Tagged: Rafael Furcal

2011 National League Divisional Series, Game #1: The Phils offense romp behind their ace, as they rout the Cards, 11-6.

After trailing early, the Phils’ offense roar for eleven runs in support of the team’s ace, Roy Halladay, as they rout the Cards, 11-6.

The Cards took a quick 3-0 lead as, with two men on, and with one man out, Lance Berkman hits the first pitch he saw into the right field seats for a three-run home run, his first home run of the series, knocking in Rafael Furcal, who had started the game off with a single, before stealing second base, and Albert Pujols, who had just walked on four pitches. The Phils got a run back in the fourth as, with two men on, and with two men out, Shane Victorino, after being given an extra life as third baseman David Freese committed a pop foul error, hits an RBI single, knocking in Chase Utley, who had earlier doubled, the Phils’ first hit of the game, after being put down 1-2-3 in the first three innings by Cards’ starter Kyle Lohse, cutting the Cards’ lead down to 3-1, while sending Ryan Howard, who had just been walked, up to second base. The Phils then took the lead in the sixth as, with two men on, and with one man out, Howard hits a three-run bomb to right, his first home run of the series, scoring Jimmy Rollins, who had earlier singled, then moved up to second base on Hunter Pence’s single, and Pence, who had just singled, giving the Phils a 4-3 lead. Two batters later, after Victorino had reached base with his second single of the ballgame, Raul Ibanez hits a two-run bomb of his own, his first home run of the series, knocking in Victorino, giving the Phils a 6-3 lead. The Phils then added to their lead in the seventh as, with the bases loaded, via singles by Roy Halladay, Rollins, his second of the game, sending Halladay up to second base, and Utley, his second hit of the ballgame, moving both Halladay and Rollins up a base, and with one man out, as Pence hits into a force out, 1-2, as Halladay is thrown out at the plate, while Rollins and Utley both moved up a base, Howard hits a sacrifice fly, which had sounded like it would leave the ballpark, scoring Rollins, giving the Phils a 7-3 lead. The Phils then made it an 8-3 lead as Victorino hits an RBI single, his third hit of the ballgame, scoring Utley, while sending Pence up to second base. The Phils then took a 9-3 lead as Ibanez hits an RBI single, his second hit of the game, knocking in Pence, while sending Victorino on to third base. The Phils then made it an 11-3 lead in the eighth as, with two men on, and with two men out, Pence hits a two-run single, his second hit of the game, knocking in Rollins, who had earlier walked, then went to third on Utley’s double, and Utley, who had just doubled, his second double of the ballgame, and his third hit. The Phils in the ninth then gave the ball to Michael Stutes, his first post-season appearance, after Halladay had put down twenty-one straight Cards, after giving up a lead-off single in the second to Skip Schumaker, starting with a fantastic play by Howard on a grounder hit to him by Jon Jay for a 1-3 put out, to close out the game. But it wasn’t to be as, four batters latter, with runners on the corners, thanks to a walk to Allen Craig, a single by Pujols, as he moved Craig up to second base, before he is then replaced by pinch runner Gerald Laird, and then a force out on a grounder hit by Berkman, 4-6, as Laird is wiped out at second base, as Craig reached third, and with two men out, the Cards made it an 11-4 Phils’ lead as pinch hitter Adron Chambers hits an RBI single, knocking in Craig, while sending Berkman up to second base. After the Cards had loaded up the bases on a single by Yadier Molina, moving up a base both Berkman and Chambers, and still with one man out, Phils manager Charlie Manuel decided to replace Stutes with his closer Ryan Madson. Schumaker greets Madson with a two-run double, on a ball that glances off of John Mayberry, Jr’s glove in left, then went all the way to the fence, knocking in both Berkman and Chambers, cutting the Phils’ lead down to 11-6, while sending Molina on to third. But that would be it as Madson buckled down and proceeded to strike out, swinging, both Jay and pinch hitter Matt Holliday, for the final outs.

Roy Halladay (1-0, 3.38) gets the win as he pitched eight innings, giving up three runs on three hits and a walk, while striking out eight. Michael Stutes pitched a third of an inning, giving up three runs on three hits and a walk. Ryan Madson pitched two-thirds of an inning, giving up a hit, while striking out two. Kyle Lohse (0-1, 8.44) took the lost as he went five and one-third innings, giving up six runs, five of which were earned, on seven hits and a walk, while striking out four. Octavio Dotel pitched two-thirds of an inning, striking out both men that he would face. Marc Rzepczynski pitched to three batters, getting out none, as he gave up three runs on three hits. Mitchell Boggs pitched an inning and two-thirds, giving up two runs on four hits and a walk, while striking out a batter. Arthur Rhodes pitched a third of an inning, getting out the only man that he would face.

The Phils’ offense, after a slow start, pounded out fourteen hits, with Shane Victorino (Singles, 2 RBIs) and Chase Utley (Single, 2 Doubles) both leading the team with three hits each. Jimmy Rollins (Singles), Hunter Pence (Singles, 2 RBIs), and Raul Ibanez (Home Run, Single, 3 RBIs) all followed with two hits apiece. Ryan Howard (Home Run,  4 RBIs) and Roy Halladay (Single), had the other two Phils’ hits, as Howard had his first post-season RBIs since 2009.

The Phils (1-0) will continue their divisional series with the Cards (0-1) with a night game tonight. The game will be played at Citizens Bank Park and is to begin at 8:37 pm EDT. The Phils will send to the mound Cliff Lee (17-8, 2.40), who will be out to lead the Phils to a sweep at home. The Cards will counter with Chris Carpenter (11-9, 3.45), who will be pitching on three days rest, trying to send the Cards back to St. Louis with a split. The Phils will be going out to put themselves in the driver seat, planning to beat up on Carpenter, when the series heads for St. Louis.

33 games in 31 days: Game #23: The Phils’ offense rally too late as they lose to the Cardinals, 4-3.

The Phils’ rally in the ninth comes up a run short as they lose to the Cardinals, 4-3.

The Cardinals took the lead in the first as, with a runner on third, and with nobody out, Nick Punto hits an RBI ground out, 3-unassisted, knocking in Rufael Furcal, who had started the game off with a double, then went to third on Carlos Ruiz’s passed ball, giving the Cardinals a 1-0 lead. Two batters later, the Cardinals, now with two men out, took a 2-0 lead as Lance Berkman hits a solo home run, his thirty-first home run of the year. The Phils got a run back in the second as, with two men on, and with two men out, Ruiz hits an RBI single, scoring Placido Polanco, who had earlier singled, then was safe at second on a force attempt fielding error on a Ross Gload grounder committed by second baseman Punto, cutting the Cards’ lead down to 2-1, while sending Gload, who was safe at first on the error, up to second base. The Cards got the run back in the third as, with runners on the corners, and with two men out, Berkman hits an RBI single, scoring Kyle Lohse, who had earlier doubled, then went to third on Furcal’s sacrifice bunt, 5-4, giving the Cards a 3-1 lead, while sending Punto, who had just walked, on to second base. The Cards then added to their lead in the seventh as, with one man on, and with two men out, Albert Pujols hits an RBI double, scoring Punto, who had just walked, giving the Cards a 4-1 lead. The Phils tried to come back in the ninth as, with a runner on second, and with one man out, Jimmy Rollins hits an RBI triple, scoring Ruiz, who had earlier doubled, making it a 4-2 Cards’ lead. Shane Victorino then knocked Rollins in with an RBI ground out, 6-3, making it a 4-3 Cardinals’ lead. But that would end up being the final score as Octavio Dotel recorded his third save of the year by getting Hunter Pence to ground out, 5-3, for the final out.

