Game 5 of the National League Championship Series followed a familiar series script, as the Phillies' top-to-bottom offensive efficiency overpowered the Dodgers in winning the best-of-seven series, 4-1 -- the same amount of games they needed to dispose of the Dodgers in last season's NLCS. This marked the first NLCS rematch since Houston and St. Louis met in 2004 and 2005.
"I love my hometown and I love my hometown fans," said Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr., who was credited with the late-season acquisitions of Cy Young Award winning pitchers Cliff Lee and Pedro Martinez. "Way to go Philadelphia, you deserve this!"
Werth added a solo shot to deep left-center field in the bottom of the seventh, putting an exclamation point on the blowout for the defending World Series champions and pushing the number of home runs in the game to seven, tying a major league postseason record.
The Dodgers got one run and loaded the bases in the eighth for a 9-4 deficit before Ryan Madson got James Loney to pop out to third, fanned Russell Martin and got Casey Blake to ground into a force out to end the threat.
"This losing leaves a real pit in your stomach," said Dodgers manager Joe Torre. "I can't say that the Phillies wanted it more than us, but they were better than us this week. We're getting there."
Jimmy Rollins scored on a Ronald Belisario wild pitch in the bottom of the eighth to complete the scoring.
Brad Lidge, fittingly, was on the mound for the final three outs in the ninth. Lidge, who blew 11 saves during the season, has battled back with a 0.00 ERA during these playoffs.
The celebration started when center fielder Shane Victorino caught Ronnie Belliard's fly ball to end the game.
"I can used to it," said Phillies manager Charlie Manuel of the trophy presentation. "I'm not standing here unless we have great players. We have one more step and we're going to get it."
The Phillies will now wait one week to begin the World Series in either the Bronx or Anaheim next Wednesday. The Yankees lead the Angels in the American League Championship Series, 3-1, with Game 5 Thursday night out west.
Chad Durbin (2-0) picked up the victory with 1 1/3 frames of flawless pitching, retiring all four batters he faced. Werth had three hits, while Victorino and Pedro Feliz also homered for the Phillies, who are the first National League team since the 1995-1996 Braves to reach the World Series in consecutive seasons. The 1975-1976 Cincinnati Reds were the last National League team to repeat as World Series champions.
That series will begin next week, but Wednesday night was about the Phillies' prolific offense, which scored 10 times despite no hits from NLCS MVP Ryan Howard, who walked twice but saw his consecutive-game RBI streak in the postseason end at eight games, leaving him in a tie with former Yankee great Lou Gehrig and current Yankee Alex Rodriguez, who can set the record on Thursday night.
"We just went out and believed in ourselves," said Howard. "Our pitching staff, starting pitching, bullpen, it was a total team effort. Coming back to Philly I think the fans gave us the edge."
The Phillies, who beat Tampa Bay in the Fall Classic last year, won the final three games against the Dodgers series at home, including a 5-4 thriller in Game 4 thanks to Rollins' game-winning two-run double in the ninth inning.
Vicente Padilla (1-1) was hit with the loss, giving up six runs on four hits with two costly walks in three-plus frames. His opposing hurler, Cole Hamels, continued to struggle during the postseason after winning the LCS and World Series MVP Awards last season.
The southpaw gave up three runs -- all on solo home runs -- on five hits with one walk and three strikeouts over 4 1/3 frames.
The Dodgers, who had not scored a first-inning run during the series, finally struck in their first at-bat, as Andre Ethier dropped his bat on a low-and-in fastball, sending it over the out-of-town scoreboard in right-center field.
After two quick outs, the Phillies showed some patience that paid off against Padilla. Chase Utley walked and Howard worked a four-pitch free pass before Werth measured up a middle-in fastball, driving up just over the wall in right-center for a 3-1 lead.
James Loney hit his second home run of the series off Hamels in the second, turning on an inside fastball, sending it again out to right for a 3-2 game. The Phillies answered in the home half with the game's fourth home run, this one courtesy of Feliz -- all to right field -- for a 4-2 advantage.
Werth and Feliz had big hits considering those two bats behind Howard, in addition to Raul Ibanez, were 4-for-41 in the series entering Game 5.
The Phillies added to their edge and drove Padilla out of the game in the bottom of the fourth. Werth ripped a single to left and Ibanez followed by attacking an offspeed pitch, driving it past Ethier in right for an RBI double. That was the end of Padilla's night and the Phillies eventually loaded the bases when Carlos Ruiz walked and Rollins was hit by a pitch with two outs.
George Sherrill entered the game and hit Victorino to force in another run for a 6-2 game. Sherrill avoided further damage by striking out Utley, but it was just the second time in 330 career appearances that he entered a game that early.
Los Angeles pushed Hamels to the showers in the fifth as Orlando Hudson clubbed a solo home run just inside the pole down the left-field line. Rafael Furcal then doubled, ending Hamels' night, and newly-inserted J.A. Happ walked Belliard before Ethier flew out to left. Durbin then entered and jammed Manny Ramirez, who got out of the box late and jogged to first, for the final out.
The Phillies got two more two-out runs, breaking the game open in the sixth. Rollins was hit by a Clayton Kershaw pitch with two outs then Victorino blasted a tape-measure shot off the facade fronting the second deck in left field.
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