SantaFeToday.com Santa Fe’s Hometown News
By Arnie Leshin
Founded by William Penn and where Ben Franklin flew a kite, the city of Philadelphia is on a roll in the world of sports. If this keeps up, the Liberty Bell will be sounded.
While the Eagles, the lone undefeated team in the National Football League, are perched on top the standings, the Major League Baseball Phillies just returned home from San Diego where they are a step away from getting to the World Series.
That National League best-of-five series is deadlocked at a game apiece after the Phils won the opener over the Padres, which followed their winning the best-of-three wild card versus the defending World Series champion Atlanta Braves.
Taking 2 of 3 from Atlanta was a super surprise after Philadelphia finished third in the NL East behind the Braves and the New York Mets, but it hit a red-hot spell once the post-season began.
Who knows what stirred Philly up? Can it be those tasty cheesesteaks in South Philly from the Italian Market or the two popular restaurants across from each other there — Pat’s King of Steaks and Geno’s Steaks.
Maybe the hoagies, strombolis, roast pork, scrapple or the soft pretzels? And don’t forget Chinatown.
Meanwhile, the Eagles are packing them in at the Lincoln Financial Field. After winning NFL championships in 1948, 1949 and 1960, it wasn’t until 2017 that they hosted the Vince Lombardi Super Bowl trophy.
In this same season, Philadelphia in baseball needs to win at home now, where it has a probable three games before returning to San Diego, but if it wins two more times in this NL championship series, it would be World Series time against the American League’s Houston Astros or New York Yankees.
In San Diego there was at least one fuddy-duddy who did not see the humor in a mural painted this week of the famous San Diego chicken mascot using his super-sized yellow foot to stomp on the side of the head of the Phillie Phanatic.
Otherwise, the Padres no doubt have the pitching edge when Joe Musgrove takes the mound tonight.
Against the Mets in the deciding Game 3, the right-hander tossed a one-hitter over seven scoreless innings and followed it up with six solid frames to help eliminate the 111-win rival Los Angeles Dodgers who were recognized as the team to beat.
Philadelphia counters with southpaw Ranger Suarez who walked five in three and one-half frames in Game 2 against the Braves.
Said Phillies manager Rob Thompson, who took over when then manager Joe Delgardi was fired, has done an exceptional job: “That’s the way our rotation was set up and we certainly will not pitch Zach Wheeler tonight on short rest.”
Thompson points out that his team lost Game 2 against Atlanta and bounced back to win the next two. Philly has been a force at home this postseason and outscored the Braves 17-4 in two division games. San Diego is 3-2 on the road.
“We feel pretty good being home,” Thomson said, “and play the next three games in front of our own fans. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”
Meanwhile, Houston is up 2-0 against New York after two games at home and now heads for Yankee Stadium in the best-of-three.
