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Phillies finish off Dodgers to win NL pennant

Oct 16, 2008 - 9:22 AM LOS ANGELES (Ticker) -- Jimmy Rollins hit a leadoff homer and Cole Hamels continued a perfect playoff run as the Phillies posted a 5-1 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday night to wrap up the National League Championship Series, four games to one.

Rollins and Chase Utley each scored twice, Ryan Howard had three hits, an RBI and scored a run and Hamels kept the Dodgers in check to send the Phillies to the World Series for the first time since 1993.

Hamels (2-0) improved to 3-0 in the postseason, including 2-0 in the NLCS. The lefthander beat the Dodgers, 3-2, in the series opener, giving up two runs and six hits in seven innings.

He was even more effective Tuesday, yielding a run and five hits with three walks and five strikeouts.

"This is something exciting, but I never envisioned this happening," Hamels said. "I always knew I wanted to pitch in the big leagues, but never envisioned myself clinching the national league championship."

Philadelphia extended its lead to 3-0 in the third on RBI singles by Howard and Pat Burrell off Los Angeles starter Chad Billingsley.

The Phillies went up 5-0 with some help from Dodgers shortstop Rafael Furcal in the fifth. Furcal committed three errors in the frame, including two on one play, resulting in a pair of runs for Philadelphia.

Manny Ramirez was about the only Dodger who showed up offensively in the series, and the same was true in Game Five. He homered in the sixth off Hamels to make it 5-1.

Hamels got through the seventh and Ryan Madson, who had an outstanding series as the setup man, allowed a hit in the eighth. Brad Lidge gave up a leadoff single in the ninth but got a couple of flyouts before inducing Nomar Garciaparra to foul out to catcher Carlos Ruiz to end the game.

Winners of the NL East each of the last two seasons, the Phillies were swept out of the playoffs a year ago by the Colorado Rockies. The difference this season is evident in the maturation of Hamels, who was named NLCS MVP, and an offense that has featured a different star almost every game.

"That's what it's about. It's about everybody stepping up," Philadelphia center fielder Shane Victorino said. "Jimmy (Rollins) leading off tonight, he did the same thing in Milwaukee, a game that was crucial. And leading off with a home run kind of threw the momentum our way."

"To get an award like this is something surreal. This definitely has to go to the whole team right here. But it's only a stepping stone," Hamels said. "Being in that parade down Broad Street is what we all want."

Now the Phillies go for their second World Series championship starting next Wednesday at either Tampa Bay or Boston. The Rays lead the Red Sox, three games to one, in the American League Championship Series, which resumes with Game Five on Thursday in Boston.

"I always give the players the credit. They're the ones that do the playing," Philadelphia manager Charlie Manuel said. "They're the ones that execute. When they celebrate, it's all for them. They're the ones that made it happen. And also this is for the city of Philadelphia, and you know we've got one more step."

Rollins helped the Phillies put the pressure on Billingsley and the Dodgers right away with his leadoff blast, and the 2007 NL MVP was in the middle of things during a two-run third as well.

Rollins, who also hit a leadoff homer in Philadelphia's clinching win at Milwaukee in the NL Division Series, drew a one-out walk and stole second. After Jayson Werth struck out, Utley walked to bring up Howard, who ripped a single past a diving James Loney at first to score Rollins.

Burrell followed with a single to left-center, plating Utley and extending the Phillies' lead to 3-0.

"This is the first step. We've taken a lot of steps, but this is definitely the biggest step and the first step in the right direction," Rollins said. "We've just to go out there and find a way to win four more."

Furcal helped the Phillies add some insurance runs in the fifth with his three errors. Two of them came on one play, as he booted a grounder in the hole by Burrell and then threw the ball past catcher Russell Martin, allowing Utley to score.

Reliever Greg Maddux intentionally walked Shane Victorino and struck out Pedro Feliz but could not get out of the jam as Furcal bounced a throw to first base after fielding Ruiz's grounder that eluded Loney and allowed Howard to score, stretching the lead to 5-0.

"It's very frustrating the last game of the series at home to play like that," Furcal said. "It's very disappointing to me."

Billingsley (0-2) again struggled for the Dodgers, failing to make it out of the third inning for the second time in the series. He yielded three runs, four hits and four walks in 2 2/3 innings on Wednesday after surrendering all eight runs in an 8-5 loss in Game Two.

Despite the disappointing end, Dodgers manager Joe Torre liked what he saw from his team.

"I was proud to be their manager," Torre said. "This was an up-and-down year. I think they learned a lot. They learned to come together. This game tonight got a little ugly in the middle with the defense, but they never stopped plugging away. And that's what John Wooden taught me a long time ago, that it's not always the club that wins that you're proudest of. And I certainly was satisfied with what I saw here."