Curse, schmurse!
The Phillies were not going to be denied tonight. Every time the Rays tied it, the Phils grabbed the lead right back, and fittingly, Lidge clinched the championship with a strikeout. Then the fireworks started, the champagne flowed, and the streets flooded with Philadelphians in a massive party that is probably still going strong as I write this. I've never seen anything like those crowds in the streets. It was like Times Square on New Year's Eve.
What an incredible postseason the Phillies put together. The so-called experts picked them to lose every single series, and all they did in response was rack up an 11-3 record and go undefeated at home. Everybody on this team contributed at some point in the playoffs; there were no weak links. And Manuel, who I've never been the biggest fan of, deserves a lot of credit as well. He pushed all the right buttons and got this team to play like champions.
By the way, it turns out the Tampa fans were right after all when they sang "na na hey hey goodbye" . . . that was indeed the last time they were going to see the Phillies :-)
I was 12 years old the last time a Philadelphia team won a championship (and 9 when the Phillies did it). Although I have memories of those moments, they are somewhat fleeting. This championship, after 25 years of close calls and heartbreaks, is the first one that really belongs to my generation. How sweet it is!
The parade to celebrate the Phillies' heroic slaying of the city's 25-year-old demons will appropriately take place on Halloween. I plan on attending . . . hope to see some of you there!
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Don't Let The Rain Change The Game
The rains came to Philadelphia, and with them comes a controversy that ensnares Bud Selig. This guy can't seem to get away from controversy.
From revenue sharing to interleague play to the wild card to the now-tainted 1998 home run chase to the the All-Star game ending in a tie to the Mitchell Report to the 2008 World Series game 5 ending in a tie.
Some of these things have turned out to be nightmarish PR issues for Major League Baseball.
But some of these things worked out pretty well. I clearly can't speak for everyone, but I like interleague play, wild card teams and the Mitchell Report.
I was never all that thrilled with the 1998 home run chase, and the revelations of the Mitchell Report certainly didn't soften my stance.
The 2002 All-Star game ending in a tie didn't bother me so much at the time. It's an exhibition game. Honestly, who cares if it ends in a tie? A good way to make sure that doesn't happen again...allow free substitution in the All-Star game. Why not? You have two different sets of rules already in MLB. Is this such an outlandish suggestion?
It's better than having an exhibition game decide which team (League) gets home field advantage in the World Series. "This Time it Counts" ? Hardly. It's a stupid outcome from a stupid situation, and shines a dim light on MLB's inability to plan ahead.
MLB frequently reacts rather than acts. And the 'solutions' they come up with are often worse than the problem they were trying to fix.
This is why I am not going to fuss too much about the events of Game 5. We all knew they were going to start the game come hell or heavy rain. We all suspected somewhere in the third inning that there was at least going to be a rain delay. There are suppositions that MLB let the game go on until there was a tie so they could save face.
Whatever the case is, word on the street is that the game would have been played out to the full nine innings no matter what. If that is the case, why not call a delay/suspension after the fourth inning when things really started to get dicey?
I'm sure that MLB just wanted to get as much of the game in as they could. Whatever. What's done is done.
As a Phillies fan, I am disappointed at how things went down. I am more irritated that the Phillies have already left nine runnners on base through the first six innings. I was really really annoyed with three weak-ass pop ups in the bottom of the 5th with two men on.
I do feel that Cole Hamels has been denied his chance at history (first 5-0 postseason pitcher) by MLB's shortsightedness. The rain certainly affected his pitching. This is not sour grapes - any pitcher would have been adversely affected by that downpour.
And it is the World Series. So MLB would want the players to keep going longer than they would in the regular season.
But the problem will come if MLB and Selig react to this. Who knows what kind of crap they'd come up with? Their solution the All-Star game tie sucked.
Even though it is a basackwards way of doing things, I'd rather just let it go. Chalk this up to "An Act of God" or "circumstances beyond our control" - but don't ask MLB or Selig to do anything to change/fix things.
That would just make things worse.
The St. Petersburg times has an article in today's edition that looks at the rain suspension situation thusly:
Headline: "FOR THE RAYS, NIGHT NOT SO MISERABLE"
"If you are a traditionalist, you may believe that baseball did the right thing. Eventually.
If you are a romantic, you can imagine that the Tampa Bay Rays have just received one more bit of fortune in their wonderful story. Magically.
And if you are a Phanatic, you can feel free to worry that Bud Selig has extended the black cloud over Philadelphia for a little bit longer. Accursedly."
Interesting. I see it like this. If the Rays truly believe that MLB did them a favor, then they are in trouble. The Phillies should be furious and ready to kill when the umps call "play ball!"
"...the rain seemed to have awakened the Rays" ? If they needed to be "awakened" then perhaps they shouldn't be here? Why would they need to be awakened? It's the friggin' World Series!
I don't see this as a momentum killer. If not winning a World Series since 1980 didn't kill the momentum, this certainly won't.
So - Bud Selig, do what you do best. Nothing. Continue to sit on your hands and let the adults figure this out.
And Phillies - Don't lose your focus. Don't sweat the small stuff. Forget about the rain. The fans will be there behind you, as they always have.
Go out there and play the way you did in game 4. If you do that, all this rain crap will be washed away and be nothing more than a distant memory. And next thing you know, you could be World Series champs.
Go Phils!
From revenue sharing to interleague play to the wild card to the now-tainted 1998 home run chase to the the All-Star game ending in a tie to the Mitchell Report to the 2008 World Series game 5 ending in a tie.
Some of these things have turned out to be nightmarish PR issues for Major League Baseball.
But some of these things worked out pretty well. I clearly can't speak for everyone, but I like interleague play, wild card teams and the Mitchell Report.
I was never all that thrilled with the 1998 home run chase, and the revelations of the Mitchell Report certainly didn't soften my stance.
The 2002 All-Star game ending in a tie didn't bother me so much at the time. It's an exhibition game. Honestly, who cares if it ends in a tie? A good way to make sure that doesn't happen again...allow free substitution in the All-Star game. Why not? You have two different sets of rules already in MLB. Is this such an outlandish suggestion?
It's better than having an exhibition game decide which team (League) gets home field advantage in the World Series. "This Time it Counts" ? Hardly. It's a stupid outcome from a stupid situation, and shines a dim light on MLB's inability to plan ahead.
MLB frequently reacts rather than acts. And the 'solutions' they come up with are often worse than the problem they were trying to fix.
This is why I am not going to fuss too much about the events of Game 5. We all knew they were going to start the game come hell or heavy rain. We all suspected somewhere in the third inning that there was at least going to be a rain delay. There are suppositions that MLB let the game go on until there was a tie so they could save face.
Whatever the case is, word on the street is that the game would have been played out to the full nine innings no matter what. If that is the case, why not call a delay/suspension after the fourth inning when things really started to get dicey?
I'm sure that MLB just wanted to get as much of the game in as they could. Whatever. What's done is done.
As a Phillies fan, I am disappointed at how things went down. I am more irritated that the Phillies have already left nine runnners on base through the first six innings. I was really really annoyed with three weak-ass pop ups in the bottom of the 5th with two men on.
I do feel that Cole Hamels has been denied his chance at history (first 5-0 postseason pitcher) by MLB's shortsightedness. The rain certainly affected his pitching. This is not sour grapes - any pitcher would have been adversely affected by that downpour.
And it is the World Series. So MLB would want the players to keep going longer than they would in the regular season.
But the problem will come if MLB and Selig react to this. Who knows what kind of crap they'd come up with? Their solution the All-Star game tie sucked.
Even though it is a basackwards way of doing things, I'd rather just let it go. Chalk this up to "An Act of God" or "circumstances beyond our control" - but don't ask MLB or Selig to do anything to change/fix things.
That would just make things worse.
The St. Petersburg times has an article in today's edition that looks at the rain suspension situation thusly:
Headline: "FOR THE RAYS, NIGHT NOT SO MISERABLE"
"If you are a traditionalist, you may believe that baseball did the right thing. Eventually.
If you are a romantic, you can imagine that the Tampa Bay Rays have just received one more bit of fortune in their wonderful story. Magically.
And if you are a Phanatic, you can feel free to worry that Bud Selig has extended the black cloud over Philadelphia for a little bit longer. Accursedly."
Interesting. I see it like this. If the Rays truly believe that MLB did them a favor, then they are in trouble. The Phillies should be furious and ready to kill when the umps call "play ball!"
"...the rain seemed to have awakened the Rays" ? If they needed to be "awakened" then perhaps they shouldn't be here? Why would they need to be awakened? It's the friggin' World Series!
I don't see this as a momentum killer. If not winning a World Series since 1980 didn't kill the momentum, this certainly won't.
So - Bud Selig, do what you do best. Nothing. Continue to sit on your hands and let the adults figure this out.
And Phillies - Don't lose your focus. Don't sweat the small stuff. Forget about the rain. The fans will be there behind you, as they always have.
Go out there and play the way you did in game 4. If you do that, all this rain crap will be washed away and be nothing more than a distant memory. And next thing you know, you could be World Series champs.
Go Phils!
Monday, October 27, 2008
Phils Foiled by Mother Nature
Well, we'll have to put that parade on hold for at least another day, as tonight's game was suspended due to rain. Contrary to what the broadcasters were blabbering about (more on them later), this blustery rain delay has clearly favored Tampa. There's no doubt in my mind that under normal conditions Hamels would have shut this team down.
