Congrats to the World Series Champion Phillies

Twenty-five years is a long time for a city with a team in each of the four major sports to go without a championship. But the wait is over. The Philadelphia Phillies became the first team from the City of Brotherly Love to take home a crown since the 76ers seized the NBA championship in 1983.

The Phils won Game 5 tonight over the Tampa Bay Rays, winning the series four games to one.

Tonight's game was a continuation of Monday's contest--a game suspended by rain.

Pinch hitter Geoff Jenkins began Game 5--Wednesday's version--in the bottom of the sixth inning--with a double. Right fielder Jayson Werth drove him in with a single, putting the Phillies ahead 3-2. That didn't last long, his right field counterpart on the Rays, Rocco Baldelli, hit a solo homer in the top of the seventh.

But in the bottom of the seventh, the Phils--this time it was left fielder Pat Burrell--again led off with a double. He was replaced by pinch runner Eric Bruntlett, who ended up being the winning run when Philadelphia third baseman Pedro Feliz knocked him home with a single.

The final score was Phillies 4--Rays 3.

Reliever J.C. Romero was the winning pitcher for the Phillies, he was 2-0 for the series. On the losing end for Tampa Bay was fellow reliever J.P. Howell, he was 0-2 in this year's Fall Classic.

Widely acknowledged as the Houston Astros' goat in the 2005 World Series against the Chicago White Sox--Brad Lidge lost two games as the South Siders swept the Astros. But Lidge picked up his second World Series save last night. As well as some redemption for himself.

As for the fans--the 45,000 towel waving fans loved every minute of it. But there haven't been very many opportunities for Phillies fans to celeberate. Since the first World Series was played in 1903, the Phils have only appeared in it five times. Wednesday's triumph was only their second Fall Classic win.

For much of their existence, the Phillies have been a terrible team. As for the Rays, for their entire ten-year tenure in Major League Baseball, they've been awful. Except this year.

Congratuations Phillies!

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