Phillies Edge past Mets

The Phillies took two of three from the Mets this weekend because of their excellent pitching. Tonight, Kyle Kendrick and the bullpen allowed the Mets to score only one run. The Phillies ended up winning the game 3-1, the offense powered by the first two hitters in the lineup, Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino.

The game started with heavy rain, which died down by the middle innings. The Phillies opened the scoring in the 3rd, when Shane Victorino doubled home Jimmy Rollins. Rollins reached on a single and stole second and third before Victorino's double.

The Mets countered in the bottom half of the inning, when Jose Reyes lead off with a home run. Reyes was involved in a close play in the first inning, when he was called out trying to steal second. The replay showed that he was just safe, but it was a very close play. Throughout the game, the ESPN dummies (mostly Joe Morgan), continued to talk about the play, show it, even though it happened in the first inning. Come on, now!

The Phillies took the lead for good when Polanco singled in Victorino in the 5th. Carlos "Chooch" Ruiz extended the lead an inning later, when his clutch single down the line scored Jayson Werth. Ruiz has been carrying the Phillies lately, getting clutch RBIs. Chooch has stepped up in the absence of Ryan Howard and Chase Utely.

Kyle Kendric pitched well in 6 2/3rds innings, only allowing the Reyes' home run. The bullpen pitched well tonight, surprisingly. Chad Durbin got the final out of the 7th. Ryan Madson pitched a hitless 8th, although he did walk a man. Brad Lidge, who is getting better and better, put the Mets down 1-2-3 in the  9th...... nicely done.

Things are looking up for the Fightin' Phils. Chase Utley is expected back Tuesday. Ryan Howard is also expected to join the team Tuesday, but he may not start until later in the week. The Phillies are two games back in the NL East, and are tied for the Wild Card lead.

The Phillies have an off day tomorrow. The Giants will visit the Bank for an important 3-game series for the the Wild Card lead. The Phils and Giants are tied up right now in the standings. Roy Oswalt will face off against Barry Zito on Tuesday night at 7:05pm ET.

Phillies, Halladay Punish Mets

The Phillies picked up a solid win tonight, shutting out the Mets 4-0. The Phils were lead by the magnificent pitching of one Roy Halladay. The offense didn't exactly break out tonight, just edged along enough to get the Phillies the win.

Let's start with Halladay. He pitched 8 innings, gave up 4 hits, and struck out 7. And no runs, of course. An example of Halladay's dominance came in the bottom of the 4th. Jose Reyes hit a triple to lead off the inning. At that point, with the Phillies up just a run, I thought the game would be tied before long. After a ground out from Pagan, Halladay struck out both David Wright and Carlos Beltran.

The Phillies pushed across the first run of the game in the 3rd, when Halladay scored on a single by Placido Polanco. That run was the only earned run given up in the game. The second run scored on a throwing error by Ruben Tejada.

The third and fourth runs came on an inexcusable error from third baseman David Wright. A Jimmy Rollins grounder was hit directly at Wright, who proceed to boggle the mind by letting the ball go through his legs. It is a play any pro third baseman is supposed to make.

Another embarrassing error was made by Shane Victorino in the 6th inning. Victorino attempted to field a bloop single on one hop. Notice the emphasis on "attempted." Victorino lazily let the ball go under his glove, leaving it to Raul Ibanez to run over from left. Pagan, who hit the blooper, advanced to second on the play.

That play did not hurt the Phillies this time, but that it not an acceptable play in a pennant race. While it is commonplace for the Mets to make those errors, the 2-time defending NL champs can't be pulling that crap. Victorino has been horrible defensively all year, and I would bench him for a game or two if I was Charlie.

The Phillies are now only two games back of the Atlanta Braves in the division, and one game back in the Wild Card. The Phillies should be focused on the division, and use the Wild Card as only a fall back option. Tomorrow's game at Citi Field is a 8:05pm ET start. Kyle Kendrick will be facing off against the Mets' Mike Pelfrey.

Phillies Pathetic in Loss

The Phillies have not scored runs in games pitched by Cole Hamels all season. That did not change tonight, as the Phillies suffered a 1-0 loss to the Mets at Citi Field. Only one word came to my mind as I watched this game: Pathetic.