For those inclined to believe in curses, they can't be too comfortable with a game in which Hamels was cruising until the downpour and subsequent horrible conditions caused Rollins to bobble a ball that might have prevented the Rays from ever scoring that second run. And one can't help wondering how much the downpour had to do with the Phillies hitting three straight popups in the top of the 5th with two men on. However, both teams had to play in the same conditions so I'm not going to blame rain for the Phillies' consistent inability to bring home runners in scoring position. One thing that can be blamed on the rain, though, is the loss of Hamels, who had thrown only 75 pitches through six innings. He was clearly on his way to at least an 8-inning performance, but now the Phils must turn to the bullpen much earlier than they otherwise would have—and that clearly benefits Tampa Bay.
But you would never know that listening to the biased broadcasters. I don't know whether McCarver is overcompensating for being an ex-Phillie, but he has been terrible; they both have been blatantly one-sided. Listening to these guys talk, you might think that the Phillies have done absolutely nothing to win in this series except to be the beneficiaries of a bunch of bad calls. All these broadcasters did for the entire game was whine about bad calls against the Rays and then boohoo about how the sloppy conditions really hurt the Rays: "Whaaa! No fair, this rain affects their running game!" As if the Phillies don't have a strong running game of their own that would be impacted. And then later on: "Yipee! The Rays just tied the game under horrendous conditions, aren't they great?"
They've been like this all series: playing up Tampa; playing down Philly. We'd get more balance if we were listening to a broadcast out of Tampa Bay. These guys are a disgrace.
Anyway, we must have faith. The rains pouring down may lead some to believe that the curse of William Penn is once again rearing its ugly head—sports fans in general are a superstitious bunch, especially in Philly where our championship futility has reached near mathematically impossible proportions—but the Phils are still ahead 3-1, they still have the better pitching and defense, and they have hit better than the Rays for the entire series. There's no reason why they shouldn't still win this thing. So take a breath and come back Tuesday night to watch our Fightins make history. Go Phils!
For those inclined to believe in curses, they can't be too comfortable with a game in which Hamels was cruising until the downpour and subsequent horrible conditions caused Rollins to bobble a ball that might have prevented the Rays from ever scoring that second run. And one can't help wondering how much the downpour had to do with the Phillies hitting three straight popups in the top of the 5th with two men on. However, both teams had to play in the same conditions so I'm not going to blame rain for the Phillies' consistent inability to bring home runners in scoring position. One thing that can be blamed on the rain, though, is the loss of Hamels, who had thrown only 75 pitches through six innings. He was clearly on his way to at least an 8-inning performance, but now the Phils must turn to the bullpen much earlier than they otherwise would have—and that clearly benefits Tampa Bay.
But you would never know that listening to the biased broadcasters. I don't know whether McCarver is overcompensating for being an ex-Phillie, but he has been terrible; they both have been blatantly one-sided. Listening to these guys talk, you might think that the Phillies have done absolutely nothing to win in this series except to be the beneficiaries of a bunch of bad calls. All these broadcasters did for the entire game was whine about bad calls against the Rays and then boohoo about how the sloppy conditions really hurt the Rays: "Whaaa! No fair, this rain affects their running game!" As if the Phillies don't have a strong running game of their own that would be impacted. And then later on: "Yipee! The Rays just tied the game under horrendous conditions, aren't they great?"
They've been like this all series: playing up Tampa; playing down Philly. We'd get more balance if we were listening to a broadcast out of Tampa Bay. These guys are a disgrace.
Anyway, we must have faith. The rains pouring down may lead some to believe that the curse of William Penn is once again rearing its ugly head—sports fans in general are a superstitious bunch, especially in Philly where our championship futility has reached near mathematically impossible proportions—but the Phils are still ahead 3-1, they still have the better pitching and defense, and they have hit better than the Rays for the entire series. There's no reason why they shouldn't still win this thing. So take a breath and come back Tuesday night to watch our Fightins make history. Go Phils!
Steelers Lose to Big Blue - Oh Snap!
What the heck is going on with the Steelers? It's hard to tell from one week to the next if you're going to get the good Steelers team or the Evil Twin Brother.
In a showdown of 5-1 teams, the Steelers again came up short against a team that is, in my humble opinion, no better than the Steelers. In fact, I'd even go as far as saying that the Steeler are better than the Jints.
After all, en route to their 5-1 record, the Jints fattened up on underachieving teams such as the Rams, Seahawks and Bangles (oops Bengals) and San Francisco (combined record: 6-24). They lost to Cleveland (3-4). They looked ripe for the picking.
Meanwhile, the Black & Gold scored nice wins over Baltimore and Jacksonville, and a blowout win over Cincinnati. I figured the Steelers should be able to take it to the Giants. I've not been convinced that Big Blue was really a good team, and this seemed like a great chance for that to be proven.
After some great defensive stops, and two challenges, in the first quarter, the Stillers seemed to have things under control. Clearly, they were not dominating or anything like that, but after they took a 14-9 lead in the third quarter, they seemed well on their way to the win.
The defense was holding the Giants to field goals, despite the good field position the Giants enjoyed most of the game. Note to Pittsburgh (and any team, really): If you give a team enough chances, they're going to break out.
Sadly, the offense did little worth noting. Ben Roethlisberger's 4 interceptions and his exasperating habit of holding the ball too damn long and getting sacked didn't help. They just struggled to get into any kid of rhythm.
In Big Ben's defense, his O-line has been a swinging gate for certain games this season (notably, the NFC East matchups), and it is difficult to set up for the pass when you're on your back or running for your life.
However, that line was good enough to give him time to connect for a 65-yard TD to Nate Washington in the third quarter and also good enough to provide running lanes for Mwelde Moore's 84 yards and a 32-yard TD in the first quarter. It should have also been sufficient for the Steelers to actually gain a yard in the last two minutes of the game.
And don't even get me started about missed opportunities like the Washington TD nullified by a penalty or the errant snap that effectively killed the Steelers mojo. Dumb setbacks like that are part of the game and teams should be able to overcome these things.
To be sure, a 6-2 record is nothing to sneeze at. They're in fine shape in their division, and it would take a monumental collapse for them to be kicked out of the driver's seat in the AFC North. One can only hope that the Steelers will figure some things out to prevent this from even becoming a concern.
Next week they face another NFC East team in the Redskins. Then the Cowboys complete the NFC East swing in early December. I, for one, will be glad the Steelers are done with the NFC.
In a showdown of 5-1 teams, the Steelers again came up short against a team that is, in my humble opinion, no better than the Steelers. In fact, I'd even go as far as saying that the Steeler are better than the Jints.
After all, en route to their 5-1 record, the Jints fattened up on underachieving teams such as the Rams, Seahawks and Bangles (oops Bengals) and San Francisco (combined record: 6-24). They lost to Cleveland (3-4). They looked ripe for the picking.
Meanwhile, the Black & Gold scored nice wins over Baltimore and Jacksonville, and a blowout win over Cincinnati. I figured the Steelers should be able to take it to the Giants. I've not been convinced that Big Blue was really a good team, and this seemed like a great chance for that to be proven.
After some great defensive stops, and two challenges, in the first quarter, the Stillers seemed to have things under control. Clearly, they were not dominating or anything like that, but after they took a 14-9 lead in the third quarter, they seemed well on their way to the win.
The defense was holding the Giants to field goals, despite the good field position the Giants enjoyed most of the game. Note to Pittsburgh (and any team, really): If you give a team enough chances, they're going to break out.
Sadly, the offense did little worth noting. Ben Roethlisberger's 4 interceptions and his exasperating habit of holding the ball too damn long and getting sacked didn't help. They just struggled to get into any kid of rhythm.
In Big Ben's defense, his O-line has been a swinging gate for certain games this season (notably, the NFC East matchups), and it is difficult to set up for the pass when you're on your back or running for your life.
However, that line was good enough to give him time to connect for a 65-yard TD to Nate Washington in the third quarter and also good enough to provide running lanes for Mwelde Moore's 84 yards and a 32-yard TD in the first quarter. It should have also been sufficient for the Steelers to actually gain a yard in the last two minutes of the game.
And don't even get me started about missed opportunities like the Washington TD nullified by a penalty or the errant snap that effectively killed the Steelers mojo. Dumb setbacks like that are part of the game and teams should be able to overcome these things.
To be sure, a 6-2 record is nothing to sneeze at. They're in fine shape in their division, and it would take a monumental collapse for them to be kicked out of the driver's seat in the AFC North. One can only hope that the Steelers will figure some things out to prevent this from even becoming a concern.
Next week they face another NFC East team in the Redskins. Then the Cowboys complete the NFC East swing in early December. I, for one, will be glad the Steelers are done with the NFC.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Phils Bats Spring to Life as they Clobber the Rays, 10-2
Is this really happening? Are the Phillies really just one win away from a championship? Are they really just 27 outs from breaking the curse of William Penn and releasing this city from 25 years of championship futility? As Philly fans whose hearts have been broken so many times in the past, we have learned to take every step toward salvation with a grain of salt, but with a 3-1 lead, the odds are overwhelmingly in our favor. If we don't win this year, we never will.
The bats came alive big time tonight, and Howard could not have picked a better time to go on one of his patented hot streaks. It's also no coincidence that the runs finally started coming when Rollins finally started hitting. Up and down the lineup, almost everyone contributed.
Meanwhile, Blanton, except for a couple of mistakes, was absolutely dominant tonight, and how about going deep? You know it's your night when that happens. When all the big-name trades happened back in the summer, Blanton largely flew under the radar in most people's eyes as yet another half-hearted acquisition by a franchise not willing to pull the trigger on a major deal (I admit to being less than excited myself, though I never hated the move), but all Blanton has done since arriving in Philly is win. Meanwhile, the more glamorous acquisitions like Sabathia and Ramirez are currently watching the series on TV.
