Feliz Navidad

No doubt about it Pedro Feliz was the hero of the day.

Joe Blanton started the game for the Phillies against Hiroki Kuroda. Feliz was left out of the starting lineup with the righty on the hill.

Kuroda last faced the Phillies in LA. He only gave up 1 run on 2 hits in 7 innings of work.

The Los Angeles Dodgers made some noise against Blanton in the first. James Loney singled to drive in a run to give the Dodgers an early lead.

The Dodgers had a chance for more in the first, but Blanton and the Phillies got out of a bases loaded jam.

Kuroda did not allow a hit until the 5th inning. Carlos Ruiz broke the no hitter up. Chase Utley would drive Ruiz in to break up the shutout, and tie the game at 1.

Blanton pitched well. He lasted 6 innings and only gave up the one earned run. He gave up 6 hits and walked 3, while striking out 4.

The Phillies defense played well behind the Phillies pitching. Shane Victorino made an amazing over the shoulder running catch in the 6th inning. 3 batters later, with 2 runners on base, Ryan Howard made a terrific diving catch in foul territory to end the inning.

J.C. Romero came into the game in the 7th inning. Juan Pierre reached base on an infield single. Romero threw over to first base several times. Matt Kemp, the batter, kept fouling pitches off. Romero would then pick off Juan Pierre for first out of the inning. Romero would finally win the battle between he and Kemp on a 3-2 pitch to strike him out.

Romero then gave up a walk to Andre Eithier. Ryan Madson and Pedro Feliz came into the game on a double switch. However, the inherited runner scored on a Jeff Kent RBI single, and the Dodgers went ahead 2-1.

The Phillies were down in the bottom of the 9th. With 2 outs and Victorino on second, newly call up Andy Tracy was at the plate. He drew a huge walk and gave the bat to Pedro Feliz.

Feliz singled to right field to drive in Victorino and tie the game.

The game would go extra innings, all the way until the 11th, score still tied at 2.

The Dodgers had a golden oppurtunity in the 10th inning. Bases loaded, no outs. However Casey Blake grounded into a 5-2 double play. The Phillies would escape the jam.

Victorino led off the 11th inning with a big double. Victorino went 2-4 on the day his hometown state Hawaii won the Little League World Series.

There was one out with runners on second and third. The Phillies were out of bench players, so they decided to go with pitcher Cole Hamels who has a .270 average this year at the plate. Hamels is second in the league in hits for a pitcher, trailing only Carlos Zambrano of the Cubs.

Would Cole Hamels win it? Nope. He hit a hump back liner to the second baseman. Two outs.

Feliz was due up. Feliz, who tied the game in the 9th had a chance to win it. And he did. He hit a walkoff homerun to deep right center field to win the game. Phillies win 5-2. An intense game down to the last pitch.

Feliz trotted around the bases while his teammates waited to mob him at home plate. Ruiz wore his rally cap, and it worked. Feliz flipped his helmet and was mobbed by his teammates. A few highfives later and the Phillies are only .5 games out of first place with the Met's loss to the Astros today.

A sweep today could possibly land the Phillies in first place once again, where the belong.

PHOTO COURTESY OF PHILLIES.COM