Welcome back Jamie Moyer!

After two horrible outings in his previous two playoff starts this postseason, Moyer pitched 6 1/3 strong innings against the Tampa Bay Rays, allowing just three runs on five hits with five strikeouts. Despite a rain delay of nearly an hour and a half, it was a game that was definitely worth the wait.

Chase Utley got the scoring going early with a ground out RBI to first, scoring Jimmy Rollins. One of the best things to come out of last night was the ability of the top of the order to get things going and get on base. Rollins and Jayson Werth went a combined three for six with a run and two walks. Three different innings, either Rollins or Werth led off by getting on base, including the all important ninth.

The Rays got the run back, however, in the top of the second, after Carl Crawford doubled to left, stole third, and scored on a sacrifice fly to center. The Phillies went back on top in the bottom of the inning off a solo shot by Carlos Ruiz, and Moyer came back out the next inning and set them down 1-2-3.

Neither team would score again until the bottom of the sixth inning when Chase Utley and Ryan Howard led off with back-to-back solo homeruns. That put the Phillies up 4-1, and with the way Moyer was dealing, many of us frigid fans at Citizens Bank Park thought that the Phillies were in a great position to win their first World Series game since 1993.

Moyer, however, ran into some trouble in the seventh inning. Crawford reached first on a bunt single that was a nothing more than a terribly blown call by the first base umpire, which is starting to become a recurring theme in this series. Crawford bunted down the first base line. Moyer caught the ball on the ground and threw the ball to first right out of his glove, diving to the ground in the process. Moyer got Crawford by a half a step, which was later confirmed by replay, but the ump called him safe anyway. Crawford moved up to third on a Dioner Navarro double. Gabe Gross grounded out to first, scoring Crawford and moving Navarro to third. Charlie Manuel then brought in Chad Durbin, as Moyer walked to the dugout as a packed Citizen’s Bank Park gave him a well deserved standing ovation.

Durbin got Jason Bartlett to ground out, scoring Navarro. He then walked Willie Aybar. Manuel then brought in Scott Eyre to face Akinori Iwamura, who promptly struck out. Phillies up 4-3 at the stretch.

The Phillies were unable to score against submariner Chad Bradford in the bottom of the inning. Ryan Madson came in to pitch the top of the eighth for the Phillies. BJ Upton led off with an infield single that Rollins was unable to handle. Upton would steal second after a Carlos Pena strikeout. Upton then stole third. The speedy centerfielder got such a good jump that Ruiz had virtually no way of throwing him out under the best of circumstances. By throwing the ball into left field, Ruiz instead allowed Upton to tie the game. The Phillies would get out of the rest of the inning unscathed.

The Phillies were again unable to score in the bottom of the eighth. JC Romero, brought in in the eighth for a one pitch out, stayed on to pitch the ninth. He would set down the Rays in order with a strikeout and two ground outs.

The Phillies came to bat in the bottom of the ninth around 1:45 AM. It was cold, it was wet, it was windy and it was late. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, this team is tough; they are gritty; they are never say die.

Eric Bruntlett started things off by getting hit. He would then move up to second on a wild pitch by Rays reliever Grant Balfour and then move up to third on a throwing error by Navarro. Rays’ manager Joe Maddon then called for the intentional walk of red hot Shane Victorino, as well as Greg Dobbs, to load the bases for Ruiz.

After scoring the Phillies first run, and then blowing the lead with his blown throw to third in an attempt to catch Upton stealing, Ruiz was in a perfect position to put things back in the positive balance for himself. The Phillies had the bases loaded with no outs. Just as long as Ruiz made contact out of the infield, the Phillies would win. Unless, of course, Ruiz grounds down the third base line and Evan Longoria throws the ball away, ensuring that Bruntlett scores the winning run.

It was a great game, not just to attend, and not just because it put the Phillies one win closer to their first World Series championship in 28 years, but because Jamie Moyer really deserved it. Moyer is not only the oldest active player in the majors, who happens to be playing in his first World Series, but he grew up as a long suffering Phillies fan. Moyer is the only member of the current team who attended the parade for the 1980 championship team. Moyer is a true baseball gentleman, and it was great to see him succeed Saturday.

The Phillies look take a commanding 3-1 series lead Sunday night as Joe Blanton faces off against Andy Sonnanstine.