Playoffs, the NL Division Series - Game 5- Cards @ Phils

The Phils have to win tonight.
It will be a terrible end to the season if they lose. The 102 wins will mean NOTHING.
Not winning and having Cliff Lee pitch in only one game will be a gigantic disappointment.
Anyone can complain all you want about Ryan Howard for the terrible series he has had after game one, but you can look right at Lee for the awful game two in which he coughed up a four run lead.
Roy Halladay is a world class future hall of fame pitcher. I expect him to pitch that way tonight.


Here we go again. hallway gets behind Furcal and he smacks a triple.
He should have been out but Victorino missed the first cutoff.

Not the ideal start, and He's not getting the call on the outside corner.
Shoemaker doubles and it's already 1-0.
Pujols plops a ball that drops in front of Utly but Shoemaker holds up at second then on a delaynruns to third but Utley threw him out at third.
A wild pitch sends Pujols to second.
Already three runners get in scoring position.
Over 20 pitches already too.

Now on a foul ball Berkman is sent to first because his follow through catches Ruiz glove.

This is going to be a tough uphill game for them to win.

He is struggling in The first inning.

The Brewers just won their game in The tenth inning so they move on to the winner of this game.

Halladay struggling in the first inning all the time just doesn't make sense to me.
The strike zone is very tight for him especially the low corners.
Phils go in order in their half.

Howard leads off the second by swing at the first pitch. It was what they call a back footer. A curve or slider that goes right toward the batters back foot. He missed it by a mile then grounds out.

It's a shame the way he is playing in this series.

This team was at their best after getting Pence and putting him behind Howard. I know Polanco can't hit right now but I still want to see Pence moved back there from the three spot.
Victorino doubled after Howard grounded out but Ibanez popped up for the second out.
Polanco who is killing the bottom of the lineup weakly grounded out.

Ruiz just flied out and now he is 1-15 in this series.
Rollins needs to pop one out.
Nope he didn't run it out because he thought it was foul and now the team is getting booed.

Halladay is pitching great now, why doesn't he do this in the first inning.

Utley leads off the fourth with a hit by pitch but then Pence grounds into a force out.
Howard tries to get ahead and swings at the first pitch. It wasn't a bad pitch to it but Howard jammed himself and hump back liner to second that Pence was way off the back and almost got doubled up?

Ok Shane singles and sends Pence to third for Ibanez.
They just need to get more then one or two hits in a single inning, now is the chance to do it.

Not this inning. Raul got toma full count but he flied a ball that was a coup,e feet short of the wall in right, three outs.

Another odd play in the Cards half of the fifth. Lead off hit for stinking Nick Punto. Carpenter tries to bunt with two strikes but it bounces right in front of the box. Ruiz grabs it before it can go foul and throws to second for one out, carpenter never moved so Rollins walked a bit towards first and tossed over for the dp.

It's hard for me to see it because they're losing and because I'm watching this game with a rooting interest but I imagine this is a great game to watch from an outsiders perspective.

Despite the rotten first inning Halladay has only given up one run and has kept the Phils in it.

Carpenter has had a really good curve tonight and we all know how tough it is for the Phils to hit curve balls.

They look defeated in the dugout. No one is looking like they are excited or anything.

Ok Utley gets on after Rollins grounds out in the sixth inning. It's getting late they better do something real soon.

Oh my goodness, Utley is called out on a super close play trying to steal second. Would it kill TBS to show a replay on that to give us a closer look.

Pence grounds out. They don't look like The champion team they are supposed to be.

Nine outs for the Phils to score some runs or it's all over.


I changed the channel and will go with only the radio broadcast until the Phils get runs or the game is over.

Howard swings 3-0 to lead off the seventh and lines out. Why, WHY is he swinging 3-0? That is shocking.
They go in order, six outs left.

Carpenter leads of the eighth with a hit.

Furcal bunts and Ruiz tried to throw to second but it was a bad throw and now first and second no outs.

This is going to be about it if they score.

They bunt again and apparently there was a play at third but Polanco throws to first for the first out. They walk Pujols to have a force at any base to get to Berkman.

This is just sad.
The fans are trying to get loud but with the rally towel thing it's got to be hard to be really loud.

He strikes out Berkman and now Matt Holliday.

