Shane Victorino

Cole Hamels has pitched at such a high level that on a night when he allowed three earned runs, it appeared to be a subpar effort. Only by the lefthander's exceedingly high standards. Despite allowing two home runs after surrendering just three in his previous seven starts, Hamels had more than enough to keep both his and the Phillies' winning ways intact. He struck out nine and walked one as the Phillies defeated the Boston Red Sox, 6-4, Friday night at Citizens Bank Park in the beginning of interleague play.

The Phillies had squandered so many chances Saturday night until a 90-foot sprint by Jimmy Rollins. When the shortstop's right foot touched first base, he spread his arms to signal safe. First-base umpire Paul Emmel agreed. Rollins clapped his hands and pumped his fist. They had pushed Boston to the brink of snapping. Then Shane Victorino swung at a first-pitch fastball from Alfredo Aceves and a wave of good vibes plopped into Red Sox shortstop Mike Aviles' glove. "I would swing at that every single time," Victorino said.

The all-star centerfielder had made a promise to renovate the rundown Boys and Girls Club, near a gas station and a struggling high school, into a place of dreams and pride. Standing outside its doors Thursday, under the threat of gray clouds, the Phillies' own Shane Victorino, dressed plainly in a white shirt and jeans, with leis around his neck, stood on a makeshift stage, lowered his head, and wiped away tears. The newly renovated club in Nicetown, which now bears his name and his promise, had officially reopened.

It is the type of game the Phillies need to win, not because the opponent was the Nationals, but because the game was eminently winnable. All spring training, we heard about the nuances of the game and how a makeshift lineup would have to compensate for the absences of its two stars with some flawless play. Yet there they were, in the bottom of the third inning Monday night, with the bases loaded and their cleanup hitter at the plate, a single away from tying it up or taking the lead.

LOS ANGELES - The best player in the 2008 National League playoffs hit two home runs, including a grand slam; drove in 11 runs, a club record; and, in baseball's ultimate sign of respect, was intentionally walked twice in the most important game of the year. Manny Ramirez? As if. Try Shane Victorino. The Phillies' 5-foot-9, 180-pound centerfielder got the slugger treatment twice last night, drawing intentional walks for only the fifth and sixth time in his major-league career.

IF RYAN HOWARD is Mr. September and Carlos Ruiz is Senor Octobre , Shane Victorino deserves a playoff nickname, too. Victorino's cagey at-bats and baserunning in the first and second innings yesterday chased Reds starter Edinson Volquez, gave Roy Halladay a lead and framed the righthander's no-hitter. It also made Victorino the Phillies' postseason hits leader. His 35 are two better than Mike Schmidt's career total, and Victorino did it in 33 games, three fewer than Schmidt.

The all-star centerfielder had made a promise to renovate the rundown Boys and Girls Club, near a gas station and a struggling high school, into a place of dreams and pride. Standing outside its doors Thursday, under the threat of gray clouds, the Phillies' own Shane Victorino, dressed plainly in a white shirt and jeans, with leis around his neck, stood on a makeshift stage, lowered his head, and wiped away tears. The newly renovated club in Nicetown, which now bears his name and his promise, had officially reopened.

Yesterday afternoon, Phillies manager Charlie Manuel was asked if he would consider moving Shane Victorino down in the batting order. The team's No.2 hitter had a .323 on-base percentage, after all, and the Phils were not scoring enough runs. But Manuel shook his head and said no, Victorino would resolve his issues and did not need a demotion. Less than six hours later, the centerfielder hit his first career regular-season grand slam in the ninth inning, giving the Phillies their first lead of the night and redeeming a previously listless game.

For Mike Victorino, preparing to watch a World Series half a world away was about more than just booking flights and hotel rooms and securing game tickets. Victorino, father of Phillies centerfielder Shane Victorino, knew he had to ready the 40 family members traveling from Hawaii and Alaska to Philadelphia for the special breed of fan that awaited them at Citizens Bank Park. In other words: This is the city where fans tossed snowballs at Santa Claus. "Bar none, I think the fans in Philadelphia are the most passionate, the most dedicated - sometimes maybe a little over the edge - but who's keeping track?"

