Game Recap:
Cliff Lee pitched a complete game as the Phillies took a one game to none lead over the Yankees in the World Series.
What went right?
Jimmy Rollins went 1-4 with a walk and two runs scored. His throwing error in the ninth inning was the only thing that kept Cliff Lee from a shutout, however. That's bad.
Shane Victorino was 1-4 with an RBI and a run scored.
Chase Utley was 2-4 with two solo home runs. He reached base for the 26th straight playoff game, setting a new major league record.
Ryan Howard went 2-5 with an RBI.
Raul Ibanez was 1-4 with two RBI.
Cliff Lee pitched a complete game, allowing one unearned run on six hits. He didn't walk a batter and struck out ten.
What went wrong?
Pedro Feliz was 0-4. Honestly, that's about all.
Game Analysis:
So, after all the talk, all the picks and all the warmup, it was time to play some baseball. One team showed up tonight, and the other (and their fans) seemed to have one foot out the door when they got to Yankee Stadium tonight. For nine innings tonight, Cliff Lee dominated the Yankees with his best pitching performance of the playoffs. For a man who has gone 3-0 with 30 strikeouts and an ERA of 0.54, that is saying something. It was a great sign tonight when he struck out Derek Jeter on three pitches to start the game, and he was in a groove all night. Alex Rodriguez struck out three times, Mark Teixeira and Jorge Posada each went down twice and Hideki Matsui and Nick Swisher both had a strikeout as well. The only time he got into trouble was the ninth inning, when Jeter and Johnny Damon led off the inning with singles. Lee then retired Damon on a fielders choice that allowed Jeter to score and struck out Rodriguez and Posada to end the game. That's what kind of a night it was for Cliff Lee.
The offense worked well against C.C. Sabathia in the early innings, making him throw pitches and allowing the Yankee bullpen to come into play. The Phils only scored two runs off of Sabathia, but they had him at 113 pitches through seven innings, and he walked three batters as well. Chase Utley did the big damage off of Sabathia, taking two pitches into the right field seats for the only runs the Phils would need tonight. Even though the Phillies only managed those two runs, they were patient at the plate for the most part and showed that they are not going swing at bad pitches. When the Yankee bullpen came into play, it was even more obvious, as the Phils worked another three walks and four runs out of New York in two innings.
Look, this series isn't even close to over yet. It's far from it. All that tonight really boils down to was that it was a statement to everyone who thought the Phillies were going to roll over and die and the feet of the Yankees, just because they're the Yankees. Cliff Lee came out and pitched the best game I've seen him pitch, the offense worked C.C. Sabathia just like I wanted them to, and then they got to the New York bullpen, which, aside from Mariano Rivera, doesn't look as good as anyone, myself included, thought. Hopefully, this keeps the Yankee fans quiet for just one night. There's still three more wins to be had, then the Phillies get to celebrate again.
Tomorrow night is Game Two. Pedro Martinez (0-0, 0.00 ERA) is pitching for the Phillies against A.J. Burnett (0-0, 4.42 ERA). All the pressure is on New York now, so this one should be real fun.
No comments:
Post a Comment