As the year comes to a close it’s time to look back at some of the top moments from the Philadelphia Phillies 2010 season. While the team came short of their ultimate goal of winning a World Series championship, there were still several great memories from the past year. It’s time to look back on the top moments of 2010 leading up to the number one memory which will be unveiled on New Years Eve.
#9 He’s Baaaaaack! – June 23rd
Jimmy Rollins has always had a knack for the spotlight.
In his second game back off of the disabled list after missing the previous two months with a calf injury, Rollins made quite the statement.
It was just his 9th at-bat after missing 55 of the previous 68 games. In his first eight plate appearances Rollins was 0 for 8.
But when the spotlight shines brightest, Jimmy Rollins comes through.
Rollins had no doubts that his homer won the game for the Phillies
With the Phillies trailing 6-5 with one out in the bottom of the 9th, the shortstop stepped to the plate. After Brian Schneider walked to lead off the inning, Rollins faced off against Indians closer Kerry Wood. On the third pitch of the at-bat, Rollins turned on a 96 mph fastball and crushed it into the upper deck just fair down the right field line.
“It was a sayanora home run,” Charlie Manuel said. “He said, ‘I got one, didn’t I?’ He was very happy about it.”
“I never saw a crowd like that coming around third base,” added Rollins. I didn’t know what to do. I thought about sliding. It felt good. It was one of those moments.”
It was the first career walk off home run for Rollins and it gave the Phillies just their second victory in 27 tries when trailing after 7 innings of play.
“It was almost made for him to get up there with a guy on base, you know?” said Phillies manager Charlie Manuel. “That’s unreal. He’s sitting there the last two nights, he hasn’t had a hit yet. All of a sudden he’s up in the big situation where he can win the game and he pops one out. That’s definitely a good story.”
“You try and do it all year long, but your brain just stops working and you stop thinking about what you need to do,” Rollins said. “And you just set your hands – you’ve taken enough swings – and you hope to get the right pitch. When you get that pitch you try not to foul it off. A good thing happened tonight.”
While the night ended on a good night, it looked like it was going to be a bad one for Rollins. With the game tied 5-5 in the top of the 9th he made a tough backhanded stop on a grounder to deep shortstop by catcher Carlos Santana. However Rollins throw to the plate was well off line allowing the go-ahead run to score. Chase Utley made a critical stop on a 4-3 double play to end the inning and keep the Phillies deficit at one run.
“I did everything I could do,” Rollins said.
Shane Victorino and the rest of the Phillies were happy to have their shortstop back from injury
“It’s pretty deflating,” added Indians manager Manny Acta. “Even though we didn’t execute the way we wanted offensively, we still went into the bottom of the ninth with the lead and the bottom of the order up. That’s an ideal situation.”
The Phillies were put in an early hole thanks to a rough start from fifth starter Kyle Kendrick. The Phillies righty threw 86 pitches over just four innings of work and put a strain on the Phillies bullpen.
“My command wasn’t good,” Kendrick said. “I fell behind hitters. I left the ball up and got hit hard. I didn’t do my job tonight.”
The bullpen kept the game within reach before Brian Schneider tied it on a solo home run in the bottom of the 7th. It was the backup catcher’s first home run since July of 2009. Phillies reliever Chad Durbin left in the top of the 9th with a hamstring injury and would miss the next month of the season while on the disabled list.
“It just grabbed right as the ball touched my glove,” Durbin said.
“He blew it out,” added Manuel.
With the victory the Phillies earned their first series win at home in Interleague Play since June of 2007. It snapped a streak of nine straight losing series against American League opponents at Citizens Bank Park. While Rollins would struggle with injury and poor play for the remainder of the 2010 season, on this night the city of Philadelphia believed the Phillies shortstop was finally back.
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