Stairs’ Blast Sends Phils To Brink Of NL Title
Posted by Tim Malcolm, Tue, October 14, 2008 12:11 AM | Comments: 92
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Matt Stairs has played 16 major league seasons, and at age 40, with 1,313 career hits, he had the biggest hit of his life Monday night.
Stairs exploded a Jonathan Broxton pitch into the Los Angeles night sky, delivering the two-run blow that handed the Phillies a 7-5 win over the Dodgers. The Phillies lead 3-1 in the best-of-seven National League Championship Series, and are one win away from the sixth World Series berth in franchise history.
The homer by the 40-year-old roughian capped off an incredible eighth inning. Ryan Howard sliced a base hit to bring up Shane Victorino, who hit — now — the biggest home run of his life, a two-run liner that tied the game. Carlos Ruiz — a forgotten gem — got a hit off Broxton to extend the inning, giving Stairs his shot. The man never swung it so well.
The win went to Ryan Madson, who was part of a fantastic Phillies bullpen. Around him was Scott Eyre, who fell victim to a run via a Howard error; JC Romero, who magically slung a double play in the eighth; and Brad Lidge, who worked ferociously to get out of the eighth, then mopped up the ninth with ease for his fifth postseason save.
Joe Blanton had the start and pitched well, but only got five and left with a no-decision.
Other things to write, but the crux: Stairs’ bomb put the Phils a win away. Cole Hamels takes the hill Wednesday with the pennant on the line.
Associated Press photo
Posts: 0 Dice
Matt Stairs just wrote himself into Philly’s sports history.
Posted: 12:14 AM on October 14, 2008
Posts: 0 Colin
Stairs got ALL of that one. This one’s locked up tomorrow. No way they beat King Cole.
On a side note, what is WITH the national TV coverage bias against the Phillies? Every win against the Dodgers, and its been about everything the Dodgers did to allow it to happen and then when the Dodgers did actually win yesterday the Dodgers were apparently going to the World Series. The Phils get no respect.
Posted: 12:15 AM on October 14, 2008
Posts: 0 Colin
I meant Wednesday, not tomorrow.
Posted: 12:17 AM on October 14, 2008
Posts: 1650 Tim Malcolm
Who gives a f**k about respect and exposure. We’re winning. I don’t care.
“Let the Louisvilles do the talking.” — Chollie.
Also, Stairs was kinda crying in the dugout after his blast.
Posted: 12:18 AM on October 14, 2008
Posts: 0 Lance
Yeah I totally agree, the Phillies are getting zero respect. It’s disgusting, every sports writer chose the Dodgers to win the series and now it’s not how the Phillies won the game is how the Dodgers beat themselves…unreal. One more win and it’s bye-bye LA. Let’s go Hamels!
Posted: 12:19 AM on October 14, 2008
Posts: 0 dan
dodgerblue- now I know what you meant when you said vic would hurt someone- that’s gotta hurt cory wade’s dignity.
Posted: 12:22 AM on October 14, 2008
Posts: 0 Georgie
Stairs is really being witty in the press conf.
Posted: 12:23 AM on October 14, 2008
Posts: 0 Paul
That homer by Stairs was an absolute blast! I’m really happy for him, he seems like a class guy.
Posted: 12:24 AM on October 14, 2008
Posts: 0 dan
Yeah that was actually a nice part of tonight broadcast- stairs sitting alone in the dugout and soaking in the moment
Posted: 12:27 AM on October 14, 2008
Posts: 0 Phil
I posted this in the other thread so I’ll post it here.
“Matt Stairs is now a legend in Philadelphia. I love that guy now. I’m so happy to know we’ll have him on the bench again next year.”
Posted: 12:28 AM on October 14, 2008
Posts: 0 Estebomb
I am freaking out! Amazing game! I’m so pumped that I don’t think I’m going to get to sleep tonight!
Many thanks to Shane, Stairs, Madson, Lidge and everyone for an excellent win!!!
GO PHILS!
Posted: 12:29 AM on October 14, 2008
Posts: 1650 Tim Malcolm
I like the quote about “getting your ass hammered” by Stairs, re the guys celebrating his homer. Quality.
Posted: 12:29 AM on October 14, 2008
Posts: 0 Georgie
Lidge , on being asked how they handle this pressure night after night-”most of the time we want to throw up all over ourselves”. LOL
Posted: 12:34 AM on October 14, 2008
Posts: 1650 Tim Malcolm
From ESPN News: Vic has passed Dykstra for most RBI in a postseason, with 11. Dykstra got his in 12 games in 1993. Vic has played 8 games this postseason.
Posted: 12:35 AM on October 14, 2008
Posts: 0 J-Man
Man what a huge win…I was watching flicking back and forth watch the game and Monday Night football and i turn the game back on and see they tied it up and Matt Stairs is batting with a guy and then he lauches that ball about a mile.
