Final Phillies 3 Brewers 1
WP: Cole Hamels (1-0)
LP: Yovani Gallardo (0-1)
SV: Brad Lidge (1)
2-2 to Hart. 2 out. Struck him out. First postseason victory since 1993.
Cory Hart up. Ball gets away from Ruiz, runners move up to second and third.
J.J. Hardy up, we'll see if the 7 on his jersey is lucky. The way he's swinging, it doesn't look like it.
3-1 to Hardy, lots of folks rubbin palms together... BB for Hardy.
Prince waddles in, looks at two pitches. 1-1 count. Shawinnnng and a miss! 1-2, crowd coming alive.
And, here's the second mound visit to Lidge.
Full count. It's gettin tense in here. Chain dangling, Prince goes down swinging. One out left, tying run still on second.
Top of the Ninth Phillies 3 Brewers 1 1 out
WIth the Prince waiting on deck, Ryan Braun steps in. Philadelphia breathes in a collective sigh of relief as Braun goes deep in foul territory.
2-2 to Braun, Lidge throws some chin music.
Ok, full count. Braun rips it down the first base line. One run scores.
And, here's the Prince.
"Ryan Braun, the greatest Jewish baseball player playing currently" - Brendan Shorts
Ray Durham steps in. Lidge has him 1-2, rally-towels waving fast then......... smack!
base hit to right-center field.
Lidge, Mr. 41-for-41, gets two quick strikes on Mike Cameron, make that three. one down, two to go.
Bottom of the Eighth Phillies 3 Brewers 0
Ryno dodging the foul ball from Pedro. Dude's agile. Broken bat pop up to shallow centerfield for Feliz. Inning over. Phils three outs from going up 1-0 in the best-of-five series.
"He's the antithesis of a top prospect" - Brendan Shorts on O's failed prospect Brandon Fahey.
The flyin' Hawaiian beats put a possible double play. Ryno to third.
Pitching change for the Brew Crew. Guillermo Mota. Mota used to take steroids.
Whooooosh! Victorina steals second uncontested. Two men in scoring position.
Bottom of the eighth, Chase Utley at the dish. Counsell swallows up the ground ball, one away.
In steps Ryno, and on four straight pitches trots 90 ft. to first. No small talk with Prince, this is the playoffs.
Next batter, Bruntlett hits a ball up the midde. J.J. Hardy can't field it cleanly, two on, one out.
Lidge is up and throwing.
3-2 the count to Kendall, with one out in the 8th...
and yet AGAIN as I type this Hamels strikes out another. Maybe I'm the good luck charm Phillies fans. Or maybe not.
K Count: 9
Counsell has grounded out to third to end the inning, and Hamels walked off the mound like it was nothing, with a backdrop of cheers from the Philly crowd.
Yes.
Hamels is in the eighth, and hopefully the Phils will let him go for the complete game.
On another note, there seems to be an argument in here which is fuming. Who is the better looking Phillie?
Cole Hamels or Chase Utley? Send me your vote to bpe5006@psu.edu
End of the 7th, Phillies 3, Brewers 0
Cole Hamels at the plate to start the bottom of the seventh. As expected he strikes out, but unless you haven't been watching, I'd say he gets a pass for his performance on the mound. Hamels took a 1-2 curve ball in the dirt and swung rightttt through it.
Back around to the top for the Phils, with Rollins AKA the ugliest man on the Phillies up to bat. Rollins is 1-3 on the day, and currently has Villanueva at a 2-2 count. Rollins goes down swinging on yet another low curveball. It looks like the Phils are just trying to get through this game with the 3-0 lead. An OK strategy, but with the power this Brewers lineup has, despite the performance of Hamels, this game is not over.
Vilanueva struck out the side in the seventh, and now the Phils are just six outs away from their first playoff win in 15 years. Will we see Hamels in the eighth?
Middle of the 7th, Phillies 3, Brewers 0
Nicee snag by Ryan Howard along the first base line to get Prince Fielder for the first out of the seventh inning. I'll admit I was a little taken back to look up and see a close-up picture of Jimmy Rollins. Man, that's an ugly dude, but one hell of a ball player.
Hardy and Hart apparently were just so excited to get the seventh-inning stretch started they felt the need to swing at the first couple of pitches, Hardy grounding out to third, and Hart flying out to center.
