Making History

The last time the Phillies played a World Series Game 6, it ended with Joe Carter jumping around the bases after his Series-winning home run in 1993. With that unpleasant reminder out of the way, here are a few historical notes heading into tonight's do-or-die Game 6.

Chase Utley, with his 5 World Series home runs this season, and Ryan Howard, with his 12 Series strikeouts, have tied major-league records, but there are plenty more records out there for this year's team.

With 10 home runs already in this World Series, the Phillies now have 24 this postseason, breaking last year's club record of 18. The major-league high is 27 held by the San Francisco Giants in 2002. Only the Rays last year and the Houston Astros in 2004--both had 26--have hit more in one postseason. (The Yankees this year have 5 against the Phillies and 19 overall.)

Howard holds the franchise playoff record with 25 career RBI (in 31 games), but he's not alone in breaking the old Phillies mark of 16 set by Mike Schmidt in 36 games. Shane Victorino (23 in 31 games), Utley (19 in 31), and Jayson Werth (17 in 30 games with the Phillies) did as well. And Raul Ibanez (13 in 14 games with the Phillies) and Carlos Ruiz (13 in 31) are close.

Also, Howard's 15 RBIs this postseason is just 4 behind the all-time single-season record, currently held by Boston's David Ortiz in 2004, Anaheim's Scott Spiezio in 2002, and Cleveland's Sandy Alomar in 1997. However, New York's Alex Rodriguez has 18 this postseason.

And one last follow-up on a previous post, the Phillies still have yet to get a pinch-hit this postseason. Pinch-hitters or players who replaced starters are now 0-for-20 in 2009. The last Phillie to get a pinch-hit in the postseason was Geoff Jenkins, whose sixth-inning double in Game 5 last year ignited a rally.