Posted: 12:37 AM on October 14, 2008
Posts: 0 Phil
I wonder if Mike T. still thinks this is a bad team?
Posted: 12:38 AM on October 14, 2008
Posts: 0 UTLEY4PRESIDENT
HELL YEA BABY!!! PHILLIES ARE ON TOP OF THA WORLD!!! but yea i agree man…..tim mcarver is really pissin me off….no respect for the FIGHTINS, but we’ll just see in the WORLD SERIES BABY!!!
KEEP IT UP PHILLS!!
Posted: 12:40 AM on October 14, 2008
Posts: 0 christopher
what is there to say about this team, except that they’re amazing. what a ride they’ve had us on, from an awesome season last year where they finally made the playoffs, to one win away from the world series this year. just tremendous.
Posted: 12:48 AM on October 14, 2008
Posts: 0 dan
how bout the double play utley made? Man, this team is incredible
Posted: 12:49 AM on October 14, 2008
Posts: 0 R.Mac
Matt Stairs…..Priceless
Posted: 12:49 AM on October 14, 2008
Posts: 0 Keith
yea Phillies. :D
Posted: 12:57 AM on October 14, 2008
Posts: 0 SJ Mike
I finally calmed down after massive amounts of excitement. Wow!
Posted: 12:58 AM on October 14, 2008
Posts: 0 Phil
I’d love to see them win it all. I’ve been waiting my whole life to see a championship in Philadelphia, especially a Phillies championship.
Posted: 12:58 AM on October 14, 2008
Posts: 0 MikeB
Talk about a big-time clutch home run— Stair’s bomb was it!
Posted: 01:00 AM on October 14, 2008
Posts: 0 SJ Mike
Phil, I was born December ’83, so it was several month safter the last Philly championship (Sixers), so I’m with you. I’m a bigger Phillies fan more then any of the other 3 teams, so I have been waiting my whole life too.
I was 9 the last time the Phillies were in this position.
Posted: 01:01 AM on October 14, 2008
Posts: 0 Phil
Another thing I’m excited about is that assuming the Eagles continue to shit the bed and the Phillies win the World Series, I can really see this city becoming a baseball town again. I hate the Eagles.
Posted: 01:01 AM on October 14, 2008
Posts: 0 Phil
SJ Mike, I was born 12/25/83. haha
Posted: 01:02 AM on October 14, 2008
Posts: 0 MikeB
So was Vic’s home run.
Posted: 01:02 AM on October 14, 2008
Posts: 0 SJ Mike
Phil, I have 4 days on you! I’m 12/21/83
Posted: 01:03 AM on October 14, 2008
Posts: 0 SJ Mike
Haha, that’s great, man! We’ve been suffering almost the same identical amount of time.
Although I am a huge Eagles fan also, however, the Phillies are far and away number one in my heart forever.
Posted: 01:04 AM on October 14, 2008
Posts: 0 Babe Ruth Disguised As Matt Stairs? | Blogbdon
[...] the Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers this evening by a score of 7-5, as Matt Stairs capped a four-run Phillies 8th inning with a towering home run off of Dodgers closer Jonathan Broxton, the first home run he’s given up in L.A. since July [...]
Posted: 01:07 AM on October 14, 2008
Posts: 0 Phil
I hate football. I especially hate the Eagles. I think I hate the Eagles because of how the people of this city worship them, even when they have another team that is about to go to a championship. It pisses me off when you’re listening to 610 in June the day after the Phils win a big game, and you hear some asshole call up to talk about the Eagles.
Posted: 01:07 AM on October 14, 2008
Posts: 0 SJ Mike
Phil, I can totally understand that. There’s a lot of football nuts out there. I like football, but I love baseball more.
I love the Eagles, don’t get me wrong, but I live or die much more with the Phillies.
I don’t listen to WIP or any of that stuff. The most I do with local Philly coverage is Daily News Live on CSN, but that’s the most I can stomach.
Posted: 01:11 AM on October 14, 2008
Posts: 0 George
I know I haven’t made any of the DC viewing parties, but I’m going to be in the city on Wednesday for softball. The field is like 5 blocks from Capitol Lounge. I’m going to convince my team to drink there afterward. Dooo it.
Posted: 01:20 AM on October 14, 2008
Posts: 0 Sam
Who Gibson? This one had loss written all over it…I was watching at the bar and the guy behind me says “Shane Victorino 2 run home run!” And on the TV i’m watching, its 10 seconds behind and I think “Jesus, don’t jinx him!”
This would be complete if I knew where to find Harry Kalas’ home run calls.
