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Friday, October 16, 2009

MLB: Homers help Hamels, Phils win Game 1

Raul Ibanez came up huge Thursday in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series against the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium.

The Phillies had been clinging to a one-run lead since the fifth inning when Ibanez hit a three-run home run to right field to help the Phillies to an 8-6 victory.

Since the LCS moved to a seven-game format in 1985, the team taking a 1-0 lead in the NLCS has won 16 of 23 series, including 14 of the past 16.

Dodgers left-hander George Sherrill, who had walked Ryan Howard and Jayson Werth to start the eighth, had allowed just one home run to a left-handed batter in the past two seasons. In fact, it was his first homer allowed against a left-handed hitter since Adam LaRoche hit one June 14, 2008.

Ibanez’s home run put the Phillies over the top to bail out a shaky performance from left-hander Cole Hamels.

Repoz Posted: October 16, 2009 at 04:35 AM | 31 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
Tags: dodgers, phillies

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1. Tripon Posted: October 16, 2009 at 04:40 AM (#3353659)

urgh

2. Vaux, A.B.D. Posted: October 16, 2009 at 04:48 AM (#3353662)

The Phillies are going to win the pennant even though Cole Hamels sucked this year. What can I do?

3. NaOH Posted: October 16, 2009 at 04:58 AM (#3353666)

I've been telling Mets-loving friends since early August that the World Series will be Phillies vs. Yankees. Everything imaginable went wrong for the Mets, so it makes sense that their two greatest rivals face off, ensuring no matter who wins that Mets fans will lose.

4. God Posted: October 16, 2009 at 04:58 AM (#3353667)

What can I do?

You can tell Joe Torre to pull his starter the next time he gives up three walks and three wild pitches in one inning.

5. Tuque

Posted: October 16, 2009 at 05:02 AM (#3353671)

genitalia.

You can tell Joe Torre to pull his starter the next time he gives up three walks and three wild pitches in one inning.

Someone predicted that this would happen, and somebody else shot them down. I wish i could remember who did what because one of them now looks very smart while the other looks the opposite.

6. nick swisher hygiene Posted: October 16, 2009 at 05:05 AM (#3353672)

Howard sure didn't look like a guy who can't hit lefties...

7. Tripon Posted: October 16, 2009 at 05:05 AM (#3353673)

Not like Hamels didn't pitch like crap either. Or Madson. or Sherrill.

8. Earvin 'Gold Stars' Johnson Posted: October 16, 2009 at 05:06 AM (#3353674)

Someone predicted that this would happen, and somebody else shot them down.

I was the one doing the shooting down. But I don't feel dumb - I feel Torre was dumb.

9. Avoid running at all times.-S. Paige Posted: October 16, 2009 at 05:06 AM (#3353675)

I wish i could remember who did what because one of them now looks very smart while the other looks the opposite.

one was named Albert Einstein. The other was named Cletus from The Simpsons. Not sure who was right though.

10. God Posted: October 16, 2009 at 05:10 AM (#3353677)

Someone predicted that this would happen, and somebody else shot them down. I wish i could remember who did what because one of them now looks very smart while the other looks the opposite.

The thing is, until tonight, there was very good reason to shoot it down. Torre removed Wolf from NLDS Game 1 before 99% of managers (or fans) would have. He broke the sacred "use your closer only in the ninth" rule in that series. Until now there was every reason to think he would be extraordinarily aggressive in using his bullpen.

11. Robert in Manhattan Beach Posted: October 16, 2009 at 05:23 AM (#3353683)

Not like Hamels didn't pitch like crap either.

Am I nuts or did a botched, very routine double play by Rollins and Utley cost Hamels three runs? I thought Hamels was pretty decent considering the Dodgers are - you know - good. Manny scraped that two run blast up from his ankles. Wasn't a bad pitch.

12. Too Much Coffee Man Posted: October 16, 2009 at 05:33 AM (#3353685)

I thought I saw Pierre field a single in the top of the 9th. Did Torre replace Ramirez w/ him to delay the pitcher batting from 9th to 3rd?
I would have loved to have seen the Dodgers tie, the Phillies take the lead, and then Pierre bat w/ 2 outs in the 10th. Of course, he would have hit a homer, and Buck Martinez would have explained that THAT'S the beauty of baseball.

13. Maury Brown Posted: October 16, 2009 at 05:39 AM (#3353687)

Ugliest postseason game I can remember in some time.

14. Crashburn Alley Posted: October 16, 2009 at 05:42 AM (#3353689)

Am I nuts or did a botched, very routine double play by Rollins and Utley cost Hamels three runs?

Hamels is a headcase. He gets out of sorts whenever an umpire makes a call against him, or a teammate botches a play. I knew that when the Phillies didn't turn that double play that Hamels would implode. It's been his M.O. all season.

