Welcome back to Phillies All-Time Tournament. We are down to 32 teams and ready to begin Round 2. Round 1 had some good matchups and a few shockers, and Round 2 promises to have more of the same. Today's matchups are:
#2 John Kruk vs #7 Ryan Howard
#12 Glenn Wilson vs #13 Greg Gross
#10 Stan Lopata vs #2 Del Ennis
#1 Ed Delahanty vs #8 Billy Hamilton
You can find the most updated bracket by opening the link on the left bar, or clicking the link below.
The Good Phight's All-Time Phillies Tournament
Round 2 - Game #1:
#2 John Kruk vs #7 Ryan Howard
Ryan Howard's road to Phillies stardom doesn't get any easier with a matchup against the Kruker. Kruk faces a stiff challenge after dismantling Ricky Jordan in what ended up being an all 1st baseman corner of the bracket. Game 1 started off notoriously quiet as neither team scored in the first 3 innings. The top flight defense stopped in the 4th as Kruk scored 4 on 2 singles, 2 walks, a stolen base and a 2 run error. Howard got one back in the 4th and another in the 5th with solo homers. Kruk added another in the 6th, but Howard hit his third bomb of the game in the 8th to make it a 1 run game. Ryno went down 1-2-3 in the 9th to get Kruk a win in game 1. Game 2 saw Kruk jump out of the gate early with 4 in the first which included a triple (an injured Ryan Howard had to be carted off the field, but Kruk was too tired to score). Kruk went up 5-0 in the second, but Howard came back with a 3 run blast in the bottom of the 2nd to make it 5-3. Howard then hit 3 homeruns in 4 to put a 6 spot on the board enroute to a 14-6 romp. Kruk put 2 on the board in the 2nd to start the scoring in game 3, but Howard got them back in the bottom of this inning to tie it (on a bases loaded walk). Howard added another in the 5th (on another bases loaded walk, the old pitch around Howard to get to Howard move). 2 homers in the sixth sealed this game for Ryan. Kruk decided to get back to what he does best, speed. With runners on 1st and 3rd in the first inning of game 4, Kruk lays down a suicide squeeze and gets the run in (he figured it would be a low scoring game). The two teams trade runs in the 4th and Kruk adds another in the 5th, but Howard goes deep to go up 4-3 in the 5th. With his back against the wall, Kruk leads off the 8th with a single. Kruk then sacrifices the tying run over to second and then scores him on a single to tie the game. Kruk then loads the bases on another single and walk and smashed a grand slam to right centerfield to take a commanding lead. Howard puts 3 on the board in the 8th, but then goes BB, K, K, K to end the game in the 9th. On to game 5. Kruk puts up 1 in the first on a sac fly, but Howard ties it up in the 4th. Kruk then puts a 6 spot up in the 5th on a 2 run double and a 2 run single. Howard hits a homer in the bottom of the inning, but Kruk seemingly puts the game and series away with a 5 run 8th on a 3 run homer and 2 run triple and an "insurance" run in the 9th. Howard, down 13-2, starts off the 9th with a single. After a walk, he gets run #3 with another single. 2 pitches later, he makes it a 13-6 game with a 3 run homer. People stop leaving the park to watch in amazement. An error puts Howard on second, but he then gets the first out on a flyout to CF. A single puts men on the corners and a ground out scores his 7th run. Howard then walks to put men on first and second and then walks again to load the bases. Howard then hits a 2 ball 2 strike pitch to dead centerfield for a grand slam home run and puts the game at 13-11. Could this be the greatest comeback in tourney history? Howard then laces the next pitch up the middle and then walks to put the winning run at the plate in the form of Ryan Howard. 3 pitches later he ends the game and series...with a strikeout.
G1: 5-4 Kruk
G2: 14-6 Howard
G3: 9-3 Howard
G4: 10-7 Kruk
G5: 13-11 Kruk
Round 2 - Game #2:
John Kruk wins the series 3-2.
