Major League Baseball

This group of Phillies has had many playoff moments

Published Oct. 8, 2010 10:46 a.m. ET

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They danced on the mound because that's what you're supposed to do. Or is it? In the postseason, that is supposed to happen only upon winning a series. But on Wednesday, the Phillies mobbed Roy Halladay after he pitched a no-hitter in Game 1 of the National League division series.

"We didn't know how to react," Ryan Madson said. "Of course we've got to celebrate a no-hitter, but there's a lot of business left on the table."

It was just another signature postseason moment for a franchise that has played 33 playoff games in four seasons.

The most memorable, of course, was when Brad Lidge dropped to his knees in Game 5 of the 2008 World Series. But Halladay's no-hitter adds to the list of those non-championship moments: Matt Stairs' pinch-hit home run in Game 4 of the 2008 NLCS, Ryan Howard's ninth-inning double in Game 4 of the 2009 NLDS, and Jimmy Rollins' dramatic game-winning double in Game 4 of the 2009 NLCS, just to name a few.

"We've had a lot of good moments," Rollins said.

And the Phillies won each game immediately following those three special moments. Does something about this core group of players make them equipped to move on so easily?

"I would say so," Jayson Werth said. "What exactly that is, I'm not sure. It's more of that 'it' factor, I guess you'd say. The guys that we have in our clubhouse played together for a while. A few of those guys have played together longer than I've played with them. So it is a close-knit bond among the group. I think there is something to be said about that."

At least on Thursday, the Phillies had a day to let it all sink in. The team worked out, as did the Cincinnati Reds, who face the daunting task of yet another Roy on the mound.

This time, it's Roy Oswalt, who has yet to lose at Citizens Bank Park in his career and once won 15 straight games against the Reds while with the Houston Astros.

"I feel good about it," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said. "But you know what the big thing about that is, that game's gone. That performance will always linger maybe in your mind and everything like that, but that's one game. We've got two more games to win to actually to win the series.

"That gives us great confidence. We're up, 1-0. And, you know, like that's kind of how I want Roy Oswalt to feel. I just want him to do the same thing that Roy Halladay did. Just go out there and be comfortable, get a comfortable atmosphere and pitch to his ability and his knowledge on how to pitch. Just be himself."

After Halladay's no-hitter, Oswalt joked with Rollins that the offense would need to put up 25 hits and eight or nine runs so he doesn't have to live up to Halladay's performance.

"Y'all better go get me a whole lot of runs," Rollins said, doing his best Oswalt imitation.

Shane Victorino said he doesn't expect anyone to let the oddity of Wednesday affect Friday.

"We know it's history," Victorino said. "It's the past. We're that kind of team. That's what we do so well."

Victorino said Halladay's no-no ranked beside winning the World Series.

"It has to be up there," Rollins said. "Where does it rank in our history? You can argue that. I don't know."

Everyone agreed how magical a moment it was.

"I think we have the best fans in baseball," Werth said. "And I think they were treated last night."

Contact staff writer Matt Gelb

at 215-854-2928 or mgelb@phillynews.com. Follow him on Twitter @magelb.

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