By Kirsten Swanson

Much like Ryan Howard’s infamous, “Just get me to the plate boys,” in Game 4 of last year’s NLDS against the Colorado Rockies, I found myself repeating this after Wednesday’s devastating Game 4 loss.  

Spending the last three seasons working behind section 121, I developed a dangerous love affair with Citizens Bank Park.  My fellow employees think I’m crazy because I love being at work. When the Phils are down by a run in the ninth, everybody else is hoping that they lose so we can go home. Instead, I am hoping and praying for at least one run to tie the game. The smells, sounds, enthusiasm, energy..when I am there I feel  as if I am home.

This is why I found myself sitting on my couch crying after Wednesday night’s loss. At first I thought it was because we were one game away from elimination, but then I realized, it was because Game 2 on Sunday night could have been my last night at CBP until April. I knew I was not alone. Everybody expected we would be back here.

So, I grabbed a few tissues and a glass of water and thought, what am I doing? Do I really think that Roy Halladay is going to let us down and not bring the team Philadelphia loves back for at least one more game?

As I watched last night’s game, all I kept on saying, it doesn’t matter how many hits we have, how many errors, just win, just get back to Citizens Bank Park. The players felt the same way. Brad Lidge, Jayson Werth, and Ryan Howard were just some who liked their chances if they just brought the series back home.

Jimmy Rollins, as always, had a candid message for the fans, “It’s gonna be wild, it better be wild..let them have it..all of them..forreal.”

After Pat Burrell calmly asked Roy Halladay what he was looking at, and Tim Lincecum told J-Roll to stay put on third base, many said, “The Phillies better step up and shut them up.”

Don’t worry, the 46,000 in the stands Saturday will step up and shut them up.

Of course we are still not in an ieal situation, but being home in front of the best fans in baseball with two of the best pitchers in baseball on the mound, I am more than confident. Unfortunately, I’m unable to work the game on Saturday, but I know I will be back on Sunday night.

One of the many things I love about Citizens Bank Park are the songs they play before and after the game. On that note, I’ll leave you all with this…Video