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.