Just a few days after losing the NLCS to the Giants, the Phillies have already started shaping their 2011 roster. CSNPhilly.com reports that the Phils have declined J.C. Romero's option for next season, making him a free agent.
Romero had some success in Philadelphia, as the Phillies picked him up off of waivers from the Boston Red Sox back in 2007. Romero pitched well that year, and then did even better in 2008, winning two World Series games for the Phils when they took down the Tampa Bay Rays. The last two years haven't been as kind to Romero. In 2009, he missed the first 50 games of the season due to a banned substance suspension, and then he battled injuries and inconsistency through the rest of that year and 2010.
This past season was Romero's worst as a Phillie, as he struggled to get right handers out all year long, and walked more batters than he struck out. Though his ERA was just 3.68, it was high enough that the Phillies feel more comfortable with Antonio Bastardo and Mike Zagurski as in house options to replace him, and the $4.5 million that they were due to pay Romero can now go towards signing another left handed relief pitcher or resigning another player that they might need (Jayson Werth). It might not be the most popular move, but it's a good one for the Phillies moving forward. Romero wasn't going to get any better, and had gone through a few different injuries over the last two years. Bastardo has shown flashes, and the Phillies can always find another left handed pitcher on the market for even less than Romero was going to make. It's not fun to see any player from the 2008 team leave, but this feels like the right move at the moment.
I'll always wish Romero luck, just as long as he's not pitching against the Phillies.
CSNPhilly.com: Phillies decline option for Romero.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Eagles Aftermath: Titans-37, Eagles-19
What happened?
Up 19-10 in the fourth quarter, the Eagles let Tennessee score 27 points in the last 13 minutes of the game and fell to 4-3 and the season.
The Good:
This won't take long.
David Akers was 4/4 on field goal attempts just a week after missing three against the Falcons.
Sav Rocca averaged almost 50 yards per punt.
Riley Cooper had three catches for 51 yards and his first NFL touchdown.
Chris Johnson had a quiet day, being held to 66 yards on 24 carries.
The Bad:
LeSean McCoy only had 48 yards on 16 carries. At just three yards a carry, that's not good enough. He did have six catches for 54 yards, though.
A week after having a career game, Jeremy Maclin caught just five passes for 42 yards.
Kevin Kolb did everything he could to give the starting job back to Michael Vick, completing 26 of 48 passes for 231 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. He also fumbled at the Tennessee three yard line in the third quarter.
The Ugly:
The fourth quarter was one of the worst that I've ever seen. The Eagles allowed Kenny Britt to run wild through their secondary, and Britt finished the day with 225 yards and three touchdowns.
Ellis Hobbs was covering Britt for most of the fourth quarter. That was a mistake.
Nate Allen got burned on the 80 yard touchdown pass to Britt, and had the worst game of his young career.
Philadelphia had four trips into the red zone, and only scored one touchdown.
The Eagles committed ten penalties, costing them 100 yards.
Once again, I have to mention the fourth quarter. 27 points in 13 minutes? Really?
The Breakdown:
Two days after this game, and I still can't quite come to terms with it. For 45 minutes, the Eagles had handled the Titans, with the defense sacking Kerry Collins three times, intercepting him twice and forcing him to fumble as well. Then, after a David Akers field goal, his fourth of the day, things went south in a hurry. Kenny Britt caught an 80 yard touchdown pass on the next offensive play, and from that point out, the Eagles couldn't stop Tennessee's offense. Every Titans drive for the rest of the game resulted in points, and by the time the dust had settled, the Titans had scored 27 points in 13 minutes, and the Eagles had been handed their worst loss of the season.
While it would be easy to pin this loss on the defense, and trust me, I'll get there, the core of this entire defeat comes down to one simple fact: the Eagles didn't perform in the red zone. Four times, Kevin Kolb got the offense down inside the Tennessee 20 yard line, and just once did they come away with a touchdown. Two times, David Akers kicked short field goals, and the other time was the turning point in the game. On third and goal from the three yard line, Kolb lost a fumble that the Titans recovered. Tennessee kicked a field goal on the ensuing drive, and while the Eagles came back down the field and answered with another field goal, the tide had turned in the game. It wasn't the only time that Kolb cost the Eagles a chance at points during the game, either. In the second quarter, Quintin Mikell forced a Kerry Collins fumble that Juqua Parker recovered. On the very next play, Kolb threw an interception at midfield. That's not what a starting quarterback in the NFL should be doing. Kolb still struggled against the Tennessee defense, and though the running game never got established and some of the play calling was predictable, it wasn't good enough. The Eagles had the Titans on the ropes for most of the game, but their failures in the red zone doomed them.
Of course, the defense in the fourth quarter was as bad as they've been all year. While they were able to shut down Chris Johnson for most of the game, Kenny Britt burned them for three touchdowns and 225 yards on seven catches. His 80 yard touchdown catch early in the fourth quarter began the Tennessee onslaught, and his 16 yard touchdown later in the quarter gave the Titans an eight point lead that they wouldn't give up. Quite simply, Ellis Hobbs should not be a starting cornerback for this team. He looked horrible against Britt, and was called for a pass interference call when the Titans were facing a second and 12 at their own one yard line that allowed them another chance. Tennessee kicked a field goal on that drive, and Kerry Collins picked on Hobbs the rest of the game. Nate Allen had his worst game as a pro, as he struggled to cover Britt as well. The only silver lining to the entire thing was that Britt was benched for part of the first half, so he didn't get a chance to set an NFL record for receiving yards. Had he played the entire game, he might have done just that.
There are no excuses for this game. This was a total team failure. The offense couldn't score touchdowns when they needed to, and the defense couldn't stop the Titans when the Eagles were up 19-10. A stop on Tennessee's drive at that point, rather than an 80 yard touchdown pass to Britt, might have allowed the Eagles to drive back down the field and score again, then who knows how the game turns out. Instead, the Eagles had a complete and total breakdown. The offense could do nothing, going three and out for most of the fourth quarter, and the defense allowed the Titans to score almost at will. It may have only been 15 minutes, but that fourth quarter could define the entire season for the Eagles. The NFC isn't very good this year, and if the Eagles had won that game, they would have been sitting at 5-2, the best record in the NFC. Now, they're at 4-3, tied for second place in the NFC East with the Redskins and they're dealing with a horrible loss against a team that they should have beaten.
The only good part about this whole thing is that the Eagles have their bye week next week. Michael Vick will be the starting quarterback again, so says Andy Reid, when the Eagles play the Colts in Week 9.
Dammit, they play the Colts next? Oh, that's not going to be fun to watch. Peyton Manning's going to have a field day if this team doesn't get their act together.
Up 19-10 in the fourth quarter, the Eagles let Tennessee score 27 points in the last 13 minutes of the game and fell to 4-3 and the season.
The Good:
This won't take long.
David Akers was 4/4 on field goal attempts just a week after missing three against the Falcons.
Sav Rocca averaged almost 50 yards per punt.
Riley Cooper had three catches for 51 yards and his first NFL touchdown.
Chris Johnson had a quiet day, being held to 66 yards on 24 carries.
The Bad:
LeSean McCoy only had 48 yards on 16 carries. At just three yards a carry, that's not good enough. He did have six catches for 54 yards, though.
A week after having a career game, Jeremy Maclin caught just five passes for 42 yards.
Kevin Kolb did everything he could to give the starting job back to Michael Vick, completing 26 of 48 passes for 231 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. He also fumbled at the Tennessee three yard line in the third quarter.
The Ugly:
The fourth quarter was one of the worst that I've ever seen. The Eagles allowed Kenny Britt to run wild through their secondary, and Britt finished the day with 225 yards and three touchdowns.
Ellis Hobbs was covering Britt for most of the fourth quarter. That was a mistake.
Nate Allen got burned on the 80 yard touchdown pass to Britt, and had the worst game of his young career.
Philadelphia had four trips into the red zone, and only scored one touchdown.
The Eagles committed ten penalties, costing them 100 yards.
Once again, I have to mention the fourth quarter. 27 points in 13 minutes? Really?
The Breakdown:
Two days after this game, and I still can't quite come to terms with it. For 45 minutes, the Eagles had handled the Titans, with the defense sacking Kerry Collins three times, intercepting him twice and forcing him to fumble as well. Then, after a David Akers field goal, his fourth of the day, things went south in a hurry. Kenny Britt caught an 80 yard touchdown pass on the next offensive play, and from that point out, the Eagles couldn't stop Tennessee's offense. Every Titans drive for the rest of the game resulted in points, and by the time the dust had settled, the Titans had scored 27 points in 13 minutes, and the Eagles had been handed their worst loss of the season.
While it would be easy to pin this loss on the defense, and trust me, I'll get there, the core of this entire defeat comes down to one simple fact: the Eagles didn't perform in the red zone. Four times, Kevin Kolb got the offense down inside the Tennessee 20 yard line, and just once did they come away with a touchdown. Two times, David Akers kicked short field goals, and the other time was the turning point in the game. On third and goal from the three yard line, Kolb lost a fumble that the Titans recovered. Tennessee kicked a field goal on the ensuing drive, and while the Eagles came back down the field and answered with another field goal, the tide had turned in the game. It wasn't the only time that Kolb cost the Eagles a chance at points during the game, either. In the second quarter, Quintin Mikell forced a Kerry Collins fumble that Juqua Parker recovered. On the very next play, Kolb threw an interception at midfield. That's not what a starting quarterback in the NFL should be doing. Kolb still struggled against the Tennessee defense, and though the running game never got established and some of the play calling was predictable, it wasn't good enough. The Eagles had the Titans on the ropes for most of the game, but their failures in the red zone doomed them.
Of course, the defense in the fourth quarter was as bad as they've been all year. While they were able to shut down Chris Johnson for most of the game, Kenny Britt burned them for three touchdowns and 225 yards on seven catches. His 80 yard touchdown catch early in the fourth quarter began the Tennessee onslaught, and his 16 yard touchdown later in the quarter gave the Titans an eight point lead that they wouldn't give up. Quite simply, Ellis Hobbs should not be a starting cornerback for this team. He looked horrible against Britt, and was called for a pass interference call when the Titans were facing a second and 12 at their own one yard line that allowed them another chance. Tennessee kicked a field goal on that drive, and Kerry Collins picked on Hobbs the rest of the game. Nate Allen had his worst game as a pro, as he struggled to cover Britt as well. The only silver lining to the entire thing was that Britt was benched for part of the first half, so he didn't get a chance to set an NFL record for receiving yards. Had he played the entire game, he might have done just that.
There are no excuses for this game. This was a total team failure. The offense couldn't score touchdowns when they needed to, and the defense couldn't stop the Titans when the Eagles were up 19-10. A stop on Tennessee's drive at that point, rather than an 80 yard touchdown pass to Britt, might have allowed the Eagles to drive back down the field and score again, then who knows how the game turns out. Instead, the Eagles had a complete and total breakdown. The offense could do nothing, going three and out for most of the fourth quarter, and the defense allowed the Titans to score almost at will. It may have only been 15 minutes, but that fourth quarter could define the entire season for the Eagles. The NFC isn't very good this year, and if the Eagles had won that game, they would have been sitting at 5-2, the best record in the NFC. Now, they're at 4-3, tied for second place in the NFC East with the Redskins and they're dealing with a horrible loss against a team that they should have beaten.
The only good part about this whole thing is that the Eagles have their bye week next week. Michael Vick will be the starting quarterback again, so says Andy Reid, when the Eagles play the Colts in Week 9.
Dammit, they play the Colts next? Oh, that's not going to be fun to watch. Peyton Manning's going to have a field day if this team doesn't get their act together.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
NLCS Game Six Recap: Giants-3, Phillies-2
Game Recap:
Juan Uribe hit a two out, solo home run in the top of the eighth inning, and Brian Wilson recorded a five out save to eliminate the Phillies from the playoffs and send the Giants to the World Series.
What went right?
Roy Oswalt pitched well, allowing two runs (one earned) on nine hits in six innings. He didn't walk a batter and struck out five.
Yeah, that's it.
What went wrong?
Ryan Howard had two hits, but struck out three times, including the last out of the series with the bat on his shoulder.
Carlos Ruiz was 0-3.
Jayson Werth went 0-2. He drove in a run, but also struck out in the eighth inning.
The Phillies left 11 men on base.
Oh, and the season is over. Did I mention that yet?
Game Analysis:
When people look back at the 2010 NLCS, they should notice one thing, after the great pitching efforts on both sides, and that's the missed chances by the Phillies in each and every game that they lost. That was the theme during this series, and it's one that is going to stick with the Phils throughout the offseason until next year's Spring Training starts. Last night was no different, as the Phillies wasted chance after chance, and the San Francisco Giants took advantage of a few mistakes to eliminate the Phils and head to the World Series.
Last night started out so well, too. Roy Oswalt struck out two of the first three batters he faced, and the Phillies scored two quick runs on a double by Chase Utley and a sacrifice fly by Jayson Werth. Jonathan Sanchez only lasted two innings before the Phillies chased him from the game, and though Oswalt had given up hits in the first two innings, he was able to get out of trouble. Then came the third inning. Sanchez started things off with a single, and then Andres Torres hit a ball towards Shane Victorino that he should have caught. Instead, it got away from Shane, and the Giants ended up with two men on and no one out. A sacrifice by Freddy Sanchez moved the runners, and a single by Aubrey Huff scored Sanchez, while Torres was thrown out at the plate. Then, Buster Posey hit a ball to third that should have ended the inning. Instead, Placido Polanco's throw to first was low, and Ryan Howard couldn't scoop the ball. Another run scored and the game was tied. Unlike the Phillies, the Giants took advantage of mistakes, and the third inning was no exception.
For the rest of the game, the story was more about what the Phillies couldn't do than what the Giants could, because neither team was able to do much. The Phillies left two runners on base in the third inning, had the bases loaded in the fifth, put a runner on third with one out in the sixth, and had two on in the eighth and ninth innings. None of those men came around to score. That's the story of the game, and the series, right there. Ryan Howard, who just last year told his teammates to get him to the plate so he could deliver a go ahead hit, struck out looking this year with two on in the bottom of the ninth inning on a 3-2 pitch. Howard didn't have a single RBI during the playoffs, though he did hit pretty well. The rest of the team in front of him couldn't get on base, and when they did, it seemed like his bat would go cold. That was huge in this series.
