"Must win" is thrown around a lot in sports, but rarely is it true. Usually there's another game the next day or next week that can start to make up for a loss in the current game.
Tonight, though, we have a true "must win" game. It's easy - if the Phils win, they live to see tomorrow; if they lose, they are out of the playoffs and the only difference between this year and the past 14 is that they get to say "wait until next year" six days later than usual.
It's the old against the young tonight. 44-year-old Jamie Moyer faces rookie 23-year-old Ubaldo Jimenez. Jimenez faced the Phils at CBP on September 10. He pitched well, giving up only 2 earned runs, 4 hits, and 3 walks in 6 innings. He struck out 3. Troubling for the Phils in Coors Field, Jimenez yielded only 5 fly balls to 10 ground balls against the Phils. They'll need more fly balls against him tonight if they want to take advantage of the mile high air.
Moyer has pitched only twice before at Coors, and he hasn't had success there. He's thrown 11 innings (5.3 in 2001 and 5.7 in 2007) and given up 11 runs. Both of his starts have been losses. He'll need to do better tonight if he wants to prove that his veteran presence is more than just empty words coming from Pat Gillick's mouth.
This is it fellow fans - do or die, must win, all on the line, etc. Go Phils!