Freeze: Phillies 6, Brewers 5

by dajafi on Sep 27, 2009 6:48 PM EDT Comment 18 comments

Rollins and Manuel, trying to hold on, much like the rest of us. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Around 4.30 Eastern time Sunday afternoon, the collective mind of Philliedom united in one despairing thought: Oh no, not again. With two outs in the sixth inning, Joe Blanton and Clay Condrey had just pitched a 6-1 Phillies lead into a 6-5 nailbiter on a Mat Gamel three-run homer and a Ryan Braun RBI single, and the resilient Brewers had ten outs yet. The Braves were just finishing off yet another win over the Nationals; the prospect of a lead down to four games with seven remaining felt very real.

But the much-maligned bullpen held: Sergio Escalona relieved Condrey to retire Prince Fielder on one pitch and escape the sixth, and Chad Durbin got the next five outs before running into eighth-inning trouble with a walk of Corey Hart. Ryan Madson came on for the four-out save, and Hart gave him one as a gift by getting picked off first base. Madson retired Braun to start the ninth, but Fielder followed with an opposite-field double. He moved to third on a groundout by pinch-hitter Felipe Lopez, bringing up Mike Cameron; Madson got ahead 0-2, seethed as umpire Dana DeMuth called one close pitch a ball... and finished it with a blazing fastball on the outside corner as Cameron's bat didn't move. Save, sigh of relief, magic number down to three.

Were the Phillies a bit more effective with runners in scoring position, the end might not have been so dramatic. The team stranded the bases loaded three times on the day, left 14 on in all, and went 3 for 14 in RISP situations. On the plus side, every starter had at least one hit, with Jimmy Rollins chipping in a leadoff homer and Shane Victorino and Pedro Feliz each driving in two.

The win was the club's 48th on the road this season, tying a franchise record. They come home for four games with the Astros starting Monday, with Cole Hamels set for the start.

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Makes me feel better….probably helps ticket sales for this week too….that’s it! It was the grand master-plan to clinch the division at home for the third straight year.

by WanderingMoses on Sep 27, 2009 7:24 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, that’s gonna happen. Have you forgotten that we are playing the Astros?

by FuquaManuel on Sep 27, 2009 7:26 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I was there when the Rat gave up the bomb to Biggio….believe me, I will never ever forget the devil’s children known as the Astros and their dick of a GM.

by WanderingMoses on Sep 27, 2009 8:07 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'll admit it...

…I’m now officially scared of the Braves. Not for the division — although I’d have been wary had the Phils managed to drop this game — but they’re now only 2 games back in the loss column for the Wild Card, and while the Rockies close with 3 against the Brewers, and then 3 at the Dodgers, Atlanta’s remaining slate looks like this:

Florida (Sanchez v. Jurrjens)
Florida (Hudson v. VandenHurk)
Florida (Vazquez v. Nolasco)
Washington (Mock v. Hanson)
Washington (Hernandez v. Lowe)
Washington (Detwiler v. Jurrjens)
Washington (Martin v. Hudson)

Ummm, yeah… they have a sizable pitching advantage in all but the Nolasco game. Anyone else look at that and see a pretty clear path to 6-1? On the flip side, the Rockies are 6-7 in their last 13, and I don’t think a 3-3 run is at all out of the question.

The reason I make a big deal of this is simple: I DON’T WANT TO FACE THE CARDINALS IN THE FIRST ROUND. I don’t care where it is — Carpenter/Wainwright in a 5-game series scares the bejesus out of me. I know, I know, be careful what you wish for… but I’d much rather face the Rockies, or even travel to LA, than square off with the Fightin’ Pujolses.

by PhillyFriar on Sep 27, 2009 9:00 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I share your overall sentiments, but the Braves have probably had sizable pitching advantages in most of their games all year. Doesn’t necessarily mean they have the upper hand because of their hitting.

by taco pal on Sep 27, 2009 9:08 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

That’s true, and as Friday night (Lee v. Parra) showed, they play the games for a reason. Still, the Braves are on a roll right now, the Marlins looked dead in the water* in dropping 2-of-3 to the Mets, and the Nationals… well, you get the picture.

