philadelphia phillies season season history franchise team finished regular season record post season phillies won world series major sports championship philadelphia swept season managed phillies opened season posting winning april scored runs games late sweep record games entering month june phillies performance declined late june improved star break going immediately following midseason hiatus earned saves games blow save season postseason philadelphia traded sweeps los_angeles_dodgers august went games taking advantage late new_york_mets second year row capture division crown team won position playoffs second consecutive title phillies posted best road record national_league philadelphia defeated dodgers win national league pennant advance world series world series phillies defeated win championship years ending curse phillies starting pitcher cole named valuable player world series statistical leaders batting team included center fielder batting average baseman ryan_howard home runs runs batted second baseman runs scored accomplishments howard won gibson award national_league won consecutive silver award pitching leaders included left handed starting pitcher innings pitched left starter wins right handed relief pitcher saves won delivery man year year awards performance season shortstop won gold glove awards play field offseason players coaches october signed extension manage phillies years coaches division championship season retained underwent treatment cancer replaced interim basis early season phillies signed left handed relief pitcher new year contract dominating struck batters innings pitched posting earned run average outfielder right handed pitcher traded houston closer november outfielder traded baltimore cash january baseman outfielder outfielder arrived free agents signed january signed month broadcast booth returned team years radio announcer new_york_mets uniforms november team announced honor franchise anniversary playing philadelphia phillies wear alternate home uniform based uniforms day home games season cap play red crowned cap blue bill star logo retired controversy february center fielder statement upcoming season stated felt team chance win division doubt going win division doubt got takes team beat statement echoed assertion phillies team beat east finally imitated preseason prediction arrived camp spring training responded isn team national_league better pressure ask paper best team division year supposed win didn teams division going sure doesn happen heard pretty good especially coming quiet guy probably shocking said shocking bad way like wow believe said like wow finally said leader team definitely need vocal leader regular season monthly march april phillies opened season home march failed win series losing nationals new_york_mets game split cincinnati_reds series phillies won series chicago_cubs dropping second series phillies finished month wins losses achieve game sweep team opening month swept winning game series phillies able achieve winning april seasons fourth world series appearance batting average major_league_baseball leading home runs paced team offense followed closely runs batted team speed hampered loss disabled list time career phillies pushed forward record including opening day loss washington pitching rotation led ace cole led team wins earned run average era innings pitched new closer went entire month sacrificing single run innings respectively phillies achieve game series sweep end taking san_francisco_giants splitting series nationals dropping giants phillies sweep achieved dramatic fashion offense broke runs games including win fill players including substituted absence valuable team expected primarily platoon player coming season showed positive form slowed game home runs stole bases month returned lost disabled list ryan_howard broke early season slump batting nearly point increase average april hitting home runs hometown pitcher sixth pitcher major_league_baseball history defeat teams league phillies win colorado june june tale halves phillies started june strong combination offense pitching june team posted record starting run win ended win cardinals record reached half high games offense took phillies pitchers began sacrifice runs month phillies went remainder june pitchers allowed average runs game compared offense runs scored game punctuated season high game losing streak poor records coincided phillies stretch play swept angels lost series rangers addition dropping series cardinals managed post record rotation starters lucky poor performance received arguably scrutiny based management decision rotation bullpen season eventually accept option triple work mechanical issues confidence july july began announcement represent team garnered votes national_league players selected final vote candidate lost opportunity star appearance milwaukee outfielder phillies went july star break compiling game win streak game losing streak winning team posted sweep braves series loss series wins cardinals bolster starting rotation preparation pennant race phillies traded minor league players including second baseman pitcher outfielder starting pitcher july prove necessary start game series phillies win bullpen pitchers earned victory suffered loss game series phillies managed star break division dropping series braves sweeping nationals posted save straight phillies wins team ended month game winning streak final record august phillies opened august taking cardinals followed dropping series august phillies acquired left handed cubs taking pittsburgh_pirates phillies went west trip dropping consecutive games los_angeles_dodgers game saw team sacrifice run lead overcome second series blown bullpen dodgers sweep los_angeles completed phillies dropped game series leaving place division phillies struck taking nationals completing revenge sweep dodgers following evening phillies saw starter seven runs innings game offense deficit scoring tying run ninth catcher capped comeback going coming bench driving winning run bases loaded single deep center 13th inning ended splitting short series game series cubs close dog days summer september nearly slate division rivals final month phillies opened dropping series nationals series win division leaders new_york losses pushed contention strong pitching sweeping brewers game set allowing runs return rotation late july bolstered strength phillies starters end season boasted record era return september taking winning ways south atlanta phillies completed series sweep braves phillies swept braves season handed braves franchise game home losing streak single team win september phillies secured win season day phillies clinched east division title second consecutive season beating nationals score contributed run hit performance innings led fifth inning home run won division title earned 41st consecutive save game ending double play having gone entire season losing save opportunity recognized year season standings record opponents game log roster players appearance phillies included postseason following game sweep milwaukee beginning september phillies