Homers lift Phils to third win, 10-2

The Phillies moved within one game of their first championship since 1980.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Even their pitcher socked a ball into the seats.

If Ryan Howard, the Philadelphia Phillies and their frustrated fans needed any more evidence this really might be their year, Joe Blanton gave it to them.

Blanton became the first pitcher in 34 years to homer in the World Series, Howard drove in five runs with two homers and the Phillies romped over the Tampa Bay Rays 10-2 on Sunday night to move within one win of their first championship since 1980.

Jayson Werth also homered as the Phillies took a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven Series.

Cole Hamels will try to close out the Phillies’ second Series title tonight against Scott Kazmir in a rematch of Game 1 starters. Hamels (4-0) is trying to become the first pitcher to win five postseason starts in one year.

Of the 42 teams to take 3-1 World Series leads, 36 have gone on to win the crown.

After splitting the first two games in Florida, the Phillies improved to 6-0 at Citizens Bank Park this postseason. That includes a wacky, rain-delayed 5-4 win in Game 3 that ended at 1:47 a.m. Sunday — it drew a 6.1 television rating, easily the lowest in Series history.

Jimmy Rollins made a great escape from a rundown in the first inning — perhaps with the help of an umpire’s blown call — energizing the Phillies and rattling the Rays.

A day after hitting his first homer of the Series, Howard connected twice.

The major league leader in homers and RBIs hit a three-run drive off Andy Sonnanstine that made it 5-1 in the fourth and sent screams through a whooped-up crowd of 45,903. Howard struck again with a long, two-run shot in the eighth.

Blanton, with a Greg Luzinski body type that’s a throwback to an era of pudgy pitchers, had a dreamlike night. He gave up four hits — including solo homers to Carl Crawford and pinch-hitter Eric Hinske — struck out seven and walked two in six-plus innings.

Even when Jason Bartlett’s grounder up the middle caromed off him in the fifth, the ball went straight to third, where Pedro Feliz threw to first for the out.

Four pitchers combined for one-hit relief, with Ryan Madson striking out B.J. Upton on a 3-2 changeup to end the seventh with two runners on, preserving a 6-2 lead.

The middle of Tampa Bay’s lineup kept fizzling as if it had been zapped by a Ray-gun, with No. 3 hitter Carlos Pena and cleanup man Evan Longoria combining to go 0-for-29 in the Series.