Roy Halladay (18-6, 2.41) took the lost as he went eight innings, giving up four runs on six hits and four walks, while striking out six. David Herndon pitched a scoreless inning, as he gave up a hit, while striking out two. Kyle Lohse (14-8, 3.47) got the win as he pitched seven and a third innings, giving up an unearned run on seven hits and a walk, while he struck out five. Marc Rzepczynski recorded his eighteenth hold of the year as he pitched two-thirds of an inning, giving up a walk, while striking out a batter. Jason Motte also recorded his eighteenth hold of the season as he pitched two-thirds of an inning, giving up two runs on two hits, while striking out a batter. Arthur Rhodes pitched to one batter, giving up a hit. Octavio Dotel recorded his third save of the season as he pitched a third of an inning, getting out the only man that he would face.

The Phils had ten hits in the ballgame, with Hunter Pence (Singles), Ross Gload (Single, Double) and Carlos Ruiz (Single, Double, RBI) all leading the team with two hits each. Jimmy Rollins (Triple, RBI), Shane Victorino (Single, RBI), Chase Utley (Single), and Placido Polanco (Single), had the other four Phils’ hits.

The Phils (98-54, 1st) begin their final home stand of the regular season with the first of two games with the Nationals (72-79, 4th), that’s already in progress.

33 games in 31 days: Game #21: The Phils offense exploded late on their way to clinching their fifth straight NL Eastern Division pennant, as they crush the Cardinals, 9-2.

A late offensive surge, including a grand-slam home run by Raul Ibanez, leads the Phils to their fifth straight NL Eastern Division crown, as they crush the Cardinals, 9-2.

The Phils took the lead in the first as, with two men on, and with two men, Hunter Pence hits an RBI double, knocking in Jimmy Rollins, who had started the inning off with a single, then moved up to second base on Shane Victorino’s ground out, 4-3, giving the Phils a 1-0 lead, while sending Ryan Howard, who had just walked, on to third base.  The Phils then took a 2-0 lead in the fourth as, with the bases loaded, via a walk by Placido Polanco, who then reached second base on a force attempt missed catch error by shortstop Rafael Furcal on a Roy Oswalt grounder to pitcher Jake Westbrook, with Oswalt reaching first, and a single by Rollins, sending Polanco to third base, and Oswalt to second base, and with one man out, Victorino forced in a run with a walk, scoring Polanco, giving the Phils a 2-0 lead, while sending both runners up a base. The Phils added to their lead in the sixth as, with one man out, Victorino hits a solo home run, his seventeenth home run of the season, giving the Phils a 3-0 lead. The Cardinals got a run back in the eighth as, with two men on, and with two men out, Lance Berkman hits an RBI single, knocking in Jon Jay, who had earlier singled, then moved up to second base on Albert Pujols’ single, cutting the Phils’ lead down to 3-1, while Pujols, who had earlier singled, would stop at second base. The Cards then cut the Phils’ lead down to 3-2 as David Freese hits an RBI single, scoring Pujols, while sending Berkman up to second base. The Phils got a run back in their half of the eighth as, with runners on the corners, and with one man out, Victorino hits an RBI single, scoring Carlos Ruiz, who had earlier reached base on third baseman Daniel Descalsco’s fielding error, ending up on second base, then went to third on Rollins’ single, giving the Phils a 4-2 lead, which Rollins, who had just singled, would stop at second base. Three batters later, after Chase Utley had been hit by a pitch, loading up the bases, as both Rollins and Victorino moved up a base, and Howard had struck out, and now with two men out, Pence hits an RBI infield single, beating shortstop Furcal’s throw to first base, as Rollins scored, giving the Phils a 5-2 lead, while both runners would move up a base, leaving the bases still loaded. The Phils then busted the game wide open as Raul Ibanez hits a grand-slam home run, his nineteenth home run of the year, knocking in Victorino, Utley and Pence, giving the Phils a 9-2 lead. That would be the final score, as Ryan Madson pitched a scoreless ninth as he got Furcal to hit into a ground out, 4-3, for the final out, leading to the Phils clinching their fifth straight National League Eastern Division title.

Roy Oswalt (8-9, 3.66) got the win as he pitched seven shutout innings, giving up five hits while striking out seven. Michael Stutes collected his twelfth hold of the year as he pitched two-thirds of an inning, as he gave up two runs on four hits. Brad Lidge received his seventh hold of the year as he pitched a third of an inning, getting out the only man that he would face. Ryan Madson pitched a scoreless inning, giving up a hit. Jake Westbrook (12-9, 4.58) took the lost as he went three and one-third innings, giving up two runs, only one of which was earned, on five hits and five walks, as he struck out one. Arthur Rhodes pitched two-thirds of an inning, getting out both men that he would face. Mitchell Boggs pitched a scoreless inning, walking two batters. Kyle McClellan pitched an inning, giving up a run on a hit, as he struck out one. Fernando Salas pitched an inning plus one batter, giving up an unearned run, as he struck out a batter.  Marc Rzepczynski pitched two-thirds of an inning, giving up three runs on two hits, as he struck out one.  Octavio Dotel pitched a third of an inning, giving up two runs on two hits.

The Phils’ had ten hits in the game, with Jimmy Rollins leading the team with four hits, all singles. Shane Victorino (Single, Home Run, 3 RBIs) and Hunter Pence (Single, Double, 2 RBIs) then followed with two hits each. Raul Ibanez (Home Run, 4 RBIs) and Placido Polanco (Single) had the other two Phils’ hits.

The Phils (98-52, 1st East) will continue their series with the Cardinals (82-69, 2nd Central) with a night game later today. The game will be played at Citizens Bank Park, and will begin at 8:05 pm EDT. The Phils will send to the mound Cole Hamels (14-8, 2.71), who is coming off a lost against the Astros on September 13, as he went five innings, giving up four runs on nine hits and a walk, while striking out six, in the Phils’ 5-2 lost. He will be going out to help lower the magic number for home field advantage during the playoffs. The Cardinals will counter with Chris Carpenter (9-9, 3.80), who is coming off a no-decision against the Pirates on September 13, as he went seven innings, giving up four runs on ten hits and a walk, while striking out six, in the Cards’ 6-4 win. He will be trying to help his club stay in the wild card race. The Phils will now be going out to clinch home field advantage throughout the playoffs.

