24 hours ago, it seemed as if all of Philadelphia was concerned about the Phillies. They had been playing badly, giving up leads, not getting hits, and just not looking like the defending WFCs.
Fast forward to today, and all of a sudden the mood in this city has changed dramatically in regards to the Fightins.
J.A. Happ pitched a good game, save for 2 pitches. Pete Happy knocked the team’s 11th grand slam of the season, extending the franchise record. Jamie Moyer came in and settled things down after Happ gave up the 3 run HR before falling victim to the CBP pitching mound, which also claimed an Astros pitcher. The biggest surprise was Ryan Madson coming in and nailing down a 6 out save, which for a struggling bullpen, is a great sign.
With the win last night, all talk about the Phillies possibly pulling a 1964 seems to have evaporated. With their magic number down to 1, all the Phillies need is one win in their last five games, or one Atlanta loss in their last five to win the NL East for the 3rd consecutive season. Those 3 straight would be the second time the franchise has won 3 straight division titles. The Phillies also accomplished that from 1976 to 1978.
No one could have guessed back in April that the Phillies would be sending out Pedro Martinez on September 30th with a chance to clinch the National League East. This has been a hell of a season for this team, and hopefully, they’re just getting started.
