Sat, Sept 17 - PHILLIES MIRACULOUSLY OVERCOME MARLINS WITH TEN RUNS IN 9TH, DEFEAT D-TRAIN!!!!!!
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/boxscore?gameId=250917128 - URL from ESPN.com
(NB) I'm trying to catch up with the schedule, so this post is only a first draft for this game, which was one of the most remarkable games I've ever seen. It warrants more time than I can devote to it right now, in order to catch up with the team - it's now Wed night... so check back for more on this game...
The Phillies had the unenviable task of trying to vanquish the flamboyant LHP Dontrelle Willis at Dolphins Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Willis, arguably the most exciting pitcher in the game, is a tremendous all-around athlete, and it is cool that he pitches in the NL, where pitchers have to play the entire game. The Florida ace is a Cy Young candidate this year, posting a 21-8 record and 2.49 ERA, w/ just 1.11 baserunners an inning. In April, Willis had defeated the Phillies in what broadcaster Scott Graham described as a "gem". Coincidentally, Willis and Jimmy Rollins had attended the same high school in Oakland and know each other well. Willis was class of 2000, Rollins the class of 1996.
The Phillies countered with Vicente Padilla, whose 8-12 record coming in camouflaged his renaissance over the last few weeks. While Willis shut out the Phillies, Padilla was equally effective over seven innings, surrendering only an unearned run, four hits and three walks, and striking out seven Marlins.
The Fox broadcast's frequent miking of the dugouts actually paid dividends today, as Ryan Howard, with mock formality, introduced Rollins by declaring something to the effect of, "America, I would like to present to you, Jimmy Rollins- he's #11 in your program but you know he's #1 in your hearts," to chuckling from the other players in the dugout. The jocularity provided a refreshing contrast to the nerve-wracking ship run by the martinet Larry Bowa. Charlie Manuel's style is much more similar to Jack McKeon's, which is not only more pleasant but also more effective, as Florida's Cinderella World Series title in 2003 affirms.
Moreover, the Phillies' reliance on LH (Abreu, Utley, Howard) hitting makes them uniquely vulnerable to a LHP such as Willis, who is so difficult to pick up for LH. Willis struck out Abreu, an extremely judicious hitter, who doesn't strike out much, three times today. Ryan Howard had to sit. Chase Utley was moved back down to 5th in the order. Kenny Lofton, who's on fire, had to sit in favor of Jason Michaels. And the loss of RH Jim Thome has made the problem even worse, as Burrell is the only major RH threat now in the lineup.
and the Phillies
Willis is a great hitter, with three career HR and 21 hits this year, taking a .259 average and 11 RBI into this game. He is occasionally used as a PH, by Florida skipper Jack McKeon (Willis pinch-hit nine times in 2004). As a result, "D-Train" batted eighth in the order, ahead of September call-up Robert Andino, pressed into duty at SS, due to the ankle injury suffered by SS Damion Easley on Friday night. Easley himself had been a backup, becoming the everyday shortstop after SS Alex Gonzalez's injury.
According to McKeon, it was the first time as a major-league manager that he had ever batted a pitcher higher than 9th (although he had previously done so in the minor leagues). It was easy to see the rationale for McKeon's atypical batting order today. In the fourth, Willis drove a ball to the warning-track in right-center, which was caught by Michaels right in front of the "1997 World Champions" banner on the wall, to an enthusiastic ovation from the crowd.
In the 1st, the Phillies were fortunate to benefit from the baserunning blunders of Miguel Cabrera, at first with two outs, due to an error by David Bell. Carlos Delgado hit a ball into the outfield, and Cabrera made two mistakes which cost Florida a run:
a) Cabrera failed to run hard from contact, an unpardonable sin with two outs, especially in a pennant race. It wasn't until he saw the ball in the alley that he began to accelerate.
b) Due to his poor jump, the Marlins' 3B coach gave him the stop sign, which Cabrera either didn't see, or didn't feel applied to him. Disregarding the stop sign by accident or design, Cabrera tried to score, and was successfully blocked from doing so by Mike Lieberthal, as Jimmy Rollins made a perfect relay to the plate. Cabrera was tagged out to end the inning.
Had he been running hard the entire way, Cabrera would have scored easily. Given that even with a slow start from 1st, and a perfect relay throw, it was still a close play at the plate, one in which Cabrera was arguably safe anyhow.Throwing someone out at the plate is the most exciting play in baseball, and it was particularly fortunate, that the Phillies were able to provide a classic example this afternoon.
