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Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Brad Lidge celebrates after his team captured the NL East title Wednesday.
AP photo
The illuminated numbers on the right field fence showed the Atlanta Braves were losing big, which meant the Philadelphia Phillies were going to win another division title.
A full house of towel-waving fans at Citizens Bank didn’t care about that.
They came out to watch the Phillies win the National League East title on the field Wednesday night, not on the out-of-town scoreboard.
So they roared with every Pedro Martinez pitch, and made the place shake with anticipation over the slightest hint of a Phillies rally.
And suddenly, it seemed like the 2008 postseason all over again.
Suddenly, the Phillies started to play like it.
They were trailing the Houston Astros, 3-1, in the fourth inning, and Pedro – just back from a neck injury that kept him out a start – was struggling. He gave up two solo homers to J.R. Towles after escaping all kinds of problems in another first inning where he surrendered a run.
This happened as the Phillies announced the season was over for 45-year-old Jamie Moyer, who tore abdominal and hip muscles pitching in relief Tuesday.
The season was only starting for the rest of the Phils.
Their slugging first baseman Ryan Howard laced a wicked RBI single down the right field line, Houston pitcher Brian Moehler threw away a hopper to the mound, and the game was even again in the bottom of the fourth. Catcher Pedro Feliz didn’t need a grand slam this time to get the crowd juiced, just a long double to center field that scored Raul Ibanez for a 5-3 Phillies lead.
An inning later, back-to-back triples by Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino pretty much polished off Philadelphia’s third straight National League East title and ignited a frenzy, the whipping towels making Citizens Bank Park look like an all-white Beaver Stadium on a college football Saturday night.
“These fans are so incredible,” Phillies beleaguered closer Brad Lidge said after polishing off a 10-3 victory over the Astros. “Every time you go out there, they make you feel like a million bucks.”
Even the Liberty Bell got into the act, lighting up while swaying to the thunderous beat that erupted after left fielder Ibanez crushed his career-high 34th homer, driving the Phillies into position to defend last year’s World Championship.
The Braves came back, but not enough, losing 5-4. So the Phillies would have pulled on those divisional championship T-shirts either way. They just fit a lot better with a Phillies victory.
“I wasn’t even aware of what was going on (with the Braves),” Ibanez said. “I was only aware of this: we HAD to win this game. You’ll take it any way you can. But you want to get it yourself.”
Even Lidge, who’s been far from the sure thing he was last year while blowing 11 saves, got the job done. After running in from the bullpen, he needed just one 94-mph fastball to finish the game and send the crowd into a frenzy and the Phillies into a champagne celebration.
“The big thing is getting in,” Ibanez said. “Once you get to the dance, you’ve got a chance.”
Opportunity came a little earlier for the Phillies this year. For once, they didn’t need to go all the way to the final weekend to stake their claim to the division. They pounded it out by rapping out five extra-base hits while wrapping up another playoff spot on the last day of September.
The calendar in Philadelphia never looked more ready for October.