The Ticket Chest

Phillies Deliver Knock Out Punch – Take Game 1 over Dodgers 8-6

Friday, October 16th, 2009 | Brad Lidge, Carlos Ruiz, Clayton Kershaw, Cole Hamels, Los Angeles Dodgers, Manny Ramirez, MLB, Philadelphia Phillies, Raul Ibanez, Sports | No Comments

The Phillies defeated the Dodgers 8-6 in Game 1 of the NLCS to take a 1-0 lead in the best of 7 series – home field advantage right back to Philly.  For the 1st 4 innings, it looked like we were going to have a pitcher’s duel between Cole Hamels and Clayton Kershaw.  Up until that point, the Dodgers led the Phillies 1-0 with the lone run scoring on a solo home run by James Loney in the 2nd inning.

But with the 5th inning came an explosion of offense – - Carlos Ruiz’s 3-run bomb to deep left gave the Phillies a 3-1 lead and Ryan Howard’s 2-run double increased that lead to 5-1.

But the Dodgers answered right back in the bottom of the inning with 3 runs of their own – 1 run on Andre Ethier’s RBI groundout and 2 runs on Manny Ramirez’s 2-run bomb to deep left center. 5-4 Phillies on top.

It looked like the Phillies had put the game away for good in the top of the 8th inning when Raul Ibanez’s 3-run HR gave the Phillies an 8-4 lead.  But the Dodgers answered in the bottom of the inning with 2 runs on a Russell Martin RBI single and a Rafael Furcal sacrifice fly.

Give some props to Brad Lidge for closing out the game in the 9th inning.  We only know about Lidge’s struggles in 2009 – 0-8 record, 7.21 ERA, 31 saves but 11 blown saves.  But after a lead-off single by Matt Kemp, Lidge induced a Casey Blake double play to pick up 2 quick outs.  And even after a James Loney walk, Lidge buckled down and got Ronnie Belliard to pop out to end the game.  Despite shaken confidence during the regular season, Lidge has earned the save in 3 of the 4 Phillies wins in the 2009 post-season, and he has yet to give up a run in 2 1/3 innings pitched.

Hamels notched the win, despite giving up 4 ER on 8 hits and 1 walk in 5 1/3 innings.  Kershaw struggled with his control too much on Thursday night – walking 5 and giving up 5 ER on 4 hits without even making it out of the 5th inning.

The 2 teams won’t have much time to dwell on Game 1, as they square off in Game 2 at 4:07PM EST today on TBS.  Pedro Martinez will take the bump for the Phillies against Vincent Padilla of the Dodgers.  It will mark Martinez’s 1st post-season start since he won a World Series game for the Boston Red Sox back in 2004.  It becomes a must-win for the Dodgers who do not want to go down 2-0 to the Phillies having to face ace Cliff Lee in Game 3 back in Philadelphia on Sunday…

NLCS Starts Tonight – Hamels, Phillies v. Kershaw, Dodgers

Thursday, October 15th, 2009 | Clayton Kershaw, Cole Hamels, Joe Torre, Los Angeles Dodgers, MLB, Philadelphia Phillies, Sports | No Comments

It will be a rematch between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2009 NLCS that begins tonight in Los Angeles.  It is only the 3rd time in almost 20 years that we have seen the same 2 teams in back-to-back NLCS series – the Houston Astros and St. Louis Cardinals played against each other in 2004 and 2005, and the Atlanta Braves and Pittsburgh Pirates did the same back in 1991 and 1992.  MLB Playoff tickets will surely be tough to get a hold of with an epic re-match like this one.

This time, however, the Dodgers have home field advantage and that can go a long way as the Phillies showed in 2008.  After taking the 1st 2 games of the 2008 NLCS in Philadelphia, the Phillies were able to close out the series in just 5 games without having to return home.  The Phillies are looking to become the 1st World Series repeat champions since the New York Yankees won 3 in a row  did so from 1998-200.  The Yankees manager during that phenomenal streak?  You got it – current Dodgers skipper Joe Torre.

Torre has decided to go with 21-year old Clayton Kershaw in Game 1 tonight.  Kershaw will be the 3rd youngest starting pitcher in the MLB post-season history. Kershaw clearly has what it takes – in the Dodgers division-clinching win over the Rockies on the 2nd to last day of the regular season, Kershaw pitched 6 scoreless innings giving up just 3 hits and 3 walks, while striking out 10.  In Game 2 of the NLDS against the Cardinals, Kershaw went pitch-for-pitch with Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright, giving up just 2 ER on 9 hits over 6 2/3 innings.  He kept the Dodgers in the game, one which they eventually won in the bottom of the 9th inning.

The Phillies will counter with Cole Hamels who was instrumental in bringing the World Series rings to Philly last season.  Hamels has not had the type of season to which he is accustomed (10-11, 4.32 ERA, 1.29 WHIP), but he can still be a dominating pitcher.  He suffered the Phillies only loss in the NLDS against the Rockies, giving up 4 ER on 7 hits in just 5 innings of work in Game 2.  Hamels is hoping he can turn it around against the Dodgers in NLCS Game 1 tonight.

Catch it all tonight at 8:07PM EST on TBS.