33 games in 31 days: Game #20: The Phils missed an opportunity to clinch the NL East, as they fall in extra-innings to the Cardinals, 4-2.

As the Braves get crushed by the Mets, the Phils missed a chance to clinch their fifth straight Eastern Division title as they fall in extra-innings to the Cardinals, 4-2.

The Cardinals took the lead in the second as, with the bases loaded, via a walk to David Freese, a single by Yadier Molina, sending Freese up to second base, and a walk to Skip Schumaker, moving both runners up a base, and with two men out, Rafael Furcal forced in a run with a walk, scoring Freese, giving the Cards a 1-0 lead, while moving up a base both Molina and Schumaker. The Phils tied the game up at one-all in their half of the second as, with one man on, and with one man out, John Mayberry, Jr. hits an RBI double, knocking in Placido Polanco, who had just doubled. The Cardinals retook the lead in the eighth as, with two men out, Molina hits a solo home run, his thirteenth home run of the season, giving the Cards a 2-1 lead. The Phils would retie the game up at two-all in the ninth as, with two men on, and with two men out, pinch runner Michael Martinez, who was running for pinch hitter Ryan Howard, who had earlier doubled, would score on a Corey Patterson fielding error of a fly ball hit by Carlos Ruiz, allowing Ruiz to reach second base on the miscue. The Cards then regain the lead in the eleventh as, with runners on the corners, and with one man out, Adron Chambers hits an RBI single, scoring Furcal, who had earlier doubled, then went to third on Patterson’s sacrifice bunt, giving the Cards a 3-2 lead, while sending Albert Pujols, who had just been intentionally walked, up to second base. The Cards then added to their lead as Tyler Greene hits an RBI double, knocking in Pujols, giving the Cards a 4-2 lead, before Chambers, who was following Pujols, was tagged out at the plate on a strong throw by Martinez, via Jimmy Rollins, for a 7-6-2 second out. But that would end up being the final score as the Phils go down in their half of the eleventh.

Vance Worley received a no-decision as he went only six innings, giving up a run on six hits and three walks, while striking out five. David Herndon pitched a scoreless inning, giving up a hit and two walks, while striking out one. Antonio Bastardo pitched an inning, giving up a run on one hit, while striking out one. Brad Lidge pitched a scoreless inning, giving up two hits. Ryan Madson pitched a scoreless inning, giving up a hit, while striking out a batter. Michael Schwimer (1-1, 4.82) took the lost, giving up two runs on three hits and two walks. Jaime Garcia also received a no-decision as he went seven innings, giving up a run on five hits and two walks, while striking out four. Marc Rzepczynski collected his seventeenth hold of the season as he pitched two-thirds of an inning, giving up a walk, while striking out a batter. Octavio Dotel received his ninth hold of the year as he pitched a third of an inning, striking out the only batter that he would face. Jason Motte blew his fourth save attempt of the year as he pitched two-thirds of an inning, giving up a run on a hit, striking out a batter. Arthur Rhodes pitched a third of an inning, striking out the only batter that he would face. Kyle McClellan (12-8, 4.01) got the win as he pitched a 1-2-3 inning. Fernando Salas collected his twenty-fourth save of the year as he pitched a scoreless inning, giving up a hit, while striking out a batter.

The Phils had seven hits in the ballgame, with Placido Polanco (Single, Double) and John Mayberry, Jr. (Single, Double, RBI) both leading the team with two hits each. Ben Francisco (Single), Brian Schneider (Single) and pinch hitter Ryan Howard (Double), had the other three Phils’ hits, as the offense continue to sputter, in spite of continuing to win.

The Phils (97-52, 1st East) will continue their series with the Cardinals (82-68, 2nd Central) with a night game tonight. The game will be played at Citizens Bank Park and will start at 7:05 pm EDT. The Phils will send to the mound Roy Oswalt (7-9, 3.88), who is coming off a lost against the Astros on September 12, as he went seven innings, giving up five runs on eleven hits and two walks, while striking out just two, in the Phils’ 5-1 lost. Oswalt will be trying to regain his old form while trying to pitch the Phils over the finish line, if the Braves don’t fall to the Mets this afternoon. The Cardinals will counter with Jake Westbrook (12-8, 4.61), who is coming off a win against the Braves on September 11, as he went five and a third innings, giving up two runs on five hits and a walk, while striking out four, in the Cards’ 6-3 win. He will be trying to keep the Phils from winning the East for one more day, while keeping his team in the race for the Wild Card. The Phils will be out prove to that they have won the East by going for the win tonight.

Repeat!!!! The Phils’ bats buried the Dodgers as the Phils win game five of the NLCS, 10-4, to return to the World Series to defend their championship.

Four home runs, with two of them by Jayson Werth, help rocket the Phils past the Dodgers, 10-4, to win the 2009 National League Championship Series, 4 games to 1, to become the first National League squad, since the 1995-96 Atlanta Braves, to win back-to-back National League pennants. The Phillies will now try to become the first NL team, since the Big Red Machine of Cincinnati, to win back-to-back World Series (1975-76).

The Dodgers took the early lead in the first as, with two men out, Andre Ethier hits a solo home run, his first home run iof the series, to give the Dodgers a 1-0 lead. The Phils then struck back in their half of the first as, with two men on base, and with two men out, Jayson Werth hits a three-run bomb into the right field seats, his second home run of the series, knocking in Chase Utley and Ryan Howard, who had both been walked, to give the Phils a 3-1 lead. The Dodgers got a run back in the second as James Loney hits a lead-off home run, his second home run of the series, cutting the Phils’ lead to 3-2. The Phillies would get that run back in their half of the second as Pedro Feliz hits the first pitch into right field for a solo home run of his own, his first of both the series and of the post-season, to give the Phils a 4-2 lead. The Phillies then increased their lead in the fourth as, with one man on, and with nobody out, Raul Ibanez hits an RBI double, knocking in Werth, who had just singled, giving the Phils a 5-2 lead. Five batters later, with the bases loaded, thanks to a Carlos Ruiz walk, then Phils’ starter Cole Hamels moving both Ibanez and Ruiz up a base with a sacrifice bunt, and Jimmy Rollins then being hit by the pitch, and with two men out, Shane Victorino brought in another run as he in turn was hit by the pitch, forcing in Ibanez, making it a 6-2 Phils’ lead, as both Ruiz and Rollins moved up a base. The Dodgers got a run back in the fifth as, with one man out, pinch hitter Orlando Hudson hits a pinch hit solo home run, his first of the series, cutting the Phils’ lead down to 6-3. The Phils then added to their lead in the sixth as, with a runner on base, and with two men out, Victorino hits a two-run shot into left field, his second home run of the series, knocking in Rollins, who had earlier been hit by the pitch for the second straight time, to make it an 8-3 Phils’ lead. The Phils increased their lead in the seventh as, with one man out, Werth hits a solo home run, his second home run of the game, his third home run of the series and his fifth of the post-season, to give the Phils a 9-3 lead. The Dodgers then made one last attempt in the eighth as, with the bases loaded, via singles to Ronnie Belliard and Ethier, who sent Belliard to third with his single, and a walk to Manny Ramirez, and with nobody out, Matt Kemp hits an RBI single, scoring Belliard, and moving both Either and Ramirez up a base, making it a 9-4 Phils’ lead, with the bases still loaded. But the Phils then got out of the inning, as Ryan Madson then got Loney to foul out to the third baseman, then struck out Russell Martin, swinging, then got Casey Blake to hit into a force out, 6-4, wiping out Kemp at second. The Phils then got that run back in their half of the eighth as, with runners on second and third, thanks to a single by Rollins and a ground-rule double, thanks to Fan Interference, by Victorino, and with two men out, with Utley batting, Rollins would score on a wild pitch by Dodgers’ reliever Ronald Belisario, giving the Phils a 10-4 lead, while sending Victorino over to third. The Phils then send out Brad Lidge to end the game. He first struck out pinch hitter Mark Loretta swinging for the first out. He then got Rafael Furcal to foul out to the catcher for the second out. He then got Belliard to fly out to center to end the game, and give the Phils their second straight NL pennant, and the seventh NL pennant in the francishe’s long history.