I have nothing bad to say about the pitching for the Phillies. When you have Roy Halladay throw almost five innings on a pulled groin, and Roy Oswalt pitch just two days after coming out of the bullpen and go six innings, along with a bullpen that was almost lights out in every game, there's no faults here. Yes, Ryan Madson gave up the series winning home run, but it wasn't like it was a tape measure shot. It was a ball that just found the first row in the right field stands. The Phillies have hit plenty of home runs like that one at home, so to have it come back and bite them shouldn't be too much of a surprise. Oswalt didn't have his best stuff last night, and he got hit early and often, but he did enough to get through six innings and allow just two runs. That's still a good showing for him.
Before the series started, I said that the Phillies would have to take advantage of every mistake that the Giants made. The Phils did that in the NLDS when they took care of the Reds, but they couldn't do it against San Francisco, and that's why the Giants are the team heading to the World Series. Poor defense, a lack of clutch hitting and just overall sloppy baseball doomed the Phillies from Game One of this NLCS. For the first time since the 2007 season, the Phillies have to watch someone else represent the National League in the World Series. This year is over, but there's going to be a lot of questions still to come.
No more games this year, no more pitching matchups, previews or anything like that. For the next 125 days, baseball is over in Philadelphia. That sucks.
Juan Uribe hit a two out, solo home run in the top of the eighth inning, and Brian Wilson recorded a five out save to eliminate the Phillies from the playoffs and send the Giants to the World Series.
What went right?
Roy Oswalt pitched well, allowing two runs (one earned) on nine hits in six innings. He didn't walk a batter and struck out five.
Yeah, that's it.
What went wrong?
Ryan Howard had two hits, but struck out three times, including the last out of the series with the bat on his shoulder.
Carlos Ruiz was 0-3.
Jayson Werth went 0-2. He drove in a run, but also struck out in the eighth inning.
The Phillies left 11 men on base.
Oh, and the season is over. Did I mention that yet?
Game Analysis:
When people look back at the 2010 NLCS, they should notice one thing, after the great pitching efforts on both sides, and that's the missed chances by the Phillies in each and every game that they lost. That was the theme during this series, and it's one that is going to stick with the Phils throughout the offseason until next year's Spring Training starts. Last night was no different, as the Phillies wasted chance after chance, and the San Francisco Giants took advantage of a few mistakes to eliminate the Phils and head to the World Series.
Last night started out so well, too. Roy Oswalt struck out two of the first three batters he faced, and the Phillies scored two quick runs on a double by Chase Utley and a sacrifice fly by Jayson Werth. Jonathan Sanchez only lasted two innings before the Phillies chased him from the game, and though Oswalt had given up hits in the first two innings, he was able to get out of trouble. Then came the third inning. Sanchez started things off with a single, and then Andres Torres hit a ball towards Shane Victorino that he should have caught. Instead, it got away from Shane, and the Giants ended up with two men on and no one out. A sacrifice by Freddy Sanchez moved the runners, and a single by Aubrey Huff scored Sanchez, while Torres was thrown out at the plate. Then, Buster Posey hit a ball to third that should have ended the inning. Instead, Placido Polanco's throw to first was low, and Ryan Howard couldn't scoop the ball. Another run scored and the game was tied. Unlike the Phillies, the Giants took advantage of mistakes, and the third inning was no exception.
For the rest of the game, the story was more about what the Phillies couldn't do than what the Giants could, because neither team was able to do much. The Phillies left two runners on base in the third inning, had the bases loaded in the fifth, put a runner on third with one out in the sixth, and had two on in the eighth and ninth innings. None of those men came around to score. That's the story of the game, and the series, right there. Ryan Howard, who just last year told his teammates to get him to the plate so he could deliver a go ahead hit, struck out looking this year with two on in the bottom of the ninth inning on a 3-2 pitch. Howard didn't have a single RBI during the playoffs, though he did hit pretty well. The rest of the team in front of him couldn't get on base, and when they did, it seemed like his bat would go cold. That was huge in this series.
I have nothing bad to say about the pitching for the Phillies. When you have Roy Halladay throw almost five innings on a pulled groin, and Roy Oswalt pitch just two days after coming out of the bullpen and go six innings, along with a bullpen that was almost lights out in every game, there's no faults here. Yes, Ryan Madson gave up the series winning home run, but it wasn't like it was a tape measure shot. It was a ball that just found the first row in the right field stands. The Phillies have hit plenty of home runs like that one at home, so to have it come back and bite them shouldn't be too much of a surprise. Oswalt didn't have his best stuff last night, and he got hit early and often, but he did enough to get through six innings and allow just two runs. That's still a good showing for him.
Before the series started, I said that the Phillies would have to take advantage of every mistake that the Giants made. The Phils did that in the NLDS when they took care of the Reds, but they couldn't do it against San Francisco, and that's why the Giants are the team heading to the World Series. Poor defense, a lack of clutch hitting and just overall sloppy baseball doomed the Phillies from Game One of this NLCS. For the first time since the 2007 season, the Phillies have to watch someone else represent the National League in the World Series. This year is over, but there's going to be a lot of questions still to come.
No more games this year, no more pitching matchups, previews or anything like that. For the next 125 days, baseball is over in Philadelphia. That sucks.
Friday, October 22, 2010
NLCS Game Five Recap: Phillies-4, Giants-2
Game Recap:
Roy Halladay pitched six innings, including four with a pulled groin, and the Phillies scored three runs in the third inning off of Tim Lincecum to take Game Five of the NCLS and force the series back to Philadelphia.
What went right?
Placido Polanco went 1-3 with an RBI.
Shane Victorino may have gone 0-5, but he drove in a run in the third inning and then scored as well.
Jayson Werth was 1-4 with a solo home run in the ninth.
Raul Ibanez started tonight, and went 2-4 with a run scored.
The bullpen was outstanding tonight. Jose Contreras, J.C. Romero, Ryan Madson and Brad Lidge worked three scoreless innings, with Madson striking out the side in the eighth inning, and Lidge saving his 12th playoff game for the Phils.
What went wrong?
Ryan Howard went 0-4 with three strikeouts. He also committed an error at first base.
Roy Halladay pulled his groin muscle in the second inning, but refused to be pulled from the game. He's likely unable to pitch now until a potential Game One of the World Series.
Game Analysis:
The Phillies found themselves in unfamiliar territory tonight, down to their last game in the NLCS. Not only did they have that facing them, but they also had to deal with Tim Lincecum, who, in case you didn't know, has won the last two National League Cy Young Awards. Well, things didn't go as smoothly as Phillie fans may have hoped, but the end result was still a 4-2 win for the Phillies and a trip back to Philadelphia for Game Six on Saturday.
Their have been a few plays throughout this entire series that have changed the momentum of the games. Tonight was no exception, only this time, the play was in favor of the Phillies. After Raul Ibanez singled and Carlos Ruiz was hit by a pitch on an 0-2 count in the third inning, Roy Halladay stepped to the plate to attempt a sacrifice bunt. Halladay's bunt attempt looked to roll foul as it hit home plate, but the umpire called it fair. Halladay didn't run, but Ibanez and Ruiz did, and Pablo Sandoval couldn't get back to third in time. One batter later, Shane Victorino's ground ball to first base was booted badly by Aubrey Huff, and two runs scored, giving the Phillies a lead that they would never give back. Was the ball that Halladay bunted foul? It sure looked like it, but that's not the way that the call went on the field. The Giants have had a few of those calls go their way in this series, so it's nice to see one go the way of the Phils this time out. Regardless, the Phillies actually took advantage of the miscue and scored three times in the third inning off of Tim Lincecum.
Those three runs would be the only ones that the Phils would get until the ninth inning. Fortunately, Jayson Werth nailed a solo home run down the right field line to give the Phillies an insurance run. It wasn't necessary, but it gave Brad Lidge some breathing room going into the bottom of the ninth inning and quieted the San Francisco fans a little bit more. Werth has been scuffling this entire series, but tonight, with just one hit, he may have helped turn things around. Plus, he nailed Cody Ross trying to get to third on a fly ball in the fourth inning. If Werth and Raul Ibanez can keep playing like they did last night, just maybe the rest of the bats can start to warm up, too. They needed to tonight, due to Ryan Howard's awful showing at the plate. Howard still doesn't have a run batted in during the playoffs, if you can believe that.
Hopefully, Roy Halladay's groin issue will be minor, because even with it bothering him tonight, he looked ok out on the mound. You could tell early that something was bothering him, but with a game like this on the line, he wasn't going to come out of the game. Halladay couldn't get a great feel for the strike zone and had to rely more on his off speed pitches than his fastball, but he got the job done, striking out five and walking two in six innings of work. This might be the last time we see Halladay on the mound this year. Hopefully it isn't, but if it is, it's been a hell of a season for Roy, and pitching four innings of solid baseball with a pulled groin is the icing on the cake.
There's not much that can be said about the bullpen tonight. Jose Contreras, J.C. Romero, Ryan Madson and Brad Lidge were great in their three innings of work. Contreras was the only one that allowed a runner to reach base, but nothing came of it. Then, Ryan Madson struck out the side in the eighth inning, allowing Brad Lidge to do his thing and save the game in the ninth. Madson and Lidge tonight looked more like the 2008 versions of themselves than at any point since that season two years ago. Madson was on point with almost every pitch, and Lidge had the Giants guessing at his pitches. That's what the Phillies are going to need out of their bullpen if they want to complete any type of comeback. They can't have what happened in Game Four happen again in this series. If they do, the Giants will be celebrating in Philadelphia.
Everyone just has to remember that it's one game at a time right now. The Phillies needed to win Game Five to force Game Six, and they did that. Now, they have to win Game Six to force a Game Seven. Can they do it? Of course they can. If they can get a break or two, like they did tonight, and actually get some timely hitting from the offense, then the pitching will do enough to carry them through. It won't be Roy Halladay, but Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels aren't bad second and third options, either. Game Six is Saturday in Philadelphia. The Flyers already managed to pull a miracle this year, let's see if the magic can carry over to the Phillies.
Roy Oswalt (1-1, 3.29 ERA) should be going for the Phillies. Jonathan Sanchez (0-1, 2.03 ERA) is going for the Giants. The Phils aren't dead yet, and hopefully Oswalt can keep it that way.
Roy Halladay pitched six innings, including four with a pulled groin, and the Phillies scored three runs in the third inning off of Tim Lincecum to take Game Five of the NCLS and force the series back to Philadelphia.
What went right?
Placido Polanco went 1-3 with an RBI.
Shane Victorino may have gone 0-5, but he drove in a run in the third inning and then scored as well.
Jayson Werth was 1-4 with a solo home run in the ninth.
Raul Ibanez started tonight, and went 2-4 with a run scored.
The bullpen was outstanding tonight. Jose Contreras, J.C. Romero, Ryan Madson and Brad Lidge worked three scoreless innings, with Madson striking out the side in the eighth inning, and Lidge saving his 12th playoff game for the Phils.
What went wrong?
Ryan Howard went 0-4 with three strikeouts. He also committed an error at first base.
Roy Halladay pulled his groin muscle in the second inning, but refused to be pulled from the game. He's likely unable to pitch now until a potential Game One of the World Series.
Game Analysis:
The Phillies found themselves in unfamiliar territory tonight, down to their last game in the NLCS. Not only did they have that facing them, but they also had to deal with Tim Lincecum, who, in case you didn't know, has won the last two National League Cy Young Awards. Well, things didn't go as smoothly as Phillie fans may have hoped, but the end result was still a 4-2 win for the Phillies and a trip back to Philadelphia for Game Six on Saturday.
Their have been a few plays throughout this entire series that have changed the momentum of the games. Tonight was no exception, only this time, the play was in favor of the Phillies. After Raul Ibanez singled and Carlos Ruiz was hit by a pitch on an 0-2 count in the third inning, Roy Halladay stepped to the plate to attempt a sacrifice bunt. Halladay's bunt attempt looked to roll foul as it hit home plate, but the umpire called it fair. Halladay didn't run, but Ibanez and Ruiz did, and Pablo Sandoval couldn't get back to third in time. One batter later, Shane Victorino's ground ball to first base was booted badly by Aubrey Huff, and two runs scored, giving the Phillies a lead that they would never give back. Was the ball that Halladay bunted foul? It sure looked like it, but that's not the way that the call went on the field. The Giants have had a few of those calls go their way in this series, so it's nice to see one go the way of the Phils this time out. Regardless, the Phillies actually took advantage of the miscue and scored three times in the third inning off of Tim Lincecum.
Those three runs would be the only ones that the Phils would get until the ninth inning. Fortunately, Jayson Werth nailed a solo home run down the right field line to give the Phillies an insurance run. It wasn't necessary, but it gave Brad Lidge some breathing room going into the bottom of the ninth inning and quieted the San Francisco fans a little bit more. Werth has been scuffling this entire series, but tonight, with just one hit, he may have helped turn things around. Plus, he nailed Cody Ross trying to get to third on a fly ball in the fourth inning. If Werth and Raul Ibanez can keep playing like they did last night, just maybe the rest of the bats can start to warm up, too. They needed to tonight, due to Ryan Howard's awful showing at the plate. Howard still doesn't have a run batted in during the playoffs, if you can believe that.
Hopefully, Roy Halladay's groin issue will be minor, because even with it bothering him tonight, he looked ok out on the mound. You could tell early that something was bothering him, but with a game like this on the line, he wasn't going to come out of the game. Halladay couldn't get a great feel for the strike zone and had to rely more on his off speed pitches than his fastball, but he got the job done, striking out five and walking two in six innings of work. This might be the last time we see Halladay on the mound this year. Hopefully it isn't, but if it is, it's been a hell of a season for Roy, and pitching four innings of solid baseball with a pulled groin is the icing on the cake.