On a side note, thumbs-down to this umpiring crew for some big-time blown calls against both teams. During the previous couple of games those bad calls mostly favored the Rays, but tonight one bounced our way after the third-base ump called Rollins safe when he was clearly out, leading to the Phils' first run. Thankfully, the bad calls have not determined the outcomes of the games, but come on, this is the World Series—blowing that many calls is simply unacceptable—both teams deserve better.
Anyway, this was the Phillies' night, and now they have a chance to close this series out in front of the hometown fans with their ace on the mound. You couldn't write a better script. Go Phils!
The bats came alive big time tonight, and Howard could not have picked a better time to go on one of his patented hot streaks. It's also no coincidence that the runs finally started coming when Rollins finally started hitting. Up and down the lineup, almost everyone contributed.
Meanwhile, Blanton, except for a couple of mistakes, was absolutely dominant tonight, and how about going deep? You know it's your night when that happens. When all the big-name trades happened back in the summer, Blanton largely flew under the radar in most people's eyes as yet another half-hearted acquisition by a franchise not willing to pull the trigger on a major deal (I admit to being less than excited myself, though I never hated the move), but all Blanton has done since arriving in Philly is win. Meanwhile, the more glamorous acquisitions like Sabathia and Ramirez are currently watching the series on TV.
On a side note, thumbs-down to this umpiring crew for some big-time blown calls against both teams. During the previous couple of games those bad calls mostly favored the Rays, but tonight one bounced our way after the third-base ump called Rollins safe when he was clearly out, leading to the Phils' first run. Thankfully, the bad calls have not determined the outcomes of the games, but come on, this is the World Series—blowing that many calls is simply unacceptable—both teams deserve better.
Anyway, this was the Phillies' night, and now they have a chance to close this series out in front of the hometown fans with their ace on the mound. You couldn't write a better script. Go Phils!
Baby Steps for the Eagles in Victory over Atlanta
This one was a little close for comfort but a win's a win. The Eagles caught a break with that bad muffed punt call, but I don't think Atlanta was going to score again anyway, and the Birds had their share of bad calls go against them (like the brutal roughing call on Cole). The inability to score from in close continues to be worrisome, though I think Westbrook was in on 2nd goal with his second effort (the same play as the offsides penalty), but the refs blew the whistle early. Still, Reid better figure out a way to punch it in. Stop with the fancy wishbone looks and shovel passes and just put the ball in the hands of your best players. He finally tried a sneak but he didn't spread the defense out and it failed—now we'll never see another one.
Anyway, what a difference a healthy Westbrook makes to the offense. They still have a ways to go before my confidence is restored (relatively close wins against mediocre teams like Atlanta and the 49ers aren't exactly awe inspiring) but they seem to be headed in the right direction.
Anyway, what a difference a healthy Westbrook makes to the offense. They still have a ways to go before my confidence is restored (relatively close wins against mediocre teams like Atlanta and the 49ers aren't exactly awe inspiring) but they seem to be headed in the right direction.
Two down...
The Phillies managed to scratch out a last minute victory doing what they failed to do most of the season: playing a little small ball. Great baserunning by Bruntlett (for once I was glad that Burrell wasn't still in the game) put the Phils in a position to win on what amounted to a glorified suicide squeeze by Ruiz (who has actually been one of the more valuable offensive players in this series). It was fitting that Tampa helped give away the game after that horrible call at first base in the 7th gave them two free runs. The umpiring in this series overall has been well below the standards one would expect in the World Series, though it thankfully has not affected the outcomes of any of the games.
I had a feeling Moyer was going to pitch well in this game and he didn't disappoint, though the aforementioned horrible call cost him perhaps his only chance at a World Series win—Moyer busted his butt on that play and deserved a better fate. Still, I know he'd much rather have the championship ring anyway, and thanks to his performance (along with big hits by Ruiz, Utley, and Howard), the Phillies are one step closer.
I had a feeling Moyer was going to pitch well in this game and he didn't disappoint, though the aforementioned horrible call cost him perhaps his only chance at a World Series win—Moyer busted his butt on that play and deserved a better fate. Still, I know he'd much rather have the championship ring anyway, and thanks to his performance (along with big hits by Ruiz, Utley, and Howard), the Phillies are one step closer.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
It's a Series, Phils Fall, 4-2
The story of Game 2 was stranded runners. The Phillies got away with it last night with Hamels dominating, but not tonight. This was a very winnable game as Myers did not pitch badly (three earned runs over seven innings should have been enough to win the game), but the offense was woeful with runners in scoring position. Of course it didn't help that the home plate umpire was atrocious—he cost the Phils a run in the second inning with that non-strikeout call and he cost them an out in the 9th with that horrible missed call on Rollins. But the bottom line is that the Phillies should never have put themselves in the position of needing good calls by umpires. Championship teams take care of business regardless of any calls they may or may not get. If the Phils want to stay in this series, the offense better find a way to start knocking in runs. Twenty-two stranded runners in two games is a disgrace.
At least in the 9th inning the Phillies put a little scare into those obnoxious Tampa fans who started singing "na na hey hey goodbye" in the 8th inning. Apparently they forgot that their team blew a 7-run lead late in a game last series, and they obviously are too ignorant to realize that you don't sing that song unless your opponent is about to get eliminated, not when you're down 1-0 in the series. Great sports fans down there in Tampa.
Anyway, we get the next three in Philly. A home sweep is probably too much to ask, but we should at least take two of three and head back to Tampa with a 3-2 lead. We really need the Moyer who pitched so well in the regular season to show up on Saturday . . . and the offense better wake up.
At least in the 9th inning the Phillies put a little scare into those obnoxious Tampa fans who started singing "na na hey hey goodbye" in the 8th inning. Apparently they forgot that their team blew a 7-run lead late in a game last series, and they obviously are too ignorant to realize that you don't sing that song unless your opponent is about to get eliminated, not when you're down 1-0 in the series. Great sports fans down there in Tampa.
Anyway, we get the next three in Philly. A home sweep is probably too much to ask, but we should at least take two of three and head back to Tampa with a 3-2 lead. We really need the Moyer who pitched so well in the regular season to show up on Saturday . . . and the offense better wake up.
Good First Win
Three to go, as the Phillies took Game 1, 3-2. I was getting nervous with all the runners the Phils were stranding, but the pitching from Hamels, Madson, and Lidge was phenomenal, as was the defense with a couple of key double plays. Utley's two-run blast set the tone, and Hamels did the rest. After a slow start, Utley is putting together one hell of a postseason.
They can't keep getting away with stranding all those runners, though. One thing I would change is the DH. Coste has really slumped in the second half of the season. I would go with Dobbs, Jenkins, or Stairs. And even though he got a couple of hits, I still disagree with Werth hitting in the 2-hole instead of Victorino.
Anyway, the first game in any series is huge and the Phillies found a way to win. Here's hoping Myers pitches well tonight and the Phils' big bats wake up.
They can't keep getting away with stranding all those runners, though. One thing I would change is the DH. Coste has really slumped in the second half of the season. I would go with Dobbs, Jenkins, or Stairs. And even though he got a couple of hits, I still disagree with Werth hitting in the 2-hole instead of Victorino.
Anyway, the first game in any series is huge and the Phillies found a way to win. Here's hoping Myers pitches well tonight and the Phils' big bats wake up.
Monday, October 20, 2008
World Series, Baby!
I have to admit that of all the Philly teams with the potential to win a championship, I would have placed the Phillies third behind the Flyers and Eagles. That was prior to the season, before we saw how good the Phillies' pitching staff was to become, particularly the bullpen. As the season began, most people thought the Phillies would give up a lot of runs and score a lot of runs, but virtually the opposite happened. The pitching staff kept the Phillies in almost every game, while the supposedly potent offense would go through long stretches of struggling to score runs and a frustrating inability to manufacture runs without the benefit of a home run. That has continued in the postseason to some degree, but the offense has also found a way to produce runs when it counts, particularly with two outs, as they showed again in Game 5 against the Dodgers.
Another sometimes unappreciated aspect of the Phillies postseason success is their fantastic defense, especially the infield. Feliz, for instance, may be mostly a waste at the plate, but at third base you know he's going to gobble up almost everything that comes his way. Also, the ability to easily turn a double play to escape a jam cannot be underestimated—it can often mean the difference between winning and losing—and Utley and Rollins are among the best at it. Meanwhile, Victorino covers so much ground that he could practically play the entire outfield by himself, ala Bugs Bunny against the Gas House Gorillas. People can talk about offense and home runs all they want, but defense and pitching wins championships. The Dodgers found out the hard way in Game 5 what can happen when you don't play good defense.
Speaking of pitching, Hamels is showing the world why he is one of the best pitchers in baseball. Even when he didn't have his best stuff early on in Game 5, he fought through and eventually dominated. When he's on the mound you never have to worry about being out of a game. The outcome of the series with Tampa, however, will hinge on the performance of the 2-4 pitchers. Myers has actually been more of a hero at the plate than on the mound, but he has also pitched effectively enough to help the Phillies win his two starts. Unfortunately, he won't be able to add to his postseason legend at the plate since both of his scheduled starts are DH games, but it also may allow him to pitch more deeply into games. Since coming back up from the minors, he has been mostly dominant (except for a couple of late season starts), so the hope is that we'll continue to see that Myers and not the one who began the season. Moyer is perhaps the biggest question mark, as he has been shelled in his two postseason starts. He is the consummate professional, though, so I have faith that he can recapture the ageless magic he displayed during the regular season. Blanton, for his part, has been solid since coming to the Phillies. He eats innings and keeps the score manageable, and there's no reason why that shouldn't continue.
