Phillies feeling it at the brink of a Series title

Joe Blanton is congratulated by his mates not for his pitching, but for a home run in the fifth. (Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press)

PHILADELPHIA - The pitch was thrown, and blasted back. The towels waved, and suddenly a repeat of 1980 was getting closer.

No, not Joe Blanton's home run. Not the one by the Phillies' starter, the first by a pitcher in the World Series since 1974, and the first of Blanton's career. It was Ryan Howard's blast, which landed in the left-field seats in the fourth inning last night.

That was the one that brought the 45,903 in Citizens Bank Park upright, to the realization they were almost a win away from a World Series title. Blanton's simply brought them from exhilaration to hysteria.

Then Howard did it again, capping the scoring in the Phillies' 10-2 Game 4 win over the Rays. It was a game that started close, then got away from the Rays in the eighth when Jayson Werth's two-run shot and Howard's second, also a two-run shot, doubled the deficit for the Rays.

"To be able to have two home runs in the World Series, I think that's the kind of stuff you dream of when you're a teenager," said Howard, who had five RBIs. "You want to win, also, but being able to do something like that and just help my team win, it's a great feeling."

And now the Phillies have their ace, Cole Hamels, on the mound tonight. As Jimmy Rollins said, "the lights will be on, and he will be ready."

Perhaps the Phillies might not have to return to Florida after all. Because the victory, the Phillies' second straight, at home leaves them just one win away from the championship.

"Right now, this is where we want to be," said Howard. "Up three games to one, at home, got a chance to try to close it out here in Philadelphia."

By the sixth inning, it seemed not only that Blanton was on his way to everlasting devotion among Phillies fans, but even the Phillie Phanatic was indicating he wasn't worthy of the man on the mound. Blanton fanned seven and allowed four hits in his six innings.

Blanton and Howard had put the Phillies in this position. They had put the Rays in this position. And that was what mattered.

"I was like, I'm in trouble," said Rollins, who was on deck when Blanton connected. "He's jogging and I was like, 'He knows he got that, doesn't he?' Everything is going in slow motion. His first home run in the World Series."

Added Howard, "I jumped up too fast. I almost passed out."

Though it had seemed the Phillies were outmatched before the series started, they split Games 1 and 2 at Tropicana Field and managed to take early leads in their home ballpark. First was a three-run cushion that became a ninth-inning win in Game 3, then there was a 5-1 lead in the fourth inning of Game 4. Philadelphia was getting the timely hits and the pitchers were still holding down the Rays' Nos. 3 and 4 hitters, with Carlos Peña and Evan Longoria a combined 0 for 29 with 15 strikeouts over the first four games.

It was Howard, whose solo homer had gotten the Phillies their fourth run Saturday. It was different last night, with runners on first and second base, both coming home as the ball he hit settled into the left field stands. The Phillies had something of a comfortable lead, with Blanton dealing.

It was a blowout win for the Phillies. But it was not without controversy. Not only was Rollins called safe at third base on a fielder's choice when replays clearly showed he was out, but Rays manager Joe Maddon also called attention to a dark spot on Blanton's hat during the game. Blanton called the spot "nothing."

On the Rollins play, the Phillies ended up scoring their first run, before doubling their lead in the third, helped by an Akinori Iwamura error. Then came the homers, first Howard, then Blanton, then Werth, then Howard again.

Carl Crawford got the Rays on the board with a solo home run in the fourth inning. Eric Hinske later followed, in his first postseason at-batwith a pinch hit homer for Sonnanstine in the fifth.

The Rays did have another chance in this game. In the seventh, Phillies manager Charlie Manuel used four pitchers, it was Ryan Madson who finally ended the inning by striking out B.J. Upton. That strikeout, on an 81-mile-per-hour changeup, came with men on first and second, and ended one of Tampa's best opportunities.

But the Rays didn't look like the same aggressive team they had been in this postseason. There might have been carryover from Saturday night's Game 3. There might have been too much Howard.

Or too much Blanton.

"My job's not to go out and hit home runs or get hits, my job is to go out and throw the ball well and give our team a chance to win," said Blanton. "And when you get the applause coming off the mound from pitching, you kind of get that sense of I've done my job for the day, and have given our team a chance to win."

Of course, he also happened to mention that his approach to hitting involved closing his eyes and swinging as hard as he can, just in case he makes contact. So when did he finally open his eyes.

"I think," Blanton said, "when I had to throw the next warmup pitch in the next inning."