Phillies-Dodgers Game 4 Has Another Shocking Phillies Game 4 Comeback

The Phillies-Dodgers Game 4 last year all but ended the Dodgers season. Last night, the Phillies-Dodgers Game 4 proved that nothing may have changed. But last year's Phillies-Dodgers Game 4 was preferable for the Dodgers, by comparison to this year's. The 2008 Phillies-Dodgers Game 4 had two big blasts in the eighth inning. The 2009 Phillies-Dodgers Game 4 felt even worse, as Philadelphia did it all in the last out, in a game that practically belonged to Los Angeles. Instead, the Dodgers are down 3-1 after Game 4 again, and may not come out of it, just like last year.

The Phillies-Dodgers Game 4 had a lot of mood swings, as the Phillies dominated early, and then the Dodgers dominated from innings 4-8. But the ninth killed Los Angeles, as the Phillies got a two out, two run double from Jimmy Rollins to win 5-4, and go up 3-1 in the NLCS again.

Except for the Phillies-Dodgers Game 4 comeback happening in the ninth, the 2009 version was almost a rerun of last year's Game 4. Jonathan Broxton was once again victimized by the Phillies, and Matt Stairs again had a part in it.

But this time, Stairs surprisingly took four straight balls in the ninth to start the rally, then Carlos Ruiz was hit by a pitch. After Greg Dobbs lined out, Jimmy Rollins, who had done nothing to speak of this postseason, got the game-winning double into the gap.

Philadelphia looked like they wouldn't need a comeback early in Game 4, as Ryan Howard started off with a two-run home run, and Joe Blanton retired the first 10 Dodgers. But the Phillies-Dodgers Game 4 drama started when Los Angeles woke up to score four runs in the next three innings, all with two outs. The Phillies, on the other hand, only had four hits through eight innings, and the vaunted Dodgers bullpen got out of some jams.

The Phillies-Dodgers Game 4 looked destined to turn things around for Los Angeles, even the series, and put Philadelphia into a nervous fit. Instead, Broxton and the Phillies fell into old NLCS habits, and the Phillies can end it all at home.

Last year after the Phillies-Dodgers Game 4, Los Angeles had no chance to recover against Cole Hamels. This year, they once again face Hamels for a Game 5, but Hamels isn't the pitcher he was last year. Yet with all of Philadelphia now expecting a party in Game 5, Hamels will face a lot of pressure to give it to them.

If he doesn't, Vicente Padilla hopes to shut the Phillies bats down again, and bring things back to Los Angeles - although Cliff Lee and Pedro Martinez would be waiting in a Game 6 and 7. The Phillies will try to ensure that they don't need them in Game 5 tomorrow night, at 8:07 p.m. on TBS.

Sources

FOX Sports- "Rollins, Phillies refuse to lose in Game 4"