He gets Holliday to fly out. There is still a chance. Two inning left.
Polanco grounds a weak ball to short for then third time tonight.

Furcal robs Ruiz, he dove and knocked down a hit up the middle and threw out Ruiz.

Gload swings and misses a a third strike but it was in the dirt and the throw to first pulls Pujols off the bag.

In what is probably Jimmy Rollins last ab as a Phillie he hits a ball back through the middle. It hit Carpenter in the leg and ounces to the second baseman and he throws Rollins out by a step. Three out left.

Gload batted for Halladay so I guess Madson will come in for the ninth.

THis it it the bottom of the ninth, Utley, Pence and Ryan Howard.

Utley killed a ball that went all the way to the fence just in front of the bullpen but John Jay ran it down. Two left.

Pence grounds out. One left.
Larry Andrson is trying to keep it positive but. It just doesn't help.

Howard grounds out to Nick Punto as he fell down running to first and seems to have really hurt himself.

Chris Carpenter out pitched Roy Halladay.
Ruiz and Polanco were 3-35 for the series. Cliff Lee choked up a four run lead in game two. Oswalt stunk in game four.

I didn't expect the season to end this way. I don't want to feel this way but I can't help to feel like it's the same old Phils, still.

See you next year, again.

Playoffs, the NL Division Series - Game 4 - Phils @ Cards

Today's game starts out Greta for the Phils.
Rollins leads off with a double that the center fielder couldn't see.
Utley hits triple to core Rollins. Pence singles in Utley.
The bad is that Howard strikes out looking on a hit and run that Pence was called out on even though he was safe. So after three hits and two runs is two really quick outs.
Victorino popped out to left for the third out.

In the bottom of the first Roy Oswalt finally gets the leadoff hitter out on a strike out. A single was next but after a long ab Pujools popped up.

The Cards put Matt Holliday in the game today even though he has a bad finger. They said the finger will be completely numb.

Berkman just smoked a ball that hit the wall in right center, it bounced right to Victorino but when he tried to catch it and throw it his right foot slipped and Shane dropped the ball allowing Berkman to get to third. Holliday grounds out.

That was a crazy first inning, especially with that fall down thing Victorino did. He was charged with an error on that but he slipped on the ground, should that be an error?

I just hope the Phils don't go to sleep now after the first three batters all get a hit.
It's about to be a quick second inning for the Phils hitters. I think they saw less then 10 pitches, so here it goes.

Oswalt walks Berkman to lead off the fourth then hits Holliday on the elbo.
This can't happen with the Phils hitters in hibernation.
Just went 2-0 to Molina, he looks like he lost it.
Molina just drove a liner out to Pence that he came in on then had to run straight towards the wall to catch.
Freeze lines a ball down the third base line into the corner that scores Holliday from first. How is that possible, he can't run. What is going on here, how does he lose it like this after cruising the first three innings?

You really have to have expected more from Oswalt especially against the bottom of the Cards lineup.

Oswalt won't last six innings tonight. They'll have to pinch hit for him anyway because they're losing.
This pitching is supposed to be the Phils strength but it really hasn't been in this series. They have had 2 out of four games that are good with Hamels and the last seven innings from Halladay after he gave up three in the first.

If they can keep it to only one run the Phils surely have a chance to win this game.

Polanco and Ruiz still only have one hit each.

Polanco singles but Ruiz swings at the first pitch and now one out for Oswalt who can't hit so he be bunting.
Bunts him to second but Rollins grounds out. Jimmy has two hits today but what happens after the first? They should be making adjustments but they get worse as the game goes on.

Winning this game would have allowed them to set up the rotation for the next round, now it looks like they will lose the rotation matchup in the next round if they get there.
They said on the radio that Cliff Lee would probably come in today in relief.

I've switched to trying to synch up the radio broadcast with the tv so I don't have to listen to Bob Brenly .

This game is messed up. A squirrel just ran literally right accross the plate as Oswalt through a pitch. The pitch was a curve right down the middle but called a ball. This crew is terrible I wish I knew how they picked the crews for these games.
A good recovery inning, Cards down in order in spite of the squirrel.

Finally in the sixth they are taking pitches. Utley walked and Pence is looking at pitches, although he did foul back a hanging curve and hit a bouncer just missing going over third base.