There's not much that can be said about the bullpen tonight. Jose Contreras, J.C. Romero, Ryan Madson and Brad Lidge were great in their three innings of work. Contreras was the only one that allowed a runner to reach base, but nothing came of it. Then, Ryan Madson struck out the side in the eighth inning, allowing Brad Lidge to do his thing and save the game in the ninth. Madson and Lidge tonight looked more like the 2008 versions of themselves than at any point since that season two years ago. Madson was on point with almost every pitch, and Lidge had the Giants guessing at his pitches. That's what the Phillies are going to need out of their bullpen if they want to complete any type of comeback. They can't have what happened in Game Four happen again in this series. If they do, the Giants will be celebrating in Philadelphia.
Everyone just has to remember that it's one game at a time right now. The Phillies needed to win Game Five to force Game Six, and they did that. Now, they have to win Game Six to force a Game Seven. Can they do it? Of course they can. If they can get a break or two, like they did tonight, and actually get some timely hitting from the offense, then the pitching will do enough to carry them through. It won't be Roy Halladay, but Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels aren't bad second and third options, either. Game Six is Saturday in Philadelphia. The Flyers already managed to pull a miracle this year, let's see if the magic can carry over to the Phillies.
Roy Oswalt (1-1, 3.29 ERA) should be going for the Phillies. Jonathan Sanchez (0-1, 2.03 ERA) is going for the Giants. The Phils aren't dead yet, and hopefully Oswalt can keep it that way.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
NLCS Game Four Recap: Giants-6, Phillies-5
Game Recap:
Joe Blanton was ineffective, but it was Roy Oswalt that got the loss last night, giving up a sacrifice fly to Juan Uribe that scored Aubrey Huff and pushed the Phillies to one game from elimination.
What went right?
Placido Polanco was 2-3 with two RBI and a run scored.
Jayson Werth was 1-3 with an RBI.
Shane Victorino went 1-4, drove in a run, scored once and walked.
Ryan Madson worked one and two thirds innings of shutout baseball, striking out two while walking one.
What went wrong?
Jimmy Rollins went 1-4 with two strikeouts. He was also caught stealing twice and had an error.
Carlos Ruiz was 1-4 with three strikeouts.
Joe Blanton didn't make it out of the fifth inning, throwing only four and two thirds innings last night. He allowed three runs on five hits while walking one and striking out three.
Chad Durbin couldn't hold the slim Phils' lead in the sixth inning, allowing two runs to score on two hits and two walks.
Roy Oswalt was called on to pitch the ninth inning and got hit for his first loss of the playoffs, allowing a run to score on two hits.
The Phillies left six men on base. It's not as big of a number, but it's still important.
Game Analysis:
Well, this is not where many people thought that the Phillies would be after four games in the NLCS, was it? Last night, the Phils did what they needed to do in driving the San Francisco starting pitcher out of the game early and getting to the Giant bullpen, but the Philadelphia bullpen couldn't hold up to their end of the deal. When Aubrey Huff scored on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth inning, the Phillies found themselves down three games to one. Now, they have to win three games in a row to make it back to the World Series.
Save for the fifth inning last night, the Phillies once again wasted chance after chance on the bases. In the first inning, Placido Polanco reached after being hit by a pitch. Ryan Howard struck out to end the inning. In the second, Jimmy Rollins singled, but Ben Francisco struck out and then Rollins was caught stealing. Inning over. The Phillies got two on with one out in the fourth inning, but Jayson Werth lined out and Rollins struck out to end the threat. Even in the fifth inning, when the Phillies actually scored, they left runs on the basepaths. Carlos Ruiz was thrown out at home by Aaron Rowand on a Shane Victorino single, and Victorino failed to advance to second on the throw. Even though Victorino would later score in the inning, it's those types of plays that have haunted the Phillies throughout this series. Later in the inning, the Phils had the bases loaded with Rollins at the plate again. What did he do this time? Struck out to end the inning. When one player ends three potential scoring chances by himself, something is not right there.
Then came the top of the eighth inning. Ryan Howard doubled to start things off, and Jayson Werth followed with a double that tied the score. For a few moments, we were starting to get that Game Four magic back from the last two NLCS showdowns with the Dodgers. Not last night, though. Jimmy Rollins poppped up, and Ben Francisco and Carlos Ruiz both struck out with Werth standing on second. The potential series tying run was wasted, and the Giants wouldn't let their chance in the ninth inning go to waste. That's been the problem in this series. You can complain about missed calls or a small strike zone all you want, but the fact of the matter is that the Giants have taken advantage of what the Phillies have given them. That's what the Phillies had done in their last two trips to the playoffs, and that's not what they're doing here. Right now, it's costing them.
I have no problem with starting Joe Blanton last night, for the very reason that Blanton was going to have to throw at some point during this series. Just like the Yankees with A.J. Burnett, you don't want your three best pitchers having to go on short rest for the rest of the series. Blanton wasn't too bad while he was out there, but he didn't do enough. His last pitch of the game was an run scoring single, and that was the story of his night. Blanton never gave up the big inning, but he gave up three small innings that came back to bite the Phils. The bullpen wasn't any better, as Chad Durbin couldn't hold a lead in the sixth inning, allowing two runs to score before even recording a single out. The Phillies needed a shut down inning from Durbin after finally taking the lead, and he couldn't make it happen. Durbin has had ups and downs this season, and last night might have been his lowest point.
Then came the ninth inning. I can understand why you would bring Roy Oswalt out to pitch; it's his throw day between starts to begin with, and other than Oswalt, the only other pitcher that seemed like he was out in the bullpen was Kyle Kendrick, and we all know how things with Kendrick on the mound would have ended. Unfortunately, Oswalt wasn't nearly as sharp last night as he was in Game Two, and the Giants made him pay. They put runners on the corners, and Juan Uribe did the rest, flying out to left field, but deep enough to score Aubrey Huff. You can't really pin this on Oswalt, he did what he could with what he had last night. It still comes down again to missed chances by the offense. In every game of this series, the Phillies have had a chance to score and take the lead, or drive a pitcher out of the game. In every single game, they've wasted those chances, even in Game Two, which they won. It's been one of those series for the Phillies, but you have to remember that it's not over yet. Sure, only six teams have come back from being in a 3-1 hole in the LCS, but that means that it has happened.
It's not over until that final out is recorded. Tonight, Roy Halladay (1-1, 2.25 ERA) will try and keep the season alive against Tim Lincecum (2-0, 1.69 ERA).
Joe Blanton was ineffective, but it was Roy Oswalt that got the loss last night, giving up a sacrifice fly to Juan Uribe that scored Aubrey Huff and pushed the Phillies to one game from elimination.
What went right?
Placido Polanco was 2-3 with two RBI and a run scored.
Jayson Werth was 1-3 with an RBI.
Shane Victorino went 1-4, drove in a run, scored once and walked.
Ryan Madson worked one and two thirds innings of shutout baseball, striking out two while walking one.
What went wrong?
Jimmy Rollins went 1-4 with two strikeouts. He was also caught stealing twice and had an error.
Carlos Ruiz was 1-4 with three strikeouts.
Joe Blanton didn't make it out of the fifth inning, throwing only four and two thirds innings last night. He allowed three runs on five hits while walking one and striking out three.
Chad Durbin couldn't hold the slim Phils' lead in the sixth inning, allowing two runs to score on two hits and two walks.
Roy Oswalt was called on to pitch the ninth inning and got hit for his first loss of the playoffs, allowing a run to score on two hits.
The Phillies left six men on base. It's not as big of a number, but it's still important.
Game Analysis:
Well, this is not where many people thought that the Phillies would be after four games in the NLCS, was it? Last night, the Phils did what they needed to do in driving the San Francisco starting pitcher out of the game early and getting to the Giant bullpen, but the Philadelphia bullpen couldn't hold up to their end of the deal. When Aubrey Huff scored on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth inning, the Phillies found themselves down three games to one. Now, they have to win three games in a row to make it back to the World Series.
Save for the fifth inning last night, the Phillies once again wasted chance after chance on the bases. In the first inning, Placido Polanco reached after being hit by a pitch. Ryan Howard struck out to end the inning. In the second, Jimmy Rollins singled, but Ben Francisco struck out and then Rollins was caught stealing. Inning over. The Phillies got two on with one out in the fourth inning, but Jayson Werth lined out and Rollins struck out to end the threat. Even in the fifth inning, when the Phillies actually scored, they left runs on the basepaths. Carlos Ruiz was thrown out at home by Aaron Rowand on a Shane Victorino single, and Victorino failed to advance to second on the throw. Even though Victorino would later score in the inning, it's those types of plays that have haunted the Phillies throughout this series. Later in the inning, the Phils had the bases loaded with Rollins at the plate again. What did he do this time? Struck out to end the inning. When one player ends three potential scoring chances by himself, something is not right there.
Then came the top of the eighth inning. Ryan Howard doubled to start things off, and Jayson Werth followed with a double that tied the score. For a few moments, we were starting to get that Game Four magic back from the last two NLCS showdowns with the Dodgers. Not last night, though. Jimmy Rollins poppped up, and Ben Francisco and Carlos Ruiz both struck out with Werth standing on second. The potential series tying run was wasted, and the Giants wouldn't let their chance in the ninth inning go to waste. That's been the problem in this series. You can complain about missed calls or a small strike zone all you want, but the fact of the matter is that the Giants have taken advantage of what the Phillies have given them. That's what the Phillies had done in their last two trips to the playoffs, and that's not what they're doing here. Right now, it's costing them.
I have no problem with starting Joe Blanton last night, for the very reason that Blanton was going to have to throw at some point during this series. Just like the Yankees with A.J. Burnett, you don't want your three best pitchers having to go on short rest for the rest of the series. Blanton wasn't too bad while he was out there, but he didn't do enough. His last pitch of the game was an run scoring single, and that was the story of his night. Blanton never gave up the big inning, but he gave up three small innings that came back to bite the Phils. The bullpen wasn't any better, as Chad Durbin couldn't hold a lead in the sixth inning, allowing two runs to score before even recording a single out. The Phillies needed a shut down inning from Durbin after finally taking the lead, and he couldn't make it happen. Durbin has had ups and downs this season, and last night might have been his lowest point.
Then came the ninth inning. I can understand why you would bring Roy Oswalt out to pitch; it's his throw day between starts to begin with, and other than Oswalt, the only other pitcher that seemed like he was out in the bullpen was Kyle Kendrick, and we all know how things with Kendrick on the mound would have ended. Unfortunately, Oswalt wasn't nearly as sharp last night as he was in Game Two, and the Giants made him pay. They put runners on the corners, and Juan Uribe did the rest, flying out to left field, but deep enough to score Aubrey Huff. You can't really pin this on Oswalt, he did what he could with what he had last night. It still comes down again to missed chances by the offense. In every game of this series, the Phillies have had a chance to score and take the lead, or drive a pitcher out of the game. In every single game, they've wasted those chances, even in Game Two, which they won. It's been one of those series for the Phillies, but you have to remember that it's not over yet. Sure, only six teams have come back from being in a 3-1 hole in the LCS, but that means that it has happened.
It's not over until that final out is recorded. Tonight, Roy Halladay (1-1, 2.25 ERA) will try and keep the season alive against Tim Lincecum (2-0, 1.69 ERA).
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
NLCS Game Three Recap: Giants-3, Phillies-0
Game Recap:
Matt Cain pitched seven shutout innings for the Giants, who took Game Three of the NLCS and now lead the series 2-1.
What went right?
Even though he lost, Cole Hamels pitched well, allowing three runs on five hits in six innings. He walked one and struck out eight.
Jose Contreras pitched two shutout innings.
What went wrong?
Chase Utley was 0-4.
Placido Polanco went 0-4 and struck out once.
Jayson Werth went 0-3 with two strikeouts.
Raul Ibanez was 0-4 and struck out twice.
The Phillies only had three hits, and left seven men on base.
Game Analysis:
Just when you thought the Phillies couldn't top their showing against Tim Lincecum, they come out and play like this yesterday. Matt Cain shut down the Phillies for seven innings, and then the San Francisco bullpen did the rest. The Phillies were shut out in the playoffs for the first time since 1983, and now they're facing a 2-1 hole against the Giants.
The lineup change that seemed to work so well against Jonathan Sanchez in Game Two did nothing against Matt Cain yesterday. Of course, the Phillies still did him favors by leaving men in scoring position once again. The first two innings were uneventful, but in the third, the Phillies got two men on with two outs for Chase Utley, who proceeded to ground out. In the fourth inning, the Phils were in an even better situation, having two runners on and just one out. There was a real chance that they would be able to get a run or two on the board early and calm down the San Francisco crowd while rattling Matt Cain. Instead, Jimmy Rollins popped out and Raul Ibanez struck out, ending the last real threat that the Phillies had in the entire game.
Aside from Ryan Howard, no one on the Phillies is hitting right now, and when you're facing a team like the Giants, that's going to be a problem. Raul Ibanez doesn't have a hit in any of the first three games of this series, and Chase Utley has just one. Two of your best bats in the lineup can't hit the broad side of a barn right now, and while part of that is certainly due to the San Francisco pitching, another part of it has to be more mental than anything else. The Phillies are a team that's made their living off of hitting, and while it hasn't always been the case this year, they've still shown that they can hit when they need to. Well, they need to hit now.
You can't blame Cole Hamels for this loss. Just like most of his losses during the regular season, Hamels got no run support for a solid effort out on the mound. The bottom of the fourth inning was his downfall, which happened right after the Phillies wasted their best scoring chance of the game. Hamels walked Pat Burrell with two outs, and Cody Ross drove in yet another run in this series with a single. Burrell made it to third, and would score when Aubrey Huff's hit bounced off of Chase Utley's glove. The fifth inning was more of the same, as Hamels got two quick outs after an Aaron Rowand double, only to have Freddy Sanchez drive in Rowand with a two out hit. The Giants don't have the best offense in baseball, but when you can get clutch two out hits to drive in runs, you're going to win. The Giants have done that in their two wins. The Phillies have had their chances, but haven't been able to get it done.
