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Hamels, Phillies eye World Series berth

Oct 15, 2008 - 10:04 AM National League Championship Series Phillies lead 3-1

Philadelphia at LA Dodgers, 8:22 p.m. EDT

LOS ANGELES (Ticker) -- The Philadelphia Phillies took a firm grasp on the National League Championship Series with a big eighth inning in Game Four. With their ace on the hill, the Phillies are hoping to use that stranglehold and punch their ticket to the World Series.

Cole Hamels will take the mound for Philadelphia on Wednesday as the Phillies visit the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game Five of the NLCS.

Shane Victorino and Matt Stairs hit a pair of two-run homers in the top of the eighth on Monday as the Phillies came back to win, 7-5, and take a three-games-to-one lead in the series. Philadelphia is one win away from its first World Series appearance since 1993.

Despite the seemingly comfortable cushion, the Phillies are not taking anything for granted.

"I've been talking all year long we're a day-to-day team and we come on that day to beat you," Philadelphia manager Charlie Manuel said. "When we come to the ballpark tomorrow, we come to win that game. And like I said (Monday), last night's game was the biggest game, and tomorrow's going to be the biggest. And they keep getting bigger until somebody tells you to go home or you win something."

Hamels (2-0, 1.20 ERA) has been spectacular in a pair of postseason starts and won Game One of the series against the Dodgers, allowing two runs over seven innings with eight strikeouts. The lefthander has allowed two runs and eight hits in 15 postseason frames, fanning 17.

The Dodgers will counter with Chad Billingsley (1-1, 8.00), who was roughed up in the Game Two loss. The righthander allowed eight runs - seven earned - in 2 1/3 innings.

It will be the first postseason start at home for Billingsley, who has pitched well at Dodgers Stadium. He went 10-4 with a 2.95 ERA this season.

Los Angeles will need a strong outing from the 24-year-old if it hopes to keep its season alive. There have been 70 teams that have faced a 3-1 series deficit with 10 coming back to win. Last year's Boston Red Sox were the most recent team to accomplish the feat, rallying to defeat the Cleveland Indians.

"I'll just remind them of everything that they've accomplished to this point and to just continue to fight," Dodgers manager Joe Torre said. "You don't get to this time of year without the ability to win three, four, five games in a row.