It's hard to make a prediction because I admittedly know little about Tampa as I don't follow the American league much. What I do believe is that the Phillies' pitching and defense will keep them in almost every game, and if the offense can keep coming up with clutch hits, they have a great chance. Everyone seems to be picking Tampa, but they also all picked the Dodgers, and we know how that worked out. I'll say Phillies in 6.
Go Phils!
Another sometimes unappreciated aspect of the Phillies postseason success is their fantastic defense, especially the infield. Feliz, for instance, may be mostly a waste at the plate, but at third base you know he's going to gobble up almost everything that comes his way. Also, the ability to easily turn a double play to escape a jam cannot be underestimated—it can often mean the difference between winning and losing—and Utley and Rollins are among the best at it. Meanwhile, Victorino covers so much ground that he could practically play the entire outfield by himself, ala Bugs Bunny against the Gas House Gorillas. People can talk about offense and home runs all they want, but defense and pitching wins championships. The Dodgers found out the hard way in Game 5 what can happen when you don't play good defense.
Speaking of pitching, Hamels is showing the world why he is one of the best pitchers in baseball. Even when he didn't have his best stuff early on in Game 5, he fought through and eventually dominated. When he's on the mound you never have to worry about being out of a game. The outcome of the series with Tampa, however, will hinge on the performance of the 2-4 pitchers. Myers has actually been more of a hero at the plate than on the mound, but he has also pitched effectively enough to help the Phillies win his two starts. Unfortunately, he won't be able to add to his postseason legend at the plate since both of his scheduled starts are DH games, but it also may allow him to pitch more deeply into games. Since coming back up from the minors, he has been mostly dominant (except for a couple of late season starts), so the hope is that we'll continue to see that Myers and not the one who began the season. Moyer is perhaps the biggest question mark, as he has been shelled in his two postseason starts. He is the consummate professional, though, so I have faith that he can recapture the ageless magic he displayed during the regular season. Blanton, for his part, has been solid since coming to the Phillies. He eats innings and keeps the score manageable, and there's no reason why that shouldn't continue.
It's hard to make a prediction because I admittedly know little about Tampa as I don't follow the American league much. What I do believe is that the Phillies' pitching and defense will keep them in almost every game, and if the offense can keep coming up with clutch hits, they have a great chance. Everyone seems to be picking Tampa, but they also all picked the Dodgers, and we know how that worked out. I'll say Phillies in 6.
Go Phils!
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Phillies One Game Away
Breaking with the 'home team wins' MO that has characterized both teams, the Phillies scored a potentially crushing 7-5 win over the Dodgers.
The win was propelled by LA fan-favorite Shane Victorino's 2-run homer in the 8th. That quieted the crowd - that pretty much booed each breath Victorino took - and set them up for the coup-de-grace, a towering 2-run homer off the bat of Matt Stairs.
With the win, the Phillies take a solid 3 games to 1 lead in the NLCS, and also take back the momentum that was lost after Sunday's loss.
En route to becoming the first road team to win in this Phils/Dodgers season series, the Phillies scored runs in multiple innings, doing so in the 1st, 6th and 8th innings, alternately giving the Dodger faithful hope and then snatching that hope away.
They don't make it easy. Every time the Phillies left a runner on base, I groaned. Then the Phillies seemed incapable of having an inning that didn't include at least two Dodgers reaching base.
There were many close calls, and the Phillies got the better end of the stick this night.
Of course, it could also be argued that the Phillies simply played better when it counted.
Chase Utley pulled off a clutch - and momentum killing - double play to end a 6th inning that had already seen the Dodgers score two runs, with the definite potential for them to do even more damage. But, as he has done many times before, Chase saved the day (er...night). And, he contributed three hits. Not a bad day at the office.
Their bullpen pitched scoreless 7th, 8th and 9th innings. And they took advantage of Joe Torre's frequent - and puzzling - pitching changes.
When he took Hong-Chih Kuo out of the game, I think that was the turning point for the Phils. He was mowing the Phils down pretty good, getting Jayson Werth and Chase Utley on swinging strikeouts to close out the 7th.
After two Dodger baserunners in the bottom of the inning (but no scoring), Kuo came back out and gave up a single to Siberian-like Ryan Howard. Then he was pulled for Cory Wade.
Wade then gave up Victorino's homer, tying the game at 5. Wade then recorded an out and gave up a single to Carlos Ruiz, at which point he was lifted for Jonathan Broxton, who then surrendered the moon shot to Stairs that sent the Phillies home happy. I still am wondering why Kuo was lifted.
But who cares? Phillies fans, have a Yuengling! As Mike Schmidt said in 1980 "Take this win and savor it! You all earned it." ... or something along those lines.
Now they only need one more game. I wrote earlier in the year about telling my son all about the 1980 Phillies and how I hoped he'd be able to enjoy a Phillies World Series with me. I am pleased as punch that this is very close to becoming a reality.
Go Phils!
The win was propelled by LA fan-favorite Shane Victorino's 2-run homer in the 8th. That quieted the crowd - that pretty much booed each breath Victorino took - and set them up for the coup-de-grace, a towering 2-run homer off the bat of Matt Stairs.
With the win, the Phillies take a solid 3 games to 1 lead in the NLCS, and also take back the momentum that was lost after Sunday's loss.
En route to becoming the first road team to win in this Phils/Dodgers season series, the Phillies scored runs in multiple innings, doing so in the 1st, 6th and 8th innings, alternately giving the Dodger faithful hope and then snatching that hope away.
They don't make it easy. Every time the Phillies left a runner on base, I groaned. Then the Phillies seemed incapable of having an inning that didn't include at least two Dodgers reaching base.
There were many close calls, and the Phillies got the better end of the stick this night.
Of course, it could also be argued that the Phillies simply played better when it counted.
Chase Utley pulled off a clutch - and momentum killing - double play to end a 6th inning that had already seen the Dodgers score two runs, with the definite potential for them to do even more damage. But, as he has done many times before, Chase saved the day (er...night). And, he contributed three hits. Not a bad day at the office.
Their bullpen pitched scoreless 7th, 8th and 9th innings. And they took advantage of Joe Torre's frequent - and puzzling - pitching changes.
When he took Hong-Chih Kuo out of the game, I think that was the turning point for the Phils. He was mowing the Phils down pretty good, getting Jayson Werth and Chase Utley on swinging strikeouts to close out the 7th.
After two Dodger baserunners in the bottom of the inning (but no scoring), Kuo came back out and gave up a single to Siberian-like Ryan Howard. Then he was pulled for Cory Wade.
Wade then gave up Victorino's homer, tying the game at 5. Wade then recorded an out and gave up a single to Carlos Ruiz, at which point he was lifted for Jonathan Broxton, who then surrendered the moon shot to Stairs that sent the Phillies home happy. I still am wondering why Kuo was lifted.
But who cares? Phillies fans, have a Yuengling! As Mike Schmidt said in 1980 "Take this win and savor it! You all earned it." ... or something along those lines.
Now they only need one more game. I wrote earlier in the year about telling my son all about the 1980 Phillies and how I hoped he'd be able to enjoy a Phillies World Series with me. I am pleased as punch that this is very close to becoming a reality.
Go Phils!
Phillies Climb 'Stairs' to Victory
I know, I know, horrible pun, but I couldn't resist. The Fightins are now one win away from the world series after tonight's gut-check come from behind victory. They trailed by two and were down to their last five outs, but one thing about this lineup is that, even when they are struggling, they are never out of a game. It's always only a matter of time before they have one of those offensive explosions in an inning. Sure, you'd like to see them score in more innings, but they're getting it done when it counts--three more runs tonight with two outs.
Tonight's heroes: Victorino (arguably the Phillies' playoff MVP to this point) and Stairs, whose massive two-run blast put the Phillies ahead to stay (now there's a little late season acquisition by Gillick that has paid huge dividends). Also providing heroics was Utley who, besides getting three hits, made an outstanding defensive play in the 6th that saved two runs and kept the Phillies in the game. At the time I thought that could prove to be a turning point, and indeed it was. Things got a little dicey with Lidge when yet another inning was kept alive by a strike-out-wild-pitch (the same thing happened to Myers in Game 2—I've never seen that happen twice in such a short span of time—isn't Ruiz in the lineup because of his ability to block those kinds of pitches?), but in the end Lidge closed the door as he has all season.
Now the Phils enter Game 5 with a chance to clinch their first World Series berth in 15 years. It's a shame it won't be at home (I'm not a fan of the 2-3-2 format; it should be 2-2-1-1-1 like the other sports) but this team is more than up to the task of taking another one in LA, especially with their ace on the mound. Go Phils!
Tonight's heroes: Victorino (arguably the Phillies' playoff MVP to this point) and Stairs, whose massive two-run blast put the Phillies ahead to stay (now there's a little late season acquisition by Gillick that has paid huge dividends). Also providing heroics was Utley who, besides getting three hits, made an outstanding defensive play in the 6th that saved two runs and kept the Phillies in the game. At the time I thought that could prove to be a turning point, and indeed it was. Things got a little dicey with Lidge when yet another inning was kept alive by a strike-out-wild-pitch (the same thing happened to Myers in Game 2—I've never seen that happen twice in such a short span of time—isn't Ruiz in the lineup because of his ability to block those kinds of pitches?), but in the end Lidge closed the door as he has all season.
Now the Phils enter Game 5 with a chance to clinch their first World Series berth in 15 years. It's a shame it won't be at home (I'm not a fan of the 2-3-2 format; it should be 2-2-1-1-1 like the other sports) but this team is more than up to the task of taking another one in LA, especially with their ace on the mound. Go Phils!
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Well, we knew it wasn't going to be a sweep...
