Otra vez

Primetime

"I don't want to say goodbye, to you...so I'll just say goodnight..."

Mos Def - Goodnight

The Fightin' Phils defeated the Dodgers in LA, 8-6. The score and hits will fool you, however Thursday night was a pitchers duel, that Philadelphia was able to take advantage of.

Very Familiar

The NLCS got off to a cardiac start, as this series is not for the fair weather fan, or faint of heart. James Loney, Andre Ethier, Manny Ramirez, and Juan Pierre, battled the Phillies starter Cole Hamels, but the Dodgers pitching fell apart beginning in the 5th, as Ryan Howard came up big with runners in scoring position, just as he did in Colorado. Raul Ibanez smacked a 3-run homer in the 8th to give Philadelphia the lead for good, giving Brad Lidge an opportunity for save number 3 in the post season.

While the home runs and final 3 outs will get all the praise from tonight, it was the pitching of former Dodger Chan Ho Park...now pitching for the Phillies, that provided a steady balance in the 7th that kept the 5-4 Philadelphia lead. In baseball it's all about pitching, and the guy that makes the most from the mound will give his team the best opportunity to win.

Photo: Stephen Dunn/Getty Images

The Catalyst

Return

Lights, camera, action

"It's the same old song, but with a different meaning since you've been gone..."

The Four Tops - It's the Same Old Song

This Friday Manny Ramirez will return to the Los Angeles Dodgers after serving his 50-game suspension.

Batman Returns

The Dodgers have been playing well this season, and while many of the experts thought they would fall off the map when Ramirez got suspended, they actually kept their composure and remained as one of the top teams in the National League. Juan Pierre did a great job of filling in, and now that Manny is back, I believe he will take the team to the next level.

I know this sounds vaguely familiar as it was only just a year ago when Man Ram arrived in the City of Angels and things changed for the better almost immediately.

Manager Joe Torre has done a great job with this ball club, and it won't be too long before the Dodgers are right back in the pennant race.

Photos: Webster Riddick

No Place Like Home

Fearless

"Well this is the time that you waited for..."

Sadat X - Shinin' Star

On Tuesday night the Phillies played against their NL West rival the Dodgers, and amidst the Manny Ramirez buzz, something amazing happened in South Philly.

Phanatic

Phillies Right Fielder Jayson Werth had one of the biggest games in his career by stealing 4 bases, including home...a base rarely stolen. The Phils won the game 5-3, and with Jimmy Rollins now batting 5th in the lineup, a lot of question marks were settled as he played well, and Werth captured the crowd. He sealed the victory with his speedy play, and determination.