Better to Clinch at Home

The Phillies won last night, and the Yankees' lead is cut to 3 games to 2. The Phillies are too good a team and too proud a team to not win at least one game at home. That's what happened to them in 1983: They won Game 1 in Baltimore, then dropped the next 4, including all 3 at the Vet.

This Phillies team has a different pride, and they may have seen what I saw on TV in the 9th: A lot of fans looking very worried that this might be the Philly choke to end all Philly chokes. Granted, blowing a 6-run lead in the 8th -- 3 in the 9th -- when you already trail 3 games to 1 isn't as bad as leading by 6 1/2 with 12 to go, as in '64 when it was still single-division play, no wild card, and blowing it entirely. But I could see it in the fans' faces, and these Phils said, "Not tonight. Not in our house."

Fine. It's better to clinch at home anyway. It gives us a chance to smack the Punk around.

It's 27 outs to go for Title 27. And a net +1 in runs. And even with the "travel day," how effective can the Philly bullpen be when Pedro, inevitably, either gets knocked out of the box or runs out of gas?

I plan to be in the City tomorrow, if not in The Stadium (II) itself, for the big celebration. I'm ready. Is everybody else ready?