Phillies Complete Improbable Comeback, Stun Mets In Extras

Ahh, what a game.

I just returned from Citizens Bank Park, where I watched the Phillies overcome a seven-run deficit to down the Mets, 8-7, in 13 innings Tuesday night/Wednesday morning.

Chris Coste came through with a walk-off single to put the Phillies back in first place by a half-game in the NL East

So, how did this magical night unfold?

Well, read a newspaper or watch ESPN because I'm not going to give you ALL the highlights. Here's the skinny...

The Mets slammed starting pitcher Jamie Moyer for six runs in three innings. They added a run in the fourth inning to go up 7-0...

The Phillies gradually chipped away. Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard each belted two-run homers. The Phillies trailed by a run going into the ninth inning.

Pat Burrell has been labeled a Mets killer in his career (oh yeah, he was 0-for-7 on this night)...but the new Mets killers are Jayson Werth and Shane Victorino, I do believe...

I'll explain why in a second...

The Mets' dreaded bullpen reared its ugly head after the Phillies knocked out Pedro Martinez (4 2/3 innings, five runs allowed). I caught a Pedro soundbite moments ago. He said something like this ...and I'm paraphrasing:

The Phillies have a distinct advantage at Citizens Bank Park because the place is a bandbox.

End paraphrasing...

Sounds like Pedro is bitter. Ok Pedro, perhaps you didn't take notice at the stat sheet... but you blew it, buddy. Don't try to excuse your rapidly declining skill by blaming the ballpark. The Phillies touched you up and it was absolutely legitimate. Rollins and Howard hit home runs that would have gone a far way in any park. And in case you didn't notice, Pedro, there was absolutely NO WIND EFFECT AT ALL!!! Otherwise, Burrell's long fly ball in the ninth or 10th inning would have ended the game...
The Phillies' park gets its reputation because of all the open space in center field, thus allowing the northeast winds to play a role in most games (i.e. mother nature tends to carry balls far)...

I understand CBP is hitter-friendly, but in my mind, it's not the be all and end all. Pedro Martinez simply coughed up a seven-run lead(well, most of it, anyhow). It's not like the Phils hit seven home runs to win the game, Pedro. Get over the fact that you are a five-inning pitcher... and you didn't even last that long!!!

Ok, sorry for the tangent...

So, about the Victorino and Werth Mets-killing statement I made earlier...

Luis Ayala had two outs in the ninth inning when Werth singled to keep the game alive. It came with two strikes. The last time Werth was in that situation against the Mets, he homered off Billy Wagner to send the game into extras. The Phillies lost eventually... but I thought it was kind of ironic to see Werth keeping things alive against those hated Metskis...

Anyways, as it turned out, Eric Bruntlett hit a double to the gap to score Werth. The Phillies had mutliple chances to win the game in extras against Aaron Heilman (how the hell did he wind up pitching three scoreless innings???).

Finally, in the 13th, Victorino led off the frame with a triple against Scott Schoeneweis, who issued back-to-back intentional walks to Werth and Bruntlett to get to the pinch hitter... Brett Myers...

Myers was instructed to take every pitch because of fear he would ground into a 5-1-3 double play... or something like that...

...I have to stop right there to go on another tangent....

I just caught the end of the Charlie Manuel press conference. The few Media members in attendance asked about the Myers at-bat. Manuel, who is never mistaken to be the wittiest guy in the world, said of Myers, "I said to him after, 'you see, you can take orders.'" Hahaha... umm, Myers and Manuel got into a heated exchange a few weeks back, so that's why it was funny... if you care...

OK, back to the game. So Myers struck out and up came Chris Coste, who promptly hit a shot way over Carlos Beltran's head to end the game. Wouldn't have mattered if it were caught because all the Phils needed was a sac fly...

So all is well that ends well... and at the start, I thought the Phillies wouldn't end well. I was reminded by the kind Mets fan next to me (what, did I just say that???) about the Phillies' penchant for rallying against the Mets... no matter the score.

"And you do know our bullpen is horseshit, right?," said the lovely, adorable, cute, cuddly and super cool Mets fan.

Sure enough, he had a point...