Now, the Phils have their backs against the wall. Tonight's game is a must win, because Roy Halladay is pitching in Game Five with a real chance to give the Phillies a series lead if they can win Game Four. If they don't win tonight, then there's a real good chance that this series won't come back to Philadelphia.
Joe Blanton pitches for the first time in the playoffs tonight. He'll be opposed by Madison Bumgarner (1-0, 3.00 ERA).
Matt Cain pitched seven shutout innings for the Giants, who took Game Three of the NLCS and now lead the series 2-1.
What went right?
Even though he lost, Cole Hamels pitched well, allowing three runs on five hits in six innings. He walked one and struck out eight.
Jose Contreras pitched two shutout innings.
What went wrong?
Chase Utley was 0-4.
Placido Polanco went 0-4 and struck out once.
Jayson Werth went 0-3 with two strikeouts.
Raul Ibanez was 0-4 and struck out twice.
The Phillies only had three hits, and left seven men on base.
Game Analysis:
Just when you thought the Phillies couldn't top their showing against Tim Lincecum, they come out and play like this yesterday. Matt Cain shut down the Phillies for seven innings, and then the San Francisco bullpen did the rest. The Phillies were shut out in the playoffs for the first time since 1983, and now they're facing a 2-1 hole against the Giants.
The lineup change that seemed to work so well against Jonathan Sanchez in Game Two did nothing against Matt Cain yesterday. Of course, the Phillies still did him favors by leaving men in scoring position once again. The first two innings were uneventful, but in the third, the Phillies got two men on with two outs for Chase Utley, who proceeded to ground out. In the fourth inning, the Phils were in an even better situation, having two runners on and just one out. There was a real chance that they would be able to get a run or two on the board early and calm down the San Francisco crowd while rattling Matt Cain. Instead, Jimmy Rollins popped out and Raul Ibanez struck out, ending the last real threat that the Phillies had in the entire game.
Aside from Ryan Howard, no one on the Phillies is hitting right now, and when you're facing a team like the Giants, that's going to be a problem. Raul Ibanez doesn't have a hit in any of the first three games of this series, and Chase Utley has just one. Two of your best bats in the lineup can't hit the broad side of a barn right now, and while part of that is certainly due to the San Francisco pitching, another part of it has to be more mental than anything else. The Phillies are a team that's made their living off of hitting, and while it hasn't always been the case this year, they've still shown that they can hit when they need to. Well, they need to hit now.
You can't blame Cole Hamels for this loss. Just like most of his losses during the regular season, Hamels got no run support for a solid effort out on the mound. The bottom of the fourth inning was his downfall, which happened right after the Phillies wasted their best scoring chance of the game. Hamels walked Pat Burrell with two outs, and Cody Ross drove in yet another run in this series with a single. Burrell made it to third, and would score when Aubrey Huff's hit bounced off of Chase Utley's glove. The fifth inning was more of the same, as Hamels got two quick outs after an Aaron Rowand double, only to have Freddy Sanchez drive in Rowand with a two out hit. The Giants don't have the best offense in baseball, but when you can get clutch two out hits to drive in runs, you're going to win. The Giants have done that in their two wins. The Phillies have had their chances, but haven't been able to get it done.
Now, the Phils have their backs against the wall. Tonight's game is a must win, because Roy Halladay is pitching in Game Five with a real chance to give the Phillies a series lead if they can win Game Four. If they don't win tonight, then there's a real good chance that this series won't come back to Philadelphia.
Joe Blanton pitches for the first time in the playoffs tonight. He'll be opposed by Madison Bumgarner (1-0, 3.00 ERA).
Monday, October 18, 2010
NLCS Game Two Recap: Phillies-6, Giants-1
Game Recap:
Roy Oswalt pitched eight innings of one run baseball and the Phillies got to the Giants for six runs, tying the NLCS at one game a piece heading to San Francisco.
What went right?
Shane Victorino was 2-4 with a run scored.
Chase Utley walked and scored twice.
Placido Polanco was 1-3 and drove in two runs.
Ryan Howard went 2-3.
Jimmy Rollins went 2-3 with a walk and four RBI.
Roy Oswalt pitched eight innings, allowing just one run on three hits. He walked three, struck out nine, and went 1-3 at the plate, scoring a run in the seventh inning.
Ryan Madson got into a little trouble in the top of the ninth inning, but worked out of it to close out the game.
What went wrong?
Raul Ibanez was 0-4 and struck out twice.
Carlos Ruiz was 0-4 with two strikeouts.
The Phillies left eight men on base.
Game Analysis:
No matter what people want to tell you about last night's game, it wasn't necessarily a must-win for the Phillies. Before the series started, I was confident that if the Phillies could get a split out of the first two games, they would win the series. After seeing the last two games, I'm even more confident that the Phillies are going to take the NLCS and head to their third straight World Series. Why would I be able to say that after just two games that have the Phillies and Giants tied at 1-1? It's what the Phillies have shown in both games.
Coming into last night's game, Jonathan Sanchez had dominated the Phillies through his career. It's why he got the start instead of Matt Cain, who has struggled against the Phils in Philadelphia. Against Sanchez in the regular season, the Phillies have batted .157 with just a single home run and twice as many strikeouts as hits. That's not a good sign coming into the playoffs, but instead of swinging freely against Sanchez, they did exactly what they had to do in the first inning, and that was take pitch after pitch.
The plan worked almost to perfection. Chase Utley walked and stole second, and Placido Polanco reached on a Mike Fontenot error. Ryan Howard then walked, and, following a Jayson Werth strikeout, Jimmy Rollins earned a bases loaded walk to force in the first run of the game. Four batters reached base in the first inning, and none of them did so with a hit. That's not the same Phillie team that people are used to seeing, but it was effective in the first inning. Sanchez threw 36 pitches, and only allowed one run, but the damage had already been done. The only problem with the first inning was that the Phillies only scored one run. The Giants got their bullpen up in the first inning, meaning that a big start to the game would have chased Sanchez. Instead, the Phils only scored once, and Sanchez started to settle down after that. He ended up throwing six innings, and needed just 64 pitches to get through the rest of his night. Considering he threw 36 pitches in the first, that's not very good from the offense after that.
However, the small ball option that the Phillies used in the first came into play in the fifth inning as well. After the Giants tied the game in the top of the fifth, Shane Victorino started things off with a double. Two sacrifice flies by Chase Utley and Placido Polanco later, the Phillies had a lead that they weren't going to give up. The four runs in the seventh inning were icing on the cake and provided a bit of a show, thanks to Roy Oswalt running through a stop sign at third and scoring anyway, and Jimmy Rollins' bases clearing double against Sergio Romo later in the inning. The Phillies did a great job last night breaking up their normally thick left handed lineup, and it paid off right away. If Charlie Manuel was smart, he would keep the lineup just like it was last night. The Giants had to make several pitching changes, and their bullpen didn't look nearly as sharp as it did in Game One.
Then, there's Roy Oswalt on the mound. After getting hit up a little bit in his first playoff start, Oswalt was back in form from the very start of the game last night. He struck San Francisco leadoff hitter Andres Torres out all four times he faced him, fanned another five Giants and walked just three. The only mistake he made was the same mistake that Roy Halladay made twice in Game One: he pitched to Cody Ross. Ross has three hits in this NLCS, and they're all home runs on inside pitches. The Phillies have to start pitching him outside more, because he's not going to drive the ball on pitches like that. When any pitcher throws inside on Cody Ross, he has a chance to take the ball over the fence, and he's done that three times already against the Phillies. Either walk him, or pitch him outside. I don't want to see Ross hurt the Phillies anymore, because, without him, the Giants have scored just two runs in two games, and that's a good thing.
There's not much else you can say about how Roy Oswalt pitched last night. That game was the reason why the Phillies traded for Oswalt at the end of July. He's never lost a playoff start, and always seems to have his best when things are on the line. Let's be honest here, who would you rather have seen start that game: Roy Oswalt, or J.A. Happ? If any of you reading this said Happ, then you're liars. Oswalt is a big game pitcher, and big game pitchers can shut down an opposing team. Aside from Ross's home run, Oswalt allowed two meaningless singles, and talked Charlie Manuel into letting him stay in the game for Aubrey Huff in the top of the eighth inning. Oswalt had already established himself as a fan favorite in Philadelphia, but he's gaining more popularity with each game he pitches in the playoffs.
Now, the series is tied heading to San Francisco for three games. The Phillies haven't had that much success out in San Francisco of late, and they needed extra innings just to avoid being swept out there earlier this season. This isn't the same Phillies team, though. The Phils have had Tim Lincecum and Jonathan Sanchez on the ropes early in both games, and though they couldn't fully take advantage of either situation, they've set the tone for this series. The Giants may have great pitching, but the offense of the Phillies is better. As long as the Phils can make the Giants pay for a few mistakes a game, they'll be just fine for the rest of the NLCS.
Tomorrow, Cole Hamels (1-0, 0.00 ERA) pitches for the Phillies in Game Three. He'll be opposed by Matt Cain (0-0, 0.00 ERA).
Roy Oswalt pitched eight innings of one run baseball and the Phillies got to the Giants for six runs, tying the NLCS at one game a piece heading to San Francisco.
What went right?
Shane Victorino was 2-4 with a run scored.
Chase Utley walked and scored twice.
Placido Polanco was 1-3 and drove in two runs.
Ryan Howard went 2-3.
Jimmy Rollins went 2-3 with a walk and four RBI.
Roy Oswalt pitched eight innings, allowing just one run on three hits. He walked three, struck out nine, and went 1-3 at the plate, scoring a run in the seventh inning.
Ryan Madson got into a little trouble in the top of the ninth inning, but worked out of it to close out the game.
What went wrong?
Raul Ibanez was 0-4 and struck out twice.
Carlos Ruiz was 0-4 with two strikeouts.
The Phillies left eight men on base.
Game Analysis:
No matter what people want to tell you about last night's game, it wasn't necessarily a must-win for the Phillies. Before the series started, I was confident that if the Phillies could get a split out of the first two games, they would win the series. After seeing the last two games, I'm even more confident that the Phillies are going to take the NLCS and head to their third straight World Series. Why would I be able to say that after just two games that have the Phillies and Giants tied at 1-1? It's what the Phillies have shown in both games.
Coming into last night's game, Jonathan Sanchez had dominated the Phillies through his career. It's why he got the start instead of Matt Cain, who has struggled against the Phils in Philadelphia. Against Sanchez in the regular season, the Phillies have batted .157 with just a single home run and twice as many strikeouts as hits. That's not a good sign coming into the playoffs, but instead of swinging freely against Sanchez, they did exactly what they had to do in the first inning, and that was take pitch after pitch.
The plan worked almost to perfection. Chase Utley walked and stole second, and Placido Polanco reached on a Mike Fontenot error. Ryan Howard then walked, and, following a Jayson Werth strikeout, Jimmy Rollins earned a bases loaded walk to force in the first run of the game. Four batters reached base in the first inning, and none of them did so with a hit. That's not the same Phillie team that people are used to seeing, but it was effective in the first inning. Sanchez threw 36 pitches, and only allowed one run, but the damage had already been done. The only problem with the first inning was that the Phillies only scored one run. The Giants got their bullpen up in the first inning, meaning that a big start to the game would have chased Sanchez. Instead, the Phils only scored once, and Sanchez started to settle down after that. He ended up throwing six innings, and needed just 64 pitches to get through the rest of his night. Considering he threw 36 pitches in the first, that's not very good from the offense after that.
However, the small ball option that the Phillies used in the first came into play in the fifth inning as well. After the Giants tied the game in the top of the fifth, Shane Victorino started things off with a double. Two sacrifice flies by Chase Utley and Placido Polanco later, the Phillies had a lead that they weren't going to give up. The four runs in the seventh inning were icing on the cake and provided a bit of a show, thanks to Roy Oswalt running through a stop sign at third and scoring anyway, and Jimmy Rollins' bases clearing double against Sergio Romo later in the inning. The Phillies did a great job last night breaking up their normally thick left handed lineup, and it paid off right away. If Charlie Manuel was smart, he would keep the lineup just like it was last night. The Giants had to make several pitching changes, and their bullpen didn't look nearly as sharp as it did in Game One.
Then, there's Roy Oswalt on the mound. After getting hit up a little bit in his first playoff start, Oswalt was back in form from the very start of the game last night. He struck San Francisco leadoff hitter Andres Torres out all four times he faced him, fanned another five Giants and walked just three. The only mistake he made was the same mistake that Roy Halladay made twice in Game One: he pitched to Cody Ross. Ross has three hits in this NLCS, and they're all home runs on inside pitches. The Phillies have to start pitching him outside more, because he's not going to drive the ball on pitches like that. When any pitcher throws inside on Cody Ross, he has a chance to take the ball over the fence, and he's done that three times already against the Phillies. Either walk him, or pitch him outside. I don't want to see Ross hurt the Phillies anymore, because, without him, the Giants have scored just two runs in two games, and that's a good thing.
There's not much else you can say about how Roy Oswalt pitched last night. That game was the reason why the Phillies traded for Oswalt at the end of July. He's never lost a playoff start, and always seems to have his best when things are on the line. Let's be honest here, who would you rather have seen start that game: Roy Oswalt, or J.A. Happ? If any of you reading this said Happ, then you're liars. Oswalt is a big game pitcher, and big game pitchers can shut down an opposing team. Aside from Ross's home run, Oswalt allowed two meaningless singles, and talked Charlie Manuel into letting him stay in the game for Aubrey Huff in the top of the eighth inning. Oswalt had already established himself as a fan favorite in Philadelphia, but he's gaining more popularity with each game he pitches in the playoffs.
Now, the series is tied heading to San Francisco for three games. The Phillies haven't had that much success out in San Francisco of late, and they needed extra innings just to avoid being swept out there earlier this season. This isn't the same Phillies team, though. The Phils have had Tim Lincecum and Jonathan Sanchez on the ropes early in both games, and though they couldn't fully take advantage of either situation, they've set the tone for this series. The Giants may have great pitching, but the offense of the Phillies is better. As long as the Phils can make the Giants pay for a few mistakes a game, they'll be just fine for the rest of the NLCS.