The Phillies fell in Game 3 thanks in part to a listless performance from the offense, which pretty much went to sleep after the Phils found themselves in a 6-1 hole. Kuroda certainly had a lot to do with it, but some of the problems with this lineup are becoming magnified in the postseason (i.e. all of the strikeouts and the inability to manufacture runs). For his part, Moyer, after being the Phillies' second best pitcher during the regular season, has been a big disappointment so far in the playoffs, though you also have to give credit to the Dodgers for jumping on him early and knocking him out.
The only real drama in the game came from the retaliation shenanigans as the Dodgers overreacted to a couple of perceived intentional hit batsmen. Now let's get real: Myers' pitch in game two obviously slipped out of his hands; he's not going to throw behind Ramirez, despite his fiery reputation. And Moyer clearly had no intention of hitting anyone when he was ahead in the count 0-2 with no outs and a run already in. But the Dodgers did what they felt they had to do, fine, and Victorino reacted understandably after having a ball aimed at his head (there's a right and wrong way to retaliate), and after the inning the benches momentarily cleared, giving resident punk Ramirez his chance to act like one of those drunk guys at a bar who says to his buddy, "hold me back," and then proceeds to act like a wild man.
Oh well. The Phils need to put this one behind them and get back to the business of closing this series out. They get Lowe on short rest in Game 4—that would be a good time to start.
The only real drama in the game came from the retaliation shenanigans as the Dodgers overreacted to a couple of perceived intentional hit batsmen. Now let's get real: Myers' pitch in game two obviously slipped out of his hands; he's not going to throw behind Ramirez, despite his fiery reputation. And Moyer clearly had no intention of hitting anyone when he was ahead in the count 0-2 with no outs and a run already in. But the Dodgers did what they felt they had to do, fine, and Victorino reacted understandably after having a ball aimed at his head (there's a right and wrong way to retaliate), and after the inning the benches momentarily cleared, giving resident punk Ramirez his chance to act like one of those drunk guys at a bar who says to his buddy, "hold me back," and then proceeds to act like a wild man.
Oh well. The Phils need to put this one behind them and get back to the business of closing this series out. They get Lowe on short rest in Game 4—that would be a good time to start.
Eagles Finally Show Signs of Life in Victory over 49ers
Nothing to get too excited about here; they beat a team they were supposed to beat, but they do deserve credit for showing some character in coming back from nine points down in the 4th quarter, and the defense came up huge in the 4th quarter after playing crappy for much of the game (way too many missed tackles). There are still plenty of things to be concerned about (the suddenly porous run defense, the inability to kick a long field goal, leading the league in dropped passes, etc.), but in a week when Washington and Dallas did the Eagles huge favors by losing to inferior teams, it's a step in the right direction.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Phils Take 2, Head to LA With Momentum...and Cheesesteaks!
Well, it ain't over yet, but it's a pretty good start. The Phillies, who were given virtually no chance whatsoever, took both home matchups - a 3-2 win over the Dodgers and the unbeatable Derek Lowe and an 8-5 win over the unhittable Chad Billingsley.
The wonderful sound of the "Beat LA" chant rained down like a glorious single voice from an animated fan base that has seen more than their share of dissapointment, but has been treated to some fine baseball thus far. Cheesesteaks for everybody!!
As a Phillies fan who is oddly allowing himself to have total faith in this team, I am just hoping they can keep this great mojo going. All they need to do is take one game, and it's cool. I do think they could certainly do more damage than that. But... that remains to be seen.
Thursday Night
In game one, Chase Utley awakened from his postseason cocoon and blasted a shot into the right field seats that tied the game at 2 and brought the Phillies back from a post season jet lag. After a Ryan Howard out, Pat Burrell followed that up with a blast of his own, depositing a Lowe pitch into the left field seats.
"Yeah, it was looking pretty dicey for the first five innings," said long-time Phils fan, Sj-hypocycloid, sipping a Dinkel Acker in his living room. "But they came through. I love seeing a great plan come together.
"All those experts who picked against the Phils, well...it might be time to re-evaluate those picks. And, so far, the Phils have been able to stave off the mighty Man-Ram, despite Fox's efforts to make him into the greatest player in baseball history. Please. Go Phils!"
The Phillies then held the Dodgers off the rest of the way, and came away with the win. Brad Lidge came in after a scorelss 8th courtesy of Ryan Madson and needed 13 pitches to put L.A. away.
"It's nice to see him get a damn save without loading the damn bases," opined Sj-dad. "Now let's go get three more and give this town a World Series groove."
As runs and hits were in short supply Thursday, it was nice to see Utley and Burrell each get two hits. If we could only get Ryan Howard contributing, the Phils would be quite a force to reckon with. They pretty much are that now. The good news: he was 0-for-4 Thursday, but he didn't strike out. It seems stupid to mention, but considering the flack he's gotten all season... this is a good thing.
Friday Night
Brett Myers, who was supposed to suffer a severe meltdown or something, started game two and pitched five innings, giving up a three-run homer to All-World Malcontent Manny Ramirez. But it wasn't his pitching that carried the day.
Myers led all hitters in this 8-5 Phillies win with three hits, and also drove in three runs to boot - including two of the runs that guaranteed a Philadelphia win.
Shane Victorino redeemed the hitters somewhat, pounding out a single and a triple that resulted in four RBI. The Phillies bullpen did the rest, pitching four scoreless innings to preserve a game two that started out looking like it would be a shootout.
"Holy crap, man," Sj-hypocycloid grunted between sips of some domestic crap beer he'd found in the fridge. "That was one nutty game. I loved that Myers. He's awesome. He pitched well enough, but look at the at-bats. He pretty much drove (Milwaukee pitcher) CC Sabathia to distraction, and did even more damage here."
Hard to argue with that.
Over to you, LA...
Now the series shifts to LA, where the Dodgers were supposed to close things out and await the eventual ALCS winner. Now, predictions of "Dodgers in 5" will have to be modified to "Dodgers in 6...??" or... "Can we try for best 6 out of 11?"
While it would be foolish to say that the Dodgers are done, they are certainly not in a great spot. Down 2-0 is not where they planned to be, and I'm sure that many Fox executives are trying to figure out whether or not they can broadcast the games and simply report that the Dodgers have won, despite the actual result.
Sorry, Joe Torre - you're the man and all, but you need to pull out all your magic tricks to get the LA Express back on track.
I, for one, will be rooting against that. But... no hard feelings, okay? You're still the best manager the Yankees have had in the last 13 years.
Go Phils!!
The wonderful sound of the "Beat LA" chant rained down like a glorious single voice from an animated fan base that has seen more than their share of dissapointment, but has been treated to some fine baseball thus far. Cheesesteaks for everybody!!
As a Phillies fan who is oddly allowing himself to have total faith in this team, I am just hoping they can keep this great mojo going. All they need to do is take one game, and it's cool. I do think they could certainly do more damage than that. But... that remains to be seen.
Thursday Night
In game one, Chase Utley awakened from his postseason cocoon and blasted a shot into the right field seats that tied the game at 2 and brought the Phillies back from a post season jet lag. After a Ryan Howard out, Pat Burrell followed that up with a blast of his own, depositing a Lowe pitch into the left field seats.
"Yeah, it was looking pretty dicey for the first five innings," said long-time Phils fan, Sj-hypocycloid, sipping a Dinkel Acker in his living room. "But they came through. I love seeing a great plan come together.
"All those experts who picked against the Phils, well...it might be time to re-evaluate those picks. And, so far, the Phils have been able to stave off the mighty Man-Ram, despite Fox's efforts to make him into the greatest player in baseball history. Please. Go Phils!"
The Phillies then held the Dodgers off the rest of the way, and came away with the win. Brad Lidge came in after a scorelss 8th courtesy of Ryan Madson and needed 13 pitches to put L.A. away.
"It's nice to see him get a damn save without loading the damn bases," opined Sj-dad. "Now let's go get three more and give this town a World Series groove."
As runs and hits were in short supply Thursday, it was nice to see Utley and Burrell each get two hits. If we could only get Ryan Howard contributing, the Phils would be quite a force to reckon with. They pretty much are that now. The good news: he was 0-for-4 Thursday, but he didn't strike out. It seems stupid to mention, but considering the flack he's gotten all season... this is a good thing.
Friday Night
Brett Myers, who was supposed to suffer a severe meltdown or something, started game two and pitched five innings, giving up a three-run homer to All-World Malcontent Manny Ramirez. But it wasn't his pitching that carried the day.
Myers led all hitters in this 8-5 Phillies win with three hits, and also drove in three runs to boot - including two of the runs that guaranteed a Philadelphia win.
Shane Victorino redeemed the hitters somewhat, pounding out a single and a triple that resulted in four RBI. The Phillies bullpen did the rest, pitching four scoreless innings to preserve a game two that started out looking like it would be a shootout.
"Holy crap, man," Sj-hypocycloid grunted between sips of some domestic crap beer he'd found in the fridge. "That was one nutty game. I loved that Myers. He's awesome. He pitched well enough, but look at the at-bats. He pretty much drove (Milwaukee pitcher) CC Sabathia to distraction, and did even more damage here."
Hard to argue with that.
Over to you, LA...
Now the series shifts to LA, where the Dodgers were supposed to close things out and await the eventual ALCS winner. Now, predictions of "Dodgers in 5" will have to be modified to "Dodgers in 6...??" or... "Can we try for best 6 out of 11?"
While it would be foolish to say that the Dodgers are done, they are certainly not in a great spot. Down 2-0 is not where they planned to be, and I'm sure that many Fox executives are trying to figure out whether or not they can broadcast the games and simply report that the Dodgers have won, despite the actual result.
Sorry, Joe Torre - you're the man and all, but you need to pull out all your magic tricks to get the LA Express back on track.
