The bell was still until the 9th, when Matt Stairs, then Ryan Howard lit it up. Ding-dong! Ding-dong!
Cole Hamels gave up two home runs in the first last night, then another in the second to give the Pirates a 5-0 lead. Fast forward to the 9th, with the Phillies down 7-3. Matt Stairs led off with a mammoth pinch-hit homer, which looked like window dressing till Ryan Howard tied it up with a 3-run shot. Raul Ibanez, in his first game off the DL, then doubled and pretty soon the Phillies had the bases loaded with one out for back-up catcher Paul Bako. He singled to left, giving the Phillies the 8-7 win. A totally amazing comeback. Minutes after the Bako single, it started raining.
Ibanez had two doubles and an RBI and scored the winning run. Rollins stole three bases. Jack Wilson, Bucco shortstop, made a spectacular sliding catch in left, then somehow managed to double Rollins off first in the defensive play of the game.
I confess that I left after the 7th because of a deadline, then spent almost an inning and a half wandering the parking lot in search of the car. I finally got on my way as the Pirates were making out in the 9th and listened to the drama unfold on radio. A stunning rainstorm, with lightning forking from the sky, provided the backdrop all the way home.
Vice-president Joe Biden, a lifelong Phillies fan, and his wife watched the whole game from seats behind home plate. What a game!