Knuckleballer R. A. Dickey stumped the Philly hitters all night. He gave up only one hit, and that was a single by Cole Hamels. Hamels was the only guy who showed up at the ballpark tonight for the Phils. The Phillies knocked around Dickey last week. This week, Dickey becomes Phil Niekro. I don't get it. Same hitters, same pitcher, different result.

Hamels pitched wonderfully, tossing an 8-inning complete game. He gave up only one run on five hits, and Cole struck out eight. If I was Cole, I would be frustrated with the hitters. Every fifth day they don't show up, and it happens to be the day Hamels pitches. I would challenge the hitters by dissing them in interviews and such.

Roy Halladay will be on the mound for the Phils tomorrow, facing off against the Mets' Pat Misch at Citi. That one will be a 7:10pm ET start.

Oswalt Wins in Home Debut

Roy Oswalt pitched in his first game in Citizens Bank Park tonight, and also won his first game in a Phillie uniform. Oswalt pitched seven strong innings, giving up five hits, and striking out five. Oswalt had great control of his pitches, throwing 109 pitches, 73 of them strikes. The Phillies won their 63rd game 2-0, shutting out the Dodgers.

The Phillies broke the scoreless tie in the 4th, when Placido Polanco scored on a grounder/fielder's choice by Domonic Brown. Not much offense for the Phillies tonight. Raul Ibanez knocked in Mike Sweeney in the 6th with a deep double to left-center field.

Injury News: Ross Gload was injured in tonight's game while running to second. It looks like a groin injury. He will have an MRI tomorrow.

Chase Utley was cleared to start hitting today for the first time since he hurt his thumb on June 28th. Assistant general manager Scott Proefrock said that the timetable for still the same as it was when Chase had his surgery. I would expect him back in two weeks.

Phillies, Ibanez Slay Mets

The Phillies just edged past the Mets 6-5 in today's ballgme. Raul Ibanez lead the charge for the Phillies, hitting a 3-run home run in the 3rd inning. Roy Halladay picked up the win even though he gave up five runs. The Phillies remain two games back in the division because of the Braves win against the Giants. They are however only half a game behind the Giants in the wild card.

The first two hitters in the Mets lineup gave Halladay grief all day. Each had two hits and terrorized on the base paths. Pagan stole second and third in the first inning. Halladay struggled in that first inning, giving up two runs.

In the bottom of the 2nd, Jayson Werth hit a deep drive to center field. Carlos Beltran staggered back to catch it but slammed the center field fence. Very funny moment for us Philly fans. Beltran did not even expect the wall. That's why they have the warning track there, Carlos. The ball ended up in the vines climbing up the brick wall beyond the center field fence.

Raul Ibanez has a 16-game hitting streak

The Phillies batted around for five runs in the 3rd inning. Raul Ibanez had the big blow in the inning, hitting a 3-run homer of knuckleballer R.A. Dickey. Knuckballers have had success against the Phillies this season, but Dickey had none today. Ross Gload and Brian Schneider also had RBI singles in the inning.

Halladay more or less cruised along until the 7th inning, when the Mets cut the Phillies three run lead to two. Halladay did not have his best stuff today but he held in there and got the win. The Phillies finally scored runs for their ace and he did just enough to supplement those runs.

Then came Brad Lidge with a one run lead in the 9th. Josh Thole singled to open the inning, oh no. Brad then got the next three Mets to make an out and end the game. The tying run got to third base but no further.

Raul has a 16-game hitting streak going. He has really stepped up in the absence of Ryan Howard. Here is Ibanez (all quotes acquired from espn.com): "There's a lot of stuff that you do, and the harder you look, the less you find. You have to back off and trust everything you've done. Less is more. The most important thing is to relax through the swing.

"Character is the key. This team has a mentality that I haven't seen on other teams. It's a light-enough clubhouse where a lot isn't said, and nobody presses to do more. You just try and contribute in any way that you can. We have a lot of guys doing that."

Here is the winning pitcher from the game, Roy Halladay: "I'm happy with the win. Obviously, it's about winning games. Even in the seventh, I felt like I made two good pitches to start the inning. I ended up making pitches after that that cost me. The bullpen picked me up. It's a little easier getting to sleep at night taking a win out of it."