Cole Hamels received a no-decision as he lasted only four and a third innings, giving up three runs on five hits and a walk, while striking out three. J.A. Happ pitched a third of an inning, giving up a walk. Chad Durbin got the win as he pitched one and a third scoreless innings, as he struck out a batter. His series record is now 1-0 with an 0.00 ERA. Chan Ho Park pitched an inning plus two batters, giving up a run on two hits, as he struck out a batter. Ryan Madson pitched an inning, giving up a hit. Brad Lidge pitched a 1-2-3 ninth. Vicente Padilla took the lost as he lasted four innings plus two batters, giving up six runs on four hits and two walks, as he struck out three. His series record is now 0-1 with a 6.10 ERA. Ramon Troncoso pitched two-thirds of an inning, walking a batter and hitting a batter. George Sherrill pitched a third of an inning, giving up a run, as he hit a batter, as he struck out one. Clayton Kershaw pitched two innings, giving up two runs on a hit, a walk and a hit batter, while he struck out three. Hong-Chih Kuo pitched an inning, giving up a run on one hit, as he struck out three batters. Ronald Belisario pitched an inning, giving up a run on two hits and a wild pitch.

The Phils had eight hits in the game, with Jayson Werth leading the team with three hits, including two home runs, as he knocked in four runs. Shane Victorino followed with two hits, a two-run double and a ground-rule double, knocking in three runs. Jimmy Rollins, Raul Ibanez and Pedro Feliz followed with one hit each, with Ibanez’s hit being an RBI double and Feliz’s hit being a solo home run. The Phils had six extra-base hits in the game, two doubles and four home runs, as the offense, once again, got the hits when they needed them.

The Phillies (4-1) now wait to find out who their American League opponent will be in the 2009 World Series, as the 2009 ALCS between the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim continues tonight in Anaheim.

A pair of three-run bombs help propel the Phils past the Dodgers, 8-6, to take a 1-0 lead in the 2009 NLCS.

Two three-run home runs by Carlos Ruiz and Raul Ibanez and a two-run double by Ryan Howard help lead the Phils to an 8-6 victory in the first game of the 2009 National League Championship Series. The Phils lead the seven-games series with the Dodgers, 1-0.

The Dodgers struck first in the bottom of the second as James Loney hits a solo home run, his first in the series, over the right field fence to give the Dodgers a 1-0 lead. The game then developed into a pitchers’ duel for the first four innings between Phils’ starter Cole Hamels and Dodgers’ starter Clayton Kershaw. During those four innings, Kershaw had the Phils’ bats quieted, giving up only one hit and two walks, while striking out two batters. Meanwhile, Hamels, besides Loney’s home run, gave up three hits and a walk, pitching himself out of a two on, two out jam in the first inning, while striking out three Dodgers. The Phils then struck in the fifth as, with two men on, via a single to Raul Ibanez, who then moved up to second on a wild pitch, and then a walk to Pedro Feliz, and with nobody out, Carlos Ruiz hits a three-run shot to left, his first home run of the series, scoring both Ibanez and Feliz, giving the Phils a 3-1 lead. Five batters later, with two men on, and with two men out, Ryan Howard hits a two-run double, scoring Jimmy Rollins, who got on base on a force out, wiping out Hamels at second, who had earlier walked, then moved up to second on a wild pitch as Shane Victorino struck out, swinging, and then moved to third on the third wild pitch in the inning, and Chase Utley, who had just walked, to give the Phils a 5-1 lead. The Dodgers then came back in their half of the inning as, with runners on the corners, and with one out, Andre Ethier hits into a force out, 6-4, knocking in Russell Martin, who had earlier hit a ground-rule double, and then went to third on Rafael Furcal’s single, making it a 5-2 Phils’ lead, as Furcal, who had just singled, was forced out at second base, before Ethier would move up to second as Utley’s throw to first went into the Phils’ dugout. The next batter, Manny Ramirez, then made it a 5-4 Phils’ lead, as he hits a two-run home run into left center field, his first home run of the series, scoring Ethier. The Dodgers would threathen to score in the sixth, as they loaded up the bases on singles by Loney and Ronnie Belliard and a walk to pinch hitter Jim Thome, who was then pinch run for by Randy Wolf, with two men out. But, J.A. Happ, who was pitching in relief of Chad Durbin, who had earlier come in in relief of Hamels, ended the inning by getting Furcal to ground out, 4-3. The Dodgers then threathen again in the seventh as Ethier lead off the inning with a double. But, Chan Ho Park, pitching in relief of Antonio Bastardo, turned back the Dodgers by getting Ramirez to ground out, 5-3, then struck out Matt Kemp, swinging, before ending the inning by getting Casey Blake to also ground out, 4-3. The Phils then increased their lead in the eighth as, with two men on, and with nobody out, Ibanez hits a three-run bomb to right, knocking in Howard and Jayson Werth, who had both walked, giving the Phils an 8-4 lead. The Dodgers then tried to come back in their half of the eighth as, with two men on, and with nobody out, Martin hits an RBI single, knocking in Loney, who had earlier singled, and then moved up to second on Belliard’s single, cutting the Phils’ lead to 8-5, while sending Belliard, who had just singled, over to second. Two batters later, after pinch hitter Juan Pierre hits into a force out, 1-4, as a low throw to second from reliever Ryan Madson killed a possible double play attempt, wiping out Martin at second, while Belliard moved up to third, Furcal hits a sacrifice fly for the inning’s second out, knocking in Belliard, to make it an 8-6 Phils’ lead. Madson would then get out of the inning by getting Ramirez to ground out 5-3, with runners on first and third. Brad Lidge was then given the ball in the ninth to save it. Lidge was greeted with a lead-off single by Kemp. But, he then got Blake to hit into a 4-6-3 double play, wiping out Kemp at second base, for outs number one and two. Loney then worked a walk, after falling behind 0-2, to keep the game alive. After Loney took second on defensive indifference, Lidge finally recorded the save, his first for the series, by getting Belliard to pop up to Rollins for the final out.

