Good things come to those who wait; Rollins gives Phillies commanding NLCS lead

Jimmy Rollins was the hero on this night (AP Photo)

Jimmy Rollins hits walk off hit to give Phillies 3-1 lead in series

There were reports of Phillies fans leaving early last night. Why? Did they not know that there is a not a team in the sport that plays all 27 outs the way the Phillies do?

Down 4-3 going into the bottom of the ninth inning the Phillies used everything they could to put together an improbably rally against the Dodgers lock down closer, Jonathan Broxton. With one out to spare Jimmy Rollins connected for an extra base hit that drove home Eric Bruntlett for the game tying run and Carlos Ruiz for the game winner. The win put the Phillies up 3-1 in the NLCS, setting up a shot at clinching the National League pennant at home on Wednesday night.

Rollins started the night on the right foot, smacking a line single to left field on the first pitch he saw in the game. He would score on a Ryan Howard home run later in the firts inning off of Dodgers starter Randy Wolf. Howard's home run tied the major league record for most consecutive postseason games with an run batted in with eight games. The record is shared by New York Yankee legend Lou Gehrig. With the Phillies quickly out to a 2-0 lead the crowd at Citizens Bank Park was rocking early.

Starting pitcher Joe Blanton did his job early on as well. Blanton recorded seven straight outs to start the game but ran into some trouble the second time through the Dodgers' lineup. With two outs and a runner on first Blanton was unable to retire Manny Ramirez. James Loney followed with a single to score Matt Kemp. After Ronnie Belliard walked to load the bases it was Dodgers catcher Russell Martin who gave the visiting team the lead.

The Dodgers took the lead in the fifth inning with a Kemp solo home run out of the reach of Shane Victorino over the center field wall. The lead grew to 4-2 in the sixth inning when Ramirez scored on a Casey Blake single. Having seen the momentum take a swing toward the visiting clubhouse the Phillies found a way to get back into the game in the bottom of the sixth inning. Shane Victorino hit a triple to left field (although only a triple because Ramirez was fielding the ball) after Rollins grounded out to lead off he inning. A Chase Utley single to right field brought Victorino home and cut the lead to just one run, where it would stay until the ninth inning.

The Dodgers were looking for an insurance run off of Philies reliever Scott Eyre. After Rafael Furcal singled to center field with one out Phillies manager Charlie Manuel called on Brad Lidge, who had struggled all regular season with extra concern in non-save opportunities. But none of that mattered Monday night as Lidge recorded two big outs with Furcal on third base after stealing second base and advancing on a wild pitch.

Then it was up to the Phillies offense who were going up against Dodgers closer Jonathan Broxton. Broxton had entered the game in the eighth inning and was looking for a four out save. Raul Ibanez lead off by lining out and then Manuel inserted pinch hitter Matt Stairs for Pedro Feliz. Fans clamored for a repeat of Stairs' home run off of Broxton from last year's game four in the NLCS. This time around though Stairs got the job done in a different way, by drawing a one out walk. Eric Bruntlett entered the game as a pinch runner, which is the primary reason he was added to the NLCS roster. Ruiz followed by getting hit by a Broxton pitch. With two runners on base Greg Dobbs pinch hit for Lidge, but hit a humpback liner to Dodgers third baseman Casey Blake. Then it was time for Jimmy Rollins to work his magic.

Rollins had not reached base since his base hit on the first pitch he saw in the game, but he was eager to make something happen in the ninth. He fouled off the first pitch from Broxton but took the second pitch for ball. On the 1-1 pitch from Broxton Rollins sent the ball to the gap in right center field. Brntlett easily scored from second base and Ruiz was hustling around the bases himself. By the time Ruiz had touched the third base bag the entire Phillies team had poured out of the dugout and on to the field. There was no chance of catching Ruiz at home, who scored the winning run. The mob of Phillies raced to third base to greet the hero for the game as Rollins had his fist in the air since touching second base.

The exciting come from behind victory gives the Phillies a commanding 3-1 lead in the NLCS and sets up a possible clincher at Citizens Bank Park in game five. The fifth game will not be played until Wednesday night. The Dodgers have stated that Vicente Padilla will be their starter and all signs seem to say the Phillies will go with Cole Hamels, although it is not official yet.