Dodgers will still give it their best shot

PHILADELPHIA -- If it felt like an eternity Friday hanging in there with the Dodgers through yet another playoff loss, what must it have been like for Sandy Koufax, who was sitting beside the Screaming Meanie the whole time?

You know the old saying: There's always someone out there who is worse off than you.

Who do you think was sitting next to Frank McCourt?

Sure, the Dodgers are down 2-0, but doing so much better than the Cubs and their fans.

And although they were nothing more than Angryville chum here the last two days, as bad as the Dodgers must feel, they get to leave Philadelphia while all the towel wavers remain stuck here.

As for coming back, "It might be time to do some shots of Crown Royal," said Manny Ramirez, who has been there, done that. "I know this, we'll have the music on Sunday in Dodger Stadium and maybe have some fun."

In 2004, Ramirez's Red Sox were down and out against the Yankees, but just before taking the field in Game 6, Kevin Millar urged each of his teammates to down a shot of whiskey.

Everyone took a swig out of the same cup, the Red Sox coming back to beat the Yankees, the ritual continuing before each World Series game. Jeff Kent drinking out of the same cup as his teammates?

Well, he's never won a World Series, so it'd be interesting to see just how much he wants to win one.

Last year the Red Sox were down 3-1 to Cleveland in the playoffs, Ramirez telling the media, "Why panic? If it doesn't happen, we'll come back next year and try again. It's not the end of the world."

Critics pounced on Ramirez's carefree attitude, but it took the heat off his teammates, and the Red Sox rallied to beat Cleveland and later win the World Series.

Drinks all around, please, for Matt Kemp, Rafael Furcal and Casey Blake, a combined three for 23 against the Phillies, and seriously in need of loosening up.

And a stiff shot for Chad Billingsley, who is going to have to buck up and come back and pitch again in Game 5.

"I just need to hit the weight room," said Blake, who thought he hit the ball deeper in Game 1 than it went, and who fell a few feet shy of tying it up in Game 2.

Blake changed bats before Game 2 because the ball didn't seem to be coming off his bat as well as he'd like -- going with the "same kind of bats the Phillies' home-run hitters were using," he said.

Down by three, Blake stood in the on-deck circle and told himself, "I'm going deep. It just happens sometimes -- you get that feeling. I told myself to be aggressive and take a hack.

"And I hit it good, right on the barrel. Maybe it was wishful thinking, but I thought it had a chance. Just bad aim."

There is one section of the wall here designed to kill off the Dodgers' chances for success, and both Blake and Ramirez hit it. It goes deeper than the rest of the park, Ramirez hitting it in Game 1 and getting only a double. Blake's shot didn't go as far as Ramirez's poke, but a leaping Shane Victorino kept Blake from at least a double.

"I'm tired of hearing this stadium is a bandbox," Blake said.

Ramirez, who is seemingly impervious to pressure, with a hit in 40 of his last 45 postseason games, ripped a three-run homer after the Dodgers fell behind 8-2.