They need to bunch a few hits in a row.
The Phils are playing very strange in this game.
Pence grounds to short but Utley keeps going to third on the throw to first. Pujols comes off the bag and throws Utely out at third. He went really hard into the bag and the glove and is lucky if he didn't get hurt.
Howard gets to 3-0 then swing and fouls it off. Swings and misses on the next pitch. Flies out after that.

Victorino up and dribbles to second base. I'm shutting this down until the game is over. Getting too aggravated. This is looking like last playoffs all over again.


Phils managed to get another run but not because of any hitting they did. Utley hit the first base bag so a funny hop gets him on then a wild pitch scores Martinez. The end.

Howard has been just ridiculously awful this series. Four RBI's in game one and two to start game two and he hasn't gotten a hit since and he struck out again late in the game as the tying run. Awful.

This really is last year all over again.

Hallway better pitch a shut out tomorrow or that's all folks.

Playoffs, the NL Division Series - Game 3- Phils @ Cards

I don't like the way the game started.
Phils go in order in the first. In the Cards first Pujols gets a two out double then Berkman hit by pitch.
Hamels strikes out Freese to end it.

Howard leadsoff he second by striking out and swinging at two pitches that were up around his neck.
They go in order again.

Cards get another hit in their second with one out.

Not liking this.

Game has gone mostly as expected. No score after four and the Phils only have two hits. Ryan Howard has looked silly on his two strike outs.
The Cards have three hits, two walks and a hit batter.

If the game contiues in this way I think it benefits the Cards more than the Phils.
Garcia is right around the plate so I guess that's why the Phils are swinging at most pitches.

Top of the sixth, still no score. The Phils got a two out hit from Utley, then they walked Pence to get to Howard. Hmm.
Makes sense I guess since Howard has looked pretty nad so far against Garcia.

He's still swinging at bad pitches in this ab, and he grounds out to first.
Garcia threw a first pitch fastball but it was on the outside part of the that he took for a ball, then he swings at a curve off the plate.
The third pitch was another curve way off the plate that he dribbled to Pujols.
This is going to be a shut out for one team.

The sixth might be it for Hamels because he is over 100 pitches now and he just gave a two out hit then a walk.
Worley is just now getting up up the bullpen.
He might have pitched around a little because the Cards pither is up.

The Phils have given up hits to pitchers in these spots this year, so I'm a little nervous.
Cole is up near 120 pitches now so this will be his last batter.
Got him swinging.
That will be it for Cole.

Eight strike outs but three walks and a hit batter got his pitch count way up in only six innings.

Garcia has thrown only 74 pitches after six innings

Victorino almost pulled a boner there. Mayberry popped out to short right and Victorino faked going to third but was almost out on the throw back in. Jeez.
He led off with a single and moved over on a passed ball but Polanco is uo and he just cannot hit at all.
He grounds to third, shane had to stay on second. Ruiz up.

Walking Ruiz to the pinch hitter, Ben Francisco? I guess that's who they have as a right hander off the bench, depressing.

He usually pops up.
This is it right here if they don't score this is going to be bad with only two innings left and the Phils into the bullpen already.

OMG he hit a three run home run. OMG wow. Holy Crap.
I sooo did not see that happening.

Well they had Worley up I wonder if they bring in Lidge now.

Rollins doubled next. They were playing him very shallow. Utley grounds out so that ends the inning but man what a surprise from Francisco.

Worley is in, gets the first out but then walks the next guy and Pujols is up.
Worley isnt missing by much. Pujols breaks his bat and bloops a cheap hit over Utley's head, crap.
That's fine but walks seem to always come back to bite you and the Cards ar right in the meat Of their order. Berkman up now with two on one out.

Force at second so on the corners now with two out.
He really jammed him on that pitch, really good job on Berkman.
Freese is up, Hamels struck him out three times.

First pitch right down the middle, breaking ball for an RBI. Still two on for Molina.
He hasn't gotten a hit yet and has an 11 game streak in the playoffs.
The strike zone is a little tight for Worley.

Got him, Worley gets Molina to jam himself on an inside pitch pops up to right.

I was just saying to myself why is Worley still in there. He gave up a hit to Theriot who now has four hits. But why leave Worley in there, just bring in the eighth inning guy. I'm not exactly sure who that would be these days, but looks like Bastardo is in first. Lately it's been Lidge.