15. Earvin 'Gold Stars' Johnson Posted: October 16, 2009 at 05:44 AM (#3353691)

Ugliest postseason game I can remember in some time.

Game 1 of Cards-Dodgers was worse.

16. Avoid running at all times.-S. Paige Posted: October 16, 2009 at 06:02 AM (#3353695)

Not such a big deal but I was wondering why Pierre didn't run on Madson during the Ethier at bat. It seemed like a good time to put the pressure on. Torre has turned passive in his old age.

17. Tripon Posted: October 16, 2009 at 06:06 AM (#3353696)

You'd have to ask Pierre that. He has the green light whenever he wants to go

18. NaOH Posted: October 16, 2009 at 06:11 AM (#3353697)

Torre has turned passive in his old age.

[Salamat Malam. Mudah-mudahan anda tidur banyak dan kerasan.]

Torre seemed to turn passive once he lost Zimmer as his bench coach. I can't say if Zimmer was truly that influential on Torre's managing, but it's always been my perception.

19. Benji Posted: October 16, 2009 at 06:16 AM (#3353698)

I didn't see the game, so help me. Did Kuo get pinch hit for? Because if he didn't, pulling him for Sherrill is the kind of move that drives me crazy. Both lefties.

20. Avoid running at all times.-S. Paige Posted: October 16, 2009 at 06:19 AM (#3353700)

Selamat siang (or probably pagi or malam to you depending on if it's after midnight where you are)! I need to sleep. It's been tough getting adjusted to the time difference this time around.

Yeah, Torre did seem to get less bold after Zimmer left. The thing that stands out is not running on Varitek in 2004 when Wake was pitching.

Tripon, I stand corrected about Torre in this case.

21. NaOH Posted: October 16, 2009 at 06:20 AM (#3353701)

Bad news, Benji. There was no pinch hitter for Kuo.

22. Benji Posted: October 16, 2009 at 06:21 AM (#3353702)

Thanks. Why do managers do that? Kuo looked good. So he pitches two innings tonight, then Sherrill could pitch two today. This "different look every inning" stuff blows more games.

23. NaOH Posted: October 16, 2009 at 06:24 AM (#3353703)

It's malam in Colorado. The time zone adjustment is brutal. Godspeed with that. The best I ever figured out was to just force myself to adhere to whatever the clock says where I am.

I'd forgotten about the lack of running on Varitek. That's just more wood to throw on the passive-Torre fire.

24. NaOH Posted: October 16, 2009 at 06:27 AM (#3353705)

Why do managers do that? Kuo looked good.

All I'll say is this: Since 1996, I think Mariano Rivera and Ramiro Mendoza are the only relievers Torre has truly trusted to throw more than one inning in a non-mopup playoff role. The playoffs seem to induce greater micromanaging of pitchers, and Torre is susceptible to this behavior even in the regular season.

25. Tripon Posted: October 16, 2009 at 06:47 AM (#3353707)

Kuo hasn't pitched 2 innings back to back all year, plus he has two tommy john surgeries done to his left elbow.

26. NaOH Posted: October 16, 2009 at 07:12 AM (#3353713)

You see more Dodgers games than I, Tripon, but Kuo threw more than 2 IP plenty of times last year. Has there been a the change this year with the player or it Torre?

27. Tripon Posted: October 16, 2009 at 07:26 AM (#3353715)

Kuo had an injury to his pitching arm early in the year, and the medical staff told Torre that he shouldn't use Kuo back to back or multiple innings to save his arm. He can pitch back to back for the playoffs, most likely, but the Dodgers aren't going to ask Kuo to pitch multiple innings.

28. NaOH Posted: October 16, 2009 at 07:42 AM (#3353717)

Thanks.

29. Gold Star for Robothal Posted: October 16, 2009 at 12:53 PM (#3353759)

Some goofball had a lucky guess at the start of this thread.

30. Willie Mayspedes Posted: October 16, 2009 at 04:39 PM (#3354025)

Salamat Malam. Mudah-mudahan anda tidur banyak dan kerasan

Is that Indonesian? Salamat malam or something very similar means good morning I think in Bali.

EDIT: malam is night pagi is morning

31. NaOH Posted: October 16, 2009 at 06:16 PM (#3354156)

Obviously, Kaline, you figured out that it is Indonesian. Zuvella and I have exchanged a little Indonesian — which is essentially the same as Malaysian — after it came out that he's been living in Jakarta and I've spent a bit of time in Bali.

Kapan anda pergi ke Bali? Berapa lama tingal di sana? (When did you go to Bali? How long did you stay there?)

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MLB: Homers help Hamels, Phils win Game 1

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