Phils - Dodgers NLCS IST

[Frayed Knot]

8:22 first pitch (or so they claim) at CBP in Philadelphia

Hamels vs Lowe
Hamels faced LA twice this year, both were in August, both times going 7 IP and giving up 2 runs on 5 hits, one win & one no-decision.
Lowe didn't face Philly this season

Teams split 8 games this year, each winning all 4 in their building

Dodger closer Saito is NOT on the roster for this round, leaving the closing duties to big boy Broxton

[soupcan]

Predicci�n: Los Doyers de Los �ngeles gana en seis juegos.

[Willets Point]

Go Phillies.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Willets Point wrote: Go Phillies.

You're seriously outnumbered with that sentiment:

http://cranepoolforum.net/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=10364

[Fman99]

National baseball broadcasters stink. So do 8:25 starts. So do factoids about "all-time postseason records." Like Mickey Mantle had three rounds to hit homers in.

Go away.

[stevejrogers]

Yeah but any time a Yankee doesn't hold some sort of record is a good thing!

Sorry, just had to take a swipe at Val there.

[DocTee]

FMan's swipe at champagne celebrations gaining speed, picked up by Gene Wojchiehowski at ESPN.

[Frayed Knot]

Phils continuing their post-season streak of relying on the HR and bunching all their runs in one inning.
They were down 2-0 before an error (on Furcal) HR (Utley) & HR (Burrell) gave them the lead (and that was it for Lowe).

Hamels pulled after 7
Torre went to Maddux for an inning of relief.

X-Met factors in LA: Jeff Kent and Chan Ho Park

Madson gets the Phils thru the 8th

[Frayed Knot]

Lidge closes it out: FO, FO, K

A playoff game played in 2:36. I didn't know that still happened.
Tomorrow's the AL so the over/under is 3:36 ... and I'm taking the over.

[Fman99]

DocTee wrote: FMan's swipe at champagne celebrations gaining speed, picked up by Gene Wojchiehowski at ESPN.

I am, again, a trendsetter. It's all good.

Just wait until Jayson Stark threatens to punch Pete Rose in the neck and kick Marge Schott in her dead ****.

[Frayed Knot]

Game 2, 4:00 EDT:

Myers vs Billingsley

Charlie Manuel's mother died at some point since the end of last night's game.
Not sure if he's going to be in the dugout for this game or not.

[Frayed Knot]

Phils continue their 'big-inning-ness' this post-season.

They've now been shutout in 41 of the 50 innings they've batted over 6 games and still managed to go 5-1 in that time. The main reason is that those 9 innings where they did score included only 3 one-run innings but 6 innings of 3 runs or more: 2 three-run innings, 3 fours, plus a five.

And many of these runs are coming with 2 outs.
Yesterday's 2nd inning involved 5 straight 2-out hits turning a 2-out/none-on situation into a 4-spot. 6 of last night's 8 runs came w/2 out.

And then there's Bret Myers. 4-for-58 during the reg season he goes 3-for-3 w/3 RBIs last night making him 4-for-5 overall plus that 10-pitch walk that had a big part in knocking Sabathia out of the game last week.

[Willets Point]

C'mon Phillies, keep it going. You need to win big now. Get it out of your system. Have nothing left to prove. And then rest on your laurels in '09.

[soupcan]

Predicci�n: Los Filis de Filadelfia ganar en cinco juegos

[Frayed Knot]

Game 3 in LA:
Jamie Moyer vs Hiroki Kuroda (lethal bantamweight)

Another weekend day and another 8:30 starting time (8;22 they claim).
At least it's an NL game so the over/under for last pitch is still this side of midnight ... even if just barely.

[seawolf17]

This is the first piece of playoff baseball I've watched so far -- I only turned it on because the Dodgers were up five early. Things getting a little hot as Russ Martin, who got HBP his first time up, has to duck out of the way of another pitch his second time up... then the following half-inning, Kuroda airmails a fastball over the head of Shane Victorino.

Benches clear after Victorino grounds out -- bitching about Kuroda throwing at his head instead of his ribs -- and the main conspirators appear to be the coaching staff, with Mariano Duncan and Davey Lopes doing most of the jawing.

[Guest themetfairy]

How does Manny Ramirez have that much schmutz on his helmet? He's only been on the Dodgers for 15 minutes.

[Guest AG/DC]

Once they put pine tar on their helmets, dirt sticks to them just laying around the dugout.

[MFS62]

The guy playing second base for LA - Dewitt has been a third baseman most of the season.
If he can make the transition to second so smoothly, why can't Murphy?
There's hope, folks.

Later

[Frayed Knot]

Be honest now, does Murphy look or move like a middle infielder?

Maybe he'll surprise us, nor is he as bulky as some came-up-as 3rd sackers (Giambi, Thome, or Burrell), but I suspect this is an experiment to make him more versatile in emergency situations than as a full-time assignment.

[Frayed Knot]

themetfairy wrote: How does Manny Ramirez have that much schmutz on his helmet? He's only been on the Dodgers for 15 minutes.

Some players opt to buy the pre-schmutzed model available from Iwannabelikecraigbiggio.com
Vlad Guerrero has a standing account there too.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I remember Jim Thome, in like his second game with the Phillies, had a helmet that looked like it had a decade's worth of scuffs on it.

[Frayed Knot]

[u:9e2beb147f]Game 4 - 8:20[/u:9e2beb147f]

Lowe (on short rest) is in early trouble
facing Blanton for the Phils

[Guest metsguyinmichigan]

Chan Ho Park delivers a performance worthy of our bully. Gets one out, then a wild pitch to let in the tying run.

[stevejrogers]

Broxton is blowing this one in the 8th. 7-5 Phillies now.

[HahnSolo]

Felt like a Met game. A million guys left on base, and the bullpen (seven relievers' worth) blows it.

[metirish]

If I were a Dodgers fan , which I am I suppose in this series then I am worried that Chan Ho Park is being asked to get important outs. Not signaling him out for this game just the fact that he is there at all.

[soupcan]

Dodger fans were understandably stunned at that loss last night but Met fans weren't.

This year the Phillies are never out of any game until the 27th out is made.

Victorino in 2008 is to Phillie fans as Lenny Dykstra was to Met fans in 1986.

[Guest cooby]

Good

[HahnSolo]

St. Joe not distinguishing himself last night.

- Derek Lowe, 74 pitches over 5 innings. Mike Greenberg made a good point this morning...if you are bringing a guy back on 3 days rest, you have to be willing to go with him. No reason at all why he can't pitch the 6th, especially after settling in with a 1, 2, 3 fifth.

- Take Kuo out after giving up a 125-foot hopper base hit? Then compound it by bringing in Wade? Either leave an effective Kuo in there, or go directly to Broxton. Even more reason to stick with Kuo? He left him in to bunt with 2 on and 1 out the inning before!