I, for one, will be rooting against that. But... no hard feelings, okay? You're still the best manager the Yankees have had in the last 13 years.
Go Phils!!
Brett Myers: Offensive MVP?
Just kidding, but it's pretty amazing what Myers has done with the bat—he's hitting .800 this postseason and his three-hit, three-RBI performance tonight was a big key to the Phillies victory. On top of that he pitched well enough to win in spite of likely being worn out from all the base running he did. There were many other heroes tonight as well. Victorino continues to get it done at the plate and in the field: his catch in center field may have been even bigger than the four runs he knocked in tonight.
The rest of the offense is finally showing signs of life, too, after being mostly dormant in the Milwaukee series. They batted around in two consecutive innings and scored eight runs without needing a home run to do so. Now they will never be accused of playing small ball to manufacture runs, but they have shown an impressive ability this postseason to get key hits with two outs--and those are the types of things that win in the playoffs. Howard, however, continues to struggle mightily in the postseason. If he ever gets going, look out.
The first game was vintage Hamels. For a while it looked like he might get his typical run support but he kept them in the game long enough for the offense to finally break through in the 6th. The bullpen has been stellar, with Lidge closing the door on consecutive nights, and the Phillies find themselves heading to LA just two wins away from the World Series. There's a lot of baseball left to be played, and I'm trying to temper my excitement, but as infrequently as the Phillies have been in this position in their history, I'm going to enjoy the run as far as the Phils can take us. I'll save my apprehension for the Eagles :-)
On a more sour note, I have to give a wag of my finger (to borrow a phrase from Stephen Colbert) to Flyers' owner Ed Snider for having Sarah Palin drop the first puck in the team's home opener. He's free to support whoever he wants, but by inviting her to the opening day ceremonies in the middle of an election, he's blatantly injecting his personal politics into sports . . . where it doesn't belong. It's in poor taste and I've lost a lot of respect for Snider as a result. He's not doing Palin any favors, either. Has he forgotten that Philly is a blue city? The fans will boo her mercilessly.
The rest of the offense is finally showing signs of life, too, after being mostly dormant in the Milwaukee series. They batted around in two consecutive innings and scored eight runs without needing a home run to do so. Now they will never be accused of playing small ball to manufacture runs, but they have shown an impressive ability this postseason to get key hits with two outs--and those are the types of things that win in the playoffs. Howard, however, continues to struggle mightily in the postseason. If he ever gets going, look out.
The first game was vintage Hamels. For a while it looked like he might get his typical run support but he kept them in the game long enough for the offense to finally break through in the 6th. The bullpen has been stellar, with Lidge closing the door on consecutive nights, and the Phillies find themselves heading to LA just two wins away from the World Series. There's a lot of baseball left to be played, and I'm trying to temper my excitement, but as infrequently as the Phillies have been in this position in their history, I'm going to enjoy the run as far as the Phils can take us. I'll save my apprehension for the Eagles :-)
On a more sour note, I have to give a wag of my finger (to borrow a phrase from Stephen Colbert) to Flyers' owner Ed Snider for having Sarah Palin drop the first puck in the team's home opener. He's free to support whoever he wants, but by inviting her to the opening day ceremonies in the middle of an election, he's blatantly injecting his personal politics into sports . . . where it doesn't belong. It's in poor taste and I've lost a lot of respect for Snider as a result. He's not doing Palin any favors, either. Has he forgotten that Philly is a blue city? The fans will boo her mercilessly.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Phillies - Dodgers Preview: A Totally Biased View
So it comes down to this. I've heard so many 'experts' (and, disturbingly, Phillies fans) tell me that the Phillies are as good as done. That the Dodgers might as well start printing World Series tickets now. The Dodgers will win in seven games, I'm told.
I don't see it that way. Sure, the Dodgers are hot right now, having posted a 22-8 record in September. So what? The Phillies are 22-9 over the same span.
How do the 'experts' at ESPN see things?
Jayson Stark, Tim Kurkjian and Steve Phillips are calling for LA winning in seven games. Jim Caple has it LA in five games. Rob Neyer bucks the lemming trend, goes out on a limb and calls for the Phillies in seven.
Manager And Manny
Oh yes, there's Joe Torre - a great manager to be sure. But...there's nobody named Derek Jeter on this team. No Bernie Williams. No Andy Pettite, no Jorge Posada, no Mariano Rivera. No $200 million payroll.
There is Manny Ramirez, of course. That's something to talk about. But when you get past him, what is there? Jeff Kent? I think the Phillies can feel safe squaring off against his 12 home runs. Matt Kemp (18 homers) and Andre Ethier (20) are good players too, but they're a pretty big drop off from Manny.
Phillies? Yes, The Phillies
The Phils somehow managed (sarcasm firmly intended) to get past Ryan Braun (37 homers) and Prince Fielder (34), so they can deal with guys who hit home runs. And the Red Sox seem to be getting along just fine without Mr. Malcontent.
The Phillies have some good players as well. Ryan Howard (2006 MVP). Chase Utley. Jimmy Rollins (2007 MVP). Cole Hamels. Brad Lidge. There's some power and some pretty good pitching there.
Head-To-Head Matchups
The season series? The Dodgers swept a four-game series at home in early August. The Phillies answered with a four-game sweep in Philadelphia about two weeks later, defeating Greg Maddux and 16-game winner Chad Billingsley in the process. They also scored three runs off 14-game winner (and game 1 starter) Derek Lowe in one of the losses. Lowe is another guy the Red Sox seem to be doing just fine without.
So where is this great edge that the Dodgers have? Okay, Torre is a more successful manager than Charlie Manuel. But, give Cholly credit - he has gotten a misfit squad to the postseason two years in a row.
Philly's Jamie Moyer and Billingsley both have 16 wins. Hamels and Lowe both have 14 wins. Hiroki Kuroda (LA, if you don't recognize the name...I didn't) has nine wins and Myers has 10.
Pitching-wise, it looks pretty even to me. Except for the closer. You can't really improve on Brad Lidge's 41-for-41 in save opportunities. And the set-up guys were real good against the Brewers at keeping things under control and then turning the game over to Lidge.
I'd have to say that the hitting edge would have to go to the Phillies. Yes, the Phillies. Three guys with 30 or more homers: Howard (48 homers, 146 RBI), Utley (33 homers, 104 RBI) and Pat Burrell (33 homers, 86 RBI). Whether or not you think Howard strikes out too much, the guy drives in runs.
Looking at the Dodgers team stats again, I am surprised that they even won 84 games (which would have put them 3rd in the NL East). Of course, they were helped by being in a pretty crappy division: Arizona (82 wins), Colorado (74 wins), San Francisco (72 wins) and San Diego (63 wins). And how did the Padres wind up with more losses than the Giants? Amazing.
Intangibles
What about the intangibles? Better surfing in Los Angeles. Movies set in Los Angeles are better. Better region for wine. Can't think of anything baseball-related that makes the Dodgers such a slam-dunk favorite.
Conclusion
While an LA/Boston World Series would be a network's wet dream, that doesn't cut it when the game begins. I would also venture to say that it's not a foregone conclusion that the Rays might have something to say about the World Series matchup.
Nope. My mind's made up. It's probably true to say that I am led by a homer impulse, but I feel really good about the Phillies chances. They're no better/no worse than the Dodgers. Tomorrow night they start what should be an excellent NLCS. I look forward to seeing the 'experts' and their pedstrian predictions put to the test.
Bold Prediction
Phillies in 6!
I don't see it that way. Sure, the Dodgers are hot right now, having posted a 22-8 record in September. So what? The Phillies are 22-9 over the same span.
How do the 'experts' at ESPN see things?
Jayson Stark, Tim Kurkjian and Steve Phillips are calling for LA winning in seven games. Jim Caple has it LA in five games. Rob Neyer bucks the lemming trend, goes out on a limb and calls for the Phillies in seven.
Manager And Manny
Oh yes, there's Joe Torre - a great manager to be sure. But...there's nobody named Derek Jeter on this team. No Bernie Williams. No Andy Pettite, no Jorge Posada, no Mariano Rivera. No $200 million payroll.
There is Manny Ramirez, of course. That's something to talk about. But when you get past him, what is there? Jeff Kent? I think the Phillies can feel safe squaring off against his 12 home runs. Matt Kemp (18 homers) and Andre Ethier (20) are good players too, but they're a pretty big drop off from Manny.
Phillies? Yes, The Phillies
The Phils somehow managed (sarcasm firmly intended) to get past Ryan Braun (37 homers) and Prince Fielder (34), so they can deal with guys who hit home runs. And the Red Sox seem to be getting along just fine without Mr. Malcontent.
The Phillies have some good players as well. Ryan Howard (2006 MVP). Chase Utley. Jimmy Rollins (2007 MVP). Cole Hamels. Brad Lidge. There's some power and some pretty good pitching there.
Head-To-Head Matchups
The season series? The Dodgers swept a four-game series at home in early August. The Phillies answered with a four-game sweep in Philadelphia about two weeks later, defeating Greg Maddux and 16-game winner Chad Billingsley in the process. They also scored three runs off 14-game winner (and game 1 starter) Derek Lowe in one of the losses. Lowe is another guy the Red Sox seem to be doing just fine without.
The Phillies pitchers in the losses were:
- Kyle Kendrick, who is unlikely to see any action in this series
- Cole Hamels, who gave up 2 runs in his game and suffered a no decision
- Joe Blanton, who gave up 4 runs, and was undone by an ineffective bullpen...and who pitched considerably better against the Brewers
- Brett Myers, who was demoted to the minors and came back a much better pitcher
So where is this great edge that the Dodgers have? Okay, Torre is a more successful manager than Charlie Manuel. But, give Cholly credit - he has gotten a misfit squad to the postseason two years in a row.
