Ryan Howard
Phillies Reach World Series with 4-1 Series Win over Dodgers in NLCS
Thursday, October 22nd, 2009 | Andre Ethier, Brad Lidge, Charlie Manuel, Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels, Jayson Werth, Los Angeles Dodgers, MLB, Manny Ramirez, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, Ryan Howard, Shane Victorino, Sports | No Comments
For the 2nd straight post-season, it took just 5 games for the Phillies to eliminate the Dodgers from October playoffs in a dominating NLCS victory. Overcoming another poor start from Cole Hamels (4 1/3 innings, 3 ER on 5 hits and 1 walk), the Phillies scored early and often to make it clear that they intended to defend their World Series title all the way to the end.
Jayson Werth led the Phillies offense – Werth’s 2-out, 3-run home run in the 1st inning gave the Phillies a 3-1 lead after Andre Ethier had put the Dodgers on the board 1st with his solo home run. It was a great answer for the Phillies who quickly showed that they would not be denied. Werth added a solo shot in the 7th inning and finished the night with crazy numbers – 3 for 4, 4 RBI’s and 3 runs scored. Not bad, especially against his former team. Shane Victorino also had a solid night in the win – 2 hits, including a 2-run HR in the 6th inning, with 3 RBI’s and 1 run scored.
The only negative was the starting pitching off Hamels. Hamels made it into the 5th inning with a 6-2 lead, but after giving up a solo HR to pinch-hitter Orlando Hudson and a 1-out double to Rafael Furcal, Manager Charlie Manuel did not want to take any chances. Manuel pulled Hamels for J.A. Happ and later Chad Durbin who got the Phillies out of the jam unscathed, still leading 6-3. Manuel was forced to use 5 relievers, but knowing that if they won they would have a week of rest before the World Series started on Wednesday, October 28th, he wasn’t too concerned. Brad Lidge even closed out the 9th inning in perfect fashion with 1 strike out. Manuel should be feeling good about Lidge right now – in 5 playoff appearances this October (4 innings), Lidge has given up just 1 hit and 3 walks and no runs period. He has saved 3 games and won 1 game and looks to have regained that form that makes him one of the more dominating closers in baseball. Assuming the New York Yankees close out their ALCS against the Angels, it will be interesting to see how Lidge handles a World Series save situation in front of thousands of screaming fans in the Bronx – should be fun to watch.
The Phillies major concern should be starting pitching after Cliff Lee. Hamels continues to struggle and who knows how Pedro Martinez or Joe Blanton will fare against a solid Yankees lineup. The Phillies have been there before though, and their lineup is so deep and good, a Phillies-Yankees World Series should be fun to watch…
5-4 Walk-Off Wins in Each League Championship Game on Monday
Tuesday, October 20th, 2009 | Alex Rodriguez, Alfredo Aceves, Andy Pettitte, CC Sabathia, Carlos Ruiz, Casey Blake, Chase Utley, Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels, Derek Jeter, Howie Kendrick, Jeff Mathis, Jimmy Rollins, Joe Girardi, Johnny Damon, Jonathan Braxton, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Los Angeles Dodgers, MLB, Macier Izturis, Matt Stairs, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, Raul Ibanez, Ryan Howard, Sports, Vladimir Geurrero | No Comments
MLB has gotta be loving this – two walk-off wins for the home team; two 5-4 scores; one series just about done and the other heating up. I live for October baseball!
I am most excited about the Angels rallying to beat the Yankees 5-4 in 11 innings on Monday afternoon. The Angels had struggled all game against Andy Pettitte as the Yankees built a 3-0 lead on solo homers from Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and Johnny Damon. Despite blowing some chances early, the Angels hung in there. They cut the Yankees lead to 3-1 on Howie Kendrick’s HR in the 5th inning (that was the 1st home run given up by a Yankees pitcher in the playoffs this year) and then tied it up on Vladimir Guerrero’s 2-run bomb to left in the 6th inning. And after Manager Joe Girardi pulled Pettitte with 1 out in the 7th inning, the Angels immediately capitalized with a triple by Kendrick and a run-scoring sacrifice fly by pinch-hitter Macier Izturis off Yankees reliever Joba Chamberlain. Just like that the Angels had a 4-3 lead and needed only 6 outs to get the series back in their favor. Jorge Posada’s solo home run to center field put a slight damper on the Angels’ celebration, but the Angels gutted it out in the bottom of the 11th inning. Girardi’s “over-managing” could be called into question with his decision to pull David Robertson (who had recorded the 1st 2 outs of the inning) for Alfredo Aceves. Kendrick came through in the clutch with a single to center field and Jeff Mathis ended the game with a walk-off, 2-out RBI double to deep left field that plated Kendrick with the winning-run. Props go to Kendrick for winning the game for the Angels on Monday. On his triple in the 7th inning, Kendrick hustled right out of the box to get all the way to 3rd base with only 1 out. And in the 11th, even though there was 2 out, Kendrick’s speed enabled him to score all the way from 1st on Mathis’ double.