recorded playoff win world series appearance october defeating brewers game cole victor earning career playoff win allowed runs hits innings work batted runs ryan_howard walked times game game grand slam run support starter needed pitched seven innings allowed runs phillies second consecutive victory supported pair doubles reversal fortune brewers scored runs inning game proved win game brewers starter closer able hold phillies despite rally ninth inning keeping brewers alive game phillies defeated brewers game miller park win series hit solo home runs contributed run homer struck seven brewers holding team run hits innings box scores game game game game facing los_angeles_dodgers fourth time history phillies offense innings game phillies came score runs sixth home runs followed stellar performance seven inning run outing earned 44th consecutive save home run overcome phillies potent offense game scored runs second innings win game starting pitcher plate driving runs help cause supported hit performances started base tensions escalated following night inning throw phillies previous game retaliation dodgers los_angeles starter threw fastball narrowly missing head angrily warning throw parts body head soon escalated clearing benches dodgers rode momentum end game defeating phillies posting runs inning phillies staged comeback following game eighth inning home runs pinch hitter runs dodgers hole climb phillies won game decisions series bullpen right handed got win philadelphia suffered loss los_angeles dodgers fans hoping comeback game started contest homer forced game inning pair phillies runs philadelphia added runs trio errors fifth bring stadium crowd life solo homer sixth dodgers threatened phillies won series games winning pitcher cole named series valuable player mvp phillies advanced world series time box scores game game game game game world series phillies played fall classic years began october games played field followed games rays home field advantage series american_league victory star game phillies defeated games starting pitcher cole era postseason named series mvp game philadelphia scored runs series hit home run base inning loaded bases inning grounded inning ending double play score remained phillies extended lead batted fourth inning solo home run pulled rays runs added second run following inning rbi double philadelphia starter cole pitched seven innings allowed runs recorded 47th consecutive save game tampa starter shut phillies lineup scattering seven hits allowing runs innings work run scored rbi catcher run scored led offensive charge rays gave runs earned strikeouts walks power hitting opted phillies howard supplied hits cliff floyd extended rays lead runs leading fourth inning single advancing base scoring sacrifice phillies loss tied series game minute rain delay offenses fought forth scoring run run affair philadelphia ryan_howard ended home run drought hitting round end september hit home runs phillies contributed double rays philadelphia starter turned strong performance post season allowing runs innings counterpart allowed runs innings factor decision rays tied game eighth phillies loaded bases intentional walks base man infield able engineer late game ground ball base line score philadelphia took series lead game phillies offensive distant past lineup broke big way game led ryan_howard home run performance home runs starting pitcher phillies pushed runs plate world series pitcher hit home run years addition strong performance mound pitching innings allowing earned runs hits roster addition hit home run rays left fielder second series game philadelphia scored inning consecutive game taking lead batted respectively cut lead half fourth inning doubled batted single players hits series rays tied game sixth inning scored second base single game suspended sixth inning rain making game world series history played completion declared tie game suspended home plate umpire told reporters crew ordered players field wind rain threatened game comical agreed saying middle sixth inning infield basically underwater rain continued fall philadelphia tuesday game wednesday normal conditions games considered official games innings half home team leading point rays phillies management knew pitch commissioner responsible scheduling post season games allow team clinch series winning rain shortened game game resumed october middle sixth inning phillies batting sixth inning pinch hitter led double batting batted phillies lead tied game runs solo home run seventh inning thrown home end inning fake throw ball time catch seventh led double entered pinch runner scored hit phillies run gave single stolen base struck final sealing phillies world series championship world series city major sports championship years breaking curse alleged curse explain failure professional sports teams based philadelphia win championships march liberty place foot tall skyscraper opened blocks high statue atop decades gentlemen agreement stated approve building city rise statue supposed curse gained prominence philadelphia documentary film entitled curse produced curse ended october phillies won world series year months figure atop city hall final beam place june topping tallest building city awards team won commissioner trophy world series title warren trophy national_league champions named team year received presented team john athletic award team recognized white house starter received world series mvp awards received award new_york chapter named year delivery man year perfect performance regular season postseason received relief man award sporting news year award outstanding pro athlete award daily news year award center fielder honored gold gloves honoring defense received fielding bible award shortstop posted fielding percentage compiling assists making seven errors fielding percentage higher assists outfield clean hitter baseman ryan_howard named recipient mlb legacy award leader home runs howard hit home runs player national_league howard batted runs finished regular season rbis september second baseman won consecutive silver award given annually best hitter league position year baseball awards went phillies recognized won postseason moment year award fake throw base allowed throw rays shortstop home plate world series manager general manager named manager year distinct major_league_baseball manager year award executive year respectively leadership team winning world series philadelphia chapter presented annual franchise awards valuable player award cole valuable pitcher award good guy award received memorial award displaying character integrity field received ceremonial title recognition longtime dedication service professional baseball regular season player statistics statistics current regular season key batting note games played bats runs scored hits doubles triples home runs rbi runs batted batting average stolen bases pitching note wins losses era earned run average games pitched games started saves innings pitched runs allowed earned runs allowed walks allowed farm system league champions
2008 Philadelphia Phillies season