Now get up and stretch, baseball fans. No seriously, get up. Now.
"What person watches this commerical and thinks that Viagra will prevent H.I.V.?" - Terry Casey on Viagra
End of the sixth, Phillies 3, Brewers 0
Two fly-outs and a groundout for the Phillies in the bottom of the fifth, and we head to the sixth. To be honest, I completely wasn't paying attention for this half of the inning, so this will be the shortest post. Sorry, I was distracted.
Middle of the 6th, Phillies 3, Brewers 0
That's No. 7 for Mr. Hamels, who by popular opinion, is the best looking player on the Phillies. Jason Kendall is the latest victim of Hamels' curveball, and the right-hander is goin strong.
K Count: 7
Craig Counsell comes in to bat for the Brewers in the ninth spot, and gets just the second hit for the Brewers on the night.
With Mike Cameron at the plate, it's just the second time a Milwaukee has a baserunner. Hamels is continuing to throw inside, but the home plate umpire seems to be giving the Phils a slight edge in the calls. Some of these pitches are way inside, yet he's giving them the benefit of the doubt. Ah, well. Despite some "questionable" calls, Cameron walks on a fastball gone a bit outside, to give the Brewers two baserunners. Congrats, Milwaukee!
It's scary to think, Phillies fans, but one swing of the bat from Bill Hall here, and the game could be tied...
And again as I type this Hall goes down swinging for victim No. 8.
K Count: 8
Phew. Hamels gets out of his biggest jam of the game, getting Ryan Braun to pop out to short to end the inning. Braun leaves Cameron and Counsell stranded on the bases, and as we head to the bottom of the sixth, the Phillies hold on to their three-run lead.
Just for the record, I'm taking the Phillies in four for this one. Call me a bandwagoner, but C.C. Sabathia is the real deal. As long as his arm doesn't literally fall off when he pitches, I think the Brewers will be able to steal that one.
End of the 5th, Phillies 3, Brewers 0
Annnd points for this blogger again. Starter Yovani Gallardo has been pulled, and now reliever Mitch Stetter will step in and try to turn this game around for the Brew Crew.
Gallardo's final stats: 4.0 IP, 75 pitches, 3 hits, 5 walks, 3 K's
Chase Utley leads things off for Philadelphia in the bottom half of the fifth, and after six pitches has grounded out to third.
Slugger Ryan Howard comes up to bat, and I'd bet theres a good chance he'll either strikeout or hit a dinger. Any takers on a K? That's what I'm going with...
Ahh, sometimes I'm so good. Howard goes down swinging for the second out, and that's all for pitcher Stetter. Now Carlos Villanueva comes in to try and end the inning.
"Gone!!!!" - Nate Mink, writer for the Collegian after Burrell's dismal hit to left field. Way to go, Mink. Way to go.
Burrell's "potentially gone" blast falls right into the glove of Ryan Braun, and the Brewers are out of the inning.
Awesome Score: Me, 1, Mink, 0.
Middle of the 5th, Phillies 3, Brewers 0
Prince Fielder steps to the plate to start the 5th. Fielder is 0-1 today, and appears to have consumed 12 hotdogs since his last at-bat. After taking Hamels to a full count, Prince went down swinging on a B-E-A-Utiful curve ball by Hamels. Go eat some more hotdogs, Prince. You know you want to.
K Count: 5
J.J. Hardy comes to the plate now, and is personally my favorite Brewer. He helped carry my fantasy baseball team to the championship round, where sadly I lost because Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano is as inconsistent as the weather here in State College. Hardy grounded out to shortstop for the second out, and nearing the halfway point in this game, it's clear who the MVP of the game has been.
And of course as I say that, Hamels' perfect game bid ends with a single to right field by Corey Hart. I'll bite my tounge.
Now with Hart at first, Rickie Weeks steps up to try and get his team on the scoreboard. Weeks has dug himself into a 0-2 count, and nearly chased after a breaking ball to end the inning.
Anddd strikeout number six for Hamels, as Weeks goes down looking. So, despite allowing the first runner of the game for the Brewers, Hamels keeps the heat on the visitors, and heads to the sixth with very good chances at getting the win.
