Phillies' Rollins healthy, confident again

Jimmy Rollins is a former National League MVP, owns a World Series ring and, next to Joe Namath, made one of the more memorable guarantees when he annoyed the Mets by declaring the Phillies the "team to beat" before the 2007 season.

In other words, Rollins is more than just talk, and when the Phillies shortstop says his game is intact - despite a shaky start to the playoffs - it's a safe bet he's telling the truth.

The Giants are believers after Rollins iced Game 2 with a three-run double in the seventh inning that helped propel the Phillies to a 6-1 victory Sunday night that evened the NLCS.

It doesn't matter that Rollins played only 88 games during the regular season because of numerous injuries, or has been dropped from his leadoff spot to sixth in the lineup. The smallish Rollins, listed at 5-8, is big on confidence, and he's still the motor that drives the two-time defending NL champions.

"I've been the same for the last 10 years," Rollins said. "You figure out things. You solve problems. Sometimes there's going to be confusion, but once you lose the confidence, you're not going to have a chance to play at this level.

"God gave me this talent, and I'm going to do something with it. That's just the way it is. You lose confidence in that, you'll be going home, and I don't plan on doing that anytime soon."

With the NLCS headed to San Francisco for Game 3 this afternoon at AT & T Park, Rollins has the added benefit of performing in front of friends and family in the Bay Area. He grew up in Oakland, and although some players fret about the added pressure of returning home, it doesn't sound as if he's one of them.

"That's going to be fun," Rollins said. "I've got quite the ticket list. Also, the fans - they're on the fence. Do they boo me, do they get on me, do they cheer me? So I go over there, have conversations. They crack on me, I crack back. But it was never in a situation like this."

This also is unfamiliar territory for Rollins, who admitted that it's been difficult to adjust to hitting down in the lineup. Shane Victorino has the leadoff job now, and when Rollins began the playoffs in a 1-for-15 slump, manager Charlie Manuel was asked if he had lost any faith in his shortstop.

"I know how good Jimmy Rollins can be," Manuel said. "I know how much he wants to be up there. I'll stay right with you, son. I'll go down with you."

For Rollins, the turning point of this postseason came Sunday with two outs in the first inning when he drew a bases-loaded walk off the erratic Jonathan Sanchez. After that, Rollins got lucky when the Giants' infield misplayed his high pop-up into a bizarre base hit, and he later gave Roy Oswalt some breathing room with the two-out double in the seventh.

That's when the "J-Roll" chants finally surfaced again at Citizens Bank Park, a place where scattered boos popped up earlier in the playoffs. Afterward, Rollins looked right at home at the podium. The smile was back, and maybe the swing, too.

"Hopefully, I remember what I did," Rollins said. "I know what I did. Now I just have to go out there and execute."