It's Always 'Sonny' In Philadelphia ... not tonight: 10-2 Phillies and one win from a championship

Because you need it, and because I am there for you

End of eight, 10-2 Phillies

Athens is sacked, regroup on the plains of Marathon!

End of seven, 6-2 Phillies

Quiet.

End of six, 6-2 Phillies

Nothing new to see here

End of five, 6-2 Phillies

Eric Hinske pinch-hit for Andy Sonnanstine and homered. ... Then Blanton homered. He now has more hits and homers than Longoria and Pena combined.

End of four, 5-1 Phillies

Carl Crawford inched the Rays closer, but another Iwamura error started the dominos tumbling on a bust-out three-run inning powered by a three-run Ryan Howard homer. The trendline that matters: the Rays' core hitters are doing nothing, the Phillies' are coming alive.

End of three, 1-0 Phillies

Andy Sonnanstine has more hits in the World Series than Evan Longoria and Carlos Pena combined. Iwamura made an error? Things do not look good for the Rays.

End of three, 1-0 Phillies

Andy Sonnanstine has more hits in the World Series than Evan Longoria and Carlos Pena combined.

End of two, 1-0 Phillies

Sonnanstine has settled in, but Rays hitters are looking frustrated. Yes, that's Joe Blanton.

End of one, 1-0 Phillies

That certainly could have been worse for the Rays. They seemed to get jobbed by crew chief Tim Welke on the Longoria tag at third base, but the Phils got burned for one that cost a run last night. Biggest of all was Sonnanstine settling late in the inning.

The Kids are Alright?

It's going to be an interesting day here off of Broad Street. The Eagles are finishing a beating of the Falcons across the street from Citizens Bank Park, The Who will play a concert tonight around the other corner at the Wachovia Center, and there's supposedly a World Series game at 8 p.m.

Little more than 12 hours from a tough Game 3 loss to the Phillies, the Rays are down 2-1 in the series and in a virtual must-win tonight against Joe Blanton. They face ace Cole Hamels tomorrow and won't want to do that with their season one loss from ending.

Dead Men Eating

The Ruby Tuesday's on Bartram Ave. by the airport seems to be the hangout for Rays fans who've air-dropped in for this part of the series. I don't think the proximity to the airport is an accident. Anyway, two guys decked out in their Rays logo apparel were enjoying a last meal, um, brunch of strawberry daiquiris and creamed spinach dip and chips this morning before the game. I truly hope they don't go looking for a daiquiri stand here.

Rays manager Joe Maddon, a Pennsylvanian, talked about how he liked exchanging barbs with Phillies fans last night, particularly one he caught drinking Coors Light instead if Schmidt's or Rolling Rock. He said his grand daughter had been pelted with mustard packets, however, and that was over the line.

"If you want to be vociferous with us, I am fine with that," he said. "If you want to have arguments about the Coors Light versus Rolling Rock, I'm good with that, but leave the families alone."