Ricky Sticky Savvy | Nice show of resilience tonight by the Phillies, who shook off a Minnesota comeback by posting a five-spot in the ninth and downing the Twins, 11-6. Jim Thome chased home a pair with a bases-loaded, ground-rule double, and Ricky Ledee, who has been an invaluable player since coming to the Phils in 2002, boomed an upper-deck homer, his second tater of the game, to cement the lead. Billy Wagner looked completely recovered from his injury-caused respite and tossed a 1-2-3 inning to seal the win.

In Detroit, meanwhile, the Tigers doubled up the Marlins, 8-4, enabling the Phillies to draw to within a game-and-a-half of the Fish.

I'll be at the Metrodome Saturday night for the second game of the Phils-Twins series. With any luck I'll get to thank Terry Mulholland, now hurling for the Twins, for his role in helping the '93 Phillies reach the World Series.