Phillies' joy is mixed with sorrow

IF THERE WAS a lesson to be learned last night in the home clubhouse at Citizens Bank Park, it was that a uniform can cover up a man, but not his emotion, and that in the end, a professional athlete hurts just the same as the 45,883 fans who watch his game.

In one room of the vast expanse of tunnels and rooms that snakes beneath the stadium's bowl, a 64-year-old manager busied himself with the various responsibilities and feelings that come with burying a mother. In another room, a 27-year-old outfielder who had just turned in one of the best games of his life was informed that his 82-year-old grandmother had passed away.

Set against the backdrop of an 8-5 victory that put the Phillies only two wins away from their sixth World Series, the whole scene was a study in temporary human triumph and visceral human sorrow.

Thanks to the steady hand of Charlie Manuel and the stellar play of Shane Victorino, the Phillies are the proud owners of their two biggest wins of the season - the first two games of their National League Championship Series against the Dodgers. Now, in the aftermath, both men must find a way to deal with two of their biggest losses.

"It's hard to put into words," hitting coach Milt Thompson said. "In life, things happen. It's hard to explain. It's a tough day that you try to find a way to get through."

It should have been a triumphant day for folks such as Thompson. A member of the last Phillies team to get this close to a World Series - he was an outfielder on the 1993 team that beat the Braves in the NLCS - the hitting coach had just seen his offense produce its most impressive performance of the last two postseasons.

Led by Victorino, who hit a two-run single in the second inning and a two-run triple in the third, the Phillies knocked Dodgers righthander Chad Billingsley out of the game after only seven outs. They finished with 11 hits, scoring four runs each in the second and third, while cruising to their sixth straight victory over Los Angeles.

Closer Brad Lidge gave them their first 2-0 lead in an LCS by recording his fourth save of the postseason, which puts them in excellent position heading into a three-game set in California.

No NL team has come back from an 0-2 deficit in an LCS since the Cardinals beat the Dodgers in 1985, the first year of best-of-seven play.