Belief propels Phillies to repeat pennant

Last wednesday evening, driving down Interstate 95 to Citizens Bank Park, I was filled with a sense of indescribable excitement. For a diehard Philadelphia Phillies fan and a huge fan of baseball in general, the circumstances couldn’t have been more perfect: It was Game 5 of the National League Championship Series, and the Phillies were playing the Los Angeles Dodgers. Up 3-1 in the series, the Phillies would be headed to their second straight World Series if they won Game 5.

For as long as I can remember, I’d always wanted to go to a playoff baseball game. So, jumping on the opportunity last Monday night, I placed a bid on two tickets for Game 5. My dad is the person who initially got me interested in sports, so I knew that if I won the tickets, I would want him to attend the game with me. My dad had trusted my judgment in the bidding process, allowing me to make last-second decisions about where we would sit and how much we would spend.

While sitting in class last Wednesday morning, I found out that I won the auction. It took all my willpower not to jump out of my seat in utter excitement. (Luckily, I refrained.) I called my dad immediately after class.

Sure, I’ve been to big sporting events before, including two National Football Conference Championship games for the Philadelphia Eagles. (The Eagles lost both those games.) But nothing could have prepared me for the electrifying atmosphere I encountered on Wednesday. As my dad and I approached the left-field gate of Citizens Bank Park, I felt right at home. The familiar smells of cheesesteaks and beer pervaded the air and welcomed us to the stadium. Having been responsible for the bidding, I was anxious to see how good our seats actually were. Upon entering the stadium, we found our seats: Section 244 of the Scoreboard Pavilion. My dad turned to me and said, “Not bad!” and gave me a high-five. We were close enough to the field that we didn’t need binoculars.

Close enough, in fact, that throughout the game, we could taunt Dodgers left-fielder Manny Ramirez with chants of “He’s on steroids!” and “Take a shower!” (The latter chant refers to the fact that, during the ninth inning of Game 4, Ramirez was already in the shower, unaware that Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins had won the game in the bottom of the ninth with a walk-off hit.)

Watching a playoff baseball game at the ballpark was like nothing I had ever experienced. Every pitch, every signal from the catcher, every called strike from the umpire — all seemed magnified in importance. Watching on television, it’s easy to lose track of what baseball is actually about. But at the stadium, I fell head over heels in love with the sport again.

Baseball is about getting chills down your spine as you watch your favorite player come to the plate at a pivotal moment in a game, praying that he can get a hit to put your team ahead. Above all, baseball is about belief. Last Wednesday night, the 46,000-plus fans at Citizens Bank Park believed in the Phillies. And the Phillies believed in themselves. Which is why they have had so much success this season.

Now, the actual game. The Dodgers took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning when rightfielder Andre Ethier hit a solo home run off Phillies’ starting pitcher Cole Hamels. I immediately thought, “Uh oh, tonight is not the night for Cole to not be on his game!” But, as has often happened for the Phillies this season, their potent offense would come to the rescue.

In the bottom of the first, after second baseman Chase Utley and first baseman Ryan Howard drew walks off former Phillies pitcher Vincente Padilla, rightfielder Jayson Werth blasted a three-run shot out of the ballpark and gave the Phillies a 3-1 lead. This was the pivotal turning point in the game. The stadium atmosphere was exhilarating from this point on.

Though the Phillies are the defending World Series champions, and though the 10-4 final score seems convincing, I firmly believe that it isn’t over until the proverbial fat lady sings. The Dodgers certainly made the game interesting and tense at certain points in the game: Pinch-hitter Orlando Hudson hit a solo homer off Hamels in the fifth inning to make the score 6-3 and cut the Phillies’ lead in half.

But again, the Phillies’ offense responded with long bombs of their own. In the bottom of the sixth, centerfielder Shane Victorino hit a two-run shot, giving the Phillies a five-run lead. Werth extended this lead to 9-3 later in the sixth inning.

The Dodgers, however, wouldn’t go away just yet. Facing elimination, they gave everything they had. The Phillies had gone through three relief pitchers since Hamels left the game in the fifth inning: Chad Durbin, Chan Ho Park and now Ryan Madson. When Madson took the mound, the first batter he faced was Ramirez. Amid deafening boos, Ramirez drew a walk, which loaded the bases. Then, centerfielder Matt Kemp singled to center, driving in one run for the Dodgers and making the score 9-4. Luckily for the Phillies, Madson settled down. He got three consecutive batters out after that, ending the inning and the Dodgers’ hopes of a comeback in the process.

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In the top of the ninth, closer Brad Lidge, who had been shaky during the regular season, continued his excellent postseason form. When Victorino caught the final out, the stadium exploded into cheers. Everyone in my section was high-fiving and hugging each other. Chants of “Bring on the Yankees!” filled the stadium as the Phillies accepted their second Warren C. Giles Trophy in a row.

In sports, there are certain moments that we will never forget. That’s the ultimate beauty of athletics. I’m extremely proud to say that I was in attendance when the Phillies clinched their second consecutive NL title. Not an easy feat to accomplish when you think about it.

With the Yankees on the horizon in the World Series, who knows what might happen next? But one thing is certain: I get chills every time I think about what I witnessed last Wednesday night.