Tony DeMarco

LOS ANGELES - It's all lined up for the Philadelphia Phillies. Fifteen years after their last World Series appearance ended in dramatic failure, they are one win away from a long-awaited return trip.

And who helped them get there in a pivotal Game 4 victory at Dodger Stadium that was keyed by a stunning four-run top of the eighth?

Not Ryan Howard. Not Chase Utley. Not Jimmy Rollins. Not Cole Hamels. And that, the Phillies say, is the main reason for their success. It can be — and often is — anybody on their roster.

Anybody, such as a 40-year-old pinch-hit specialist who didn't join the team until late August, and had only two previous at-bats in the postseason.

That would be Matt Stairs, who at 5 feet 9 and 210 pounds, looks a bit too much like a slo-pitch softball slugger, and who readily admits to using that kind of approach at the plate. The every-man, if you will.

The Phillies got him from the Toronto Blue Jays for a player to be named, and with one huge swing of his bat, Stairs made it a steal of a deal.

Stairs worked Dodgers closer Jonathan Broxton into a 3-1 count, and unloaded on a fastball for a game-deciding two-run homer far up the right-field pavilion — in his words ''the biggest'' pinch-hit blast of a 17-year big-league career filled with them.

“That's my approach — I try to swing for the fences,'' Stairs said. “I swing hard and try not to get cheated. That's how it's been my whole career. It's fun. I'm not going to hit a single and steal second base. I swing hard and try to elevate.''

Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said Stairs, ''was able to catch up with Broxton, which is quite a feat when you think about it — he throws 100 miles an hour.''

Added Stairs: “I've only been here a month; you want to do something like that to feel like you're part of the team. There's no better feeling than having guys hammer on you (in celebration).''

Shane Victorino knows that feeling, too. He's been there, done that already this postseason. In fact, he's turned into the guy every team that goes deep into October seems to have — a lesser-known but quality player who rises to the occasion time after time. Gene Tenace, Scott Brosius, you've got company.

Victorino already had nine postseason RBI when he stepped into the box three batters before Stairs in the fateful top of the eighth. And he added two more with a dramatic game-tying homer off right-hander Cory Wade — spoiling Joe Torre's eighth-inning pitching decisions.

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Funny, but during a pre-game press conference, Torre had praised Wade — who was very effective in Game 3 — even mentioning the fact that Wade held left-handed hitters to a .210 batting average.

But this time, Victorino got a breaking ball that stayed up in the strike zone, and, “knocked the hell out of it'' in Torre's words. One night after being the central figure in the bench-clearing incident that resulted in fines for seven players and coaches from both sides, Victorino answered with his bat.

Afterward, Victorino really wanted to talk about was his team's resiliency.

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“With this team, it's the character,'' he said. “We pull for each other. Not every night is there going to be one guy or a superstar carrying the team. We just keep finding a way. Everything adds up. I can't stop talking about how we keep battling.''

Everything had been working out nicely for Torre and the Dodgers.

Five outs to go, and this would have been an even National League Championship Series. But the Phillies spoiled the plan.

And now they have three chances — the next one with ace Cole Hamels on the mound, and if needed, two more at home to get the one victory they need.

“We stay after you,'' Manuel said. “That's one of our biggest things. We don't quit. We keep coming.''

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