Game Recap:
Jimmy Rollins' two out, two run double in the bottom of the ninth inning capped a come from behind win for the Phillies, and put the team a win away from a second straight trip to the World Series.
What went right?
Jimmy Rollins went 2-5 with a run scored and the game winning, two run double.
Shane Victorino was 1-3 with a run scored.
Chase Utley went 1-3 with an RBI.
Ryan Howard went 1-3 with a two run home run. He tied Lou Gehrig's record for consecutive playoff games with an RBI.
Joe Blanton pitched ok, allowing four runs (three earned) on six hits in six innings of work. He walked two and struck out two.
The bullpen pitched very well, as Chan Ho Park, Ryan Madson, Scott Eyre and Brad Lidge allowed just two hits over the last three innings of the game.
What went wrong?
Raul Ibanez was 0-4.
Jayson Werth was 0-4.
Game Analysis:
Now, I had something already typed up and ready to post, but that's now sitting in my computer's garbage, never to see the light of day. Instead, for the second straight year, the Phillies managed to work over Jonathan Broxton in Game Four of the NLCS and put themselves one win away from the World Series. I'm not going to analyze much tonight, because I'm still in walkoff shock, but that was the best ending to a game that I have ever seen. It tops the end of Game Four of the NLDS, it's better than Chooch's 45 foot single to end Game Three of the World Series last year, and it's better than Matt Stairs' home run off of Broxton in Game Four of the NLCS last year. Why? Because the Phillies were down to their last out, and were one strike out, ground out or fly ball away from having to take a guaranteed flight back to Los Angeles for Game Six. Now, they have a chance to finish the Dodgers off in Game Five, with Cole Hamels on the mound.
After a good start to the game, the Phillies looked sluggish against Randy Wolf for the rest of the time he was in the game. At one point, Wolf retired 12 Phils in a row, and was really locked in, as the Dodger offense had peppered Joe Blanton with two out runs. Then, it came down to a battle of the bullpens, which is a battle most people, myself included, assumed that the Phillies wouldn't be able to win against Los Angeles. The Phils had two on and one out in the bottom of the eighth inning, but George Sherrill struck out Ryan Howard and Broxton got Jayson Werth to fly out to right, and it looked like the Phils had blown their last chance, especially with the bottom of the order coming up.
However, it was the Dodgers that missed their chance in the top of the ninth inning. Rafael Furcal got only his second hit of the series, and was sitting on second base with just one out. Brad Lidge then struck out Matt Kemp, threw a wild pitch that moved Furcal to third, and struck out Andre Ethier to end the inning. I can't say enough about how well Lidge had pitched so far in the playoffs, so I'll just add this: out of the eight teams that made the playoffs, six of the teams have had closers blow saves. The two that haven't? Mariano Rivera...and Brad Lidge. Look at where those two teams are, that should be all you need to know about that right now.
This game just showed how good and determined this Phillies team is. Even down to their last out, against possibly the hardest throwing pitcher in baseball, they didn't give up. The bottom of the lineup did what they had to do, whether it was a four pitch walk by Matt Stairs (who Broxton wanted NOTHING to do with), or getting hit by a pitch, like Carlos Ruiz did. Those guys at the bottom of the lineup hold the Phillies together, and tonight, they were the ones who got the top of the lineup back up there in the ninth inning. Without them, Jimmy Rollins doesn't get a chance to hit, and this series is tied. Instead, Rollins nailed a belt high fastball into the gap in right field, Eric Bruntlett and Carlos Ruiz scored, and the Phillies are up 3-1, with Game Five in Philadelphia Wednesday night.
Ladies and gentlemen, this team never, ever gives up. It took 26 outs tonight, but they got it done. I love this team.
Game Five is Wednesday night. Cole Hamels (1-1, 6.97 ERA), is going against Vicente Padilla (0-0, 1.23 ERA). At least, that's who the Phillies website and ESPN have listed as Los Angeles' starting pitcher. Who cares...the Phillies are a win away from back to back National League pennants!!
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