This game was pretty slow going for the first six innings but the last two have been racking my nerves to pieces.

One out on a pop up. That's is for Bastardo, Lidge in to face Matt Holliday.

I shouldn't be this nervous about the Cards.

Holliday dribbles a ball right through the hole at short. All season I don't think I've seen so many cheap hits from the other team.
Still a chance for a double play though.

I don't know why they would throw anything that far off the plate, make him swing at balls inside because of that bad hand he has.

Furacl drops another bloop hit in right in front of Mayberry in right, now they're bringing in Madson with the bases loaded and one out in the eighth.
This is looking ugly.

They hit into so many double plays, they broke a record this year.
He did it. A liner right at Utley, I couldn't tell if he let it bounce on purpose but it bounced and he got two outs on one play, double play.

Phew, I thought that was a liner into right field for sure. They had Utely in exactly the right place.

Polanco finally got a hit with one out. Then Ruiz hit one to center that was caught just before it hit the ground. I thought it was an out right away but Jerry Meals thought otherwise and called it a trapped ball. The umps huddled and got the call right. Ruiz was out. So back to first for Polanco. Madson strikes out so here we go to the ninth.
Pujols is leading off so a homer the Phiks still lead.

Madson trying for a five out save but Pujols leads off with a double. Now wer're in trouble because Berkman can tie the game.
So Masdson, two pitches and two rockets.

It's tough playing with the lead in this series.

One out, Berkman pops up to Victorino. He got that one off the end of his bat.
I'm pulling my hair out.
He gets to 0-2 on Freese then a pitch that according to the pitch tracker on tv was a high strike, called a ball.

Ok a week ground ball to Utley for the second out. Pujols moves to third.
Molina is trying to continue an 11 game playoff hit streak, he is 0-4.

First hit base hit for Molina right over the middle in front of Victorino. They had him playing very deep to prevent extra base hits. Oh well.
3-2 now, still two outs.

Two first pitch hits this inning and they swung at the first pitch Madsen through in the eighth inning.
They give up so many first pitch hits.
Theriot is up and he is 4-4 but no runs scored or RBI's.

The count is 1-2.

Ground ball to Utley and he throws out Theriot,
Phils win 3-2.

Cole Hamels gets the win and is now has more wins then any other Phillie in post season history with 7.

Wow I can finally breath.

They stole this one. They were out hit and outplayed really This game.
The Phils make the Cards strand 14 runners today. That was an amazing game. I was going crazy watching this game and it's only the third one of the playoffs.

Alright only nine more to go.

Playoffs, the NL Division Series - Cards @ Phils

Jeez can the Phils get the first guy out pleas the next game. Furcal leads off nearly homering opposite field to right but it's a triple as Pence went the wrong way after the ball bounced off the fence.
Then Lee went to work.

He struck out Craig, Popped up Pujols, then Berkman smashed a ball at Polanco who grabbed it and toss out Berkman.

Brilliant, I really though it was going to be a 1-0 start for the Cards.
Great recovery for Lee.
Bottom of the first the Phils get their own ball off the wall in nearly the same spot as Furcal, so Rollins a leadoff double.
Then Carpenter walked Utley and Pence to load them for Howard. He battled for a full count and finally bounced one right up the middle that if Carpenter didn't kick it would have been a double play but it ends up as a two RBI single.
Victorino pops up on the first pitch he sees, sometimes he does some things that don't make sense. No reason to swing at the first pitch there.

Ayway Ibanez follows with a single to drive in Pence.
Polanco hits into a DP but otherwise a great first inning for the Phils. Now it's up to Cliff Lee.

Another first pitch, first batter in the inning hit. Freeze lines one into right for a double. I just don't understand it.

It was this point in last nights game that Halladay shut the Cards down for seven straight innings.

Jerry Meels is behind the plate, so this is going to be a frustrating strike zone.
He just called Molina out on a third strike on a pitch that was in the same spot as the previous pitch that was a ball.

I hope that Lee won't have to work with runners on the entire time he's out there.

Lee gets out of it again.

Phils second starts with Ruiz grounding out and Lee striking out, followed by Rollins smacking another one off the top of the wall For a double.
He steals third as Utley walks again. Pence lines a single into right to knock in Rollins. 4-0 Phils.

