Today was so good, my animosity toward Gagne is subsiding

The Phillies and Brewers were knotted in a pitcher's duel for most of the day game, as the Phils tried to pull within one for the Wild Card - and an opportunity to tie in the nightcap - and the Brewers tried to thwart their challenger.

It was a tense affair until the 8th, when the Phillies got a healthy dose of crappy relief pitching, hammering a former Red Sox for three runs on a walk and three hits in one-third of an inning, leading them to a 7-4 victory.

And guess what? That crappy former Red Sox now working from the Brewers bullpen was not the goggled, roided, washed-up Eric Gagne. It was Brian Shouse.

The Brewers saved Gagne, whose awful performances for the Red Sox last year still haunt me even though they won the World Series, for mop-up duty. He got Carlos Ruiz to fly out to right. Corey Hart, who beat out Pat Burrell for the final slot on the All-Star team this year, turned it into a double play because Pedro Feliz ran from first base as if there were two outs. He's lucky that came at a forgettable moment in the game. But SoxandPhils was taking note.

There were two big blows in the game for the Phillies. In the 6th, down 3-1, it seemed like old times when Chase Utley got hit with a pitch to lead off and Ryan Howard knocked him in with a home run. We didn't get a picture of the Phillies two big bats celebrating at home because of another incident with a drunken fan.

Before I could log the play in my scorecard, I was knocked out of my seat to the ground. I didn't know what happened until I saw a drunk guy whose seat was in the row behind me laying in the row in front of me. Apparently he got "too excited" by the home run and fell - mostly on me, but a little on Christine, too. The park ushers neither checked on us nor seemed to care that there was a patron in the park too stinking drunk to stand up.

He kept talking with his friends, who thought his fall was awesome. Our season ticket neighbor leaned over to us and asked, "What's more annoying, having him fall on you or hearing him keep talking about it?"

Back to the game: While the fall kept Christine from snapping a photo after Howard's homer, she got the next big blast, a three-run homer by Shane Victorino in the 8th to put the Phillies ahead 7-4. (Pat Burrell had just driven in the go-ahead run with a single.)

On-field observations: Great start for Joe Blanton, seen to the right battling fellow fattie Prince Fielder. At first Christine was disappointed we were getting Blanton instead of Brett Myers, whom we still haven't seen live. Then she predicted Blanton would win and Myers would get shelled in the nightcap. Thankfully, that prediction didn't hold up. Blanton did his job - three earned on two walks and five hits with four strikeouts. Take out the first and fifth innings when the Brewers scored their runs, and he gave up one walk, hit by pitch and hit in five innings. ... ESPN's No. 2 Web gem today was Corey Hart's 5th inning catch. From the stands, it looked look an easy fly that he seemed to lose in the sun. ... Chase Utley played like an old-time scrappy second baseman. He had a sacrifice bunt and turned a couple of nifty plays in the field, including a double play in the 5th off of Hart. He fielded it, hustled to beat Jason Kendall to the bag and leaped over him to avoid a collision. It seemed like there would be no time to even attempt a throw to first, but he nailed Hart in plenty of time. ... Why is Charlie Manuel intent on blowing out Brad Lidge's arm? For the second time in two days, he brought him in a non-save situation, apparently forgetting he might need him for the night game.

Observations from the stands: We heard some singer outside the ballpark doing Sweet Caroline before the game. Christine wished harm on those who were singing along with him; I said he's just getting people in the mood for October. ... The Annville Cleonia High School marching band played some jazz standards on the field before the game - it wasn't explained why they were there. Joe Blanton was almost hit by a flag. ... The Phillies, with Burrell's help, handed out trophies for some kids' home run derby contest. The award was bigger than some of the kids and one poor soul (not pictured) got a broken trophy. Jamie Moyer and one of the ball girls also won this contest in their younger days. ... The Malvern Troop 7 Boy Scouts of America presented the colors. ... The Westminster Youth Choir sang the anthem with some bugle accompaniment. It got me in the mood for a fox hunt. ... "They're just torturing me right now," Christine said when the scoreboard featured Myers as one of the stars of the game. At this point, the Brewers still had the lead off of Blanton. ... Great name for the folk singer doing God Bless America - Ace Enders.

The other half of the 2008 World Series: The Red Sox head to Tampa just one game out after a 4-3 win over the Blue Jays. The Rays lost to the Yankees 8-4. Jon Lester pitched really well; Jonathan Papelbon didn't. Papelbon's on our fantasy team; Lester's on our opponent's. His performance may knock us out of the playoffs. We'll find out tomorrow.

Phillies game 2: Great game by Brett Myers, a complete game 6-1 win on short rest. I'd wax poetic and probably remember writing him off with harsh words throughout the season, but tonight's post is long enough. Unbelievable. The Phillies, who control their own destiny, are tied with the Brewers for the Wild Card and trail the Mets - who blew it against the Braves in the 9th today - by just one with two full weeks to go. Can't wait to read the headlines in the New York tabloids tomorrow.