For six innings they seemed like the same old Phillies.
The only offense they were taking in Game 1 of their NLCS against the Dodgers was to the silly comments of an L.A. columnist.
They had managed exactly nothing against Dodgers starter Derek Lowe.
In the meantime, it looked like they were well on their way to squandering a very good outing by their ace Cole Hamels.
He had surrendered only two runs, including a monster double in the first inning off the bat of Manny Ramirez that if hit to any other spot in Citizens Bank Park other than that tiny corner of centerfield likely would have been a home run.
The Bank was silent. Maybe it was appropriate after what’s been happening to the economy yesterday and the last week for a ballpark named after a bank to be shrouded in doubts, anxiety and tension. The place was as quiet as a church.
Then Chase Utley delivered. Yes, he of the ailing hip and diminished offensive output launched a Lowe pitch into the rightfield seats to even the score.
It was like a surge of electricity went through the place. Fans were on their feet. Rally towels were everywhere.
Fans barely had a chance to settle back in their seats when Pat Burrell stepped to the plate and hit a laser shot into the leftfield stands.
Make it 3-2 Phils.
Then the Phils fell back on what has been one of their strengths all year. After Hamels pitched a scoreless seventh, it was Ryan Madson in the eighth, preserving that precious one-run lead, and serving as the “bridge to Lidge.” The Phils ace closer slammed the door and the Phils took a 1-0 lead in the series.
They hook up again this afternoon at Citizens Bank Park. On what should be a glorious late afternoon, the Phils will try to take a stranglehold on the series before heading to the Left Coast for the weekend.
Today is the only afternoon game in the series. All other games are scheduled for 8:22.
Brett Myers takes the hill. And yes, just as there was for six innings last night, there are some lingering doubts. Which Brett Myers will we see, the one who struggled early in the year and then, suddenly and inexplicably the guy who backslided into those erratic ways, or the guy who was one of the most dominating pitchers in the National League after his return from the minors.
The crowd will tell us. It will either be the meek group that sat in silence for six innings, or the raucous group that rocked the joint for the final three.
The Phils have put one in the win column. They banked on the same modus operandi they used all season. Solid pitching and the long ball.
We’ll take it.
The only offense they were taking in Game 1 of their NLCS against the Dodgers was to the silly comments of an L.A. columnist.
They had managed exactly nothing against Dodgers starter Derek Lowe.
In the meantime, it looked like they were well on their way to squandering a very good outing by their ace Cole Hamels.
He had surrendered only two runs, including a monster double in the first inning off the bat of Manny Ramirez that if hit to any other spot in Citizens Bank Park other than that tiny corner of centerfield likely would have been a home run.
The Bank was silent. Maybe it was appropriate after what’s been happening to the economy yesterday and the last week for a ballpark named after a bank to be shrouded in doubts, anxiety and tension. The place was as quiet as a church.
Then Chase Utley delivered. Yes, he of the ailing hip and diminished offensive output launched a Lowe pitch into the rightfield seats to even the score.
It was like a surge of electricity went through the place. Fans were on their feet. Rally towels were everywhere.
Fans barely had a chance to settle back in their seats when Pat Burrell stepped to the plate and hit a laser shot into the leftfield stands.
Make it 3-2 Phils.
Then the Phils fell back on what has been one of their strengths all year. After Hamels pitched a scoreless seventh, it was Ryan Madson in the eighth, preserving that precious one-run lead, and serving as the “bridge to Lidge.” The Phils ace closer slammed the door and the Phils took a 1-0 lead in the series.
They hook up again this afternoon at Citizens Bank Park. On what should be a glorious late afternoon, the Phils will try to take a stranglehold on the series before heading to the Left Coast for the weekend.
Today is the only afternoon game in the series. All other games are scheduled for 8:22.
Brett Myers takes the hill. And yes, just as there was for six innings last night, there are some lingering doubts. Which Brett Myers will we see, the one who struggled early in the year and then, suddenly and inexplicably the guy who backslided into those erratic ways, or the guy who was one of the most dominating pitchers in the National League after his return from the minors.
The crowd will tell us. It will either be the meek group that sat in silence for six innings, or the raucous group that rocked the joint for the final three.
The Phils have put one in the win column. They banked on the same modus operandi they used all season. Solid pitching and the long ball.
We’ll take it.
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