#12 Glenn Wilson vs #13 Greg Gross
Wilson and Gross have a lot to do following that last series. Both had significant upsets of fan favorites Larry Bowa and Garry Maddox. Glen Wilson comes out like the Tasmanian Devil putting up 5 runs in the first, 2 in the second and 2 more in the third to take a 9-0 lead. Manager Wilson then puts in all the bench Wilsons in this laugher. Gross came out scoring first in game 2 which included an extra base hit. He then scored 5 in the 4th on the power of 2 bases loaded walks. 1 more in each the 6th and 7th were too much for Wilson despite his 4 run 9th. Wilson put one on the board in the first inning of game 3 and then followed that up with 2 more in the second on a 2 run homer. Grossy got one back in the 3rd, but Wilson took it right back again in the bottom of the inning. 2 more in the 5th game Wilson a comfortable 6-1 lead. Gross then scored 3 in the 6th on a triple and sac fly, but Wilson responded with 1 in the bottom of the inning. Gross put 2 more on the board in the 8th to cut the lead to 7-6, but Wilson responded again making it a 8-6 game. Gross then tied up the game in the 9th on a wild pitch and a single. Wilson ended it quickly with a no out game winning homer. Glenbo put up 1 in the third to open the scoring in game 4. Gross takes the lead with 2 in the 5th on a 2 run single. Glenn then strings 5 singles and walks together to score 3 in the 6th. Gross didn't get another base runner until the 9th where he lead off the inning with back to back walks. But two flyouts and a groundout ended his run at the title.
G1: 15-3 Wilson
G2: 10-5 Gross
G3: 9-8 Wilson
G4: 4-2 Wilson
Glen Wilson wins the series 3-1.
Round 2 - Game #3:
#10 Stan Lopata vs #2 Del Ennis
Stan the man arrives in round two after a slight upset. He faces off with the beast that is Del Ennis. Del starts the scoring in game 1 with 3 in the first. Stan and Del trade runs in the 3rd and Del adds another in the 4th. Lopata then cracks a 3 run shot to right to pull within 1, but Ennis gets it right back with 3 in the bottom of the 5th. Lopata then gets those 3 right back in the top of the 6th on a 3 run blast. Ennis gets it back and more with a 4 home run inning where he scored 8 runs and put the game away. Game 2 saw more Ennis dominance as he put 1 on the board in the second and 2 in the third. That is all he would need, but really put the game away with a 5 run 8th. Down 2-0, Lopata tries to fight back. Ennis takes a 3-0 lead in the 3rd, and a 4-1 lead into the 6th, but Lopata puts up a 7 spot on the strength of 2 homers in the 6th. 5 more in the 9th sealed game #3. Lopata came out scoring first in game #4 with 2 in the first. Ennis responds with 2 solo shots to tie it and a 3 homer shot in the second to take the lead. Lopata makes it close with solo homers in the 4th and 5th, but all doubt is erases when Ennis put up a 7 spot in the 8th.
G1: 16-7 Ennis
G2: 8-1 Ennis
G3: 13-8 Lopata
G$: 14-7 Ennis
Del Ennos wins series 3-1.
Round 2 - Game #4:
#1 Ed Delahanty vs #8 Billy Hamilton
Easy Ed with another tough matchup against Running Billy Hamilton. Delahanty snuck by Lefty Grove who was some stiff competition. Billy started off game 1 with 1 run in the second, but Ed answered back with 3 in the bottom of the inning. Billy came back with 4 in the 3rd to take a 5-3 lead. Ed tied it up with a sac fly and an error in the 4th, but Hamilton puts up another thanks to two stolen bases in the 5th. Ed ties it in the 6th to see Billy put 2 more up in the 7th. Ed answers with 4 of his own in the bottom of the 7th thanks to a 3 run blast and takes game 1. Game 2 started off slowly as neither team scored in the first 4 innings. Billy then hit 3 2bs and 3 singles in the 5th to put 5 on the board and he never looked back scoring 4 in the 6th, 3 in the 7th and 5 more in the 8th. Billy started the scoring again in game 3 with 1 in the first and neither team scored until the 7th where Billy put up 2 more to go up 3-0. Ed answered back with 5 in the bottom of the 7th and all Billy could muster was 2 more in the 8th. Delahanty leads the series 2-1. Ed came out firing in game 4 trying to put this away with 5 in the first. Hamilton answered back with 4 in the second and Delahanty got one back in the bottom of the inning. Hamilton scored one in the 4th, but Ed responded with 1 in the fifth. Hamilton tied it up in the 7th with a 2 run double and then took the lead with a 2 run homer in the 8th. Ed got one back in the bottom of the eighth, but couldn't get any more. Billy put one on the board in game 5 in the second, but ran himself out of an inning with 2 caught stealings. Would that cost him? Ed tied the game up on a perfectly executed suicide squeeze in the 3rd. Delahanty takes the lead in the 4th, but Hamilton ties it up in the 5th. Ed then scores one in the bottom of the 5th to make it 3-2. Billy gets a runner on in the 7th, but he gets picked off of 3rd, and that is the last runner he'd see the rest of the game.
G1: 10-8 Ed Delahanty
G2: 17-3 Billy Hamilton
G3: 7-5 Ed Delahanty
G4: 9-8 Billy Hamilton
G5: 3-2 Ed Delahanty
Ed Delahanty wins the series 3-2.