Berks coroner called to 2-alarm house fire in Exeter
Nov. 4—Walking down Pattison Avenue toward the ballpark for Game 4 of the World Series there were more fans and vendors on the sidewalk than for a normal Phillies game and as you approached, you could see a bit more neon and a lot more activity surrounding the 18-year-old stadium.
What should be a 1 1/2 -hour drive from southern Berks County to south Philadelphia took 2 1/2 hours, so there was a bit of urgency in those steps as first pitch was just 1 1/2 hours away at Citizens Bank Park.
A Ferris wheel in the middle of South 11th Street churned the unusually warm November night air and definitely set the tone for the free block party/street fair vibe outside the third-base gate. Funnel cake was just one of the options available from several food trucks there, and a stage was set up further down the block.
Throngs of people were roaming the concourse an hour before the first pitch, navigating around a huge line to get into the New Era Phillies Team Store that snaked back to the Shake Shack stand and long lines of people partaking of pregame meals and drinks.
The smells were familiar: the spice of sausages on the grill, grease from the fries, yeasty soft pretzels and beer. There was a heightened sense of electricity, a buzz as the fans made their way to their seats.
The crowd's cheers were deafening when the "double-play duo" from the World Series Champion 2008 Phillies were introduced to throw out the ceremonial first pitches at Game 4 on Wednesday night. Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley strode toward the mound, and the crowd took a cue from "This is Spinal Tap" guitarist Nigel Tufnel and cranked the volume to an 11 for that little push over the edge when former manager Charlie Manuel was announced as joining them as a special guest.
Chants of "Cheater, Cheater" greeted Astros second baseman Jose Altuve as he stepped to the plate as the first hitter of the game. He allegedly was a key beneficiary of the 2017 sign-stealing scheme by his team using video feeds. Others said to be involved with the scam, which included players banging on trash cans to indicate pitches coming to the batter, were bestowed with the same repetitive chorus.
Most of the crowd of 45,693 — official attendance at CBP for Game 4 — stood through the first inning, waiting for the Phillies bats to come alive. They didn't. They wouldn't.
The Astros threatened to score in the second, and one of the runners attempted to distract Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola by waving his oven mitt-clad arm up and down. Christian Vazquez looked like he should be down I-95 bit at Philadelphia International Airport directing taxiing jets to their gates.
The Astros didn't score then, but they certainly would.
Between the fourth and fifth innings Upper Darby native and "Saturday Night Live" alum Cheri Oteri took to the field with the Phanatic dressed as a cheerleader to re-enact one of her SNL skits made popular with Will Ferrell.
The fifth inning is when the plug got pulled on the crowd's electricity. The Astros scored five.
The game would be a historic one, but not one that could be celebrated by Phillies fans. The team would not get a single hit. It was only the second no-hitter in World Series history and the first no-hitter featuring a combination of pitchers.
Down 5-0 in the eighth inning, the stadium began to clear out. Of course many faithful fans stayed, clinging to hope that somehow their beloved Phils could make a miraculous ninth inning comeback.
Despite high hopes, Harry Kalas' dulcet tones would not be played over the public address system at the end of the game.
As the Phillies head to Houston, down three games to two, fans are still clinging to hope that the team can make a comeback.