Padilla found himself in trouble in the 3rd, almost entirely due to walks. After a walk by Andino, sacrifice from Luis Castillo, and a walk to Juan Pierre left runners on 1st/2nd with one out. Cabrera hit a slow grounder to Chase Utley, who tried to force a double play by gunning his throw wildly past Rollins, covering second. Utley would have been far better off just taking the sure out at first, permitting the runners to advance. Instead, everyone was safe, leaving the bases loaded with one out with Delgado at the plate.
Padilla and Delgado battled at the plate in an eight-pitch AB, and Padilla eventually walked him to force in a run, the third walk of the inning. Padilla came back to strike out the dangerous Jeff Conine (owner of 7 career slams and a .297 average with the bases loaded) for the second out. He then caught Paul LoDuca looking for something other than a fastball on 2-2, splitting the plate with a fastball to end the inning. Florida had scored an unearned run without a hit, relying on three walks and an error. Of course, the Phillies were thrilled to escape the inning with a single run scoring, since Padilla had to face Delgado, Conine, and LoDuca with the bases loaded, and the Marlins could have broken it open. Credit must be given to Padilla to wriggle out of the jam, taking 39 pitches to do so - he now had 75 pitches thrown in 3 IP.
In the 4th, Michaels was well down the line to first after taking what he had been certain was ball four, except that it wasn't. Burrell followed with a two-out single, but w/ a 3-2 count and Burrell running on the pitch, Utley flied out to the warning track in LF to end the inning. A couple of more feet and Burrell might have scored on a ball off the wall, but those are the joys of baseball.
Other NL Games of Interest
Atlanta's Adam LaRoche had his 17th HR, a two-run shot, in the 1st off the slowest pitcher in the major leagues, the Mets' Steve Trachsel (chiefly memorable for giving up Mark McGwire's historic, 62nd HR in St. Louis in 1998, as a Cubs hurler).
At the end of play, Saturday, September 17 (13 Phillies games remaining)
NL East
Atlanta................................85-64.....--- (magic number reduced to 9)
Philadelphia.......................80-69.....5
Florida.................................78-71.....7
NL Wild Card
Houston...........................80-68.....---
Philadelphia....................80-69.....0.5
Florida.............................78-71.....2.5
Washington.....................77-72.....3.5
Back of the Pack
Milwaukee.........................73-75.....7
Chicago..............................73-76....7.5
New York...........................72-76.....8
(NB) I'm trying to catch up with the schedule, so this post is only a first draft for this game, which was one of the most remarkable games I've ever seen. It warrants more time than I can devote to it right now, in order to catch up with the team - it's now Wed night... so check back for more on this game...
The Phillies had the unenviable task of trying to vanquish the flamboyant LHP Dontrelle Willis at Dolphins Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Willis, arguably the most exciting pitcher in the game, is a tremendous all-around athlete, and it is cool that he pitches in the NL, where pitchers have to play the entire game. The Florida ace is a Cy Young candidate this year, posting a 21-8 record and 2.49 ERA, w/ just 1.11 baserunners an inning. In April, Willis had defeated the Phillies in what broadcaster Scott Graham described as a "gem". Coincidentally, Willis and Jimmy Rollins had attended the same high school in Oakland and know each other well. Willis was class of 2000, Rollins the class of 1996.
The Phillies countered with Vicente Padilla, whose 8-12 record coming in camouflaged his renaissance over the last few weeks. While Willis shut out the Phillies, Padilla was equally effective over seven innings, surrendering only an unearned run, four hits and three walks, and striking out seven Marlins.
The Fox broadcast's frequent miking of the dugouts actually paid dividends today, as Ryan Howard, with mock formality, introduced Rollins by declaring something to the effect of, "America, I would like to present to you, Jimmy Rollins- he's #11 in your program but you know he's #1 in your hearts," to chuckling from the other players in the dugout. The jocularity provided a refreshing contrast to the nerve-wracking ship run by the martinet Larry Bowa. Charlie Manuel's style is much more similar to Jack McKeon's, which is not only more pleasant but also more effective, as Florida's Cinderella World Series title in 2003 affirms.