Posted: 01:39 AM on October 14, 2008
Posts: 0 ActuallyChilled
yea, seriously – where can we hear re broadcasts of kalas? to go the whole season with the classic philly style and then have to hear these douche bags who have no passion for your team, is like leaving our howard for the playoffs, harry is that much a part of it. and the delay factor between radio and tv, the technology sucks at this point to try and sync it up. they should have comcast broadcasts of playoff games with revenue sharing with the major networks or something… some kind of arrangement… one day it will be optional announcing through real time broadcasts, so you choose your announcer, including fan networks… some would be funny, etc. that would be like live radio stations which already exist, but for sports. someone with enough energy will for it will get it done, give it 2-5 years
Posted: 02:34 AM on October 14, 2008
Posts: 0 Phillies' Bats Come up Big ... etc. | JordanCornblog
[...] looking good for Chase Utley and crew when yours truly hit the hay last night. But 40 year old Matt Stairs’ 2-run homer put the Phillies in the win column for the 3rd time in the NLCS – and on the brink of their first [...]
Posted: 06:14 AM on October 14, 2008
Posts: 0 VA Steve
That ball Stairs hit is still on its way to Hawaii. HUGE!
Posted: 06:32 AM on October 14, 2008
Posts: 0 NJ
Remember the article after the NLDS win about Stairs feeling more like an observer that part of the team… Well Matty-boy 40 years old having been with almost half of major league baseball or not there’s no escaping he’s part of the team now and he’ll be here for at least another year.
Long-ball dependant maybe, this team could go 7 with anyone right now.
Posted: 07:57 AM on October 14, 2008
Posts: 0 Isaiah
Check out Joe Buck’s Wiki page under Major League Baseball on Fox. If they dont catch it (it’s been 25 minutes) you may like what you see.
Posted: 07:57 AM on October 14, 2008
Posts: 0 Grrrumpy Miner
You guys MUST get gyped during Christmas.Having your B-days so close together,people can combine 1 gift for 2 celebrations.Oh well.BTW….Stairs shot looks more like the NLCS turning point.One more to go and you guys can celebrate your teams championship.Good Luck tonight.BTW.Whatever happened to dodgerblue and the RedSox nation?
Posted: 08:07 AM on October 14, 2008
Posts: 0 T Marty
Joe Buck –
“Most famous for his man love expressed for Manny Ramirez
in the 2008 NLCS, Buck loves to call biased games.”
-Wiki
that’s great. Isaiah, did you write tat?
Posted: 08:21 AM on October 14, 2008
Posts: 0 No Buck
I almost peed my pants good job Isaiah!
Posted: 08:21 AM on October 14, 2008
Posts: 0 Isaiah
I may have been able to slip it in. It has been up for 50 minutes. If they remove it they are removing factual information so let’s hope it stays up.
Posted: 08:23 AM on October 14, 2008
Posts: 0 Craig
Sweet.
Hung on until just before 4am this morning. Watched as the Dodgers went 2 up in the 6th and switched off the TV.
What a shock i got this morning when i popped onto ESPN to see their front page.
Posted: 08:42 AM on October 14, 2008
Posts: 0 Greg B
That. is. hilarious.
Posted: 08:43 AM on October 14, 2008
Posts: 0 Tom
If multiple posts sorry, waited 10min to post again:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manny_Ramirez#2008_season
Posted: 08:54 AM on October 14, 2008
Posts: 0 LH
I framed this a little bit better then the way I wrote it last night:
Charlie, I was berating you last night for the insertion of Feliz & Taguchi, at a pivotal offense moment in the top of the sixth, that only gave us a tied game. Then the Dodgers came right back in the bottom of the sixth and seemed to sound victory with a two run lead of 5-3. I imagined Joe Torre was thinking about the quote of Admiral Isoruku Yamamoto, “I’m afraid we have awakened a sleeping giant and filled it with terrible resolve”, as Shane and Matt Stairs home runs flew over the Dodger Stadium wall in the top of the eighth.
I need sleep – let’s get off West Coast time Phillies!
Posted: 09:05 AM on October 14, 2008
Posts: 0 Isaiah
Before we get off west coast time, let’s wrap it up before the rest of my hair turns gray.
Posted: 09:11 AM on October 14, 2008
Posts: 0 Bill
That was the greatest win I’ve ever seen from the Phils. (yet!) I’m walking on air today. I almost went to bed after the top of the 7th. But I said, no, I’ll hang in, sleep can wait, I can survive on 3 hours. I would have been seriously PISSED had I gotten up this morning and seen that I had missed this incredible comeback! Remember back in July how many people were suggesting that Vic should be traded at the deadline for a “bigger” bat? Where would this team be now without him? Now hopefully the Cole Train can nail it down tomorrow and ol’ Chollie can take care of his family on Friday instead of managing game 6.
Posted: 09:17 AM on October 14, 2008