The win breathes new life into the Angels, and Girardi’s decision to go with a 3-man rotation in the ALCS will be in the spotlight tonight as CC Sabathia gets the nod in Game 4 on only 3 days rest. Sabathia pitched well on 3 days rest for the Brewers in 2008 (2-1, 0.83 ERA), but if he has an off-night, look for the critics to hand Girardi out to dry post-game. Scott Kazmir has had a lot of success against the Yankees (6-5 record and 2.66 ERA in 14 career starts), so it should be a great game to watch on Tuesday night.
The NLCS game was also a back and forth game – a 1st inning Ryan Howard home run gave the Phillies an early 2-0 lead. But then the Dodgers answered with 4 runs during the 4th through 6th innings on RBI singles by James Loney, Russell Martin and Casey Blake and a solo home run by Matt Kemp. After a Chase Utley RBI single cut the Dodgers lead to 4-3 in the 6th inning, it looked like the Dodgers would even the series as closer Jonathan Broxton entered the game in the 9th inning. Broxton (who had converted 36 of 42 save chances with a 2.61 ERA and 0.96 WHIP, but struggled on the road with an 5.81 ERA) even got lead-off hitter Raul Ibanez out, but laid an egg by pitching around Matt Stairs (Stairs had homered off of Broxton in the NLCS in 2008) and allowing him to reach on a walk. Broxton made matters worse by plunking Carlos Ruiz to give the Phillies 1st and 2nd with only 2 outs. Broxton got Gregg Dobbs to line out to 3rd base, but Jimmy Rollins crushed a 99-MPh fastball to deep center field that plated both Eric Bruntlett (pinch-runner for Stairs) and Ruiz with the winning runs. Just like that, the Phillies had a walk-off win to take a 3-1 series lead. The Dodgers have a huge obstacle to overcome. They face Cole Hamels on Wednesday in Game 5 and if they are luck enough to win that one, they will have to beat Cliff Lee in Game 6 in Los Angeles just to get to a Game 7. It’s not looking good for the Dodgers…
Enjoy MLB playoffs action tonight!
Cliff Lee, Bats Propel Phillies to Easy 11-0 Laugher over Dodgers
Monday, October 19th, 2009 | Carlos Ruiz, Chase Utley, Cliff Lee, Hiroki Kuroda, Joe Torre, Los Angeles Dodgers, MLB, Philadelphia Phillies, Ryan Howard, Shane Victorino, Sports | No Comments
Ugly – I think that’s the best word to describe it. The Phillies crushed the Dodgers 11-0 on Sunday night to take a 2-1 lead in the 2009 NLCS.
Dodgers Manager Joe Torre didn’t have Hiroki Kuroda available for the NLDS against the Cardinals because of an injury and he made a bold move by adding Kuroda to the NLCS roster against the Phillies. Kuroda had had a solid year – 20 starts, 8 wins, 3.76 ERA and 1.14 WHIP – and had even stymied the Phillies back on June – 2 hits and 3 walks in 6 scoreless innings of a 3-2 Dodgers win in L.A. But Torre calculated wrong big time in this situation. Kuroda barely got out of the 1st inning, and didn’t last much longer in the 2nd inning, as he gave up 6 runs – all earned – on 6 hits, the big one being a 2-run HR by Jayson Werth to cap-off a 4-run 1st inning.
And with Cliff Lee on the mound for the Phillies, the game was pretty much over after Ryan Howard’s triple plated 2 runs ahead of Werth’s HR to give the Phillies a 2-0 lead. Lee was as dominant as ever – 8 innings pitched, 3 hits, no walks and 10 K’s. 114 effective and efficient pitches, and just like that Lee kept his spectacular regular season going with another solid post-season start. In 3 October playoff starts, Lee has given up just 2 ER (4 total) in 24 1/3 innings pitched. Throw in just 14 hits and 3 walks against 20 K’s and you are looking at the hottest playoff pitcher in baseball right now.
The Phillies bats stepped up to the plate as well. After the 4-run 1st inning, the Phillies continued to pund away at Kuroda with 2 more runs in the 2nd inning on a Jimmy Rollins double and a Ryan Howard RBI groundout. The Phillies tacked on 2 more insurance runs in the 5th inning on a Pedro Feliz run-scoring triple and a Carlos Ruiz RBI single. And the Phillies capped off their scoring in the bottom of the 8th inning on Shane Victorino’s 3-run bomb to deep right field. All in all, the Phillies scored 11 runs on 11 hits and 7 walks against 5 Dodgers pitchers. Victorino, Chase Utley and Ruiz each had 2 hits, while Victorino and Howard each had 3 RBI’s.
Game 3 starts tonite at 8:07PM EST on TBs. Randy Wolf will toe the rubber for the Dodgers while Joe Blanton will look to give the Phillies a commanding 3-1 series lead and a chance to close out the series at home in Game 5 on Wednesday night…
