No Less Than Nine Patron Saints Of Rain

Have you ever seen the movie Bowfinger? The mantra of that movie is K.I.T.: Keep It Together. And that is what I, and all Philadelphians, find ourselves doing this morning.

Phil Sheridan gets it exactly right:

Imagine if someone came to the Phillies in March and offered this proposition: You can play 31/2 innings, with four times at bat to the opponent's three times, to win the World Series. And if you somehow manage to lose that shortened game, you get two more full games. Win just one of those and you're the champs.

Exactly right, yet a cold comfort.

Now, I am praying for more rain- push this World Series back just one more day- and put Cole Hamels back into his regular window for a seventh game. We might have lost a pair of innings from our lefty on Monday night- but we might get one more whole start if God lets it keep sleeting here in the northeast. This morning it looks encouraging- but I am not neglecting novenas and spiritual bouquets. There are no less than nine patron saints for rain. I’m going with Isidore the Farmer. Feel free to pick another.

Nine outs just doesn’t feel like that many. It is only the magnitude of the nine that is worrisome. The bullpen- specifically Romero, Madson and Lidge- is the best part of this team on a night in, night out basis. And with twelve outs, you gotta figure the Phillies can scratch out a marker or two.

Even the two games back in Florida don’t seem as daunting as they did pre-Series. Last week, it was a total rotation crapshoot going in. Now, well, Meyers wasn’t so bad and there is a decent chance the Phillies might start Hamels in a deciding game.

No house in Vegas would put the Rays up at anything better than 11 to 2. And the Phillies are a solid favorite tonight: bet three to win two. As Sheridan writes, the biggest worry might be if William Penn is still mad about One Liberty Place. So I’m trying to relax and listen closely for the calming sounds of precipitation.