Tomorrow, Cole Hamels (1-0, 0.00 ERA) pitches for the Phillies in Game Three. He'll be opposed by Matt Cain (0-0, 0.00 ERA).
Eagles Aftermath: Eagles-31, Falcons-17
What happened?
Kevin Kolb made his second straight start for Michael Vick, and looked like a number one quarterback, passing for over 300 yards and three touchdowns as he led the Eagles to an impressive victory over the Falcons.
The Good:
Kevin Kolb was excellent, completing 23 of 29 passes for 326 yards and three touchdowns.
Jeremy Maclin had his best game of the year, catching seven passes for 159 yards and two touchdowns.
DeSean Jackson scored two touchdowns for the Eagles in the first quarter before leaving the game with a concussion.
Jason Avant had five catches for 62 yards.
The defense got pressure on Matt Ryan all day long, sacking him three times, forcing an interception and getting a sack/fumble in the fourth quarter.
Trent Cole had two of those three sacks.
Asante Samuel got his second interception of the season.
The Eagles held Michael Turner to just 45 yards rushing on 15 carries.
The Bad:
DeSean Jackson had to leave the game with a severe concussion. He's more than likely out for at least next week's game.
LeSean McCoy had 64 yards on the ground, but only averaged three yards per carry.
The Eagles committed nine penalties, costing them 78 yards.
The Ugly:
David Akers had one of his worst games in quite some time, going 1/4 in field goal attempts.
The Breakdown:
Coming into this game against the Falcons, there were still a lot of questions about how the Eagles season was going to go. The Falcons were sitting at 4-1 and were riding a four game winning streak. The Eagles, meanwhile, had managed to defeat the Lions, Jaguars and 49ers, who have a combined record this year of 5-12. Needless to say, the wins for the Eagles before yesterday had come against weaker teams.
That's no longer the case, as the Eagles made a loud statement with their impressive win over Atlanta. Kevin Kolb may soon go back to being a backup, but he's certainly capable of starting in the NFL. In the last two games for the Eagles, both Kolb starts and wins, Kolb has passed for 579 yards and four touchdowns with just one interception. Kolb has completed over 67% of his passes this year, and completed 79% yesterday. That's not just good for a starting quarterback, that's elite right there. With Kolb establishing a solid passing attack that can use short and deep throws at any time, the Eagles do have a dangerous offense.
The only problem is that the offense is going to be missing one of it's bigger weapons for a little while. After scoring two touchdowns, one on the ground and one through the air, DeSean Jackson was literally knocked out by a helmet to helmet hit from Dunta Robinson. For the rest of yesterday's game, it didn't seem to matter. Kolb used the rest of his weapons, and Jeremy Maclin had a career day, going for 159 yards and two touchdowns. Maclin already has six touchdowns and 416 receiving yards this year, so he should be able to step up just fine if Jackson has to miss an extended period of time. It's too early to say that Jackson is going to be out next week, but from the hit he took, and the way that he had to be helped off the field, it doesn't look good. At least the Eagles have more than one weapon on the offensive side of the ball.
Even without Brodrick Bunkley, the Eagles came out on defense and made a statement. Atlanta has a good offense, with Matt Ryan, Tony Gonzalez, Roddy White and Michael Turner all being legitimate Pro Bowl players. Atlanta also boasts a top ten rushing attack, thanks to Turner and Jason Snelling, but yesterday, the Eagles shut down that rushing game. Turner finished with just 45 yards on 15 carries, and Snelling only got the ball three times. Once the Eagles jumped out to a 21 point lead, the Falcons had to start throwing the ball more, and Philadelphia was ready for that as well. Trent Cole got pressure on Matt Ryan for most of the day, sacking him twice and forcing a key fumble in the fourth quarter. Asante Samuel picked off his second pass of the season and Stewart Bradley also came through with a sack. Tony Gonzalez did catch two touchdown passes, but had just one catch outside of those two scores. The Eagles at least did a better job of covering him over most of the field than they did with Vernon Davis last week in San Francisco.
People are going to call this a measuring stick game for the Eagles, and with good reason. The two losses that the Eagles have had this year have come against a possible pre season Super Bowl contender and their old franchise quarterback. Now, the Eagles have beaten one of the better teams in the NFC, and they did it after losing their best wide receiver with a concussion. There's still the issue of what's going to happen to Kevin Kolb once Michael Vick is healthy again, but Kolb should at least get the start before the bye week. Vick isn't at 100% yet, and with his more physical style of play, he's going to need to be there before he can get back onto the field and make an impact again. For now, the Eagles have established themselves as at least a solid team in the NFC and are tied with the Giants for first place in the division. After six games, it's right where they want to be.
Next week, the Eagles take the show back on the road against the Tennessee Titans. The last time they played the Titans, Donovan McNabb blew out his knee, Vince Young gashed the Eagles, and my car had it's rearview mirror knocked off. I hope this game goes better.
Kevin Kolb made his second straight start for Michael Vick, and looked like a number one quarterback, passing for over 300 yards and three touchdowns as he led the Eagles to an impressive victory over the Falcons.
The Good:
Kevin Kolb was excellent, completing 23 of 29 passes for 326 yards and three touchdowns.
Jeremy Maclin had his best game of the year, catching seven passes for 159 yards and two touchdowns.
DeSean Jackson scored two touchdowns for the Eagles in the first quarter before leaving the game with a concussion.
Jason Avant had five catches for 62 yards.
The defense got pressure on Matt Ryan all day long, sacking him three times, forcing an interception and getting a sack/fumble in the fourth quarter.
Trent Cole had two of those three sacks.
Asante Samuel got his second interception of the season.
The Eagles held Michael Turner to just 45 yards rushing on 15 carries.
The Bad:
DeSean Jackson had to leave the game with a severe concussion. He's more than likely out for at least next week's game.
LeSean McCoy had 64 yards on the ground, but only averaged three yards per carry.
The Eagles committed nine penalties, costing them 78 yards.
The Ugly:
David Akers had one of his worst games in quite some time, going 1/4 in field goal attempts.
The Breakdown:
Coming into this game against the Falcons, there were still a lot of questions about how the Eagles season was going to go. The Falcons were sitting at 4-1 and were riding a four game winning streak. The Eagles, meanwhile, had managed to defeat the Lions, Jaguars and 49ers, who have a combined record this year of 5-12. Needless to say, the wins for the Eagles before yesterday had come against weaker teams.
That's no longer the case, as the Eagles made a loud statement with their impressive win over Atlanta. Kevin Kolb may soon go back to being a backup, but he's certainly capable of starting in the NFL. In the last two games for the Eagles, both Kolb starts and wins, Kolb has passed for 579 yards and four touchdowns with just one interception. Kolb has completed over 67% of his passes this year, and completed 79% yesterday. That's not just good for a starting quarterback, that's elite right there. With Kolb establishing a solid passing attack that can use short and deep throws at any time, the Eagles do have a dangerous offense.
The only problem is that the offense is going to be missing one of it's bigger weapons for a little while. After scoring two touchdowns, one on the ground and one through the air, DeSean Jackson was literally knocked out by a helmet to helmet hit from Dunta Robinson. For the rest of yesterday's game, it didn't seem to matter. Kolb used the rest of his weapons, and Jeremy Maclin had a career day, going for 159 yards and two touchdowns. Maclin already has six touchdowns and 416 receiving yards this year, so he should be able to step up just fine if Jackson has to miss an extended period of time. It's too early to say that Jackson is going to be out next week, but from the hit he took, and the way that he had to be helped off the field, it doesn't look good. At least the Eagles have more than one weapon on the offensive side of the ball.
Even without Brodrick Bunkley, the Eagles came out on defense and made a statement. Atlanta has a good offense, with Matt Ryan, Tony Gonzalez, Roddy White and Michael Turner all being legitimate Pro Bowl players. Atlanta also boasts a top ten rushing attack, thanks to Turner and Jason Snelling, but yesterday, the Eagles shut down that rushing game. Turner finished with just 45 yards on 15 carries, and Snelling only got the ball three times. Once the Eagles jumped out to a 21 point lead, the Falcons had to start throwing the ball more, and Philadelphia was ready for that as well. Trent Cole got pressure on Matt Ryan for most of the day, sacking him twice and forcing a key fumble in the fourth quarter. Asante Samuel picked off his second pass of the season and Stewart Bradley also came through with a sack. Tony Gonzalez did catch two touchdown passes, but had just one catch outside of those two scores. The Eagles at least did a better job of covering him over most of the field than they did with Vernon Davis last week in San Francisco.
People are going to call this a measuring stick game for the Eagles, and with good reason. The two losses that the Eagles have had this year have come against a possible pre season Super Bowl contender and their old franchise quarterback. Now, the Eagles have beaten one of the better teams in the NFC, and they did it after losing their best wide receiver with a concussion. There's still the issue of what's going to happen to Kevin Kolb once Michael Vick is healthy again, but Kolb should at least get the start before the bye week. Vick isn't at 100% yet, and with his more physical style of play, he's going to need to be there before he can get back onto the field and make an impact again. For now, the Eagles have established themselves as at least a solid team in the NFC and are tied with the Giants for first place in the division. After six games, it's right where they want to be.
Next week, the Eagles take the show back on the road against the Tennessee Titans. The last time they played the Titans, Donovan McNabb blew out his knee, Vince Young gashed the Eagles, and my car had it's rearview mirror knocked off. I hope this game goes better.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
NLCS Game One Recap: Giants-4, Phillies-3
Game Recap:
Cody Ross hit two home runs off of Roy Halladay, and San Francisco scored two runs with two outs in the six inning to take the first game of the NLCS.
What went right?
Chase Utley went 1-3 and scored a run.
Jayson Werth was 2-3 with a two run home run.
Carlos Ruiz was 1-3 with a solo home run.
The bullpen was solid, as both Ryan Madson and Brad Lidge worked scoreless frames.
What went wrong?
Shane Victorino was 0-5, and struck out twice.
Ryan Howard went 1-4 with three strikeouts.
Jimmy Rollins was 0-4 with three strikeouts.
Raul Ibanez was 0-3 and misplayed a ball in the outfield that led to the two runs scoring in the sixth inning.
The Phillies left seven men on base.
Game Analysis:
Sometimes, a single call can make all the difference. Despite what most Philadelphia fans want to believe, the 1-2 pitch to Pat Burrell with two outs in the top of the sixth inning last night was not the straw that broke the camel's back. Was it a strike? It could have been called one, but both Roy Halladay and Tim Lincecum hadn't been getting the low strike calls all night long. You can't argue with the impact that it had, however. Burrell took the next pitch into left, and Raul Ibanez misplayed it, allowing a run to score and giving the Giants a 3-1 lead. Juan Uribe drove home Nate Schierholtz, and just like that, San Francisco had all the runs they would need off of Roy Halladay, and the Phillies dropped their first Game One since the 2007 NLDS.
The call on Burrell was a big one, yes, but there were other moments in the game where the Phillies had chances to put the Giants, and Tim Lincecum, on the ropes. In the second inning, Ryan Howard led off with a double. When you get a runner on second base, with no one out, against one of the best pitchers in baseball, you have to take advantage. Instead, the Phillies had Jayson Werth strike out, Jimmy Rollins pop up and Raul Ibanez fly out. Howard stood at second the entire time. In the very next inning, Carlos Ruiz started things off with a home run, and Roy Halladay singled. Shane Victorino then hit into a very costly double play, because Placido Polanco ripped a double into left field that would have scored either Halladay or Victorino. Chase Utley walked, and Polacno and Utley advanced on a wild pitch, putting runners on second and third with Ryan Howard at the plate. This time, Howard struck out, leaving two more men in scoring position. The next time the Phils had a chance, they were down 4-1, and Jayson Werth's two run home run pulled them to within a single run. That's as close as they would get.
The offense has to have big at bats in this series. In the second and third innings, they had a chance to jump all over Tim Lincecum. Lincecum didn't have his best stuff last night, but the Phillies let him off the hook by swinging at bad pitches or letting hittable pitches go by. That's not what got this team this far this year, and it's not going to work against the Giants. San Francisco is too good of a team, with too solid of a pitching staff, to let that fly. When you get chances against a pitcher like that, you have to make him pay.
Speaking of not having their best stuff, Roy Halladay looked a bit more, shall we say, mortal last night. He retired the first seven Giants in order, but was leaving pitches a little bit up in the zone, and Cody Ross caught him twice for two solo home runs. It wasn't Halladay's best performance, but it wasn't his worst. He still looked sharp on the mound and didn't walk a batter. The only problem was that he threw three bad pitches in the entire game. Two of them were to Ross, and they both ended up in the left field seats. The other one was to Pat Burrell, and that ended up in Raul Ibanez's lap. Ibanez has to make that play in the sixth inning. Not only would it have saved to runs, but if Werth still hits that home run in the bottom of the inning, then the Phillies would have won the game. That right there, along with the Phillies leaving men on base in the second and third innings, made the difference last night, not the call to Burrell.
There are moments in every game where calls can make a difference, but, if you think a game is won and lost on a single missed call, then your team might not have been good enough to win. Halladay could have made a better pitch to Burrell. He could have pitched a bit more around Ross the second time he faced him. Raul Ibanez had a chance to catch Burrell's double. All of those instances were more important than the one call. Of course, none of this will matter if the Phillies manage to win the NLCS anyway. There's still potentially six more games to play, and Halladay will get a chance to redeem himself. Tonight's game isn't a must win, but it's certainly important.
Roy Oswalt (0-0, 5.40 ERA) will pitch for the Phillies in Game Two. Jonathan Sanchez (0-0, 1.23 ERA) is going for San Francisco.
Cody Ross hit two home runs off of Roy Halladay, and San Francisco scored two runs with two outs in the six inning to take the first game of the NLCS.
What went right?
Chase Utley went 1-3 and scored a run.