Cole Hamels got the win, as he pitched five and one-third innings, giving up four runs on eight hits and a walk, while striking out four. His record in the series is now 1-0 with a 6.75 ERA. Chad Durbin picked up his first hold of the series as he pitched a third of an inning, getting out the only man that he would face. J.A. Happ also picked up his first series hold as he pitched a third of an inning, giving up a walk. Antonio Bastardo pitched to one batter, giving up a hit. Chan Ho Park got his first hold as he pitched a scoreless inning, as he struck out a batter. Ryan Madson pitched an inning, as he gave up two runs on four hits. Brad Lidge got the save, his first in the series, as he pitched a scoreless inning, giving up a hit and a walk. Clayton Kershaw took the lost as he went just four and two-thirds innings, giving up five runs on four hits, five walks and three wild pitches, while he struck out three. His series record is now 0-1 with a 9.64 ERA. Ramon Troncoso pitched a third of an inning, getting out the only batter he would face. Ronald Belisario and Hong-Chih Kuo combined for two scoreless innings, giving up just one hit (Kuo), while striking out two (Kuo). George Sherrill pitched an inning, giving up three runs on two hits and two walks. Jonathan Broxton pitched a scoreless inning, giving up a hit, while he struck out a batter.

The Phils had only eight hits in the game, making the most of them, along with the seven walks that they received. Shane Victorino, Raul Ibanez and Carlos Ruiz led the team with two hits apiece, with both Ibanez and Ruiz each hitting a three-run home run. Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard had the other two Phils’ hits, with Howard’s hit being a two-run double. The Phils did very well with runners in scoring position as they went 3 for 5.

The Phils (1-0) continues their NL Championship Series with the Dodgers (0-1) with an afternoon game at Dodgers Stadium. The game will start at 4:07 pm Eastern (1:07 pm Pacific). The Phils will send to the mound Pedro Martinez (5-1, 3.63), who last pitched on September 30 against the Astros, as he went only four innings, giving up three runs on six hits and a walk, while striking out two as he received a no-decision in the Phils’ 10-3 win, as they clinched the NL East pennant. This will be his first start of the 2009 post-season, as he hope to give the Phils a chance to take a 2-0 lead back to Philadelphia. The Dodgers will counter with Vicente Padilla (12-6 (4-0), 4.46 (3.20)), who is coming off a win against the Rockies on October 4, as he pitched five innings, giving up just a run on four hits, as he struck out ten, in the Dodgers’ 5-3 win. He will be trying to even up the series before the two teams head for Philadelphia. The Phillies hope to continue their road success before they head back home to continue the series with home field advantage.

Phils waste a good performance by their ace as they lose to the Dodgers in extra-innings, 5-3.

The Phillies waste a good performance from the ace, Cole Hamels, as the bullpen is unable to keep the Dodgers down as the Phils lose in extra-innings, 5-3.

The Phils took a quick 1-0 lead in the first, as, with runners on the corners, and one man out, Ryan Howard hits a sacrifice fly, scoring Jimmy Rollins, who had earlier doubled, and had gone to third on Shane Victorino’s sacrifice bunt. The Dodgers then tied it up at one-all in the third, as, with a runner on second, and two men out, Casey Blake, who had earlier hit a ground-rule double, would score on Rollins’ fielding error of a Rafael Furcal grounder. The game then developed into a pitchers’ duel between Phillies’ starter Cole Hamels and Dodgers’ starter Chad Billingsley. The Dodgers then took the lead in the seventh as James Loney hits a lead-off home run, his second home run of the season, to make it a 2-1 Dodgers’ lead. The Dodgers added an insurance run in the ninth, as, with a runner on third, and one man out, Blake hits a sacrifice fly, scoring Matt Kemp, who had earlier tripled on a play in which Raul Ibanez tried to catch the ball by slding under it, instead of letting it drop in for a single, making it 3-1 Dodgers. The Phils tied it up at three-all in their half of the ninth, as, with two men on, and two outs, Carlos Ruiz hits a two-run double, scoring Ibanez, who had earlier singled, and had gone to second on defensive indifference, and pinch hitter Greg Dobbs, who had just walked. The Dodgers would regain the lead in the tenth, as, with a man on, and two outs, Russell Martin hits an RBI double, scoring Andre Ethier, who had earlier walked, giving the Dodgers a 4-3 lead. Two batters later, with two men on base, after an intentional walk to Loney, Kemp hits an RBI double, scoring Martin, while sending Loney to third, for a 5-3 lead. That would be the final score as the Phils would be unable to rally in the tenth.

Coel Hamels pitched a no-decision, as he pitched seven good innings, giving up two runs, only one of which was earned, on seven hits and a walk, while he struck out nine. Ryan Madson pitched a scorless inning, giving up only two hits. Brad Lidge also pitched an inning, giving up a run on two hits. Chad Durbin took the lost, as he pitched an inning, giving up two runs on two hits and two walks, while striking out two. His record is now 1-1 with a 4.19 ERA. Chad Billingsley also received a no-decision, as he pitched seven good inning, giving up just one run on three hits and four walks, while he struck out nine. Cory Wade received his four hold as he pitched a scoreless inning, giving up no runs or hits. Jonathan Broxton had his second blown save of the season before collecting the win, as he pitched an inning, giving up two runs on two hits and a walk, as he struck out the side. His record is now 4-0 with a 1.59 ERA. Ramon Troncoso recorded his second save as he pitched a scoreless ninth, hitting one batter, while striking out one.

The Phillies’ offense collected only five hits in the game, with Raul Ibanez having two hits and Carlos Ruiz also having two, with one of them being a double. Jimmy Rollins had the other Phil hit, a double. Ruiz knocked in two Phils runs, while Ryan Howard knocked in the other run with a sacrifice fly. The Phils’ bats are presently still in the middle of a team slump.

The Phillies (16-16, T-2nd) will be involved in a four-game series with the Nationals (11-21, 5th) in Washington, D.C. The first game of the series will be played tonight at Nationals Park and will begin at 7:05 pm Eastern. The Phils starter will be Joe Blanton (1-3, 6.82) , who is coming off a so-so start against the Braves on May 9, where he went eight innings, giving up six runs on eight hits and a walk, while striking out five, in the Phillies’ 6-2 lost. Blanton will be trying for his second win, while hoping to improve on his last start. The Nats will counter with John Lannan (2-3, 3.89), who is coming off a win against the D-backs on May 9, where he pitched six shut out innings, giving up only three hits, while walking six and striking out two, in the Nationals’ 2-1 win. He will be trying to even his record. The Phillies will be trying to see if they can get out of their present slump at Washington’s expense. 

