will we ever win?

Being in the wrong place at the wrong time

Bottom line, the Phillies have to win that game.

Can they win three in a row behind Halladay, Oswalt and Hamels? Sure, it's possible, but not likely based on how they've played so far in this series.

This game saw a lot of questionable calls that will be discussed ad infinitum until tomorrow night's first pitch, as they should be. For me, Joe Blanton starting wasn't one of them; he pitched well enough and came out with the lead.

There were a ton of decisions/moments in this game that could have swung the result one way or the other. Let's examine.

1) The big one, for me, came in the eighth. Ryan Howard doubled to lead off the inning, and Jayson Werth doubled him in to tie the game. Jimmy Rollins then popped out to shallow left, failing to move the runner to third with less than two outs. Charlie Manuel went with his gut here, but the book was the right play. Rollins should have bunted, or somehow has to get the guy to third so he can be knocked in for the lead.

2) That Manuel went to Roy Oswalt to start the ninth didn't bother me. How Oswalt pitched did. Buster Posey had been hitting pitches out over the plate to right all night, and again against Oswalt to rack up two strikes. But instead of going back inside, Oswalt stayed outside and Posey singled to set up first and third. He then throws a changeup to Juan Uribe who sent it to left for the winning sac fly. This despite Uribe had a bum wrist and Oswalt had just hit his hand (despite it being called a foul ball). He should have gone after him with the fastball.

3) In the bottom of the sixth, Chad Durbin had Pablo Sandoval set up for a much-needed strikeout with two on and no outs, and went with the wrong pitch. The at bat sequence was: fastball pulled down the line and ruled foul; slop breaker at Sandoval's feet that he swung at; another slop pitch he looked at for a ball; fastball up that he ripped foul. At this point the count is 1-2, and Sandoval clearly wants the fastball. Durbin and Carlos Ruiz went with a high fastball when I think another slop breaker would have gotten the strikeout. Instead, Sandoval (to his credit) ripped the neck-high fastball to the wall, scoring 2.

4) With two outs in the third, Posey doubled off Blanton to score Aubrey Huff from first, making the score 2-0. Off the bat I thought the ball was in the glove, but Francisco could not get to it. Announcer Joe Buck said he thought Francisco got a slow start on the ball, and while there was no replay showing Francisco's reaction, I bet Buck was right.

Rollins getting the runner over, and Oswalt pitching the ninth will get a lot of attention. But inside the game, the pitch selection on Posey and Sandoval was just as important.

So, the Phillies are now in a three game to one hole. I've heard of an ace in the hole, but can the Phils produce three?

NOTES:

— This was not a example of stellar umpiring tonight. There was the Sandoval ball that might have nicked the foul line in right; there was the pitch apparently off Uribe's hand but called a foul ball; there was the Glad grounder to short in the ninth that he actually beat out at first (tie goes to runner, but tough call); and there was the pickoff of Rollins in the second that Giants starter Madison Bumgarner balked on two different ways, and then Rollins was safe at second anyway but called out.

— The Phillies finally put together a solid offensive stretch in the fifth to take a 3-2 lead. Why Shane Victorino wasn't on second base after he singling in Francisco and while Ruiz was getting thrown out at home, only Shane Victorino knows. That was a great play by Posey at the plate to field a short hop throw from Aaron Rowand and make the tag.

— I don't know why they play "God Bless America" in the mid-seventh inning, but I thought it was funny that the fans stepped up and sang the words while it was played by a violin "maestro."

— According to the radar gun graphic, Bumgarner hit 66 mph while tossing the ball to the ump in the fourth. Good to know Fox.

— Soundtrack to this post provided by Del.