PHILS BEAT RAYS THREE STRAIGHT TO WIN WORLD SERIES

The Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Tampa Bay Rays to win the 2008 World Series last week at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. In winning the World Series 4 games to 1, the Phils copped only the second Major League Baseball championship in a long team history dating back to the 19th century.

The Phillies and Rays were tied at one game apiece heading into Game Three last Saturday. In what turned out to be a rain-delayed marathon that lasted until 1:47 in the morning, the Phils bested Tampa Bay, 5-4, by plating the winning run in a bizarre ninth inning. With the game knotted up at 4-4, Tampa Bay's J.P. Howell hit Phils leadoff batter Eric Bruntlett with a pitch, and was immediately replaced by Grant Balfour on the mound to face Shane Victorino.

As Victorino squared off for a bunt to advance Bruntlett into scoring position, but instead, Balfour uncorked a wild pitch that allowed Bruntlett to advance to second. Rays catcher Dioner Navarro then threw the ball to second in an attempt to get Bruntlett sliding into the base, but Navarro's throw sailed past second into center field, upon which Bruntlett popped back on his feet and scurried safely into third base.

Balfour went on to intentionally walk both Victorino and pinch-hitter Greg Dobbs to fill the bases with nobody out. Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon then brought Ben Zobrist in from right field to set up behind second place, giving the Rays five infielders with just two outfielders and Carlos Ruiz stepping up to the plate for Philadelphia.

Ruiz topped a dribbler on a 2-2 pitch to Rays third baseman Evan Longoria, who bobbled the ball and could not make a play as Bruntlett crossed home plate with the winning run. One bright spot for Tampa Bay was center fielder B.J. Upton, who stole three bases in the game to tie a World Series single-game record.

After Saturday's tight ballgame, Sunday's Game Four was a good old-fashioned slugfest in which the Phillies did most of the slugging as Philadelphia beat Tampa Bay by a 10-2 count. Ryan Howard crushed two of the Phillies' four homers while Joe Blanton became the 13th pitcher in World Series history to hit a longball, the first since Oakland's Ken Holtzman hit one against the Cincinnati Reds in 1974. Jayson Werth also homered for the Phils.

The Phils got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the first when Rays starter Andy Sonnanstine walked Pat Burrell with the bases loaded to bring Jimmy Rollins in from third, and the home side never looked back. Carl Crawford and Eric Hinske each hit solo homers to account for Tampa Bay's scoring in the game.

The World Series finally came to a close Wednesday night when the Phillies vanquished the Rays, 4-3, in a game that began Monday night and went through two postponements because of rain. Game Five was tied at 3-3 when the Rays' Rocco Baldelli homered in the seventh innings, but the Phillies went ahead for good in the bottom of the seventh when Pedro Feliz' single up the middle drove in Bruntlett from third. It was left to Brad Lidge to record his 48th save since opening day for the Phils to put both the Rays and the Series away. Lidge did not blow a single save opportunity throughout the 2008 season.