Game Recap:
The Phillies scored six runs in the first two innings, and that was more than enough for Cliff Lee, who pitched eight shutout innings as the Phillies won Game Three of the NLCS.
What went right?
This could take a minute.
Jimmy Rollins went 1-5 with an RBI and a run scored.
Shane Victorino was 2-3 with two runs scored and a three run home run.
Chase Utley was 2-4 and scored a run.
Ryan Howard went 1-4 with three more RBI.
Jayson Werth went 1-4 with a two run home run.
Pedro Feliz went 1-4 with an RBI triple.
Carlos Ruiz was 2-3 with an RBI and two runs scored.
Cliff Lee pitched eight shutout innings, surrendering only three hits. He didn't walk a batter, struck out ten, and went 1-4 at the plate, scoring a run.
What went wrong?
Nothing. Not one damn thing went wrong last night.
Game Analysis:
After a stomach punch of a loss in Game Two, the Phillies had to come out strong in Game Three. What they did wasn't just strong; they damn near knocked the Dodgers back to Los Angeles. Cliff Lee continued his great postseason run, and the Phils jumped all over Hiroki Kuroda early and often. By the time he was pulled after just an inning and a third, the Phillies had already scored five times, and they would add another run by the time the second inning was over. Once the final out was recorded, the Phillies had finished off the most lopsided playoff win in team history.
I have nothing bad to say about last night. All nine starters reached base at least once, and all nine of them scored during the game. The patience at the plate was back, as many early batters against Kuroda forced him into 2-1, 3-0 or 3-1 counts. Those counts are perfect hitters counts, and the Phillies made him pay last night. This is the first time the Phils have ever gotten to Kuroda, who dominated them during the last two regular seasons and a playoff game last year. Last night belonged to Cliff Lee, however.
Lee was absolutely brilliant last night, striking out ten in eight shutout innings. The Dodgers only had one batter get to second base during the entire game. That was it. Aside from Manny Ramirez's two singles, the Dodgers had just one other hit. The rest of the team went 1-26. I said before the playoffs began that the Phillies would need the old Cliff Lee back and ready to go if they wanted to make another run, and that's exactly what they've gotten so far. In three playoff games, Lee is 2-0 with 20 strikeouts in 24.1 innings of work. He's allowed just two earned runs, and his ERA is a whopping 0.74. That, my friends, is how an ace pitches in the playoffs.
On the offensive side of the ball, there is no one in the National League hotter right now than Ryan Howard. The big man drove in three more runs last night, and he set a new major league record for consecutive games with an RBI in one playoff year. If he drives in a run tonight, he'll tie Lou Gehrig's mark for consecutive playoff games with an RBI. That's the all time major league record, and the fact that Lou Gehrig holds it should let you know how long it's been around. That's how good Howard has been so far in the playoffs.
This was the exact game the Phillies needed last night. They had just basically completed a West Coast road trip in October, having played the last four games in either Denver or Los Angeles, and had blown Game Two. If they had come out flat last night, it wouldn't have been good then, or for the rest of the series. Instead, the offense exploded, Cliff Lee pitched a gem, and the Phils are now two wins away from a return trip to the World Series. If they can keep the Dodgers at bay tonight, this series will not go back to Los Angeles.
In about four and a half hours, Game Four is going to get started. It'll be Joe Blanton (12-8, 4.05 ERA) making his first playoff start this year against Randy Wolf (0-0, 4.91 ERA).
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