Could it be?? Could IT be?!?!?!?!

Harry the K's words during David Bell's long, fly ball to deep left field that tied the ball game at 4 in the 9th. Wow!! Just unreal. First comes the bottom of the 8th, where the Phils' defenes betrays them and gives the Nationals two huge insurance runs. Move to the top of the 9th. In comes Cy Young candidate Chad Cordero -- Washington's lights-out closer (he leads the National League in Saves and ERA). Pat Burrell leads off and gets hits first lifetime hit off Cordero, poking the ball into left center for a single. Up steps Ryan Howard, who had an error in the 8th that gave the Nats one of their runs. Swinging at a down and away fastball, Howard deposits the pitch in the Nationals bullpen in left field to make the score 4-3. Then steps in David Bell. Yes, that David Bell, riding an 0-3 for the night. Swinging at the second pitch, Bell crushes the ball to deep left field to tie the game at 4. We're just starting the bottom of the 9th, but I think I may be starting to believe in this team. More importantly, I think they may be starting to believe in themselves.

Labor Day Weekend = US Open Tennis

Labor Day weekend means a whole lot more to me than barbecues and pennant races. (As a Phillies fan, I haven't had that many pennant races to pay attention to.) To me, Labor Day weekend is all about the US Open. Today's biggest match -- as far as crowds go -- will be Andre Agassi vs. Tomas Berdych. However, the day's best match is clearly Rafael Nadal -- the number two player in the world -- against American James Blake, who is fighting back from a devastating 2004. On a quick side note, I think the NHL needs to take a page from what the USTA is doing in this year's Open. The winning player from each match signs three balls and hits them into the crowd as souvenirs. This from a sport that hasn't been away from the public for a year because of it's own greediness/stupidity/etc. UPDATE 1: Blake has just closed out the first set, 6-4. UPDATE 2: Nadal has just broken Blake to take the second set, 6-4. UPDATE 3: Blake has just broken back to take the third set, 6-3, giving him a two sets to one lead. UPDATE 4: Blake jumps all over Nadal, 6-1, to win the match three sets to one. He'll face the winner of the Sebastien Grosjean-Tommy Robredo (19) match, with Agassi possibly looming in the quarterfinals.

Ringing bells, RFK and playoff tickets

Tom G over at Balls, Sticks, & Stuff has rung the bell -- with a little prompting -- for another series win by the Phils. Tom at Shallow Center is giving this Phils team credit for having a spine while getting ready to head to DC for tonight's series opener against the Nationals at RFK. Meanwhile, I'm stuck in limbo. I want to get behind this team; honest, I do. However, these past few years -- during which I've paid for playoff tickets only to have the Phils collapse -- have been enough to give even their most ardent supporters reason to be a little bit less than unflinching in their support. Late last week I received a bill from the Phillies for my playoff ticket order. Astronomical -- is it okay to use this word with Houston still in the hunt? -- prices aside, is putting my heart into this team worth the investment?