The Philadelphia Phillies earned a return ticket to the World Series last night for the first time since 1993, as Cole Hamels turned in another dominant performance in a 5-1 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Just as he did in the clinching game against the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLDS, Jimmy Rollins led off the game with a homer, and the Phillies were off and running from there. With the NLCS MVP on the mound, it was lights out for the Dodgers. The lefty pitched seven innings of five-hit ball, allowing just one run and striking out five.
The Phillies will be making their sixth appearance in the Fall Classic, and the franchise will be looking for its second championship. A Phillies title would end a 25-year championship drought for the city's four major sports, as no professional team in Philadelphia has won it all since the 76ers won the NBA title in 1983.
The loss ends a great run by a Dodgers team that was not even expected to advance into the playoffs. Aided by a terrible collapse by the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Dodgers won only 88 games en route to capturing the NL West. But they pulled together in September behind a stingy pitching staff and an offensive resurgence led by Manny Ramirez, and the team was able to dominate it series with the Cubs en route to a three-game sweep. The team will now turn its attention to resigning Manny Ramirez, who is reportedly seeking a four-to-five year HUGE deal.
So will the Phillies find out tonight who their opponent will be in the Fall Classic? The Tampa Bay Rays have a chance to close out their ALCS series with the Boston Red Sox tonight in Fenway Park, as Scott Kazmir--not James Shields--will throw against Daisuke Matsuzaka. Something tells me this series is going back to Tampa.
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