Philly's Jamie Moyer and Billingsley both have 16 wins. Hamels and Lowe both have 14 wins. Hiroki Kuroda (LA, if you don't recognize the name...I didn't) has nine wins and Myers has 10.
Pitching-wise, it looks pretty even to me. Except for the closer. You can't really improve on Brad Lidge's 41-for-41 in save opportunities. And the set-up guys were real good against the Brewers at keeping things under control and then turning the game over to Lidge.
I'd have to say that the hitting edge would have to go to the Phillies. Yes, the Phillies. Three guys with 30 or more homers: Howard (48 homers, 146 RBI), Utley (33 homers, 104 RBI) and Pat Burrell (33 homers, 86 RBI). Whether or not you think Howard strikes out too much, the guy drives in runs.
Looking at the Dodgers team stats again, I am surprised that they even won 84 games (which would have put them 3rd in the NL East). Of course, they were helped by being in a pretty crappy division: Arizona (82 wins), Colorado (74 wins), San Francisco (72 wins) and San Diego (63 wins). And how did the Padres wind up with more losses than the Giants? Amazing.
Intangibles
What about the intangibles? Better surfing in Los Angeles. Movies set in Los Angeles are better. Better region for wine. Can't think of anything baseball-related that makes the Dodgers such a slam-dunk favorite.
Conclusion
While an LA/Boston World Series would be a network's wet dream, that doesn't cut it when the game begins. I would also venture to say that it's not a foregone conclusion that the Rays might have something to say about the World Series matchup.
Nope. My mind's made up. It's probably true to say that I am led by a homer impulse, but I feel really good about the Phillies chances. They're no better/no worse than the Dodgers. Tomorrow night they start what should be an excellent NLCS. I look forward to seeing the 'experts' and their pedstrian predictions put to the test.
Bold Prediction
Phillies in 6!
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Phillies Save My Sunday
I never thought I'd say this during football season, but thank God for the Phillies. They saved what could have been an utterly dismal Sunday in Philly after the Eagles' pathetic performance (more on them later). The Phils rebounded nicely from a poor effort last night to close out the series. Blanton delivered a stellar pitching performance and the offense (courtesy of Burrell and Rollins) finally showed signs of life. The Dodgers will be tough, but if the Phillies continue to get the pitching they got in this series, they will have a great shot. The offense still needs to pick it up more, though. Going into this game they had scored in just 3 of their 25 at-bats. Today they scored in three innings, so hopefully that is a sign of better things to come, though we still need to see more out of Utley and Howard if the Phillies hope to go deep. But today is a day of celebration. Tomorrow we can start thinking about the NLCS. Go Phils!!!
On to the Eagles. Obviously, they are not as good as I thought they were. They were looking good after jumping out to a 14-0 lead, but then they just fell apart. The great run defense suddenly imploded—of course it doesn't help when the inept offense is keeping you on the field all game—but 203 yards rushing is just abysmal. Reid looks lost on the sidelines. Case in point: as if hearing the complaints from last week's failure to throw the red flag, today he decided to blow a timeout on a useless challenge that wasn't even close. On top of that, pass-happy-Reid has suddenly become Mr. Smashmouth at the goal line, as the Eagles were once again stymied from in close on consecutive running plays. Has Reid lost all confidence in McNabb's ability to make something happen? Besides taking it out of his hands at the goal line, he almost never went downfield today against a vulnerable Washington secondary. Everything was in close: screens, quick hitters, etc.
One more thing, to the Redskins: it must be nice to have a reliable kicker. I remember when the Eagles used to have one. Obviously, 50 yards is no chip shot, but Akers has only hit one field goal outside of 40 yards all year. It's looking eerily similar to last year when he went 2 for 10 on field goals longer than 40 yards. Don't get me wrong, I'm not blaming Akers for this loss, everyone deserves a share of the credit, but his output over the last two years is unacceptable.
At this rate it's beginning to look like another long season: they are two games behind the third place team in the division, they're 0-2 in the division, and 1-3 in the conference. It would take a huge winning streak to even get back into this thing, and I just don't know if they have it in them. They should at worst be 4-1, but dumb mistakes and missed opportunities have cost them dearly. However, we can talk woulda, coulda, shoulda all we want, but at some point, you are what you are, and right now: the Eagles are a mediocre football team, and their record reflects it.
On to the Eagles. Obviously, they are not as good as I thought they were. They were looking good after jumping out to a 14-0 lead, but then they just fell apart. The great run defense suddenly imploded—of course it doesn't help when the inept offense is keeping you on the field all game—but 203 yards rushing is just abysmal. Reid looks lost on the sidelines. Case in point: as if hearing the complaints from last week's failure to throw the red flag, today he decided to blow a timeout on a useless challenge that wasn't even close. On top of that, pass-happy-Reid has suddenly become Mr. Smashmouth at the goal line, as the Eagles were once again stymied from in close on consecutive running plays. Has Reid lost all confidence in McNabb's ability to make something happen? Besides taking it out of his hands at the goal line, he almost never went downfield today against a vulnerable Washington secondary. Everything was in close: screens, quick hitters, etc.
One more thing, to the Redskins: it must be nice to have a reliable kicker. I remember when the Eagles used to have one. Obviously, 50 yards is no chip shot, but Akers has only hit one field goal outside of 40 yards all year. It's looking eerily similar to last year when he went 2 for 10 on field goals longer than 40 yards. Don't get me wrong, I'm not blaming Akers for this loss, everyone deserves a share of the credit, but his output over the last two years is unacceptable.
At this rate it's beginning to look like another long season: they are two games behind the third place team in the division, they're 0-2 in the division, and 1-3 in the conference. It would take a huge winning streak to even get back into this thing, and I just don't know if they have it in them. They should at worst be 4-1, but dumb mistakes and missed opportunities have cost them dearly. However, we can talk woulda, coulda, shoulda all we want, but at some point, you are what you are, and right now: the Eagles are a mediocre football team, and their record reflects it.
Burrell Leads, Pitching Solid As Phils Close Out The Worthy Brewers
That was much better than game 3. It had a lot of great elements of baseball:
A leadoff home run courtesy of Jimmy Rollins - And I should say that I have groused about Rollins and his non-traditional approach to leadoff hitting. I would prefer that he take pitches, work the count and look for walks more than he does. But I'll take the leadoff homer anytime!
A solid pitching performance from Joe Blanton, a Phils pitcher who didn't really get much attention from me. I'll admit now that I dismissed this as another uninspired Pat Gillick pickup, but he has turned out to be a steady addition to the pitching staff. He went 6 innings, gave up one run and kept things under control so the offense could do their stuff. Not bad at all!
A monster homerfest for the much maligned (and sadly, the probably will be missed) Pat Burrell. A three-run blast that broke it open, and a solo shot that provided the final nail. Please resign this guy!
A teriffic middle relief performance from the sometimes troubling Ryan Madson. Two innings, one run - a perfect bridge to Brad Lidge. A Bridge to Somewhere!
A 16-pitch, one hit, no run appearance from Mr. 41-for-41 to close things out and vault the Phillies to the NLCS against the pesky Dodgers.
No matter what happens now, the Phillies have more than exceeded my expectations of them, and every game they play now is a great treat!
Brewers fans, take heart. They look a lot like the Phillies did last year. At least the Brew Crew won a game in the NLDS. Look for better things from them next year.
As for the Phillies...It's been a great season, and I sure as heck hope the Phillies have eight more wins in them!
A leadoff home run courtesy of Jimmy Rollins - And I should say that I have groused about Rollins and his non-traditional approach to leadoff hitting. I would prefer that he take pitches, work the count and look for walks more than he does. But I'll take the leadoff homer anytime!
A solid pitching performance from Joe Blanton, a Phils pitcher who didn't really get much attention from me. I'll admit now that I dismissed this as another uninspired Pat Gillick pickup, but he has turned out to be a steady addition to the pitching staff. He went 6 innings, gave up one run and kept things under control so the offense could do their stuff. Not bad at all!
A monster homerfest for the much maligned (and sadly, the probably will be missed) Pat Burrell. A three-run blast that broke it open, and a solo shot that provided the final nail. Please resign this guy!
A teriffic middle relief performance from the sometimes troubling Ryan Madson. Two innings, one run - a perfect bridge to Brad Lidge. A Bridge to Somewhere!
A 16-pitch, one hit, no run appearance from Mr. 41-for-41 to close things out and vault the Phillies to the NLCS against the pesky Dodgers.
No matter what happens now, the Phillies have more than exceeded my expectations of them, and every game they play now is a great treat!
Brewers fans, take heart. They look a lot like the Phillies did last year. At least the Brew Crew won a game in the NLDS. Look for better things from them next year.
As for the Phillies...It's been a great season, and I sure as heck hope the Phillies have eight more wins in them!
Phils, Moyer ineffective, give Milwaukee hope
Well, that certainly didn't go the way the Phillies and their fans would have liked. And I'm not going to talk about Jamie Moyer at all. He's been a solid force for the Phils all year, and they should have been able to pick him up. After all, he only gave up two runs.
I have moaned before about the Phils penchant for leaving men on base and having no ability to do simple things like...move the runner along.
Ryan Howard, who has been dormant in this series, doubled to lead off the 2nd. A ground out and two fly outs later, he was still on second. End of inning. I know that dissenters just love to tell me that you don't ask a longball hitter like Pat Burrell to bunt...but is the end result of trying worse than a ground out that does NOT advance the runner?
In the 4th, the marginally less dormant Chase Utley singled to lead off. Howard grounded out, and Utley advanced. The advancement was simply a by-product of the at-bat, rather than a deliberate attempt to move the runner. Burrell and Shane Victorino lined out to end the inning.
