We head back to the 2008 Philadelphia Phillies for our next moment. The 2008 World Series was full of amazing moments (more of them will be coming later), but this one was just so improbable, so unbelievable, that to not include it on this list would be a mistake. What happens when a pitcher hits his first career home run in the Fall Classic? You get moment number 14.
Moment #14: Joe Blanton goes deep-October 26, 2008
As the end of July in 2008 came around, the Phillies looked like a contending team again. The offense was at the top of the National League, and the pitching wasn't that bad, either, but there was one thing missing. The Phillies, and their fans knew that another starting pitcher had to be brought in to solidify the rotation. Kyle Kendrick had flamed out, and Brett Myers was still down in the minors, trying to work out his issues. On July 17, GM Pat Gillick traded for Oakland starter Joe Blanton, who was 5-12 with a 4.96 ERA with the Athletics. Most people were stumped by the move, as pitchers like Rich Harden and C.C. Sabathia were available, but the Phillies went with the big guy from Oakland instead.
Rather than have the reaction of the fans dictate how he would pitch, Blanton went out and didn't lose a start for the Phils during the regular season, going 4-0 with a 4.20 ERA in 13 starts. His good pitching carried over into the playoffs, where he went 1-0 and allowed just four earned runs in 12 innings during the National League playoffs. His next start would be in Game Four of the World Series. The Phillies had taken a 2-1 lead in the series on a late night, 45 foot single by Carlos Ruiz (more on that later), and with Cole Hamels in the chamber for Game Five, the pressure was on Joe to finish off the Rays and put the Phillies one win away from their second championship.
The game started out well, as Pat Burrell worked a bases loaded walk off of Andy Sonnanstine in the first inning to score a run, and Pedro Feliz plated Chase Utley in the third inning. Joe Blanton was pitching pretty well, allowing just two hits in the first three innings before giving up a home run to Carl Crawford in the top of the fourth to cut the lead to just a single run. Luckily, Ryan Howard launched a three run home run in the bottom of the inning, but the Rays would answer back in the top of the fifth, as Eric Hinske drilled a shot to dead center field off Blanton to make it a 5-2 game. Edwin Jackson replaced Sonnanstine in the bottom of the fifth, and quickly retired Pedro Feliz and Carlos Ruiz before Blanton stepped to the plate.
Now, not much was expected from Joe Blanton whenever he came to bat. In his time with Oakland and Philadelphia, Blanton had a career total of two hits in 26 at bats, which was good for a .077 batting average. Coming into the game against the Rays that night, he had never had a hit in the playoffs. All of that was about to change. Blanton worked a 2-1 count against Jackson, then tomahawked the next pitch deep and over the left field wall for a solo home run. It was the first home run by a pitcher in the World Series since 1974, and the first of Joe Blanton's career. The crowd at Citizens Bank Park was making more noise than I had ever heard to that point, and most people could feel it after that. There's no way to describe that feeling unless you've actually experienced it. It was at that moment that everyone, no matter how negative you felt about Philadelphia sports, knew that the Phillies were going to win the World Series.
The rest of the game was just an afterthought following Blanton's home run. Jayson Werth and Ryan Howard each homered in the bottom of the eighth inning to finish up the scoring, and when J.C. Romero struck out Rocco Baldelli to end the top of the ninth, the Phillies were just one win away from a World Series championship. Joe Blanton finished the game with a line similar to just about any time he's won a game with the Phillies. He went six innings, allowing two runs while walking two and striking out seven. Of course, he also had the biggest hit by a Phillies pitcher in World Series history, and that's why his amazing long ball makes the list at number 14.
Needless to say, the Phillies did go on to win the World Series in 2008, though I'll get to that moment a little bit later in the countdown. As for Joe Blanton, he pitched again with the Phillies in 2009 and went 12-8 with a 4.05 ERA. He didn't have the same success in the playoffs this year, pitching in four games and not getting a decision in any of them. Though his name has been brought up in trade rumors during the offseason, I for one would love to have the big righty back for another season with the Phils.
Thanks to MLB.com, I've got a nice recap of Game Four of the 2008 World Series, including Joe Blanton's home run.
MLB.com: Joe goes deep
I return to the ice for moment number 13. The season before the NHL Lockout, the Flyers had a chance to add their names to the Stanley Cup, and without this moment, they wouldn't have gotten as close as they did. Plus, it's always fun when the Orange and Black send a team from Canada packing.
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