Phillies and Red Sox have strong interleague rivalry: A fan’s take

The best thing about interleague play are the rivalries.

The Philadelphia Phillies and Boston Red Sox are two of the most traditional teams in baseball, but neither has the nearby geographic rival that most other teams have. Therefore, it seemed natural to have the two teams develop their own interleague rivalry. The rivalry is great because of the towns. Philadelphia and Boston are among the best sports towns in the country. The cities have rivalries in other sports, most notably the NBA and NHL. Both teams are regular contenders, and both fans travel well. That means that no matter which city hosts, the two teams will have fans there.

The Phillies and Red Sox will meet for a three-game series in Philadelphia starting on June 28, 2011. The Red Sox have owned the rivalry, but the Phillies have had some great wins.

Here is a look at five of the most memorable moments from their battles:

2010 - Phillies 5, Red Sox 1

In the first interleague meeting between the two teams in Philadelphia, Cole Hamels(notes) was on top of his game. After giving up a first-inning home run, Hamels settled down to throw seven strong innings. He gave up just three hits to earn the win. Jayson Werth(notes) and Ryan Howard(notes) hit home runs to get interleague play started off on the right foot. The Red Sox got the last laugh though, winning four of the other five meetings between the teams.

2009 - Phillies 11, Red Sox 6

Just one day after losing 11-6 to Boston, the Phillies reversed the trend. Trailing early, the Phillies exploded for four runs in the firth inning and six in the seventh inning. The Phillies did it by manufacturing runs. The only home run they hit came from Jimmy Rollins(notes). The win saved the Phillies from being swept in the series.

2003 - Phillies 6, Red Sox 5

This game went to 13 innings and showed how much the Phillies could rally. They scored in the bottom of the eighth with a Jim Thome(notes) home run to tie the game 2-2. The Red Sox scored in the top of the 12th, but the Phillies tied it again on a Thome home run. Boston scored two runs in the top of the 13th, but the Phillies got three in the bottom half to take the win. Todd Pratt was the hero, winning the game with a two-run shot.

2001 - Phillies 5, Red Sox 2 Facing Pedro Martinez(notes) in Boston, the Phillies were in trouble. They managed just one run in the first seven innings. However, the bats woke up in the eighth. Jimmy Rollins had the big hit with a two-run double. The Phillies would score four runs in the inning and hold on for the win over Martinez.

1998 - Phillies 9, Red Sox 8

The Phillies won this game at Fenway Park in thrilling fashion. Trailing 8-3 in the sixth inning, the Phillies turned it on. They would score five runs in the next three innings to tie the game. Gregg Jefferies knocked in Alex Arias in the top of the 10th inning to give the team a 9-8 lead. The Phillies would hold the Red Sox scoreless in the bottom of inning to steal the win.

* - I am an avid baseball fan. I have lived in the Philadelphia area my entire life and grew up as a Phillies fan.

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