Phillies-Dodgers: Game Four Victory Was a Breath of Air Freshener

On Saturday night, the dead silence that crept into the room after our closer’s second blown save was stirred by a familiar sound. 

My son ripped a dinger like a pop from a cork gun. 

“Do you mind,” I whined. “I’m mourning here!”

It smelled like his gas passed by something dead.

Actually something did die, but it wasn’t stowed within the stinky confines of a 10-year-old.  It was the confidence in a man we call, “Lights Out Lidge.”

When it comes to his closer, Charlie Manuel must feel like a frat boy in the wee hours of the morning: drunk and desperate.  I’d hate to see him make a coyote-ugly decision but fortunately he wasn’t forced to Sunday night. Most improved pitcher of the game, Chan Ho Park, jogged in from the bullpen and did his job.

How hard was that?

Very, considering the drama that led up to it.

Park’s performance in the past rivaled a reality show. He was promised a shot at a rotation spot that he earned but couldn’t keep.  Then to make it clear he intended to start, he stunk in the bullpen too.

That type of reasoning defies common sense like the logic of the Octomom.  And Park’s pitching smelled like her diaper pail.

Like the suspense surrounding a surprisingly negative EPT, hopefully he’s put that drama behind him.

My sweet center fielder was back in form. “Shane” it great? Victorino stirred things up with his enthusiasm and his drive, promoting Dodger prejudice by going 2-for-5 to score once and drive in 2 RBI.

I missed his smile.

Do you get the feeling Carlos Ruiz is pretending he’s back in little league?  Yahoo Sports listed him as the Phil’s top batter of the game.  Yes, our Carlos Ruiz. His offensive success this season is as surprising as a cowboy at a debutant ball. His 2009 contract might imply that he doesn’t belong in the .300 club, but he doesn’t know that yet.

Like I tell my son when I ding a car in a parking lot, “Don’t say a word.”

Jimmy Rollins gets my most improved batter of the night. That doesn’t get him a page in my Phillie “Playmate of the Week” calendar, but he earns a big gold star.  The place it adorns will be shared privately.  

Joe Morgan of ESPN helped us discover why Jimmy has looked like he was shooting clay pigeons instead of getting base hits.  And as if Joe sent a message to the dugout, J Ro stepped to the plate and corrected the problem.

Maybe Jimmy will share his process with me. I have a lot of problems.  You’re reading about a few of them here.

Did you know Bill Lyons did a guest editorial in the Sunday Inquirer?  I miss Billy the Kid. It was a great column relishing in the celebration around Raul Ibanez. I love relish and I love celebrating. Bill might be a retired Inquirer columnist but he hasn’t lost his love for the Phillies.

Neither have I.  The Phightin’s split the series with possibly the best team in the majors.  The big question is: Could we have done it against Manny Ramirez? ESPN claims the Dodgers earn only another .7 runs per game with Man-tics by their side. If that’s the case, we’d have still split the series. Let’s see what power Manny has when he’s not ovulating.

And let’s not overlook that his replacement, Juan Pierre, hasn’t exactly made them easy to beat.  Also, Manny wasn’t the man who helped blow both saves.  I think the Phillies should pat themselves on the back for a job well done.

Tuesday, JA Happ goes up against the Met’s Johan Santana. You’d think ace against ace would be Cole Hamels versus the great Santana, but Happ-y’s quickly proving he belongs in the rotation. I don’t mean to discount King Cole’s complete game reign over the Dodgers, but he’s got some youngin’s nipping at his heals.

So, Tuesday marks the start of an intense series against a despicable foe.

Like I always say, “Fight nice, boys.”

Go Phils!