Moyer is once again denied his 250th career victory as the Phils lose to the Dodgers, 9-2.

For his third straight start, Jamie Moyer is denied his 250th career win, as he is once again knocked out of the box in spite of a good start as the Phils are beaten by the Dodgers, 9-2.

The Phils took a quick 1-0 lead in the second as Jimmy Rollins hits a lead-off solo home run, his second home run of the season. The Dodgers tied the game up at one-all in the fourth, as, with a runner on second, and nobody out, Orlando Hudson hits an RBI double, knocking in Rafael Furcal, who had earlier doubled. Three batters later, the Dodgers would take the lead, as, with one out, and runners on the corners, James Loney hits a three-run home run, his first home run of the season, scoring Hudson, who had gone to third on Andre Ethier’s ground out to first, 3-unassisted, and Russell Martin, who had just walked, giving the Dodgers a 4-1 lead. The Dodgers would make it 5-1, as, with two men on, and still one out, Matt Kemp, who had earlier singled and had gone to second on Casey Blake’s single, would score all the way from second on Dodgers’ starter Randy Wolf’s sacrifice bunt, while Blake, who had earlier singled, would move on to second base. The Dodgers would add to their lead in the fifth, as, with runners on the corners, and one out, Loney hits an RBI single, knocking in Hudson, who had earlier doubled and had gone to third on Martin’s single, giving the Dodgers a 6-1 lead, while sending Martin to second base. After Kemp had walked to load the bases, Blake made it a 7-1 Dodgers lead by hitting a sacrifice fly, scoring Martin, while sending Loney to third base. The Dodgers would increase their lead to 9-1 in the top of the ninth, as, with a runner on base, and two outs, Kemp hits a two-run home run, his seventh home run of the year, as he knocked in Kemp, who had earlier singled. The Phils got a run back in their half of the ninth, as Raul Ibanez hits a lead-off solo home run, his tenth home run of the year, making it a 9-2 Dodgers lead. But that would be the game, as Dodgers’ manager Joe Torrie would then send out two relievers to stop any possible Phillies rally.

Jamie Moyer took the lost, once again denied his 250th career win, as he would only go four and a third innings, giving up seven runs on eight hits and a walk, while striking out one. His record is now 3-3 with a rather high ERA of 8.15. J.A. Happ pitched two-thirds of an inning in relief, giving up no runs on one hit and a walk. Jack Taschner pitched two scoreless innings, giving up just two hits and two walks, while striking out one. Clay Condrey also pitched two innings, giving up two runs on three hits, while striking out two. Randy Wolf got the win as he pitched six strong innings, giving up only a run on three hits and three walks, while striking out eight. His record is now 2-1 with a 2.77 ERA. Ramon Troncoso pitched an inning and a third of relief, giving up no runs on one hit and a walk. Will Ohman pitched two thirds of an inning, plus one batter, giving up one run on one hit. James McDonald pitched a third of an inning, giving up a walk. Brent Leach pitched two-thirds of an inning, giving up no runs or hits, while striking out a batter.

The Phillies only got five hits in the game, with Carlos Ruiz leading the team with two hits, both doubles. Jimmy Rollins, Raul Ibanez and Jayson Werth got the other three Phillies’ hits, with Rollins and Ibanez’s hits being solo home runs, accounting for the Phils only runs. The Phillies’ bats have been a bit sluggish during the last several days, while most of their starters have been getting better.

The Phillies (16-15, 2nd) are presently playing the final game of their home stand with the Dodgers (23-12, 1st National League West). The Phillies’ starter is their ace Cole Hamels (1-2, 6.17), who is coming off his win against the Braves on May 8, where he went six innings, giving up only two runs on three hits and two walks, while he struck out seven, in the Phils’ 10-6 win. He is trying to even his record, while going out to produce his second straight quality start without a freak injury. The Dodgers will counter with Chad Billingsley (5-1, 2.45), who is coming off a lost against the Giants on May 8, where he went seven inning, giving up three runs on eight hits and four walks, while striking out five, in the Dodgers’ 3-1 lost. He will be trying for his sixth win of the season. The Phils will be trying to win the series with the Dodgers so that they can leave Citizens Bank Park with a split in their six-games home stand, before they go off to Washington, D.C. for four games with the Nationals.

National League Championship Series: Game 5: The Phillies Win the Pennant!!! The Phillies Win the Pennant!!!

Behind the five hit pitching of the National League Championship Series MVP Cole Hamels, the Phillies have defeated the Dodgers, 5-1, to win the NLCS four games to one. The Phillies are now in the World Series for the sixth time in the organization’s 126 years history and are now looking for their second World Series crown. The Phillies would strick first in the first inning as Jimmy Rollins would smack Chad Billingsley’s 3-2 fastball into the right center field seats for a lead-off home run, giving the Phillies a quick 1-0 lead. The Dodgers would threaten to tie the game in the second as they would put two men on base, via singles to James Loney and Matt Kemp, with only one out. But Hamels would get out of the jam as he would get Blake DeWitt to hit into a 4-6-3 double play, wiping out Kemp at second base. The Phillies would then increase their lead in the third, as, with runners on first and second, and two outs, Ryan Howard would get a RBI single, knocking in Rollins, who has earlier walked, and then steal second, giving the Phillies a 2-0 lead, while sending Chase Utley, who has also walked, over to third. Pat Burrell would then follow with a RBI single, scoring Utley, making it 3-0 Phillies, while sending Howard over to third. After a wild pitch by Billingsley would send Burrell over to second base to put two runners in scoring position, Billingsley would intentionally walk Shane Victorino to load the bases. Billingsley would then be taken out of the game by Joe Torre and be replaced on the mound by Chan Ho Park. Park would then end the inning by getting Pedro Feliz to ground out, 6-3. The Phillies would then put the game away in the fifth. Jayson Werth would start the inning off with a lead-off single. Utley would then hit into a force out, 3-6, that would wipe out Werth at second for the inning’s first out, while Utley would beat the throw back to first. Howard would then follow with a single, putting Utley on second base. Burrell would then hit a ground ball to Dodgers’ shortstop Rafael Furcal, who would proceed to first boot the ball off of his glove and then kick it away from himself with his left foot, for a fielding error. Utley, who was running on the play, would then turn around third and head for home, while Howard would round second and head for third. Furcal, after catching up with the ball, would then uncork a wild throw towards home plate which would get past Dodgers’ catcher Russell Martin, allowing Utley to score safely and make it a 4-0 Phillies lead as Furcal would receive his second error on the play. Meanwhile, Howard would stop at third, while Burrell would move up to second, with still one man out. Shane Victorino is then intentionally walked to load up the bases. Feliz would then strike out swinging for the inning’s second out. Carlos Ruiz would then come up and hit a grounder towards Furcal, who would then proceed to commit his third error of the inning as he threw the ball past Dodgers’ first baseman Loney, allowing Howard to cross the plate with the Phillies’ fifth run, giving the Phillies a 5-0 lead, while allowing Burrell to get to third and Victorino to move up to second, while leaving the bases still loaded. Hamels would then end the inning by grounding out to Loney at first. The Dodgers would then try to get back into the ballgame in their half of the fifth, as Casey Blake and Kemp would both reach base with back-to-back singles. But Hamels would then get DeWitt to hit into another double play, 4-6-3, wiping out Kemp at second for two outs, while sending Blake over to third. Hamels would then end the inning by striking out pinch hitter Jeff Kent swinging. The Dodgers would finally score a run in the sixth, as, with no one on base and two out, Manny Ramirez would hit a solo home run, his second home run of the series, to make it a 5-1 Phillies’ lead. Hamels would then end the inning by striking out Martin looking. The Dodgers would threaten again in the seventh, as, with two men out, first Kemp and then pinch hitter Nomar Garciaparra would both reach base on walks, putting runners on first and second. Hamels would then settle down enough to end the inning by striking out Kent, looking, on a 2-2 fastball. In the Dodgers’ eighth, after getting out the first two batters, Ryan Madson would give up a single to Ramirez. After Ramirez would move up to second base on defensive indifference, Madson would end the inning by getting Martin to ground out to Howard at first. In the bottom of the ninth, the Phillies would hand the ball over to their closer Brad Lidge. Lidge would give up a lead-off single to Loney. Lidge would then get Blake to fly out to Victorino in right center field for the inning’s first out. He would then get Kemp to hit a deep fly ball to center that would be caught in front of the fence by Victorino for the inning’s second out. After Loney would move up to second on defensive indifference, Lidge would end the game by getting Garciaparra to pop up a 3-2 slider into third base foul territory, which would be caught by Ruiz for the final out of the ballgame, sending the Phillies into the 2008 World Series.