*No pun intended.

by PhillyFriar on Sep 27, 2009 9:48 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Incidentally, there would be one very small upside to playing the Cards in the first round instead of the Rocks. It would ever-so-slightly increase our chances of MLB scheduling one of the first two games of the series for prime time. Pujols and LaRussa might not be media darlings on the level of the Yankees and Red Sox, but they’re bigtime enough that MLB might throw them a bone. If it’s Phillies-Rockies, we’re pretty much guaranteed to get a big F.U. with two straight afternoon games.

by taco pal on Sep 27, 2009 9:55 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

marlins must’ve gotten tail wrapped…

by Bilzo on Sep 28, 2009 6:52 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Zolecki:

Houston’s Yorman Bazardo, evil twin of Phillies lefty Antonio Bastardo, will start tommorrow night against the Phillies.

Maybe we can call Bastardo up, just to pitch this game. Anyway, this is pretty good news, as Bazardo has a 9.55 ERA in 21.2 IP this year in the majors, though he pitched well in AAA. (Naturally, this means he’ll hold us to a run in seven innings.)

The four Astros starters for this series have a combined ERA of 6.11 this year.

by taco pal on Sep 27, 2009 9:04 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

that number means absofrigginlutely nothing. 6.11 ERA……

by Bilzo on Sep 28, 2009 6:53 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Another Zolecki tweet:

Ah, rookie hazing. Escalona and Mayberry in lady pilot costumes for the flight back to Philly. Happ is Superwoman. Costumes don’t fit right.

Timing might be a little odd, but whatever. Also, doesn’t he mean Supergirl?

by taco pal on Sep 27, 2009 9:09 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Home run record

I’m not sure if it was mentioned during the game, but didn’t Jimmy Rollins’ home run in the first inning break the team record for most home runs in a season? I think that was the team’s 217th HR this year, for a new record.
One other thought came to mind when playing the Brewers, who were good enough last year to make the playoffs and throw a scare into local fans when they won game three of the series vs. the Phillies: what a disappointment this year must be. The Brewers and the Cubs have to be the biggest flops (in the NL) based on what they did last year and the predictions for this season. Right now the Cubs can say they are over .500, but have the worst record of the eight teams over .500. And the Brewers are the best of the teams under .500. No wonder the Cardinals have cruised pretty much the entire second half of the season.

by phillyinportland on Sep 27, 2009 11:50 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Cubs yes. Brewers fans, however, had to have expected this – no more Sabathia, no more Sheets. They gambled on last year and lost.

by taco pal on Sep 28, 2009 12:18 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

One could say that the Phils should have run away with their division as well.

I think Met fan is pretty ticked about the season, because they had the talent, they just couldn’t get it on the field.

by Bilzo on Sep 28, 2009 6:54 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

True, I guess I was just focusing on two teams that made the playoffs last year and did squat this year. I know the Brewers were due to come back some, but to not even be over .500 after being in contention most of the first half of this season has to hurt. And the Cubs – if I remember right they had a great regular season and were the NL favorites last year to make the World Series and then, boom, they get swept out of the playoffs for the second year in a row. After what they put their fans through the last two years the Mets should be thanked for not leading the division in September again – but, seriously, I guess the Mets are a form of disappointment but not really a flop because, as you said, they really didn’t get their team on the field all year.

by phillyinportland on Sep 29, 2009 1:42 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Home Field advantage

Don’t look now, but we are AHEAD of the Cards, and in easy reach of the Dodgers, for home field in the NL playoffs. The Dodgers are busy resting and getting their rotation set up. If we WIN, we can get it! Of course, that depends on the bullpen…

by SJDinAudubon on Sep 28, 2009 1:07 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Having the Best record in the NL is good, but I dont feel like Home Field Advantage matters at all. In both 5 and 7 game series, the most critical games, as far as momentum and such goes, are going to be the middle games where the team with out Home Field Advantage will be playing at home. Especially in a 7 game series, that 3-5 games on the road can be really difficult. In some ways it is better for the Non Home Field Advantage team because if say they drop the first two games, they get a nice break for travel etc. and get to go back home to I guess refresh their spirits. If the Home Field Advantage Team loses game 3 and 4 though, they dont get that break.

All that said, I also feel like playing at home is not particularly an advantage or disadvantage as well. We like to think as fans that we give guys boosts and such, but I doubt this is the case.

Having the best record in the NL for a year is a nice accomplishment, though, and in my opinion is a good end in and of itself.

by Whack8888 on Sep 28, 2009 11:04 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs