Phillies Bats Stay Cool As Temperatures Rise, Dodgers Win 6-2

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After returning home from a 4-5 road trip on which they lost series to the Nationals and Pirates, the Phillies won the first game of their series against the Los Angeles Dodgers by a score of 3-1 on Monday night. Looking to make it three straight wins for the Fightins, Roy Oswalt took the mound for the Phillies on Tuesday night to face off against Rubby De La Rosa of the Dodgers.

It was a sloppy game from start to finish for the Phillies. In the bottom half of the first, they made their first out at third, a baseball no-no.

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The Dodgers scored the first run of the game but the Phillies quickly knotted the score at 1-1. Philadelphia had the bases loaded with no outs but were only able to muster a single run when De La Rosa walked Placido Polanco with two outs and the bases still jammed. Earlier in the inning, Raul Ibanez was thrown out at home plate.

De La Rosa led off the third inning and Oswalt walked him on just five pitches. Walking the lead-off batter usually comes back to haunt a pitcher, walking the opposing pitcher to start off an inning, that’s just bad baseball. After singles by Dee Gordon (son of former Phillies pitcher Tom Gordon) and Casey Blake, De La Rosa scored to make it 2-1 Dodgers. After an error by Oswalt later in the inning (he threw to first base with no one covering, allowing Gordon to score) and an RBI single by Andre Ethier, L.A. was up 4-1.

The scoring ceased for both teams until the bottom half of the 7th when Chase Utley hit a triple that scored Shane Victorino from first. Ryan Howard stepped to the plate with a chance to tie the game with one swing but alas, he was unable to connect on a long ball or even score Utley from third.

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Michael Stutes came on to pitch the 8th inning for Philadelphia after J.C. Romero pitched a scoreless 7th in relief of Oswalt. Down 4-2, and with the Phil’s bats ice cold over the last several weeks, it was imperative to keep the Dodgers from scoring again. Unfortunately, with Andre Ethier already on first base, Matt Kemp hit a deep HR off of Stutes to extend L.A.’s lead to 6-2.

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Neither team would score again. With the loss, Oswalt’s record drops below .500 to 3-4. Jimmy Rollins, who had missed a few games after fouling a ball off of his knee over the weekend, pitch hit for the Phillies in the bottom half of the 9th.

The rubber match comes tonight when Cole Hamels (7-2) takes the ball for the Phillies. Hamels has arguably been the most consistent starter for Philadelphia this season. He will be opposed by Dodgers pitcher Hiroki Kuroda (5-6). With temps in Philadelphia today soaring into the high 90’s, it should be a hot one at Citizen’s Bank Park tonight. Hopefully some of the heat on the field will soak into the home team’s bats. Next up for the Phillies is a four game home series against the Chicago Cubs, followed by a four game series (including a double header on Wednesday, June 15th) against the Florida Marlins.

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Phillies vs. Rangers: Cliff Lee Masterful in Win Over Texas

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After Roy Halladay notched a win for the Phillies in the first game of the series against the Texas Rangers, the two teams met again on Saturday evening at Citizen’s Bank Park. Cliff Lee got the start for the Phillies and faced off against the team he helped take to the World Series last season.

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Much like the Phillies, the Rangers have suffered many injuries this season. Reigning AL MVP Josh Hamilton, still on the DL, did not play.

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Lee had a masterful performance. He pitched eight innings of shut out baseball, striking out ten Rangers. He also had a single and stole a base. It was the first stolen base by a Phillies pitcher this season.

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Ryan Howard broke out of a long slump at the plate with two hits. Howard connected on a solo HR in the 2nd inning that put the Phillies up 1-0. Although that was all the offense they would need, they added an insurance run in the 6th inning (on an RBI single by John Mayberrry that plated Raul Ibanez), to eventually win 2-0. Domonic Brown saw his first action of the season at the major league level but went 0-4 in his 2011 debut. Jimmy Rollins and Placido Polanco each added two hits for Philadelphia.

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Ryan Madsen pitched the 9th inning, and although he allowed a few base-runners, none of them were able to score; earning him his ninth save of the season. His ERA now sits at a stingy 0.47.

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All in all the Rangers totaled six hits, three of them by Michael Young, and stranded fourteen runners over nine innings.

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Starting pitcher Colby Lewis took the loss for the Rangers. He allowed both Phillies runs and scattered seven hits over 6.2 innings.

