There is an old adage about the role of momentum in a long baseball season that says: “Momentum is the next day’s starting pitcher.” Granted, there is some wisdom in this and there is definitely something to be said for the best teams’ abilities to not get too high and not get too low throughout the 162-game season. However, I do not think that it is quite that simple. I believe that there are certainly some times throughout a season that can turn the tide, so to speak, and set the tone for a winning streak or a big run.
For example, if you talk to any of the 1993 Phillies about “season momentum,” they will probably all mention things like the miracle comeback against the Giants, the Mariano Duncan grand slam off of Lee Arthur Smith on Memorial Day, the Milt Thompson catch in San Diego, and the infamous Mitch Williams game-winning hit at 4:41 in the morning. And, all of these things will be mentioned in the context of spurring on the team, building character, and setting the table for the wonderful season that was ahead of them. Well, 15 years later, if this Phillies team is going to provide magical memories for today’s 14-year olds like the 1993 team did for me at 14, a reference to last night’s game against the Mets might just appear on a Phillies blog in 2023.
Down 5-2 in the ninth, and staring at second place for the first time in close to two months, the Phillies rallied for 6 runs in the top of the 9th to beat the hated Mets. It seemed as if the Phightins missed their chance in the 8th, as Utley, Burrell, and Howard went quietly, leaving the 5-6-7 hitters due up in the 9th. But, just as the gloom started to fall in on Jayson Werth and his 0-2 count, he battled back to rope a leadoff single to center. The next batter was Greg Dobbs, who was intelligently in there as a pinch-hitter for the struggling Pedro Feliz, also fell behind 0-2, but then roped another single, bringing the tying run to the plate with nobody out. Shane Victorino also singled and the bases were loaded. Then the memories 
were made with the next three hitters, starting with the signature play of the whole comeback. With the bases loaded and nobody out, down by 3, Carlos Ruiz hit a high chopper over the mound, where Jose Reyes barehanded it and tried to run to the bag for the force at second. However, Reyes must have misjudged just who was running from first, as Victorino, one of the fastest players in all of baseball (and who always gets a great jump and runs hard) beat Reyes to the bag–safe all-around. Still down two, however, the Phillies went to light-hitting reserve outfielder, So Taguchi with the game on the line. Taguchi fought off several nasty two-strike pitches before delivering the big hit–a game-tying double over the head of Endy Chavez in rightfield (which also got new Phillie starter, Joe Blanton, off the hook for the loss). Jimmy Rollins delivered the third consecutive memory of the inning, as he laced a double down the line, giving the Phillies a 7-5 lead (adding another on a botched double-play back to the mound), which would be more than enough for Brad Lidge to nail it down.
Will this amazing come-from-behind win (led by guys not named Utley or Howard) be a catapult to a second straight NL East championship? Maybe. Maybe not. But, if the Phillies do go on to, say, sweep this series and never look back, this game–this inning–will probably be remembered for years to come as a defining moment in the 2008 Phillies season.
Yet another example of Reyes choking in a pressure situation. He hesitated slightly before going for the base. Obviously, with a 3-run lead in the ninth, you absolutely have to get at least one out on that play.
And Jerry Manuel made a big blunder, taking Santana out after 105 pitches, with Wagner unavailable. It was maybe a blessing in disguise that the Phillies 6-7-8 hitters were coming up, because you have to think Santana would have been in there to face Utley, Burrell, and Howard.
Doogan, I preface this with the fact that, as you know, I am a big Charlie supporter, defend him at any chance, and believe that this team’s success has a lot to do with his way of handling players.
But, I think that the credit for these in-game moves has to go to Jimy Williams. He is known as one of the game’s best tacticians (which is why it was important for Charlie to bring him in, because Uncle C is not). I really think that Jimy is really the “brains” behind the in-game strategy–which is not that uncommon of a thing for a big league team.