K Count: 6
End of the 4th, Phillies 3, Brewers 0
A not-so-exciting half of the inning for the Phils to close out the fourth. Ruiz popped out on a bunt to the pitcher, and Hamels struck out swinging for two quick outs. Rollins did single to left, and mustache-man Mike Maddox made his way back to the mound, most likely to tell Gallardo that he needs to grow a cool 'stache like his boss.
Let's head to the 5th
Bottom of the 4th, Phillies 3, Brewers 0
Easy as pie for Hamels in the top of the 4th. Mmmm, pie. Hamels is on fire right now. He's thrown 44 pitches through four innings, and his command is undeniable right now if you're a Brewers fan.
My bet is Gallardo does not last more than two more innings. Let's see if I get the chance to gloat.
Top of the 4th, Phillies 3, Brewers 0
It looks like Gallardo has started to come undone. A bases loaded walk to Victorino gave the Phils a 3-0 lead, but Pedro Feliz flied out to center to end the threat.
The Brewers have action in the bullpen, and rightfully so. Gallardo has thrown 61 pitches through three innings, and his five walks have the Phils thinking big.
The office is now beginning to get crowded, and people keep watching me type. It's a bit creepy.
Bottom of the 3rd, Phillies 2, Brewers 0
And leave it to catcher Carlos Ruiz to break Gallardo's effort for a no-hitter. My money was on the next guy, Cole Hamels, who as I am typing laid down a bunt to advance Ruiz. But a sloppy throw to first base has Hamels safe at first and Ruiz safe at second.
Once around the lineup for the Phillies and Rollins steps back up to the plate. Rollins is 0-1 on the day. After just a few pitches, the shortstop flied out to left. Ruiz and Hamels are still at second and first, respectively.
Jayson Werth needs to be yelled at for that swing. A high fastball wayy out of the strike zone still fooled Werth as he chased it for Gallardo's second strikeout.
Chase Utley steps up to the plate, and will try to send at least Ruiz around to grab the lead.
TBS just showed the stats for Howard, Utley, and Rollins in the NLDS against the Rockies last season. Let's just say, it wasn't pretty. They were as bad as I was against Tom Owens' kids during a summer softball game (this blogger just realized that noone knows who Tom Owens is, but for those who do, you know what's up).
Double to centerfield! Chase Utley delivers with a shot to center, and with the help of centerfielder Mike Cameron, brings home both Ruiz and Hamels for a two-run lead.
Good eye by Pat Burrell there, and with Gallardo's fourth walk of the game, the Phils have the bases loaded. Victorino steps to the plate to try and add on to the tally.
"That's a good mustache" -Terry Casey, on Brewers manager Mike Maddox' mustache
Bottom of the 3rd, Phillies 0, Brewers 0
Rickie Weeks kicks things off for the Brewers. The second baseman took a curve ball that fell into the dirt for Hamels' fourth strikeout of the game.
K count: 4
Just to prove the point that I'm not as smart as I look, fans at the ballpark are now beginning to use those Rally Towels to keep from the rain. I guess it would be weird to try and do the same with a thunderstick.
Back-to-back flyouts from catcher Jason Kendall and pitcher Gallardo, and the Phillies and Brewers head to the bottom of the third with a scoreless tie.
Another beef I have with Phillies fans. What's the the 27 different styles of hat? I realize the "P" can only be designed so many ways, but come on! You're flirting dangerously close with the number of Yankees and Red Sox hats. That's a crime.
Top of the 3rd, Phillies 0, Brewers 0
Well Gallardo's perfect game bid is gone now, after slugger Ryan Howard walked. That's a nice change from his go-to stirkeout or homerun.
But the first sign of life from either team was ended quickly when Pat "the bat" Burrell grounded into a double play.
Shane Victorino has walked to extend the inning. Man, two walks by Gallardo?? Man, get him out of there.
On a weather note, it appears to be raining at Citizens Bank Park. That means both teams will have to keep the ball on the ground to try and get some points. No wait, sorry, wrong sport.
Bottom of the 2nd, Phillies 0, Brewers 0
Swinggg and a miss! That's a direct quote from my editor in chief behind me, who is an avid Phillies fan. Although he drinks way too much coffee, I think.
Prince Fielder led things off for the Brew Crew, and went down swinging for out number one.
K count: 3
David Aldridge as an on-the-field reporter? Man, that's sad they couldn't actually get an MLB expert to cover this game.
