Marietta wins marathon game

Marietta won for the third straight time at Philadelphia, taking a 3-2 series lead as the two teams head back to Georgia. It wasn't easy though. Johan Santana and Francisco Liriano battled to a draw this time, each surrendering three runs in 6 2/3 innings (though one of Lirano's runs was unearned). J.J. Putz and Trevor Hoffman were both impressive in relief and held their opponents to zero runs between their 7.1 combined innings. Then the two teams sent for their top relievers - Mariano Rivera for Marietta and Francisco Rodriguez for Philly. Rivera had only allowed one batter to reach base, since relieving Hoffman in the 10th. Rodriguez entered the game in the 12th and retired the side in order. Then in the 13th inning, the second batter of the inning, Wes Helms, hit a Rodriguez fastball into the stands to give the Mighty Men the lead. Rivera retired the side in order and the Mighty Men took the 3-2 series lead.

Philly now hopes that the trend continues, at least for one more game, of away teams winning every game in the series. It'd be hard to imagine that Marietta gets swept at home, but then again, it would have been hard to think that the Animals would have lost three straight home games too.