The weather was terrible back in October 2008. Rain affected two of the Phillies' series-defining wins over the Tampa Bay Rays, who are making their first appearance back at the Fall Classic this year.
With the 2008 World Series tied one game apiece, Mother Nature made her presence known, sabotaging the game with a storm and a cold front. Major League Baseball pushed the game back and played on, with first pitch officially thrown at 10:06 pm.
Right after the 10 o'clock first pitch, Chase Utley brought his speedy double-play partner, Jimmy Rollins, home to score the first run. However, father of current Phillies center fielder Justin Crawford, Carl, quickly tied the game in the next half-inning, 1-1, after stealing second and third and scoring on a sacrifice fly.
Reliving one of the best moments of Carlos Ruiz's Phillies career, scoring the walk off run in Game 3, eighteen years ago today
Before his late-game heroics, Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz mashed a solo shot to deep left field, and in the bottom of the sixth, teammates Chase Utley and Ryan Howard followed with back-to-back home runs out to right. However, the Rays chipped away at the lead again and tied the game 4-4 going into the bottom of the ninth.
Eric Bruntlett had come in as a defensive replacement for Pat Burrell in the seventh, so instead of "Pat the Bat" leading off the inning, the Phils had their wily utilityman there instead. Rays reliever J.P. Howell promptly hit him with a pitch, allowing the Phillies leadoff batter to reach base.
The Rays then brought in reliever Grant Balfour (some names are just meant for baseball), whose first pitch rolled to the backstop, letting Bruntlett scamper to second before Rays catcher Dioner Navarro threw the ball away, allowing Bruntlett to get to third. Joe Maddon called for back-to-back intentional walks to Shane Victorino and Greg Dobbs, setting up a force out at any base.
With his back against the wall, Maddon called in Rays right fielder Ben Zobrist to the dirt, creating a five-man infield and setting up his defense to stop any kind of ground ball. After working the count 2-2, Ruiz hit a soft dribbler down the third-base line. Despite the five-man infield, third baseman Evan Longoria had no chance on the play. His underhand scoop to the plate sailed over Navarro's head, and the Phillies poured out of the dugout to celebrate around their man of the hour, Carlos Ruiz.
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