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NLCS, Game 1: Phillies Rally, Overcome Early Dodgers Advantage To Take Series Lead
By Administrator | October 10, 2008
This one played out pretty much as I had anticipated… a well-pitched, close game that went to the home team LATE in the game (although I would have expected the LA bullpen to have been touched up for the game-winning run in the seventh inning). Otherwise, this one went pretty much true to form in Philadelphia’s 3-2 triumph.
Philly starter Cole Hamels was very good in Game One… he allowed two earned runs on six hits over seven innings, issuing two walks and striking out eight batters. He kept the Phillies close, and in so doing gave Chase Utley and Pat Burrell time to figure out LA starter Derek Lowe.
D-Lowe had not allowed more than two earned runs in ten consecutive starts. He out-pitched Hamels for the first five innings, taking a 2-0 lead into the sixth inning. He allowed only four singles in the first five innings, and at one point retired nine straight batters. Then it all came crashing down in the blink of an eye… thanks, at least in small part, to an error.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, leadoff hitter Shane Victorino reached first base on a throwing error by shortstop Rafael Furcal. The next batter, Chase Utley, lofted Lowe’s next pitch into the right field grandstand for the game-tying home run. Two batters later, Pat Burrell ripped a home run into left field.
Philadelphia-3, LA-2.
That was that. Hamels pitched a scoreless seventh and then turned the game over to Ryan Madson and Brad Lidge. Madson allowed a single. Lidge retired the Dodgers 1-2-3, including Blake DeWitt on strikes to end the game.
Pitching dominated the game. Each team mustered only seven hits. The difference in the game was the home run… not surprising considering the Phils led the league in homers (214) and had 77 more home runs than the Dodgers (137).
Former Red Sox LF Manny Ramirez put the Dodgers ahead in the first inning… he just missed a two-run home run to straight-away center field and had to settle for a long rbi-double. Los Angeles extended the lead to 2-0 in the fourth inning… Matt Kemp led off with a ground-rule double down the right-field line, advanced to third base on a grounder, and scored on Blake DeWitt’s sacrifice fly.
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Ramirez now has 68 rbi in the post-season — second all-time to former NYY outfielder Bernie Williams (80).
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Utley’s sixth inning home run was his first career post-season dinger.
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Dodgers third base coach Larry Bowa, who played shortstop for the Phillies 1980 championship team and later managed the team, received a nice ovation in pregame introductions.
Topics: Around Baseball, MLB Playoffs |
