Phillies Come From Behind, Walk It Off Again, Then Cliff Lee Falls Down

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This is starting to feel like a subplot from the film Mr. 3000. T-Rex Pennebaker gets a dysfunctional Brewers locker room to rally around a chase for third place. Just that one specific part of the movie though. Obviously I don’t think Ruben Amaro is interested in having Ryne Sandberg come out of retirement to chase 3,000 hits. Even then I guess the Phillies aren’t really that far out of third, with a lot of baseball left to play. Who knows if they have or will set a specific goal at all?

So the Phils’ recent run is really nothing like Mr. 3000 (so far as we know), but it does feel like winning a few games might be causing the stagnant air in or around the clubhouse to dissipate a little. Guys are actually having fun again. Look at Cliff Lee while the team stormed the field to celebrate another walk-off victory over the Colorado Rockies on Thursday night. He’s so happy he can’t even stand on his own two feet.

Domonic Brown’s ninth-inning single to score Michael Young completed the 5-4 come-from-behind victory, then for some reason a deranged Lee basically tried to tackle Young in the infield. Bad move because Cliff’s gonna get the worst of this one. Young trucks Lee, the pitcher loses his balance, and next thing you know he’s lying on his back in the dirt. Smooth.

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Now I like to feel like I'm realllly in step with all of our readers, so I know what you’re thinking. Could Michael Young take Cliff Lee? Lee has two inches and five pounds on Young, and presumably a reach advantage as well. Tackling is probably a poor strategy though – Young has a lower center of gravity. That wasn’t very good form, either. Insert obligatory Lee could/couldn’t play for the Eagles’ defense haha.

As for the game itself, the Phillies trailed 4-1 after Kyle Kendrick broke down in the fifth, serving up a three-run blast to Wilin Rosario. Surprisingly Zach Miner, B.J. Rosenberg, and Cesar Jiminez pitched well out of the bullpen, which afforded the Fightins a chance to climb back. Darin Ruf countered in the eighth with a two-run shot of his own, setting the table for a dramatic finish.

Jimmy Rollins got it going with a two-out double, then stole a bag that proved to be big as it allowed him to tie the score on a weak ground ball hit by Young. Chase Utley drew a walk, Dom brought us home.

You read correctly. All of that happened with two outs. Exciting!

That makes three walk-offs in five nights, four wins all told. The Rocks are not a good baseball team right now, so maybe this doesn’t mean the Phillies are going to launch an assault on third place in the NL East, second place, .500, whatever. It’s just nice to see some smiles at the ballpark again.

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