Saturday (late) Night Live: Phillies win in wee hours

Game 3 of the World Series ended early Sunday at 1:47 a.m. in the ninth inning.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Carlos Ruiz took a full cut and doinked a dribbler about 30 feet up the third-base line, just far enough to drive in the winning run.

“You couldn’t place a ball better than that. Lucky swing, perfect bounce,” lamented Tampa Bay’s Ben Zobrist.

That’s how Game 3 of the World Series ended early Sunday — at 1:47 a.m.

Citizens Bank Park was still packed. Anyone else around the country who missed it, you’re not alone.

After a 91-minute rain delay and nine innings of back-and-forth baseball, Ruiz and the Philadelphia Phillies outlasted the speedy Rays 5-4 for a 2-1 Series lead.

Cue the after-hours party in the City of Brotherly Love.

Bars downtown closed only 13 minutes after Eric Bruntlett scored the game-winner, so delirious fans spilled into the streets to celebrate. It made for a wild scene, with traffic jams and Phillies rooters dancing on top of a bus.

Elsewhere, America snored.

Surely, some viewers switched over to “Saturday Night Live” in the middle innings and never made it back.

For others, 1:30 a.m. is too late to watch a ballgame — no matter who’s playing.

And maybe it was fitting that Ruiz’s biggest little hit came while most fans were fast asleep. Nearly ignored in Philadelphia’s powerful lineup, the unassuming catcher has become a surprise World Series star.

“I’m so happy,” he said. “It’s an unbelievable feeling.”

Once the rain stopped Saturday, Ruiz had a wild ride. He homered in the second inning to give the Phillies a 2-1 edge, then made a throwing error in the eighth that allowed Tampa Bay to tie it at 4.

But his teammates scratched together a rally in the ninth, when Bruntlett led off and was hit by a pitch from loser J.P. Howell. Grant Balfour relieved and threw a wild pitch that caromed off the backstop to Rays catcher Dioner Navarro, who threw wildly to second in an attempt to get Bruntlett.

The error sent Bruntlett scurrying to third, and Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon called for intentional walks to the next two batters. He also brought Zobrist in from right field for a five-man infield.

“It looked like they were about to blitz,” Phillies slugger Ryan Howard said.

Ruiz hit a trickler toward third that Evan Longoria scooped up with his bare hand. Off balance, Longoria tried a desperate, diving toss to the plate that sailed high as Bruntlett scored.

Game over. Finally.

———

TAMPA BAYPHILA

abrhbiabrhbi

Iwmra 2b4000Rollins ss4120

Upton cf4120Werth rf2010

CPena 1b3000Utley 2b4112

Lngoria 3b4000Howard 1b4111

Crwfrd lf4220Burrell lf3000

Nvarro c4120Brntlett lf0100

Gross rf3002Vctrino cf3000

Balfour p0000Feliz 3b3000

Bartlett ss4001Dobbs ph0000

Garza p2000Ruiz c3122

WAybr ph0000Moyer p2000

Brdford p0000Durbin p0000

Howell p0000Eyre p0000

Zobrist rf0000Jenkins ph1000

Madson p0000

JRmro p0000

Totals32463Totals29575

Tampa Bay010000210—4

Philadelphia110002001—5

No outs when winning run scored.

E—Navarro (1), Ruiz (2). LOB—Tampa Bay 4, Philadelphia 6. 2B—Crawford (1), Navarro (1). HR—Utley (2), Howard (1), Ruiz (1). SB—Upton 3 (3), Crawford (1), Werth (2). CS—Rollins (1). SF—Gross.

IPHRERBBSO

Tampa Bay

Garza664427

Bradford100010

Howell L,0-1101102

Balfour010020

Philadelphia

Moyer6 1-353315

Durbin1-300010

Eyre1-300001

Madson2-311101

JRomero W,1-01 1-300001

Bradford pitched to 1 batter in the 8th, Howell pitched to 1 batter in the 9th, Balfour pitched to 3 batters in the 9th. HBP—by Howell (Bruntlett). WP—Garza, Balfour. Umpires—Home, Fieldin Culbreth; First, Tom Hallion; Second, Jeff Kellogg; Third, Tim Tschida; Left, Tim Welke; Right, Kerwin Danley. T—3:41. A—45,900.