LOS ANGELES — Phillies manager Charlie Manuel stood by the batting cage Monday, the cracking bat long the soundtrack of his life. He talked about his days in Colorado Springs, where he’s revered for his Triple-A service. He chatted about old friends, and, of course, his wonderfully inspiring current team.
Manuel has aged hard in Philadelphia, where only the Eagles’ quarterback is second-guessed more. His job perpetually hanging in the balance, this aw-shucks genius dug in his cleats, embraced the challenge and his gritty club.
“We are going to be fine. All we have to do is pitch,” Manuel said. “If we can stay in the game, we will hit.”
Just two days after losing his beloved mother, Manuel won the biggest game of his life, guiding the Phillies to a nervy 7-5 victory over the Dodgers.
It left Philadelphia on the doorstep to delirium, its first World Series berth since 1993.
The opportunity presents itself Wednesday in Game 5 of the National League Championship Series. That it came courtesy of pudgy slugger Matt Stairs was stunning, if not oddly fitting for a team that Manuel always believes will do damage offensively.
Minutes after Shane Victorino numbed the 56,800 fans with a game-tying home-run in the eighth, Stairs left their mouths agape with a decisive two-run shot into the right-field seats.
Stairs looks more fire hydrant than fire starter, a 40-year-old man who has never met an ab cruncher he liked. But that’s what makes baseball unique. The players aren’t triathletes; they have specialized skills. And put a bat in Stairs” hands and he’s imminently useful.
Acquired from Toronto for a player to be named in August – the Blue Jays are making room for young slugger Travis Snider – Stairs has been a valuable bench component. With the scored tied at 5-all, Stairs pinch-hit against Dodgers closer Jonathan Broxton.
A vintage Stairs’ swing followed, the one that is on display everyday in batting practice. Watching from the visitors’ dugout, Manuel smiled as Geoff Jenkins bear-hugged him when the ball became a souvenir, only Stairs’ second hit in 13 postseason at-bats.
It was the defining moment in a game that neither team seemed to want to win. The Dodgers fell behind 2-0 in the first inning when Derek Lowe briefly played the role of Jamie Moyer. He recovered to work five solid innings, leaving Los Angeles in position to take a 5-3 lead on a Casey Blake home run and Ryan Howard throwing gaffe on a bunt play.
The cushion deflated against a Dodgers’ bullpen that was thought to have too many arms. On Monday, they had too many problems. Reality pinched reliever Cory Wade, who surrendered Victorino’s two-run blast.
Colorado’s own Brad Lidge then did what Broxton could not by doing something he hadn’t done. He slithered out of an eighth-inning jam to post his first four-out save of the season.
He is 46-for-46 in save opportunities, leaving the Phillies one win closer to an unforgettable October.
Troy E. Renck: 303-954-1301 or trenck@denverpost.com
