Phillies win Game 5, keep title hopes alive

By Eric Schwartz
for PhillySportsBlogs.com

Published: November 2, 2009

Phillies win Game 5, keep title hopes alive thumbnail

Even with six run lead heading into the eighth inning it wasn’t easy for the Philadelphia Phillies.

In the end, though, Philly got exactly what it needed. Game Six is on the way.

Chase Utley pounded two home runs and Ryan Madson pitched a shaky ninth inning to close out an 8-6 victory for Philadelphia.

The Phillies offense got going, pounding out six runs over the first three innings off New York starter A.J. Burnett.

Phils’ ace Cliff Lee was in control until the eighth, when the Yankees knocked him out by plating three runs and making it an 8-5 game.

With the lead at three Charlie Manuel opted to stay away from struggling closer Brad Lidge and go with Madson. Although it wasn’t easy, Madson did the job and the World Series is going back to New York.

Tuesday will be an off day as Game 6 s slated for Wednesday night.

The Phillies are still down, but are very much alive.

This World Series isn’t over by a long shot.

Game Highlights:

- Trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the first inning, Utley hit a three-run home run that electrified the Citizens Bank Park crowd and gave the Phillies a 3-1 lead.

- Philadelphia kept the offense coming in the third. After Utley and Ryan Howard walked to lead off the inning, Jayson Werth ripped an RBI single that plated Utley. Raul Ibanez followed with an RBI single that chased A.J. Burnett after just two-plus innings. Carlos Ruiz then added an RBI groundout, giving the Phillies a 6-1 lead.

- Utley and Ibanez each hit a solo home run in the eighth inning to push the score to 8-2.

- Cliff Lee pitched seven strong innings, but faltered in the eighth, allowing three runs, two of which came on a Alex Rodriguez double.

- In the ninth, Jorge Posada greeted Madson with a double and Hideki Matsui to put runners on the corners. Representing the tying run, Derek Jeter bounced into a 4-6-3 double play that plated Jorge Posada, but put a big dent in the Yankees rally. With two outs Johnny Damon singled up the middle, bringing Mark Teixeira to the plate. Mired in a slump all World Series, Teixeira struck out to end the game.

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