If I'm up there, I'll be at the ballgames more than the Pride events. Priorities, you know.

Phils at Marlins this weekend: it's Florida's last stand. They have to sweep to maintain any hope of a playoff spot. Even losing just one game leaves them 4.5 back of the Phils with 7 left. They'd also need the Mets and Brewers to lose as well. The Brewers are doing just that, of course...

Believe it or not, I'm going to the Marlins - Phollies game tonight - with two trannies and a dwarf!! I'm the designated driver. It's gonna be a long night. Go, Fish.....

Obviously.

I didn't see the game tonight as I was at my softball league's awards banquet (I won a door prize!) but from what I read it was pretty crappy. The Phils have gone from a half-game lead to a two-game lead. They just switched categories.

And now they've switched again -- the Phils are back in first in the division while the Mets lead the wild card. It's increasingly likely that both will make the playoffs. I didn't think that was possible but even with Sabathia the Brewers have collapsed.

The NL East winner will play the Dodgers (unless they flop and let Arizona slip ahead) and the wild card winner will play the Cubs.

Brad Lidge got save number 40 and the Phillies finally did away with those pesky Marlins. Sometimes Lidge reminds me of Mitch Williams with his ninth inning heroics, except that he always gets the save. So a 1 1/2 game lead with six games left to play.

I'm much more confident about Lidge than I ever was about Mitch Williams.

Magic numbers: 4 to clinch a playoff spot, 6 to win the division.

The Brewers finally won today and gained a game on the Mets thanks to yet another bullpen flop.

Solid outing by JA Happ + 3 run bomb by Burrell in the eighth = another step closer to the division crown, nuff said!

Magic numbers: 3 for the playoffs, 4 for the division.

They've changed Saturday's game to a 3:55 pm game for Fox. (I have a ticket for the Temple football game, which is a 2 pm start -- but the Phils game that day is sold out. Maybe I'll find a way to sneak across the street. ;-) ) It might be raining, though. Friday looks like a rainy day and it might linger into Saturday, so it'll be interesting to see how things play out.

Of course, in an ideal world they clinch everything tomorrow night. Fingers crossed. I'm still amazed at the last 12 days -- from 3.5 back in the division and 4 back in the wild card to where they are now.

Wow. The Phillies dodged a huge bullet thanks to the Cubs. A Mets win tonight would've meant that NY could win their last 4 games and at least force a playoff for the NL East no matter what the Phils do this weekend. Now the Phils' fate is still in their hands. But they've got problems. All of a sudden Myers has gone off the rails again his last 2 starts. Hamels seems to be wearing down and more than likely will have to pitch Sunday instead of being rested for game 1 of the division series. Blanton and Old Man Moyer are gonna have to come up big in the first 2 games vs. Washington.

A little bit of fun going into this just-win-and-end-it weekend.

The magic number is ONE!!!! If the Phils can clinch it tomorrow they can hold Hamels back until game 1 of the NLDS. Fingers crossed.

I may try to get down there tomorrow morning to buy a standing-room-only ticket, since it's already sold out and I'll be at the Flyers game at the Spectrum tomorrow anyway. If not, I'll have to get to a TV right away after hockey.

joe, phillyrunner, etc, congratulations guys.

lidge is amazing.

Thanks Santana57, I am amazed Lidge has been perfect in save opportunities, especially on days like today when when he adds drama to the ninth inning. Tommorrow I will go to the last game of the regular season and won't be biting my nails. I suspect alot of regulars will get the day off.

Thanks, santana.



No doubt about that. Enjoy Kyle Kendrick tomorrow. Wow. I got a standing-room ticket. Never in my life have I been so happy to be on my feet for so long. I felt like they were going to rip my heart out in that 9th inning. When Zimmerman hit that ball back through the middle I was in pain. When Rollins made the diving stop I started yelling "GET IT! GET IT! GET IT!" as in "get the double play."

They got it.

This was today's starting lineup. Yikes!

1. So Taguchi, LF
2. Eric Bruntlett, SS
3. Tadahito Iguchi, 2B
4. Geoff Jenkins, RF
5. Chris Coste, 1B
6. Mike Cervenak, 3B
7. Greg Golson, CF
8. Lou Marson, C
9. Kyle Kendrick, RHP

But they won so impressively that Washington fired 5 of their coaches. (Actually, they were told before the game that they wouldn't be back in 2009.)

Congrats to U.S. Olympian Lou Marson, who homered in his first major league game.

Bring on the Brewers!

Ryan Howard, NL Player of the Month for September.

Brad Lidge, NL Comeback Player of the Year.

Those awards are deserved.

Wow, where are all the thread-specific congrats to the Phillies and their fans on their having won the National League pennant? Congrats to a great run and to returning to the World Series after a 28-year-wait. I guess if the White Sox and Red Sox could break their droughts over the last decade, then the Phillies might also have a chance. (The Cubs are another story altogether.)

Any thoughts on how the Phillies match up against either the Red Sox or the likely winners of the AL pennant, the Tampa Bay Rays?

UPDATED: I see the congrats are on the pennant thread. Cool.

It's only (only!?!) been 15 years since the Phils were in the World Series. It's been 28 years since they won it.