As a Phils fan, I love to watch both these guys play, and I wouldn't want either of them to go anywhere. But...I'd like to see something more than a collective 4 for 22 batting record. And I don't mean homers. Just...hit the ball.
The 5th: Pedro Feliz singled to open the inning. Carlos Ruiz lined out. Anyone else thinking that maybe trying a bunt would be something worth trying? Not the Phils. Matt Stairs flied out to center and Jimmy "Front Runner" Rollins popped out to shortstop.
Please note the number of times I have written the word "out" in these recaps. I realize that outs are part of the game. But other teams manage to be creative and have more meaningful outs. Outs that advance runners and keep the opponent a bit off guard.
The 6th: Jayson Werth triples to open the inning - another lead off hit. Surely, they'll score some runs with this setup, right? Utley pops out. Sigh. Howard grounds out, and Milwaukee is only happy to trade the out for a run. After all, it's 3-0 at this point, and the Phillies are showing few signs of life.
Wouldn't a suicide squeeze have been a gas here? Who would expect it? And what's the worse that could happen? Werth is nailed at the plate? At least he'd have been near the plate!! I know, I know...it's blasphemy to suggest that Utley or Howard even ATTEMPT to bunt. They hit homers, they aren't paid to bunt. They are paid to help the team, right? Just food for thought, here...
7th: 1-2-3. Milwaukee coasting. They even add an insurance run in the bottom of the 7th, fueled by....you guessed it! ...a sacrifice!!
Finally, in the 8th, with one out, Rollins tried to bunt for a hit. Didn't work, but I am surprised and elated that someone on the Phillies (especially someone as...discerning a batter as Rollins) actually knows what a bunt is. Werth doubles, and is stranded.
The 9th ends on a controversial double play. A fitting end, quite frankly.
Look - I'm not going to sit here and say that all is bad for the Phils. They do need to wrap things up and send Milwaukee home, though. And I know that nothing will change. They're going to continue to leave men on base and they're going to continue to play the feast-or-famine game that relies almost exclusively on someone hitting a homer.
It's served them pretty well thus far, and a 2-1 lead in the playoff series is not a horrible position to be in. Especially after a crushing 3-0 sweep last year to the they-were-no-better-than-the-Phils Colorado Rockies.
I'm glad to see Howard and Utley get some hits. Many people (including me) have said that if the Phils can get Rollins, Howard, Utley and Burrell all hitting at the same time - watch out. This can be a dangerous team - but they need to choose to be that way.
I hope they don't get overly worked up and tense over whay happened last night. Put it away, bury it deep. Come out swinging. It's not like the Brewers are lighting up the scoreboard - and the Phils have already beaten the Brew Crew's best hope - CC Sabathia (looked more like CC DeVille the other night). Win it now - don't give Milwaukee any more candy. Slam the door in their face.
Go Phils!
I have moaned before about the Phils penchant for leaving men on base and having no ability to do simple things like...move the runner along.
Ryan Howard, who has been dormant in this series, doubled to lead off the 2nd. A ground out and two fly outs later, he was still on second. End of inning. I know that dissenters just love to tell me that you don't ask a longball hitter like Pat Burrell to bunt...but is the end result of trying worse than a ground out that does NOT advance the runner?
In the 4th, the marginally less dormant Chase Utley singled to lead off. Howard grounded out, and Utley advanced. The advancement was simply a by-product of the at-bat, rather than a deliberate attempt to move the runner. Burrell and Shane Victorino lined out to end the inning.
As a Phils fan, I love to watch both these guys play, and I wouldn't want either of them to go anywhere. But...I'd like to see something more than a collective 4 for 22 batting record. And I don't mean homers. Just...hit the ball.
The 5th: Pedro Feliz singled to open the inning. Carlos Ruiz lined out. Anyone else thinking that maybe trying a bunt would be something worth trying? Not the Phils. Matt Stairs flied out to center and Jimmy "Front Runner" Rollins popped out to shortstop.
Please note the number of times I have written the word "out" in these recaps. I realize that outs are part of the game. But other teams manage to be creative and have more meaningful outs. Outs that advance runners and keep the opponent a bit off guard.
The 6th: Jayson Werth triples to open the inning - another lead off hit. Surely, they'll score some runs with this setup, right? Utley pops out. Sigh. Howard grounds out, and Milwaukee is only happy to trade the out for a run. After all, it's 3-0 at this point, and the Phillies are showing few signs of life.
Wouldn't a suicide squeeze have been a gas here? Who would expect it? And what's the worse that could happen? Werth is nailed at the plate? At least he'd have been near the plate!! I know, I know...it's blasphemy to suggest that Utley or Howard even ATTEMPT to bunt. They hit homers, they aren't paid to bunt. They are paid to help the team, right? Just food for thought, here...
7th: 1-2-3. Milwaukee coasting. They even add an insurance run in the bottom of the 7th, fueled by....you guessed it! ...a sacrifice!!
Finally, in the 8th, with one out, Rollins tried to bunt for a hit. Didn't work, but I am surprised and elated that someone on the Phillies (especially someone as...discerning a batter as Rollins) actually knows what a bunt is. Werth doubles, and is stranded.
The 9th ends on a controversial double play. A fitting end, quite frankly.
Look - I'm not going to sit here and say that all is bad for the Phils. They do need to wrap things up and send Milwaukee home, though. And I know that nothing will change. They're going to continue to leave men on base and they're going to continue to play the feast-or-famine game that relies almost exclusively on someone hitting a homer.
It's served them pretty well thus far, and a 2-1 lead in the playoff series is not a horrible position to be in. Especially after a crushing 3-0 sweep last year to the they-were-no-better-than-the-Phils Colorado Rockies.
I'm glad to see Howard and Utley get some hits. Many people (including me) have said that if the Phils can get Rollins, Howard, Utley and Burrell all hitting at the same time - watch out. This can be a dangerous team - but they need to choose to be that way.
I hope they don't get overly worked up and tense over whay happened last night. Put it away, bury it deep. Come out swinging. It's not like the Brewers are lighting up the scoreboard - and the Phils have already beaten the Brew Crew's best hope - CC Sabathia (looked more like CC DeVille the other night). Win it now - don't give Milwaukee any more candy. Slam the door in their face.
Go Phils!
Friday, October 3, 2008
CC Who?
After vanquishing the mighty CC Sabathia last night the Phillies have taken control of the series. The obvious heroes are Victorino, who hit the dramatic two-strike, two-out grand slam in the second on his way to a three-hit game, and Myers, who settled down nicely after surviving a first-inning, bases-loaded scare, to hold the Brewers to just two runs over seven innings. His biggest contribution, however, was at the plate. In the second inning, the light-hitting (and that's generous) pitcher worked a two-out walk in a nine-pitch at-bat as the crowd roared with every fouled pitch and taken ball, appearing to rattle Sabathia in the process, and setting the stage for Victorino's slam that blew the game wide open. Then Myers did it again in the 4th, flying out after a 10-pitch at-bat . . . Sabathia would not survive the inning. Later in the game Myers added a single for good measure.
The offense continued its feast or famine output, though, scoring all of its runs in just one inning, but it's hard to complain about that when your team tags Sabathia for five runs. To win a game against arguably the best pitcher in baseball while your 3-4-5 hitters go 0-for-10 is pretty amazing. To do it on the backs of a little outfielder not known for his power and a pitcher not known for his hitting is the stuff of legend.
The offense continued its feast or famine output, though, scoring all of its runs in just one inning, but it's hard to complain about that when your team tags Sabathia for five runs. To win a game against arguably the best pitcher in baseball while your 3-4-5 hitters go 0-for-10 is pretty amazing. To do it on the backs of a little outfielder not known for his power and a pitcher not known for his hitting is the stuff of legend.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
One Down...
Well, the Phillies made it much more interesting than they had to, thanks to Manuel's decision to not let Hamels finish the game. He had a manageable pitch count and was pitching lights out, while Lidge has been struggling recently. As much as the team is going to need Lidge in the playoffs, this might have been a good game to let him rest while Hamels finished what he started. Hamels said the right things after the game, but I'm sure he would like to have pitched the complete game. On the other hand, I can see the argument for not overworking your ace in the first game of the playoffs, and that is what Lidge gets paid for. In the end, after a few frayed nerves, it worked out, so no worries. Let's just hope Lidge's high pitch count yesterday won't have an impact on the rest of the series.
Anyway, what can you say about Hamels? He's a bonafide stud that would have been a 20-game-winning Cy Young contender if the Phillies had given him any run support this year. He didn't get much support again in this game, but this time it didn't matter; nobody was scoring on him. We haven't seen a playoff pitching performance in this town like that since Curt Schilling in '93 (not that there have been many playoff games in the years since). The offense needs to pick it up, though, if the Phillies are going to advance. One error-filled inning of scoring isn't going to cut it on most days. Today will be tough with Sabathia, but hopefully the Phils can make it a short series so we only have to see him once. And let's hope the right Brett Myers shows up today.
Go Phils!
Anyway, what can you say about Hamels? He's a bonafide stud that would have been a 20-game-winning Cy Young contender if the Phillies had given him any run support this year. He didn't get much support again in this game, but this time it didn't matter; nobody was scoring on him. We haven't seen a playoff pitching performance in this town like that since Curt Schilling in '93 (not that there have been many playoff games in the years since). The offense needs to pick it up, though, if the Phillies are going to advance. One error-filled inning of scoring isn't going to cut it on most days. Today will be tough with Sabathia, but hopefully the Phils can make it a short series so we only have to see him once. And let's hope the right Brett Myers shows up today.
Go Phils!
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