What a difference one inning makes.
I spent my Friday afternoon at Jimmy Mac’s, a great little neighborhood tavern in Drexel Hill. I was there to do a live Internet Fancast tied to the Phillies game.
Only problem was, for eight innings, there wasn’t a whole lot to get fan-atical about. This was exactly what everyone feared. The Phils got a great start from their ace, Roy Halladay, but couldn’t do anything at the plate. They went into the bottom of the ninth trailing 4-1.
The “fan” part of the Fancast was not happy. The good folks gathered about the bar at Jimmy Mac’s, most wearing Phillies jerseys, were grumbling about everything from the weather (there were snow showers earlier in the day), to a lack of hitting, to Ben Francisco butchering a ball in right field. Forget his bat, he’s not exactly Jayson Werth with the glove either.
One fan actually again offered the opinion that Charlie Manuel should be fired. Yep, on Opening Day.
Then a funny thing happened. The Phils rapped out six singles and rallied to win in dramatic fashion, 5-4. They haven’t looked back.
The Phillies swept the Astros, getting two more strong starts from Cliff Lee and Roy Oswalt. To find the last time the Phils swept a three-game season at home, you have to go back to the last century.
It might sound a bit early, but that ninth-inning rally on Friday just might have reversed this team’s fortunes – and maybe their season.
Manuel would have faced some pointed questions about his lineup and decision to lift Halladay early. But all that was washed away by a ninth inning rally.
No rallies were needed Saturday or Sunday, as the Phils offense peppered Citizens Bank Park with base hits. Ryan Howard went yard yesterday. The slugger, who usually heats up when the weather does, is off to a sizzling start. Howard is seven for 13, with six runs batted in.
If the Phils run away with the National League East again, remember that ninth-inning rally on opening day. That’s where it all started.
Bring on the Mets.
I spent my Friday afternoon at Jimmy Mac’s, a great little neighborhood tavern in Drexel Hill. I was there to do a live Internet Fancast tied to the Phillies game.
Only problem was, for eight innings, there wasn’t a whole lot to get fan-atical about. This was exactly what everyone feared. The Phils got a great start from their ace, Roy Halladay, but couldn’t do anything at the plate. They went into the bottom of the ninth trailing 4-1.
The “fan” part of the Fancast was not happy. The good folks gathered about the bar at Jimmy Mac’s, most wearing Phillies jerseys, were grumbling about everything from the weather (there were snow showers earlier in the day), to a lack of hitting, to Ben Francisco butchering a ball in right field. Forget his bat, he’s not exactly Jayson Werth with the glove either.
One fan actually again offered the opinion that Charlie Manuel should be fired. Yep, on Opening Day.
Then a funny thing happened. The Phils rapped out six singles and rallied to win in dramatic fashion, 5-4. They haven’t looked back.
The Phillies swept the Astros, getting two more strong starts from Cliff Lee and Roy Oswalt. To find the last time the Phils swept a three-game season at home, you have to go back to the last century.
It might sound a bit early, but that ninth-inning rally on Friday just might have reversed this team’s fortunes – and maybe their season.
Manuel would have faced some pointed questions about his lineup and decision to lift Halladay early. But all that was washed away by a ninth inning rally.
No rallies were needed Saturday or Sunday, as the Phils offense peppered Citizens Bank Park with base hits. Ryan Howard went yard yesterday. The slugger, who usually heats up when the weather does, is off to a sizzling start. Howard is seven for 13, with six runs batted in.
If the Phils run away with the National League East again, remember that ninth-inning rally on opening day. That’s where it all started.
Bring on the Mets.
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