Jayson Werth was 2-3 with a two run home run.
Carlos Ruiz was 1-3 with a solo home run.
The bullpen was solid, as both Ryan Madson and Brad Lidge worked scoreless frames.
What went wrong?
Shane Victorino was 0-5, and struck out twice.
Ryan Howard went 1-4 with three strikeouts.
Jimmy Rollins was 0-4 with three strikeouts.
Raul Ibanez was 0-3 and misplayed a ball in the outfield that led to the two runs scoring in the sixth inning.
The Phillies left seven men on base.
Game Analysis:
Sometimes, a single call can make all the difference. Despite what most Philadelphia fans want to believe, the 1-2 pitch to Pat Burrell with two outs in the top of the sixth inning last night was not the straw that broke the camel's back. Was it a strike? It could have been called one, but both Roy Halladay and Tim Lincecum hadn't been getting the low strike calls all night long. You can't argue with the impact that it had, however. Burrell took the next pitch into left, and Raul Ibanez misplayed it, allowing a run to score and giving the Giants a 3-1 lead. Juan Uribe drove home Nate Schierholtz, and just like that, San Francisco had all the runs they would need off of Roy Halladay, and the Phillies dropped their first Game One since the 2007 NLDS.
The call on Burrell was a big one, yes, but there were other moments in the game where the Phillies had chances to put the Giants, and Tim Lincecum, on the ropes. In the second inning, Ryan Howard led off with a double. When you get a runner on second base, with no one out, against one of the best pitchers in baseball, you have to take advantage. Instead, the Phillies had Jayson Werth strike out, Jimmy Rollins pop up and Raul Ibanez fly out. Howard stood at second the entire time. In the very next inning, Carlos Ruiz started things off with a home run, and Roy Halladay singled. Shane Victorino then hit into a very costly double play, because Placido Polanco ripped a double into left field that would have scored either Halladay or Victorino. Chase Utley walked, and Polacno and Utley advanced on a wild pitch, putting runners on second and third with Ryan Howard at the plate. This time, Howard struck out, leaving two more men in scoring position. The next time the Phils had a chance, they were down 4-1, and Jayson Werth's two run home run pulled them to within a single run. That's as close as they would get.
The offense has to have big at bats in this series. In the second and third innings, they had a chance to jump all over Tim Lincecum. Lincecum didn't have his best stuff last night, but the Phillies let him off the hook by swinging at bad pitches or letting hittable pitches go by. That's not what got this team this far this year, and it's not going to work against the Giants. San Francisco is too good of a team, with too solid of a pitching staff, to let that fly. When you get chances against a pitcher like that, you have to make him pay.
Speaking of not having their best stuff, Roy Halladay looked a bit more, shall we say, mortal last night. He retired the first seven Giants in order, but was leaving pitches a little bit up in the zone, and Cody Ross caught him twice for two solo home runs. It wasn't Halladay's best performance, but it wasn't his worst. He still looked sharp on the mound and didn't walk a batter. The only problem was that he threw three bad pitches in the entire game. Two of them were to Ross, and they both ended up in the left field seats. The other one was to Pat Burrell, and that ended up in Raul Ibanez's lap. Ibanez has to make that play in the sixth inning. Not only would it have saved to runs, but if Werth still hits that home run in the bottom of the inning, then the Phillies would have won the game. That right there, along with the Phillies leaving men on base in the second and third innings, made the difference last night, not the call to Burrell.
There are moments in every game where calls can make a difference, but, if you think a game is won and lost on a single missed call, then your team might not have been good enough to win. Halladay could have made a better pitch to Burrell. He could have pitched a bit more around Ross the second time he faced him. Raul Ibanez had a chance to catch Burrell's double. All of those instances were more important than the one call. Of course, none of this will matter if the Phillies manage to win the NLCS anyway. There's still potentially six more games to play, and Halladay will get a chance to redeem himself. Tonight's game isn't a must win, but it's certainly important.
Roy Oswalt (0-0, 5.40 ERA) will pitch for the Phillies in Game Two. Jonathan Sanchez (0-0, 1.23 ERA) is going for San Francisco.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
NLCS Preview: Phillies vs. Giants: Someone different from the NL West
For the third straight year, the Philadelphia Phillies have reached the National League Championship series. Also for the third straight year, the Phils will be playing a team from the National League West, but this time out, it's not the Dodgers. The San Francisco Giants got the honor of retiring Bobby Cox when they took out the Atlanta Braves in four games, and now, the Phillies and Giants will face off, with the winner headed to the World Series. If the Phillies can win this series, they will become the first National League team to win three straight NLCS meetings since the 1942-1944 St. Louis Cardinals.
The Giants aren't just going to roll over and die, however. Their offense might have some questions, but there's a reason that most fans didn't want the Phillies to play San Francisco in a best of five series, and that's the pitching staff that the Giants can trot out there. If there's a team that can match the Phillies and their big three, it's the Giants. Just like the Reds, this is a dangerous team to play against if you catch them at the wrong time.
Offense:
Despite what was considered a down season for them, the Phillies still put up solid numbers at the plate during the regular season. Ryan Howard led the way with another 30 home run, 100 RBI season, and he was backed up well by Jayson Werth and Raul Ibanez, the only two position players that didn't miss time this year due to injury. Werth and Ibanez each drove in over 80 runs this year, and Werth scored over 100 runs for the first time in his career. Chase Utley missed time due to injury, but still hit 16 home runs and drove in 65 in just 115 games. Shane Victorino and Jimmy Rollins provided the speed on the basepaths, with Victorino stealing 34 bases and Rollins swiping 17. However, Rollins has been slowed by a sore hamstring that still seemed to bother him during the NLDS against the Reds. Placido Polanco led the team in hits, but has been fighting an elbow injury that gives him good days and bad days.
In the NLDS, the Phillies weren't really about hitting for power as they were getting timely hits and taking advantage of the mistakes by the Reds. The Phils scored six unearned runs in three games against Cincinnati and walked ten times. As a result, the team batting average was just .212, not good at all, but when you throw in the circumstances, it does start to look a little better. Ryan Howard and Chase Utley led the team in batting average, each hitting .273 during the series, while Carlos Ruiz quietly did what he does best, and that's reach base. Ruiz did so at a .500 clip against the Reds, which is a great number to see from your number eight hitter. Ruiz is turning the lineup over and making sure that the Phillies will get the bats they need up to drive in runs. Jayson Werth, Jimmy Rollins and Placido Polanco struggled, with Werth striking out five times and the three of them driving in a combined one run. Rollins still has that leg injury, and Polanco missed the first game of the series, but those three really need to step up against San Francisco. That Giants pitching staff can shut down even the best hitters, and that means everyone on the team is going to have to play well.
The Phillies have some decent bench depth this year, which is something they normally don't have going into the playoffs. Ben Francisco, Domonic Brown, Mike Sweeney and Wilson Valdez are all solid bench players, with Francisco, Brown and Sweeney all capable of hitting a pitch out of the park if they need to. Both Francisco and Valdez have at least a little bit of speed, something that the Phils should try and use against the Giants. Buster Posey has a good arm, but he did allow 39 stolen bases in 80 games at catcher this year. That's something that the Phillies need to try and take advantage of. Victorino and Werth need to get on base and cause trouble on the basepaths. The San Francisco pitching staff can't always pay attention to the batter if someone is dancing off of first base.
As for the Giants at the plate, their offense does leave a little to be desired. While they do have some pop in their bats, especially with Aubrey Huff, Pat Burrell, Buster Posey and Juan Uribe, their batting average as a team during the regular season was just .257. To be fair, the Phillies hit just .260, but they did so with injuries ravaging the team every time you turned around. That's not to say that the Giants can't score runs. In fact, they are quite capable of doing so. Burrell has turned his career around in San Francisco, and Posey might be the front-runner for the National League Rookie of the Year award, and for good reason. In just 108 games this year, Posey hit .305 with 18 home runs and 67 RBI. When you stretch that over a full season, he clearly would have led the Giants in almost every major offensive category. The kid is just that good. With Huff, Burrell, Uribe and a slumping Pablo Sandoval backing him up, the heart of the San Francisco lineup isn't awe inspiring, but it's got talent. Andres Torres is pretty much their only basestealing threat, having stolen 26 bases during the regular season.
The offense didn't look much better in the playoffs, hitting at the same .212 clip that the Phillies did against the Reds. The major differences were the number of strikeouts (43 for the Giants, 14 for the Phillies), and the fact that the Giants recorded their numbers in a four game series, rather than the sweep that the Phillies recorded. That difference in strikeouts is staggering, however. The Phillies are normally a free swinging club, but the Giants put them to shame against the Braves. Atlanta does have strikeout pitchers, but then again, so do the Phillies, so it should be interesting to see what happens in that matchup. Buster Posey led the team in batting against the Braves, hitting .375, but the rest of the lineup, save for a surprising Cody Ross, looked just like they did during the regular season. Pat Burrell had just two hits, with one of them being a three run home run in Game Two, while Andres Torres, Freddie Sanchez and Juan Uribe looked just as lost at the plate as Placido Polanco, Jimmy Rollins and Jayson Werth did for the Phillies. Torres stole one of the two bases that the Giants swiped during the series, but he was also caught twice. If he continues with that, the Giants will have no speed threats on the bases. People can run a little bit on Carlos Ruiz, but they have to pick their spots.
San Francisco has a couple of good veterans coming off of their bench in Edgar Renteria and Aaron Rowand. They also have Travis Ishikawa, Mike Fontenot Nate Schierholtz as well, if they need them. It isn't the best bench in the league, but it does matchup fairly well with the Phillies. Plus, Rowand still has a little pop in his bat, and Renteria can always be counted on to lay down a bunt or come up with a clutch hit.
In this matchup, the numbers don't lie. The Phillies and Giants hit almost the same amount of home runs this season, but the Phils outscored the Giants by over 70 runs. With that kind of difference, coupled with an almost totally healthy Phillies lineup, there's only one way that this edge is going.
Advantage: Phillies
Starting Pitching:
For the Phillies, their pitching begins and ends with their big three. Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels are starting to remind people of Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and John Smoltz back when the Braves were making the playoffs every season, and that certainly is not a bad thing. When you also throw in the fact that the Phillies are 30-5 in games started by those three pitchers since July 31, and that Cole Hamels and Roy Halladay each threw complete game shut outs in the NLDS against the best offense in the National League, then that's something to look at.
Of course, not only was Halladay's complete game a shutout, but it was also just the second no-hitter in playoff history. Now, the fans shouldn't expect that each time out; it's just not possible. Also, Halladay struggled this year in his one start against the Giants, allowing five runs in seven innings on ten hits. However, that was all the way back in April, so to even consider something like that now is beyond useless. The way that Halladay has been pitching lately, he's going to be fine, and Hamels and Roy Oswalt are doing almost as well. Hamels completely banished the demons of last year's postseason with his Game 3 victory, and while Roy Oswalt struggled against the Reds in Game 2, he's still more than capable of putting together an outing just like Hamels and Halladay did. Not only that, but the Giants just can't match what the Reds brought to the plate, so Oswalt should be fine.
The wild card in all of this is Joe Blanton, who is more than likely going to get the start in Game 4 in San Francisco. Blanton hasn't pitched in a real game since October 3, and he hasn't made a start since September 29. That's a lot of time off for a pitcher, especially now that he's going to be called upon to make a start in possibly the biggest game of the season. The good thing for Blanton has been that as he's gone along this season, he's gotten better. His ERA in August was just 2.81, and in September he went 3-0 with an ERA of 3.19. That's the Joe Blanton that Phillies fans were expecting this season. He doesn't need to pitch that well against the Giants, but if he does, it would be a very, very good thing.
The Giants also bring their own big three to the mound in this series. Tim Lincecum, Jonathan Sanchez and Matt Cain helped shut down the Braves in the NLDS, with Sanchez being the only one of the three that even surrendered a run to Atlanta. Combined, the three San Francisco pitchers went 1-0, struck out 31 Braves and walked just four. Those are very, very good numbers no matter which way you look at them. Cain was statistically the best pitcher for the Giants, and he's not pitching until Game 3. Lincecum will get the start against Halladay tomorrow night in what should be a very, very good pitcher's duel. As for Jonathan Sanchez, he can have control issues, but they didn't show up against the Braves in the NLDS, as he struck out 11 and walked just one in seven and a third innings of work. He's going to have to do more against the Phillies, because if the Phils can be patient at the plate, they can make Sanchez work and throw more pitches, and that's when his control becomes a factor.
Just like Joe Blanton for the Phillies, the Giants have their own wild card in their pitching staff, only theirs has pitched in the playoffs this year. Madison Bumgarner won Game 4 against the Braves and looked good doing it, striking out five and walking one in six innings. He did allow a home run, but that was really the only flaw that he showed in that game. Bumgarner is just 21 years old, but he's shown a lot of potential this year, and the Giants feel more comfortable with him on the mound than the former Cy Young Award winning Barry Zito, so that tells you enough right there. The kid isn't all there quite yet, and he can give up a big inning early in a game, which is when the Phillies would need to get to him.
One thing that you can be certain of is that this series is going to feature a lot of good starting pitching matchups. Those aren't always fun to watch, but they are entertaining in their own right. When you match up the Phillies' big three against the big three of the Giants, there isn't much difference at all. The series might just hinge on Game 4 and which pitcher can outduel the other. In that case, there still isn't really that much of an edge, because Joe Blanton does have more playoff experience and usually does show up for the big games. This one really is too close to call.
Advantage: Push
Bullpens:
There isn't that much to say about the Phillies' bullpen because honestly, they haven't been pitching that much lately. In the NLDS against the Reds, the Phillies only needed four innings out of their bullpen, and Jose Contreras, J.C. Romero, Chad Durbin, Ryan Madson and Brad Lidge all did their jobs very well. Lidge has been especially good as the season wound down, saving 17 of 18 games in August and September while posing a 0.76 ERA. No, that's not a typo. Just like Cole Hamels, Brad Lidge is looking more and more like the 2008 version of himself again. That's just what the Phillies need right now, and that's what they're getting. Madson isn't pitching quite as well, but he's been back as the Bridge to Lidge once again. What that means is that the Phillies are going to need the same type of effort that they got in the NLDS from Romero, Contreras and Durbin. Those three are honestly going to be the glue in this bullpen against the Giants, and when they're called upon, they're going to have to deliver.