The Phillies took two out of three from the Mets at Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies have an off-day tomorrow and then start a three-game series with the Dodgers at the Bank.

Phillies Add Sweeney

The Phillies have acquired first baseman Mike Sweeney off waivers from the Seattle Mariners today in exchange for a player-to-be-named or cash. The deal was first reported by Jon Paul Morosi of Fox Sports. Sweeney will be able to help the Phillies off the bench or at first base while Ryan Howard is injured.

Sweeney is batting .263 with 6 home runs and 18 RBIs. Sweeney, a righty, is 37-years old and on the downside of his career. Sweeney made five all-star teams while with the Kansas City Royals in the early 2000s. He has struggled with injuries the last few years however.

Here's Charlie Manuel on Sweeney (all quotes from csnphilly.com): “He knows how to hit and he’s got some power. He can help us right now and off the bench later."

Ruben Amaro Jr.: “I don’t know if we had to do anything, but this will help. He can hit. He always could hit. “He’s a great makeup guy. He’s never played in the playoffs. He’s really excited about coming here. He views this as a pretty neat opportunity for himself.”

The Phillies sent down John Mayberry Jr. to make room for Sweeney. This is a solid move to help the bench. Sweeney is a better righty bat than both Ben Francisco and Cody Ransom. He has some power and he can hit lefties... sounds good to me

Marlin Errors Lead To Phils Win

While only a single error will appear in the box score for the Marlins, defense mistakes all around the field for the Fish contributed greatly towards a Phillies win.  The final score stood at 6-1, with the Phillies winning their second straight game.  Couple this win with a loss from the Braves, and the Phillies are now only 2 games back of first place.

Carlos Ruiz was the offensive star for the Phils tonight, going 3-5 with a homer and 2 RBIs.  Ben Francisco and Ruiz hit back-to-back homers in the second inning.  After Carlos doubled in the 4th, "Chooooch" chants arose all around the ballpark, with so many Phillies fans in attendance in Florida.

Roy Halladay made his first start in Sun Life Stadium since his perfect game.  He pitched wonderfully, pitching seven strong innings, giving up an earned run, and striking out nine.  Halladay also hit a 2-run double in the 4th.  After the Marlins decided to walk Wilson Valdez to get to Halladay, Roy hit a shot down the foul line.

The Marlins didn't do much to help their cause on the field.  Cody Ross looked like he was lost when Ruiz hit a deep fly to center, and the ball wound up 25 feet from him.  That lead to Halladay's 2-run single.  Dan Uggla also made a series of defensive gaffes.

This win was the only bright spot on a gloomy day for the Phillies.  They will be without the services of Ryan Howard for at least the next 15 days.  The offense showed up tonight, but will the hole in the middle of the lineup rear it's ugly head in the next two weeks? 

Howard Placed on DL

Ryan Howard has been placed on the 15-day disabled list, according to Jim Salsbury of csn.com. Howard injured his ankle on Sunday against the Nationals while trying to get back to the second base bag. Howard was in Philadelphia today seeing doctors and testing the ankle.

This is a major blow to an already depleted Phillies lineup. With Howard now on the DL, every starting infielder has spent some part of the season on the disabled list. Ryan has been the only consistent bat all season in the Phillies lineup. He is hitting .292, with 23 homers and 81 RBIs.

John Mayberry Jr. has been called up from triple-A to replace Howard on the roster. Righty Cody Ransom and lefty Ross Gload will likely platoon at first until Howard can return.

Daily Roundup: 5/9/10

Phils Edge Braves: Brad Lidge saved his first game of the season today, in the Phillies 5-3 win over Atlanta. The Phillies took two of three from the Braves in this series. Hamels went 5 innings and gave up 3 runs on 8 hits. He worked out of some jams but the Braves finally got to him in the 5th. The Braves knocked Hamels for 3 runs on 4 hits in the inning. The Phillies bullpen held up though, not giving up a hit.

Jayson Werth is continuing to pound the baseball. He hit a towering drive over the left field wall in the 3rd inning, his 7th homer of the year. Placido Polanco is starting to get his swing back also. He had 2 hits in ballgame, including a solo home run. The Phillies will head to Colorado tomorrow and play the Rockies tomorrow at 8:40pm EST.

