July 27 -- CALL IT A COMEBACK

Jimmy Rollins must've been late.

After the Phillies rallied for seven runs in the fifth inning yesterday and turned a 9-3 deficit into a 10-9 win, J-Roll dressed quickly and hustled out of the clubhouse. Asked for his thoughts on the big victory, he said, "What a game. That's my quote."

OK, true enough, I suppose. The Phillies were left for dead after Cole Hamels, of all pitchers, allowed nine runs in the fourth inning, erasing an early 3-0 lead. There was no reason to believe the Phillies, booted from first place this week, could come back. But they strung together four straight hits to open the fifth inning, and Greg Dobbs belted a three-run pinch-hit homer into the second deck in right field, and the Phillies were ahead.

Over the past two seasons, the Phils have made a habit of improbable comebacks like that. The last one, in fact, occurred on Tuesday when they scored six runs in the ninth inning against the Mets' Billy Wagner-less bullpen at Shea. But any momentum from that victory was washed away in the first inning Wednesday when Brett Myers issued four walks and allowed two runs.

So, can the Phillies keep the good mojo going today? Or will yesterday's game be another fleeting moment in a month of lost opportunities? We'll find out.

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With the Yankees trading for Xavier Nady and Damaso Marte, and the Dodgers completing a deal for Casey Blake, what's left for the Phillies before Thursday's trade deadline? We examine that in the Phillies notebook. Also, Hamels had the worst inning of his life, and Brad Lidge showed some good bounceability.

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Goose Gossage will be inducted today into the Hall of Fame, a long-overdue honor for one of the most intimidating closers in history. That and more in our Sunday baseball notes. For some reason, the "Inside Pitches" that run with the Sunday notes aren't online. In the pages of The News Journal, though, we suggested that Rollins buy one of these next time he's in New York.

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This isn't Phillies-related, but we're all baseball fans here, so I know some of y'all may find this interesting. The great Joe Posnanski of the Kansas City Star wrote a pretty awesome piece on Royals starter Brian Bannister. I covered Banny for two seasons in the minors, and he's the most cerebral, inciteful baseball player I've come across. Much is made of the Mets' blunder in trading Scott Kazmir in July 2004. Dealing Bannister to the Royals for reliever Ambiorix Burgos at the winter meetings in 2006 wasn't much smarter.

Enjoy your Sunday.