Moreover, the Phillies' reliance on LH (Abreu, Utley, Howard) hitting makes them uniquely vulnerable to a LHP such as Willis, who is so difficult to pick up for LH. Willis struck out Abreu, an extremely judicious hitter, who doesn't strike out much, three times today. Ryan Howard had to sit. Chase Utley was moved back down to 5th in the order. Kenny Lofton, who's on fire, had to sit in favor of Jason Michaels. And the loss of RH Jim Thome has made the problem even worse, as Burrell is the only major RH threat now in the lineup.
and the Phillies
Willis is a great hitter, with three career HR and 21 hits this year, taking a .259 average and 11 RBI into this game. He is occasionally used as a PH, by Florida skipper Jack McKeon (Willis pinch-hit nine times in 2004). As a result, "D-Train" batted eighth in the order, ahead of September call-up Robert Andino, pressed into duty at SS, due to the ankle injury suffered by SS Damion Easley on Friday night. Easley himself had been a backup, becoming the everyday shortstop after SS Alex Gonzalez's injury.
According to McKeon, it was the first time as a major-league manager that he had ever batted a pitcher higher than 9th (although he had previously done so in the minor leagues). It was easy to see the rationale for McKeon's atypical batting order today. In the fourth, Willis drove a ball to the warning-track in right-center, which was caught by Michaels right in front of the "1997 World Champions" banner on the wall, to an enthusiastic ovation from the crowd.
In the 1st, the Phillies were fortunate to benefit from the baserunning blunders of Miguel Cabrera, at first with two outs, due to an error by David Bell. Carlos Delgado hit a ball into the outfield, and Cabrera made two mistakes which cost Florida a run:
a) Cabrera failed to run hard from contact, an unpardonable sin with two outs, especially in a pennant race. It wasn't until he saw the ball in the alley that he began to accelerate.
b) Due to his poor jump, the Marlins' 3B coach gave him the stop sign, which Cabrera either didn't see, or didn't feel applied to him. Disregarding the stop sign by accident or design, Cabrera tried to score, and was successfully blocked from doing so by Mike Lieberthal, as Jimmy Rollins made a perfect relay to the plate. Cabrera was tagged out to end the inning.
Had he been running hard the entire way, Cabrera would have scored easily. Given that even with a slow start from 1st, and a perfect relay throw, it was still a close play at the plate, one in which Cabrera was arguably safe anyhow.Throwing someone out at the plate is the most exciting play in baseball, and it was particularly fortunate, that the Phillies were able to provide a classic example this afternoon.
Padilla found himself in trouble in the 3rd, almost entirely due to walks. After a walk by Andino, sacrifice from Luis Castillo, and a walk to Juan Pierre left runners on 1st/2nd with one out. Cabrera hit a slow grounder to Chase Utley, who tried to force a double play by gunning his throw wildly past Rollins, covering second. Utley would have been far better off just taking the sure out at first, permitting the runners to advance. Instead, everyone was safe, leaving the bases loaded with one out with Delgado at the plate.
Padilla and Delgado battled at the plate in an eight-pitch AB, and Padilla eventually walked him to force in a run, the third walk of the inning. Padilla came back to strike out the dangerous Jeff Conine (owner of 7 career slams and a .297 average with the bases loaded) for the second out. He then caught Paul LoDuca looking for something other than a fastball on 2-2, splitting the plate with a fastball to end the inning. Florida had scored an unearned run without a hit, relying on three walks and an error. Of course, the Phillies were thrilled to escape the inning with a single run scoring, since Padilla had to face Delgado, Conine, and LoDuca with the bases loaded, and the Marlins could have broken it open. Credit must be given to Padilla to wriggle out of the jam, taking 39 pitches to do so - he now had 75 pitches thrown in 3 IP.
In the 4th, Michaels was well down the line to first after taking what he had been certain was ball four, except that it wasn't. Burrell followed with a two-out single, but w/ a 3-2 count and Burrell running on the pitch, Utley flied out to the warning track in LF to end the inning. A couple of more feet and Burrell might have scored on a ball off the wall, but those are the joys of baseball.
Other NL Games of Interest
Atlanta's Adam LaRoche had his 17th HR, a two-run shot, in the 1st off the slowest pitcher in the major leagues, the Mets' Steve Trachsel (chiefly memorable for giving up Mark McGwire's historic, 62nd HR in St. Louis in 1998, as a Cubs hurler).
At the end of play, Saturday, September 17 (13 Phillies games remaining)
NL East
Atlanta................................85-64.....--- (magic number reduced to 9)
Philadelphia.......................80-69.....5
Florida.................................78-71.....7
NL Wild Card
Houston...........................80-68.....---
Philadelphia....................80-69.....0.5
Florida.............................78-71.....2.5
Washington.....................77-72.....3.5
Back of the Pack
Milwaukee.........................73-75.....7
Chicago..............................73-76....7.5
New York...........................72-76.....8
posted by Villanova Viewpoint Publisher | 1:47 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home