In what could turn out to be the most pivotal moment of his magical season, Andre Ethier said he didn't hear the roar of 56,000 fans at Dodger Stadium. Instead, he said, he heard the calming voice of his hitting coach.
"Don't be too aggressive," Don Mattingly's voice told him. "Don't get yourself out."
Score tied, bases loaded and down to the Dodgers' final strike in the eighth inning, Ethier let one pitch by J.A. Happ sail by him.
Then another.
And another.
Ball four.
No late-game home run. No swarm of teammates to greet him at home plate. No matter.
Ethier's walk, on a 3-2 pitch, pushed in Russell Martin for the deciding run in the Dodgers' come-from-behind, 2-1 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies that tied the best-of-seven National League Championship Series at 1-1.
For seven innings, the Dodgers were held scoreless by Pedro Martinez, who was nine days away from his 38th birthday. They were kept in the game by a once-again dominant Vicente Padilla, whose lone mistake over 7 1/3 innings was a solo homer he served up to Ryan Howard in the fourth.
But when Phillies Manager Charlie Manuel opted to hit for Martinez in the top of the eighth, everything changed.
The Phillies' next pitcher was another former Dodger, Chan Ho Park, who gave up a leadoff single to Casey Blake.
"As soon as Casey Blake got the basehit, I said, 'It's on,' " Rafael Furcal said.
Juan Pierre pinch-ran for Blake and moved to second when Ronnie Belliard, trying to sacrifice, placed his bunt perfectly between Park and first baseman Howard for a hit.
What happened next was one of those "that's baseball" moments.
Martin tried to sacrifice -- but failed. With the bunt taken off because the count was full, Martin hit what looked like a sure double-play grounder to third base.
"As soon as I hit it, I was like, 'Dang it, here we go,' " Martin said.
Third baseman Pedro Feliz threw the ball to second baseman Chase Utley, who threw it to . . . well, way wide of Howard and into the screen in front of the Phillies' dugout.
Pierre scored.
Instead of the Dodgers being down by a run with two outs and a man on third, they were tied and had a man on first with one out.
"As soon as I saw Howard come off the bag, that's when I realized that something was going to happen," Martin said.
Pinch-hitter Jim Thome singled to right, Martin going from first to third.