Perfect Game: Oakland Athletics pitcher Dallas Braden threw a perfect game today. Braden faced 27 Rays and put each one of them down. This is only the 19th perfect game in MLB history. Braden also threw it against the Rays, one of the best teams in baseball. Braden was seen hugging his grandmother after the game. Sadly, Braden's mother died when he was a teenager.

Braden: "Pretty cool. I don't know what to think about it just yet. There's definitely a select group. I'd like to have a career more than today."

Go Flyers!!!!!!!

Daily Roundup: 5/4/10

Ruiz Wins Game: Carlos Ruiz hit a game-winning home run in the bottom of the 10th inning to propel the Phillies over the St. Louis Cardinals. Ruiz's blast just cleared the fences as it settled in the first row. Ruiz was mobbed at home plate and smacked in the face with pies from Shane Victorino and Greg Dobbs. Certainly a great way to send the Philly fans home with a 2-1 win.

Cole Hamels faired very well in the game. Hamels pitched 8+ innings, allowed one run, and struck out 8. Adam Wainwright was equally dominant for the Cardinals, allowing 1 in 8 innings. Carlos Ruiz drove in the only 2 runs the Phillies scored. The first RBI by Carlos came on a sacrifice fly.

Phillies Fan Tasered: On radio shows all over the country today, people debated whether security should have tasered a 17-year old who ran out onto the field. This is a complicated issue. On one hand, the security has to protect the players and coaches. There is no way to know whether the intruder has any weapons hon him.

On the other hand, the use of a taser is a bit harsh. The usual tackle does the trick. I'm going back and forth on this one. Leave a comment and let me know what you think. Another fan entered the field of play during tonight's game, but no taser was needed because he gave himself in.


Not much news today besides the Phillies game. Check out tomorrow for posts on the Flyers and Phillies games.

Daily Roundup: 5/3/10

Phillies Lose 6-3: In Joe Blanton's first start of the season, the Phillies let down the sold out crowd at the Bank. Big Joe pitched 6 2/3 innings, gave up 10 hits, 4 runs, and struck out 4. Not bad for a guy who hasn't started a game for the Phils since the spring. He pitched six strong innings, giving up only 1 run. He fell apart in the 7th. He gave up a homer and two hits before getting pulled in favor of Nelson Figueroa.

Nelson did not help out Big Joe. He threw a wild pitch then intentionally walked Matt Holliday to load the bases. David Freese cleared the bases with a 3-run double. Two of the runs were charged to Blanton. Figueroa gave up another run for good measure.

The Phils did hit two homers, but they were both solo shots.

Sixers Coaching Search: The Sixers are continuing to talk to potential coaching candidates. Today they met with Avery Johnson. Johnson was also in the mix last year when the job was open. The Sixers have also contacted Mark Jackson, a TV analyst who has never been a head coach in the NBA. The Sixers met with Doug Collins, who has coached in the NBA and played with the Sixers.

Sixers GM Ed Stefanski: "We had an informative meeting and open dialogue with Avery today regarding our head coaching position. His reputation as a motivator and accomplishments as a head coach in the NBA are well-known and I certainly want to thank him for taking the time to meet with us."

Coming up tomorrow: Eagles training camp update, Phillies continue series against Cardinals, and Sixers continue to search for coach.

Phillies Pound Santana

http://www.flickr.com/photos/keithallison/ / CC BY-SA 2.0

The Phillies bats are awake. After Saturday's 10-0 win and last night's 11-5 win, they are more than awake. The Phillies knocked around Mets ace Johan Santana for 10 earned runs, 9 in the 4th inning. The Phillies handed Santana his worst start of his career.

The night started off bad for the Phils. Moyer gave up a 3-run homer to Met 3rd baseman David Wright. It looked like one of those nights for Moyer. The Phils counter punched with two home runs of their own in the bottom of the first, hit by Placido Polcanco and Ryan Howard.

The bottom of the 4th inning last night was one of the best innings for the Phillies' batters that I've ever seen. With 2 outs in the inning, the Phillies promptly batted around. Raul Ibanez singled in Utley for the first run of the inning. With the bases loaded, in stepped Jamie Moyer (47-year old). Santana looked like he was out of the inning. Santana threw two straight balls. That got the crowd into it. Santana looked flustered as he walked Moyer, which forced in a run.

