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).
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