With a series win already locked up, the Phillies will go for the sweep on Sunday afternoon as Roy Oswalt takes the mound for the Phillies. Beginning Monday, it’s back to National League action as the Phil’s host the Cincinnati Reds in a three game series.

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Philadelphia: The New Evil Empire

Cliff Lee in 2009 NLDS

New York is the the Empire State, Jay-Z has an Empire State of Mind, and the New York Yankees are the Evil Empire of baseball…or are they? There was a time where the Yankees could throw more money and more years at any player they wanted and the following season he would be wearing pinstripes in the Bronx. That time officially ended last night when the most coveted free agent in baseball, pitcher Cliff Lee, turned down the mega offer from the Yankees in favor of an offer from the Philadelphia Phillies. The Phillies offer was nothing to scoff at (five years, over $100 million) but it proved that the George Steinbrenner evil empire era is officially over. The Darth Vader torch has officially been passed to Ruben Amaro Jr.

Roy Halladay

The city, state, nation, and internet are abuzz today with the news of Cliff Lee. In Philadelphia we celebrate. We just woke up on Christmas morning to find that the bike we asked Santa for isn’t under the tree. Instead, there is a shiny new sports car sitting there with the keys in it. That’s right Philadelphia, we’re all now riding in the carpool lane to the World Series and we’ve got speed pass. While nothing is a given, you certainly have to love our chances.

In New York and Texas, fans woke up this morning (or went to bed last night) covered in coal dust. They’d counted on Cliff Lee playing for them next season. They had listened to the endless reports on sports radio, read about it in local papers, and watched MLB insiders on ESPN…all for naught. Now they are just left holding a big fat stocking filled with coal. To make matters worse for these other cities. We had Cliff Lee and traded him away (for basically nothing). They think that we don’t deserve him, that we didn’t appreciate him. Why would he choose us over them?

Roy Oswalt

Texas feels betrayed. Lee took them to the World Series last year. Why wouldn’t he want to stay there and help them defend their AL title? Yankees fans are sick. When they throw money at a player, they expect him to catch it! I guess that’s why they went out this morning and struck a deal with catcher Russell Martin. The Yankees are now so deep at catcher within their organization, you have to assume they are trying to load up and get the pieces in place to go after a trade when another big time pitcher becomes available.

Dallas hates us Philly. That isn’t news; we hate them too. This just ups the ante. In the same week we beat the Cowboys in Dallas and then stole their hopes of returning to the World Series. It’s hardly news that New York hates us too although for the past several years that was limited to Mets fans. Now all of New York can finally unite in their hatred of Philadelphia. We got what they wanted. We have Cliff Lee.

Cole Hamels Returned to Ace Form in 2010

The Rangers and Yankees looked like the two locks to sign Lee and neither one could pull it off. We can all understand why they hate us (we just don’t care). That isn’t enough to make us the evil empire…luckily, we have more. Braves fans are disgusted and Giants fans are sick. These two teams also made the playoffs last season with the Giants going on the win the World Series but no one is talking about them. The Giants haven’t even reached the spring training of their title defense and already they are being forgotten. While it is true that titles are won on the field and not on paper, it has to make the Giants fans a little angry that no one expects their team to defend their title. We certainly don’t. With our four aces and our all-star line-up that includes Jimmy Rollins, Placido Polanco, Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Shane Victorino, and Carlos Ruiz, We’re picking the Phillies to go all the way.

2010: One of The Phillies League Best 95 Wins

We’re not quite finished yet. Every other baseball city (with maybe the exception of Boston who had a great off-season as well) in baseball hates us too! Why? Because it is now Philly, not New York, that makes them turn green with envy. We have what they all want. We aren’t satisfied with one ace pitcher, or two, or three. We already had the 2008 World Series MVP Cole Hamels but that wasn’t good enough for us. Who got Cliff Lee? We did. Who got Roy Halladay? We did. Who got Roy Oswalt? You get the point. We’ve won four straight division titles, two of the last three NL pennants, and made two trips to the World Series in three years, capturing the 2008 title. We’ve sold out over 100 straight home games and have a waiting list for season tickets while other teams can’t come close to selling out games even with crazy over the top promotions. We don’t just have the best team in baseball, we have the best fans in baseball! That is why Cliff Lee, who was so hurt when we traded him to Seattle last winter, turned down a stay in Texas or a stint in New York to return here. He knows how much Philly loves him, and he loves us too.

