philadelphia It was the national pastime past the nation’s bedtime.
At 10:06 p.m. Eastern time, Jamie Moyer, 45, threw the first pitch of Game 3. After waiting 15 years for another World Series, what was a 91-minute rain delay among inebriated friends?
It started on a soggy Saturday and ended on a chilly Sunday. The joke was that Moyer celebrated his 46th birthday during pregame warm-ups.
The last time the Phillies won the title was in 1980. They were referred to then as the “Team That Wouldn’t Die.” This might be forever remembered as the “Game That Would Not End.”
In between Matt Garza’s nerves and Carlos Ruiz’s RBI squib shot in the ninth, the Phillies beat the Tampa Bay Rays 5-4 in a terrific blend of small and big, um, guts.
The ninth inning began at 1:30 a.m., the last call for bars. The Phillies gave them something to toast.
Reliever J.P. Howell hit Eric Bruntlett, bringing in reliever Grant Balfour to face Shane Victorino. He uncorked a wild pitch that caromed off the backstop to catcher Dionner Navarro. Bruntlett bravely burst toward second and raced to third when Navarro airmailed the throw into center field.
A chess match ensued with consecutive intentional walks to load the bases. The Rays employed five infielders, all drawn in to the cut of the grass, leaving just two outfielders. Ruiz’s 30-foot jam shot down the third-base line left Evan Longoria — serenaded as Eva all night by the ruthless — with no play at the plate.
The Phillies smashed three home runs, no-doubt shots from Ruiz, Chase Utley and Ryan Howard, the latter which came back-to-back in the sixth inning.
Too bad most of the country was asleep for a game that ended at 1:47 a.m. TV ratings were already down 19 percent from the Rockies-Red Sox World Series last season. In fact, this has a chance to be the least-watched Fall Classic ever. The game deserved better, stuffed with memorable performances and a dash of controversy.
The Phillies led 4-1 in the eighth inning, all signs pointing toward an easy victory when Carl Crawford sauntered to the plate. He bunted down the first base line, a splendid element of surprise. Moyer pounced on the ball and, while falling down, flipped the ball from his glove to first baseman Ryan Howard’s waiting barehand. Replays showed Crawford was out by half a step. He was ruled safe, setting up the Rays’ two-run rally. Navarro followed with a double and both Rays scored on consecutive groundouts.
In the eighth, B.J. Upton took advantage of a rare mental lapse from setup man Ryan Madson.
His hustle questioned in the first two games, Upton stole two bases off Madson, who made little attempt to hold him. While stealing third, Ruiz whipped the ball off Upton’s leg, ushering him home with the tying run. Upton swiped three bags in all, tying the World Series record, last accomplished by Lou Brock in 1968.
The game’s start was held prisoner by persistent rain and wind. Commissioner Bud Selig never considered postponing, fully trusting the four meteorologists and weather channels he began consulting at 7 a.m. Just as predicted, the rain relented.
Moyer embraced the moment, his first World Series in a 22-year career. He’s been around so long that he’s faced 16 big-league managers, including five current ones. He pitched with poise, feeding off a big strike zone and rowdy fans. He worked 6 1/3 innings, allowing three runs.
Garza, meanwhile, had issues. He’s had a history of struggling to control his emotions. Those demons resurfaced in the first two innings. Jimmy Rollins, awakening from his slump, singled and scored as Garza required a visit from manager Joe Maddon after just 11 pitches.
In the second inning, Ruiz blasted a center-cut fastball into the left-field seats, shoving the Phillies ahead 2-1. Utley and Howard swelled the lead to three runs with their back-to-back blasts.
Fittingly for a team that has struggled with runners in scoring position, the Phillies’ biggest hit was the worst, a homely groundball that found residence in no-man’s land. Longoria flipped the throw over the catcher’s head, but Bruntlett was already safe. The crowd roared, then yawned its approval, heading off to a happy breakfast.
Troy E. Renck: 303-954-1301 or trenck@denverpost.com