Cole Hamels would get the win, as he would pitch seven strong innings, giving up only one earned run on five hits and three walks, while striking out five. His record in the series is 2-0 with a 1.93 ERA, earning him the NLCS MVP. Ryan Madson would pitch an inning of scoreless relief, giving up only one hit. Brad Lidge would also pitch an inning of scoreless relief, giving up just one hit. Chad Billingsley would take the lost, as this time he would only last two and two-thirds innings, giving up three earned runs on four hits and four walks, while striking out four. His series record is 0-2 with an 18.00 ERA. Chan Ho Park would pitch a third of an inning, giving up no runs or hits. Greg Maddux would pitch two innings, giving up two unearned runs on two hits and a walk, while striking out three. James McDonald would pitch two innings of shut out ball, giving up only one hit and a walk, while striking out two. Joe Beimel, Cory Wade and Hong-Chih Kuo would combine for two scoreless innings, giving up only one hit (Kuo), while striking out one (also Kuo).

Like in the fourth game in Milwaukee, the Phillies would take the Dodgers’ fateful out of the game early with Jimmy Rollins’ lead-off solo home run. The Phillies’ offense would then knock Dodgers’ starter Chad Billingsley out of the ballgame in the third by scoring two more runs against a pitcher who has wilted under the post-season spotlight. The Phillies would then get their last two runs in the fifth, thanks to three errors by Dodgers’ shortstop Rafael Furcal, who would commit four errors in the series, all of them detrimental to the Dodgers’ hope for a series victory. Meanwhile, Cole Hamels would pitch a superb game, getting the first two Dodgers’ batters out constantly, so that Manny Ramirez would be unable to do any major damage against him, so that his solo shot late in the game would turn out to have no effect upon the game’s final outcome. Hamels was also helped along by a pair of double play balls that were hit by Blake DeWitt that would help to defuse Dodgers’ rallies in the second and fifth innings, while a Russell Martin strike out would help end a post two out threat in the seventh. The Phillies’ bullpen was once again superb as both Ryan Madson and Brad Lidge would combine for two shut out innings, both giving up only one hit.  

With the victory, the Phillies can now relax for close to a week before they will finally face the American League Champion on October 22 in the home of the American League Champion. Of the two teams, I myself would prefer that the Phillies face the Boston Red Sox, as that would give them both a chance to snatch the World Series crown from the present champs as well as get revenge for the lost back in ’15. But, unless the Red Sox are able to pull off another trailing three games to one-three victories in a row senario, it looks like it’ll be a Phillies-Rays World Series, Fox’s ratings nightmare come true. And if it does, I’ll be laughing my head off, as this is what Fox gets for trying to overlook a couple of good teams because they were hoping for a Manny v. Red Sox wet dream. Shame on you, Fox. And, let go, PHILLIES!!!!

National League Championship Series: Game 4: Two eighth inning home runs by Shane Victorino and Matt Stairs lead the Phillies to a 7-5 win over the Dodgers, giving them a three games to one lead in the NLCS.