Shane Victorino was next. He knocked a one over the wall for a grand slam. One swing of the bat, and the score goes from 5-4 Mets to 8-5 Phillies. The Phils weren't done there. Polanco singled. Chase Utley then launched a mammoth blast (422 feet). Howard then singled. Werth doubled him home... 10-5 Phillies.

Jamie Moyer got lucky last night. Had the Phillies not exploded on Johan, Moyer would have been the goat today. He needs to stop giving up homers early in the game. He allowed two homers before the 4th inning yesterday. After that, he did pitch two scoreless innings, but he needs to avoid giving up the long ball.

The Cardinals visit the bank tonight. The game is scheduled for 7:05pm, but that may be delayed and/or canceled because of major storms in the Philadelphia area. Either way, the Phillies are back in first place and it feels good

Go Flyers!

Phillies Crushed by Mets

The Phillies are struggling. That is what is clearly evident after their 9-1 loss to the New York Mets. The Phillies once potent lineup melted like a glacier in Arizona against the middling Jonathon Niese. I know the Phillies have had struggles against left handers (especially when they've never faced them before), but come on, this is ridiculous.

Kyle Kendrick started the game for the Phillies. Many people believed that this was a make or break start for Kendrick. He had an averagely mediocre night. He gave up 4 runs in 5 innings. He only gave up 5 hits but the Mets battered him for 3 home runs. I am not sure if Kendrick should lose his starting job in the rotation, but he didn't show much tonight.

Rod Barajas, former Phillie, hit two homers off the Phillies. When he was with the Phillies, he didn't even hit his own weight and managed a meager four dingers. He already has five homers this season, but he still isn't batting his weight.

Charlie Manuel needs to meet with his team in an attempt to end this slump. Shane Victorino did not hustle at all on a dropped third strike. He didn't even run at first, and when he did, it was only at half-speed. Had Victorino had gone full speed, he easily would have reached first because Barajas botched the pickup. Heck, I coulda beat the throw!

Brad Lidge was uninspiring in his first outing of the season. He gave up a home run to Rod Barajas, he of the newly-found power. He did manage to get an out before giving up another hit. He was lifted from the game after that. I just hope Lidge can pull it together, now that Madson is on the DL.

This is a bad time for the Phillies to get into a rut. They have two more games against these Mets at home. Then they have a 4-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals. Well, at least we have Roy Halladay on the hill tomorrow. Maybe he's the only one who can end this slide.

Phils Lock Up Howard

http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnpaulendicott/ / CC BY 2.0

Last night was a frustrating night for Phillies fans, as the Phils blew a 3-0 to the Arizona Diamondbacks, and ultimately lost 8-6. The Phillies might just make you forget last night's loss with their big move today. The Phillies have extended first baseman Ryan Howard's contract 5 years with an option for a sixth year. Starting in 2012, the extension will pay Howard $125 over five years with a 1-year $23 million option.

This deal will make Howard the second highest paid player in the game, only behind Alex Rodriguez. I was pleasantly surprised to hear that the Phillies made this deal. This will ensure that Howard will spend all of his prime with the Philadelphia Phillies. I, along with most people, assumed that Howard would sign for top dollar after next season. As it turns out, Howard is going to get top dollar with the Phillies.

This may be the first move that makes Phillies resemble a big market team. Truth is, they should be able to lock up their players long term because they are in a pretty big market. Not only that, the Phils play in front of a packed house almost (if not every) home game. I'm happy that Howard will continue to mold his legacy in Philly and not in New York, Boston, or LA.

One sad conclusion one may draw from this is that Jayson Werth may be playing his last season in red pinstripes. Werth is a great player and a fan favorite for his gritty play, clutch hitting, and outstanding defense. With all the money that is now locked up in Howard (and the rest of the team), it will be almost impossible for the Phillies to afford Werth.

Overall, this is a great move for the Phillies. They have locked up their cleanup hitter for most of his career. Most fans were not expecting for the Phils to resign Werth anyway. But who knows, if Reuben Amaro can get Roy Halladay in Philly, maybe he can keep Werth in Philies red.

