Thursday, October 8, 2009

Philly Sports 101

Posted: 07 Oct 2009 04:35 PM PDT

Cliff Lee pitched all 9 innings in the Phillies 5-1 victory over the Rockies in Game 1 of the NLDS. It was Lee's postseason debut, and he made the most of it. He was on target to pitch the complete game shutout, but he gave up a run with 2 outs in the 9th. It was still a great pitching performance from the lefty.

The Phillies had a rough time early on against Ubaldo Jimenez, scoring no runs and recording very few hits in the first 4 innings. But then they broke out in the 5th and 6th innings, scoring all their 5 runs in those 2 innings alone. Raul Ibanez drove in 2 of the Phillies 5 runs, which is an encouraging sign that Raul may be heating up just at the right time.

Surprisingly, there were no home runs hit in this game. It was surprising because the Phillies and the Rockies finished first and second in the National League in home runs. Jayson Werth and Ryan Howard both hit shots that would probably be homers on a regular day. But because the winds were gusting in, both fell short of the stands.

This was a key victory for the Phillies (Hey, only 10 more wins to another championship!). Winning the first game puts the Phillies in the driver's seat. If Cole Hamels can lead the Phils to victory at the Bank tomorrow, the Phillies would only have to win one game in three to advance to the NLCS.

Tomorrow, Cole Hamels' rival on the mound will be Aaron Cook, who is 11-6 on the year. His record may look good but he's ERA does not (4.16). He is an average pitcher. I would compare him to Joe Blanton. He won't dominate but he'll do his job most of the time, and sometimes he'll be mediocre. Let's hope he's mediocre.

Game Day: Phillies-Rockies

Posted: 07 Oct 2009 10:14 AM PDT

In about an hour, the MLB will kick off the postseason with Game 1 between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Colorado Rockies. The game is scheduled to start at 2:37pm ET at Citizens Bank Park. It will be the Phillies Cliff Lee on the the mound, against Ubaldo Jimenez of Colorado.

In a 5-game series, Game 1 is very important. If the Phillies can take this game, they will have the clear edge and home-field advantage.

Cole Hamels was the first pitcher announced to start this ball game, but then Charlie announced that mid-season addition Cliff Lee would be on the hill for Game 1, with Hamels pitching Game 2. I thought the start should have gone to Cole, and not just because of last year. Hamels had been improving and improving late in the season, and I believed he should have gotten the nod.

It doesn't really matter much who starts for the Phillies, it matters who closes. The Phillies bullpen has been erratic all year. If their going to be able to repeat, they need to be able to hold the lead in tight situations. Charlie Manuel has rather foolishly kept his faith in Brad Lidge. We will see if that is the right decision.

Weather will be a factor in this game. It is really windy here in Philly, the wind gusting out towards right field. With the Phillies plethora of lefty sluggers, don't be surprised if quite a few balls fly out of the park this afternoon.

Charlie Manuel: "I look at our starting pitching as very good. I think it's as good as any team in the National League, and I think that our starting pitching will play up big in this series." The starters must pitch deep into games, so that Charlie can avoid going to the bullpen as much as possible.

So is this the start the repeat?

Ryan Madson: "The taste is still in our mouths and we want to taste it again."

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