Two two-run home runs by Shane Victorino and pinch hitter Matt Stairs in the eighth inning would help lead the Phillies to a 7-5 win over the Dodgers as the Phillies take a commanding three games to one lead over the Bums in the National League Championship Series. The Phillies jumped quickly on Dodgers’ starter Derek Lowe in the first inning, as, with runners on first and second and no one out, Chase Utley would hit a RBI double, scoring Jimmy Rollins, who has earlier singled and has moved up to second on Jayson Werth’s single, giving the Phillies a quick 1-0 lead, while sending Werth on to third. Ryan Howard, as he would make the inning’s first out, would make it 2-0 Phillies, as he would hit a RBI ground out to the right side, 4-3, scoring Werth, while sending Utley over to third. Pat Burrell would then follow with a walk, putting runners on the corners. Lowe would finally get out of the inning as he would get Shane Victorino to hit into a 4-6-3 double play, wiping out Burrell at second. The Dodgers would get a run back in their half of the first, as, with runners on first and second and two men out, James Loney would hit a RBI double, scoring Rafael Furcal, who has earlier singled, and has moved on to second on Andre Ethier’s ground out, 4-3, to make it 2-1 Phils, while sending Manny Ramirez, who has earlier been intentionally walked by Phillies’ starter Joe Blanton, to third. Blanton would then get out of the inning as Blake DeWitt would line out to Howard. That would remain the score until the bottom of the fifth as Lowe would calm down, while Blanton would constantly pitch himself out of jams. In the Dodgers’ fifth, the Dodgers would tie the game as, with two men on and no one out, Ramirez would hit a RBI single, scoring Furcal, who has earlier walked and has gone on to second on an Ethier’s single, while Ethier’s would reach third on Burrell’s late throw to the plate as Furcal is able to push his way through catcher’s Carlos Ruiz’s right leg. Ramirez would meanwhile move up to second on the throw, putting two men in scoring position. Blanton would then get Russell Martin to ground out, 6-3, for the inning’s first out, scoring Ethier on the play, to give the Dodgers a 3-2 lead, while Ramirez would go back to second base. Blanton would then intentionally walk Loney to put runners on first and second with still one out. The strategy behind the move would work for the Phils, as the next batter, DeWitt, would hit into a 4-6-3 double play, ending the inning. After Lowe is taken out of the game by the Dodgers, the Phillies would then tie up the game in the sixth, as, with men on second and third, and with two men out, Howard, who has earlier walked, moved on to second on Burrell’s single and would move over to third on Victorino’s sacrifice bunt, would score on a Chan Ho Park’s wild pitch, while Burrell would move up to third. Park would then walk Ruiz to put runners on the corners. Dodgers’ manager Joe Torre would then come out of the Dodgers’ dugout and replace Park with Joe Beimel, after Geoff Jenkins is sent out as a pitch hitter. Jenkins is then replaced by So Taguchi, who would promptly end the inning by flying out to right. The Dodgers would retake the lead in their half of the sixth as Casey Blake would hit a lead-off home run off of Phillies’ reliever Chad Durbin, making it 4-3 Dodgers. Juan Pierre would then follow with a double. Durbin would then walk pinch hitter Matt Kemp, putting two men on base, still with no one out. Phillies’ manager Charlie Manuel would then replace Durbin with Scott Eyre. Furcal would then attempt a sacrifice bunt. Howard would get the ball but would then commit a throwing error, throwing it past Utley, allowing Pierre to score, giving the Dodgers a 5-3 lead, while allowing Kent to go to third and Furcal to move up to second, with still no body out. Ethier would then line out to first for the inning’s first out. Then, on the key turning point of the game, Ramirez is then intentionally walked to load up the bases. After Eyre is replaced on the mound by Ryan Madson, he would help get the Phils out of the inning with no more damage as Martin would hit a line drive that is caught by Utley, who would then quickly tag second base with his glove, beating Furcal back to the bag, for an unassisted double play, leaving the score still 5-3 Dodgers. After turning back the Dodgers in the seventh, the Phillies would go to work on the Dodgers’ bullpen in the eighth, finally scoring some runs. Howard would start the inning off with a single. After Burrell pops up to second for the inning’s first out, Victorino would follow with a two-run bomb to right, scoring Howard, and tying the game up at five all. After Pedro Feliz would line out to left for the inning’s second out, Ruiz would get on base with a single. Torre would then come out and replace Cory Wade, who had given up the two-run shot to Victorino, with Joe Broxton, to face pitch hitter Matt Stairs. Stairs would work the count to 3-1 before he would hit a monster two-run home run of his own to right field, scoring Ruiz, and giving the Phillies a 7-5 lead. Rollins would then walk and steal second with Werth batting, before Werth would end the inning by striking out. In the bottom of the eighth, the Phillies would send out J.C. Romero. After giving up a walk to Furcal, Romero would get Ethier to hit into a 6-4-3 double play, wiping out Furcal at second. Romero would then be replaced with Brad Lidge for a four-out save. It didn’t start out that way as Ramirez would get on base with a double. Martin would then follow with a strike out, which should’ve ended the inning, but didn’t, as it would get away from Ruiz, allowing Martin to reach first base while sending Ramirez over to third, putting runners on the corners. But Lidge would finally get out of the inning by getting Loney to fly out to left. In the ninth, Lidge would pitch an easy 1-2-3 inning, as he would first get pinch hitter Nomar Garciaparra to fly out to center for the first out, get Blake to strike out swinging for the second out and then end the game by getting Jeff Kent to fly out to Feliz for the final out, as he records his fifth save of the post-season.

Joe Blanton would get a no-decision as he would pitch five innings, giving up three earned runs on seven hits and four walks, while striking out four. Chad Durbin would face only three batters, giving up two runs, only one of which was earned, on two hits and a walk. Scott Eyre would pitch a third of an inning, giving up no runs on no hits and a walk. Ryan Madson would get the win as he would pitch an inning and two-thirds, giving up no runs on one hit and a walk, while striking out one. His record in the series is now 1-0 with an ERA of 0.00. J.C. Romero would pitch two-thirds of an inning, giving up no runs on no hits and a walk. Brad Lidge would pitch an inning and a third, giving up no runs on one hit, while striking out two, as he would records his forty-sixth straight save in forty-six tries. Derek Lowe would also get a no-decision as he also goes only five innings, giving up two earned runs on six hits and a walk, while striking out four. Clayton Kershaw would go a third of an inning, giving up an earned run on a hit and a walk. Chan Ho Park would get a blown save as he goes a third of an inning, giving up no runs on a walk and a wild pitch. Joe Beimel would also go a third of an inning, giving up no runs or hits. Hong-Chih Kuo would go an inning plus one batter, giving up an earned run on a hit, while striking out two. Cory Wade would get a blown save and the lost as he pitches two-thirds of an inning, giving up two earned runs on two hits. His record is now 0-1 with a 6.00 ERA. Jonathan Broxton would pitch an inning and a third, giving up an earned run on two hits and a walk, while striking out one.

The victory places the Phillies just one game away from getting into the World Series, as the offense is finally able to torch the Dodgers’ bullpen, getting five runs off of it thanks to a wild pitch and two two-run home runs. The bats would end up getting twelve hits over all, with all of the regulars getting at least one hit, with Chase Utley being the team leader, as he went three for five, knocking in a run on a double and two singles. Next was Carlos Ruiz, who went two for three, with two singles and a walk, scoring a run. Meanwhile, Joe Blanton would pitch five good innings, getting out of trouble constantly before finally being taken out for a pinch hitter. Although giving up two runs, the Phillies’ bullpen would hold firm for four innings, helped along by two double plays with Utley’s unassisted gem in the seventh being the more important of the two as it would get the Phillies out of a bases-loaded, one out jam. The Phillies now need just one more win to get into the World Series, with three chances within which to do it.

Game Five of the National League Championship Series will be played tomorrow night. It will be played in Dodgers Stadium and will begin at 8:22 pm Eastern (5:22 pm Pacific). The Phillies’ starter will be their ace Cole Hamels (1-0, 2.57), who is coming off a good start against the Dodgers in game one of the NLCS on October 9, where he would go six innings, giving up only two earned runs on six hits and two walks, while striking out eight, in the Phillies’ 3-2 win. He will be trying to pitch the Phillies into their first World Series appearance since 1993 with a victory. The Dodgers will counter with Chad Billingsley (0-1, 27.00), who is coming off a very awful start in game two of the NLCS against the Phillies on October 10, as he would last only two and one third innings, giving up eight runs, only seven of which were earned, on eight hits and three walks, while striking out five, in the Dodgers’ 8-5 lost. He will be trying to pitch a better game tomorrow night while trying to keep the Dodgers in the playoff.