Rollins Wins it For Phils

I was going to post about this game last night, but my internet went down immediately after the game for some reason. Jimmy Rollins came up big when it mattered most, when the Phillies were down a run in the 9th. With 2 runners on and 2 out, J-Roll stroked a 99 MPH fastball into the gap in right-center field. Both runs scored and the Phillies won the ballgame with one swing of the bat.

I have seen everything now. There's nothing you can't expect from this Phillies team. I mean I was packing it up! I was getting ready to go to bed! But then Jimmy Rollins stunned the city of Philadelphia (probably LA too) and got the game-winning hit. J-Roll had looked bad all night up until that point but, Boy did he ever deliver!

I'm not going to go through my usual game summary like I do when I post right after the game. Because, by now, you have seen the highlights and read other game summaries. I will be in attendance tomorrow for Game 5. Of course, they better clinch it at the Bank tomorrow.

Cole Hamels will be on the mound against the Dodgers Vicente Padilla. Padilla, a former Phillies, has been lights-out this postseason. He pitched in Game 2, the only game the Dpdgers have won in the series. Maybe the Phillies will hit him though, since they've already seen him in the series.

Cole Hamels needs to pick his game up big time. Simple as that. He has given up 4 runs in each of his 2 starts of the postseason. He has not finished the 6th inning in either of those starts, and he has a 6.97 ERA this postseason. Let's hope he can get it together tomorrow (PLEASE!)

Cliff Lee Wows in Game 3

It's official: Philadelphia has gone from a football town to a baseball town in one stunning Sunday. The Phillies won their Game 3 matchup 11-0 over the hapless Los Angeles Dodgers (who looked more like the LA Mets tonight), while the Eagles lost to the previously-winless Oakland Raiders.

Let's not get into the Eagles, all Phillies today. Cliff Lee took the mound tonight with a mission, and that mission was certainly accomplished. Clifton Phifer Lee went 8 innings without allowing a run, and giving up only 3 hits (two to ManRam). Cliff Lee is definitely a guy you can rely on in the clutch.

The Phillies offense exploded in the 1rst inning against Hiroki Kuroda. They scored 4 runs, with the highlights being a Howard 2-run triple and a Werth 2-run home run. Howard is really driving in runs this postseason.

Cliff Lee won this game by himself though. He got a single in the bottom of the 8th, and Shane Victorino knocked him in with a mammoth home run.... Cliff Lee 1, Dodgers 0. By the way, Cliff Lee's postseason ERA in 3 career games, 0.74.

Carlos Ruiz has become a breakout star this postseason. He is batting .429 with a homer and 7 RBIs in 7 games. He wasn't known for his hitting in the regular season but he is averaging a RBI a game in the playoffs. He also made a great ice cream cone catch over the Phils dugout to end the game.

Just 2 more wins for another World Series berth. Joe Blanton will be pitching against former-Phillie Randy Wolf tomorrow. I really hope they win (even more than usual) because I'll be at Game 5, and I hope they have a chance to clinch a berth right there.

Phillies Headed to NLCS!!!!!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/loop_oh/ / CC BY-ND 2.0

The Phillies are never out of a game. That's what we learned today. Even after falling behind 4-2 in the 8th, the Phillies were not out of the game. Ryan Howard and Jayson Werth and Brad Lidge were the heroes of this 5-4 win. Here we come LA!

Our ace, Cliff Lee, was on the mound and he delivered 7 1/3 innings of 1-run ball. Cliff Lee is pitching in the 2009 playoffs like Cole Hamels did in 2008 playoffs. He was hitting his spots again tonight, absolutely dominating the Rockies.

Then in the 7th, Charlie pulled Lee in favor of Madson. He pulled off a double switch, placing Ben Francisco in left, which would prove vital. With the Phillies only up by one and with runners on 1rst and second, Madson got Tulowitzki to hit a shallow fly to left field. Ben Francsico made an amazing diving catch, saving a run. Madson did give up 3 runs in the inning, however.

So things looked bleak. The Phillies down by 2 in the 9th inning. I was gearing up for a Game 5, but the Phillies proved me wrong. Jimmy Rollins lead off the inning with an infield single. Victorino got to first on a fielder's choice. Utley walked to put runners on 1rst and 2nd with 2 outs...

