PHILADELPHIA  It was strange. Bizarre. Weird. A little freaky, too.

And, in the end, only fitting, that the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Tampa Bay Rays 5-4, on one of the wackiest endings in World Series history.

"It's better to be lucky sometimes," said Phillies manager Charlie Manuel, "than good."

The Phillies' high-powered offense finally emerged with three home runs, but it was a 40-foot ground ball off the bat of catcher Carlos Ruiz that won the game. It was the first walk-off victory by the Phillies in franchise history, providing them with a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.

"There were so many crazy things that happened tonight," said Eric Bruntlett, who scored the game's winning run. "That was the perfect ending. You saw a little bit of everything. You certainly don't expect to win a game like that.

"It was strange circumstances all the way around."

In a game that didn't end until 1:47 a.m. ET, after a 1 hour, 12 minute rain delay, the Phillies were still in the clubhouse until 3 trying to explain this victory.

""They got breaks, we got breaks," Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins said. "It just so happens that we got the last break."

The Phillies, who had squandered a 4-1 lead, opened the ninth when Bruntlett was hit by Grant Balfour's pitch. Balfour, then pitching to Shane Victorino, threw an inside pitch that nearly hit him. Victorino jumped out of the way, and the ball shot past him, but caromed right back to Dioner Navarro. Navarro quickly threw to second, but it sailed into center field, allowing Bruntlett to reach third.

Rays manager Joe Maddon ordered two intentional walks, loading the bases. He brought in Ben Zobrist from right field, creating a five-man infield. The infield looked like a crowded subway station with five infielders, three baserunners, four umpires and a pitcher and catcher.

"I've never seen so many people in the infield at one time," said Dobbs, who was standing on first. "It was definitely crowded."

Ruiz, who had reached base seven of the last eight times, walked to the plate hoping to hit a simple fly ball. He fell behind 1-and-2, and then on a 2-2 pitch, hit a slow roller towards third.

"Thank God for the rain," Rollins said. "If the field was dry, it probably would have rolled right to [third baseman Evan] Longoria."

Instead, it trickled 40 feet towards Longoria. He charged in, scooped the ball barehanded and dove, but as he fell, the toss sailed high into the air, over Navarro's head.

"It really was good fortune on their part," Longoria said. "He couldn't have picked up the ball and rolled it to a better spot. If he hits it a little harder, we have a chance to get a double play.

"It was just one of those nights."

It certainly was the happiest 40-foot-hit Rollins has seen in his life, sending 45,900 fans screaming into the night, knowing they are just two victories shy of their first World Series title in 28 years.

"I'm so happy," Ruiz says. "I was trying to hit a fly ball to the outfield. It didn't work. But I'll take it. It was a great moment."

It was also sweet revenge for Ruiz, who an inning earlier almost became the goat.

The Rays trailed 4-3 when center fielder B.J. Upton led off the eighth with an infield single. After Carlos Pena struck out for the first out, Upton took matters into his own hands. He stole second base with Longoria at the plate. And on the next pitch, he stole third and scampered home when Ruiz's throw bounced away from third baseman Pedro Feliz.

"I know I had an error, but that's part of the game," Ruiz said. "The only thing I had on my mind my last at-bat was that the game was in my hands, so I had to do something."

It may not have been picturesque, but considering the time of night, who cared about looks?

"It was a beautiful thing," said Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard, whose home run in the sixth inning was his first since Sept. 26, after hitting 48 during the regular season. "Nobody was talking about being tired. I didn't even know what time it was until they started playing that song, After Midnight.

The Phillies' victory also spared first-base umpire Tom Hallion of being cast in the same light as Don Denkinger, whose blown call in Game 6 of the 1985 World Series helped the Kansas City Royals beat St. Louis. Phillies starter Jamie Moyer, 45, the second-oldest player to appear in a World Series game, made a brilliant play to field a bunt in the seventh by Carl Crawford. He dove and flipped the ball with his glove to Howard, who caught the ball barehanded. It was a bang-bang play, but replays revealed that Crawford was out. He instead was called safe.

"As an umpire, you never want to be involved in the outcome of the game," Hallion said. "We don't like to be involved in something like that. We like to get every play right.

"We're human beings, and sometimes we get them wrong."

It turned out to be immaterial, and by the time the Phillies and Rays play Sunday night at 8:29 ET, it likely will be forgotten. All that matters now is Game 4, with the Rays knowing that a victory is imperative, particularly with Phillies ace Cole Hamels scheduled in Game 5.

"Tonight's win," Rollins says, "is only as good as tomorrow's win."

Rollins corrected himself. Make it tonight's win. It was already 2:30 in the morning.