By Ryan Fagan

updated 3:29 a.m. ET Oct. 25, 2008

Sure, the loss in Game 2 will sting a bit, and the offense's inability to come through with runners in scoring position is frustrating, but the Phillies accomplished the goal that every visiting team in the World Series wants to accomplish. They're going home with a split of the first two games, and they've wrestled control of home-field advantage away from the Rays.

Now, it's back to the honesty of Citizens Bank Park, where, as the players know, there are no sugarcoated opinions within the Philly fan base.

"They're very boisterous with how they feel about how we play," Phillies Game 2 starter Brett Myers said before the World Series began. "We all know if we're playing bad and stuff, but they want us to know that they realize it, too. I think that's good for us, sometimes it could be bad. If you're playing well, they're definitely behind you."

That's not to say the fans will boo every walk handed out by Philly pitchers or every strikeout by Philly batters; they simply demand what every good manager demands — the players' absolute best efforts. If they see those efforts, they'll support their players.

"Even in the playoffs I had a rough inning — the first inning against the Brewers, they had bases loaded," Myers said. "They're up cheering for me, like trying to pull me through. And I think that's huge. That just shows that they stand behind their players in that city."

The Phillies hit better at home, as most teams do, but not necessarily in the way that you'd think. Citizens Bank Park has a reputation as a homer-happy haven, but the Phillies hit only four more round-trippers this year at home than on the road and actually had nine more extra-base hits on the road. They were much better at home, though, in batting average (.262 to .249), on-base percentage (.341 to .324) and runs scored (412 to 387). They pitched better at home, too, with a better ERA (3.65 to 4.13) and batting average against (.258 to .261).

The players and coaches would love to build on that success at home and give their fans the second World Series title in franchise history. The Phillies have had a couple shots since the 1980 team took home the big prize. They went to the World Series in 1983 and 1993, and made the playoffs in 1981 and 2007. The fans turned out in record numbers this year — a franchise-best average of 42,254 fans per game in 2008 — and the team would love to bring home the trophy for them.

"Yeah, without a doubt," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said. "I definitely feel that way. I feel like they're a part of it. They come to the ballpark, they enjoy watching us play. And I've said this over and over for about the last two years, I think that our personalities and our attitude when we play definitely helps bring fans to our ballpark in Philadelphia. I think they like our team and they definitely enjoy watching it, plus they love baseball, and of course they've been starving for a winner or they've been wanting a winner for a long time."

Added Myers: "We owe it to ourselves, but I kind of feel like I owe it to the city. I've been there for six, seven years now, and it's kind of — it's not fun to know that when you're coming into the season and they're talking about, oh, we could have a chance."

They have more than a chance. They have an honest-to-goodness golden opportunity.

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