Phillies Phireworks

We already had three aces here in Philadelphia but Cliff Lee is our ace of hearts.

We don’t hear anyone talking about Jayson Werth right now. For a guy named Werth, it’s not surprising that it was all about the money. While Werth is counting his millions in Washington, DC, we’re counting on a 2011 World Series title here in Philadelphia.

Philadelphia is the new evil empire of baseball. It is the City of Brotherly Love vs. the Nation of Envious Haters. We like our chances.

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Philadelphia Continues Red October, Cincinnati Settles For Reds Octoberror

Phillie Phanatic Has Phaith

After dominating the Cincinnati Reds in a 4-0 win in game one behind Roy Halladay’s no-hitter (only the second in MLB post-season history) the Philadelphia Phillies sent Roy Oswalt to the mound on Friday night to face Bronson Arroyo in game two of the best of five series.

Roy Oswalt

Roy Oswalt Composing Himself

Independent Philly was at Citizen’s Bank Park to catch the action first hand.

While Halladay faced 28 batters without allowing a single hit or run, Oswalt surrendered a lead-off home run to Brandon Phillips quickly erasing any (unreasonable) hopes for a repeat performance of Halladay’s gem.

I Wish Harry Were Here

From that point on, things just got plain old weird.

Chase Utley, usually a stellar fielder, committed two errors.

Chase Utley Recording an Out

Ryan Howard at Bat

The Phillies stranded several runners and Oswalt allowed a single run (not all earned) in four of the first five innings giving the Reds a 4-0 lead heading into the bottom of the fifth.

Jayson Werth at Bat

Jayson Werth and Ryan Howard Preparing to Bat

 That’s when the winds of change blew through Citizen’s Bank Park. Over the next four innings the Phillies scored seven runs without an extra-base hit (they are yet to hit a home run this post-season). Thanks to four errors by Reds position players, and three hit batters by Reds pitchers, the Phillies were gifted several of these unearned runs.

Scott Rolen at Bat (Yes, He Got the "Boooos")

Citizen's Bank Park Way

At one point Chase Utley appeared to be hit by a 101 MPH pitch (he later said he wasn’t sure if it hit him). He then appeared  out at second on a fielder’s choice but was called safe. Jimmy Rollins next hit a pitch that Jay Bruce lost in the lights and Utley looked like he missed third base on his way home. His run (which tied the game at 4-4) still counted.

Ryan Madsen and Carlos Ruiz on the Mound

The Phillies bullpen came in and shut down the Reds. J.C. Romero, Chad Durbin, Jose Contreras, and Ryan Madsen combined for three innings of work, allowing only one hit.

Brad Lidge came in to pitch the top of the ninth and preserved the 7-4 lead to record his first save of the 2010 playoffs. Contreras, who pitched a one-two-three seventh inning, got the win.

Lights Out up in Lights

The series now heads to Cincinnati where the Reds haven’t hosted a playoff game in fifteen years. Cole Hamels will take the mound for the Phillies on Sunday night. He will be opposed by Reds starter Johnny Cueto. If the Reds manage to win game three, game four would be played on Monday.

Ring My Bell

Phillies Savoring the Win

To see our expanded photo gallery from Game 2, please click on the link below:

http://www.independentphilly.com/photo-gallery/nlds-game-2-phillies-vs-reds

Philadelphia Phillies Playoff Predictions 2010 Edition (Update: Halladay Throws Game 1 No-Hitter)

2010: One of The Phillies League Best 95 Wins

Roy Halladay Delivers the First Official Pitch of 2010 Season

The Philadelphia Phillies finished the 2010 Major League season with a 97-65 record, the best in all of baseball. After winning the World Series over the Rays in 2008 and losing last year’s World Series to the Yankees, the Phillies seem poised to make another run into late October/early November.

Phillies Win Fourth Straight NL East Title

Up first for the Fightins is the Cincinnati Reds who made the playoffs for the first time since 1995 after winning the NL Central with 91 wins.

Ryan Howard

The Phillies closed out August and September in post season form going 41-18 in late summer. There are also many additions to this 2010 Phillies that make them more dangerous than the 2009 or 2008 clubs.

