. But it was the kind of game that could change the direction of the series very quickly. If the Dodgers won, the series would have been tied. They would have an extra boost of energy to win the last game at Dodgers Stadium. And we would go back to Philly for the last two games, but just like in politics, momentum is everything and in this hypothetical situation, it would not be on our side.

For the reasons I outline above, I was sick watching the game last night. When I get stressed out watching a game, I am very quiet, very weighed-down, and I try to occupy myself with something else. What a freaking 3 hour, 44 minute long heart attack. The Phillies scored 2 runs in the first, only to be matched by 1 by the Dodgers. After a few sloppy innings of little hitting for the Phils and even sloppier fielding, we were sliding down a slippery slope to loserville. The 5th inning seemed clutch and we could sense just watching it that this inning would either make or break the game, after Joe Blanton loaded the bases and one by one the Dodgers were putting up base hits. We left the inning down 3-2, which, I thought, was not all that bad, but boy, did it feel bad. In the 6th, a wild pitch sent Ryan Howard to score, bringing it back to a 3-3 tie. But then a single shot homer by Casey Blake for the Dodgers, and then some more base hits and a fielding error by Howard made it 5-3. The only reason we got out of the inning was an unassisted double play by my boyfriend, Chase Utley. I thought, welp, thanks for coming out guys, this game is over.

So we get to the 8th. Both teams have pretty much used up all of their pitchers. Up to bat comes Shane Victorino, who almost got his head taken off with a wild pitch the previous inning, to a chorus of boos from the LA fans. And he just rips one right into the bull pen. Oh shit, the game is tied. I started to pay a little more attention, this game just got a little more interesting. So then Carlos Ruiz is up and hits a single. Dodgers bring in their closer, Broxton, and it's do or die for the Phillies. Up at Bat for the Phils is Matt Stairs, a man who is 40 years old and has played on 16 MLB teams in his career. He gets up on Broxton in the count, 3-1. Broxton has no choice but to throw him a meaty fast ball. And jesus, did Stairs rip that one, like almost out of the park rip it. Phils up 7-5. We bring in our closer, Brad Lidge, in the bottom of the eigth to face Manny. He loads up the bases just to make us squirm, but gets out of it. Phillies can't get any insurance runs in the 9th. Lidge mows down three more Dodger batters and it's over. The Phillies win, 7-5.

Seriously? We just seriously won that game? It took at good half hour for my heart rate to return to normal. And I'm just starting to realize that we are one game away from being in the World Series. I can't even believe I can write that sentence.