Ryan Howard yanked one in right field. I thought it was gone off the bat, but instead it bounced up against the wall, TYING THE GAME. So with Ryan Howard on second, Werth was do up. He fisted one into center field, putting the Phils up by one. It was up to the bullpen....

Scotty Eyre entered the game, to the shock of us fans. Eyre rolled his ankle yesterday coming off the mound to field a bunt. But that did not deter this lovable lefty. He toughed it out and walked out to the mound in the 9th.

Eyre got the first 2 outs, but gave up 2 hits in the process. So with runners on 1rst and 2nd, Uncle Charlie called on Brad Lidge. Could Lidge get 2 saves in a row? The answer was yes, as he struck out Colorado fan favorite Troy Tulowitzki. Lidge is baaaaaaaaaack!

Phillies Pull Out CRAZY Game

The Phillies just recently finished up a victory, 6-5, over the Colorado Rockies in Game 3 of their NLDS series. That's right the game ended around 2:20am here on the East Coast. Brad Lidge actually can save games? Who knew? Carlos Ruiz's middle name is Clutch. Those are just some of the things we have learned from this game.

J. A. Happ started this game, but he didn't go very long. He really struggled in the 1rst inning, giving up 4 hits and 2 runs. He settled down a little bit but was never really hitting his spots. He had trouble throwing strikes, and really did not look well.

The back-end of the bullpen actually looked good today. Ryan Madson, Chad Durbin, and Brad Lidge all pitched scoreless inning in the 7th, 8th, and 9th. Scotty Eyre did roll his ankle while fielding a bunt. His status for the rest of the series is uncertain.

It was 5-5 heading to the 9th and the Phillies had to muster up a run. Jimmy Rollins started it all by knocking the ball to center for a single. The Flyin' Hawaiian bunted him to 2nd. Utley reached base on a "swinging bunt," Utley's hustle allowed him to beat that one out.

After replay, the ball should have been ruled a foul ball by the umpires. Instead Utley moved Rollins to 3rd and Howard hit a sac fly the next at-bat, giving the Phillies the winning run. The Phillies deserved that call. They had been cheated by the umps in the game up until that point. Matt Stairs, while pinch-hitting, had 2 balls called strikes against him when they were clearly outside. Also, Happ's strike zone was squeezed early in the game.

So the big story coming out of this game? No, it isn't the below 30° temperatures. It was Brad Lidge finally getting a save in a 1-run game, in a max-pressure situation. It wasn't easy though. Brad walked Carlos Gonzalez (aka "Philly Killer") with 1 out. Gonzalez toke second, and Lidge got Giambi to pop out.

So, with 2 outs, the Rockies best hitter, Todd Helton, had a chance to win the game. But Brad Lidge didn't give him that chance. So with 2 out and the winning run on first, Brad Lidge got Troy Tulowitzki to pop out and end the game.

Phillies-Rockies Game 3 Canceled

Tonight's Phillies-Rockies game, scheduled for tonight at Coors Field, has been canceled due to cold and snowy weather. The forecast in Denver tonight was snow and temperatures in the 20s, which would have shattered the record for the coldest playoff game (38°F) in MLB history. It would have been a messy game, and no one likes a game dictated by weather.

So here's the schedule as we know it now: Game 3- Sunday at 10:07pm ET on TBS, Game 4- Monday time TBD, Game 5 (if needed)- Tuesday. Because of this postponed game, there will not be a travel day going back to Philly for a possible Game 5.

Yesterday, Charlie Maneul announced that Pedro Martinez will pitch Game 3, and I expect that decision to stand even with the schedule change. Many people in Philadelphia are wondering if making Pedro is the right decision.

Most people thought that J. A. Happ or Joe Blanton were going to start. Many were not even considering Pedro. But Charlie was. Maybe he considered Pedro's playoff experience, or his 5-1 record with the team.

Nobody can really criticize Manuel's decision, until game time comes. Cliff Lee worked out in Game 1, maybe Pedro will work out in Game 3. Let's just hope the weather forecast changes for tomorrow night!

Phillies Take Game 1

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.