Phillies fans who dare to dream

The full moon was rising last night at game time at Citizens Bank Park, and so were the hopes and dreams of Phillies fans.

Consider Patricia Marie Kelly, a first-grade teacher in North Philadelphia for the last 40 years. Just the other day, she was teaching her children the short U sound, so of course she wore her Chase Utley jersey.

"U-U-Utley," she told them. She also taught them the CH sound for good measure. "That made it perfect," she said.

Kelly, 57, has been to 60 home games this season, and has been a Phillies fan since birth. The only time she's ever, ever been late for school - as a student or a teacher - was in 1964, when the Phillies collapsed and lost the pennant to St. Louis.

"It was such a heartbreak," she said. "My mother just couldn't get us out of bed."

As the game began last night, the Phillies had clawed their way back from oblivion into a tie for the wild-card berth with the San Diego Padres - with just six games left.

They were also just two games behind the New York Mets for the division lead. This was the closest they had been all season to the playoffs, and in the stadium last night, filled with 40,000 fans just as faithful as Kelly, it felt as though the playoffs had already begun.

Kelly wore her "I love Chase" button, and her blue Utley jersey (saving her red one for Friday). She had on her autographed Phillies hat and Phillies socks, too. She baked chocolate chip cookies for all the ushers, as usual, and handed them out before the game in little paper bags.

"I'm ecstatic," she said before the game began, sitting in her seat 12 rows behind the Phillies dugout. "I know they're going to do it. You gotta believe, like Tug always says."

That would be the late Tug McGraw, hero of the 1980 World Series for the Phillies. Kelly was there, of course.

In the first inning last night, when the Phillies gave up a three-run homer, Kelly wasn't defeated, or despondent, or even worried. Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins answered back in the bottom of the first with a leadoff home run. Utley struck out swinging, but that was OK. The night was young. And Kelly was certain good things were coming.

She goes to Phillies games to honor the memory of her father. He started a Little League in her East Falls neighborhood, and there is a field named after him at McDevitt Playground. Her dad died when she was 8. Every Father's Day, Kelly goes to the field and walks the bases, and pretends her dad is holding her hand.

These Phillies haven't made it easy on their devoted fans all season.

Just like starting out in a 3-0 hole last night, they've overcome injuries to their stars Ryan Howard and Utley. They've endured a pitching staff that has been battered and unreliable. The team began the season 3-11, yet has come from behind during games to win a league-leading 48 times this season.

After falling behind 4-1, Howard and Jayson Werth tied the game for the Phillies with home runs in the fourth inning.

"I just knew Ryan was going to do it," Kelly said. "I didn't know about Jayson Werth. I really thought Chase was going to do it, but there's still time."

When the count to Utley went full in the fifth, Kelly did the sign of the cross. When Utley fouled off a pitch, she clutched her heart and gasped.

"Chase, now is the time," she screamed.

He fouled off another pitch. She took off her hat, rubbed her hand through her hair, replaced her hat. She has the gestures and anxiety level to be a major-league manager. She clasped her hands together as if in prayer. "Come on, Chase. Come on, Chase. You can do it."

And he did, a single, pushing Rollins to third. She literally danced right in the aisle, hands thrust into the air, Rocky Balboa style. Then another quick sign of the cross. "Now I'm calmer," she said.

Pat Burrell sacrificed to left, and Rollins scored, giving the Phillies the lead.

It wouldn't last long, with the Phillies falling behind 8-5 in the sixth inning, but that's the way the season has gone.

With two outs in the seventh, Utley homered as she'd predicted, closing the gap to 8-6.

Ron Gardner, 28, sitting across from Kelly yelled: "Yo, hon. Your prayers worked!"

But in the end, the Phillies came up short, losing 10-6.

No matter. Kelly, who sleeps with a radio by her bed, planned to wake up at 1:15 a.m., as usual, to get the West Coast scores, to see how the San Diego Padres did against San Francisco.

"Whatever happens tonight," she said. "I'll hang in there. We still have five games to win."

And her picture of Chase Utley would still be on her desk, when she arrives for school - on time.