Bravo
The Phillies stole one from the Atlanta Braves last night, rallying from a 2-0 deficit to win 3-2 in ten innings. Tomas Perez--whom I've long denigrated as "the Happy Hacker" for his sunny temperament and near-absolute unwillingness to take a walk--was the big hero with a game-tying double in the 8th and a walk-off homer two innings later. Phils starter Randy Wolf continued building his case for a non-support lawsuit, allowing one earned run through six innings but leaving on the short end of the score. But the bullpen was outstanding: Ryan Madson escaped trouble in the 7th, and then Rheal Cormier and Tim Worrell were untouchable over the final three innings.

The Phils had Atlanta starter Mike Hampton in some trouble in almost every inning, but couldn't score until Pat Burrell's bases-loaded walk forced in a run in the 7th. Mike Lieberthal--or as I call him, "DPberthal"--continued to turn in awful at-bats with guys on base, striking out with second and third and one out in the 6th and sending us into extra innings with a 5-4-3 double play in the ninth. But Perez, filling in for still-hurting Jim Thome, took care of business and provided me the illogical but undeniable adrenaline rush of Victory on the Couch.