PHILADELPHIA - The Philadelphia Phillies swatted four home runs in their clinching 10-4 victory over the L.A. Dodgers that closed out the National League Championship Series in five games and secured a chance to win their second straight World Series.
Jayson Werth hit an opposite field three-run home run in the first inning and added a solo shot in the seventh. Pedro Feliz hit a solo homer in the second and Shane Victorino added a two-run homer in the sixth.
Werth got the Phils off to a fast start when he connected on his three-run shot in the first inning off Dodgers starter Vicente Padilla, who didn't make it out of the fourth inning. Chase Utley and Ryan Howard walked before Werth sent the Citizens Bank Park crowd into a tizzy with his long home run. Utley tied a postseason record by reaching base in 25 straight games.
Andre Ethier, James Loney and pinch-hitter Orlando Hudson hit solo homers off Phils starter Cole Hamels, who lasted four and a-third innings. J.A. Happ, Chad Durbin, Chan Ho Park and Ryan Madson pitched four and two-thirds innings of one-run relief. Phils closer Brad Lidge worked a one-two-three ninth inning to set off a wild celebration on the diamond.
The Phils, who defeated the Tampa Bay Rays in the World Series last year, await the winner of the New York Yankees-Los Angeles Angels series that the Yankees are leading 3-1.
The Phillies are trying to become the first repeat champions from the NL since the Cincinnati Reds in 1975-76. The New York Yankees were the last team to win consecutive titles when they captured three in a row from 1998-2000.
The World Series is scheduled to start in the American League park next Wednesday night.
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