It is the type of game the Phillies need to win, not because the opponent was the Nationals, but because the game was eminently winnable. All spring training, we heard about the nuances of the game and how a makeshift lineup would have to compensate for the absences of its two stars with some flawless play. Yet there they were, in the bottom of the third inning Monday night, with the bases loaded and their cleanup hitter at the plate, a single away from tying it up or taking the lead.

The mist turned into rain, but that was not reason enough for a mass exodus Monday night from Citizens Bank Park. No, not yet. Then John Mayberry Jr. flied weakly to right, ending the sixth inning and the Phillies' failed rally in a 2-1 loss to the Washington Nationals. "Let's get out of here," one fan said to another in the ballpark's club seats. And so they left, as did many others. This brand of Phillies baseball is no more frustrating than when runners reach base and are primed to score.

The Phillies had squandered so many chances Saturday night until a 90-foot sprint by Jimmy Rollins. When the shortstop's right foot touched first base, he spread his arms to signal safe. First-base umpire Paul Emmel agreed. Rollins clapped his hands and pumped his fist. They were within two runs and pushed Boston to the brink. Then Shane Victorino swung at the first pitch and a wave of good vibes plopped into Red Sox shortstop Mike Aviles' glove. A six-game winning streak and chance to escape last place was skunked by a 7-5 loss to Boston.

Cole Hamels has pitched at such a high level that on a night when he allowed three earned runs, it appeared to be a subpar effort. Only by the lefthander's exceedingly high standards. Despite allowing two home runs after surrendering just three in his previous seven starts, Hamels had more than enough to keep both his and the Phillies' winning ways intact. He struck out nine and walked one as the Phillies defeated the Boston Red Sox, 6-4, Friday night at Citizens Bank Park in the beginning of interleague play.

The Phillies had squandered so many chances Saturday night until a 90-foot sprint by Jimmy Rollins. When the shortstop's right foot touched first base, he spread his arms to signal safe. First-base umpire Paul Emmel agreed. Rollins clapped his hands and pumped his fist. They had pushed Boston to the brink of snapping. Then Shane Victorino swung at a first-pitch fastball from Alfredo Aceves and a wave of good vibes plopped into Red Sox shortstop Mike Aviles' glove. "I would swing at that every single time," Victorino said.

A positive pendulum swing is what the Phillies need more than anything right now, and for most of his career Roy Halladay was the man you'd want on the mound to gain some momentum. Now, the righthander with two Cy Young Awards and the nickname Doc cannot even cure the last-place Phillies' ills. Not that the latest loss, a lackluster 2-1 setback against the lowly San Diego Padres on Saturday night at Citizens Bank Park, was Halladay's fault. But it did send the soon-to-be-35-year-old righthander into some 21st-century uncharted territory.

A positive pendulum swing is what the Phillies need more than anything right now, and for most of his career Roy Halladay was the man you'd want on the mound to gain some momentum. Now, the righthander with two Cy Young Awards and the nickname Doc cannot even cure the last-place Phillies' ills. Not that the latest loss, a lackluster 2-1 setback against the lowly San Diego Padres on Saturday night at Citizens Bank Park, was Halladay's fault. But it did send the soon-to-be-35-year-old righthander into some 21st-century uncharted territory.

WASHINGTON - Once upon a time, the Phillies were the team that dressed in red and white and energized its fan base by going first to third and stealing home. Sunday night, they were the team that pegged the hottest prospect in the game in the small of the back and then watched him work his way around the bases to the delight of the crowd. Even if you are not a fan of symbolism, you have to admit that the run that Bryce Harper manufactured run in the first inning of Sunday night's 9-3 win over the Nationals was a tidy summation of the budding power shift in the National League East.

It's that time of the spring when Philadelphia sports worlds deliciously collide. The Phillies and the NFL draft. The Flyers and Sixers in the playoffs. It's like ordering a Kohr Bros. soft-serve, vanilla-chocolate cone that falls into a vat of multicolored sprinkles. Or something like that. So in the spirit of this sports cornucopia, here is a sampling of what is racing through my head. Conference finals. If the Flyers can beat the New Jersey Devils and the Sixers can outlast the Bulls, we could be looking at the first dual conference-finals situation in this town since 1985.