After Pence's hit Larussa came to the mound but didn't really say anything to Carpenter, he did give Meels a few choice words.
Don't see that very often without the manager getting tossed.

Cards third has the pitcher leading off so he might get the first batter out.

In the fourth Berkman leads off with a walk so anyone not a pitcher tonight as a leadoff is 3-3.

Bad inning for Lee. After the walk he did get a strike out but then three straight hits that gets two runs for the Cards and now it's 4-2 with second and third and one out.
Also Pence missed a cutoff on a throw in that let's the runner get to second on the throw.

So it'll probably be at least 4-3 at this point.

When Lee goes south it happens fast and all in one inning usually.
They do get three, after Punto struck out Furcal singled. One run scored but Ibanez threw the second runner out at the plate with a perfect one hopper that Ruiz held onto.
I don't know what was going on in that inning with Cliff Lee.

Ok after the Phils go down in order, the cards come back and go down in order. Lee is doing a number on Pujols. Last ab he was throwing all curves, this time he mixed in a couple of fast balls and struck him out looking with one right on the inside corner.

The Cards just tie it up in the sixth. After two outs he gives up a double and a single, but this time Ibanez doesn't make a good throw so he's safe at home then an infield single.
Lee is struggling. Must of the hits a bleeders but they still count.

This will be Lee's last inning.

Lee comes back out for the seventh, I'm surprised. I guess it's either him or the bullpen.
Not surprised that he gives up a triple that should have been caught by Victorino then a single and an RBI then another single to Berkman.

I guess it's not over yet but it sure feels like it is. I do not understand why Lee was allowed to come back out. He was clearly done.

That was all the scoring for the game. I'm good with scoring four runs in this game, not good with Lee giving up five especially after he was spotted four runs.

Bad loss, the misplayed by Victorino was a killer.

So they go to St. Louis tied at 1-1.

Playoffs - game 1 - Cardinals @ Phillies

Earlier this summer Holly and I were given tickets to go to a NASCAR race today so we weren't going to cancel that so we went.
It was a lot of fun and probably the loudest sound ever heard was after the race started.

We finally got home about three hours after game time.

As usual Halladay gives up a leadoff hit to Furcal, Then a one out walk to Pujols.
Halladay's first pitch to Berkman hit the front of the upper deck and it's three to zip after one half.

I have to admit that since I recorded the game I couldn't resist skipping forward until I saw something good happen.
Finally they scored a run in the fourth after Lohse was perfect through three the got a couple base runners for Victorino.
He popped a foul ball behind third base that was dropped for an error so Victorino got another chance and he came through, a single and an RBI. Phils are on the board.

Phils go in order the next inning but really broke it open in the sixth.
Rollins cued one up the middle for a single, after Utley struck out Pence singled. First and second for Howard.
He had a great ab. He foiled a bunch of change ups before Lohse missed a spot and gave Howard one up in the zone that Ryan put into the first row of the upper deck. Ryan dropped his bat and admired his work for a split second before making his way around the bases.

That was gonna be about all they would need but they still weren't done.
After another runner gets on Ibanez hit the sign in front of the upper deck in right, now it's 6-3 Phils.

In the seventh they loaded them up with no outs but after Pence dribbled one for a force at home it look like they might not get much more but Howard hit a sac fly and a couple more hits knocked in two more runs for a 9-3 lead.
Two more in the eighth and it's 11-3, game over.
While all that is going on Halladay gave up another leadoff hit in the second but that's when he put the hammer down and retired the next 21 batters he faced.
I'm not sure why but Manual took him out and used Stutes to start the ninth. That didn't work so well.
Stutes gave up three hits only got one out before Manual pulled him for Madson.
Stutes was charged with three runs but two of them came after Madson came in and gave up a double that let the second two runs in. Ryan Madson gave up that hit but struck out the next two including Matt Holliday to finish it up.

The Phils scored five in the fifth to tie a team record and had 14 hits also a playoff team record.

Ryan Howard had a home run and four RBI's. He had zero of each through two rounds last season.

Everyone had a hit except Ruiz and Polanco.

Teams that win game one are 47-17 but on the other hand, teams losing game one who win game two are 13-11.

Great win tonight and the Phils make a statement and tell everyone they aren't just a team of pitchers.

Ten more.