Ben Francisco Helps Phils Take 2-1 Series Lead

Ben Francisco Lifts Phils to 2-1 Series Lead. Of all the Phillies the Scoop thought might be the hero after three games in the postseason, Ben Francisco has to be the least likely. But, last night the man who started the season manning right field for the Fightin’s sent a three-run blast over the left field fence to give the Phillies a 3-0 lead. A lead they would hold onto thanks to a five-out save from closer Ryan Madson. They can lock it up tonight with a win in Game 4 in St. Louis. [The 700 Level]

1,000 People Pack Church to Plan “Occupy Philadelphia.” Hopefully you’ve been paying attention to what’s been going down on Wall Street over the past two weeks because Philly is about to get a satellite protest. Last night people crammed into Arch Street United Methodist Church to plan “Occupy Philadelphia.” The group voted to begin the protest at 9 a.m. Thursday outside  City Hall. [Daily News]

Germantown Friends Grad Wins Nobel Prize. A physicist who graduated from the Germantown Friends School and grew up in Mt. Airy has been awarded a Nobel Prize in physics for being part of a three-man group that has proved that the universe is speeding up, not slowing down. [Inquirer]

Karen Brown and Mayor Nutter Debated Last Night. The debate is scheduled to air on Friday and will likely be the only one of the campaign. Republican challenger Karen Brown is said to have gotten some of her facts wrong and continuously suggested that Mayor Nutter should debate her again. [WHYY]

Census Shows More Gays Own Homes in the City. The number of same-sex-couple households in Pennsylvania took a huge jump between 2000 and 2010, and gays make up a larger percentage of the homeowners in Philadelphia, according to revised Census Bureau data. [Daily News]

Adele Cancels U.S. Tour to Kick Off in A.C. Adele was set to begin a 10-date tour of the United States with a Friday show at the Borgata in Atlantic City. But, the entire tour has been canceled as the singer continues to battle vocal cord problems. [Inquirer]