Cliff Lee in 2009 NLDS

The first, and most obvious, is the starting pitching. Gone is Cliff Lee, the best pitcher the Phillies had last post-season. Instead the Phillies will turn to Roy Halladay (who will take the mound in game 1). Halladay is the front-runner for the NL Cy Young Award. In 2010 he became the first Phillies pitcher since Steve Carlton to record 20+ wins (finishing with 21). He finished the season as the team leader in wins, ERA, and strikeouts.

 

Phillies Ace: Roy Halladay

Roy Oswalt has been nothing short of spectacular since joining the Phillies. In his 12 starts since he joined the team Oswalt has a 7-1 record with a 1.74 ERA. His only loss came in his first game with Philadelphia just one day after being traded from Houston.

Finally, but no less important, is 2008 World Series MVP Cole Hamel’s return to dominant form. Hamels posted a career best 3.06 ERA this season while also setting a career best in strikeouts with 211.

Cole Hamels Returned to Form in 2010

With three legitimate number one pitchers, and no need to use a fourth starter in the NLDS, the Phillies are in very good shape.

Then there is the return of Brad Lidge to the Lights Out closer the Phillies can rely on in the 9th inning. Lidge finished the season with 27 saves in 32 chances and down the stretch he really looked like the guy that helped the Phillies win it all in 2008 (instead of the guy that made Phillies fans all hold their breath with nervousness last year).

 

Lidge is a Big Piece of the 2010 Phillies Playoff Puzzle

The pitching alone would give Phillies fans more than enough to be hopeful about this post-season, but wait, there’s more.

 

Placido Polanco

The Phillies added third baseman Placido Polanco before the start of the 2010 season and Polanco ended the regular season as the club leader in batting average (.298) and had a .988 fielding average committing just five errors.

 

Wilson Valdez

Last season the Phillies didn’t have a bench that was up to the task. In 2010 they head into the post-season with a much improved bench that boasts new faces like Ross Gload, Mike Sweeney, Domonic Brown, Wilson Valdez, and Brian Schneider. The only hold-over from last year appears to be Ben Francisco who ended the final few games of the season as hot as anyone on the team.

 

Raul Ibanez at Bat Against the Reds

 

Phillies Catcher Carlos "Chooch" Ruiz

Underneath all of the new editions and reasons for Phillies fans to get excited this post-season, is the best top to bottom line-up in baseball: Jimmy Rollins, Placido Polanco, Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Jayson Werth, Shane Victorino, Raul Ibanez, and Carlos Ruiz. Ruiz, batting out of the eight hole, never ceases to amaze in October.

Ryan Howard: Big Man, Big Swing

 

 

Phillies 2nd Baseman Chase Utley

What does Cincinnati bring to the table?

 

The Big Red Machine: Joey Votto

The Reds were the only team in the National League to score more runs than the Phillies this season. First baseman Joey Votto is the front-runner to win the league’s 2010 MVP award (finishing with 37 home runs, 113 RBI, and a .324 batting average). They also have ex-Phillie Scott Rolen at third base who, along with outfielder Jay Bruce, chipped in another 45 long balls for the Reds (Brandon Phillips and Drew Stubbs contributed another 40 home runs).

 

Likely 2010 NL MVP Joey Votto at Bat

 

Brandon Phillips Batting Against the Phillies

The big question for the Reds is their pitching.

 

Cincinnati Long Ball

Bronson Arroyo led the team in wins with 17, Johnny Cueto was first in both ERA (3.64) and strikeouts (138), and game one starter Edinson Volquez finished the season on a high note (31 K’s, 8 BB, and 17 hits in over 27 innings of work).

 

The Reds Led the NL in Runs Scored in 2010

In the end, with their dangerous line-up and above average pitching, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Reds win a game in this short series but the Phillies are the more talented team and know what it takes to win in the post-season. The Phillies went 5-2 against the Reds in the regular season. Our prediction is Phillies win in 4.

 

Ryan Howard at Bat vs. The Reds

Make sure to check back as Independent Philly will be at Citizen’s Bank Park to capture the action this week and will also be making in-depth predictions for each round of the post-season as the Phillies attempt to capture their second World Series title in three years.

**UPDATE: Placido Polanco was forced to sit out game one with a back injury and Wilson Valdez got the start at 3rd base. In his first post-season appearance ever, Roy Halladay threw only the second no-hitter (first since the 1950’s) in MLB playoff history. The Phillies won the game 4-0 over the Reds**