Phillies stick to their road map for victory

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - There was a time not so long ago when a Phillies road trip was a trip to futility.

No more. Last night's 3-2 victory over Tampa Bay in Game 1 of the World Series was their fourth road victory in six postseason games this season, and with it, they stole home advantage. It was their 48th victory on the road this season against 39 defeats - a winning percentage of .551 - just slightly below their overall winning percentage (.568) in recording 92 regular-season victories.

The formula last night mirrored their success during the regular season, when they went 44-37 on the road. Get a lead, fear the long ball. Get a solid performance from your starting pitcher. Close things up with your rock-solid bullpen. Period.

Chase Utley gave the Phillies a 2-0 lead with a home run in his first World Series at-bat, showing that rest isn't such a bad thing especially when you've played 159 regular-season games and nine in the postseason.

"If you want to take the wind out of the sails and shut the cowbells up, get some home runs," said manager Charlie Manuel. "That will do it.

"Except in Citizens Bank Park, you hit enough there they ring a bell. They ring the Liberty Bell, so that would be good."

Cole Hamels showed little rust from the 6 days since closing out the Dodgers. Ryan Madson, who prepared for this run with a rigorous offseason workout regime, continued to throw his fastball in the mid-90s. And Brad Lidge was, well, Brad Lidge.

There is nothing sexy about the Phillies bullpen. They don't have a kid from nowhere like David Price throwing 97 mph fastballs.

Their 'pen features a cast of castaways and suspects. Chad Durbin is pitching for his fifth team. J.C. Romero was cut loose by Boston. Scott Eyre was traded in midseason from the Cubs.

Home-grown Madson has been booed by his own fans as much has he's been cheered. Even Lidge came cheap, having lost his closer's role in Houston due to sore-arm ineffectiveness.

Maybe that is why the relievers have been so tough, why they led the National League in earned run average. The Phillies bullpen also allowed the fewest home runs in the National League this season and were second to Toronto in the majors.

So there was Madson last night, with one out in the eighth, in a classic battle with Tampa second baseman Akinori Iwamura. Iwamura was 3-for-3 with a run-scoring double to that point and so locked in that he passed on two fastballs just off the plate to run the count to 3-2. But Madson stayed low and Iwamura lofted a lazy fly for the second out of the eighth. Madson then dropped a 2-2 breaking ball that B.J. Upton swung over.

Your ball, Mr. Lidge. A one-run lead and Tampa's 3-4-5 hitters - the heart of their potent order - coming to the plate. Rays first baseman Carlos Pena has three home runs this postseason. Cleanup hitter Evan Longoria has six. Carl Crawford had already hit one in the fourth inning, cutting the Rays' deficit to one.

Lidge struck out Pena on three straight pitches; he needed four to strike out Longoria. Crawford cut under a 3-2 pitch and sent a popup into foul territory, and the Phillies had struck first in this World Series.

They were 79-0 when leading after eight innings before last night. They are now 80-0. It might have been their most important of the season. It certainly goes down as one of their toughest.

"The other guys in the bullpen have been tremendous this year," Lidge said. "Ryan Madson - people are finally starting to realize how good he is and how easy he's made it on me." *