If you like the game within the game, last night's ninth inning was right in your power alley.
Brad Lidge sealed the Phillies' 8-5 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 2 of the National League Championship Series with his 45th straight save in a Phils uniform.
Lidge walked two batters in the inning - he was understandably cautious pitching to Manny Ramirez leading off the frame - as the Dodgers brought the potential tying run to the plate with one out.
Matt Kemp had the first chance to dent the Phillies' closer. Lidge struck him out on a 1-2 slider.
That brought up former two-time American League batting champ Nomar Garciaparra.
Lidge went back to his signature pitch - the slider - and struck out Garciaparra on three of them, each a little harder and nastier than the previous one. The final two sliders corkscrewed into the dirt, and catcher Carlos Ruiz blocked both as the Phils took a two-games-to-none lead in the series.
"No way [Garciaparra] was getting a fastball," Ruiz said after the game. "You have to go with your best pitch."
He came on to face Garciaparra with two outs and a man on in the seventh. Garciaparra singled on a first-pitch change-up. Up came Casey Blake, the potential tying run.
Madson threw two fastballs. Blake hit the second one, a 96-m.p.h. dart, to the wall in center. Shane Victorino made a leaping catch and seemed to smile as he did.
Whew.
Myers threw a 1-2 pitch up and in on No. 2 hitter Russell Martin, then struck him out on a curveball.
