For seven innings there was nothing to say about this game. Blanton was awful, the bullpen was awful, and Dodger starter Clayton Kershaw was poised to win a rare one against the Phillies. (Kershaw, by the bye, finally looks to be coming into his own.) Then trailing 9-2 in the bottom of the 8th, the Phillies strung some hits together to make it 9-6.
Hope, huh, especially against the hard-throwing Jonathan Broxton in the 9th, the same closer the Phillies have memorably traumatized in the past. Broxton started off by hitting Polanco and walking Sweeney and Werht. He then got Francisco to hit a grounder to third but third baseman Casey Blake booted the ball and a chance at a doubleplay. Instead, two runs scored on the error.
The Phillies had now cut the lead to one, without the benefit of a hit and with a man on first and second and still nobody out. That brought the man they now call Clooch to the plate. Without doubt, Carlos Ruiz, otherwise known as Chooch, has been the Phillies most clutch hitter all season. He delivered the first and final hit of the game, lifting a double to deep left center. Werth and Franxisco flew around the bases and the Phillies had, most improbably--or not--, come back to stun the Dodgers and take two of three in the series.