Both J.J Hardy and Corey Hart fell to end the top of the second.
Top of the 2nd, Phillies 0, Brewers 0
Jimmy Rollins led things off for the home team. Rollins chops a grounder to second, and Rickie Weeks makes a diving stop to get the speedster out at first. As expected, Gallardo has been tossing his fastball, which is hovering around 95 mph.
Jayson Werth is victim number one for the Phils. Werth made contact, but struck out on a foul tip.
Chase Utley couldn't quite get the magic going, as he shot a liner to first base, which was scooped up by Prince Fielder. As we head to the second, I don't wanna jinx anything, but both teams have no-hitters going. Shhhh.
Bottom of the first, Phillies 0, Brewers, 0
Mike Cameron led things off for the Brewers, and though he ended up going down on a breaking ball, did do his job of getting Philly starter Cole Hamels to begin to reveal his arsenal. Cameron took Hamels to a 3-2 count, then went down swinging for out one.
K count: 1
Bill Hall made contact off of Hamels, but the ball popped up into the out field where shortstop Jimmy Rollins brought it in.
And another one goes down swinging! Left fielder Ryan Braun swung at a 1-2 pitch to Hamels, as the left-hander retires the side.
K count: 2
A few pre-game notes:
Pitcher John Smoltz is in the booth today. He's got a nice beard going, but as far his analysis, I'm just glad I can still see that mug with the T.V. muted.
Also, let me just state for the record that these so-called "Rally Towels" are stupid. I much prefer the thundersticks the Angels used to guide them to the 2002 crown. After all, it's a lot more fun to hit the drunk guy who's working on his sixth Michelob Ultra of the game with a thunderstick rather than a towel. But that's just me.
As far as updates readers, we'll be providing you with updates every half-inning, as well as any scoring plays, and of course, other things of interest. I'm glad you've decided to pick my blog. Seriously, I'm honored.
Stating lineups, pitching matchup
Here's a look at the starting lineups for both teams...
Milwaukee Brewers
Mike Cameron, CF
Bill Hall, 3B
Ryan Braun, LF
Prince Fielder, 1B
J.J. Hardy, SS
Corey Hart, RF
Rickie Weeks, 2B
Jason Kendall, C
Yovani Gallardo, P
Philadelphia Phillies
Jimmy Rollins, SS
Jayson Werth, RF
Chase Utley, 2B
Ryan Howard, 1B
Pat Burrell, LF
Shane Victorino, CF
Pedro Feliz, 3B
Carlos Ruiz, C
Cole Hamels, P
Now to the pitching matchup....
For the Brewers, they'll send out the righthander Yovani Gallardo. This guy is so good, he's undefeated this year. But then again, so am I. Gallardo has a record of 0-0, and has only pitched in 24 innings this season. While he does sport a 1.88 ERA, the Phillies' bats will test his young arm. He hasn't thrown enough to know exactly what his "go-to pitch" is, but look for him to bring an array of fastballs and curveballs to start the game.
For those fightin' Phils, the left-handed Cole Hamels will get the start. Hamels is 14-10 this season, with 3.09 ERA, and finished with just less than 200 strikeouts (196). Most die-hard Phillies fans already know, but for those who don't, expect to see Hamels toss out his changeup frequently, but also bring the heat with his fastball.
As for who has the advantage, it's easy to say Hamels right now, seeing as how most of the baseball world hasn't seen this Gallardo fella. But, that could mean this young pitcher has something to prove. Will it be today???
I'll be back in a few with some pre-game observations.
Introduction
It's a great day for baseball........LET'S PLAY TWO!
Well actually the 2008 Major League Baseball playoffs kicks off with three games today, but whatever. That expression is still awesome.
Welcome, readers to the Daily Collegian's live blog of the Philadelphia Phillies' game against the Milwaukee Brewers. I'm Brian Eller, coming at you from the basement of the James Building here in State College, and I'll be your guide, along with a few other C-list celebrities(essentially the avid Phillies fans that happen to be down here at the time) to keep you updated on today's matchup.
It's Game 1 of one of two National League Division Series', and the NL East Division Champion Phillies will kick it off as they host the NL wildcard winners, the Milwaukee Brewers. Back at ya in a few with starting lineups, and an inside look at today's pitching matchup...