The San Francisco bullpen did see a little more action than the Phillies in the NLDS, but they weren't as sharp. Brian Wilson saved two of the three San Francisco wins, but also blew the save in Game 2, which was the only game that the Braves won in the series. He bounced back nicely after that, though, saving the next two games and looking more like the pitcher who closed out 48 games during the regular season. When you throw in Santiago Casilla, Sergio Romo, Ramon Ramirez and Javier Lopez, the Giants have a very solid bullpen. The good thing for the Phillies is that out of those pitchers, only Lopez is a lefty, so that could play into their favor and make the Giants adjust who they throw out there at certain times. It's certainly going to make things interesting.
Despite some of the struggles that the Giants had in the bullpen against the Braves in the NLDS, it's hard to ignore their overall body of work this season. San Francisco had one of the best bullpens in the National League, and Brian Wilson was damn near lights out all season long. Lidge has looked very, very good lately, but when you stack up the rest of the Philadelphia bullpen against what the Giants have out there, it doesn't quite match up.
Advantage: Giants
Managers:
Charlie Manuel is starting to get used to managing this far into October. For the third straight season, Manuel has guided the Phils to the NLCS, and this season might have been his best work yet. He pieced together a team that was ravaged by injury and still managed to get them back into the playoffs, with the best record in baseball. Now, having the pitching staff that he has might have had something to do with it, but people have to finally start acknowledging what Charlie has done for this team. He's not the smartest manager in the world, and he makes moves sometimes that leave fans scratching their heads, but he's got the passion and the drive that makes Philadelphia love him. Plus, when it comes down to it, he always seems to get the job done in the clutch.
It took him four years in San Francisco, but Bruce Bochy got the Giants back into the playoffs for the first time since the Dusty Baker era. Bochy did a fine job this year as well, using his excellent pitching and guiding players that other teams didn't want and turning them into a contender at least a year before people thought they would be ready. Bochy has also been down this road before, having led the San Diego Padres into the playoffs four different times, even getting them to the World Series back in 1998. His last two years in San Diego were highlighted by the Padres not being able to get over the hump in the NLDS, but he doesn't have to worry about that now. Bochy is a solid manager, though he too can make some questionable moves at times.
Bochy has been to the World Series, but Charlie's been to the last two, and won back in 2008. Charlie knows that his team isn't finished yet, and the mindset of the Phillies matches the mindset of their manager.
Advantage: Phillies
Prediction:
This series will be won or lost on how well the big three pitchers for each team do against each other. If one of them struggles, they will need their offense to step up, and with who each team is throwing out there, that might not be possible. The biggest question mark in the pitching matchups is going to be Game 4, when Joe Blanton takes on Madison Bumgarner. Either team could take that game, or it could very well be another duel between two pitchers. Regardless, the Phillies are going to need to take advantage of every chance that they get against the Giants, just like they did against the Reds in the NLDS. When someone makes a mistake either on the mound or in the field, the Phils need to jump on it and not look back. The same goes for the Giants when they're at the plate as well. While both teams might not be hurt from losing the first game of this series, it's going to carry a lot of weight at least through Game 2. That being said, the Phillies just seem like they have too much on offense, even for the San Francisco starting pitching.
Phillies in 6
The Giants aren't just going to roll over and die, however. Their offense might have some questions, but there's a reason that most fans didn't want the Phillies to play San Francisco in a best of five series, and that's the pitching staff that the Giants can trot out there. If there's a team that can match the Phillies and their big three, it's the Giants. Just like the Reds, this is a dangerous team to play against if you catch them at the wrong time.
Offense:
Despite what was considered a down season for them, the Phillies still put up solid numbers at the plate during the regular season. Ryan Howard led the way with another 30 home run, 100 RBI season, and he was backed up well by Jayson Werth and Raul Ibanez, the only two position players that didn't miss time this year due to injury. Werth and Ibanez each drove in over 80 runs this year, and Werth scored over 100 runs for the first time in his career. Chase Utley missed time due to injury, but still hit 16 home runs and drove in 65 in just 115 games. Shane Victorino and Jimmy Rollins provided the speed on the basepaths, with Victorino stealing 34 bases and Rollins swiping 17. However, Rollins has been slowed by a sore hamstring that still seemed to bother him during the NLDS against the Reds. Placido Polanco led the team in hits, but has been fighting an elbow injury that gives him good days and bad days.
In the NLDS, the Phillies weren't really about hitting for power as they were getting timely hits and taking advantage of the mistakes by the Reds. The Phils scored six unearned runs in three games against Cincinnati and walked ten times. As a result, the team batting average was just .212, not good at all, but when you throw in the circumstances, it does start to look a little better. Ryan Howard and Chase Utley led the team in batting average, each hitting .273 during the series, while Carlos Ruiz quietly did what he does best, and that's reach base. Ruiz did so at a .500 clip against the Reds, which is a great number to see from your number eight hitter. Ruiz is turning the lineup over and making sure that the Phillies will get the bats they need up to drive in runs. Jayson Werth, Jimmy Rollins and Placido Polanco struggled, with Werth striking out five times and the three of them driving in a combined one run. Rollins still has that leg injury, and Polanco missed the first game of the series, but those three really need to step up against San Francisco. That Giants pitching staff can shut down even the best hitters, and that means everyone on the team is going to have to play well.
The Phillies have some decent bench depth this year, which is something they normally don't have going into the playoffs. Ben Francisco, Domonic Brown, Mike Sweeney and Wilson Valdez are all solid bench players, with Francisco, Brown and Sweeney all capable of hitting a pitch out of the park if they need to. Both Francisco and Valdez have at least a little bit of speed, something that the Phils should try and use against the Giants. Buster Posey has a good arm, but he did allow 39 stolen bases in 80 games at catcher this year. That's something that the Phillies need to try and take advantage of. Victorino and Werth need to get on base and cause trouble on the basepaths. The San Francisco pitching staff can't always pay attention to the batter if someone is dancing off of first base.
As for the Giants at the plate, their offense does leave a little to be desired. While they do have some pop in their bats, especially with Aubrey Huff, Pat Burrell, Buster Posey and Juan Uribe, their batting average as a team during the regular season was just .257. To be fair, the Phillies hit just .260, but they did so with injuries ravaging the team every time you turned around. That's not to say that the Giants can't score runs. In fact, they are quite capable of doing so. Burrell has turned his career around in San Francisco, and Posey might be the front-runner for the National League Rookie of the Year award, and for good reason. In just 108 games this year, Posey hit .305 with 18 home runs and 67 RBI. When you stretch that over a full season, he clearly would have led the Giants in almost every major offensive category. The kid is just that good. With Huff, Burrell, Uribe and a slumping Pablo Sandoval backing him up, the heart of the San Francisco lineup isn't awe inspiring, but it's got talent. Andres Torres is pretty much their only basestealing threat, having stolen 26 bases during the regular season.
The offense didn't look much better in the playoffs, hitting at the same .212 clip that the Phillies did against the Reds. The major differences were the number of strikeouts (43 for the Giants, 14 for the Phillies), and the fact that the Giants recorded their numbers in a four game series, rather than the sweep that the Phillies recorded. That difference in strikeouts is staggering, however. The Phillies are normally a free swinging club, but the Giants put them to shame against the Braves. Atlanta does have strikeout pitchers, but then again, so do the Phillies, so it should be interesting to see what happens in that matchup. Buster Posey led the team in batting against the Braves, hitting .375, but the rest of the lineup, save for a surprising Cody Ross, looked just like they did during the regular season. Pat Burrell had just two hits, with one of them being a three run home run in Game Two, while Andres Torres, Freddie Sanchez and Juan Uribe looked just as lost at the plate as Placido Polanco, Jimmy Rollins and Jayson Werth did for the Phillies. Torres stole one of the two bases that the Giants swiped during the series, but he was also caught twice. If he continues with that, the Giants will have no speed threats on the bases. People can run a little bit on Carlos Ruiz, but they have to pick their spots.
San Francisco has a couple of good veterans coming off of their bench in Edgar Renteria and Aaron Rowand. They also have Travis Ishikawa, Mike Fontenot Nate Schierholtz as well, if they need them. It isn't the best bench in the league, but it does matchup fairly well with the Phillies. Plus, Rowand still has a little pop in his bat, and Renteria can always be counted on to lay down a bunt or come up with a clutch hit.
In this matchup, the numbers don't lie. The Phillies and Giants hit almost the same amount of home runs this season, but the Phils outscored the Giants by over 70 runs. With that kind of difference, coupled with an almost totally healthy Phillies lineup, there's only one way that this edge is going.
Advantage: Phillies
Starting Pitching:
For the Phillies, their pitching begins and ends with their big three. Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels are starting to remind people of Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and John Smoltz back when the Braves were making the playoffs every season, and that certainly is not a bad thing. When you also throw in the fact that the Phillies are 30-5 in games started by those three pitchers since July 31, and that Cole Hamels and Roy Halladay each threw complete game shut outs in the NLDS against the best offense in the National League, then that's something to look at.
Of course, not only was Halladay's complete game a shutout, but it was also just the second no-hitter in playoff history. Now, the fans shouldn't expect that each time out; it's just not possible. Also, Halladay struggled this year in his one start against the Giants, allowing five runs in seven innings on ten hits. However, that was all the way back in April, so to even consider something like that now is beyond useless. The way that Halladay has been pitching lately, he's going to be fine, and Hamels and Roy Oswalt are doing almost as well. Hamels completely banished the demons of last year's postseason with his Game 3 victory, and while Roy Oswalt struggled against the Reds in Game 2, he's still more than capable of putting together an outing just like Hamels and Halladay did. Not only that, but the Giants just can't match what the Reds brought to the plate, so Oswalt should be fine.
The wild card in all of this is Joe Blanton, who is more than likely going to get the start in Game 4 in San Francisco. Blanton hasn't pitched in a real game since October 3, and he hasn't made a start since September 29. That's a lot of time off for a pitcher, especially now that he's going to be called upon to make a start in possibly the biggest game of the season. The good thing for Blanton has been that as he's gone along this season, he's gotten better. His ERA in August was just 2.81, and in September he went 3-0 with an ERA of 3.19. That's the Joe Blanton that Phillies fans were expecting this season. He doesn't need to pitch that well against the Giants, but if he does, it would be a very, very good thing.
The Giants also bring their own big three to the mound in this series. Tim Lincecum, Jonathan Sanchez and Matt Cain helped shut down the Braves in the NLDS, with Sanchez being the only one of the three that even surrendered a run to Atlanta. Combined, the three San Francisco pitchers went 1-0, struck out 31 Braves and walked just four. Those are very, very good numbers no matter which way you look at them. Cain was statistically the best pitcher for the Giants, and he's not pitching until Game 3. Lincecum will get the start against Halladay tomorrow night in what should be a very, very good pitcher's duel. As for Jonathan Sanchez, he can have control issues, but they didn't show up against the Braves in the NLDS, as he struck out 11 and walked just one in seven and a third innings of work. He's going to have to do more against the Phillies, because if the Phils can be patient at the plate, they can make Sanchez work and throw more pitches, and that's when his control becomes a factor.
Just like Joe Blanton for the Phillies, the Giants have their own wild card in their pitching staff, only theirs has pitched in the playoffs this year. Madison Bumgarner won Game 4 against the Braves and looked good doing it, striking out five and walking one in six innings. He did allow a home run, but that was really the only flaw that he showed in that game. Bumgarner is just 21 years old, but he's shown a lot of potential this year, and the Giants feel more comfortable with him on the mound than the former Cy Young Award winning Barry Zito, so that tells you enough right there. The kid isn't all there quite yet, and he can give up a big inning early in a game, which is when the Phillies would need to get to him.
One thing that you can be certain of is that this series is going to feature a lot of good starting pitching matchups. Those aren't always fun to watch, but they are entertaining in their own right. When you match up the Phillies' big three against the big three of the Giants, there isn't much difference at all. The series might just hinge on Game 4 and which pitcher can outduel the other. In that case, there still isn't really that much of an edge, because Joe Blanton does have more playoff experience and usually does show up for the big games. This one really is too close to call.
Advantage: Push
Bullpens:
There isn't that much to say about the Phillies' bullpen because honestly, they haven't been pitching that much lately. In the NLDS against the Reds, the Phillies only needed four innings out of their bullpen, and Jose Contreras, J.C. Romero, Chad Durbin, Ryan Madson and Brad Lidge all did their jobs very well. Lidge has been especially good as the season wound down, saving 17 of 18 games in August and September while posing a 0.76 ERA. No, that's not a typo. Just like Cole Hamels, Brad Lidge is looking more and more like the 2008 version of himself again. That's just what the Phillies need right now, and that's what they're getting. Madson isn't pitching quite as well, but he's been back as the Bridge to Lidge once again. What that means is that the Phillies are going to need the same type of effort that they got in the NLDS from Romero, Contreras and Durbin. Those three are honestly going to be the glue in this bullpen against the Giants, and when they're called upon, they're going to have to deliver.
The San Francisco bullpen did see a little more action than the Phillies in the NLDS, but they weren't as sharp. Brian Wilson saved two of the three San Francisco wins, but also blew the save in Game 2, which was the only game that the Braves won in the series. He bounced back nicely after that, though, saving the next two games and looking more like the pitcher who closed out 48 games during the regular season. When you throw in Santiago Casilla, Sergio Romo, Ramon Ramirez and Javier Lopez, the Giants have a very solid bullpen. The good thing for the Phillies is that out of those pitchers, only Lopez is a lefty, so that could play into their favor and make the Giants adjust who they throw out there at certain times. It's certainly going to make things interesting.
Despite some of the struggles that the Giants had in the bullpen against the Braves in the NLDS, it's hard to ignore their overall body of work this season. San Francisco had one of the best bullpens in the National League, and Brian Wilson was damn near lights out all season long. Lidge has looked very, very good lately, but when you stack up the rest of the Philadelphia bullpen against what the Giants have out there, it doesn't quite match up.
Advantage: Giants
Managers:
Charlie Manuel is starting to get used to managing this far into October. For the third straight season, Manuel has guided the Phils to the NLCS, and this season might have been his best work yet. He pieced together a team that was ravaged by injury and still managed to get them back into the playoffs, with the best record in baseball. Now, having the pitching staff that he has might have had something to do with it, but people have to finally start acknowledging what Charlie has done for this team. He's not the smartest manager in the world, and he makes moves sometimes that leave fans scratching their heads, but he's got the passion and the drive that makes Philadelphia love him. Plus, when it comes down to it, he always seems to get the job done in the clutch.
It took him four years in San Francisco, but Bruce Bochy got the Giants back into the playoffs for the first time since the Dusty Baker era. Bochy did a fine job this year as well, using his excellent pitching and guiding players that other teams didn't want and turning them into a contender at least a year before people thought they would be ready. Bochy has also been down this road before, having led the San Diego Padres into the playoffs four different times, even getting them to the World Series back in 1998. His last two years in San Diego were highlighted by the Padres not being able to get over the hump in the NLDS, but he doesn't have to worry about that now. Bochy is a solid manager, though he too can make some questionable moves at times.
Bochy has been to the World Series, but Charlie's been to the last two, and won back in 2008. Charlie knows that his team isn't finished yet, and the mindset of the Phillies matches the mindset of their manager.
Advantage: Phillies
Prediction:
This series will be won or lost on how well the big three pitchers for each team do against each other. If one of them struggles, they will need their offense to step up, and with who each team is throwing out there, that might not be possible. The biggest question mark in the pitching matchups is going to be Game 4, when Joe Blanton takes on Madison Bumgarner. Either team could take that game, or it could very well be another duel between two pitchers. Regardless, the Phillies are going to need to take advantage of every chance that they get against the Giants, just like they did against the Reds in the NLDS. When someone makes a mistake either on the mound or in the field, the Phils need to jump on it and not look back. The same goes for the Giants when they're at the plate as well. While both teams might not be hurt from losing the first game of this series, it's going to carry a lot of weight at least through Game 2. That being said, the Phillies just seem like they have too much on offense, even for the San Francisco starting pitching.
Phillies in 6
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Eagles Aftermath: Eagles-27, 49ers-24
What happened?
Kevin Kolb made his first start since Week 1 against the Packers and passed for 253 yards and a touchdown, while the Philadelphia defense forced five turnovers as the Eagles held on for their third road victory of the season.
The Good:
Starting in place of Michael Vick, Kevin Kolb looked very good out there. He completed 21of 21 passes for 253 yards and a touchdown.
LeSean McCoy played with a broken rib and it didn't look like it bothered him that much. He carried the ball 18 times for 92 yards and a touchdown and also caught five passes for 46 yards.
Jeremy Maclin caught six passes for 95 yards.
Brent Celek was happy to see Kolb back under center, as he caught three passes for 47 yards and a touchdown.
The defense took advantage of mistakes by San Francisco, forcing five turnovers and sacking Alex Smith twice.
Quintin Mikell returned a fumble for a touchdown.
Dimitri Patterson and Trevard Lindley each intercepted their first passes of the season. For Lindley, it was his first career interception.
The Bad:
DeSean Jackson was shut down for the second straight week, catching just two passes for 24 yards.
The offensive line gave up four sacks of Kevin Kolb.
The defense, while good at forcing turnovers, had some trouble with Alex Smith throughout the game. Smith threw for over 300 yards and had three touchdowns, and almost guided the 49ers to an improbable comeback late in the game.
Micahel Crabtree and Vernon Davis each had over 100 yards receiving for San Francisco.
The kickoff coverage team for the Eagles was horrible. Ted Ginn Jr. averaged over 36 yards per return, and his 61 yard return late in the fourth quarter allowed the 49ers a chance to continue their comeback.
The Ugly:
Nothing to see here. If San Francisco had tied the game on their last drive, then the defense would have been here. They stepped up and made a big play, though.
The Breakdown:
Coming off of a bad showing against Washington, the Eagles had to travel across the country to San Francisco without their starting quarterback, best cornerback and play a team that was better than their 0-4 record showed. Luckily for the Eagles, Kevin Kolb was the starting quarterback for the Eagles when the season started, and on Sunday night, he showed why the Eagles were willing to trade Donovan McNabb away, as he passed for over 250 yards and led the Eagles to a much needed win against San Francisco.
After playing for three quarters last week and not doing much, Kolb looked much more comfortable under center this week. He wasn't staring down receivers as much, and was able to move in the pocket, which, considering the state of the Philadelphia offensive line, is a very good thing. The offensive line still didn't look great, giving up four more sacks, but they at least kept Kolb from getting hurt this time out, so that's a good thing.
Kolb also had help from some of his favorite targets. Jeremy Maclin had a solid game, going for almost 100 yards in receptions, and LeSean McCoy had over 130 combined yards and a touchdown late in the second quarter. Brent Celek even got in on the act, catching his second touchdown pass in as many weeks from Kolb. Celek and Kolb were going to be a tandem this year, but Kolb's injury, and subsequent benching for Michael Vick, have put that on hold for now. Celek is the one feeling the pinch, as he only has two touchdown catches and hasn't had a game with over 50 yards receiving this season. As someone that was supposed to have a breakout season this year, things have been a little disappointing for Celek, but there's still plenty of time for him to break out of this early season funk. If the Eagles could stay with one person at quarterback, I'm sure that would help him.
So far this year, DeSean Jackson has been hit or miss, and Sunday night, he missed again. For the third time this season, Jackson was held to 30 receiving yards or less as he caught just two passes for 24 yards. Despite having back to back 100 yard receiving games against the Lions and Jaguars, Jackson hasn't been the true number one receiver that the Eagles need. He's been either very good or a non factor in each game. This was the first time this season that Jackson had been shut down and the Eagles had won, and that's more than likely because Jeremy Maclin stepped up and had a good game. Jackson is a vital part of the Philadelphia offense, and without him, the Eagles are not going to get the job done when they need to. It doesn't matter if it's Michael Vick or Kevin Kolb throwing him the ball. Jackson needs to catch it and make plays. It's what he does best, and he better start doing it every week.
You have to love the way that the defense was going after the ball against the 49ers. Alex Smith was only sacked twice, but on one of them, Brandon Graham forced a fumble that Qunitin Mikell returned for a touchdown. Frank Gore also lost two fumbles at midfield that ended two San Francisco drives, and Smith was intercepted twice in key moments of the game. Without Asante Samuel in the secondary, the Eagles did seem to struggle a bit in coverage though. Michael Crabtree had his best game of the season for the 49ers, going over 100 receiving yards and catching a touchdown, and Philadelphia still showed that they can't cover elite NFL tight ends, as Vernon Davis burned them for 104 yards and a touchdown as well. All of the turnovers that the Eagles got were great, but they still didn't show that killer instinct that the great Philadelphia defenses have had. Alex Smith had to talk Mike Singletary out of benching him in the fourth quarter, and then he came out and threw two touchdown passes to give the 49ers a shot. Jim Johnson's best defenses would have forced Singletary to bench Smith, not give him another chance at life. That's what this team is missing right now on that side of the ball. They're missing that Brian Dawkins or Hugh Douglas type of player that can show up and make that big play to kill a drive before it even gets started. Can Trent Cole and Stewart Bradley make plays? You bet they can, but they haven't made The Play yet this year. When you see it, you'll know what I'm talking about.
So, the Eagles are now 3-2 on the season, tied for first place with the Redskins and Giants. It's a good spot to be in, but there are still way too many questions to be answered before anyone should be sold on this team. Aside from the game against the Jaguars, the Eagles have yet to play a complete game on offense and defense. Detroit almost came back against the Eagles in Week 2, and now the 49ers almost did the same. It's taken some balancing acts to get to this point, and the season is only a quarter of the way finished. Next week, things will be interesting, because the 4-1 Atlanta Falcons are coming to Philadelphia. This is going to be a real test for the Eagles and whoever is starting at quarterback. Let's see what this team can really do.
Kevin Kolb made his first start since Week 1 against the Packers and passed for 253 yards and a touchdown, while the Philadelphia defense forced five turnovers as the Eagles held on for their third road victory of the season.
The Good:
Starting in place of Michael Vick, Kevin Kolb looked very good out there. He completed 21of 21 passes for 253 yards and a touchdown.
LeSean McCoy played with a broken rib and it didn't look like it bothered him that much. He carried the ball 18 times for 92 yards and a touchdown and also caught five passes for 46 yards.
Jeremy Maclin caught six passes for 95 yards.
Brent Celek was happy to see Kolb back under center, as he caught three passes for 47 yards and a touchdown.
The defense took advantage of mistakes by San Francisco, forcing five turnovers and sacking Alex Smith twice.
Quintin Mikell returned a fumble for a touchdown.
Dimitri Patterson and Trevard Lindley each intercepted their first passes of the season. For Lindley, it was his first career interception.
The Bad:
DeSean Jackson was shut down for the second straight week, catching just two passes for 24 yards.
The offensive line gave up four sacks of Kevin Kolb.
The defense, while good at forcing turnovers, had some trouble with Alex Smith throughout the game. Smith threw for over 300 yards and had three touchdowns, and almost guided the 49ers to an improbable comeback late in the game.
Micahel Crabtree and Vernon Davis each had over 100 yards receiving for San Francisco.
The kickoff coverage team for the Eagles was horrible. Ted Ginn Jr. averaged over 36 yards per return, and his 61 yard return late in the fourth quarter allowed the 49ers a chance to continue their comeback.
The Ugly:
Nothing to see here. If San Francisco had tied the game on their last drive, then the defense would have been here. They stepped up and made a big play, though.
The Breakdown:
Coming off of a bad showing against Washington, the Eagles had to travel across the country to San Francisco without their starting quarterback, best cornerback and play a team that was better than their 0-4 record showed. Luckily for the Eagles, Kevin Kolb was the starting quarterback for the Eagles when the season started, and on Sunday night, he showed why the Eagles were willing to trade Donovan McNabb away, as he passed for over 250 yards and led the Eagles to a much needed win against San Francisco.
After playing for three quarters last week and not doing much, Kolb looked much more comfortable under center this week. He wasn't staring down receivers as much, and was able to move in the pocket, which, considering the state of the Philadelphia offensive line, is a very good thing. The offensive line still didn't look great, giving up four more sacks, but they at least kept Kolb from getting hurt this time out, so that's a good thing.
Kolb also had help from some of his favorite targets. Jeremy Maclin had a solid game, going for almost 100 yards in receptions, and LeSean McCoy had over 130 combined yards and a touchdown late in the second quarter. Brent Celek even got in on the act, catching his second touchdown pass in as many weeks from Kolb. Celek and Kolb were going to be a tandem this year, but Kolb's injury, and subsequent benching for Michael Vick, have put that on hold for now. Celek is the one feeling the pinch, as he only has two touchdown catches and hasn't had a game with over 50 yards receiving this season. As someone that was supposed to have a breakout season this year, things have been a little disappointing for Celek, but there's still plenty of time for him to break out of this early season funk. If the Eagles could stay with one person at quarterback, I'm sure that would help him.
So far this year, DeSean Jackson has been hit or miss, and Sunday night, he missed again. For the third time this season, Jackson was held to 30 receiving yards or less as he caught just two passes for 24 yards. Despite having back to back 100 yard receiving games against the Lions and Jaguars, Jackson hasn't been the true number one receiver that the Eagles need. He's been either very good or a non factor in each game. This was the first time this season that Jackson had been shut down and the Eagles had won, and that's more than likely because Jeremy Maclin stepped up and had a good game. Jackson is a vital part of the Philadelphia offense, and without him, the Eagles are not going to get the job done when they need to. It doesn't matter if it's Michael Vick or Kevin Kolb throwing him the ball. Jackson needs to catch it and make plays. It's what he does best, and he better start doing it every week.
You have to love the way that the defense was going after the ball against the 49ers. Alex Smith was only sacked twice, but on one of them, Brandon Graham forced a fumble that Qunitin Mikell returned for a touchdown. Frank Gore also lost two fumbles at midfield that ended two San Francisco drives, and Smith was intercepted twice in key moments of the game. Without Asante Samuel in the secondary, the Eagles did seem to struggle a bit in coverage though. Michael Crabtree had his best game of the season for the 49ers, going over 100 receiving yards and catching a touchdown, and Philadelphia still showed that they can't cover elite NFL tight ends, as Vernon Davis burned them for 104 yards and a touchdown as well. All of the turnovers that the Eagles got were great, but they still didn't show that killer instinct that the great Philadelphia defenses have had. Alex Smith had to talk Mike Singletary out of benching him in the fourth quarter, and then he came out and threw two touchdown passes to give the 49ers a shot. Jim Johnson's best defenses would have forced Singletary to bench Smith, not give him another chance at life. That's what this team is missing right now on that side of the ball. They're missing that Brian Dawkins or Hugh Douglas type of player that can show up and make that big play to kill a drive before it even gets started. Can Trent Cole and Stewart Bradley make plays? You bet they can, but they haven't made The Play yet this year. When you see it, you'll know what I'm talking about.
So, the Eagles are now 3-2 on the season, tied for first place with the Redskins and Giants. It's a good spot to be in, but there are still way too many questions to be answered before anyone should be sold on this team. Aside from the game against the Jaguars, the Eagles have yet to play a complete game on offense and defense. Detroit almost came back against the Eagles in Week 2, and now the 49ers almost did the same. It's taken some balancing acts to get to this point, and the season is only a quarter of the way finished. Next week, things will be interesting, because the 4-1 Atlanta Falcons are coming to Philadelphia. This is going to be a real test for the Eagles and whoever is starting at quarterback. Let's see what this team can really do.
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